The Magnetic Fields-69 Love Songs

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/14/06.

Whether in being in side projects like the Gothic Archies, the 6ths, and the Future Bible Heroes, Stephin Merritt truly has an uncanny knack for pop music with his unique ability to write catchy pop songs in a variety of styles. While he often does various other projects including doing a bit of solo work, his main work is in the four-piece band the Magnetic Fields. Featuring vocalist/percussionist/pianist Claudia Gonson, guitarist/banjo player John Woo, and cellist Sam Davol, Merritt leads the group on vocals and on various instruments. Since forming the band with Gonson, who is also manager, in 1990, the Magnetic Fields released five albums and an EP to critical acclaim and underground devotion. By the end of the 1990s, Merritt was clearly becoming an interesting figure in the underground scene, especially in his native New York City as he and Gonson are openly gay. Then in 1999, Merritt and the Magnetic Fields released their most ambitious work to date, a three-CD box set of material devoted to love simply titled 69 Love Songs.

The concept of 69 Love Songs is simple, a collection of songs about love, it's joy and disappointments. Played in a variety of styles led mostly by synth-pop songs plus dabbles of country, rock, R&B, folk, and experimental music, a lot of the work is conceived by the extremely talented Stephin Merritt. Featuring several collaborators including accordion player Daniel Handler and vocalists LD Beghtol, Dudley Klute, and Shirley Simms. 69 Love Songs is an adventurous collection of songs about love in all of its wittiness and complications. While it's a three-disc collection, some songs do stand out on their own in its various formats. That doesn't mean some songs aren't meant to be overlooked. Some cuts do stand out on their own but played as an album or a box set, the album as a whole forgets the sum of its parts. Then there's short cuts that might be described as filler but as part of the album, it provides a sense of relief into the silliness on the subject of love. Particularly since each disc contains 23 tracks.

Vol. 1

The first disc is filled with an array of songs ranging from acoustic ballads like All My Little Words, I Don't Believe In The Sun, Boa Constrictor, Nothing Matters When We're Dancing, and the wonderfully descriptive The Book Of Love that is led by Merritt's haunting baritone. The synth-pop suites like The Luckiest Guy On The Lower East Side, My Sentimental Melody, Let's Pretend We’re Bunny Rabbits, and Sweet-Lovin' Man show the full range of synth-pop in its most experimental and melodic. Notably Sweet-Lovin' Man led by the amazing vocals of Claudia Gonson who also shines in the brief, banjo-ditty Reno Dakota that features amazing playing by John Woo. Vocalist LD Beghtol also shines in the eerie My Sentimental Melody and the melancholic All My Little Words. Some songs like Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits and I Don't Want To Get Over You are catchy that they’re filled with wonderful imagery, especially Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits which is inspiring in its lyrics to put on bunny suits.

Vol. 2

The second disc is more synth-pop driven with a full suite of catchy synth-pop tunes like If You Don't Cry, You're My Only Home, My Only Friend, Promises of Eternity, and Long-Forgotten Fairytale. If You Don't Cry is a real standout thanks to Gonson's dreamy vocals and Long-Forgotten Fairytale has a catchy melody that is a great track to listen to in a roller rink. There's also more country-inspired tracks from Papa Was A Rodeo and Kiss Me Like You Mean It both featuring vocals from Shirley Simms. The album opens with the atmospheric Roses led by LD Beghtol that segues into the jazz-idiosyncracies of Love Is Like Jazz. Rock is featured more in songs like (Crazy For You But) Not That Crazy, Epitaph For My Heart, Washington D.C., and When My Boy Walks Down The Street in its most conventional terms. Acoustic numbers like Time Enough For Rocking When We're Old, Asleep & Dreaming, Abigail, Belle Of Kilronan are presented in traditional formats while Grand Canyon, No One Will Ever Love You, and The Way You Say Good-Night reveal more styles of music.

Vol. 3

The third and final disc is far more diverse than the previous ones with its range from synth-pop, folk, acoustic ballads, accordion-driven tracks, electronic music, country, rock, and most of all, pop. The disc's biggest standout tracks are the Bo Diddley-rhythm, country romp of I'm Sorry I Love You, the acoustic ballad Acoustic Guitar, the electro-reggae of It's A Crime, the dreamy guitar wash pop of Yeah! Oh, Yeah!, the hypnotic theremin-led Blue You, the Badlands-inspired The Night You Can't Remember, and the circus-melodic of Zebra which closes everything. The disc features a lot more ranging from the piano-ballad Busby Berkeley Dream to experimental collages like Experimental Love Music and Underwear along with psychedelic textures in The Death Of Ferdinand de Saussure. Gonson shines on songs like Yeah! Oh, Yeah!, Acoustic Guitar, and Zebra while Simms ruled on I'm Sorry I Love You leaving most of the cuts to Merritt while Dudley Klute hypnotizes everyone in Blue You and It's A Crime.

