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69 Love Songs
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69 Love Songs Image
Metascore
88

Universal acclaim - based on 16 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 77 Ratings

  • Summary: The title says it all. This 3-disc set indeed contains 69 love songs, all penned by Stephin Merritt (whose other projects include The 6ths, Future Bible Heroes, and the Gothic Archies). The Magnetic Fields have evolved into a real "band," including keyboardist Claudia Gonson (also Merritt'sThe title says it all. This 3-disc set indeed contains 69 love songs, all penned by Stephin Merritt (whose other projects include The 6ths, Future Bible Heroes, and the Gothic Archies). The Magnetic Fields have evolved into a real "band," including keyboardist Claudia Gonson (also Merritt's manager) and multi-instrumentalist John Woo, and Merritt alternates on vocals with Gonson and additional singers. Despite the almost encyclopedic variety of styles and huge volume of songs, there is surprisingly little filler here.… Collapse

Top Track

The Book of Love
The book of love is long and boring No one can lift the damn thing It's full of charts and facts and figures and instructions for dancing but I, I... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. The A.V. Club
    100
    Alternately recalling the best work of Blondie, Leonard Cohen, Depeche Mode, and dozens more, 69 Songs About Love is a sprawling masterpiece of White Album-like proportions.
  2. Village Voice (Consumer Guide)
    100
    Even the "jazz" and "punk" cuts are good for a few laughs -- total losers are rare indeed.
  3. Village Voice
    90
    Like a great romance, it's consistently lovable even when stupid or frustrating, and its best moments are absolutely breathtaking.
  4. Q Magazine
    80
    A boundlessly entertaining expose of what happens when you mix fine words with excellent melodies to make great songs.
  5. Armchair DJ
    80
    Unabashedly beautiful tunes like "I Don't Believe in the Sun" and "Come Back from San Francisco" provide provide ample payoff for the arduous process of listening to the collection in total.
  6. Almost Cool
    80
    He jumps styles of music effortlessly, all the while managing to pull things together with touching and inventive lyrics.... One of the best releases of the year.
  7. Rolling Stone
    60
    Merritt's compositions have a tossed-off, barely produced quality and are held together by sturdily constructed melodies that hark back to Eighties synth poppers like Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark.

See all 16 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 21
  3. Negative: 1 out of 21
  1. AliC
    Jul 14, 2005
    10
    Utterly extraordinary, a truly genre transcending, and enormous masterpiece. Surely the best value CD ever released?
  2. MarkN
    Apr 18, 2005
    10
    Absolutely breathtaking.
  4. Jim
    Feb 4, 2008
    10
    Rolling Stone is wrong again. A great album
  5. RajS.
    Jul 5, 2007
    10
    One of the top 5 albums of the 90's.
  6. drlowdon
    Aug 12, 2013
    10
    Although there are many more famous albums you could make a strong argument for Magnetic Fields '69 Love Songs' being the best of the 90's.Although there are many more famous albums you could make a strong argument for Magnetic Fields '69 Love Songs' being the best of the 90's. Doing exactly what it says on the tin it contains 69 songs that are all at least in some way about love. Everyone will have their own favourites (mine are The Book of Love and All My Little Words) but, aside from the odd bit of filler, there is not really a poor song on here.… Expand
  7. WayneW.
    Jan 17, 2008
    10
    This album is just a fun album to listen to. Stephin Merritt writes incredible lyrics!
  8. isaivarigal
    Feb 6, 2015
    3
    t takes a few listens to pull everything together, but given the immense scope, it's striking how few weak tracks there are. It's no wondert takes a few listens to pull everything together, but given the immense scope, it's striking how few weak tracks there are. It's no wonder Stankonia consolidated OutKast's status as critics' darlings, and began attracting broad new audiences: its across-the-board appeal and ambition overshadowed nearly every other pop album released in 2000.… Expand

See all 21 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

1
#1 Best Album of 1999
3
#3 Most Discussed Album of 1999
3
#3 Most Shared Album of 1999

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