SYW highlights

[CarneVaca]

A week after the release of SYW, most of us have had a chance to digest the new music and reach conclusions about likes and dislikes. Let's focus on what you consider to be the best aspect of the album.

My take:

Lindsey's back with new music. That alone is worth it all. This man is just too talented to have his music shelved.

Stevie actually sounds pretty good and some of her songs are growing on me. Say You Will is a terribly catchy tune that I find myself singing at odd times. Thrown Down now rates as one of the album's catchiest tune. Of course, some of you may recall I expressed reservations about both those songs before, but I've come around. Everybody Finds Out is without a doubt the most fun track in the whole album.

Rediscovering older tracks like Steal Your Heart Away and Bleed to Love Her has been enjoyable. I'd forgotten how much I like Steal Your Heart Away. Simple, yet beautiful.

What's your take?

[Sleeping Angel]

My take is:

I think Stevie's voice sounds excellent...the best in years. The only song of hers that I dislike is Silver Girl. Why or why wasn't Not Make Believe in its place??? I'm disappointed in Smile at You, but it is not bad and I have hopes that they will do it live and the "angry" version will be resurrected. I love Thrown Down..."you're not like other people, you do what you want to"...love it!!! I've always been a true fan of Stevie's lyrics so Lindsey's guitar work along with Mick and John on her songs is just added bliss for me.

Lindsey's songs are a little weird, but I certainly appreciate his guitar skills. I usually skip Murrow and Red Rover because they are just, well...weird! However I really enjoy SYHA, Peacekeeper and sometimes Come.

Of course, I do not want to leave out Mick and John. I think Mick is awesome on EFO. I'm sure John adds a lot too, I'm just too untalented musically to point out where and how.

Overall, I love the album and I've told just about every friend and relative that they need to go buy it. I haven't listened to any other cd since April 15.

[sulamith]

I have been listening to it non-stop for a week!

WTWCT - I like it alot! It's nice that he is enunciating clearly, and I like his message to the record company. It must make him feel betterto get that frustration out.

Murrow - Stinky. Don't care for it at all.

Illume - Scrump-dilly-iscious! I love the Hindu trance house vibe, just like Madonna's Bedtime Stories. The stream of consciousness flow is great for meditating, and I am crazy about the manipulated voice in the middle and the way the music just comes rolling back in after part! LUV it!

Thrown Down - Total package of a song!

Miranda - Lovn' the guitar on this one!

RR - It's ok

Say You Will - A perfect bookend song for TD.

Peacekeeper - I wasn't enamored of it at first, but it has come way up in the ranks. I've got to explore this thing LB said about it being about "a brutalized love relationship". Hmmmm...

Come - I'm skipping it for now until the trauma wears off. I'm sure I'll come back to it at some point. I used to love to listen to the demo while lying on the floor lost in thought.....

SAY - I like it alot, too. I know there's been controversy, but i wasn't overly atached to the demo, so I enjoy this one.

RTTG - The guitar rocks!

SG - Eh...

SYHA - A really pretty song. Linds called it generic, but I do like it.

BTLH - been there, done that....but the guitar at the end is really wonderful

EFO - The gem of the whole thing of course! Those rolling drums and the synth strings. S&L outdid themselves on this one! I want them to do it live!

DR - You can argue till the cows come home. This one is about Lindsey. So.....they're following the rules for now, huh?

SG - .....and some of you said LB hadn't written a song about Stevie or given her a thought since 1979. Shame on you!

GB - This one breaks my heart. Stevie is coming to terms with never having children. Lindsey handled it with love and care. I love him for that.


-Sharon

[dissention]

I truly love EVERY song on the album! The only one that I can't take too much of is Red Rover. :( I just find it annoying after awhile.

Lindsey is, IMO, the best guitarist in history. When you listen to him, it's as if he is speaking through his guitar; it is that passionate and amazing. This shows on every song he does here. I think his work on Murrow is among the best he's ever done. Say Goodbye is the best song on the album and I think it's Lindsey's best song EVER.

Stevie really shines here. She shows that she can still sing like no one else and that she can write the most amazing lyrics. Goodbye Baby is quite possibly the best thing she's ever written.

I just love this album soooooo much!!

[strandinthewind]

I love this record. I can find a few faults because - hey - everyone's a critic :laugh:

But, I really just like the record from LB's quirkyness to SN's passion. I am so glad they put this record out.

[CarneVaca]

I should have also mentioned that John plays some kick-ass bass on this album. To be sure, he delivers the most interesting bass lines he's done since Rumours.

