necessary sacrifice

Here it is! 

 

I still listen to this everyday. It’s pretty much a part of me now. I just can’t get over how special this is and I’m still frustrated that even other spoken word albums are nothing like it. I remember watching the Ride music video years ago and thinking that I’d love a whole album from her of dramatic Valley of the Dolls style monologues, but it never seemed like a realistic possibility. It still feels like a dream having, like I’m gonna wake up and realize I imagined this project. Part of why I’m so excited for Iron Gates is because of how much I adore Violet. I’m so grateful Lana decided to do spoken word accompaniments for her poetry books.

Just realizing now after Lana referred to her kittens as her children that the line “there are children at the end of my bed telling me stories about the friends that they pretend to hate that they will make up with later” is probably about her cats. And it makes so much sense too. Cats are always fighting and pretending to hate each other, then making up later. That’s exactly how I’d describe cats interacting lol.

I decided to make my own diy sleeve for my Violet picture disc since I hate picture disc packaging (they get so stiff and curly over time, and I can tolerate that usually, but Lana albums deserve better). I know it’s scrappy and the epitome of “cheap knock off” but I like it and I’m proud of how it turned out. I took pics with the standard gatefold sleeve to compare mine to. 

I still listen to this everyday. It’s pretty much a part of me now. I just can’t get over how special this is and I’m still frustrated that even other spoken word albums are nothing like it. I remember watching the Ride music video years ago and thinking that I’d love a whole album from her of dramatic Valley of the Dolls style monologues, but it never seemed like a realistic possibility. It still feels like a dream having, like I’m gonna wake up and realize I imagined this project. Part of why I’m so excited for Iron Gates is because of how much I adore Violet. I’m so grateful Lana decided to do spoken word accompaniments for her poetry books.

I can’t wait to find out what type of music this album will be. My first instinct was somewhat similar to the instrumentals in her last two poems, but who knows, maybe since she’s making them at the same time she’ll use completely different sounds. No matter what though I am very excited, I’m always happy with Lana’s albums. I’m digging the title too, it’s different and memorable. Personally I think it’s kinda tongue in cheek, but then again, Lana’s a bit of a wild card, so who knows? I’m very interested in hearing what the contents of the lyrics will be too, especially with everything happening the past few days.

Am I the only one who hears “psalms and poems” not “songs and poems”? It makes me wonder if there’s gonna be heavy biblical themes across this album. But then maybe I’m just mishearing it and making predictions off of nothing.
 
also something very 1980s heartland/arena rock about her vocals in the verses, idk how to explain it.

Tbh this is how I used to feel too. But now when I listen to it, I hear the vulnerability and desperation growing in her voice throughout the song and I get it. I don’t think the song is romanticizing the situation. I interpret it as someone allowing predatory behaviour to happen to them because this is the hand they were dealt and they have no other options. When you’re desperate and have nothing, you sometimes let yourself get into situations you wouldn’t otherwise condone, and that’s kinda the feeling I get from this song. A big theme throughout the album seems to be that kind of hopelessness and the strange freedom that comes with it.

I remember watching Video Games when it was viral but I didn’t care for it lol. I didn’t even think of her again for awhile so idk if that even counts. But people always told me to listen to Lana because of the retro 60s stuff and because people knew I was a huge Nancy Sinatra fan (it’s funny that I was so obsessed with her at that time and I didn’t like Lana). I was too “cool” to check her out lol. I was such a snob about “new music” and “pop music” and gatekept myself from everything. But then around Jan-Feb 2013 I finally decided to check out her videos while doing my yoga and I started with Ride and I was just so hypnotized by her. I ended up downloading Born to Die and Paradise illegally and I loved her. It wasn’t til West Coast came out though that I got obsessed and found AKA and her unreleased stuff and bought all her albums a few times over. Weird how we manage to get so obsessed.

maybe she's just waiting til november to do a whole 10 yr anniversary for born to die: the paradise edition to commemorate the entire era at once....  but more likely she'll just do a btd post on instagram a couple days after its anniversary 

when aka gets rereleased:

it changes all the time like almost daily and i always tend to put whatever the newest release is near the top so i know i can't be completely trusted (trust no one) but also i'm kinda starting to feel like the more albums she releases the more it hurts to rank them almost like trying to rank your own children like you love them all equally and don't think any of them are ugly, y'know? anyway i tried but it'll probably change within minutes of posting bc i really do see them all as their own pretty little flowers  
 
1. violet bent backwards over the grass
2. blue banisters
3. lana del ray aka lizzy grant
4. honeymoon
5. chemtrails over the country club
6. ultraviolence
7. norman fucking rockwell!
8. lust for life
9. paradise
10. born to die

only men can hear such subtle differences in sound quality lol. just enjoy the song or go build something!! 

This is so sad and disgusting. During the holidays too. I’m really disappointed in whoever did this. This is why Lana has such an uncomfortable relationship with her fans, because of ones like this. People need to learn boundaries. People need to learn basic respect. The fact that she still has crazy fans breaking in and stealing shit is just sad. They didn’t just lose their work that can’t be recreated, but they also have to live in constant fear of people violating their privacy and safety. I would never want anyone to be in the position Lana and Chuck are in. I hope whoever did this gets what’s coming to them.

I love this poem and how she uses Bob Dylan as a symbol almost, like a personification of masculinity/the quintessential male experience. It’s interesting.

when aka gets rereleased:

when aka gets rereleased:

Tbh I truly don’t mind which direction this album goes in. Any genre, any themes, any aesthetics. Lana always kills it. 

when aka gets rereleased:

when aka gets rereleased:

I love this poem and how she uses Bob Dylan as a symbol almost, like a personification of masculinity/the quintessential male experience. It’s interesting.

I love this poem and how she uses Bob Dylan as a symbol almost, like a personification of masculinity/the quintessential male experience. It’s interesting.

For some reason, I used to hear “I have heavy horse dreams” 

is there anywhere in canada to buy the standard black vinyl? with cotcc, no stores carried the standard black here, just her shop, but it’s not available on the canadian shop this round. if anyone finds a canadian retailer that’s gonna sell the standard black, let me know. the standard black is the most important one for me.

when aka gets rereleased: