Charlotte Martin

leirali · Joined: 01 Sep 2004 Posts: 647 Location: New Jersey

Now that the mad fast acoustic tour has come to a close :: tear :: and everyone who went to the shows was able to pick up a copy of rarities .6 (while others that were lucky enough to have someone pick up a copy are waiting for their CDs to arrive in their mailboxes), let's talk about it! Review style, you see, there's no begging here.

I couldn't stop listening to this on my iPod at work on Friday. When it ended I would scroll through some other choices, including some albums I bought recently and haven't had a chance to listen to yet, but I kept going back to rarities .6. I adore it, and these three songs make a great way to close out the rarities series.

Shrink reminds me a lot of "The Girl I Left Behind," as it has that similar synth sound. They could be sonic twins separated at birth. I would guess this is from "Test-Drive Songs" era, but does anyone know for sure?

"it's so strange and deranged that i let you piss my love away/ well i believed your every word, and i believed in us/ why did i shrink? did i think i had something to prove?"

Dangled is from the "One Girl Army" album, as we know, and it definitely sounds like it. My first thought when I heard it was that it reminded me a little bit of "Quickdive." It's a sad but lovely little love song with just Char and the piano, and some gorgeous harmonies that chime in partway through and carry on toward the end.

"pull me down, to your arms/ baby i finally come alive/ if you're rising with the ocean/ maybe i'll be your billionth tide"

No Words is my favorite on the disc. It sticks in my gut, and stays on repeat. It sounds like no other Char song I've heard before. Maybe it could fit in snug in a rug either on "Veins" or "Stromata", and yet not really, because it feels somewhere in-between. It reminds me a bit of Peter Gabriel (she is a fan of his, correct?) Does anybody know when it was recorded?

It has awesome percussion and has an full, lush sound. If I were to compare it to another Char song, I would have to say it's a little bit of "Crimson Sky" just because of the chanting, but it isn't as complex. I love it. I love it. I love it. When her voice rises, I just want to cry. At the NYC show she mentioned that someone told her that one of the songs on this rarities was so good that it should have been on an album, and I will take a wild guess and say she was talking about this one. And if so, I have to agree: WHY WAS THIS LIMITED TO A RARITIES?

"i can't speak the words anymore/ is there any language we know?/ all i need to feel in this place, all i need to see is your face/ no words"
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correct pronunciation: leer-uh-lee

beauty queen · Joined: 04 Jun 2004 Posts: 680 Location: California

definitely agree with most of your thoughts leirali!

shrink - absolutely the little sister of girl i left behind me. oga/test drive era for sure. i love those cds, so i love this track a LOT.

dangled - maybe it was the fact that i built up this track for so long since it was one of the missing oga songs, but i am not too into this one. it just kind of meanders and doesn't do much for me. i don't think it's too similar to quickdive though ... i love quickdive and view it as a sort of happy/hopeful sort of love song (of which char has very few lol) and dangled is not that for me.

no words - 100% peter gabriel influenced, good call. i agree.
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i got a really good heart, i just can't catch a break
if i could i would treat you like you wanted me to, i promise

leirali · Joined: 01 Sep 2004 Posts: 647 Location: New Jersey

I say "Dangled" makes me think of "Quickdive" because it feels like they're two sides of the same relationship. "Quickdive" is the happy in love moment, and "Dangled" is the end of the relationship/screwed over moment. I feel like they're bookends. Smile

"Dangled" pales in comparison to "Shrink" and "No Words," but I do enjoy it for its old school Char feel, and those harmonies.

yigzat · Joined: 04 Nov 2005 Posts: 134 Location: South Jersey

Oh my lord, Rarities .6 kicks ass!

Shrink is really funky. My head cannot stop nodding when that tune is on. It's got a great beat, and I love whatever synth patch she used. It's a fat tone, like the old Analogs- My Korg Poly-61M (which still works after 25 years) sounds almost like it.

Dangled is real sweet (reminiscent of This Woman's work, actually). I agree with others regarding the time period. Does sound like One Girl Army when her stuff was heavily influenced by Tori and KaTe.

I can't say anything less than Outstanding for No Words. It's a Stromata-type song that is best listened to LOUD. After quite a few listens, I think it's very reminiscent of Berlin (the new Fall into Heaven/Voyeur Berlin, not the old Take my Breath Away Berlin). Terri Nunn is one of the most underrated vocalists of the techno era- and she's even shorter than Char!

Phoenix · Joined: 14 Jan 2008 Posts: 96 Location: New Delhi, India

Shrink - This is such an immediate throwback to OGA/TDS. I like that it sounds a little intoxicated, apart from everything else that connects it to that phase of Char's career. The degree of playfulness in the song and Char's voice make me think this is more from OGA than TDS, maybe a transition into the TDS/In Parentheses sound. Regardless, I love it. It's the kind of song I wanted from OGA, which brings me to the next track.

Dangled - This really wasn't the type of song I was expecting from OGA, but I love this nonetheless. As a song on Rarities .6 I think what it achieves best is that it allows us a near final look into what kind of an album OGA was. It reminds me a little of Habit and Hopeless Attempt.

No Words - To me No Words sounds like a song that somehow missed the Stromata EP train. Maybe it didn't fit with the Stromata motif, which seems more and more and to be the case for a lot of the songs that pop up on Rarities. Definitely my favorite track on the CD.