[blinker12]

I should have also mentioned that John plays some kick-ass bass on this album. To be sure, he delivers the most interesting bass lines he's done since Rumours.

So true. Just listen to what he does on "Illume" _ I think he nearly steals the song, until Stevie comes in with her wailing, bone-chiling conclusion. "Smile at You" has some amazing playing, too. It seems like Stevie's songs really give him a chance to stretch out and experiment, possibly because they're not as tightly structured as Lindsey's.
Stevie keeps sounding better with every album she's put out since "Street Angel." I just wish she would sing like this live. On the TISL tour last year, she studiously avoided all high notes and all emoting, I guess to preserve her voice.
Also, there's a new restraint to Stevie's singing and writing style that I really appreciate. She doesn't oversing like she did in the 1980s (the old "speaking-in-tongues" stuff), and she's using simple, almost country-ish chords on a lot of her new songs. "Say You Will" and "Thrown Down" are probably the most mature songs, musically and lyrically, that she's ever written. The chord progression and melody on SYW's chorus are just classic, sophisticated songwriting _ she really seems to be developing (or rediscovering) some discipline in her writing as she ages.
Lindsey's playing is technically breath-taking, more so than ever, although I'm not sure his virtuosity always serves his songs well. For example, I find "Come" and "Murrow" practically unlistenable _ they're just too much, ya know?

[goldie]

Originally posted by CarneVaca
I should have also mentioned that John plays some kick-ass bass on this album. To be sure, he delivers the most interesting bass lines he's done since Rumours.

He really does!! I think his bass on Illume totally kicks some serious A$$!!!! Amazing...

[estranged4life]

is Lindsey's playing & production. SYW is currently one of the 5 cd's I've been playing almost on a constant basis...Nuff said, Brian J.

[wondergirl9847]

LINDSEY!! ;)

Seriously, I love Lindsey's songs the most on the album, BUT, I also love what he did with Stevie's songs. EFO, Smile and Destiny are my three fave SN songs on the album and it's because of what he did with them. EFO just frickin ROCKS, Smile is SOOOOOO different from the demo and Destiny is a nice country tune that I am so loving because of that guitar!!!! Illume is a terrific song in that it's NOT a ballad (yawn) and it's such a different sound for FM!!

Um, there's a BAD!!!!! storm outside, I may need to log off and log on later...

[BlueGrass]

My highlights...


WTWCT - The drums - Lindsey's "Ahhh Ahhh's" @ the end.

Murrow - The beginning, with the acoustic guitar and warped keys.

Illume - The percussion, and her la la's @ the end.

Thrown Down - The gitar rift, and their harmonies which are the best on the record.

Miranda - The chorus.

RR - Everything.

Say You Will - The solo and chorus along with the kids.

Peacekeeper - The chorus.

Come - The ending guitar solo - yikes.

SAY - The ending.

RTTG - The chorus.

SG - The chorus.

SYHA - The guitar solo and ending.

BTLH - The melodic ending.

EFO - The beginning and ending.

DR - The chorus.

SG - The chorus.

GB - The chorus.

[Janet]

1. Whats the World Coming To?
** I don't like this song. This is one of my least favorite songs. I like the ending though.

2. Murrow Turning Over In His Grave
** I like this and exccentric just like Lindsey himself.

3. Illume
** Beautiful song and Stevie's anguish in the end really breaks my heart.

4. Thrown Down
** Song won't get out of my head and I enjoy Lindsey's guitar.

5. Miranda
** Good song, I enjoy this as well. I always think of Caroline when I hear this song.

6. Red Rover
** One of my favorites on the album, its totally gorgeous!!!

7. Say You Will
** I don't like it as much as everyone else and I think it's kind of blah.

8. Peacekeeper
** GREAT song and a good first single really. I like the harmonies.

9. Come
** This song really trully turns me on ( too much info I know!!) Awesome guitar and singing and I love it.

10. Smile At You
** This has grown on me. Great great great lyrics totally win this song over for me.

11. Running Through the Garden
** My favorite song on the album I think. I really love the singing, the emotion, the guitar and the words.

12. Silver Girl
** Least favorite song on the album

13. Steal Your Heart Away
** I always liked this song and Im just disappointed they put this on the album afterall since it's been out for years, same with

14. Bleed To Love Her
**Beautiful take on the song but I like the live version better

15. Everybody Finds Out
** Hot song. I think Stevie sounds hot and the end rocks!!! I hope the violins are Lindsey's idea~!

