TISL ~ thirteen years later!!!

[sorcerer999]

Taking a break from the wonder and beauty that is "24 Karat Gold", I listened to TISL last night on a whim.

I'm curious to hear everyone's opinion of this album now! Do you think it has held up well? Do you think it is dated? Do you still listen to it? Do you still have favorite songs from this album? Are there songs that have grown on you over the years? Are there songs that you initially loved but now despise? SPILL IT!!!

At 53 years old, after the disaster and disappointment of "Street Angel" but factoring in the unbridled success of "The Dance", this truly was her "career comeback" record, and for me personally, it's still one of my favorites. I still like it a hell of a lot better than IYD.

The first four songs (TISL, Candlebright, Sorcerer, and Planets) were/are incredible and I can't think of a solo album before or since that had an immediate straight run of strong songs. After that, the album goes back and forth for me. I also still love and adore "Bombay Sapphires", "It's Only Love" and "Love Is".

"Fall From Grace" and "I Miss You" used to be favorites of mine but have been run into the ground upon repeated listenings. But that's no one's fault but my own.

I think there are parts of it that have held up very well (basically the first four songs) because of the mysticism and otherworldly rock sound. However, MOST of the other songs DO sound dated ~ that late 90's/early 2000's AC rock a la Celine Dion or Faith Hill. "Love Changes", "Every Day" and "I Miss You" are good examples of that.

Do I still listen to it? Sure do!!! But I will add that every time I do listen to it, it only takes me about 30-35 mins...as I just do the first 4 songs and skip ahead to the other three songs I enjoy.

[louielouie2000]

I actually put on TISL a while back for the first time in years. I couldn't get over how incredibly dated it sounded. When it first came out, I thought it was the best thing she'd ever done. But with the passage of time, it sounds like exactly what it is: something straight out of the Britney Spears era. There's really only one song I still listen to from that album with any regularity: Bombay Sapphire(s). To me, that song is timeless, and can stand among the ranks of her best solo tracks.

As far as the album itself... it's currently on the low end of the spectrum for me. But perhaps it will come into it's own in due time. I know the first time I heard Rock A Little (album) in the late '90s, I was astonished how dated & cheesy it sounded. Now that sound has come full circle, and it's one of my top fav albums.

[AnthonyMI]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

I actually put on TISL a while back for the first time in years. I couldn't get over how incredibly dated it sounded. When it first came out, I thought it was the best thing she'd ever done. But with the passage of time, it sounds like exactly what it is: something straight out of the Britney Spears era.

Same here. I thought it was the BOMB. (to use a term from that era)

Now... meh. Most the songs are very dated and not in a 1981, 1989 kinda way. More like a "I hated my life during that era and all that music of that era" way. Matchbox 20, U2, Santana all had big albums around that time and they all have this unglossy noisy sheen to them. A few of the songs on this album actually still sound good, but they are the first tracks on the album. Planets to my ears is overproduced, WAY more overproduced then I can possibly think anything on IYD was. What is that smashing "waaaMasssh waamasshh waamasssshh" synthetic instrument? I shiver when I hear it. IYD sounds downright sparse compared to most of TISL. but that is my tastes.

I miss you is maybe the only track that I originally disliked but came to like. I do not like Bombay or Planets or even Everyday.

But for what it was, I appreciate it. It was an honest effort, that took WAY to long to make, had too many producers. If she had made Sheryl commit and finish producing hte whole album and left Crystal and If you Ever Did Believe along with the other "vault" songs, and then had Sheryl produce the other songs with a more organic sound I think that we would have ended up with an album much closer to the way 24 Karat Gold sounds.

[markolas]

The idea that music from as recent as 2001 can sound "dated" makes me feel very old. I guess I don't really know what "current" music sounds like anymore.

I haven't listened to the entire album in a long time, but I've been meaning to take another listen. I remember that I liked the first five songs an awful lot, and then it started to fall apart with Stevie's dreadful vocal on "Too Far from Texas." I hated "That Made Me Stronger" because of the lyrics, but after hearing "Hard Advice," I want to go back and see how they compare.

The second half of the album was a bit spotty. I never cared much for "Love Changes," but "It's Only Love" was her best vocal performance in a very long time. The rest of the album was great. I definitely need to revisit the whole thing soon.

[sorcerer999]

Originally Posted by markolas

The idea that music from as recent as 2001 can sound "dated" makes me feel very old. .

2001 is "recent" to you?

I was 22 back then. And it seems like a LIFETIME ago!!!

[SisterNightroad]

I'm very young so the first time I listened to TISL was much later than when it got out, circa 2 years ago.

It does sound a bit dated but, since these are the kind of sounds I listened to while growing, it doesn't bother me much; I find the overproduction familiar and comforting.
Anyway it's passed too little time to appreciate the outdated-ness and consider it being historical or vintage.