There are so many songs to cover but not enough time yet all of them have something to offer. Lyrically, there Merritt explores all the ideas of love like ageism in Time Enough For Rocking When We're Old to breaking up in I Don't Want To Get Over You. The main theme of love is dominant throughout the entire album, even in the shortest tracks of Punk Love and Experimental Love Music might seem like fillers but they're fun to listen to. Yet there are some great songs that feature great lyrics. Here is a sampler of some of these tracks, three from each disc:

Not for all the tea in China
not if I could sing like a bird
not for all North Carolina
not for all my little words
not if I could write for you
the sweetest song you ever heard
It doesn't matter what I do
not for all my little words

-All My Little Words

The book of love has music in it
In fact that's where music comes from
Some of it is just transcendental
Some of it is just really dumb
but I...
I love it when you sing to me
And you...
You can sing me anything

-The Book Of Love

For the love of a sweet-lovin' man
some have traveled far and wide
some of have given up and died
For the love of a sweet-lovin' man
some have broken down and cried
some have turned to dust inside
but I'll stay right here and hide
in the arms of my sweet-lovin' man

-Sweet Lovin' Man

Dying all day in thousands of little ways
Dancing alone and drinking a lot
Closing the clubs and haunting the cabarets
looking for what
Another five years off your life...
A year goes by
She doesn't...
If you don't cry, it isn't love
If you don't cry
then you just don't feel it deep enough

-If You Don't Cry

And a long-forgotten fairytale is in your eyes again
And I'm caught inside a dream world where the colors are too intense
And nothing is making sense

-Long-Forgotten Fairytale

Papa was a rodeo, Mama was a rock n' roll band
I could play guitar and rope a steer
before I learned to stand
Home was anywhere with diesel gas
Love was a trucker's hand
Never stuck around long enough for a one-night stand
Before you kiss me, you should now
Papa was a rodeo

-Papa Was A Rodeo

A single rose in your garden dwells
Like any rose it's not itself
It is my love in your garden grows
but let's pretend it's just a rose
Well I'm sorry that I love you
It's a phase I'm going through
There is nothing that I can do
and I'm sorry that I love you

-I'm Sorry I Love You

Acoustic guitar, if you think I play heard
well, you could have belonged to Steve Earle
or Charo or GWAR
I could sell you tomorrow
so bring me back my girl
You'd better bring me back my girl

-Acoustic Guitar

If you really loved me, you'd buy me a beautiful pearl
but you've already bought me all the pearls in the world
so there's one thing I crave when my days become ho-hum and blah
I want a zebra

-Zebra

Those are just examples of Merritt's brilliance as a lyricist. They're all filled with imagination and cleverness through the catchiness of pop tunes. It's not just a three-CD album of love song but great love songs. Anyone interested in the works of the Magnetic Fields or Stephin Merritt himself should get all three of these records. Whether as a box set or through separate CDs, it's an experience that is indescribable to listen to. Anyone wants funny, touching stories of love, get 69 Love Songs.

The Magnetic Fields Reviews: (Distant Plastic Trees) - (The Wayward Bus) - (The House of Tomorrow EP) - (Holiday) - (The Charm of the Highway Strip) - (Get Lost) - (i) - (Distortion) - (Realism)

(C) thevoid99 2011

The Magnetic Fields-69 Love Songs Vol. 3

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/14/06.

The third and final volume of the 69 Love Songs opens with the bass-heavy Underwear with its droning bass and Stephin Merritt's baritone vocals as he sings about the joy of seeing pretty people in their underwear as he sings a French chorus with smooth, metallic beats. It's A Crime is a reggae-inspired track in terms of its rhythms and melodies while it's mainly based on synth-pop as the track is sung by guest vocalist Dudley Klute with his soulful, ethereal vocals to Chris Ewen's bouncy arrangements. Klute sings the strange, idiosyncratic lyrics of Merritt that is filled with the disappointments of falling in love. Busby Berkeley Dreams is a simple piano ballad with the piano performed and arranged by Claudia Gonson sung by Merritt who weaves into the melancholia of love in its devastating description. I'm Sorry I Love You is a Bo Diddley-rhythmic track meets country guitars filled with thundering beats and guest vocalist Shirley Simms' raw, countrified vocals as she sings Merritt's lyrics of love at its most desperate. It’s one of the album's biggest standout tracks due to its rhythm and catchy chorus of "Well I'm sorry that I love you/It's a phase that I'm going through/There is nothing that I can do and I'm sorry that I love you".

