Me and a Monkey on the Moon
By Felt
| . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
Track listing
Show track credits
- A1 I Can't Make Love to You Anymore 4:36
-
backing vocals
-
- A2 Mobile Shack 3:31
- A3 Free 4:17
- A4 Budgie Jacket 3:28
- A5 Cartoon Sky 2:35
- B1 New Day Dawning 6:30
- B2 Down an August Path 4:48
-
backing vocals
-
- B3 Never Let You Go 2:52
- B4 She Deals in Crosses 2:59
-
backing vocals
-
- B5 Get Out of My Mirror 2:32
-
backing vocals
-
- Total length: 38:08
Rate/Catalog
Catalog
Set listening
Review
To rate, slide your finger across the stars from left to right.
8 Issues
- Release view [combined information for all issues]
-
Me and a Monkey on the Moon [p] 33 rpm
-
-
-
Me and a Monkey on the Moon Paper/Cardboard Sleeve
-
2005
-
Me and a Monkey on the Moon Felt - A Decade in Music Bonus Tracks, Box Set, Limited Edition, Remastered
-
Me and a Monkey on the Moon Felt - A Decade in Music Gatefold, Remastered
-
Me and a Monkey on the Moon Remastered, Slipcase / O-Card
12 Reviews
What’s not to like?
Lyrics, flawless Lawrence vocals, awesome guitar bits. Felt always deliver.Published
-
A1
I Can't Make Love to You Anymore
-
A2
Mobile Shack
-
A3
Free
-
A4
Budgie Jacket
-
A5
Cartoon Sky
-
B1
New Day Dawning
-
B2
Down an August Path
-
B3
Never Let You Go
-
B4
She Deals in Crosses
-
B5
Get Out of My Mirror
Me and a Monkey on the Moon continues that trend by having the distinction of being Felt's poppiest album ever. There's still some jangle here and there, but it has been pushed to the back for a sound more akin to pop rock.
I love it! The tried-and-true jangle pop formula is great, but I was felt bored after their previous sung album's much simpler approach. Me and a Monkey on the Moon is a breath of fresh of air for Felt. Whether or not this style is better than previous Felt records, there is always fantastic songwriting involved. I've never liked piano rock very much, but Felt does it amazingly well with the fantastic "Free" backed by some insightful, remorseful catchy guitars when there aren't any vocals. I've never been a fan of guitar solos, but the solo in "New Day Dawning" works very well without going overboard.
There's a certain country twang here that I wished Felt had utilized more in their discography. There are hints of it here and there previously, but listening to this album made me realize that Felt does it incredibly well. The devastating and fantastic intro "I Can't Make Love to You Anymore" utilizes steel pedal guitars that sound so sorrowful during the verses. "Mobile Shack" is a catchy, modern flip of the classic road song. This is the first time we hear of Duffy's Clavinet. It makes you wonder why Duffy hadn't used different instruments prior to this album. The harder "She Deals in Crosses" is a great change of pace from the slower, softer songs throughout the album. The success of this sound might come from the fact that this is the first time there's a dedicated album for this style, but regardless, this is a great sound for Felt.
There are still great jangle moments on the record, such as the fantastic "Cartoon Sky", which is dominated by some amazing guitar and Clavinet instrumentation. But other than some moments here and there, Me and a Monkey on the Moon is a totally different, yet stellar album. It didn't stick to traditional Felt tropes and instead deciding on a new direction. It is unfortunate that this was Felt's final album before disbanding (staying true to the "10 albums, 10 singles" promise), but this is a great way to end an illustrious career.
