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Danelectro

Yo La Tengo - Danelectro Audio CD

A fair review of the Yo La Tengo "Danelectro" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Yo La Tengo reviews here, or go back to the Yo La Tengo tabs.

Band: Yo La Tengo
Title: Danelectro
Rating:

Release Date: 2000-11-14
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Danelectro 3 2: Danelectro 2 3: Danelectro 1 [Remix] 4: Danelectro 3 [Remix] 5: Danelectro 1 6: Danelectro 2 [Remix]

Quite unlike anything else by the band.
Truth to be told, they sound more like sketches then like full pieces, but having made that statement, they have merit. The "Danelectro" EP gathers together three instrumental pieces leftover from And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out, with a remix presented along with eachone. All three have a pastoral quality with a gentle, insistent melodicism (albeit of a somewhat darker hue on "Danelectro 1"). None of them are going to make you stand up and say "where has this been all my life", but they all make for good listening, and they sound like they go together.

The remixes are a different beast altogether, each driving in staggeringly different directions-- Q-Unique's remix of "Danelectro 1" turns the piece fully hophop, with programmed beats, turntable scratches and an implied funkiness. Kit Clayton's remix of "Danelectro 3" is something I could probably live without ever hearing again-- it's awash in inverted cymbals and virtually unintelligible (curiously, of the three pieces, the original is my favorite on the record). Japanese wizard's Nobukazu Takemura works something absolutely bizarre out of "Danelectro 2"-- the original is subverted into something wholly other, it's a bizarre and intriguing piece that, like most of Takemura's work, defies description.

"Danelectro" isn't going to be for everyone, not even all Yo La Tengo fans, and truthfully ,it's not something I return to often, but it's worth investigation for more adventerous folks.

worth buying for true YLT fans
Also featured are the remixed versions of the three tracks by Q-Unique, Kit Clayton and Nobukazu Takemura. This EP gathers three instrumental tracks that were left off YLT's latest magnus opus "And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out". It's extremely interesting to see what creative manipulations can do to a piece of music. My favorite is Kit Clayton's remix of Danelectro 3. The remix introduces a sense of anarchy and sonic unrest to the very soothing original. Underneath the dense and noisy electronic sound, the clean and sombre original guitar work can still be faintly detected. A truly masterful remix. Kudos to Kit Clayton. Unlike Kit Clayton, Q-Unique's remix of Danelectro 1 is very unintrusive. He begins his remix with a showcase of his virtuoso record-scratching, which gives the piece an urban-jungle feel. Further on in the remix, he uses very scarce but smart brushes to give the remix a surreal feel. My least favorite is Nobukazu Takemura's remix of Danelectro 2. It starts off like Brian Eno and David Byrne's "My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts" but with more undecisiveness and cliches. This aimless and uninspired attempt to reshape the four and half minute original goes on for another ten minutes. Frankly, I don't think Takemura is at the same skill and artistic level as Kit Clayton or Q-Unique. In spite of this shortcoming, this EP is still worth collecting by YLT fans. For casual listeners, the entire Kit Clayton track is available in MP3 format for free on Amazon. By the way, I'm finally going to see YLT live this summer in Toronto. Looking forward to it!.

an unlikely winner
it's a simple melody that is gracefully played by the band. is this not the most creative band in the world working today? are they not the best live band? are they not the funniest?

the "danelectro ep" opens with, oddly enough, danelectro 3. it's magic, largely evoking "return to hot chicken" from their masterpiece (i can name 5 masterpieces under the name: yo la tengo) i can hear the heart. . . other standout is danelectro 1, which reminds me of a live version of velvet underground's "train round the bend" that they featured in their recent tour.

the remixes aren't what you'd expected: minimal and fragmented. these are the anti-mixes. "danelectro 2 remix" with which the album closes sounds nothing like the original. it is more like a daring sound collage that weaves in and out of the original. like a true interpretation and not your standard fare remix.

and the danelectro guitar never sounded better than in the delicate hands of ira.

and there's great artwork by our favorite drummer/painter extraordinaire: georgia hubley. the artwork, like the music itself, evokes a smile--and kindness.

A Good Value for Something Different
Instead, it serves as a pleasant diversion for Yo La Tengo fans. If any of the six tracks on this disc were to appear on, say, something by Pat Metheny or Red House Painters, critics would be foaming at the mouth with rave reviews. Which is a testament to just how talented and diverse they are and makes you appreciate them as perhaps the best band your friends may never hear. A little bit experimental, a little bit fusion, a lot of intriguing, Danelectro works. The remixes are decidedly different and thoughtfully mixed. Not for everyone, but an easy addition to any YLT fan's collection.

Yeah, yeah, so 5 stars doesn't mean a heck of a lot
Even if you're not usually a big fan of their instrumental pieces, i'd encourage you to check out this ep. I didn't have enough money to buy 69 love songs, but thought icould spare the [money] for anything made by yo la tengo. It's by turns and all at once winter-spare and summer-lush; soothing, sad, hopeful, swooning, and just kinda thoughtfully laid-back.

The arrangement of the 6 songs works well. And the common elements moving through all of the songs makes it feel like the piece of gorgeous orchestration that it is, rather than song, song, remix, song, remix, remix, that it looks like at the outset.

The remix artists were well chosen (tho, i guess i have to admit the kit clayton thing gets a bit tired 10th time around), and each take offers interesting an interesting foil to the original--and the other remixers. Nobuzaku Takemura's take on danoelectro-2 is freaking beautiful. It's worth the purchase even for that one song. Wow.

You can see a complete list of all Yo La Tengo discography, or go back to the Yo La Tengo tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.