Early Destroyer Recordings: Part 2
Destroyer's first CD, We'll Build Them a Golden Bridge, was actually released before the Ideas for Songs cassette that I posted about earlier. And it sounds like it. If Ideas was endearingly amateurish, Golden Bridge is just downright sloppy. Most of the songs aren't really all that listenable because they combine the aesthetic of a noise band with the instrumentation of a small child. Painfully distorted casio keyboards, bad found sounds, and hopelessly out of tune singing and guitars characterize most of the songs. It seems to be one of those releases that would have seemed kind of funny at the time but that, in hindsight, ended up just being kind of embarrassing.
That's not to say that its not an interesting album or that there aren't some good songs. One of the great things about Golden Bridge is that you can hear Bejar trying to find his voice, although most people achieve this in a less public way. Any of you who own the New Pornographers' Twin Cinema will recognize the song "Streets of Fire". I think this version is actually an improvement on Carl Newman's overwrought rendition. "I, As McCarthy" is one of the few songs on the album where the amateurish shambles thing actually succeeds. And it's even one of my favorite destroyer songs.
Destroyer - Streets of Fire
Destroyer - I, As McCarthy
The song "You Can't Go Home Again" is from a really obscure cassette compilation on Granted Passage Records which also had songs from great British Columbian bands such as Vote Robot and French Paddleboat. It sounds like it was recorded around the same time as Ideas For Songs, with the same fourtracked sloppiness. It's also filled with ridiculous lines like: "A true director can say/I've seen the rushes, the director's cut sucks." Classic Destroyer.
Destroyer - You Can't Go Home Again
________
That's the last of the early Destroyer songs series for now. If people can convince me that they're intereted, maybe in a few weeks I'll post some more Destroyer songs as well as songs from other bands that Bejar has played in.
That's not to say that its not an interesting album or that there aren't some good songs. One of the great things about Golden Bridge is that you can hear Bejar trying to find his voice, although most people achieve this in a less public way. Any of you who own the New Pornographers' Twin Cinema will recognize the song "Streets of Fire". I think this version is actually an improvement on Carl Newman's overwrought rendition. "I, As McCarthy" is one of the few songs on the album where the amateurish shambles thing actually succeeds. And it's even one of my favorite destroyer songs.
Destroyer - Streets of Fire
Destroyer - I, As McCarthy
The song "You Can't Go Home Again" is from a really obscure cassette compilation on Granted Passage Records which also had songs from great British Columbian bands such as Vote Robot and French Paddleboat. It sounds like it was recorded around the same time as Ideas For Songs, with the same fourtracked sloppiness. It's also filled with ridiculous lines like: "A true director can say/I've seen the rushes, the director's cut sucks." Classic Destroyer.
Destroyer - You Can't Go Home Again
________
That's the last of the early Destroyer songs series for now. If people can convince me that they're intereted, maybe in a few weeks I'll post some more Destroyer songs as well as songs from other bands that Bejar has played in.
posted by ian at 7:29 AM
15 Comments:
please post as much destroyer as you possibly can muster.
he's too good not to have out there.
adam
I agree!
please share with us all, more destroyer or other bejar incarnations.
heather
More, please!
More please, sir.
Jay sent me No Cease Fire many years ago!
'Interested' is a horrific understatement. PLEASE POST MORE!
"We'll Build Them A Golden Bridge" is not impossible to find...but early comps and "Ideas For Songs" are [impossible to find].
Thanks again!
Mark
Showing interest. Load us up!
When I first heard destroyer's streethawk I was so inspired I flat ran out and bought a guitar. Then I got dejected figuring it was a losing game, and who could sew the package together so well. But now, well now, I see my first instinct was right! Thank you so much for the confirmation!
please, do it. these tracks are beautiful. i never liked 'golden bridge' and always thought people who said they did were fibbing for fun. but lately i've listened to it all the time and i think it's a great album, nothing to be ashamed of at all, it just takes a lot of getting used to. it's funny how hard it is to get used to. it's not the type of album you want to listen to ever again after hearing it once. but after ten times, a lot of it starts sounding like magic. i'd add to the list of truly great songs 'mending song', 'J. Tailor', 'saddlestroyer', 'streets of fire', 'riota', and 'knowing when to leave'. also, i'm pretty sure the song you list as Whistilin' Dixie was called Breakin' The Law, in case you care. Please, post more from ideas!
please, please, please! i've been looking for ages for this stuff!
If someone could find me or direct me to a copy of this elusive album (WBTAGB), I can imagine becoming their very bestest friend....
please please please post more of these, or the whole album! PLEASE.
hey!
the song "streets of fire" is performed with the new pornographers on the record "twin cinema", not in "mass romantic"...
the early song that appears in "mass romantic" is "breaking the law"
for your consideration.
a destroyer mega fan from Chile.
Please please please please.
amazin, the cold review of a retrospective release of an early record, revealing either youth or inability to understand time-makes you think about the role of critique. sad really.
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