Average Rating: 4.33 Rating Variance: 0.38 Objectivity Score: 44% (Poorly Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicNeutral Milk Hotel On Avery Island(this was in response to a review made by Med57 in 2005, read that one first: http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/3927/Neutral-Milk-Hotel-On-Avery-Island/ ) First of all, this album is the greatest and most beautiful thing I've ever heard. Aeroplane is great, but this album is truly SPECTACULAR. (Not counting, of course, Marching Theme, the end of Someone Is Waiting and Pree Sisters Swallowing a Donkey's Eye, those are just insane. But everything else is beautiful.) The acoustic guitar and delivery and sadness mixed with excitement is just SO PERFECT. I don't understand how people can even compare this to ITAOTS. They are both absolutely amazing pieces of art and both distinctly Neutral Milk Hotel. Also, Mr. Dumb Reviewer Man, you spent WAY too much time talking about Marching Theme and didn't mention some of the best and most hauntingly beautiful songs on the album: You've Passed, Three Peaches, April 8th, Where You'll Find Me Now, and A Baby for Pree. Those songs go so in-depth with their lyricism and sadness and the feeling of being okay. I don't understand how you didn't mention them. Yes, it was a weird choice for Jeff to end the album with Pree Sisters, I think he should have shortened that to about 30 seconds long. But if you disregard that, and think of April 8th as the closing track, it's just so perfect. The slow, sad guitar mixed with the haunting, tired lyrics and voice that tells the story of a desperate and weary man who has no one in his life to love or care for. Even without really listening to the lyrics, you can really understand the feeling of loneliness the song conveys. And I don't like how you said that "the lyrics make sense, for once." Oh really? Avery Island is the only NMH record with lyrics that don't make sense? Then explain to me exactly what the lyrics of Oh Comely mean. Jeff Mangum doesn't often make sense, and that's the beauty of his songwriting. But even something that seems nonsensical can tell a well-crafted story, as most of the songs on Avery Island do. Another thing I love about this album is its sense of homemade-ness but in a way that sounds professional. Did you know that Jeff lived in a closet for three months while he and Robert were recording this? He was dedicated to getting this out there, because he knew he had written solid gold of an album. He pretty much did everything himself, which I really admire. Listen to the drums and the bass in the background of every song. Did you know Jeff could play those instruments that well? No, you probably didn't because he doesn't play those instruments in concert or on ITAOTS. Avery Island is his chance to shine musically, and I think he did a wonderful job. (That fuzz that you so hate probably took a lot of complex instrumentation for just 2 people, Mr. Reviewer Man.) A lot of comments were talking about how the audio quality was bad on this album, but is it? I listened to both Avery Island and ITAOTS in my CD player just yesterday, one after another and the quality didn't sound any different to me. The volume of Avery Island is a bit less regulated, but I think that adds to the charm of the album. You get to hear the songs as they were actually recorded, not equalized in a studio. And yes, I realize this review was posted over a decade ago, but I think if you still check comments on your reviews, you should look at mine and take another good listen of On Avery Island, because it's really one of the best things I've ever heard.4.5 superbNeutral Milk Hotel Hype City Soundtrack3.5 greatNeutral Milk Hotel In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
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