marino13 Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 I saw Will Johnson open for MMJ last fall and really liked him. I still haven't picked up any of his stuff, mostly because I don't know where to start between his solo stuff and the Centro-Matic catalog. I was thinking about just picking up Ft. Recovery first. Is that a good idea, and then where do I go from there? Thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Payroll Peter Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 the essentials...."fort recovery", "love you just the same" get both SSG albums too. and the MUST is will's solo album "vultures await". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lizish Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 yeah, working backwards from Fort Recovery is good. They have been extremely consistent for the last 4-5 years. dito to the SSG and Vultures Await. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
borracho Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 centro's got a few mp3's from each cd on their website for free. i'm too lazy to look it up, though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Deaf Ro Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 the essentials...."fort recovery", "love you just the same" get both SSG albums too. and the MUST is will's solo album "vultures await". What he said. (SSG = South San Gabriel) Distance + Clime is pretty good too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mick Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 (edited) I saw Will Johnson open for MMJ last fall and really liked him. I still haven't picked up any of his stuff, mostly because I don't know where to start between his solo stuff and the Centro-Matic catalog. I was thinking about just picking up Ft. Recovery first. Is that a good idea, and then where do I go from there? Thanks. Here's what Mark, the bassist, posted on their message board a few days ago. It might help you decide what you like. I have all their output and I think you should too, but Navigational and Distance and Clime are the ones I come back to most often. Album Spreadsheet, Baby! Heya Friends, I am putting the finishing touches on my little chart that helps newbies overcome the shock and awe experienced when facing our discography on the merch table for the first time. Rather than have any knife fights break out over my incompetent applications of #'s to my neo-logisms, I thought I might open the process up for review before "publishing".So here goes- The ratings are meant to describe whatthe CDs are like in general terms, rather than ranking them as "favorites" or the like, since such preferences are subjective. CD's are rated by how produced they are (Home-Cookedosity to Gleaminess) and how "rockin" it might be (Laidbackosity to Rawkitudeness). I use a 15 point scale for reasons budding numerologists might discern (only to have their theories quickly dispelled by a brush with the numinous). Oh, and any dabbling with the realm between integers is driven by chart spacing requirements, and not by intellectual rigor on my part. Thanks for your help/ patience,Mark Album(Year): Home-Cookedosity to Gleaminess/ Laidbackosity to RawkitudenessRedo the Stacks ('97): 3/ 15Navigational ('99): 7/8Static vs. Strings ('99): 4/ 14All the Falsest Hearts Can Try ('00): 7/ 12South San Gabriel Songs/ Music ('00): 8/ 5Centro-matic + Vermont= Opportunity ('01): 5/ 4Distance and Clime ('01): 12/13Will Johnson Murder of Tides ('02): 7/ 2South San Gabriel Welcome, Convalescence ('03): 13/ 5Love You Just the Same ('03): 13/ 14Flashes and Cables E.P. ('04): 12/ 11Will Johnson- Vultures Await ('04): 8/ 6.4Carlton Chronicles- Not Until the Operation's Through ('05): 14/ 7Fort Recovery ('06): 14/ 12.3 Edited September 1, 2006 by Mick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dr. Steve Brule Posted September 1, 2006 Share Posted September 1, 2006 All the Falsest Hearts Can Try is at the top of my list. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KNevitt Posted September 2, 2006 Share Posted September 2, 2006 All the Falsest Hearts Can Try is at the top of my list. I agree. I don't have a lot of the Will Johnson ouevre, but All the Falsest is a great rockin' album. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Doug Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Looks like Will Johnson is filling in on drums for the next handful of Son Volt concerts. First Jandek, and now Son Volt. The guy gets around. New Centro-Matic/South San Gabriel double-CD is coming out early next year. Can't wait! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Fort Recovery is one of my all-time favorite albums. But it's all good. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rileykill Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Will has been around the TX live music scene for a looong time. Before Centro-Matic he played drums in the Dallas band Funland. Those guys were awesome to watch although I think everyone would agree that Will's talents are best used as a songwriter - he is just too prolific and kick ass. I also saw him play a few shows circa '95 with just a telecaster and a little 8" tube amp turned up as loud as possible (i.e. no backing band). It was a trip (in a good way). FWIW I like the older stuff a lot. "Tied To The Trailer" and "Post-It Notes From The State Hospital" will always be classics to me. I still listen to Redo The Stacks as much as the newer records. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Doug Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 FWIW I like the older stuff a lot. "Tied To The Trailer" and "Post-It Notes From The State Hospital" will always be classics to me. I still listen to Redo The Stacks as much as the newer records.I agree. Redo the Stacks is brilliant, start to finish. So many damn good pop songs. I can listen to "Am I the Manager of am I Not?" and the very GbV-ish "Hoist Up the Popular Ones" over and over again and never get tired of 'em. God bless you, Will Johnson! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DrNo Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 I've seen this band probably more than any other since I've lived in North Texas or Austin for their entire reign. I'd start with All The Falsest Hearts Can Try, Static Vs The Strings Vol 1 or Redo the Stacks probably. They're all good though. Just depends on your tastes. The next album is gonna be a South San Gabriel/Centro-matic split double album. Should be out in the spring from what I understand. