Just dug this one out #36 : ‘Til Tuesday - Everything’s Different Now

I love Aimee Mann, I don't listen to her too much, I find a little goes a long way but I love her all the same. I love her rich voice, and that she's funny and clever and potty-mouthed - but I've never listened to anything this early in her career... partly because I just didn't feel a need and partly because there's a nagging worry that I know that it's going to have the sound that damaged a lot of the more mainstream late 80s pop... that "shine" and "twang".

A first listen through of 'Til Tuesday's Everything's Different Now and my fears are pretty much affirmed - there's a little  too much production and arrangement, too much polish and too many instruments throw into the pot. I find myself listening to that more than the songs... which is a shame because the songs are mostly pretty good.

Only mostly mind. This was described as being "the first Aimee Mann solo album" and I do get that with some songs but "(Believed You Were) Lucky" and "Long Gone Buddy" sound just wrong. Hearing Aimee's voice singing on a couple of these tracks is actually a little distressing.

But there are some real gems here "Limits to Love" is great. The awful backing vocals on "The Other End (of The Telescope)" manage to not ruin it completely - probably because of the strength of the lyric (can't not love a miserable/bitter lyric)...

And in time, I could only believe in one thing
The sky was just phosphorous stars hung on strings
And you swore that they'd always be mine
When you can pull them down anytime

All in, I quite enjoyed this dip into Aimee's past but am likely to call on The Forgotten Arm or Bachelor No. 2 or Live at St. Ann's Warehouse when I need a fix...

Here's The Other End (of The Telescope) without it being damaged by 80s arrangement and awful backing vocals