I think that the album is a blast at the beginning and then its quality fades progressively; even the main concept of the album, the Shangri-La metaphore, gets lost towards the end but I don't consider any song bad, just forgettable.
The fact that the production is so different for each song doesn't help the album as a whole and it's a pity because it could have been an amazing concept album.

I seldom listen to the whole TISL, but I quite often love to listen to "Bombay sapphires", "Sorcerer" and "Trouble in Shangri-La", my favourites. I didn't like "Candlebright" right away, but when I discovered the argument I felt like a monster and I've come to like it.
I don't like "Fall from Grace" so much anymore though.

[markolas]

Originally Posted by sorcerer999

2001 is "recent" to you?

I was 22 back then. And it seems like a LIFETIME ago!!!

We're the same age, and it seems like just a couple of years ago to me. I don't know where the time has gone.

[PenguinHead]

It's rare for any artist to make a timeless song or album that transcends generations . Most albums have a time stamp where you can hear the era in which it was made. Just because something sounds dated isn't a bad thing. Everything that exists becomes dated eventually.

I love lots of bands and music from the sixties. The styles and sounds were current for its time, but have little in common with what's currently current! So I see Trouble in Shangrila as a product of its time. It's still enjoyable, still respected, but just not current.

[bombaysaffires]

the Sheryl-produced songs sound pretty darn good.. Too bad there weren't more of them.

[DauphineMarie]

I think it sounds dated too, maybe just because I was so young when I first listened to it (11) and I've changed quite a bit since then. When I listen to anything from TISL, I mainly just listen to the first half The rest I think sounds Adult Contemporary - not really a genre Stevie needs to belong to. I like that it's more acoustic, but I think it lacks some of that mysterious quality and instrumentation.

[wheart]

there are some amazing songs on it...TISL, Love Is, I Miss You, Fall From Grace (one of my fav Stevie tunes EVER) but overall it still sounds very heavy and over produced to me. And her voice sounds a million times better now than it did then. It's a good album but not one I feel the need to revisit all that often. It does feature one of her best covers (as in album cover not song cover).

[Macfanforever]

I dont believe its been that long.TISL, was a great album.Atlease it got radio airplay.Probably the last solo album to date that did get radio airplay.

I'm a big fan of Sheryl and her music.I love lite rock music.She does great with country music too.

[SpyNote]

I still love the album today. It's probably #4 or #5 on my list. There was so much fan excitement behind the album's release, and Reprise did a great job of coordinating promotions. The VH1 Artist of the Month campaign was probably the most effective in getting the album to debut so high on the charts. I tend to agree with Stevie that if it hadn't been for 9/11, the album would have been more successful. There was still a lot of momentum with the tour and "Sorcerer" being the third single.

I don't think dated is the right word to describe how it sounds today because the mixes would still fit into today's popular music. It just has different production values (namely the extensive use of Pro Tools) from her classic releases (e.g. Bella Donna, The Wild Heart). For example, when listen to "I Miss You" or "Bombay Sapphires," you wouldn't immediately say, "Oh, that's so 2001." If you want dated, look to Sandy Stewart's Cat Dancer, which is unmistakably early '80s.

I don't usually listen to the whole album, but the first four songs are among the best she's ever recorded.

[Jondalar]

I tried to like this album. I had really high hopes. However, I gave it a thumbs down.

I think John Shanks was definitely the best producer on this album. Trouble in Shangri La and Planets of the Universe were the best tracks on the album. I like Candlebright to an extent but hated the mandolin on it. I like the remix where the music sounds more middle eastern a lot better than what made it on the album. Sorcerer was ok. Planets and Far from Grace were too wordy, but at least Shanks made them interesting.

The album is bland. I Miss You has great sentiment but it's bland. Bombay Sapphires is sorta nice but it's too out there with the lyrics. Too Far From Texas is a good song, but Stevie didn't even try to give a good vocal.

I wish If You Ever Did Believe, Twisted, Thrown Down and My Heart were on it.

[Frankenstein]

I like TISL a good bit but for some reason just don't find myself listening to it very often. Like everyone else mentioned, I think the first 4 tracks are stellar. Sorcerer is probably my favorite track on the album. I never liked Every Day, That Made Me Stronger, or Love Changes, and still don't. I got a bit tired of Bombay Sapphires and Fall From Grace from repeated listening but I still like 'em. I Miss You is a good song but I can't listen to it much because I find it depressing. Used to not care for Too Far From Texas, but for some horrifying reason just recently it's really grown on me As far as sounding dated, I kind of agree with that, some songs more than others. Every Day in particular just screams early 2000s pop-rock to me. I wouldn't say it's THE most dated-sounding record of hers though. I'd give that honor to OSOTM.