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Doug Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 The next album is gonna be a South San Gabriel/Centro-matic split double album. Should be out in the spring from what I understand.March 2008. Can't wait! Why doesn't Distance and Clime get any love? It's one perfect little pop song after another. Will ranks right up there with Bob Pollard as far as prolific noisy-pop songwriters go. It's taken awhile, but I've finally fallen in love with the South San Gabriel and WJ solo albums. I think it was "Smelling Medicinal" and "Tent of Total Mystery" that did it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DrNo Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 "Smelling Medicinal" is great. personally, Distance and Clime is my least favorite Centro-matic record, though I do love several songs on it. "Janitorial Report on Channel Fail" was the highlight of their live set for a while. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mgsooner Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 "Smelling Medicinal" is great. personally, Distance and Clime is my least favorite Centro-matic record, though I do love several songs on it. "Janitorial Report on Channel Fail" was the highlight of their live set for a while. I don't know what I can add here that you guys have not already said, other than Centro-Matic is one of my favorite live bands. They put on a phenomenal show. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tugmoose Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Oh, great. Now "Biology Tricks" is gonna be bouncing in my head the rest of the week. Will used to sing me to sleep with "Carlton Chronicles." That's not gay, is it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted October 12, 2007 Share Posted October 12, 2007 Here is some sweet footage of Will singing solo that Whiskey Bender and Glo No did awhile back.LouieB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Doug Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 Since there are some fellow Centro-matic fans here, I thought I'd share these recent posts from Mark Hedman on the C-m message board regarding the upcoming C-m/SSG double CD. I haven't been this excited about an upcoming CD in years. Mark writes: The album was turned in to be mastered and sequenced last week and is hopefully en route to manufacturing. Matt really worked his butt off with these two disks in trying to get them ready before 2008, as we narrowed the 30 tracks down to 23 (11 Centro-matic and 12 South San Gabriel). Artwork is still being finalized, but I can tell you that Alchemia contributed some fantastic work for the South San Gabriel side of things. She was a saint in putting up with our disorderly requests.I believe April 8th is the worldwide release date, but Misra will be putting out 1000 limited edition copies in special packaging at an earlier date. Will is playing solo dates in February. We should have some Texas area shows confirmed soon, including Centro-matic at the Misra showcase at SXSW. Rumor is that we'll be in Spain in April to kick off the Dual Hawks touring. Probably some other European dates to follow in April, then US touring through summer and fall. So there.Mark Hedman BTW- "Cracking of the Seal" didn't end up on Dual Hawks after all. We found ourselves once again in a Fort Recovery/ Operation Motorcide situation. We all really love that song (and this particular recording of it), but we had some tracks on both sides that had to be cut in order to keep the line of demarcation clear/ maintain the mood of the disk. I'm sure all the tracks will be released in some form eventually. Oh, and I guess I should mention that we are going to price the double CD as a single CD. Why make people who actually pay for music suffer? That's how we see it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
david Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 Since there are some fellow Centro-matic fans here, I thought I'd share these recent posts from Mark Hedman on the C-m message board regarind the upcoming C-m/SSG double CD. I haven't been this excited about an upcoming CD in years. Mark writes: The album was turned in to be mastered and sequenced last week and is hopefully en route to manufacturing. Matt really worked his butt off with these two disks in trying to get them ready before 2008, as we narrowed the 30 tracks down to 23 (11 Centro-matic and 12 South San Gabriel). Artwork is still being finalized, but I can tell you that Alchemia contributed some fantastic work for the South San Gabriel side of things. She was a saint in putting up with our disorderly requests.I believe April 8th is the worldwide release date, but Misra will be putting out 1000 limited edition copies in special packaging at an earlier date. Will is playing solo dates in February. We should have some Texas area shows confirmed soon, including Centro-matic at the Misra showcase at SXSW. Rumor is that we'll be in Spain in April to kick off the Dual Hawks touring. Probably some other European dates to follow in April, then US touring through summer and fall. So there.Mark Hedman BTW- "Cracking of the Seal" didn't end up on Dual Hawks after all. We found ourselves once again in a Fort Recovery/ Operation Motorcide situation. We all really love that song (and this particular recording of it), but we had some tracks on both sides that had to be cut in order to keep the line of demarcation clear/ maintain the mood of the disk. I'm sure all the tracks will be released in some form eventually. Oh, and I guess I should mention that we are going to price the double CD as a single CD. Why make people who actually pay for music suffer? That's how we see it. Thank you for the update, since October when this thread was started they have fast become one of my favorites. Looking foward to seeeing them live. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Doug Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 Thank you for the update, since October when this thread was started they have fast become one of my favorites. Looking foward to seeeing them live.I too am looking forward to seeing them live. I've never seen 'em, cuz I too became a fan only recently, but I have a bunch of their live shows on CD. Lately they've been finishing their sets with the fantastic "Love Has Found Me Somehow," complete with a hilarious spoken-word bit from Will smack dab in the middle of the insanely catchy tune. I hope he continues doing that "toaster dance" schtick on the upcoming tour. There's a video of it on YouTube. Funny stuff! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tangara Posted January 10, 2008 Share Posted January 10, 2008 Hells yes. I'm totally looking forward to seeing them at SXSW. I love MISRA! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
david Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Fort Recovery is the kind of direction I wish Wilco went for on SBS, instead of the elevator music that album produced. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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