Next is a lovely gem called Acoustic Guitar sung by Claudia Gonson who sings Merritt's weird, hilarious lyrics of being in love with an acoustic guitar. The acoustic ballad is filled with great catchy lines and how many loves songs would even mention people like Steve Earle, Charo, and GWAR? Gonson's dreamy vocals make this song one of the greatest gems in the entire album. The Death Of Ferdinand de Saussure reaches to the psychedelia of Prince's Around the World in a Day with its string arrangements and simple ode to psychedelia as Merritt leads the way with this acoustic track on lyrics about a man longing to know what love is. Love In The Shadows is a low-key electronic track filled with throbbing beats and bass-chiming synthesizers as Merritt sings very dark descriptions of love in secrecy that suggests of extramarital situations. Bitter Tears is a simple mid-tempo song filled with folk-rock textures from washy guitars from Merritt and John Woo as LD Beghtol sings the track with his more atmospheric vocals to the song's painful side of breaking up.

Wi' Nae Wee Bairn Ye'll Me Beget is a folk-inspired track led by Merritt and Woo on guitars and banjos with Sam Davol on a flute as Merritt sings an old style of British folk on the subject of reincarnation where he aims to be everything from a vampire to a cockroach which reveals Merritt's humor. Yeah! Oh, Yeah! is a guitar-wash driven track led by jangly guitar washes from Gonson, Merritt, and Woo as the song is a lovely duet between Gonson and Merritt. Gonson also does drums as she sings Merritt's lyrics of love in a dueling way as Gonson's dreamy vocals and Merritt's baritone works on all levels. Experimental Music Love is a short, experimental track where the song's title repeats in a loop to convey the band's enjoyment of experimentation. Meaningless is another Velvet Underground-inspired track in its drum settings led by Gonson's thunderous drumming and Merritt's lyrics leading towards cynicism on the ideas of love.

Love Is Like A Bottle Of Gin is a bass-driven track led by Merritt's baritone and an accompanying bass of how love can make any do stupid things in all of Merritt's strange yet funny descriptions as he compares love to many things. Queen Of The Savages is an upbeat, acoustic ditty performed by Merritt with a ukelele as he sings about a girl who is the queen of jungle as she commands her people with John Woo leading the way with a melodic guitar solo in the middle of the song. Blue You is a hypnotic, electronic track led by a theremin performed by engineer Chris Ewen as Dudley Klute sings the song in his eerie, deep vocals to Merritt's worldly lyrics as the song brings chills in its electronic presentation and Ewen's theremin as it closes with Claudia Gonson whistling to the song's eerie tone. I Can't Touch You Anymore is another electronic-inspired track with a more rhythmic track and Merritt's vocals as he reaches towards more robotic vocal ranges as he sings about love gone wrong as the track features great synthesizer melodies and electronic beats. Two Kinds Of People is a short, distorted track led by Merritt's distorted vocals and a fuzzier production with dreamy guitar melodies and Merritt's imaginative lyrics of ideal lovers.

How To Say Goodbye is a song about the aftermath of love as Merritt leans towards the pain of breaking up through a simple, mid-tempo rocker filled with guitars, bass, drums, and a bit of synthesizers in the background. The song is filled with catchy melodies and rhythms with Merritt leading the way as he brings in another great song. The Night You Can't Remember is a Badlands-inspired track in its rhythm and chiming melodies while Sam Davol accompanies the song with his cello and guest musician Daniel Handler's accordion. Merritt leads the way about the joys of love and a great night that is so great, its experience was only brief. For We Are The King Of The Boudoir is an ode to 18th Century classical music with its harpsichord and LD Beghtol's wonderful vocals that plays to the times as he sings Merritt's funny lyrics of royals as if he takes the song back in time.

