Collected Animals

yo this album is kinda ... great? like, it has aged REALLY well.

who was the music blogger/critic who called this? just listened to it on vinyl over speakers and i was struck at how interesting i found it backing cooking and board gaming.

It really is a great album. Almost too many layers but for me it just adds to the environment they're creating. Definitely in my top 3 albums by AC

Feel like it's definitely gonna age even better. somehow painting with sounds so much worse after listening to ChZ, feel like it's a style that got abandoned p quickly. Idk tho cause Slasher Flicks is very similar songwriting

every avey track from this era save Monkey riches for me personally is a total mind blower. Father Time, Mercury Man, TS, Applesauce, Gotham and Moonjock... and Pulleys/Amanita are all kinda next level, espppp Honeycomb, TS, Applesauce and Merc. yya this albums aged very very well.

Gotham might be the most gutting wrenching ballad by them.

all the tracks that did not made the album insane, I listened to those more now (maybe because It's easier then listening to the entire album)

I've been spinning this album a lot the past few months. I really love just playing Wide Eyed - Monkey Riches when I have a shorter drive. I kind of overlooked CHz during the original release and now I'm not sure why. The lyrics on here are especially poignant to me at this stage of my life.

I still think it's a tremendous album in terms of potential but the desert space radio alien rock concept got muddled along the way, and merged with a kind of fluffy electronic pop sound which is quite lightweight. Added to some quite weak songwriting in parts, it's a brilliant 7/10 for me, but the lowest points are the lowest of anything they've done; namely Wide Eyed, Father Time and Monkey Riches. Swap them for Honeycomb, Gotham and Crimson and you have a more cohesive, stronger album much closer to the original stated vision. Despite this, the Tomboy offcut is still the most powerful by a country mile.

I still think it's a tremendous album in terms of potential but the desert space radio alien rock concept got muddled along the way, and merged with a kind of fluffy electronic pop sound which is quite lightweight. Added to some quite weak songwriting in parts, it's a brilliant 7/10 for me, but the lowest points are the lowest of anything they've done; namely Wide Eyed, Father Time and Monkey Riches. Swap them for Honeycomb, Gotham and Crimson and you have a more cohesive, stronger album much closer to the original stated vision. Despite this, the Tomboy offcut is still the most powerful by a country mile.

Is there a reason so many people tend to not like Wide Eyed, Father Time, and Monkey Riches? Those are three of my favorite songs on the album. I really think it's just the lyrics that speak to me on those tracks. The segue from WE into FT always fucks with me too. It's hard to explain why.

Personally, my favorite tracks are Amanita and New Town Burnout if we're not counting Honeycomb and the like. This album came out during an incredibly chaotic time in my life and the jilted and unorganized-at-times atmosphere of CHz mirrors my head space at the time. Listening to it now it seems to elicit more emotion than I ever picked up on during its initial release.

of those 3 you're talking about:

I've always been a fan of wide eyed, it's just a great song
Monkey Riches I can see the problems it has now (over long, not very dynamic) but it's the song that got me into the band so it has a special place in my heart
Father time is sort of boring but the lyrics are great. I remember really obsessing over the "I imagine time / he's got real big hands / and bigger plans" line. Great hook!

also where is stanshant
it's weird talking in this thread without him shitting all over everything

Don't worry he already got on this page

wait is stan stanshant under a new account?

yes

Father Time is great fuck you Stan

The other two are fine

Anyone disagree that it would be better if those three ultimate turds were swapped with great songs as I suggested?

that's the post I was hungry for. cheers!

yes I disagree

i used to freakin hate Monkey Riches and really felt like it was the first AC track that i didnt "Get" but after the video and some time its grown on me, and now it feels kind of unique. i like the sounds on that one and Wide Eyed but don't care for them much as songs.... MR has basically grown enough for me to want it to stay on Chz, but Wide Eyed? Even New Town is a little odd to me...

Father Time tho? get outta here that shit is awesome and is Lion in a Coma's weird lil bro or cousin

CHZ track list is perfect, like virtually every other one of their records. Production is suspect.

Could possibly throw the other fringe tracks on there but only if it's a double album (with a couple other tracks)

i wonder if their next album could be an almost return to this sound if only set-up wise except keep jeremy on drums so its a 5-piece assuming Deak tags back in.

PW is sick af and works sort of an extension on the MPP sound by having 3 of them all at control stations but adding jeremy, so they could kinda go back to chz stuff (avey on keys etc) but add jeremy so that panda can do melodic shit as well i guess. feel like after PW the next thing has to be more mellow, so maybe like a mellow, jammier version (and lighter perhaps) of chz... cuz i could go for more of this kind of take on the band. its the most intrument-y/jamy/proggy version of the band so that's kinda cool...

its like right now theyre more in a dance/rave set up, tho jeremy makes it feel kind of rock-y at the same time. idk, this band has like different modes but is always moving into a new mode at the same time wow..

but i want avey on guitar for next AC thing, he hasn't really done guitar a lot on an ac record since SJ if u think abt it... (tho i know its on mpp in places, and does a bit on chz along with deak?)

i think i cant see myself adding crimson since i see it as such a perfect closer song but i suppose in an album context they would add some cool radio transitions

Spoiler: show

1. ambient track from the website
2. Moonjock
3. Today's Supernatural
4. Rosie Oh
5. Crimson
6. Applesauce
7. Wide Eyed
8. Father Time
9. Gotham
10. New Town Burnout
11. Monkey Riches
12. Honeycomb
13. Mercury Man
14. Pulleys
15. Amanita

I wish this was real

Anyone disagree that it would be better if those three ultimate turds were swapped with great songs as I suggested?