Published
ADVERTISEMENT
If their previous record gave me hope, than Me And a Monkey On the Moon delivers on that premise, at long long last the tailspin has truly been pulled out of. Felt has righted their ship and finally started making whole records of sweet pretty jangle again. Too goddamned bad then! Because this is their last album!!! ARGHHHHHHH. Yes, you may recall I mentioned that Felt planned themselves out as a finite project that would release only about ten albums and then end it all. If roaring commercial success would have changed that I don't know, but they remained indie famous the whole while and forever in the shadows of rivals. So I can't imagine that the band felt like breaking their internal plan. But sweet vicious irony dictates that to my ears they are only now swinging back up into quality at the very end of the line. Basically every record they made between 84 and 89 was not a success (including the second 1984 album), they may have been good or alright, but never great. With some great songs scattered throughout. The sea of no 4's from an act that totally was capable of them agonized me. This sad too late upswing, oh the timing burns. So really though? What contributes to this comeback? On the previous record I started hearing sounds and the like that gave me a strong sense of the coming 90's, that late last period of jangle music that was almost exclusively British and basically came to evolve into the earliest forms of Britpop. In this year it's a sound shared with the Field Mice and Stone Roses even to some degree. This continues to be true on Moon, the simplicity and basicness that defines that 90's edge is here and as before serves them quite well. This time though a few tracks actually almost have a sort of country edge to them as well. I've often said this makes sense, since jangle is basically an element ripped from the technique book of country music. It rarely sounds like it (especially in the British jangle for obvious reasons) but it's true. So in the same sense though when it DOES turn out that jangle bands dip back to the roots of their element? It doesn't really work badly at all, it sounds natural even in the hands of these delicate english flowers. It's only some of the songs, but it's used very tastefully and not in any obnoxious "HEY IM DOING A GENRE" type way that tends to piss me off. Most importantly it blends seamlessly into the more basic jangle and other stuff. The Tom Verlaine/Lou Reed sounds I thought I'd heard are back and present as well, to somewhat less overt extent except for the best song here, the fantastic New Day Dawning which combines dry low key segments with rises into jangly goodness. And of course in Lawrence continuing to best utilize his thin warble in the styles of both those great men. What makes this all great? It all works in harmony. In a serene glowing happy harmony that isn't even what I wanted out of this band originally. I wanted the slightly cold sparse post-punk inflected minimalism they started with, I wanted to hear that taken to it's logical super conclusion. But after the chaotic desert of the middle 80's for them? Bring this on. It's so much more than welcome can get. This is low level greatness to be sure, but it passes the bar enough for me. And it makes me wonder wonder so much just what would have been had they continued. Part of me has to assume they were ready to end it if they really were going to stick to some silly plan they made like a decade ago, if they were really feeling on fire no way would they have stopped. I prefer what the Field Mice were cooking up personally, but it's not like Felt wouldn't have had something to play in those times.
Rating: 4
Highlights: I Can't Make Love to You Anymore, Mobile Shack, New Day Dawning, Get Out of My Mirror
Rating: 4
Highlights: I Can't Make Love to You Anymore, Mobile Shack, New Day Dawning, Get Out of My Mirror
Published
ADVERTISEMENT
Felt's swansong finds keyboard maestro Duffy easing off remarkably on the organ and bringing in more piano as Lawrence gives the guitar and vocals performance of his life. Songs such as Free and New Day Dawning are absolutely breathtaking and as a whole the album presents the culmination of all that Felt had been working towards in the song-focused segment of their career, just as The Splendour of Fear represented the pinnacle of their early soundscape-centred style. Lawrence, I hope there's room on the Moon, because I'm going to be spending a lot of time up there with you and that monkey.
Published
Me and a Monkey on the Moon is many ways a summation of the band Felt. Not only is it their final album, it embodies the delicate and fragile nature of Felt's music, a lot of which has to do with enigmatic frontman and only contant member, Lawrence, who himself seems very delicate and fragile, whose attempts at vocals seems tentative to the point of numbness. And this being the summation of Felt, Lawrence finally opens up, and reveals some the reasons for this delicate, fragile numbness. The first time I listened to this album, I searched online for the lyrics, because I couldn't believe what I thought I was hearing; the lyrics were quite shocking and disturbing at times. Felt's music has always had this detached sadness to it, and Me and a Monkey on the Moon finally explains why, and at the same time confirms that "Felt" as a verb, rather than a noun.
Published
This one's an odd bird--Felt, which had always been a notorious opaque act, making an album of extremely frank, confessional pop-rock. Is "Budgie Jacket" really a completely literal account out Lawrence being molested as a child? Are you hearing this?
Published
ACME 24CD CD (1989)
Wicked guitar solo in ''new day dawning''.
Published
Their swan song was produced by the late Adrian Borland, and features Lawrence's most crystal-clear songwriting. And most honest. A little more heavily-produced than any previous Felt record, with country steel, (awesome) guitar solos, and lots of Duffy's great keyboards. I've never really understood the complaint many Felt fans have about the production of later Felt albums. No, the era of charming lo-fi minimalist music surrounding Maurice Deebank's guitar had passed, but it was nice for Felt albums to actually start sounding good for a change (which commenced around 1986), too. A band with such fine musicians ought not to be wasted on that muddy Cherry Red sound forever, no? The extra elements on this album (aside from the 3 minute guitar solo), such as a female backing vocal, sounded a little unnatural and extraneous on a Felt album, but only a little. At least they never tried to bring in an orchestra or an array of sequencers and Fairlights. And Lawrence was gradually gravitating toward the music that had inspired him in childhood, anyway.