And so, no more Rarities. From the six CDs full of obscured and lost gems I'd say my favorite is still Rarities .5 but Rarities .6 is a very, very close second and Rarities .4 is a clear third.

beauty queen · Joined: 04 Jun 2004 Posts: 680 Location: California

rarities .5 is definitely my favorite too! someone should make a poll on everyone's favorite of the rarities series.
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i got a really good heart, i just can't catch a break
if i could i would treat you like you wanted me to, i promise

yigzat · Joined: 04 Nov 2005 Posts: 134 Location: South Jersey

jules101 · Joined: 02 Oct 2003 Posts: 2153 Location: "New York Cares"

rarities .6 has been on repeat lately...and i realized i never threw in my review here. Smile

pretty much agree with everything you wrote leirali...

1. shrink - definitely early test-drive song...does she even sing like this anymore? lol a fun song with the wacky synth from 'girl i left behind'. yes totally. i dig that synth.

2. dangled - so this is the song from OGA? it sounds like it should be in a movie soundtrack. it feels 'mainstream' which isnt bad but im missing a...hook? or something? it dangles! it's still a pretty song but i need to talk about the next song...

3. no words - LOVE THIS SONG. it's brand new to my ears. i agree, this song sounds like nothing char has released before. the beats/percussions are crazy and as seductive as the lyrics...definitely unlike the previous 2 songs. its that wall of sound that i love in char's music. where there's no empty spaces. one of my favorite char songs. i would LOVE to hear her play this LIVE. im requesting it right here and now! Smile

this is a one of my favorite rarities for sure. all 3 songs are new to my ears and i love that. i also love that we get 3 very different char songs from 3 different eras of charlotte's writing. a great progression where you can hear the growth.
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...jules...

The Definitive Charlotte Martin Fan Site

mikegray · Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 3:51 pm Post subject:

So with this release, are we now missing just one song from One Girl Army - Takin' It Like A Man?

By my reckoning:

Prelude (Rarities #1)
Silver Honey (6 Song Sampler#)
In Parentheses (6 Song Sampler)
Mayday For The Girl (Rarities #2)
Getting Even (4-Track promo sampler)
Across The Water (Rarities #1)
Takin' It Like A Man (-- Still Missing--)
One Girl Army (6 Song Sampler)
Raven (6 Song Sampler)
Dangled (Rarities #6)
Something Like A Hero (Test Drive Songs - if it's different then this is still missing too)

# Actually, the 4-Track promo sampler version is the one to get if we're reconstructing OGA - it has a short intro which matches into Prelude
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Mike Gray
http://www.silverhoney.co.uk

Peter Newturkey · Joined: 19 Oct 2004 Posts: 657

jules101 · Joined: 02 Oct 2003 Posts: 2153 Location: "New York Cares"

i dont think i have/have heard 'getting even'! Shocked

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...jules...

The Definitive Charlotte Martin Fan Site

wintered · Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 286 Location: Lisbon, Portugal

i think something like a hero is a different version. charlotte mentioned something about it back when we had the "questions for charlotte" forum

MusicLover · Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 405

It would be nice if CharMar consented to putting ALL Rarities albums up on iTunes.

Peter Newturkey · Joined: 19 Oct 2004 Posts: 657

Peter Newturkey · Joined: 19 Oct 2004 Posts: 657

I just want to throw this out there... I think it would be a very smart and lucrative decision for Charlotte Martin and/or whoever owns her music to release all of the rarities as a box set for purchase, physical or digital. I own none. I would trade but I have nothing to trade. I'm sure there are some other Char fans out there who don't have any, and I think that ALL of her fans would enjoy being able to hear all of the songs. So... don't know if it will ever happen... but I hope it does.

wiresandwood · Joined: 27 Oct 2009 Posts: 22

dunkrag · Joined: 22 Aug 2006 Posts: 38 Location: Birmingham, UK

Not sure a physical boxset would be that economically viable but certainly a digital box set release would be very welcome and I'm sure a moderate money spinner while she is between albums.

Or, why not to compile them onto single album release (would all 18 tracks fit?) although there are probably rights issues with this. Either way, it would be nice to make them all readily available - but then I guess they stop being 'rarities'.

Peter Newturkey · Joined: 19 Oct 2004 Posts: 657

I just placed an order on musictoday for rarities .6! i can't wait to get it and listen to it! soon i'll be able to post a review about it too! YAYYYY!!!!! Oh and by the way... please please please if anyone sees either rarities .4 or .5 (specifically .5) on ebay please post the link on this thread! i don't normally check ebay but i don't want to miss out! I NEED a studio version of killing kiss.

wiresandwood · Joined: 27 Oct 2009 Posts: 22

mikegray · Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 1:36 pm Post subject:

jules101 · Joined: 02 Oct 2003 Posts: 2153 Location: "New York Cares"

Peter Newturkey · Joined: 19 Oct 2004 Posts: 657

Sorry mike I'm gonna beat you to the punch:

http://www.mediafire.com/?yvmgnzmmytz

Enjoy! Very Happy

jules101 · Joined: 02 Oct 2003 Posts: 2153 Location: "New York Cares"

lunahaze01 · Joined: 13 Jan 2006 Posts: 16 Location: MA

IS there a place where i can preview the 3 tracks from rarities 6 before buying it?? Ive done some searching but no luck. I like to hear the tracks before purchasing them

Thanks in advance!!

leirali · Joined: 01 Sep 2004 Posts: 647 Location: New Jersey