In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

by Neutral Milk Hotel

Overview

Key members of the distinctly original collective the Elephant 6 Recording Company, Neutral Milk Hotel are one of the most riotously exhilarating rock bands of the '90s. They combine the furious fun of punk rock, the lyrical elegance of '60s folk, and the musical experimentation of the Beach Boys and the Beatles in songs with names like "Two-Head Boy" and " King of Carrot Flowers." IN THE AEROPLANE OVER THE SEA is largely the brainchild of singer-guitarist Jeff Mangum, a glorious shouter blessed with a powerful yowl that could wake the dead. When he sings of "a little boy in Spain playing pianos filled with flames" or "we know who our enemies are!" its as exciting as hearing the Beatles sing "I Want to Hold Your Hand." And when his band comes in behind him with feedback, singing saw, crazed drum rolls, saxophones, and trombone, it's like a tidal wave pouring out of your speakers. Ebbing and flowing like a great rock opera, AEROPLANE was the indie-rock record of the year in 1998, and its influence is just beginning to be felt.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/10/1998
Label:	Merge Records
UPC:	0036172943623
catalogNumber:	136
Rank:	4511

Tracks

1. The King of Carrot Flowers, Pt. 1
2. The King of Carrot Flowers, Pts. 2-3
3. In the Aeroplane over the Sea
4. Two-Headed Boy
5. The Fool
6. Holland, 1945
7. Communist Daughter
8. Oh Comely
9. Ghost
10. The Penny Arcade in California
11. Two-Headed Boy, Pt. 2

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Neutral Milk Hotel   Primary Artist
Michelle Anderson   uillean pipes
Jeff Mangum   Organ,Guitar,Vocals,Bowed Bass,Floor Tom,Shortwave Radio
Julian Koster   Accordion,Bowed Banjo,Singing Saw
Merisa Bissinger   Flugelhorn,Saxophone
Laura Carter   Zanzithophone
Scott Spillane   Trombone,Trumpet,Euphonium,Flugelhorn
Jeremy Barnes   Organ,Drums
Rick Benjamin   Trombone

Technical Credits

Brian Dewan   Illustrations
Jeff Mangum   Art Direction
Robert Schneider   Producer
Chris Bilheimer   Art Direction
Scott Spillane   Horn Arrangements
Brian McPhee   Contributor

Editorial Reviews

Perhaps best likened to a marching band on an acid trip, Neutral Milk Hotel's second album is another quixotic sonic parade; lo-fi yet lush, impenetrable yet wholly accessible, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is either the work of a genius or an utter crackpot, with the truth probably falling somewhere in between. Again teaming with producer Robert Schneider, Jeff Mangum invests the material here with new maturity and clarity; while the songs run continuously together, as they did on the previous On Avery Island, there is a much clearer sense of shifting dynamics from track to track, with a greater emphasis on structure and texture. Mangum's vocals are far more emotive as well; whether caught in the rush of spiritual epiphany ("The King of Carrot Flowers Pts. Two and Three") or in the grip of sexual anxiety ("Two-Headed Boy"), he sings with a new fervor, composed in equal measure of ecstasy and anguish. However, as his musical concepts continue to come into sharper focus, one hopes his stream-of-consciousness lyrical ideas soon begin to do the same; while Mangum spins his words with the rapid-fire intensity of a young Dylan, the songs are far too cryptic and abstract to fully sink in -- In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is undoubtedly a major statement, but just what it's saying is anyone's guess.

All Music Guide - Jason Ankeny