04-09-2009, 10:55 AM
Just thought I would give my thoughts after a couple run throughs.
**Disclaimer (a little background info in order to avoid being called a "fanboy" or a "douchebag") my favourtie Hip album (or any album for that matter) is Phantom Power. I like albums to be mostly mid-tempo tunes with lots of acoustic guitars, 3 real rockers, and a couple of slow mellow tunes. I like an organic sound, not too polished, something with a bit of hair on it. It takes me a while sometimes to warm up to an album, I hated In Between Evolution at first but it is now my 2nd favourite Hip Album.
1)Morning Moon- this song got me so excited for this album, what a flawless song.
2)Honey, Please- airy, summer fun-time type song. I'll like this tune much more while drinking beer on a patio in plus 30 weather, but for now its pretty meh.
3)The Last Recluse- beautiful, beautiful song up until the Rickard's beer commercial style background vocals near the end, they don't belong on this song.
4)Coffee Girl--Catchy, beautifully catchy. Trumpet! Instantly likable. The background vocals could be better, it sounded better on Live and Intimate from the Bathouse when it was just the 5 ...er, 6 of them. Can't wait to hear this one live.
5)Now the Struggle Has a Name - what started out so promising, ends up in overblown strings, melodrama and cheesy guitars. An understated approach would have served this one better considering the subject matter.
6)Depression Suite-still trying to digest this, epic is the word that comes to mind.
7)The Exact Feeling- nice tune, nothing mind blowing, nothing crappy. I would have replaced this with Skeleton Park
8)Queen of the Furrows- this song is freaking cool and astonishing, except for that jarring and ridiculous guitar solo.
9)Speed River- really good tune, this song is going to be absolutley great live, I cannot wait. This time the guitar solo actually meshes with the song.
10)Frozen in my Tracks- honestly, again with the background vocals. However this one seems like it'll eventually grow on me.
11)Love is a First- I am kind of schizo on this one, I either like it or absolutely can't stand it. Time will tell.
12)Country Day- a song where everything comes together, nothing gets in the way, it all seems to belong. Wonderful, wonderful song it will be mind-boggling great live.
13)Hush-very Tom Waites-y, also very cool. That chunky guitar at the end is phenomenal. But it would definetly not mesh with the rest of the album.
14)Skeleton Park- should have been on the album, I would have made it the first single in fact.
All in all this album is very very good it has some truly amazing moments (the core music and songwriting is wonderful ,the whole album is inventive, the instrument playing superb and Gordie is in tip top form). It also has some real head scratchers (the ridiculous guitar solos, the overblown strings and background vocals) . Much like World Container in that regard. I do hope this is the end of the Bob Rock experiment, not that it didn't produce some really, really great songs (Family Band, Morning Moon, Country Day, Lonely End of The Rink, Coffee Girl, Etc.). He definetly re-energized the band and brought some fresh ideas. I can definetly see why the band likes working with him, but he just seems to keep fucking with things, it just seems that there is no pulling back with him, its all bombast and overblown. He can't just let the song be, always adding and messing with it. Sort of like the guy who keeps pruning the tree after he has already gotten it nearly perfect, and ends up with something not nearly as beautiful.
Which is why this tour will be so amazing because these songs that have been pruned too much, will get a little time away from Bob, which will allow the foliage to grow back a bit and be beautiful. I feel these songs will be damn near perfect after the boys reinterpret them. I can't wait to hear these songs without the extra baggage, because it is going to be absolutely outstanding.
**Disclaimer (a little background info in order to avoid being called a "fanboy" or a "douchebag") my favourtie Hip album (or any album for that matter) is Phantom Power. I like albums to be mostly mid-tempo tunes with lots of acoustic guitars, 3 real rockers, and a couple of slow mellow tunes. I like an organic sound, not too polished, something with a bit of hair on it. It takes me a while sometimes to warm up to an album, I hated In Between Evolution at first but it is now my 2nd favourite Hip Album.
1)Morning Moon- this song got me so excited for this album, what a flawless song.
2)Honey, Please- airy, summer fun-time type song. I'll like this tune much more while drinking beer on a patio in plus 30 weather, but for now its pretty meh.
3)The Last Recluse- beautiful, beautiful song up until the Rickard's beer commercial style background vocals near the end, they don't belong on this song.
4)Coffee Girl--Catchy, beautifully catchy. Trumpet! Instantly likable. The background vocals could be better, it sounded better on Live and Intimate from the Bathouse when it was just the 5 ...er, 6 of them. Can't wait to hear this one live.
5)Now the Struggle Has a Name - what started out so promising, ends up in overblown strings, melodrama and cheesy guitars. An understated approach would have served this one better considering the subject matter.
6)Depression Suite-still trying to digest this, epic is the word that comes to mind.
7)The Exact Feeling- nice tune, nothing mind blowing, nothing crappy. I would have replaced this with Skeleton Park
8)Queen of the Furrows- this song is freaking cool and astonishing, except for that jarring and ridiculous guitar solo.
9)Speed River- really good tune, this song is going to be absolutley great live, I cannot wait. This time the guitar solo actually meshes with the song.
10)Frozen in my Tracks- honestly, again with the background vocals. However this one seems like it'll eventually grow on me.
11)Love is a First- I am kind of schizo on this one, I either like it or absolutely can't stand it. Time will tell.
12)Country Day- a song where everything comes together, nothing gets in the way, it all seems to belong. Wonderful, wonderful song it will be mind-boggling great live.
13)Hush-very Tom Waites-y, also very cool. That chunky guitar at the end is phenomenal. But it would definetly not mesh with the rest of the album.
14)Skeleton Park- should have been on the album, I would have made it the first single in fact.
All in all this album is very very good it has some truly amazing moments (the core music and songwriting is wonderful ,the whole album is inventive, the instrument playing superb and Gordie is in tip top form). It also has some real head scratchers (the ridiculous guitar solos, the overblown strings and background vocals) . Much like World Container in that regard. I do hope this is the end of the Bob Rock experiment, not that it didn't produce some really, really great songs (Family Band, Morning Moon, Country Day, Lonely End of The Rink, Coffee Girl, Etc.). He definetly re-energized the band and brought some fresh ideas. I can definetly see why the band likes working with him, but he just seems to keep fucking with things, it just seems that there is no pulling back with him, its all bombast and overblown. He can't just let the song be, always adding and messing with it. Sort of like the guy who keeps pruning the tree after he has already gotten it nearly perfect, and ends up with something not nearly as beautiful.
Which is why this tour will be so amazing because these songs that have been pruned too much, will get a little time away from Bob, which will allow the foliage to grow back a bit and be beautiful. I feel these songs will be damn near perfect after the boys reinterpret them. I can't wait to hear these songs without the extra baggage, because it is going to be absolutely outstanding.