It isn’t often that I have been attracted so strongly to a
\nconcept album, especially one with such a cheesy title. But, I got
\npast it here\u2026 I really got past it.<\/p>\n
\nLove Story<\/i> is widely considered by many fans of Lloyd Cole
\nto be his greatest. Most site the coherency of theme as well as the
\noverall greatness of the album. All pieces on this album contribute
\nto the impression that Cole is an artist who has perfected his
\ncraft. Of course, this isn’t your typical love story – it’s love
\ndone Lloyd Cole style.<\/p>\n
The album begins with “Trigger Happy,” a simplistic look at the
\nbeginning of a relationship; it can be related to that early
\ninfatuation stage that most couples experience. In fact, it begins
\nwith sentiments that remind one of this feeling: “I love your head
\n\/ I love the way you hold your head \/ ’cause you’re young, and you
\nknow it\u2026” This is Cole showing his stuff, backed by soft
\nguitar and bass. It gives one the feeling of overwhelming joy and
\ncontentment (sort of like Meg Ryan feels when she is riding her
\nbike with her eyes closed in
\nCity Of Angels<\/i>\u2026); very much like the beginning of a
\nrelationship.<\/p>\n
The next song, “Sentimental Fool,” shows that a relationship
\nquickly can turn to discontentment due to the unrealistic way
\npeople see each other during the initial infatuation stage. Cole is
\nin a bar, singing to the bartender: “The more I learn the less I
\nknow \/ could you make mine straight Absolut? \/ The more I fail the
\nless I try \/ ask not of me the reason why \u2026 the woman I love
\nis not content \/ the life I made, it ain’t what I
\nmeant\u2026”<\/p>\n
Suddenly, though, things seem to clear up when people make their
\nintentions clear in the midst of what seems to be the end of a
\nrelationship. This is seen in “I Didn’t Know That You Cared.” So,
\nthings go a little awry in a great way \u2026 “Love Ruins
\nEverything” – that is, love changes the drunken grump into a
\nromantic idiot! “Hey, hey, hey \/ look at me now \/ I’m
\nunrecognizable \/ My trademark frown \/ has grown into the strangest
\neasy smile \/ And oh, my, my \/ where did I go wrong? \/ Ask all my
\ndrunken friends… \/ “who’s going to carry us home? \/ who’s going
\nto drink ’til the morning? \/ who’s going to carry us home? \/ love
\nruined everything.”” Gosh, he had to go fall in love, and now all
\nof the friends have lots a companion. This is one of my favorite
\nsongs on the album – it’s giddy and matter of fact, and this
\ncontrasts so well with the title that I have to smile each time I
\nlisten to it.<\/p>\n
But NO! Even though they have had this wonderful revelation, she
\nleaves! Again! For another man!!!!! This time the results are more
\ndramatic\u2026 it is followed by major depression. “Baby”
\nchronicles this: “She said not to call \/ said it would be best for
\nall concerned \/ if I just all but disappear \/ But she loves you
\nbest \/ and I love her nonetheless \/ so I just listen to the voice
\non the machine, singing\u2026”<\/p>\n
Sigh, this is getting to be traumatic for me.<\/p>\n
Why? Because it gets worse. He sings a little ditty (“Be There”)
\nto the new guy\u2026 and then she MARRIES the new guy. Argh. She
\nhad this wonderfully sensitive man and now she’s marrying someone
\nelse?! It’s a crime, I tell you!! (Yes, I get a little personally
\ninvolved in my music.) “Well, they were married in June \/ she was
\ngone before the leaves were even turning \/ she said “Well, I knew
\nhe was a fool, but somehow I \/ thought my welfare concerned him.” \/
\nMust the one always have to change \/ whilst the other must always
\nremain? \/ Must the cards all be dealt facing down?” Yes, this is
\ntruly an “Unhappy Song,” even though it sounds so bright and
\nchipper. That makes it all the more bitter.<\/p>\n
“Live Lovers Do” chronicles a list of failed relationships after
\nthe “one.” Once again, it’s cheery, happy, characteristic (?) Cole:
\nhappy in the face of adversity of any kind, especially the
\nrelationship type.<\/p>\n
But, he finally starts to own up to everything on “Happy For
\nYou.” “Lay your head upon my shoulder \/ let it rest there for a
\nwhile \/ I guess that I’m still good for something \/ once in a while
\n\/ And if you need someone to talk to \/ just give a call I’ll be
\naround \/ and if you want me to avoid you \/ just say the
\nword\u2026”<\/p>\n
In the end, though, he never gets over her. “For Crying Out
\nLoud,” the last track on the album, makes it clear that all of the
\napparent good feelings, and the attempts to run away (like the
\nsuggestion to live on a farm in “Let’s Get Lost,” the second to
\nlast track) don’t cover the fact that she was his one and only. “I
\ntook 15 years \/ to break your spell \/ I loved you then \/ I love you
\nstill \/ I wake up cold \/ I wake up wet \/ my body weak \/ my mind is
\nspent \/ I fill my days \/ I pay my rent \/ and I have no need \/ of
\nelectric light \/ ’cause I dream the same \/ dream every
\nnight\u2026”<\/p>\n
This album is one of my favorites by Cole. Not only is it an
\nexcellent example of his “sensitive” mentality, but it also seems
\nvery true. Too often, people who write music stick people into
\nstereotypes when they create their characters: a woman who has been
\nwronged by her man, a man who has been wronged by his woman, a guy
\nwho just wants to get “jiggy”, a woman in the same position. Not
\noften does a songwriter make an honest attempt to portray the
\nrelationship as something real, as something personal, as something
\nwhich (s)he has experienced. Cole doesn’t place blame\u2026 well,
\nnot until the end. And I blame him for making such a tragic CD! I
\nneed counseling after this dang review!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":27555,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"artist":[7374],"rating":[5646],"class_list":["post-38930","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","artist-lloyd-cole","rating-rating-a"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/38930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38930"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/38930\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27555"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38930"},{"taxonomy":"artist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artist?post=38930"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=38930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}