Any way you look at the Magnetic Fields'
"69 Love Songs", it's an odd album.
A sprawling 3-disc set of, yes, 69 love songs, it not so much defies easy
categorisation as it laughs mockingly at the very thought of it. I have found
it a difficult album to get into (where do you start?) so I was looking forward to this show in the hope it would help crystallise some of my thoughts on it.
While I'm still not enamoured of the dry vocal technique of songwriter Stephin
Merritt his songs are starting to get under my skin to the extent that I've
found "The Luckiest Guy on The Lower East Side" bouncing around in my head
ever since the gig. On stage I found the slower material too slow but the
catchier pop songs were rendered with all their irresistible hooks intact, with "Oh Yeah" a particular highlight. Stephin's withdrawn stage manner didn't
appear to engage the audience properly but his dry personality was balanced
by the unbridled enthusiasm of pianist and vocalist Claudia Gonson. While
unusual gigs such as this are what has made the Continental a treasured
institution, I think the performers must have felt a little out of place given
that this was the penultimate show at the venue. According to a piece in
today's Age, the fate of the Continental itself
remains uncertain.
Claudia (at piano) & Stephin Merritt
532 x 600 (18kb)
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Stephin & Sam Davol (cello)
700 x 481 (31kb)
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Sam and John Woo (guitars) sign autographs
573 x 600 (50kb)
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WMinc principals Graham Lee (left) & Steve Miller with Claudia ("merchandising girl")
696 x 447 (42kb)
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