So… what are your TOP 6 favorite songs so far from 24 Karat Gold...

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by SpyNote

It's interesting to see how attached Stevie is to this song and how hard she's tried to make people like it, even though it's probably one that only her most ardent fans will give the same respect. It's a good song, but not worthy of so many different released versions.

I really loved Twisted with Lindsey, not only for the way it sounded, but because of how much it thrilled me when it came out, when I thought I would never hear them sing together again. It was exhilarating to get Twisted and aside from the band interviews (even John!), the high point of my buying the Best Buy CD was Twisted.

Yet, I like this version just as much as the others. I almost want to say it's my favorite version, but I won't, because it's new. I have to see how I feel about it in 3 months before I rank it, but I definitely like it equally at least. I think she, Sharon and Lori sound really terrific on the arrangement.

Michele

[jwd]

Originally Posted by michelej1

If you think talking about verses and choruses in a SONG is over dissecting, then it seems to me that you don't believe in discussion on a discussion board.

No, it was just the discussion of verses and choruses being integral to making a song that I was referring to, not discussion of verses and choruses in a song.

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by jwd

No, it was just the discussion of verses and choruses being integral to making a song that I was referring to, not discussion of verses and choruses in a song.

No, I don't think verses and choruses are integral to a song. I said Mabel Normand didn't have any, but I certainly think you can have a song without verses and choruses. In fact, as a kid when I was in love with Sonny and Cher, I was obsessed with Sonny's solo album Inner Views and it was half filled with songs that contained no verses or choruses.

It was quite a departure from what he wrote or recorded for Sonny and Cher.

Michele

[jcalzaretta]

1. Lady
2. Twisted
3. Blue Water
4. Watch Chain
5. Starshine
6. If You Were My Love

I don't like I Don't Care. Pretty sure that one is my least favorite.

[TheWILDheart]

Starshine
Lady
24 Karat Gold
If You Were My Love

.....


.....


......no, I can only think of four songs that I actually like.

[secret love]

Starshine
The Dealer
24 Karat Gold
Lady
All the Beautiful Worlds
She Loves Him Still

[Keith]

I have to update my top 6, as the more I listen.. to those words.. those beautiful words...

1. If You Were My Love.. nothing comes close to this beauty.. ".. this night outside my window.."

2. Hard Advice - "..I just can't seem to get away from you.." yep. I need to let him go.

3. All the Beautiful Worlds "..where have you gone.. have you gone so far from me.. leaving your touch on the edge of my heart.."

4. Lady "the sun keeps throwing out the light from the clouds.. but there's no light in here.."

5. Mabel Normand "her heart was quietly crying.."

6. Watch Chain "I'm hurting, darling.. be aware of the people who look not straight at you .."

[tabruns]

After repeated listenings:

1. 24 Karat Gold
2. Mabel Normand
3. Belle Fleur
4. Starshine
5. Blue Water
6. The Dealer

Next six:

7. Lady
8. She Loves Him Still
9. I Don't Care
10. Hard Advice
11. Watch Chain
12. Twisted

Next set:

13. All The Beautiful Worlds
14. Cathouse Blues
15. Carousel
16. If You Were My Love

I clearly have done with "If You Were My Love" what others have done with other songs - attached to a particular demo such that this version just doesn't do it for me. "All The Beautiful Worlds" has a great chorus, I'm not keen on the 80's sounding synth at the beginning. "Twisted" I would rate higher had it not already been out in another form which I also liked. "Carousel" is a cute song, I ding it a bit because its a cover of an already released song. "Cathouse Blues" is cute but not a serious song (IMO).

Those are the only minor quibbles I have. Everything from #11 and above I think are rock solid songs, some of them pretty great.

[SpyNote]

I have to update my list, too, now that I've been listening to the album non-stop in the car and at the gym (on my iPod).

Apart from Bella Donna and The Wild Heart, I can't say I've ever loved at least 10 songs on one of her solo albums until now. I really really really really really hope she tours behind this record.

Most favorite to least favorite:

1. Starshine
2. Watch Chain
3. Belle Fleur
4. 24 Karat Gold
5. All the Beautiful Worlds
6. The Dealer
7. She Loves Him Still
8. Blue Water
9. Lady
10. I Don't Care
11. Hard Advice
12. Carousel
13. Twisted
14. Cathouse Blues
15. Mabel Normand
16. If You Were My Love

The only song that I would have excluded is "Cathouse Blues" because it's such a different style of music. Maybe they should have added some scratchy vinyl/old phonograph sounds at the beginning to set it apart, kind of like what was done on Annie Lennox's "Keep Young and Beautiful" at the end of her Diva album.