Strange Eyes is a bouncy, synth-pop track filled with hypnotic rhythms and beats led by Shirley Simms' eerie, enchanting vocals to Merritt's strange lyrics of love filled with crazed metaphors as the song is perfect to Simms' vocals. Xylophone Track is a dreamy, acoustic driven track filled with dreamy guitar melodies and mandolin washes as Merritt leads the way with his blues-laden baritone as he sings a song about the sadness of love through its innocent description and subjects ranging from a mother's love to toys with an accompanying harmonium from LD Beghtol. Closing the third volume and the entire 69 Love Songs collection is Zebra. The smooth circus-rhythm track is filled with more of Merritt's idiosyncratic lyrics sung by the wonderful Claudia Gonson as she is accompanied by Daniel Handler's bouncy accordion. Gonson sings all of Merritt's lyrics of how to win someone's love as Gonson sings, "If you really loved me, you'd buy me the Great Pyramid" and closes the song with the line, "Zelda looks lonely, I want a zebra".

The Magnetic Fields Reviews: (Distant Plastic Trees) - (The Wayward Bus) - (The House of Tomorrow EP) - (Holiday) - (The Charm of the Highway Strip) - (Get Lost) - 69 Love Songs: Vol. 1 - Vol. 2 - (i) - (Distortion) - (Realism)

(C) thevoid99 2011

The Magnetic Fields-69 Love Songs Vol. 2

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/14/06

The 27-second opening track Roses arrives to open the 2nd volume of the 3-part 69 Love Songs collection by the Magnetic Fields as the vocals of guest collaborator LD Beghtol arrives with his ethereal vocals to Fields' leader Stephin Merritt's quirky, strange lyrics about millionaires. Next is Love Is Like Jazz sung by Merritt in this strange, jazz-inspired track filled with rhythms and Daniel Handler's offbeat, accordion melody. Merritt's lyrics are far more idiosyncratic as he sings in his baritone-like vocals as he plays a jazz-like bass line with Claudia Gonson's abstract percussion with references to Strange Fruit and other jazz-filled love lyrics. When My Boy Walks Down The Street is a mid-tempo, Velvet Underground-inspired track with washy, droning guitar riffs and echo, reverb drums from Gonson as Merritt and Woo wail on the guitars to Merritt's more high-pitch vocals as he sings about a boy he loves as this song is one of the few detours to rock.

Time Enough For Rocking When We're Old is a nice, little acoustic number with arpeggios with Merritt's baritone with his innocent, descriptive lyrics of old love and ageism that is filled with catchy lyrics in its imagery. Very Funny is an amazing piano ballad arranged by Gonson who leads on piano to Dudley Klute's ethereal, soulful vocals that is sung well to Merritt's sad, longing lyrics that speaks love to its truest form. Grand Canyon is a strange mix of electronic textures and acoustic arrangements in Merritt's ode to love with his imaginative lyrics referencing to Paul Bunyan with melodic, synthesizer textures playing in the background. No One Will Ever Love You is an R&B-inspired track with its smooth rhythms and reverb guitar melodies sung by guest vocalist Shirley Simms whose enchanting vocals are wonderfully sung to Merritt's lyrics of desperation and longing.

If You Don't Cry is a bouncy, melodic synth-pop track sung by Claudia Gonson's robotic yet dreamy vocals as she sings to Merritt's spacey vocals that are filled with the disappointments of love as she sings the chorus, "An hour goes by, she doesn't/If you don't cry, it isn't love/If you don't cry, then you just don't feel it deep enough". You're My Only Home is another synth-driven track led by droning synthesizer melodies and Merritt's baritone vocals as he sings more desperate lyrics of love and the flaws of one person. (Crazy For You But) Not That Crazy is another synth-driven track led by an electric bass from Merritt and Woo’s melodic guitar as Merritt retreats to the innocence of love as the song yields back to straight-ahead melodic rock with touches of synth-pop. My Only Friend is a short, two-minute track led by speedy piano melodies and electronic backgrounds as Merritt sings his sad lyrics of love as he calls for Lady Day as the song reaches to the depth of pain.

The pain reaches a higher level with the synth-driven Promises Of Eternity with arrangements by guest collaborator Chris Ewen as Merritt sings the song with his desperate, powerful baritone in an angst that isn't heard in many pop songs. Merritt's lyrics are filled with great imagination as he even pulls our references to some movies ranging from Fellini to Blake Edwards. World Love returns to more vibrant rhythms in its acoustic setting of guitars and percussions with Merritt's description of a world tour of love as if this song was a less idealistic but more realistic cousin of songs that says love makes the world go round. Washington D.C. is lovely melodic-rock pop tune with an opening cheer of "W, ASH, ING, TON baby, D.C" as Gonson bangs on the drums and sings the song with her dreamy vocals for the innocence of falling in love in the nation’s capital. Long-Forgotten Fairytale is another melodic-driven synth-pop track filled with descriptive innocence of love with bouncy, whip-hitting beats and melodic riffs to Dudley Klute's robotic, droning vocals as he sings of Merritt's child-like lyrics that is like a fairytale. This song is perfect to listen to if anyone is in a roller-rink on a fast circle thanks to its robotic, bouncy melodies.

