9th January 2007 (Red House Painters)

Okay, for those who know me they will know me they know I love the loss filled music of sadcore legends 'Red House Painters' or namely 'Mark Kozelek's' music, but with the launch of broadband at my home it enabled me to look and see what music I could download off the net.

By chance, I found a torrent (off some site I cannot even remember where) which contained the complete back catalogue of The Red House Painters.

I pretty well had it all (aside from 'Shock me' EP and 'Red House Painters II') and couldn't resist getting hold off it, although I would then go and buy them (which I did through http://www.amazon.co.uk), and if nothing else it gave me to listen to some tracks in some cases I hadn't played for ages.

Take for example, their first album ' Down Colourful Hill' a 6 track album which i know for a fact lasts for about 45 minutes! Usually when I have played this album I have usually sticked to 'Michael' (which always make me think of some former friends that on some nights I still miss) and 'Medicine Bottle' (I love the drum solo 2/3's of the way into the song) but repeated listens also drew me to '24' for the line of 'thought I would have it down by 16' which bought back memories of my own childhood and 'Japanese to English' which also reminded me of a at least one or two long distant relationships of mine which failed.

Their second album commonly termed 'Red House Painters I' I always found a much more difficult listen, not because of the badness of the material - rather with songs like 'Katy Song' which reminded me too close of a ex girlfriend of mine of a same name (who lived in 'London') and 'Mistress' (Piano Version) which sent a shiver down my back everytime I heard it. On more listens, I found myself comforted by listens to 'New Jersey' and 'Dragonflies' which I found more upbeat and enabled to look at memories which often I can relate to through Mark music, which I think is probably the reason why it probably means a lot to me as with other people.

'Red House Painters II' their second album which followed within a spell of months in 1993, I seem to recall is still less a personal favourite of mine if I'm honest, although on listenings now I am shocked by the cover of 'Star flanged Banner' and 'Uncle Joe' is certainly a powerful listen.

Need to sit down and go through the rest - will tommorrow I think (or maybe not)