16. Destiny Rules
** This song has grown on me. I love the guitar again and Stevie's lyrics again are very good.

17. Say Goodbye.
** I cry everytime I hear this song. I can't even write about it without crying. I wish he'd say hello again to her :(

18. Goodbye Baby
** Im disappointed. I don't know what it is. It's still a wonderful song but I expected more I guess. Nothing can beat that demo though...which isn't fair to Stevie since we were never supposed to hear that.

I think this is a good album but fragemented. Its not an album but a bunch of singles together. I really love it though and I give it 4.75 stars out of 5.

[Lily]

Janet,
Miranda reminds me of Caroline too. Nobody else has said that, I don't think. I thought I was the only one... The chorus definitely has the same kind of sound to it... Another one of Lindsey's "name" songs...

[sodascouts]

Aw CRAP - I wrote this whole long review and it didn't go through! Oh, well, c'est la vie, I will write an abbreviated version.

1) WTWCT - very catchy, love the "I could jump right off and fall right into the ocean..." section

2) Murrow - not my fave, but good guitar

3) Illue - not my fave, but Stevie's vocals at the end are nice and impassioned

4) Thrown Down - I used to think this song dragged, but I will give Lindsey his props here, he really spiced this one up. Love the new verse and the guitar

5) Miranda - I like it, Stevie's vocal on it works terrifically, love the end where Lindsey takes it up a notch - "Light shine down on the marina! All across her safety zone!"

6) Red Rover - I adore it, so sophisticated, complex, and beautiful. And I refuse to believe the dopey Greek Gods spiel, it doesn't do the song justice and I think LB was "confused." lol

7) SYW - catchy

8) Peacekeeper - great melody, great chorus, and I love the back-and-forth at the end. FM almost always ends the songs well, with an extra kick.

9) Come - WOW, that guitar solo is STUNNING!!! And the contrasting soft/hard verse/chorus really works. I still think this song is way to dark to be the "joke" that LB is trying to pass it off as. Sometimes I wonder about what he tells us (see my comments about RR)! Like that "Not That Funny" is about the world in general

10) SAY - After I got over my initial shock at the "chorus," it's grown on me. The verses and bridge are strong enough to salvage it.

11) RTTG - rocks! I have "converted" some of my fellow English grad students, who eagerly listen to it after I tell them that it is about "Rappicini's Daughter." Most say they like it, and allow me to play more of the album for them. One has even bought it! (Or at least he told me he was going to, lol).

12) Silver Girl - well, it's not my favorite, but it's not wretched or anything.

13) SYHA - beautiful and melodic. One of my top 25 LB songs, regardless of what he says about it being "generic" (Note to LB: STOP DISSING YOUR OWN MUSIC AND APOLOGIZING WHEN YOU SHOULD BE PROUD! Sorry, but that really makes me mad).

14) Bleed to Love Her - I wanted something new, but what can I say? It's a great song. At least they didn't stick on "My Little Demon" as well.

15) EFO - AWESOME! It rocks SO HARD - best song on the album and the best FM Stevie's put out since "Gpysy."

16) Destiny RUles - The verses start slow, but from "When I see you again.." on, it's great

17) Say Goodbye - very pretty

18) Goodbye Baby - very emotional

[SeventhWonder]

I love pretty much the whole album, but the highlights for me are...

Murrow - favorite Lindsey song on the album. it's brilliant in all it's manic eccentricities
Red Rover - it's funny because I used to hate this song but it really grew on me
What's the World Coming To - great great song. Harmonies are excellent.

Illume - this song is still as powerful as the first time I heard it.
Running Through the Garden - loved the demo, love this version. It's great to hear Stevie rock out.
Thrown Down - even though I like the wall of sound one better, I still really dig this song.

Ooooh, I know I will be slammed for this one, but....

Silver Girl - I just really like this song. I know A LOT of people hate it, but I like it. Stevie's delivery and the production are great.

Dan

[Phil]

SeventhWonder, I agree with you entirely about "Silver Girl". The lyrics read as cliched and bland on the page but in the context of the actual song, they're more than okay. Stevie's delivery is top notch (reminiscent of the Bella Donna album) and the "pop" production is just gorgeous, offering respite from the fairly intense rock that dominates the album. A "sweet surprise" indeed.

[gldstwmn]

Originally posted by goldie
He really does!! I think his bass on Illume totally kicks some serious A$$!!!! Amazing...

I love it! It's completely hypnotic. I love Red Rover, SYHA, Bleed and Come. I also love RTTG. WTWCT reminds me of Brian Wilson, in the best way.