When this came out it this was reviewed in the UK as though it were the follow-up to 69 Love Songs (in fact Hyacinths and Thistles by The 6ths was the first album released after 69 Love Songs, but in the UK there was only a couple of months separating the two albums, so they kind of got lumped together). And it's almost consciously not a follow-up, but a complete tangent from 69 Love Songs, consisting of a number of instrumental pieces, many of them less than 90 seconds long, and exploring experimental arrangements and production. The whole album is only 37 minutes long, including seven minutes of 'stage rain', which is just what it says.
Interspersed with the instrumentals are a handful of fairly sketchy songs, the most substantial and interesting of which is Maria, Maria, Maria, the story of a man who, in disguise, has a clandestine affair with his own wife: "I wonder if she ever knew her husband was her lover too". Ernest Paik has some interesting things to say about the parallels between this and Kate Bush's Babooshka.
Most of all, though, I like the instrumentals.
 MusicBrainz entry for this album
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Interesting you don't mention This Little Ukulele - which to my mind ranks right up with The Book of Love as a statement of intent, a manifesto.
Posted by: mym | 23 July 2008 at 03:08 PM
Really? What an interesting thought and insight. I shall reinvestigate immediately (well, immediately-ish).
Posted by: David | 23 July 2008 at 03:35 PM