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THE REVIEW
The title: Coquelicot asleep amidst the poppies.
The concept: The grotesque creature of the title decides to experience the life of human beings, and chooses the path of dreams…
The music: Wacky and surreal pop, colorful and explosive, at times kitsch, in one word, psychedelic. Freak baroquisms and a deconstruction of classic song forms. 69 minutes devoid of linearity, not a moment to breathe, jumping from one point to another without any apparent logic. Generally short tracks; the only exception being the lengthy 18 minutes between vaudeville and neo-classical of “The Hopeless Opus,” relegated to the closing.
The influences: The album thrives on hyper-quotation. Undeniable in of Montreal's music are the sixties influences of the Beatles' “Sgt. Pepper” and “Magical Mystery Tour,” Floyd during the Barrett era (particularly the early singles), but also "minor" groups like the Zombies and the Kinks. Kevin Barnes, the band's mastermind, also cites the Beach Boys' “Smile,” Os Mutantes, and Zappa.
The space-time context: Athens (Georgia) in the second half of the nineties, in the musical realm, means Elephant 6, a collective (though calling it that is reductive) that included bands like Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, and Apples In Stereo.
Let's Do Everything For the First Time Forever
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Summary by Bot
The review describes Of Montreal's 'Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies' as a psychedelic and surreal pop album with a non-linear structure. Kevin Barnes draws heavily on sixties influences like the Beatles and early Pink Floyd with a colorful and baroque style. The album is complex, featuring short tracks and an epic closing piece, reflecting the experimental nature of Athens' Elephant 6 collective of the nineties. Though ambitious, the album defies conventional song forms and logic.Tracklist Lyrics
01 Good Morning Mr. Edminton (02:45)
04 An Introduction for Isabell (03:29)
05 Let's Do Everything for the First Time Forever (02:38)
06 Coquelicot's Tea Party (00:43)
08 It's a Very Starry Night (03:48)
09 Mimi Merlot (02:57)
11 Coquelicot, Claude and Lecithin Dance Aboard the Ocean Liner (01:03)
12 Go Call You Mine (01:29)
13 The Events Leading up to the Collapse of Detective Dulllight (02:41)
15 A Dreamy Day of Daydreaming of You (02:01)
16 Hello From Inside a Shell (03:37)
17 Lecithin's Tale of a DNA Experiment That Went Horribly Awry (03:14)
18 It's Just So (02:37)
19 The Frozen Island (03:58)
20 Upon Settling on the Frozen Island, Lecithin Presents Claude and Coquelicot With His Animal Creations for Them to Approve or Reject (01:07)
21 Let's Go for a Walk (02:11)
22 The Hopeless Opus or the Great Battle of the Unfriendly Ridiculous (17:56)
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of Montreal
of Montreal are an American indie/psychedelic pop band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1996 by Kevin Barnes and associated with the Elephant 6 collective. Known for theatrical shows and genre-blending albums, they’ve spanned psych-pop, electro-pop, glam, funk, and artful baroque twists across a prolific catalog.06 Reviews
