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 Post subject: Year In Review: Built To Spill - You In Reverse (9A)
PostPosted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:14 pm 
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Average Metacritic score 82 (25 reviews):

http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/cds/B/ ... verse/2110

Built To Spill
You In Reverse (Warner Bros.)
US Release date: 11 April 2006
Rating: 80

By: Austin L. Ray

At the risk of stating the obvious at the beginning of this meditation on one of the major-label world's greatest/most inexplicable success cases (Flaming Lips, we're also looking in your direction), the guitar has always been the backbone of rock 'n' roll. Elvis Presley's hip swagger and testostervox made the ladies swoon, and Little Richard's unhinged piano thumping was topped only by his flamboyant reputation. But when you boil it all down and point your finger at the true reason people get off on rock music, you'll find your index nail stuck firmly in front of that certain six-stringed instrument.

Doug Martsch and his band of revered Idahoan rockers understand this principle and lay their modus operandi out for all to see on "Goin' Against Your Mind," the lead-off track of You in Reverse, their sixth album (and first in five years). For a full two minutes, vocals seem inconsequential. Instruments overlap each other in a surprisingly tight arrangement, and the whole thing is held down by a taut drum beat, but it's led by guitars that resonate like an alarm signaling an all-too-early morning. As far as fuzzed-out bliss is concerned, it doesn't get much better than this. And the result is an epic, nearly nine-minute opener.

And although it would be a tad hyperbolic to compare You in Reverse to some of rock music's greatest guitar albums, Martsch and company's legend was intimidating even before the oughts, and this album only cements that. A band known for twenty-minute live versions of "Cortez the Killer" and un-ironic renditions of "Freebird," Built to Spill's latest finds the trio reveling in guitar-centric pieces while avoiding the tedium that could easily come with this sort of focused songwriting. Indeed, much like Television's Marquee Moon, Dinosaur Jr.'s You're Living All Over Me, or, to go ahead and push the comparison over the top, Pelican's The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw, Built to Spill has managed to elevate rock's pre-eminent instrument to a pedestal while creating something that's both approachable and timeless.

Which brings us to the accessibility of You in Reverse. Although more than two-thirds of the record's songs top the five-minute mark, never do the tracks inspire boredom, never are there solos for the sake of indulgence. Rather, Martsch's Brock-meets-Gibbard-meets-Young-meets-etc. vocals emit gorgeously plaintive melodies, even if they do get pushed to the back at times in favor of a musical breakdown. On "Saturday," he sings, "And there's nothing you can do/ and there's nothing you can say/ to make my problems/ go away." Out of context, these words come off as emo-tastic, but they make perfect sense within a churning composition that combines with follow-up track "Wherever You Go" in an inseparable way (a la "We Will Rock You"/"We are the Champions").

In fact, classic-rock lovers and those stuck in nostalgic rock ruts would do well to check out You in Reverse. Like a growing number of bands today, the members of Built to Spill feel comfortable in their respect of '70s bands while managing to avoid letting this influence mire them in any particular sound. Which is to say that these guys respect their elders while crafting something lengthy and at times transcendently original. Call them indulgent if you must, but the fun you can hear them having as they play translates to the record. There is a reason there aren't any national air-piano competitions, after all.


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PostPosted: Sun Dec 03, 2006 11:32 pm 
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Love this album but don't play it as much as I think I should. Will be in my Top 10.

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 1:38 am 
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This album has it all for me. Probably in my top 3.

I nearly shatterred my eardrums listening to the that wah guitar solo in "Wherever You Go" last week.

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:02 am 
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i still haven't listened to this. forgot about it for a while. only heard 1 song so far.

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:16 am 
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i p robably wont listen to this until 2007

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:18 am 
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I'd love to hear this, if anyone wants to YSI it... <hint, hint>


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 3:22 am 
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I haven't gotten around to this one yet. I was hoping I could get it off of lala. Doubt that'll happen anytime soon....


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 4:12 am 
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i played the hell out of this album when i first got a hold of it so i put it aside for a long time. and then, when i saw them on this tour, it killed it for me. but, i'll have to re-visit this because i'm sure i'll fall in love with it again... originally was in my top 3 of '06, but i'm thinking more top 10.

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 6:54 am 
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Love it. Has been my #2 of '06 for quite some time.


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 11:43 am 
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Sketch Wrote:
Love it. Has been my #2 of '06 for quite some time.


