My record collection
[221] Luna - Rendezvous (CD)

So, this is the copy of Luna’s Rendezvous I went and bought on release - so, despite the accusation on the mailing list, I did pay for a copy (and didn’t upload the promo CD to file-sharing sites).

Luna - Rendezvous (CD)

It hadn’t really clicked before that Rendezvous has more specific writing credits than I think most of Luna’s releases…

Tracks 1, 2, 3, 8, 10, 11 Wareham
Track 4 Eden/Wareham Tracks 6, 9 Eden Tracks 5, 7 Wall/Wareham

So, I thought I’d check:

• Lunapark - Lyrics by Dean Wareham, music by Luna
• Bewitched - Music by Luna, words by Dean Wareham
• Penthouse - Music by Luna, words by Dean Wareham
• Pup Tent - Music by Luna, words by Dean Wareham
• The Days of Our Nights - Music by Luna, words by Dean Wareham
• Romantica - Music by Luna, lyrics by Dean Wareham except Black Champagne, Rememories lyrics by Eden/Wareham

I don’t really know how songwriting credits work - I sort of assume that they must get recorded more specifically in the proper places? For example I was always a bit puzzled by Tracy I Love You which was originally recorded during the Penthouse sessions (and was released on the deluxe LP of Penthouse) and then re-recorded and first released on Pup Tent. But if it’s credited to “Luna” is it the Penthouse Luna, or the Pup Tent Luna since they had different personnel?

Maybe I’m overthinking this and I shouldn’t worry about the credits… although Dean is on record as saying that he wasn’t happy with how Galaxie 500 were credited

We also argued about songwriting credits. Bands often fight about this stuff. Naomi argued that the songs were a collaboration. Some of them certainly were, but I thought I deserved full songwriting credit on some of them. I was bringing in most of the raw material in terms of what is traditionally called songwriting - the chords, the melodies, the lyrics - so why should they get two-thirds of the songwriting credit?

"But we share everything," they said. Damon pointed out that he had been the one booking all our shows, but he didn't get paid any more for that, so why should I be paid more for writing the lyrics?

Dean Wareham - Black Postcards (2008 - p49)

… so I assume Dean was more careful when it came to Luna?

Anyway… back to Rendezvous, in 2016 I ranked it as Luna’s 5th best album and wondered whether I’d change my mind by now so… I’ve decided to use my new stonewall classics method of ranking Luna’s albums - so rather judging them as a whole, I’ll just see which ones have the most indisputable Luna bangers! Obviously this is very arbitrary but just for today I am the arbiter of Luna’s songs!?

• Lunapark - 4 (Slide, Slash Your Tires, I Want Everything, Time to Quit)
• Bewitched - 4 (California, Tiger Lily, Friendly Advice, Bewitched)
• Penthouse - 7 (Chinatown, Sideshow, Moon Palace, Double Feature, 23 Minutes, Rhythm King, Freakin’ and Peakin’)
• Pup Tent - 5 (IHOP, Pup Tent, Bobby Peru, Tracy, Fuzzy Wuzzy)
• Days of Our Nights - 3 (Four Thousand Days, Superfreaky Memories, Math Wiz)
• Romantica - 3 (Lovedust, Black Postcards, 1995)
• Rendezvous - 4 (Malibu, Cindy, Speedbumps, Astronaut) see my previous comments about Sean’s songs

Which sort of tallies nicely with my previous ranking. Rendezvous is a great album but of the three with four bangers I’d have to say it is in third place!

• Catalogue Number: 10/002
• Artist: Luna
• Title: Rendezvous
• Packaging: Digipack
• Format: CD
• Buy ‘Rendezvous’ on Bandcamp

Previously in my record collection:

• [129] Luna - Rendezvous promo CD
• [125] Luna - Rendezvous (LP)