WOMAD

The Magnetic Fields

From United States

James Joyce wrote 'Ulysses', the encyclopaedic novel. East Village indie-face and troubadour of the sweet 'n' sour American dream, Stephin Merritt and Magnetic Fields have just released '69 Love Songs', the encyclopaedic album. Merritt's self-imposed assignment was to write 69 songs about love, which he promptly did, drawing from every genre in the annals of pop history, both trashy and noble. Witty, cynical, innocent, loving and barbed lyrics were packaged in hand-me-down music which referenced Jerome Kern, Abba, punk, gospel, rock, cabaret, folk etc etc.

The triple CD album sent the critics apoplectic with excitement, shooting of words like "genius" and "gorgeous" like confetti, and made Rolling Stone's top 10 albums for 1999. Not bad for a certified down-at-heel intellectual freewheelin' rock and roller from the Big Apple, whose other projects, Future Bible Heroes, and The Gothic Archies, have also reaped critical if not commercial harvests.

A new album under a new name 'The 6ths' which features such cuddly pop icons as Gary Numan, Neil Hannon, Sarah Cracknell and Marc Almond is due out soon. Merritt share the Magnetic Fields stage with singer Claudia Gonson, guitarist John Woo, cellist Sam Davol and if we're lucky, his pet Chihuahua Irving….after Irving Berlin of course.

WOMAD July 2000