I don't think so. But I have my moments with Mr. Matthew Sweet. I haven't been much of a fan over the years but decided to pickup his "To Understand: The Early Recordings of Matthew Sweet" some years ago to see what his early songs sounded like(I think it was on clearance somewhere). I think I listened to it maybe twice(if that) & decided I didn't care much for the songs due to their sheer poppiness.
I tend to like MS's rockier songs generally but I can also recognize his songwriting brilliance even though I don't care for all his music. I've just found myself always wanting him to just freak the fuck out & rock but he doesn't cooperate very well with my wishes, lol.
So, I was listening to 'Girlfriend' in full for the first time the other day online(yes, I know, it's his quintessential album but I liked too many other artists that I wanted to spend my money on at the time) & predictably enjoying the rockier songs but really started listening to the other songs closely & realizing how well written they were. I then got into a convo with Sam The Butcher on the dark side & he was mentioning some b-sides & I thought they might be on his early comp. So I pulled the cd out & started listening to it again. I've done this so many times, revisiting a cd I thought I didn't like. And I found that my ears were far more open to it now & I've been enjoying the songs. There are some real gems on this.
One of my faves is this song from his 1989 'Earth' album. It's a shimmering, gorgeous bittersweet ballad that is reminiscent of The Hollies' 'Air That I Breathe' or The Byrds or some '60s, '70s pop group. It's quite a soaring, poetic song. Sure, the instrumentation isn't anything out of the ordinary but I like it quite a bit. It has sunny, melancholic vibes to it, kinda sorta!
So I guess this is my long winded response to Poebegone's post on not being ashamed of unabashed pop music.
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Its funny, his voice sometimes really gets to me and other times I want nothing to do with it. I am still unsure how I feel about this song
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I've never been into him either. We had a friend from Wales that loved MS, like I love DCFC (see how I slipped that into the conversation. I only do that now to get your goat). Not one song, I've ever heard has struck a chord with me.
Bring it on MS lovers, show me the "sweet" side of MS. Convert me...where should I start (if I should start at all)? I really can take him or leave him.
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I just went to check, I knew I had one of his cd's years ago...it's gone missing.
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Kev, I totally hear ya on that. This song also sounds on the verge of shoegazer pop.
Annie, you little troublemaker! I'm kind of surprised you aren't into him, since he has some very pop oriented songs like the group Squeeze & other groups you like who shall not be named. Do you recall what cd it was you had of his?
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i think hes holding back. but i did like that flangy guit solo.
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Sam, 'flangy'? I'm not quite sure what you mean by that.
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i don't love Matthew Sweet but i did quite enjoy Girlfriend. the songs i remember liking were the title track, Girlfriend, one called Evangeline, and one called Looking at the Sun.
strangely i could not find it in YouTube (how's that possible?!) but i found it in Mixwit. listening to it now i am thinking two things - A) oh boy i was so much younger then, and B) i am a fucking sap. (;
actually the song you posted sounds kinda different from what i recall from him. one thing i'll give him - he can write songs.
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Can't remember the name of the CD...I think I bought on the recommendation of that friend, and listened to it once, and wasn't all that impressed. Meh...
I just looked at his Artist page and recognized it from the album.
"100% Fun"
(and, IMHO, it just wasn't, but I applaud his thinking that he could provide me with that kinda percentage...I remember it being more like 10% fun. That's a guarantee I just wouldn't feel comfortable making.)
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ii yea the songs on this cd do sound quite different than on GF since he was pretty damn young. Some of the songs on GF he wrote years before in 88 or 89 & there are a few demos on this cd like the song GF(posted the cd on the dark side for ya all already). 'Sun' is a great song. I also really like 'Divine Intervention'. I'm a sap too but try to hide it most of the time, heh. I've also found that youtube doesn't have everything in the whole world, lol.
Annie ah, ok. I don't think I've heard that whole cd. MS does have balls titling his cd 100% Fun but I have a sneaking suspicion that the title is 100% facetious, lol, just from reading/seeing interviews, it seems quite contrary to who he presents. You should listen to 'Girlfriend' at least once though, since it's his magnus opus. I'll email ya.
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sounds really different (modern, mellow, erm.."adult" rock), than what i remember from the 100% Fun days.
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'Adult' is right B! But that can be ok at times too. The older I get the more 'adult' stuff I listen too. I wish I could live 100% Fun from my earlier days but it just ain't happenin'!
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I run hot and cold on M. Sweet. But purty is purty, and so is "Love."
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Seems quite a few folk do Mike, so we stand w/ya. I think alot of that stems from his inconsistencies as an artist, but he has loads of talent. Glad you liked this, it is very purty!
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oh, yeah! Divine Intervention. i remember liking that one, too. yuh, YouTube hasn't got everything, i am so shattered. ;D
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I bought a cd single of it used, back in the day, to hear it but there were no other songs on it. I think it's still my fave MS song.
And on the youtube tip, I've been surprised what they do have though. That Carnival Art vid on my previous post was on there which shocked the hell outta me!
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Hallo August, long time no MOG. There's an adolescent sound to Matthew Sweet which I must confess is not entirely unattractive but it's not working for me here and now. Maybe some other day on a re-visit as you said.
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Well well, Michael, great to see you back finally! Welcome. Sweet was a youngin' when he did this so it's no surprise he has that adolescent sound. Hope you're back for awhile!