IYD - A thread for the underwhelmed

[Newzchspy]

Originally Posted by skuncles

I was informed by someone that there are a LOT of fans who are very disappointed with the album. This person is loving the fact that each week the album drops a little on the charts. Says he loves Stevie but this is the most self indulgent album she's done and will be worst selling album of her career. Says there a bunch of fans who feel the same way. Other than this one person I have yet to hear anyone echo those thoughts.

Geez Skuncle, look above and you'll see others ^^^ that like myself, are not particularly impressed with this album. AS YOU know personally, I am not a fanboi nor am I am critic. I am simply a Stevie fan who felt that this album was "self-indulgent." I didn't like the production as well and was disappointed in the song selection as well as the "flow" of the CD. Stevie has SO much in her personal catalog that she could've brought to the table. This (to me), was more like a collection of poems forcibly put to music for the sake of an album. Dave Stewart is an artist, NOT IMHO a producer. Glen Ballard disappointed me tremendously after the success of Alanis' JLP.

Like others above, maybe I will warm to the songs, perhaps I won't. Its been three weeks now and the CD is going into its literal twilight. I am not measuring its success BY sales alone (BUT that is certainly an indicator of how well it is liked by the non-fan base) Apparently the non-fan base is agreeing with me if you use sales as a metric. Not a single song charted on iTunes and that has certainly got to tell you something. OH, where's the breakout hit we've all been waiting for?

FWIW, I wasn't measuring the success of the CD by sales, just said that the sales metric is an "indicator" of how well its doing. I wasn't expecting BD 2 or WH 2 numbers for this CD. You can say I am FOS BUT that's all right with me..................That's what makes this and other forums great, we all have an opinion. We can all agree to disagree without being disagreeable.

[bluefox4000]

My only complaint is one that everybody knows........here it comes.....Chop down on the leangth Stevie 65 mins is a tinsy bit indulgent No album should go beyond 45. I don't care how long we've waited. I got IYD down to 52 mins. normally that would be pushing it. With the 3 i cut...it leaves all great songs.

Mick

[dontlookdown]

Funny - I couldn't disagree more.
I think this is her most soulful sounding album since Bella Donna.
And my least favorite tracks are Ghosts Are Gone and Moonlight. I think they both sound very generic and phoned-in.
Lose those two and Cheaper Than Free, and you have her strongest collection of songs in 30 years.

I liked Trouble In ShangriLA but I think it was a victim of too many producers - which gave it a very uneven disjointed feel. It had it's moments and it was certainly the best thing she had done sicne The Wild Heart, but there were many sluggish filler tracks on the record. I think In Your Dreams is a more solid effort. There's an enthusiasm and a certain energy level that I haven't heard since Bella Donna and The Wild Heart.
For the most part, I think Stevie has been on a roll since 1997 and In Your Dreams is definitely her best work in years.

I think one of her weaknesses has recently been an inability to self-edit. She had this problem on Say You Will - and that's why we got clunkers like Running Through The Garden.
Dave Stewart has definitely been a huge help. I kind of wish she would even go a little bit more progressive and work with some more interesting producers like Jacknife Lee or Nigel Godrich.

[Newzchspy]

Originally Posted by SpyNote

I would give it a strong 3 and 1/2 stars out of 5. I think if she had kept it more of a concept album, the whole Moonlight thing focusing on the strings, I would have enjoyed it more. Each song on its own is fine, even great. But taken together as an album, it's a mixed bag of styles that clash at times. Some like pop/rock Stevie, bluesy Stevie, folky Stevie, or country Stevie, which speaks to Stevie's versatility and diverse fan base. I'm a pop/rock Stevie fan, so there were songs on the album that I just didn't like.

A voice out of the Wilderness and ONE of reason as well!!!

[Stevie's~Prince]

Originally Posted by Jondalar

I must really be out there, because people either pick on Everybody Loves You or Soldier's Angel and both those songs are in my top 4. hmmm

It's fine they're in my top 5 too,

And also, I didn't take the lyrics in SA as narcissistic, quite the opposite.. Compassionate, sympathetic and full of sorrow is how I read it

[chriskisn]

Originally Posted by KarmaContestant

Who doesn't like In Your Dreams?

Communists.

Made me think of this (John Birch Paranoid Blues)

Now we all agree with Hitler’s views
Although he killed six million Jews
It don’t matter too much that he was a Fascist
At least you can’t say he was a Communist!
That’s to say like if you got a cold you take a shot of malaria

[chriskisn]

Originally Posted by JohnL

If anyone truly thinks she should never have made this album, then I would prefer they keep it to themselves. I fully understand people not liking particular songs on the album but to say she shouldnt keep producing new material is just ludicrous.

Well I'm glad she is making new material. I just wish it was better!

[SpyNote]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

Yeah, but can't you see the differing styles on Bella Donna especially?

Stop Dragging My Heart Around: very bluesy
After The Glitter Fades & Highwayman: ultra country
Edge of Seventeen, Outside The Rain, How Still My Love: rock and roll all the way
Bella Donna, Kind Of Woman, Think About It: pop

In Your Dreams is probably her closest album stylistically to Bella Donna. It has the same even mixture of pop, rock, bluesy, and country-esque songs.

