Troubled with Shangri-La

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by catinthedark

OMG. Your banner picture made me Laugh. My. Ass. OFF.

You are one mean boy, Strandie.

But holy funny.

Glad I could help!!!!!!

[amber]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

Glad I could help!!!!!!

Omigod!!!!
What the hey??!!!!

[darklinensuit]

I like TISL.
I would like Every Day more if it were not a single, the single, that announced the album. I resent that it had no place as a single, being nothing terribly special in any way, and this was supposed to be her comeback album.
I've thought all along that Planets is overproduced & lacks any emotion in the vocal.
Love Changes has a good vocal but is not a great song. I don't mind TMMS, though I agree that the lyrics are self-indulgent. To me the sound of the song is early Nineties.
I think the vocal on TFFT is excellent, and I'm one of the hew who doesn't mind Natalie's harmony with her.
The Candlebright vocal grew on me; it's not the Nomad vocal, but the music is pretty faithful to the demo. I have two small problems with Candlebright: One is that the ending takes forever. The other is that there is no space between the song TISL, which is excellent, and the beginning of Candlebright.
I think I Miss You and It's Only Love are very pretty, but Love Is does nothing for me. At all.
Sorcerer is such a great song, not as good as the BN version, but still great.
Bombay Sapphires is very good. One of those songs like Outside The Rain & How Still My Love & No Spoken Word that casual fans won't remember, but most Stevie lovers will grow to love.
Fall From Grace should have been a single, though I prefer it live, & it's never been my favorite.

- Jake

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by amber

Omigod!!!!
What they hey??!!!!

On occasion, I can be amusing

[LiquidBlue5000]

Originally Posted by jkmaletic

"Love Changes" and "That made Me Stronger" are great because they are so different than other stuff she has done.

~Jamie

couldn't agree more

...except i hate the lyrics to "That Made Me Stronger"

[LiquidBlue5000]

Originally Posted by darklinensuit

I like TISL.
I would like Every Day more if it were not a single, the single, that announced the album. I resent that it had no place as a single, being nothing terribly special in any way, and this was supposed to be her comeback album.
- Jake

awful choice for the first single... made Stevie appear to be like some washed up AC artist..

[svnwndrs]

I'll be honest and say I really don't care for TISL that much. I never really listen to it. I like the first 4 tracks and "Fall From Grace" but that's it, really. The title track is just plain awesome, as well as "Sorcerer" and "POTU". "Everyday" WAS the worst choice for a single. Especially for the first single from the album. The first single from an album is supposed to help promote it and when I first heard it before the album came out, I was really dissappointed. That song is just so boring and, I dunno, "soft". Not very Stevie. But the video was pretty cool. There should have been more songs like "Fall From Grace" on the album. And "Chanel Chanel" and "Space Needle" should have made the cut, especially over lame songs like "Too Far From Texas" and "I Miss You". They are better songs, and fit the whole concept better anway.

[darklinensuit]

Originally Posted by svnwndrs

I'll be honest and say I really don't care for TISL that much. I never really listen to it. I like the first 4 tracks and "Fall From Grace" but that's it, really. The title track is just plain awesome, as well as "Sorcerer" and "POTU". "Everyday" WAS the worst choice for a single. Especially for the first single from the album. The first single from an album is supposed to help promote it and when I first heard it before the album came out, I was really dissappointed. That song is just so boring and, I dunno, "soft". Not very Stevie. But the video was pretty cool. There should have been more songs like "Fall From Grace" on the album. And "Chanel Chanel" and "Space Needle" should have made the cut, especially over lame songs like "Too Far From Texas" and "I Miss You". They are better songs, and fit the whole concept better anway.

I agree that the Every Day video is very good.
As somebody here pointed out, take that video and put it with RTTG and we have a winner.

- Jake

[svnwndrs]

Originally Posted by darklinensuit

I agree that the Every Day video is very good.
As somebody here pointed out, take that video and put it with RTTG and we have a winner.

- Jake

Hell yeah, Jake! I could picture it and it sounds awesome! I could see Stevie in that pink dress with the wavy hair, just joggin through that courtyard from the video!

[Kelly]

I love TISL and think it is her masterpiece. The lyrics are amazing and the way it is sequenced is near perfection.
I think it was quite an emotional journey for Stevie and ALL the songs have a specific point or meaning to her under the concept of TISL. I am not a fan of TMMS but I appreciate why she included it. I am also not a big fan of TFFT but her vocal on it is fantastic and the message is clear so I can deal. Overall, even the songs I do not like seem important to the album because together they all tell the story. TISL, FFG and Bombay Sappires are the most important and revealing songs for me. She says so much about her own fears and feelings in this group of songs...something she normally tends to shy away from with the use of alot of "shes" "hers" or focussing on the man's feelings.

My three complaints are Sorcerer....I cannot deal with the album cut after having the BN and live version. I REALLY miss Linds on this song, both his guitar and vocals. Sheryls vocals on it just make me cringe.
Second would be the knack Stevie has for always dropping the most profound lyrics from her songs. In BS she drops the gorgeous "dreams" lines and in FFG she drops a few lyrics that are key to the emotional punch of the song. "she loves his music sometimes....she makes him cry" and "looking down into a crystal ball, into crystal stairs..doing the same things over and over, going in for repairs.
Lastly would be her exclusion of Chanel Chanel and My Heart from the album. They would have fit nicely, if not better, into her concept and enhanced the overall rise and fall of Stevie's journey to ShangriLa and then losing it. My Heart is one of my favorite songs because it is written about Stevie's own emotions, feelings and love. It is pretty personal and reveals alot about what she was thinking and feeling. Actually, that could be why she left it off the album, it is too straightforward for her.

So yup, I love TISL. That and BellaDonna are at the top of my list. Wild Heart is also a favorite but I cannot listen to it too often because it just breaks my heart.

[trackaghost]

TISL is my third favourite Stevie album after The Wild Heart and Bella Donna.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by darklinensuit

I agree that the Every Day video is very good.
As somebody here pointed out, take that video and put it with RTTG and we have a winner.

- Jake

That girl was me!

[rbs3676]

I absolutely love TISL. From start to finish, it's clearly a labor of love from Stevie. I thought John Shanks did a fabulous production job. For me, the standout cuts are the title track, Planets (I particularly love the dance remix to this), FFG and Bombay (my personal favorite). I don't have many complaints about this release other than I wish there were more songs!!

rbs

[Elizabeth]

Originally Posted by trackaghost

TISL is my third favourite Stevie album after The Wild Heart and Bella Donna.

No big long explanation but mine too.

[SapphireSister]

If you don't like the album, you don't like it. Don't beat yourself up over it. I would suggest listening to it a few more times and see if that works but if not don't worry about other people's opinions. TISL happens to be my favorite Stevie album. I think it is her masterpiece minus a few songs (TFFT, Everyday, TMMS, and I Miss You). I LOVE every single other song on this album. The songs are deep, beautiful, and powerful and I think her voice is outstanding, even if it's not the most energetic and varied. It's a work of art in my mind.
On a side note, Bella Donna is probably my least favortite Stevie album (or at least the one I listen to the least) so don't feel bad!