Did you see the documentary on him? Strange Powers? That's what put him that way for me.
I agree not much holds up to 69 Love Songs, or even Wayward Bus/Distant Plastic Trees. I avoided getting Distortion because I really dislike noise music. Love at the Bottom of the Sea I didn't fall in love with as much as 69 Love Songs, but damn those songs are hilarious.
I haven't picked up the Future Bible Heroes new album yet, I'll have to do that. Do you have both The 6th's albums? (Wasps' Nests and Hyacinths and Thistles.) A lot of my favorite songs by him are on there, specifically on Wasps' Nests.
I've seen him once live, it was just awesome. (They were on tour for last album.) I've never seen such a minimalistic music performance in a concert setting. Just five people and their small collection of instruments.. nothing extra to take your focus off of them. And he introduces each song in an awkward and funny way, as if he was just talking to one other person in a small room, or something.
I have not seen Strange Powers.
Even though 69 Love Songs is his best thing, I like plenty of things on Holiday, Get Lost, Memories of Love, Eternal Youth, Peach Blossom Fan, I, and the Tragic Treasury. I am thinking now maybe I am the bigger fan here.
I have pretty much had the experience. The House of Tomorrow EP is decent. The Gothic Archies EP released through the Hello Recording Club has just a few okay songs; it was later generally released as The New Despair. I like a couple songs on the I'm Lonely and I Love It EP. There are a few decent songs on the Eban and Charley soundtrack. The Lonely Robot EP is a dud. There are a few new good songs on the Pieces of April soundtrack. If you get the full version of the "Chinese operas," rather than the best-of Showtunes, then the best one is Peach Blossom Fan, though it has a few screechy tracks; then My Life As a Fairy Tale has a decent number of good songs; I only liked a couple tracks on Orphan of Zhao. I have some of the Tragic Treasury songs from when they were only available on books on tape; you don't need the originals, they are just shorter. Mr. Punch is a good song from a compilation (Neil Gaiman stuff); Meaning of Lice is a bad one. The best tracks on Obscurities are the unreleased ones; I already had most of the released stuff, the best being the 6ths track Yet Another Girl. I've heard his NPR song, but don't have it, I don't know if it's available anywhere. It's not any good anyway. There was a rare Gothic Archies on a compilation that wasn't any good. I can mildly appreciate his version of If I Were a Rich Man and the Future Bible Heroes take on Love Is Blue.
Anyway yes, I also have the 6ths albums. I like them fine. They are mixed, some hits and duds, but the hits are worth it. I am not actually much of a fan of Wayward Bus.
I saw the Future Bible Heroes once, with Scott Miller opening for them. I wouldn't really single out Merritt out as a live act from that one data point. For me what I look for in a concert is experiences I don't get from the records. It's cool for a while that "there's the guy, he's right there," but in the long run that's not getting me to the venue. Robyn Hitchcock stands out as a live act for me, he plays songs you won't otherwise hear (well in the days before someone was always taping everything anyway), and tells surreal stories.