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Amazon.co.uk Review
Ludicrous title aside, Bill Callahan's seventh album is no more a barrel of laughs than its predecessors. After the relatively expansive arrangements of 1999's brilliant Knock Knock, Dongs Of Sevotion is something of a return to the relatively sparse and mechanical sound of earlier works, especially the classic Wild Love. The smirking "Dress Sexy At My Funeral" ("wink at the minister / blow kisses to my grieving brothers") is the nearest he gets here to the Velvet Underground-style chug of the last record, while "Bloodflow" shows distinct signs of a jazz influence, and a bass guitar for once. The furious soft/loud dynamic of "Distance" marks a new direction, while "Cold Discovery" continues Callahan's series of studies in self-loathing. Though not as instant as some of his previous work, this repays detailed listening, and, as ever, features one of the smoothest, enveloping voices around. --Steve Jelbert
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I arrived late at the Smog party, if you could call it that, more of a drink yourself to death and then laugh at your misfortune style affair, but I made it nonetheless. 'Knock Knock' was a piece of abstract wonder from last year's glut of records that despite its instant turn offs to the masses - songs of prison wardens and bad childhoods to name but few- was totally rewarding. So I looked forward to the follow up with great anticipation, the title was something of a reassurance straight away, Callahan's dry wit was seeping onto the cover yet again and what unfolds inside does not disappoint. It's a much bigger record than the last, in length and also in content and scope. The 'poppy' nature of 'Held' has disappeared and made way for sparse guitar/ vocal centred arrangements. Callahan's voice is still as perfectly droll as ever, but it's the humour that grabs you the most- he would never hold a girl to the floor like that, would he? The disturbingly titled 'bloodflow' is this year's 'No dancing' with cheerleaders instead of children's choir but just as effective in the pace and distance it covers. I could write forever about this album, knowing that it would only fall on a few appreciative ears, perhaps that is how Callahan would like it. To those who have entered his macabre world this is another fantastic Smog record, to the unconverted this is your baptism waiting patiently with a rusty blade and a knowing grin. Go get some in...
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Bill Callahan has been going for a while now, but it was only with last years superb Knock Knock that he finally started to get the recognition he deserves with his "band" Smog (basically Callahan, his studio and a collection of mates).
Smog's army of dedicated followed awaited Dongs of Sevotion with bated breath to see if success will have spoiled Mr Misery...but no, still there are the viscious lyrics wrapped in honeycomb tunes all stripped down to the bare basics of a song. The sales of Knock Knock have obviously allowed Bill the scope for a bit more experimentation - he even uses a bunch of cheerleaders for backing vocals on "Bloodflow", but as the song title suggests, it's not the usual kind of chanting they'd do! The stunning "Dress sexy at my funeral" sets the tone as Bill gets all frisky in his laid back way and both "Devotion" and "Permanent Smile" break new sonic ground for Smog. Always deep, never boring, despite the awful title "Songs of Devotion" is the second great alt.rock album of 2000 (after Lambchop's Nixon)
Format:Audio CD
A fantastic album, a long term favourite.
He scratches at the sad sick underbelly of white trailerpark trash america, and it is not pretty.
'Devotion' is a bitter song about the gossips who ruin lives, I used to work with these awful people.
'Bloodflow',a great upbeat song about chopping up your neighbours, features the best rhyming couplet ever.
" No time for a tet a tete, can I borrow your machete' sung by the Bloodettes cheer leader troupe.
There are two harrowing songs about rape,
And the crowning glory, 'Distance' about a serial killer with Bill Callahan sounding like a ball of pure fury. A genuinely terrifying song.
Not a nice album for dinner parties or inlaws. But fine with a bottle late at night. Highly reccomended.
He scratches at the sad sick underbelly of white trailerpark trash america, and it is not pretty.
'Devotion' is a bitter song about the gossips who ruin lives, I used to work with these awful people.
'Bloodflow',a great upbeat song about chopping up your neighbours, features the best rhyming couplet ever.
" No time for a tet a tete, can I borrow your machete' sung by the Bloodettes cheer leader troupe.
There are two harrowing songs about rape,
And the crowning glory, 'Distance' about a serial killer with Bill Callahan sounding like a ball of pure fury. A genuinely terrifying song.
Not a nice album for dinner parties or inlaws. But fine with a bottle late at night. Highly reccomended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Patchy album that gets under your skin
Smog's first album post-Jim O'Rourke came out in 2000, and is (even for them) a strangely disjointed listen. Read more
Published 23 months ago by klaher
Do not buy this album
2 of my top 20 albums are Knock knock and supper; however, i thought this album wa dreadful. Far too depressive and self-absorbed. Read more
Published on 24 April 2005
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