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SINGLE AVAILABLE SOON plus NEW ALBUM REVIEW!!
Hi all!!
Just a quick-soup of an update to let you know that due to an administritive error (?) at i-tunes our download link to the new single ‘Take me away’ has been delayed.
So we’re making the decision of holding back the release date until the link becomes live though you can still buy ‘physical’ copies from the 1969 Records shop.
Here’s one of the VERY first reviews of the album done by Dan Hegarty for new Irish music magazine ‘The State’.
PUGWASH – 11 Modern Antiquities
There’s a lot of attention given to what’s become known as the “difficult second album”. In reality, things don’t get any easier with the third, or in Pugwash’s case, the fourth. Following 2005’s JOLLITY was a big undertaking, yet Thomas Walsh has made it sound like one he has relished. In fact, 11 MODERN ANTIQUITIES is an album that has such an array of qualities, that it’s easy to overlook some of them.
The single TAKE ME AWAY opens proceedings, featuring a bassline that almost steals the limelight all to itself. As you move deeper into the album, it evokes images of many of Pugwash’s heroes and influences, a number of whom are guests and co-writers (XTC’s Dave Gregory and Andy Partridge, Jason Falkner and Michael Penn, to name but four).
The manner in which the songs are delivered is truly remarkable. IT’S SO FINE and LANDSDOWNE VALLEY draw your mind back to decades past, and would sit perfectly well with the best that those years had to offer. Forgive STATE for using the “O” word, but if Noel Gallagher wrote songs like these, he might manage to drag Oasis from the creative doldrums that they’ve been inhabiting for the past decade.
The point cant be made any other way, 11 MODERN ANTIQUITIES is a triumph.
Dan Hegarty : The State Magazine
Great stuff we think you’ll agree!! By the way this very web-site will be updated shortly to incorporate all the new artwork for the release of the album so we look forward to hearing your thoughts on that (We’ve had a sneak peek and it looks FAB!!), so keep checking in, checking out!!
Why be shy when you can kick the can and shout…..
xxxxx
Discuss...
Commenting is closed for this article.
Hi Thomas…any chance of these radio/TV appearances showing up somewhere on this website or MySpace?
On another front, I’d love to hear you guys live sometime… and there’s a chance I’ll be in Dublin in August. Hope you’ll be touring somewhere if I make it.
Best of luck with the upcomimg release….I’m doing what I can to get the word out.
All the Best,
Ken
Hi Thomas,
Just listened to your new single, sounds excellent, glad you are all doing so well. When you make it to Newcastle upon Tyne let me know!
cheers mate
Terry
I’m guessing there is stil iTunes issues. Went there last night and :-( it was not there yet. I am eagerly awaiting the release of the single. ‘Take Me Away’ is one of your best yet!
Lads,
How can I spread the word if I can’t download that brilliant new single. Tell iTunes to sort their life out!!!
Just stumbled across The Pugs this week. Fantastic stuff!!!
MASSIVE i-tunes faux-pas lads n’ lasses, I really don’t want to give this ineptitude any more creedence but it WILL be sorted asap and you all will definitely be the first to know. Thank you SO much for your patience and loyalty.
Thomas.xx
Ahhh..A Horse is A Horse of Course Of Course!
Tennessee Ernie Ford…Whinneee!
Can’t wait for New Pugs in my ears!
~Marc
Can’t wait to take a big slug from that bottle of rejuvenating antiquities, TW!
btw had a nice chat with a certain Mr.Gregory on Rundgrenradio.com on Sunday, managed to get in a tiny mention about his arrangements for Pugwash too. The lovely Mr. G was marvellous, you can hear it again at the website …cheers, Trev
Sorry, here’s a link
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/profile.aspx?userid=8137
Hi
Just listened to the sample tracks from the new album. Sounds great. A real step up from Jollity -and that was outstanding – roll on the end of March !
Are you thinking of touring the UJK ?
c
For all you US based folks, you can pre-order Antiquities from Amazon.com
Hi everyone…..
I’ll do my very best to let you all know about as many of these podcast/download interview thingys I do. This one is always a pleasure to do as the DJ Roddie Cleere is a genuine music lover and a big Pugs fan so enjoy and again let me know your views…..!!
Thomas.xx
http://www.wlrfm.com/irish-nightlife-podcasting/
Great interview Wally oops I mean Thomas! Nice to hear about your hectic relationship with Andy too. You know we’re all rootin’ for you out here, mate, so keep plugging away, it’ll all come right for you.
Just watched the ‘On With the Show’ clip, TW, just an awesome song, well played, and a lovely clip to see you guys having fun doing it. Am ordering that Idle Race box asap…...
