69 Love Songs [Box] (CD - 1999)

The Magnetic Fields: Stephin Merritt (vocals, acoustic, electric, classical, & steel guitars, ukelele, mandolin, violin, penny whistle, recorder, melodica, acoustic & electric pianos, organ, keyboards, synthesizer, acoustic & electric percussion); Claudia Gonson (vocals, guitar, piano, drums, percussion, whistling); John Woo (guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass); Sam Davol (cello, flute); Daniel Handler (accordion, keyboards).

Additional personnel: LD Beghtol (vocals, harmonium); Dudley Klute, Shirley Simms (vocals); Chris Ewen (various instruments, Theremin); Ida Pearle (violin).

Engineers include: Charles Newman, Chris Ewen, Claudia Gonson.

Includes a 76-page booklet.

Personnel: Claudia Gonson (vocals, piano, drums, percussion); Shirley Simms, Dudley Klute (vocals); John Woo (guitar, banjo, mandolin, cello, flute, accordion).

Recording information: Mother West; Polar Mother And Sonics; Polar West.

Arranger: Claudia Gonson.

Originally envisioned as a 100-song stage revue but cut down to 69 songs (as Stephin Merritt explained, "That was the first love-related number I could think of") and released on three CDs under the name of the first of Merritt's many musical projects (also including the 6ths, Future Bible Heroes, and the Gothic Archies), 69 LOVE SONGS is a sprawling masterpiece of alternately romantic and rueful tunes. Where each previous Magnetic Fields albums had a specific musical identity, 69 LOVE SONGS leaps casually through genres that include show tunes, jazz, country, punk, techno, and '80s-style synth pop, somehow managing throughout to sound like no one but the Magnetic Fields. Though the three CDs were originally released as a box set enclosed in a special slipcase with an exclusive booklet, Merge Records also released the three 23-song discs separately as 69 LOVE SONGS, Volumes One, Two and Three. minimize