Almost Cured of Sadness sees Mr. Baby Bird Stephen Jones returning to his lo-fi roots to offer up 19-plus nuggets of musical hysteria. That the album is dedicated to "Delphie, the stomach baby, who makes it a Jesus-free Xmas almost everyday" is an indication of just how warped Jones aspires to be here. Those who know Jones/Baby Bird only for "You're Gorgeous" had best steer away from this fascinating experimental hodgepodge of inspired pop psychosis. Singing mostly in falsetto with some patches of his patented crooning, Jones dabbles in lo-fi hip-hop soundscapes, heartbreaking allads, freaky sampled soul, dark electronica, disturbed /p>
ursery rhymes, and pure pop confections. As always, he sings about creepy but pristine tales of religious icons, depression, redemption, degenerates, drugs, and assorted esoterica. Some listeners might find Jones' genre excursions and overall demented musical-hybridization unsettling or inaccessible, but those who dig deeper into the album's experimental heart will be rewarded again and again. Jones can seemingly write killer, devastating melodies and tear-jerking hooks in his sleep, and Almost Cured of Sadness absolutely abounds with the fruit of beautiful songs. And these are not just quick shards or song fragments, but fully formed beasts averaging about three-and-a-half minutes a pop, unlike the shorter ditties on Jones' soundtrack compilations. If not for the lo-fi textures and frazzled-genius crackle of the production, a handful of these songs could rule the charts. But that's not the point of a Stephen Jones album, as he's an artist who seems to make music out of the sheer necessity to explore his love of melody, art, and life itself. The epic scope of the album goes beyond the 19 songs listed on its sleeve, as the final track is actually an 11-minute medley, centered around a freaky but touching cover of the Arthur Hamilton/Peggy Lee song "Sing a Rainbow." With so many highlights and standout releases already to his name, Almost Cured of Sadness is another slice of fractured, cathartic songwriting genius. It would fit perfectly as an addition to the Baby Bird boxed set The Original Lo-Fi.
Sadness does not have a homeSadness does not have a homeYou come home from a hard day’s workYou come home from a hard day’s workYou come home from a hard day’s workThe last thing you want to be confronted with is sadnessHere at the station we would like to promote happiness at all costsYou hear it on TVs and radios and everyone smilesSadness does not have a home hereSadness does not have a h
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In a bad world this is a good day.And now, ten words of promotional copy:Stephen Jones' "Almost Cured of Sadness" is a good album.Everybody’s nice. OK?Love the people, love the peopleEverybody’s niceLove the people, everybody’s nice. OK? I wanna lay back and think about nothing (think about nothing)Empty my headEmpty my head I wanna lay back and think about nothing(I wanna lay back and think
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Hippies stole your timeBut punks gave it backThe drugs stole your mind with a brain whackThe camera stole your soulA fifteen minute crimeEnjoy it while you can ‘cause it’s your time ‘Cause it’s your time‘Cause it’s your time‘Cause it’s your time‘Cause it’s your time Television ate my brainAnd puked it on the floorPushed a finger in for pity and drew a little doorBut I couldn’
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When the world goes awayAnd it leaves us hereAnd from nowhere it comes backAnd we disappear Like nothing ever happenedAnd no one ever noticed'Til we came back as ghostsWith invisible fears We're almost cured of sadnessWe're almost curedWe're almost cured of sadnessWe're almost cured When the world's almost hereAnd it won't go awayWhen you're dying for some peaceFrom another day And you just can...
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I watched Bridge to Terabithia this morning and I cried through the whole thing, not just at the sad parts, at all of the parts. The whole concept that it is possible for an individual to occupy a state other than total emotional isolation was too much to bear without being emotionally overwhelmed. The very notion creates a pain in me. Over a period of several years I had grown comfortable w...
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If you told me you wanted to go someplace too faraway, I would be concerned for your wellbeing, but I would also be proud of you for confronting that dark wind of the future (thanks Al!) and taking back from it your certainty. You rock! I would neither try to stop you nor comfort you; you're a grown up now, and this is something you've got to face on your own, but I would at least let that e...
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Sadness does not have a homeSadness does not have a homeYou come home from a hard day’s workYou come home from a hard day’s workYou come home from a hard day’s workThe last thing you want to be confronted with is sadnessHere at the station we would like to promote happiness at all costsYou hear it on TVs and radios and everyone smilesSadness does not have a home hereSadness does not have a h
More >
In a bad world this is a good day.And now, ten words of promotional copy:Stephen Jones' "Almost Cured of Sadness" is a good album.Everybody’s nice. OK?Love the people, love the peopleEverybody’s niceLove the people, everybody’s nice. OK? I wanna lay back and think about nothing (think about nothing)Empty my headEmpty my head I wanna lay back and think about nothing(I wanna lay back and think
More >
When the world goes awayAnd it leaves us hereAnd from nowhere it comes backAnd we disappear Like nothing ever happenedAnd no one ever noticed'Til we came back as ghostsWith invisible fears We're almost cured of sadnessWe're almost curedWe're almost cured of sadnessWe're almost cured When the world's almost hereAnd it won't go awayWhen you're dying for some peaceFrom another day And you just can...
More >
Hippies stole your timeBut punks gave it backThe drugs stole your mind with a brain whackThe camera stole your soulA fifteen minute crimeEnjoy it while you can ‘cause it’s your time ‘Cause it’s your time‘Cause it’s your time‘Cause it’s your time‘Cause it’s your time Television ate my brainAnd puked it on the floorPushed a finger in for pity and drew a little doorBut I couldn’
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| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Intro |
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| 2 Keys to the Brain |
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| 3 Under the Rainbow |
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| 4 Good Day in a Bad World |
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| 5 Interlude |
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| 6 Friend |
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| 7 Cured of Sadness |
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| 8 American Dream |
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| 9 Your Time |
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| 10 Little Thug |
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| 11 Sitting in My Graveyard |
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| 12 Jesus Freaks and Candy Asses |
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| 13 Interlude |
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| 14 Radio's Been Thinking Again |
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| 15 Someplace Too Faraway |
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| 16 Quaaludes |
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| 17 Interlude |
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| 18 Almost Cured of Sadness |
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| 19 My Girlfriend Killed Jesus |
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Click to purchase…
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 "Almost Cured of Sadness")