FUCK! I had this in my hand at the Tower sale yesterday and didn't pull the trigger.

The problem with 50% off sales is even with the discount I got up over $100 in a hurry. Some things had to be put back.


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 11:45 am 
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pumachik Wrote:
and then, when i saw them on this tour, it killed it for me.

Why?

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 1:21 pm 
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This album is pretty good but I don't find myself listening to it much. Some great guitar work and a couple of decent songs but I think the songs are a bit on the long side for me. I don't mind long songs when they go somewhere but a couple on this album could have been much better if he'd stopped after the 3.5-4 minute mark.

I think as a whole I'm just a little burned out on Built to Spill so this album wasn't as great to me as the others were when I first heard them.

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 1:52 pm 
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i'm surprised so many of y'all haven't heard this. i thought built to spill was an indie rock staple.

anyways, for me...dougs best album since perfect from now on.

currently holding #7 on the 2006 elephantstone hott 100.

and i can't imagine seeing them live doing anything but making someone even more of a fan, so yeah dri....why???

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:35 pm 
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Its good not great. I like it but don't have a lot of confidence that I'll be listening to this much in future years. I'd put it somewhere around 25-35 on my top 40.

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 2:44 pm 
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I'm a huge fan of this this band, and I like this one not quite love it...top 15.


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 3:03 pm 
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elephantstone Wrote:
i'm surprised so many of y'all haven't heard this. i thought built to spill was an indie rock staple.

anyways, for me...dougs best album since perfect from now on.

currently holding #7 on the 2006 elephantstone hott 100.

and i can't imagine seeing them live doing anything but making someone even more of a fan, so yeah dri....why???


I didnt see them this time around but if I remember correctly DRi has the same problems as I do with their shows:

1. Too much time between songs tuning and noodling (like, a really long time)

2. For me at least, something is missing in the sound live. Like, I remember when I saw them I was dissapointed that the bassist wasnt better because going by the records, I thought he'd be a monster. Same with the drummer.

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 3:16 pm 
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Yail Bloor Wrote:
elephantstone Wrote:
i'm surprised so many of y'all haven't heard this. i thought built to spill was an indie rock staple.

anyways, for me...dougs best album since perfect from now on.

currently holding #7 on the 2006 elephantstone hott 100.

and i can't imagine seeing them live doing anything but making someone even more of a fan, so yeah dri....why???


I didnt see them this time around but if I remember correctly DRi has the same problems as I do with their shows:

1. Too much time between songs tuning and noodling (like, a really long time)

2. For me at least, something is missing in the sound live. Like, I remember when I saw them I was dissapointed that the bassist wasnt better because going by the records, I thought he'd be a monster. Same with the drummer.

i can see that. i haven't seen 'em in quite a while either -- like late 90's, so i guess things could've changed a bit since then.

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 3:17 pm 
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Yeah, seeing them live in '99 was a wonderful thing for me. Didn't notice the time gaps or rhythm section underplay that Yail mentioned. The additional crunch and jamming was a big winner for me. j has a good point about things might have changed.


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PostPosted: Mon Dec 04, 2006 4:30 pm 
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Yail Bloor Wrote:
elephantstone Wrote:
i'm surprised so many of y'all haven't heard this. i thought built to spill was an indie rock staple.

anyways, for me...dougs best album since perfect from now on.

currently holding #7 on the 2006 elephantstone hott 100.

and i can't imagine seeing them live doing anything but making someone even more of a fan, so yeah dri....why???


I didnt see them this time around but if I remember correctly DRi has the same problems as I do with their shows:

1. Too much time between songs tuning and noodling (like, a really long time)

2. For me at least, something is missing in the sound live. Like, I remember when I saw them I was dissapointed that the bassist wasnt better because going by the records, I thought he'd be a monster. Same with the drummer.


pretty much what yail said... you would think for a band that's been around for a decent amount of time, they'd be more professional during their set. this was the first time i've seen them live because for some reason, every time i tried to see b2s, it wouldn't happen. so i was pretty excited about the show and i was bored to tears. so unfortunate. :(

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PostPosted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 10:00 pm 
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mutty Wrote:
I'd love to hear this, if anyone wants to YSI it... <hint, hint>


still need it?


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PostPosted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 10:15 pm 
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This album is fan-fucking-tastic to these ears.

I'll never doubt you again Doug.

Still friends?


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