thedarkestone Wrote:Been listening to the album for a month or so. Probably 75+ listens now. I have been reading everyone's comments, good and bad but wanted to hold off commenting to make sure I was doing it with an open mind and that not the novelty/giddiness of hearing new Hip material for the first time in three years and blowing my load prematurely with a review before really letting the material sink in.
This album is a masterpiece. It is sonically like nothing like this band has ever done and the lyrics and melodies are tight. It just so much what I was ready to hear from this band at this point in my life. Up to here and Road Apples were when I first got into the Hip and Fully Completley was the first album I ever waited outside of a record store before it opened to buy on the day of release. But I really don't want to hear that same material from this band anymore. I consider Day for Night their Darkisde and WATS is the their Wall.
With all the Bob Rock bashing...I have to say kudos to the guy. He really nailed this one. Put on a good set of head phones and listen to this album and seriously tell me the production ruins it. If I want off the floor, two guitar albums, I have about 10 other albums in the Hip catologue I can listen to.
I mean the mandolin on Queen of the Furrows alone should make this a classic album! 
It's too bad WATS probably won't appeal to the casual fan because this one deserves to sell over a million copies.
I agree totally. I really love this album...
anyone see the new video for The Last Recluse yet?
Ok, I've listened to the album a few times now (only received the "pre-order" this past Tuesday :x ) and I like it, but ... I don't get the feeling that this is a HIP record when I listen to it. I hear Gord D, but not the band. Rob B has a few freak-out moments but for the most part is buried in the mix. The same can be said for Gord S.
Count me as one of the Bob Rock haters. There are some great songs on the album, but they are over produced. I think the songs will sound great live though. Raw and loud, that's how I like my Hip.
inchanhourtragicallyhip Wrote:thedarkestone Wrote:Been listening to the album for a month or so. Probably 75+ listens now. I have been reading everyone's comments, good and bad but wanted to hold off commenting to make sure I was doing it with an open mind and that not the novelty/giddiness of hearing new Hip material for the first time in three years and blowing my load prematurely with a review before really letting the material sink in.
This album is a masterpiece. It is sonically like nothing like this band has ever done and the lyrics and melodies are tight. It just so much what I was ready to hear from this band at this point in my life. Up to here and Road Apples were when I first got into the Hip and Fully Completley was the first album I ever waited outside of a record store before it opened to buy on the day of release. But I really don't want to hear that same material from this band anymore. I consider Day for Night their Darkisde and WATS is the their Wall.
With all the Bob Rock bashing...I have to say kudos to the guy. He really nailed this one. Put on a good set of head phones and listen to this album and seriously tell me the production ruins it. If I want off the floor, two guitar albums, I have about 10 other albums in the Hip catologue I can listen to.
I mean the mandolin on Queen of the Furrows alone should make this a classic album! It's too bad WATS probably won't appeal to the casual fan because this one deserves to sell over a million copies.
I agree totally. I really love this album...
I agree, being a fan since 1988, I am close to saying this is the best work they have ever done.
Listening to their EP is less painful that listening to the last two creations of Bob Rock. Downie always gets his way though.
BakersBrew Wrote:Listening to their EP is less painful that listening to the last two creations of Bob Rock. Downie always gets his way though.
Dude, you've got a serious hate-on for Bob Rock! I think the only posting I've seen you do recently is to complain about him.
I've been listening to this cd for a week now. I really like it. Although it is hard to tell a newbie "hey listen to this cd this is my all-time favorite band", they just won't get it. It does sounds a bit 'country' to me as well.
But, that being said, I too, at this time of my life, (and many listening -to-the-HIp-years )am ready to really appreciate this cd for the progression of the HIp that it is.
I am starting to really love it!! :thumb:
Cheers
i cannot get sick of this album. every spin reveals something new or another layer i had not noticed before. ive had this on my iphone, in my car, and at home on the record player almost constantly. its the most perfect album the hip have ever released and is hands down the best album of 2009 for me.
im so looking forward to my trips into algonquin park in the coming months, this album is going to be the soundtrack for these excursions.
sogood.gif
thinkdontpray Wrote:i cannot get sick of this album.
That's the best part. I'm past the point where it gets better every time I listen to it but I have yet to get tired of any of it. I'm usually good to listen to one very good album for at most a week before I get bored and have to move on. I can't see me getting bored of this album any time soon.
Just took a 1st listen to "We are the Same". I now feel a need to get a Hip fix and will watch "That Night in Toronto" because I certainly did not get it from the the new cd. There was not one song that did not have somthing just "strange" in it. It was almost a different band, like a Gord Downie Cd without the band. It is over produced, poppy, melodramatic, full of strings. I will have to take a 2nd listen, but I do not think I will be able to talk my husband into it. :nooooo
Sorry guys, I will attampt another listen or two (becasue it's the Hip), but I may just have to wait for the next album (hopefully with a different producer?)
You gotta be a "trooper" and listen a few more times before you resign yourself to disappointment.
My opinion changed significantly between the my 1st and 2nd listens, and dramatically after 3 or 4 spins. Yes it's different, but with an open mind, some of the things that sound so foreign now may settle into something closer to the Hip you know with a little familiarity.
:thumb:
The Horrible Esthete Wrote:You gotta be a "trooper" and listen a few more times before you resign yourself to disappointment.
My opinion changed significantly between the my 1st and 2nd listens, and dramatically after 3 or 4 spins. Yes it's different, but with an open mind, some of the things that sound so foreign now may settle into something closer to the Hip you know with a little familiarity.
:thumb:
I will try---- the last Hips few albums took a few listens before I LOVED them but this one.... is just.... UGH!! I will try. The Hip are my favorite band EVER and I am OLD!
thedarkestone Wrote:But I really don't want to hear that same material from this band anymore. I consider Day for Night their Darkisde and WATS is the their Wall.
With all the Bob Rock bashing...I have to say kudos to the guy. He really nailed this one. Put on a good set of head phones and listen to this album and seriously tell me the production ruins it. If I want off the floor, two guitar albums, I have about 10 other albums in the Hip catologue I can listen to.
I can't say that WATS is TTH's "The Wall", but I do completely agree that Rock should be praised instead of criticized for this record.
I can understand that Hip Fan who loves the darker, foreboding, harder, guitar-laden Hip who just is not too keen on the Hip they hear on WATS. That's fine. TTH has earned the right to go out on the limb, and every fan has the right to dislike it.
However, making Rock the scapegoat as a reaction to disappointment isn't fair.
Look -- alot of what is on WATS is very simple in terms of structure -- surprisingly simple for a band like TTH. Without some of the quirkiness, texture, varied instrumentation, and layering, some of these songs wouldn't be nearly as interesting as I think they are. I think Rock deserves a lot of credit for dressing them up so creatively, and I think TTH deserves credit for structuring songs which allow for such impressive dressing-up.
As Gord says, they really did put themselves out there, and I admire them for that. And i think the result is extremely favorable.
Definitely on the Bob Rock train this time round.
I said it a few pages back, but the Bob Rock that shows up for this album is not the Bob Rock that helped create WC. This is where Bob shines...bringing out the emotions contained within these tracks. Whoever is criticizing Rock for WATS is, IMO, obviously misunderstanding these songs. You take these songs down to just guitars and it's a mediocre album, it loses the emotional warmth and shine.
I'm starting to think these songs will sound better on the album than they do live. Especially if Gordie decides to grind everything out. If he restrains himself more akin to the Bathouse show, it will be amazing.
People seem to forget who wrote these songs...