Kiss Me Like You Mean It is a short, acoustic song sung by Shirley Simms that is an ode to old, country ballads in its lyrics and Simms' vocals as Merritt plays a ukelele. Papa Was A Rodeo is another country-inspired song of sorts in its tone with its slow, dreamy guitar melodies and bass lines as Merritt sings many of the song's verses. The song is sung from a guy to a guy as it could be a lost song for Brokeback Mountain with the final verse sung by Shirley Simms as this song is a nice take on country in its unique way. Epitaph For My Heart starts off with a dreamy section of caution through high-pitch vocals as it segues to a more straightforward, washy pop tune of guitars and drums with Merritt going into his usual baritone with his melancholic lyrics of love. Asleep And Dreaming is an accordion-driven track performed mostly by Daniel Handler’s whose dreamy arrangements lead the way for Merritt's melancholic lyrics and vocal delivery.

The Sun Goes Down And The World Goes Dancing is a return to more basic instruments with its mid-tempo percussions and John Woo's banjo playing with the background of shimmering synthesizer melodies. Merritt reaches now to the song's more upbeat tone of love with his innocent lyrics as he goes out and have fun. The Way You Say Good-Night is led by Sam Davol's menacing cello playing as he accompanies Beghtol's ethereal vocals as he sings more of Merritt's descriptive lyrics of love that features great lyrics like "The stars begin their Busby Berkeley dance: 'The Way You Say Good-Night' and the night becomes... a musical extravaganza" as song leads the way in its eerie, hypnotic cello playing. Abigail, Belle Of Kilronan is a wonderful acoustic track as Merritt plays the straight man to this song about a woman named Abigail in this folk-inspired tune with wonderful lyrics about the woman and where she’s from. I Shatter closes the 2nd volume of 69 Love Songs with Merritt's distorted, robotic vocals as he is accompanied by scratchy violin tracks performed by Sam Davol as he sings about love's fragility.

The Magnetic Fields Reviews: (Distant Plastic Trees) - (The Wayward Bus) - (The House of Tomorrow EP) - (Holiday) - (The Charm of the Highway Strip) - (Get Lost) - 69 Love Songs: Vol. 1 - Vol. 3 - (i) - (Distortion) - (Realism)

(C) thevoid99 2011

The Magnetic Fields-69 Love Songs Vol. 1

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/14/06.

Absolutely Cuckoo opens the first disc of the 69 Love Songs collection with its swirly synthesizer melodies and washy acoustic instruments with jangly melodies as Stephin Merritt sings the track with his low, baritone track for this short, quirky minute-and-a-half ditty filled with eccentric lyrics of falling in love. I Don't Believe In The Sun is a piano ballad sung by Merritt with Claudia Gonson on piano and drums as Merritt weaves into the melancholy of love as he sings, "How could it shine down on everyone and never shine on me/How could there be such cruelty". All My Little Words is a lovely acoustic ballad led by Merritt and John Woo's acoustic guitar melodies and Woo's banjo playing as guest vocalist LD Beghtol sings lead. Merritt's lyrics are filled with innocence as Beghtol's evocative vocals lead the way with Gonson singing background as words like "It doesn't matter what I do, not for all my little words/Now that you've made me want to die, you tell me that you're unboyfriendable...".

A Chicken With Its Head Cut Off is a country-inspired track with bouncy riffs and rhythms as Merritt leads the way with more of his eccentric lyrics of love with metaphors describing the disappointments as the track is filled with tinges of country guitar riffs and slide textures in its smooth, mid-tempo tone. Reno Dakota is a short, one-minute track sung by Gonson as Woo accompanies her on banjo as the song is sung in a mid-speed track with Gonson singing more of Merritt's odd lyrics including this strange line, "Reno Dakota I’m no Nino Rota, I don’t know the score". I Don’t Want To Get Over You is a lovely, jangly wash of guitar-pop filled with Merritt's melancholic lyrics of trying to get over an ex-lover that is filled with all the desperation of a break-up as Merritt's low, baritone vocals dominate this amazing standout as Merritt accompanies himself with a bass and soft, synthesizer background. Come Back From San Francisco is another ballad filled with Merritt's melancholic lyrics about gay love sung by the ethereal vocals of Shirley Simms as she is only accompanied by a guitar and bass.

