Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell!

[POP!]

The best album, ever? Possibly.

00 Norman fucking Rockwell
00 Mariners Apartment Complex
00 Venice Bitch
00 Fuck it I Love You
00 Doin' Time
00 Love Song
00 Cinnamon Girl
00 How to Disappear
00 California
00 The Next Best American Record
00 The Greatest
00 Bartender
00 Happiness is a Butterfly
00 Hope is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me - But I Have it

 

[POP!]

09 Norman fucking Rockwell
08 Mariners Apartment Complex
10 Venice Bitch
10 Fuck it I Love You
08 Doin' Time
09 Love Song
11 Cinnamon Girl
10 How to Disappear
10 California
09 The Next Best American Record
08 The Greatest
09 Bartender
10 Happiness is a Butterfly
09 Hope is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me - But I Have it

 

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaAAaaaA]

SO GOOD, and truly the moment where the critics decided to start taking Lana seriously as an artist rather than writing about her as a slightly awkward, and often misogynist, joke that they happened to agree had a few good songs. Pitchfork declaring that "she is one of America's greatest living songwriters" in their NFR! review basically said it all.

And what an album to emerge as a career-high That the title alone is 'Norman Fucking Rockwell!' is quite and the album cover is totally iconic.

The run from Cinnamon Girl - The Greatest is just PERFECTION! Soaring career high after soaring career high.
Venice Bitch was that experimental moment that she needed to show an element of versatility and movement, and I do think 'Hope Is A Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me - But I Have It' could possibly end up one of her most enduring songs - similar to the likes of This Woman's Work and 'Both Sides Now' - if it gets picked up for use somewhere as a pop culture moment at some point in the next 20-odd years.

The only real weak spots for me are Bartender, which joins the likes of White Mustang and Wild At Heart as being a bit TOO Lana-by-numbers for me, and Doin' Time which just isn't a personal favourite. But I appreciate neither are BAD, or need removing from the album.

08 Norman fucking Rockwell
09 Mariners Apartment Complex
10 Venice Bitch
08 Fuck it I Love You
07 Doin' Time
08 Love Song
10 Cinnamon Girl
09 How to Disappear
09 California
10 The Next Best American Record
10 The Greatest
06 Bartender
08 Happiness is a Butterfly
10 Hope is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me - But I Have it

 

[Pipo]

This album is FULL of highs in her short(?) career that it almost feels intentional she waited so fucking long to fart it out. Cinnamon Girl, Fuck It I love You, Venice Bitch (minus the unnecessary outro), How To Disappear; TENS across the board

 

[Iguana]

Venice Bitch (minus the unnecessary outro),

 

[Jark]

I can't listen to Venice Bitch. it's too long and by 5 minutes you've HEARD IT ALL.

 

[Iguana]

I do consider Venice Bitch to be her masterpiece. So many layers, such beauty and weirdness and the instrumentation is just incredible

 

[Jark]

10 Norman fucking Rockwell
09.5 Mariners Apartment Complex
07.5 Venice Bitch
07 Fuck it I Love You
10 Doin' Time
10 Love Song
10 Cinnamon Girl
10 How to Disappear
11 California
11 The Next Best American Record
09 The Greatest
06 Bartender
09.5 Happiness is a Butterfly
09 Hope is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me - But I Have it

A VERY ICONIC AND TIMELESS PIECE OF ART. every inch the sprawling Americana classic Pitchfork hailed it as, and while I could wax lyrical, @AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaAAaaaA basically covered it all already.

the stretch from Doin' Time to American Record is UTTERLY GOD TIER. I have played each of those songs hundreds of times and they all move me as if it were the first time.

in some ways a poisoned chalice album because she won't top it and her fans are awfully demanding (). we're so lucky to have her.

