Distortion

If, for no other reason, buy "Drive on, Driver" . . . .

OK, It's new, but I want the Original. I love Magnetic Fields, and also I like rock. This album put The Original kind of Magnetic Fields and rock (and some ELECTRONIC) together. But why is there so many "noise" at that album? I love Magnetic Fields, but not this one. Try "Realism", that's their best album, totally folk music. I'll give it 3 stars

in a very annoying kind of way. After one listen to this, I threw the disk out the car window. Distortion blows; clarity rox.

I love almost every song on distortion. They are catchy, funny, and brilliant as all of Mr. Merritt's songs are. However, I can't listen to them because of the distortion. I think they should release some of the songs without the distortion because they are beautiful and I would love to hear them. I know the whole point of the album IS the distortion but I think it takes away from the songs rather then add an artsy twist on them. I saw them in concert when they were promoting distortion and none of the songs were distorted. It was AMAAZING!! I would love to give this album a better rating because I love the Magnetic Fields so much but I can hardly listen to it!

Firstly, whoever said this is an homage to JAMC is 100% on it, and why not! Brilliant record from end to end, showing us we shouldn't forget our shoegaze roots!

I was a HUGE fan of MF's Get Lost and Holiday; this album reminds me a hell of a lot of those albums. Although I love MF all around, this one has to be the best since those albums. And who can forget 69 Love Songs? That's always been a classic. This one will be added to my fav's list!

what did you guys expect. This album is laden with white noise that helps add a needed ambiance to MF usually clean sound. I prefer this to any of their other albums. I do have to admit it is a grower, but an amazing album nonetheless. Highlights include California Girls, Please Stop Dancing, Drive On, Driver, Too Drunk to Dream, Zombie Boy, and Courtesans. Enjoy!

Stephin Merritt has too many tough acts to follow, having released the opus 69 Love Songs back in 99 and, many years before, writing the great indie anthem 100,000 Fireflies to launch his career. Not to mention, there's been no filler in between. So it should come as no surprise that even the genius of Stephin Merritt can falter every now and again. If there's a blotch on his prolific career, it will be the uneven Distortion. Many will point to the production, which sounds decidedly, well, distorted. But actually, it's a mix of production, which guises many of Merritts wonderful hooks, and some less than stellar writing, a rarity for Merritt. The single, "California Girls," is cute but wears out its welcome fast, even at the short 3 minute length. While I could spend time counting some of the faults on this album, there's are two tracks that stood out as good old fashioned Merritt - and are worth picking up. The first is Too Drunk To Dream. This, one of Merritt's beautiful love (or more appropriately anti-love) songs, listing some pros to being drunk in hilarious poetic fashion to start off the track. There's also an oddity that finds Merritt going a little over the top on his range, but to great effect on I'll Dream Alone. It sounds anthemic. Familiarity shines through on such songs as Please Stop Dancing, a duet in a similar vein to Merritt's Yeah, oh Yeah. But overall, Distortion is probably the most uneven effort from Merritt. He wisely uses varied vocals on this, as he did with 69 Love Songs. However, the hooks aren't here and Merritt usually benefits from a more spare production. Merritt's always been about the craft and the distortion effects make the band sound like mid 80s college act. We know Merritt is better than that. However, the writing for the most part is still the best out there today, and the album is generally listenable.

Merritt is extraordinary, so when he fails, as he does on this album, he falls like a thud. Several cuts are wonderful, and you can get used to "noise" distorting its beauty underneath, such as Too Drunk to Dream, I'll Dream Alone, and Courtesans. But Merritt's exquisite blend eclectism, cynicism, and romanticism don't need the obfuscation of "noise" to distort his extraordinary talents. I hope he records the three cuts without the destractions. Janis Joplin may be his ambition, but look where her noise is today.

When I first listened to this album, I must admit that the sonic...uh...distortion really did a number on my nerves. I didn't like the new sound and it soured my whole impression of the album. However, my view changed when I saw them live, performing these songs with no drums and only accoustic vocals, piano, guitar, cello, and mandolin. The live unplugged arrangements of the same songs were much more palatable and sounded much more like the Stephin Merritt sound that we all know and love. "Distortion," to me, now sounds like someone else covering the Magnetic Fields while the great songwriting talent of Stephin Merritt is getting lost in the novelty of the sound.