Spoon Album: “Telephono”

This is a very nice record that deserves to be better known. I've listened to it at least 40 times and still like it, so that's something. Not quite 5 stars, although if all the songs were as great as Don't Buy the Realistic, Nefarious, and a couple others, it would be a solid 5.

Note to the previous reviewer ("britt hates women"): Umm... how often has some female diva been accompanied by an uncredited male musician on bass? I don't have an accurate count, but I've seen it quite a few times. Quick, who plays bass on Madonna songs?

Creepy? No, it's just the business. Is your expecting special treatment for women creepy? Yes.

It's really unfortunate that Spoon's EP's have become so hard to come by. Although they are a far cry from the later LP releases (even Girls Can Tell) they are still extraordinary. It's true that the sound after Telephono and Soft Effects mellows out a great deal, but there are valid reasons for preferring these two to those later albums beyond obscurity and audiophile snobbery. The general tone is more raw and sincere, the tunes more dynamic and creative. In all honesty, after the EP releases, things get a bit watered down. The easiest method I've found to get the EP's is with Emusic and such.

Good luck. I say the search is worth it.

Rough, beautiful, energetic, focused, fantastic. Spoon at their best. After a hundred listens it still gets me riled up.

Dear Reviewer,

If you are not being ironic/attempting to be funny about your "Britt hates women" comment, allow me to correct you. Andy Macguire, as credited in the records, is the woman who plays and sings on this record. Get your facts straight before you make such comments.

Other than that, great band, great record, GREAT live. Good luck finding this, though.

It's good, trust me. The vocals have a weird TRex flavor, they freely let the emotions flow - but hell no, it's not emo.