Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot

• Artist: Sparklehorse
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1995 08
• Genre: Rock

Review

Sparklehorse's 1996 full-length debut, Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot, has even more sad, beautiful, weird moments of spacy, rural folk-rock than it does letters in its name. Primarily the project of singer/songwriter/guitarist Mark Linkous, Sparklehorse's sound embraces impossibly frail, cobwebby ballads like the album opener "Homecoming Queen," "Most Beautiful Widow in Town," and "Heart of Darkness"; sun-drenched, noisy pop like "Rainmaker" and "Hammering the Cramps"; and noise blasts like "Ballad of a Cold Lost Marble" and "850 Double Pumper Holley." The album's most powerful moments borrow from folk and country traditions, alluding to their universally understood poignancy, while updating and personalizing them with spacy arrangements, distorted vocals, and slivers of feedback. "Heart of Darkness" and "Homecoming Queen" in particular have a woozy, late-night sweetness that conveys a touching, if unstable, honesty. The single "Someday I Will Treat You Good" molds this vulnerability into a radio song, with catchy and affecting results, but it's the shambling, understated songs like "Saturday" and "Sad & Beautiful World" that define the group's down-to-earth melancholy. Despite covering some expansive musical territory, Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot doesn't sound scattered so much as spontaneous, reflecting the happy, sad, noisy, and quiet moments in life. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Homecoming Queen (Lyrics)	Mark Linkous	Sparklehorse
Weird Sisters (Lyrics)	Mark Linkous	Sparklehorse
850 Double Pumper Holley (Lyrics)	Mark Linkous	Sparklehorse
Rainmaker (Lyrics)	Mark Linkous	Sparklehorse
Spririt Ditch	Mark Linkous	Sparklehorse
Tears on Fresh Fruit (Lyrics)	Mark Linkous	Sparklehorse
Saturday (Lyrics)	Mark Linkous	Sparklehorse
Cow (Lyrics)	Mark Linkous	Sparklehorse
Little Bastard Choo Choo	Mark Linkous	Sparklehorse
Hammering the Cramps (Lyrics)	Mark Linkous	Sparklehorse
Most Beautiful Widow in Town (Lyrics)	Mark Linkous	Sparklehorse
Heart of Darkness (Lyrics)	Mark Linkous	Sparklehorse
Ballad of a Cold Lost Marble	Mark Linkous	Sparklehorse
Someday I Will Treat You Good (Lyrics)	Mark Linkous	Sparklehorse
Sad & Beautiful World	Mark Linkous	Sparklehorse
Gasoline Horseys (Lyrics)	Mark Linkous	Sparklehorse

Credits

David Charles (Guitar (Acoustic)), David Charles (Bass), David Charles (Guitar), David Charles (Drums), David Charles (Guitar (Electric)), David Charles (Keyboards), David Charles (Producer), David Charles (Engineer), David Charles (Mixing), Dennis Herring (Producer), Dennis Herring (Engineer), Dennis Herring (Vibraphone), Dennis Herring (Mixing), Mark Linkous (Vocals), Mark Linkous (Multi Instruments), Mark Linkous (Producer), Mark Linkous (Engineer), Mark Linkous (Mixing), Mike Lucas (Pedal Steel), John Moran (Mixing), Howie Weinberg (Mastering), Armistead Wellford (Bass), Bob Rupe (Bass), Bob Rupe (Voices), Sparklehorse (Main Performer), Johnny Hott (Percussion), Johnny Hott (Drums), Paul Watson (Guitar), Paul Watson (?), David Bush (Drums)

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