History Music / SongsForABlueGuitar

The album was known for its troubled production. After the minimalist atmosphere set in their previous album, ''Ocean Beach,'' Kozelek wanted to venture off into more experimentation and different styles. This caused the album to have a much more "Southern" feel to it. He also started to use much more guitar feedback and noise production for texture purposes. The result didn't impress Creator/FourADRecords president Ivo Watts-Russell and he threw ''Red House Painters'' off the label over something as petty as a guitar solo (namely the one on "Make Like Paper").

In desperation, Mark signed with ''Island Records'' to get the album released by its scheduled due date to please fans. The label, fearing lack of sales and profitability off of Kozelek's name alone, demanded it be listed as an ''Red House Painters'' album. Mark gave in and the album was released in 1997 to lukewarm critical reviews.

The album is full of reworkings of three cover songs that sound ''nothing'' like their originals, surprisingly uplifting lyrics from Kozelek who usually wrote about borderline suicidal subjects, and most importantly completely transforming ''Red House Painters''' sound and giving way to what was to come with Kozelek's future project Music/SunKilMoon.

The album's been VindicatedByHistory (more so than any other ''Red House Painters'' release) and is often cited as ''the'' seminal Kozelek experience. Starting off with a 3 and a half star rating on ''Allmusic'' in its original release to getting frequent 5 star reviews on later publications, it is now widely regarded as a classic in FolkRock and {{Slowcore}}.

* {{Misblamed}}: Ivo-Watts Russell is often blamed for the dumping of ''Red House Painters'' off of the ''4AD'' label, but, in actuality, it was actually the badly managed American branch of the label that made the decision. Russell later made the remark that the dropping of the band was one of the label's "biggest mistakes," cluing us in that it was probably because of Creator/WarnerBrosRecords, ''4AD'''s American distributor at the time, that the band suffered the blow.

** "All Mixed Up:" Originally by Music/TheCars, the song was known for being the finale of their classic SelfTitledAlbum. The song originally sounded epic and haunting, but in the hands of Kozelek, it takes on a whole new level of sentimentality that the original never had.
** "Silly Love Songs:" Originally by Music/{{Wings}}, this was a popular radio hit that was just an upbeat accessible hit. Not only did Kozelek extend it to 11 minutes, but he opens it up with a borderline atonal guitar solo that puts immense focus on the leading tone of the key (something really unusual for a melodic structure). He then turned it into a full-out TearJerker that could make anyone with even a shred of emotion bawl.

In 1996, {{Slowcore}} band Music/RedHousePainters were exhausted from endless touring and recording. After 4 years of tiring work, the band decided it was time for a break. Mark Kozelek, the leader of the band decided to pursue a solo career just for kicks. '''Songs for a Blue Guitar''' was the resulting album to come from this.

* LighterAndSofter: In comparison to the menacing Music/|{Codeine}} like sound of their previous albums (both lyrically and musically).

In 1996, {{Slowcore}} band Music/RedHousePainters were exhausted from endless touring and recording. After 4 years of tiring work, the band decided it was time for a break. Mark Kozelek, the leader of the band decided to pursue a solo career just for kicks. '''Songs For A Blue Guitar''' was the resulting album to come from this.

The album was known for its troubled production. After the minimalist atmosphere set in their previous album, ''Ocean Beach'', Kozelek wanted to venture off into more experimentation and different styles. This caused the album to have a much more "Southern" feel to it. He also started to use much more guitar feedback and noise production for texture purposes. The result didn't impress Creator/FourADRecords president Ivo Watts-Russell and he threw RHP off the label over something as petty as a guitar solo (namely the one on "Make Like Paper").

In desperation, Mark signed with Island Records to get the album released by its scheduled due date to please fans. The label, fearing lack of sales and profitability off of Kozelek's name alone, demanded it be listed as an RHP album. Mark gave in and the album was released in 1997 to lukewarm critical reviews.

The album is full of reworkings of three cover songs that sound ''nothing'' like their originals, surprisingly uplifting lyrics from Kozelek who usually wrote about borderline-suicidal subjects, and most importantly completely transforming RHP's sound and giving way to what was to come with Kozelek's future project Music/SunKilMoon.

The album's been VindicatedByHistory (more so than any other RHP release) and is often cited as ''the'' seminal Kozelek experience. Starting off with a 3-and-a-half star rating on Allmusic in its original release to getting frequent 5-star reviews on later publications, it is now widely regarded as a classic in FolkRock and {{Slowcore}}.

''''

# "Songs For A Blue Guitar" (5:59)

# "Another Song For A Blue Guitar" (5:07)
''''

!!Tropes for a Blue Guitar:
* AlbumTitleDrop: "Songs For A Blue Guitar".

* DisproportionateRetribution: Meta-example. Kozelek and RHP were thrown off their label '''''over a guitar solo'''''.
* EpicRocking: "Make Like Paper" spans 12 minutes and the originally 3-minute-long "Silly Love Songs" was transformed into an 11-minute-long TearJerker.
* LighterAndSofter: In comparison to the menacing Codeine-like sound of their previous albums (both lyrically and musically).
* {{Misblamed}}: Ivo-Watts Russell is often blamed for the dumping of RHP off of the 4AD label, but, in actuality, it was actually the badly managed American branch of the label that made the decision. Russell later made the remark that the dropping of the band was one of the label's "biggest mistakes", cluing us in that it was probably because of Creator/WarnerBrosRecords, 4AD's American distributor at the time, that the band suffered the blow.

