What's with all the Shangri-La bashing? - Page 3

darklinensuit · #31 05-05-2011, 06:51 AM

I won't consider myself a basher - I'm even one of the few who likes TFFT - but I think her voice is somewhat unattractive in some spots on the album, & I hate the production in POTU & LC.
I think TISL is somehow both wildly overrated by most Stevie fans and sadly under-appreciated by the general public. It's certainly better than TOSOTM to my ears, but I wholly disagree with those who say it's better than TWH or RAL.

- Jake

Artemis · #32 05-05-2011, 07:04 AM

I think TISL and IYD are both stellar albums. It's a bit weird to see people who, a few months ago, sang the praises of TISL, and now slam it to big up IYD. To me, IYD reveals some flaws in TISL; mainly in her singing, but, TISL is still an amazing album. I'm utterly thrilled that Stevie's managed to knock out two consecutive albums that are utterly amazing. To the general public, or casual fans, Stevie's "good" albums (Bella Donna, Wild Heart, TISL, and IYD) now outnumber her "bad" albums.

Zanobbi · #33 05-05-2011, 07:32 AM

There's nothing near to Planets on IYD, or Nomad, Love is, Bombay, FFG or TISL.
Forget about I miss you and Everyday and you'll find TISL is a much better album than IYD. The songs are better and the sound is really better. AND TISL is Stevie's music over Stevie poems. IYD is (most) DStewart's music over Nicks poems, and that's why I find IYD quite vulgar (no, I don't like Mr. Stewart's music at all). The best on IYD is Moonlight (, Secret Love, For what is worth, New Orleans and You may be the one. Only one of them is DStewart's music.

GypsySorcerer · #34 05-05-2011, 07:37 AM

I like TISL, and I had consistently ranked it #3 of Stevie's solo albums (behind BD and TWH). I still think the title track is one of the most spectacular songs she's ever recorded, and a few others are noteworthy. There are some pedestrian ones as well ("Every Day," "Love Changes"). And there is nothing as egregious as "That Made Me Stronger" on In Your Dreams. I wasn't a huge fan of her vocals during the early 2000s, either. I didn't attend any of the TISL shows, but I remember not being too impressed from the boots I heard. It was disappointing to me, considering how great she sounded during The Dance and Enchanted.

Anyway, I like TISL just fine, but IYD is a stronger album IMO.

darklinensuit · #35 05-05-2011, 07:54 AM

To me the big difference is that IYD is a far more upbeat album than anything she has done since RAL. The title track is about as lyrically & musically jubilant as she ever gets. I remember one of the reviews for Street Angel saying that the album makes you want to hand her a box of Kleenex. That kind of thing was also in evidence throughout TOSOTM and TISL (and even two of the three new songs on TimeSpace).
Compare songs like "I Miss You" and "Italian Summer" - both pretty, catchy, adult-contemporary-type songs, but the former is so much more of a downer. Compare more reflective, folksy songs like "It's Only Love" and "For What It's Worth". Same thing.
Depressing Stevie songs have been the norm for over 20 years. This time around, even a song like "New Orleans" sounds more hopeful than wistful or sad. Even an adapted Poe poem manages to sound less depressing than most of what's on her last few albums, including TISL. "Soldier's Angel" is really the only downer song on this album. (How could it not be?)

- Jake

RickRobert · #36 05-05-2011, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zanobbi

There's nothing near to Planets on IYD, or Nomad, Love is, Bombay, FFG or TISL.

Except for, you know, pretty much every song on the album

On TIS-L I love the title track and Planets... and that's it... everything suffers from bad production, a particularly monotonous and bored-sounding Stevie, and Sheryl Crow. Heck, most of the songs aren't even bad, there are some good melodies and lyrics it's just the delivery/presentation is awful

imo

Zanobbi · #37 05-05-2011, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickRobert

Except for, you know, pretty much every song on the album

On TIS-L I love the title track and Planets... and that's it... everything suffers from bad production, a particularly monotonous and bored-sounding Stevie, and Sheryl Crow. Heck, most of the songs aren't even bad, there are some good melodies and lyrics it's just the delivery/presentation is awful

imo

Even the TISL cover was better, my friend...

RickRobert · #38 05-05-2011, 08:25 AM

oh you

chriskisn · #39 05-05-2011, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zanobbi

There's nothing near to Planets on IYD, or Nomad, Love is, Bombay, FFG or TISL.
Forget about I miss you and Everyday and you'll find TISL is a much better album than IYD. The songs are better and the sound is really better. AND TISL is Stevie's music over Stevie poems. IYD is (most) DStewart's music over Nicks poems, and that's why I find IYD quite vulgar (no, I don't like Mr. Stewart's music at all). The best on IYD is Moonlight (, Secret Love, For what is worth, New Orleans and You may be the one. Only one of them is DStewart's music.

Welcome to the dark side young Zanobbi. Others will join us in time...

kak125 · #40 05-05-2011, 09:07 AM

as much as i have loved tisl and every single song on it for years, it doesnt compare to iyd. i feel that stevie is singing with so much more passion in her voice and she seems much more fearless with this cd. its like she isnt trying to prove anything. i dont think i have ever listened to a stevie cd this much in my life. iyd is one cd that i can listen to over and over and over. love it!!

Dodfather · #41 05-05-2011, 09:25 AM

I have alot of love for TISL for many reasons. First: I bought it during my first ever trip to NYC in late 2001. I'd been out all day and got back to the hotel and remembered I hadn't bought it. I ran out to Tower, just across the road, with just a $20 note and picked it up. I got back to the hotel, put the cd in my bag and went out again... and ran into Sheryl Crow right outside my hotel!!

I am a very big Sheryl fan so all I could stammer was ..."I've got all your albums!" Then I got embarassed and she laughed and said "It's ok, I've heard worse". We chatted very briefly and I said I had just bought the new Stevie album that she was on - she said she hoped I enjoyed it and that recording it had been a lot of fun. I couldn't believe it!! A car then appeared and she got in and waved goodbye! Not only was this pre-camera phone but I was too stunned to ask for an autograph! If I'd been thinking I'd have run upstairs and grabbed the cd - d'oh! I then ran to a phone box and called some friends at home to tell them. Oh = and she looked HOT!

Now to the album. I really, really enjoy it. My favourites are Love Changes, Love Is, Trouble In Shangri-La, Sorcerer and especially Fall From Grace. That song is killer! It should have been given a real push as not only a single on the rock charts but I think some great dance remixes could have been done. I also really like Too Far From Texas, although I think her vocal could be better and wish it was a real duet with Natalie rather than just her on backing vocals. I'm in the minority there though!

There you go - my TISL story and thoughts!

Zanobbi · #42 05-05-2011, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kak125

.. i feel that stevie is singing with so much more passion in her voice...

You're right, her singing is great on IYD. But after listening to the CD a dozen times, I think there's not one song on IYD like Trouble, Planets or Love is. Any way, I'm really happy with Secret, For what, New Orleans, Annabel, Sargasso or You may be.

Dodfather · #43 05-05-2011, 09:41 AM

Oh, she's in great voice on In Your Dreams! No question about which album has better vocal delivery!

Josh2003 · #44 05-05-2011, 09:42 AM

I absolutely adore TISL, and I always will.

However, after ten years, one flaw that does stand out to me is the very different sound that resulted from having two different producers handle the majority of the tracks. The Sheryl songs sound more stripped down and raw, and the John Shanks tracks are more polished, and sound very "2001."

I think that having two cooks in the kitchen sort of prevented the album from having any cohesiveness, similar to, but not nearly to the same extent as, Say You Will.