Pugwash – 11 Modern Antiquities
I have to admit to feeling nervous reviewing this album. I really wanted it to be a classic, but was fearful that it will merely retread already well worn ground that has been exhausted on Almanac and Jollity. To an extent this is true of this album, but Thomas Walsh has almost written a Greatest Hits package on this album alone. He has taken the best elements from his previous canon of immensely impressive work and included them all on one album. In my review of Jollity I said that album was his “Face The Music”. This is “A New World Record”. In other words my first impressions are that this is the best yet from Pugwash, which means it is very very good indeed. This album is lighter in mood than Jollity and deeper than Alamanc, which doesn’t in itself mean much – just that it is different whilst retaining all that is great about Pugwash.
1.Take Me Away – A classic Pugwash track. An instant classic and a perfect opening single. Thomas Walsh doesn’t really write singles, but this one had me humming immediately. It is a cross between a Pugwash song, some XTC, Traveling Wilburys and the obvious Beach Boys bit in the middle. A good start.
2.Cluster Bomb – At first I thought this is a retread of Black Dog but not to be as the song develops into a deceptively simple and complex song at the same time. It takes real skill to craft a song like this. This is almost like a budhist chant, with some wonderful strings. The harp and glockenspiel give this song an almost transcendental quality (back to budhism). Simply wonderful.
3.Here – ELO ELO ELO. Not hard to spot the influence on this song. This is going to bug me for days trying to spot where Walsh has cogged this from. The truth is, of course, that not unlike Jeff Lynne (with whom Walsh cannot escape comparison along with Lennon & McCartney and any other skillful tunesmith one cares to mention) Walsh has the ability to write a song that sounds so immediately familiar that one feels he pinched it. A classic.
4.Its So Fine – When an artist comes to the point that he is stealing from himself you know he has reached a defining moment. This is theft in the best possible sense. The lunacy of ‘Almanac” is back. For me the best song so far. If anything this takes the best the Idle Race had to offer and improves on it, which is bloody hard. Addictive.
5.Song For You – Simply a celebration of life. Wonderful. Classic Pugwash. Has all the elements that makes Walsh a great writer.
6.My Genius – Another song that is destined to annoy me. There are so many musical references in it that I am going to spend ages figuring them out. It has a jazz club feel. At this point I feel this album is just getting better and better. A wonderful end – pure Idle Race.
7.Limerance – Beatles, is the immediate reaction the oepning. Then the song does something unexpected it goes off on its own original little journey. Not a good song for the car, as one is tempted to close one’s eyes and daydream along to this. Has a little bit of Take Me On and On but is much much better. Wonderful guitar play in the middle. Also a bit of Hey Jude creaps in towards the end, at least in spirit.
8.Your Friend – Initial reaction to the opening “Hell this album just gets better and better”. Another single perhaps. Reminds me a bit of Nice to be Nice. Also there is some pure Idle Race- ‘Follow Me Follow’ perhaps. Pretty close to melodic and lyrical perfection.
9.The Cannon and the Bell – A complete change of pace. This is effectively an instrumental, a rarity on a Pugwash album. Great fun with the vocoder and strings. Not earth shattering but a nice change of pace.
10.At the Sea – More Almanac type madness. Initial reaction – plenty of XTC here. Then I checked the credits. Andy Partridge. His influence is felt, all to the good. Full of quirky twiddly bits, whistling and great musicianship. Reminds me of Squeeze at their best. Kind of “Coolf For Cats” 2008.
11.Lansdowne Valley – I had been waiting for this song. I loved the idea of it so much and was worried I wouldn’t like it. Being the same age as Thomas I have nostalgic memories of Dublin in the 1970s. It works. A Penny Lane for Dublin but from a child’s perspective. Serious flashback time for me. Somehow the song reflects my feelings. The triumphs and disasters of childhood. What I love is the pride shown in his roots. As it should be. I loathe people who reinvent themselves and deny where they are from. This is a celebration of childhood and origins and is wonderful for it. The end is of course typically exhausting.
Well Done. This is the best yet. I didn’t think it would be possible to improve on Almanac and Jollity. This album takes their strongest aspects and has crafted (this is crafted intelligent stuff folks) a classic. Only problem, I am going to be seriously worried for the next one.
Caveat. I reserve the right to add to this review and to change my mind. First listen was on my computer speakers, not bad for a computer but not great. This music deserves better. I am sure I have missed some wonderful moments.
Maurice…..?
I’m so humbly honoured by your review!! What a beautiful and honest reflection of what I was trying to purvey…..You’re a legend, a true star!!
T.xx
First of all sorry about the typo’s and lack of comma’s etc. Secondly, thanks to Thomas for a. writing this wonderful album and b. being so kind about my review. I am sure there is plenty I missed, but I will listen to this album again. No brainer that.
Just noticed that I probably overdid the “pure Idle Race” comment – I wasn’t trying to imply the music was derivative, merely that it at times reflected the spirit of the Idle Race., who are probably one of the most underrated bands in history.