** "All Mixed Up": Originally by Music/TheCars, the song was known for being the finale of their classic SelfTitledAlbum. The song originally sounded epic and haunting, but in the hands of Kozelek, it takes on a whole new level of sentimentality that the original never had.
** "Silly Love Songs": Originally by Music/{{Wings}}, this was a popular radio hit that was just an upbeat accessible hit. Not only did Kozelek extend it to 11 minutes, but he opens it up with a borderline atonal guitar solo that puts immense focus on the leading tone of the key (something really unusual for a melodic structure). He then turned it into a full-out TearJerker that could make anyone with even a shred of emotion bawl.
* SillyLoveSongs: "Silly Love Songs", a Music/{{Wings}} cover.
----

* DisproportionateRetribution: Meta-example. Kozelek and RHP were thrown off their label by 4AD head Ivo-Watts Russell '''over a guitar solo'''.

In 1996, {{Slowcore}} band Music/RedHousePainters were exhausted from endless touring and recording. After 4 years of tiring work, the band decided it was time for a break. Mark Kozelek, the leader of the band decided to pursue a solo career just for kicks. ''Songs For A Blue Guitar'' was the resulting album to come from this.

* InTheStyleOf: The three covers on this album were reworked to the point where they were nearly unrecognizable to their originals.
** "All Mixed Up": Originally by Music/TheCars, the song was known for being the finale of their classic SelfTitledAlbum. The song originally sounded epic and haunting, but in the hands of Kozelek, it takes on a whole new level of sentimentality that the original never had.
** "Silly Love Songs": Originally by Music/{{Wings}}, this was a popular radio hit that was just an upbeat accessible hit. Not only did Kozelek extend it to 11 minutes, but he opens it up with a borderline atonal guitar solo that puts immense focus on the leading tone of the key (something really unusual for a melodic structure). He then turned it into a full-out TearJerker that could make anyone with even a shred of emotion ball.

* Misblamed: Ivo-Watts Russell is often blamed for the dumping of RHP off of the 4AD label, but, in actuality, it was actually the badly managed American branch of the label that made the decision. Russell later made the remark that the dropping of the band was one of the label's "biggest mistakes", cluing us in that it was probably because of Creator/WarnerBrosRecords, 4AD's American distributor at the time, that the band suffered the blow.

''Music/SongsForABlueGuitar'' contains examples of the following tropes:

* ConceptAlbum- The album seems to be about the passage of time and about the strange feeling of growing up and watching the people around you change.
* DisproportionateRetribution- Meta-example. Kozelek and RHP were thrown off their label by 4AD head Ivo-Watts Russell '''over a guitar solo'''.
* EpicRocking- "Make Like Paper" spans 12 minutes and the originally 3-minute-long "Silly Love Songs" was transformed into an 11-minute-long TearJerker.
* InTheStyleOf- The three covers on this album were reworked to the point where they were nearly unrecognizable to their originals.
** "All Mixed Up"- Originally by Music/TheCars, the song was known for being the finale of their classic SelfTitledAlbum. The song originally sounded epic and haunting, but in the hands of Kozelek, it takes on a whole new level of sentimentality that the original never had.
** "Silly Love Songs"- Originally by Music/PaulMcCartney, this was a popular radio hit that was just an upbeat accessible hit. Not only did Kozelek extend it to 11 minutes, but he opens it up with a borderline atonal guitar solo that puts immense focus on the leading tone of the key (something really unusual for a melodic structure). He then turned it into a full-out TearJerker that could make anyone with even a shred of emotion ball.
* LighterAndSofter- In comparison to the menacing Codeine-like sound of their previous albums (both lyrically and musically).
* Misblamed - Ivo-Watts Russel is often blamed for the dumping of RHP off of the 4AD label, but, in actuality, it was actually the badly managed American branch of the label that made the decision. Russell later made the remark that the dropping of the band was one of the label's "biggest mistakes", cluing us in that it was probably because of Warner Bros. that the band suffered the blow.
* TroubledProduction- As seen above.

The album was known for its troubled production. After the minimalist atmosphere set in their previous album, ''Ocean Beach'', Kozelek wanted to venture off into more experimentation and different styles. This caused the album to have a much more "Southern" feel to it. He also started to use much more guitar feedback and noise production for texture purposes. The result didn't impress 4AD president Ivo Watts-Russell and he threw RHP off the label over something as petty as a guitar solo (namely the one on "Make Like Paper").

* DisproportionateRetribution- Meta-example. Kozelek and RHP were thrown off their label by Music/4AD head Ivo-Watts Russell '''over a guitar solo'''.

* DisproportinateRetribution- Meta=example. Kozelek and RHP were thrown off their label by Music/4AD head Ivo-Watts Russell

In 1996, {{Slowcore}} band, Music/RedHousePainters were exhausted from endless touring and recording. After 4 years of tiring work, the band decided it was time for a break. Mark Kozelek, the leader of the band decided to pursue a solo career just for kicks. ''Songs For A Blue Guitar'' was the resulting album to come from this.

The album was known for its troubled production. After the minimalist atmosphere set in their previous album, ''Ocean Beach'', Kozelek wanted to venture off into more experimentation and different styles. This caused the album to have a much more "Southern" feel to it. He also started to use much more guitar feedback and noise production for texture purposes. The result didn't impress 4AD manager, Ivo Watts and he threw RHP off the label over something as petty as a guitar solo (namely the one on "Make Like Paper").

''SongsForABlueGuitar'' contains examples of the following tropes:

The album's been VindicatedByHistory (more so than any other RHP release) and is often cited as ''the'' seminal Kozelek experience. Starting off with a 3-and-a-half star rating on Allmusic in its original release to getting frequent 5-star reviews on later publications, it is now widely regarded as a classic in FolkRock and {{Slowcore}}.