 

[Tisch]

Au contraire, I find the ten minutes of Venice Beach absolutely FLIES BY

 

[RJN]

09 Norman Fucking Rockwell
10 Mariner's Apartment Complex
11 Venice Bitch
09 Fuck it I love you
10 Doin' Time
10 Love Song
09 Cinnamon Girl
08 How to disappear
10 California
10 Next best American Record
10 The greatest
07 Bartender
08 Love is a Butterfly
09 Hope is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me - But I Have it

As a Lana lover/hater, this album really is impeccable

 

[Iguana]

@RJN @Tisch thank goodness my Venice Bitch kweens showed up

 

[Iguana]

I swear @Jark just added an extra 0.5 to Venice Bitch to avoid my wrath

 

[Jark]

! no comment!

 

[RJN]

I swear @Jark just added an extra 0.5 to Venice Bitch to avoid my wrath

@Jark prefers all of COCC to it probably

 

[Jark]

@Jark prefers all of COCC to it probably

don't be absurd.

I don't care for Tulsa Jesus Freak.

 

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaAAaaaA]

I adore every single second of Venice Bitch.
And it's such a pivotal song her her catalogue in that it got the critics sopping wet as a tantalising tease, before she fucked them hardcore through the backdoor with the album proper

 

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaAAaaaA]

The gag/mess of THIS being the alt-cover of a limited vinyl variant -

Yours for just £100+ on Discogs

 

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaAAaaaA]

Slightly obsessed with this signed postcard that came with some pre-orders though

Genuinely wish I had one to be honest /

 

[Iguana]

The gag/mess of THIS being the alt-cover of a limited vinyl variant -

Yours for just £100+ on Discogs

If I recall, she wanted this to be the main cover and the record company vetoed!

 

[POP!]

don't be absurd.

I don't care for Tulsa Jesus Freak.

Also wrong. I don't get how you could enjoy BBS and dislike TJF. They are both messy but brilliant.

 

[POP!]

If I recall, she wanted this to be the main cover and the record company vetoed!

The album was also supposed to be called BIRD WORLD

 

[Iguana]

The album was also supposed to be called BIRD WORLD

But why?

 

[POP!]

But why?

Probably the same reason the new album was supposed to be ROCK CANDY SWEET. She never gets her way!

 

[Jark]

Also wrong. I don't get how you could enjoy BBS and dislike TJF. They are both messy but brilliant.

BBS is warmer and has a stronger hook, and switches things up with the tempo change after the chorus. TJF is so laborious and plodding, it goes nowhere... très bland

 

[Dark Carnival]

If I recall, she wanted this to be the main cover and the record company vetoed!

Well thank fuck for that!

 

[Pipo]

The gag/mess of THIS being the alt-cover of a limited vinyl variant -

Yours for just £100+ on Discogs

I loved this one. Very HAIM meets the Kardashian Klan.

 

[Jark]

John met me down on the Boulevard
cried on his shoulder 'cos life is hard
the waves came in over my head...

 

[Jark]

cannot believe @Dark Carnival only voted this a 9. miserable bitch.

 

[Dark Carnival]

cannot believe @Dark Carnival only voted this a 9. miserable bitch.

Omg I don’t think I even have 10/10 albums (like ever), but of course when everyone else has given it a 10 that makes me look like a miserable bitch

 

[Iguana]

Omg I don’t think I even have 10/10 albums (like ever), but of course when everyone else has given it a 10 that makes me look like a miserable bitch

Sure, that's the only time you look like a bitch.

 

[POP!]

There's things I want to say to you
But I'll just let you live
Like if you hold me without hurting me
You'll be the first who ever did...

 

[Jark]

There's things I want to say to you
But I'll just let you live
Like if you hold me without hurting me
You'll be the first who ever did...

the emotional rush of this chorus never expires. it's so good. I feel we need another Norman sync at some point, for the sheer hyperbole.

 

[Jark]

it's always been a 10 but I'm very obsessed with the title track these days. such a wave of loveliness.

 

[Jark]

God damn man child
you fucked me so good that almost said I... love you
you're fun, and you're wild
but you don't know the half of the shit that you put me through...

what a song. ugh.

 

[Jark]

this is truly one of the best albums ever made. a forever obsession.

I would love to do an NFR! SURVIVOR. @POP!

 

[Pipo]

That would make us so horny