"I Can't Make Love To You Anymore" opens the album in a poignant, countryesque manner. "Mobile Shack" is more upbeat, and humorously explains how the band Television influenced him so. "Budgie Jacket" is about Lawrence's past encounter with a child molester. The lyrics aren't overly graphic, but they do not need to be. The song is especially heart-breaking with the accompanying beautiful music - lending credibility to the old theory that good art needs pain to inspire it.
"New Day Dawning" starts out subtly enough, then knocks you on your ass with a lengthy, triumphant guitar solo. "Down an August Path" follows that with more depressing news. And then the album ends with three brief tunes that even out the mood somewhat. Lawrence's skeptical attitude is still intact, especially on "She Deals in Crosses," where he seems to badger a nun about her lifestyle choice; or not.
After this, Lawrence fulfilled his legendary promise (ten years, ten albums, ten singles, then end the Felt project). The reality was very close to his plan, indeed. Me and a Monkey on the Moon could have been an even better album, were it not for the presence of a couple of the weaker, shorter songs. But the interesting thing is that - great or average - all the songs convey a sense of (career?) tiredness that makes this a fitting finale for any band.
Forget Frank Sinatra. Lawrence did it his way.
Note: Lawrence would return in the Nineties with his Denim project, a tribute to early Seventies glam-rock. In the new millennium, he launched Go-Kart Mozart.
"I Can't Make Love To You Anymore" opens the album in a poignant, countryesque manner. "Mobile Shack" is more upbeat, and humorously explains how the band Television influenced him so. "Budgie Jacket" is about Lawrence's past encounter with a child molester. The lyrics aren't overly graphic, but they do not need to be. The song is especially heart-breaking with the accompanying beautiful music - lending credibility to the old theory that good art needs pain to inspire it.
"New Day Dawning" starts out subtly enough, then knocks you on your ass with a lengthy, triumphant guitar solo. "Down an August Path" follows that with more depressing news. And then the album ends with three brief tunes that even out the mood somewhat. Lawrence's skeptical attitude is still intact, especially on "She Deals in Crosses," where he seems to badger a nun about her lifestyle choice; or not.
After this, Lawrence fulfilled his legendary promise (ten years, ten albums, ten singles, then end the Felt project). The reality was very close to his plan, indeed. Me and a Monkey on the Moon could have been an even better album, were it not for the presence of a couple of the weaker, shorter songs. But the interesting thing is that - great or average - all the songs convey a sense of (career?) tiredness that makes this a fitting finale for any band.
Forget Frank Sinatra. Lawrence did it his way.
Note: Lawrence would return in the Nineties with his Denim project, a tribute to early Seventies glam-rock. In the new millennium, he launched Go-Kart Mozart.
Published
Votes are used to help determine the most interesting content on RYM.
Vote up content that is on-topic, within the rules/guidelines, and will likely stay relevant long-term.
Vote down content which breaks the rules.
Vote up content that is on-topic, within the rules/guidelines, and will likely stay relevant long-term.
Vote down content which breaks the rules.
Catalog
24 May 2024
16 May 2024
-
A1
I Can't Make Love to You Anymore
-
A2
Mobile Shack
-
A3
Free
-
A4
Budgie Jacket
-
A5 Cartoon Sky
-
B1 New Day Dawning
-
B2 Down an August Path
-
B3 Never Let You Go
-
B4 She Deals in Crosses
-
B5 Get Out of My Mirror
9 May 2024
14 Apr 2024
-
A1
I Can't Make Love to You Anymore
-
A2
Mobile Shack
-
A3
Free
-
A4
Budgie Jacket
-
A5
Cartoon Sky
-
B1
New Day Dawning
-
B2
Down an August Path
-
B3
Never Let You Go
-
B4
She Deals in Crosses
-
B5
Get Out of My Mirror
11 Apr 2024
6 Apr 2024
5 Apr 2024
28 Mar 2024
27 Mar 2024
20 Mar 2024
14 Feb 2024
10 Feb 2024
25 Jan 2024
22 Jan 2024
17 Jan 2024