[Moz]

In no particular order:

Mabel Normand
24 Karat Gold
All the Beautiful Worlds
Blue Water
Lady
The Dealer/Watch Chain

[atlnightbird]

1. 24 Karat Gold
2. I dont care
3. Belle Fleur
4. All the Beautiful Worlds
5. Sunshine
6. If you were my love

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by atlnightbird

1. 24 Karat Gold
2. I dont care
3. Belle Fleur
4. All the Beautiful Worlds
5. Sunshine
6. If you were my love

Sunshine?????????

[mitzo]

Well, after initial depression upon hearing The Dealer as the first released single, I must say I love the album as a whole. It is one of the only Stevie solo works in which I do not skip many songs. It is partly because it has a good load of ballady-type things which showcase her singing and songwriting.

The only skippers to me on the regular disc are:

The Dealer. So dreary and deadening, it gives me a headache.

Belle Fleur: Sounds a lot like random chanting.

On the deluxe disc neither bonus track is worth it, to me. Twisted I already have in 2 other versions and this new one adds nothing. Watch Chain is totally uninteresting.

Faves:

If You Were My Love - for a hardcore Stevie ballad fan this is pure bliss. Slow, incoherent, tragic, weepy, all the good stuff. Lovely instrumental backgrounds too. A kind of BATB vibe.

She Still Loves Him - like IYWML, vintage Stevie sorrow and moaning set to beautiful backgrounds and delivered slow and delicious.

Blue Water - I actually like the way they did this compared to the demo. Singalong delight and the Lady Antebellum contribution is an asset. A kind of countrified slow tune with a massive hook.

All the Beautiful Worlds - she rips into the vocals here and the whole thing is so lush and pulls you in. An instant classic, to me.

24 Karat Gold - integrates vintage solo and FM elements. The repetitive nature of the lyrics and the hypnotic loop of instrumentals is genius. Another piece of ear candy.

Starshine - bopping fun with a serious Stevie edge. The final growl is worth the price of the entire album.

Mabel Normand - raging incoherent nonsense made to sound deadly serious by Stevie's intense vocal and the amazing arrangement and production. I mean, like, Holy ****, they took this and made it epic!

Lady - a bit over the top with its obsessive focus on the vocals, which are loud and blaring through a lot of the song, which is also too long by like a minute. I see what they were trying to do but maybe with a bit of pruning, toned down vocals, and an orchestra or something..... I don't know.

Hard Advice - OK. A bit banal and also one song in which the vocals seem a bit drab. An attempt at pop craftsmanship and poignancy that ends up a bit "yeah, OK, we get it" to me.

I Don't Care - for some reason the great vocal and the earnest big rock production here are just OK. It is certainly a strong effort, maybe just seems a bit out of place on this album of more honest work. This one sounds like they are all trying far to hard to imitate something else.

Carousel - OK, a cute duet with Vanessa. Not bad, not good. Pleasant and all around unimpressive.

Cathouse Blues - fun stuff. I love how she conveys the vampy jazzy vibe. A full redo of At Last would have been a much better choice in this genre but, well, OK. A little sweet but unsatisfying treat.

[SisterNightroad]

For now:

1) Mabel Normand
2) Hard advice
3) Lady
4) Twisted
5) All the beautiful worlds
6) I don't care

In that order.

[sorcerer999]

I feel like I've listened to this album enough times already so I can put these 6 songs in order now...

1. "24 Karat Gold" ~ THE BEST!!! Closest thing to a "Fleetwood Mac sounding" song she's ever done on a solo record. And the 70's witch vibe is mesmerizing! Best title track since "The Wild Heart".

2. "Watch Chain" ~ I don't think I've ever enjoyed singing along to a Stevie track in the last 15 years as much as I have with this little ditty! The lyrics are simple but sooooo freakin' catchy. I always have the biggest smile on my face driving in the car and harmonizing to that bridge. The electric guitars really get you going. I really don't understand the hate/indifference this song has gotten from some of you. You're all cray!

3. "All The Beautiful Worlds" ~ Because it TOTALLY sounds like it was recorded in 1983!!! Her vocal on this track is probably the best vocal on the entire record!

4. "If You Were My Love" ~ The overlapping acoustic guitars, the finely tuned mix of lyrics between the original piano demo and the various Mirage outtakes, the dark drums and electric guitars during the "crosses to bear" section and the emotional vocal. What else is there to say?

5. "Belle Fleur" ~ I love how extremely different this song turned out from both the original demo and "Bella Donna" outtake! The starts, stops, and unique rhythm within the verses really made all the difference with the lyrical interpretation, for me at least. It took a bland demo/outtake and made it extremely fun and groovy! And how 'bout that awesome intro/outro???

6. "Hard Advice" ~ Yes, it's one of those songs about two people...and yes, most of the time you can't figure out which one she's lamenting about at any given point, but as Christine McVie once said about Stevie's music, "Sometimes I didn't know what she was singing about but in her mind the words made complete sense. I often wondered what on Earth she was talking about...but then you didn't care because the words just sounded so good." This is one of those songs for me.