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Alligator - much loveGeneral Discussion (self.TheNational)

submitted by oportoman

If there's an album I return to a lot it's Alligator (for me, their best alongside High Violet). Not just for the intensity of Lit Up, Mr November and Abel, but I love the reflection melancholy of Geese of Beverly Road and City Middle, the way the latter builds its coda with the hushed backing vocals is beautiful - it's criminally underrated. Kind of the wish they'd revisit this. A tour playing Alligator in it's entirety would be wonderful.

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[–]Full-Atmosphere-4818 10 points11 points  (2 children)

Just in the last week it has moved up to become my fave National album. Geese.... it might be their GOAT song, honestly. Even the outtake... "The Thrilling of Claire" is just phenomenal.

[–]Rasmoss 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Driver, Surprise Me too. They were on one when they made that album. Too bad it didn’t break through. I think we would hear more of it at shows if it did.

[–]oportoman[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Where can I find that -; YouTube I guess

[–]Travellerdeanzilla 15 points16 points  (3 children)

Criminally underrated? It's loads of people's fave (including mine) and is very respected. It's glorious but also recognised as such. Or did you just mean city middle. Matt's lyrics on this album are particularly poetic. I miss the messy, arrogant, drunken, wobbly glory of them on the last few albums.

[–]oportoman[S] 4 points5 points  (1 child)

Yes I was referring to City Middle

[–]Travellerdeanzilla 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah. Great song. I don't think there is a second of the whole album I don't love.

[–]velvetvagine 1 point2 points  (0 children)

“Wobbly glory” needs to be flair!

[–]SugarMouseOnReddit 6 points7 points  (3 children)

I adore Alligator as a sort of "breakthrough album" for the band. In a sense, it's their War or their Bends or Clash Self-Titled. It's their first great album. It's a huge step up from the first two albums.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The cherry ep in between the two abums was where they first really stepped up, and then they nailed it with Alligator.

[–]oportoman[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

I bought Sad Songs... when it came out but it never really grabbed my attention overall, and this sounds like a different band

[–]apartmentstory89 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think Sad Songs… is pretty good, better than the debut, but there’s definitely a huge leap between it and Alligator

[–]scottiemikeI missed you for 29 years 6 points7 points  (2 children)

Abel is one of my favorite tracks, not just of theirs, but of all tracks. I believe it is one of the greatest pump up/hype tracks ever written.

[–]oportoman[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Amazing live definitely

[–]bradfordnealio 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fully agree with this

[–]Fit_Wrap_618 4 points5 points  (0 children)

While I adore so much of their music, there is something about what they created during this period that resonates with me on a whole different level.

[–]achasanai 4 points5 points  (1 child)

My favourite of theirs and the first I heard. A rriend's partner put it on a CD along with some other great music (the other standout bring Etiquette by Casiotone for the Painfully Alone).

I listened to Alligator on repeat for the next few years and still love returning to it now.

In 2010 I saw them in a beautiful old theatre and they were so unbelievably perfect. They played SoHo Riots - nor my favourite song of theirs - but when they faded out the music and let the crowd sing the outro/refrain: powerful stuff.

Break my arms around the one I love And be forgiven by the time my lover comes Break my arms around my love

[–]chronicnugs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Casiotone!!!!!!

[–]magomra 3 points4 points  (0 children)

nothing will ever beat Alligator in my mind… All The Wine was my entry point and every track on the record is a fucking classic

[–]Chuchuchaput 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I. LOVE.

[–]BucketsWeNeedThisWin 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My favorite album. Val Jester is probably my favorite

[–]BlankSlate400My Head is a Buzzing Three Star Hotel 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Secret Meeting, baby. “Didn’t anybody tell you this river’s full of lost sharks?” And “it went the dull and wicked ordinary way”. Great lyrics. Great album!

[–]thereverandbishop 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Alligator, Boxer are definitely brother sister albums that lead perfectly into High Violet. I can't single out any of those albums as better or definitive of their sound. It feels l as a trio they cover a band discovering themselves, establishing themselves, perfecting their sound, and preparing to move on in search of something new.

[–]-mostlyharmless1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s the album that introduced me and many others and it’s phenomenal.

That said it ranks between 3 and 5 for me. Sleep Well Beast has been making a charge lately and Trouble Will Find Me can’t be slept on.

I think it’s damn near perfect, but I appreciate the emotional and musical growth of the band since it’s release.

[–]OkPianist5017 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would love to see a show of Alligator played in its entirety. Secret meeting, Karen, Geese, soho riots, all the wine, Mr. November. One of the greatest albums ever.

[–]statman64this is the closest we've ever been 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't love it quite as much as Boxer, which is just absolute perfection from start to finish, but it's still incredible and the album that set up everything since. I also love the drunken rambling of City Middle (especially the perfect transition in the bridge from "parking your car"/"thinking out loud" to Tennessee Williams). Of course Mr. November became a staple almost immediately and Abel paints such a vivid mental image. And then there's the drunken bravado of All the Wine, the lacking self-confidence of Baby We'll Be Fine. My favorite thing about it, though, is that one day, I just randomly realized out of nowhere that Daughters of the Soho Riots is a top-5 song for me.