The Luckiest Guy On The Lower East Side is a lovely synth-pop track sung by Dudley Klute with Ida Pearle on accompanying violin. Klute's smooth, soulful vocals lead the way among the song's bouncy melodies of synthesizers and ukelele riffs as he sings the joys of gay love. Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits is another bouncy synth-pop tracks led by Merritt's more distorted, high-pitched baritone vocals and metallic electronic beats filled with shimmering synthesizer melodies. Merritt's vocals are filled with capture imagery in the song's chorus "Let's pretend we’re bunny rabbits, let's do it all day long/Let abbots, Babbitts and Cabots say Mother Nature's wrong and when we’ve had a coupla beers, we'll put on bunny suits". The Cactus Where Your Heart Should Be is an acoustic folk-inspired track meets the dreamy arrangements of David Mansfield's score for Heaven's Gate with its shimmering mandolin playing and Merritt's metaphorical lyrics of love as he sings the track. I Think I Need A New Heart is another quirky detour to country with its bouncy melodies and acoustic guitar arrangements filled with wooden rhythms and Merritt's lyrics of broken love.

The Book Of Love is a haunting, acoustic ballad filled with enchanting melodies and Merritt's eerie, baritone as he sings the tale of love in all of its imagery and cryptic description. The song is a true standout not for Merritt as a vocalist but as a lyricist with lyrics like "The book of love is long and boring and written very long ago/It's full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes and things we're too young to know" that conveys Merritt's power as a lyricist. Fido, Your Leash Is Too Long is a synth-pop, bass-inspired track filled with droning synthesizers and scratchy textures as Merritt goes for the subject of love in an odd way that could be interpreted in many ways. How F*cking Romantic is an acapella-sung track by Dudley Klute as he sings the innocence and playfulness of love with a mention to Rodgers & Hart. The One You Really Love is another acoustic wash filled with more melancholic lyrics of love that is filled with playful reverence and wondrous melodies from Merritt and Woo's acoustic instruments.

Punk Love is a one-minute romp of noisy accordion playing and vocals with words of nothing but "Punk love, punk love, punk rock love" sung repeatedly as the track is filled with fun with Daniel Handler's crazed accordion playing. Parades Go By is another haunting, synth-pop track filled with ominous arrangements and enchanting melodies done by Sam Davol's accompanying flute playing and John Woo's dreamy guitar playing as Merritt sings the track. Merritt's dreamy lyrics is filled with hope this time around in the idea of love. Boa Constrictor is a short, one-minute acoustic track with metaphorical lyrics filled with dark textures as Shirley Simms sings the song as it stands out for its acoustic presentation. A Pretty Girl Is Like... is another short, two-minute acoustic ballad with Merritt singing about the complex nature of a pretty girl with its humorous lyrics and open-interpretation.

My Sentimental Melody is a wandering, synth-pop track sung by LD Beghtol who goes into his dreamy vocals with the song's melancholic vocals where the song does reach into sentimental description of love as he is accompanied by Daniel Handler's melodic accordion. With its layered production, the song shines through Gonson's backing vocals and layers of synthesizer textures in the background. Nothing Matters When We're Dancing is another acoustic ballad played with a ukelele from Merritt as he sings about the joys of love through the simple subject of its title.

Sweet-Lovin' Man is another joyous, synth-pop track sung by Gonson who shines with her winning vocals as she sings Merritt's descriptive lyrics of sweet love. The song’s shimmering, synthesizer melodies shines through the song’s chorus of "For the love of a sweet-lovin man, some have traveled far and wide, some have given up and died/For the love of a sweet-lovin' man, some have broken down and cried, some have turned to dust inside but I'll stay right here and hide in the arms of my sweet-lovin' man". With its bouncy bass and guitar lines, it's a true standout of a pop classic. The Things We Did And Didn't Do closes the first volume with its xylophone-rhythmic tone as Merritt sings about old love returning in his metaphoric lyrics that describes the world of heartbreak in its lovely pop arrangements.

The Magnetic Fields Reviews: (Distant Plastic Trees) - (The Wayward Bus) - (The House of Tomorrow EP) - (Holiday) - (The Charm of the Highway Strip) - (Get Lost) - 69 Love Songs: Vol 2 - Vol. 3 - (i) - (Distortion) - (Realism)

(C) thevoid99 2011