Antony & The Johnsons

[Loz]

Are they any good?

I've heard a couple of songs on the radio, but can't really remember them. I like that song he did with Rufus Wainwright, though, his voice really caught me.

However, I saw them live today, and I expected great things, and really tried to like it, but just wasn't at all impressed. His voice seemed to sound like Morrissey being strangled, and he and his group seemed really off time with each other. Plus he hardly ever seemed to sing into the microphone, instead waving his head from side to side around it.

Was it an off night? Am I missing something? Or are they just crap live? Is the album as bad as my experience? I was thinking of getting it before tonight.

[nikrem]

i saw him live last november, and was completely blown away.and his version of The Mysteries of Love is beyond words. was it a big gig? can't imagine him or the band coming across paticularly well in that kind of situation. or maybe, as you said, they had an off night. or you just don't like the cut of his jib. diff'rent strokes..

[spoon]

get both of his albums, they're fucking excellent. i've never seen him live, i heard he was great from some friends who saw him play here last year, so maybe he just had an off night?

[Lady E]

i love the second album. surprised to hear the gig was bad - where was it loz?

i have heard he is amazing live.

[Loz]

it was at the Royal Albert Hall. He was nervous, because he cocked up the beginning of one song twice before he managed to sort it out. I can understand and forgive people cocking up songs from time to time and restarting them, plenty of big acts still do that. But just the overall impression was one of being distinctly unimpressed.

And as I said, I like his voice when I've heard it recorded, but he didn't seem to be actually singing any words last night, or even singing them into the microphone, so it ended up sounding quite annoying.

[ckpqerjwrpwp]

I really like that 'Hope theres someone' track even though it got played to death. Found the music on the album it was from a bit samey and even a little boring though.

[content]

i think it is kind of boring in the lou reed kind of way. the songs are very similar but the songwriting isgood enough to make them stand out

[spoon]

he sings on the new matmos album. the track is called 'Semen Song for James Bidgood'.

[Patrick]

I thought I quite liked them so I picked up both the albums but the appeal didn't last very long. In fact, about half way through the second one I'd heard enough. I can only really listen to them in short bursts. As already mentioned, I also found the albums to be a bit samey all the way through.

[ckpqerjwrpwp]

That first single off the album is one of those timeless songs though... I can imagine I'll still put that on now and then in years to come.

[nikrem]

he sings on the new matmos album. the track is called 'Semen Song for James Bidgood'.

match made in heaven! is this out yet?

and for the doubters:

http://theworldofadam.com/mystery.html

[Daddys Girl]

BBC2 had one of his concerts on last night - I turned over and caught some of it (he was singing a song about growing up to be a beautiful woman) - I really don't know much about him, but his voice really caught me - he sounded like Bryan Ferry at one point & Nina Simone, which was bizarre, but really nice! I think I might investigate further....

[thembuzz]

yeah, i caught some of that concert. i hadn't heard him before, wasn't interested enough to check him out, but i was well impressed. i definitely plan to look into it

[Loz]

must've been an off night at the Albert Hall, then.

Annoyingly, I don't know anyone else who went there for a second opinion.

I won't write him off just yet.

[cmarakasu]

hope there's someone
recently helped me through
a truly horrible breakup.

i don't much rate most
of his output, tho i'll
forever adore him
for writing that
particular song.