10-18-2006, 06:00 PM
I'm a frequent lurker here, but this is my first post, so please be kind :lol:
I agree with many who have said that the album is too 'slick', and it didn't kick my ass in the same way that for example IBE did where it was clear to me that the songs would translate well in concert due in large part to their rawness.
In interviews, GD has said that it was a relief to be given a direction for this album by Bob Rock and finally feeling liberated to ditch their "signature sound" and acknowledge their musical influences. Despite earlier departures (particularly M@W and IVL, which saw them take a few chances), these felt like the Hip's own decision to stretch artistically, and despite being my least favorite efforts (only relative to their other work...I still love these 2), I could appreciate this direction, and there were certainly some gems to be found.
Having eagerly consumed any new material from the Hip, and being blown away every time, WC is the first album that has left me baffled.
Being illiterate in music terminology, I can't explain this technically, but the one word that would describe what this album lacks that I have come to expect from a Hip album is charm. Killer songs that I could more easily embrace coming from anyone else just don't feel "right"...and what could be simply beautiful source material has been tortured into an ugly noisy mess. Anyone else feel the same? Do you think it is simply the production on the album, or is there some other intangible missing? By and large, the reviews have been positive, and it's hard to come up with any solid reasoning for why WC won't be in my CD rotation quite as often as anything else Hip, but this one hasn't grabbed me. Live versions have changed my opinion on individual songs (Summer's Killing Us just has a new energy live), but a whole album? I don't know.
I agree with many who have said that the album is too 'slick', and it didn't kick my ass in the same way that for example IBE did where it was clear to me that the songs would translate well in concert due in large part to their rawness.
In interviews, GD has said that it was a relief to be given a direction for this album by Bob Rock and finally feeling liberated to ditch their "signature sound" and acknowledge their musical influences. Despite earlier departures (particularly M@W and IVL, which saw them take a few chances), these felt like the Hip's own decision to stretch artistically, and despite being my least favorite efforts (only relative to their other work...I still love these 2), I could appreciate this direction, and there were certainly some gems to be found.
Having eagerly consumed any new material from the Hip, and being blown away every time, WC is the first album that has left me baffled.
Being illiterate in music terminology, I can't explain this technically, but the one word that would describe what this album lacks that I have come to expect from a Hip album is charm. Killer songs that I could more easily embrace coming from anyone else just don't feel "right"...and what could be simply beautiful source material has been tortured into an ugly noisy mess. Anyone else feel the same? Do you think it is simply the production on the album, or is there some other intangible missing? By and large, the reviews have been positive, and it's hard to come up with any solid reasoning for why WC won't be in my CD rotation quite as often as anything else Hip, but this one hasn't grabbed me. Live versions have changed my opinion on individual songs (Summer's Killing Us just has a new energy live), but a whole album? I don't know.