You know, being edgy doesn't really contribute anything to the conversation. It doesn't make you interesting. You're on almost every page of this thread (if you look back) and you feel the need to bring negativity whenever someone favors the album. It's exhausting, dude. I understand the criticisms and there's no issues stating your opinion, but trust me, it's well documented.

Thanks, it was just in case anyone forgot.

lol i dont think stan's "negativity" is exhausting for what that's worth-- things get boring when we all only heap praise on the band... maybe get down on stan when he starts to ramble on abt his legendary pbvsgr grievances but in this case, i think yr allowed to trash a few chz songs and we can all still agree its a pretty solid album at the very least and go abt our lives..

I think it's just bc this thread has the same exact conversation on every page and it repeats every time someone bumps it

Well I like this forum because it's not just memes and praise for the band (vs like band subreddits, for instance). But when negativity takes precedence, it's too much. I agree pbvsgr was overproduced, and Painting With is somewhat bland, and so on, but I still enjoy those albums and realize they're not always going to get it right. They didn't get it perfect with Chz either, but I love it for what it is because that's what it got. I just don't get what dwelling on disappointment gets you. Especially if it's on every page, predominantly from one poster. But I probably shouldn't let it get to me so much lol..

Just noticing the production on this is a little lacking..?

Just noticing the production on this is a little lacking..?

just the other day I put on headphones and listened to this album and was like
huh, this really doesnt sound that good does it

yeahh they kinda killed monkey riches in studio!!! but i think the production is good on other tracks such as applesauce, moonjock, amanita, all those songs work really well with the maximalist sound in the studio.

Yeah I don't like studio Monkey Riches much at all. On the flip side, I wasn't really liking Mercury Man when they were first playing it live but I LOVE the studio version. This thread inspired me to listen to the album again and I ended up making a playlist that mimicked the original live set, but with the extra songs they made in the studio to replace the legacy songs in the setlist. Then I got rid of the tracks I'm not into and it came out like this,

Wide Eyed
Today's Supernatural
Moonjock
New Town Burnout
Applesauce
Mercury Man
Gotham
Honeycomb
Pulleys
Rosie Oh
Crimson
and then in my playlist I have live at 930 so Amanita (Live) follows Crimson

Tropic of Cans wrote:

Just noticing the production on this is a little lacking..?

just the other day I put on headphones and listened to this album and was like
huh, this really doesnt sound that good does it

I was joking of course though no matter how many different soulseeks I dl of this album its always the fucking lowest volume music in my library. Anyone else experienced this? Or am I cursed?

Dunno about that ^


But YEAH Monkey Riches on the album was very meh. I preferred there live version before the album came out way more. like this one:

Well I like this forum because it's not just memes and praise for the band (vs like band subreddits, for instance). But when negativity takes precedence, it's too much. I agree pbvsgr was overproduced, and Painting With is somewhat bland, and so on, but I still enjoy those albums and realize they're not always going to get it right. They didn't get it perfect with Chz either, but I love it for what it is because that's what it got. I just don't get what dwelling on disappointment gets you. Especially if it's on every page, predominantly from one poster. But I probably shouldn't let it get to me so much lol..

really good post

In light of the last few years of releases this record is sounding like a real gem. I guess it's all about perspective....

A better CHZ tracklisting:

Moonjock
Todays Supernatural
Honeycomb
Gotham
NTB
Monkey Riches
Amanita

i would like:

moonjock
today's supernatural
honeycomb
fathertime
applesauce

new town burnout
gotham
mercury man
amanita
crimson

sorry wide eyed, pulleys and that one panda track i cant think of that isnt NTB and MR, yal will make a dope/weird EP, and THIS will be avey-heavy bliss, the sequel to SJ. i actually like pulleys okay but im considering length/vibe

Rosie Oh is one of my favourites
also monkey riches is an Avey track lol

i would like:

moonjock
today's supernatural
honeycomb
fathertime
applesauce

new town burnout
gotham
mercury man
amanita
crimson

sorry wide eyed, pulleys and that one panda track i cant think of that isnt NTB and MR, yal will make a dope/weird EP, and THIS will be avey-heavy bliss, the sequel to SJ. i actually like pulleys okay but im considering length/vibe

Good lad. I even agree with your Pulleys cull, as much as I like it. I would be able to bear Father Time because the verses are quite mysterious and a bit goofy, quite like an SJ circusy take on the MPP sound. I don't like the chorus much but as it sounds like a catchy jingle, it does fit the radio theme. Best lost album.

Man, I don't know why PW gets such mixed reactions. I think it's one of their best. Definitely in my top 3 from them.