Television Personalities-Privilege

Some of you might know, the TVPs are probably sitting right at the top of my top three as far as bands go. I remember seeing this record while working at Hi-Fi sitting in the racks and I had dug on them a little bit because of Seth pushing 'And Don't The Kids Just Love It' and it kinda blew me away. I remember the Dots covering 'Silly Girl' and just listening to that song over and over again.

As anyone who has worked in a record store knows, there's lots and lots of time to listen to records, so naturally, I got around to Privilege. I hated it. I think that I may have listened to it once or twice (not even the whole way through) and then totally dismissed it as 90's late period garbage from a formerly great band. It's much more produced than any TVPs record and the songs almost sound kinda Kiss Me! Kiss Me! Kiss Me! Cure at points. 'My Hedonistic Tendencies' sounds like Prince. 'Sometimes I Think You Know Me Better Than I Know Myself' sounds like Bananarama. The record is all over the place. 'All My Dreams Are Dead' (which is one of the better lyrical experiments) is straight Cure and totally reminiscent of the stuff off of 'The Painted Word'. It's still obviously the same band, but the same band being ambitious in a non-offensive/annoying way.

Right now, I think it ranks in my top three albums by these guys. Right after 'And Don't The Kids...' just because of the impact that had and maybe above 'They Could Have Been Bigger Than The Beatles' since the songs are so much more diverse, and on a whole, just better. This album is great for this time of the year, and also a nice one for longer drives.

It's kinda hit or miss. You'll love it or dismiss it. Who knows, maybe the tables will turn five years down the road when you turn into a total pussy.

1. Paradise Is For The Blessed
2. A Good And Faithful Servant
3. Conscience Tells Me No
4. My Hedonistic Tendencies
5. All My Dreams Are Dead
6. Salvador Dali's Garden Party
7. The Man Who Paints The Rainbow
8. What If It's Raining?
9. Sad Mona Lisa
10. The Engine Driver Song
11. Sometimes I Think You Know Me Better Than I Know Myself
12. Privilege
13. The Room At The Top of The Stairs
14. This Time There's No Happy Ending
15. Part One: Fulfilling The Contractual Obligations

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