I can see that. There are clear influences. But Bella Donna sounds like a pop/rock album from beginning to end. There aren't any songs that sound out of place because nothing strays too far from genre. It's seamless.

But that's not the case on In Your Dreams, where you have a number of songs that are stylistically different from each other in genre and vocal. There are clear moments of brilliance on the new album, some of Stevie's best recordings ever. But there are low points, too, that level things out.

[Jondalar]

Has anyone read the negative reviews on Amazon. They don't mention songs. It's weird. They are just giving her negative reviews for negative reviews sake. Ticks me off. This is the first good album she has had since the Wild Heart and this stuff happens. Plus, metacritic is still not posting her positive reviews. She only had nine reviews on there and two are negative and two are so so. They forgot to post the 50 or so reviews that say rave about this album. Actually, they are doing it on purpose.

[GoldDustOrphan]

Metacritic only aggregates music reviews from a small of list of publications. If the review doesn't run in one of the following, it won't factor into the equation. I haven't look to see if any of these published reviews that have not been added, the four-star review in US magazine does not qualify for inclusion because the magazine doesn't meet metacritic's criteria but plenty of overly precious, music-snob publication/websites do meet the criteria. Magazines devoted to one genre demonstrate an obvious bias and shouldn't be included.


All Music Guide
Absolute Punk
Alternative Press*
American Songwriter
Austin Chronicle
Billboard
BBC Music
Boston Globe
Chicago Tribune
Clash Music
CMJ
Cokemachineglow.com
Consequence of Sound
Country Weekly
Delusions of Adequacy
Dot Music
Drowned In Sound
Dusted Magazine
Entertainment Weekly
Filter*
The Guardian
Hartford Courant
HipHopDX
The Independent (UK)
Los Angeles Times
Lost At Sea
Mojo*
MSN Expert Witness (Robert Christgau)
musicOMH.com
New Musical Express
New York Magazine
The New York Times
No Ripcord
NOW Magazine (Toronto)
Okay Player
One Thirty BPM
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Paste Magazine
The Phoenix (Boston)
Pitchfork
Pop Matters
Prefix Magazine
Q Magazine*
Rock Sound
Rolling Stone
Slant Magazine
Spin*
Sputnikmusic
The Telegraph (UK)
Tiny Mix Tapes
Uncut*
Under The Radar*
Urb*
Village Voice
The Wire*
XLR8

[MrStevie]

Originally Posted by louielouie2000

Yeah, but can't you see the differing styles on Bella Donna especially?

Stop Dragging My Heart Around: very bluesy
After The Glitter Fades & Highwayman: ultra country
Edge of Seventeen, Outside The Rain, How Still My Love: rock and roll all the way
Bella Donna, Kind Of Woman, Think About It: pop

In Your Dreams is probably her closest album stylistically to Bella Donna. It has the same even mixture of pop, rock, bluesy, and country-esque songs.

Originally Posted by SpyNote

I can see that. There are clear influences. But Bella Donna sounds like a pop/rock album from beginning to end. There aren't any songs that sound out of place because nothing strays too far from genre. It's seamless.

But that's not the case on In Your Dreams, where you have a number of songs that are stylistically different from each other in genre and vocal. There are clear moments of brilliance on the new album, some of Stevie's best recordings ever. But there are low points, too, that level things out.

I have to agree with louie 100%. The genres and style differences appear on both giving both an epic quality. Maybe the problem for you is you're hearing too widely varied vocals on IYD? The producer used recordings of her younger voice on too many tracks, or maybe should have used more? There's also a difference in lyric quality to consider. The mature Stevie has a different approach to writing lyrics. Maybe she's lost you there?

[markolas]

Originally Posted by Jondalar

Has anyone read the negative reviews on Amazon. They don't mention songs. It's weird. They are just giving her negative reviews for negative reviews sake.

People do that for everything, tho. Sometimes I go on there and read reviews of stuff just for a laugh. You should check out the reviews of classic novels on there; 95% of the negative reviews are from kids saying "OMG they made us read this for school and it was sooooo boring!!! My teacher is such a d!ck for this - he sucks!!!"

[tothegypsy]

Originally Posted by MrStevie

The producer used recordings of her younger voice on too many tracks...

Hmm? I hadn't heard that.

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by GoldDustOrphan

Metacritic only aggregates music reviews from a small of list of publications. If the review doesn't run in one of the following, it won't factor into the equation. I haven't look to see if any of these published reviews that have not been added, the four-star review in US magazine does not qualify for inclusion because the magazine doesn't meet metacritic's criteria but plenty of overly precious, music-snob publication/websites do meet the criteria. Magazines devoted to one genre demonstrate an obvious bias and shouldn't be included.


All Music Guide
Absolute Punk
Alternative Press*
American Songwriter
Austin Chronicle
Billboard
BBC Music
Boston Globe
Chicago Tribune
Clash Music
CMJ
Cokemachineglow.com
Consequence of Sound
Country Weekly
Delusions of Adequacy
Dot Music
Drowned In Sound
Dusted Magazine
Entertainment Weekly
Filter*
The Guardian
Hartford Courant
HipHopDX
The Independent (UK)
Los Angeles Times
Lost At Sea
Mojo*
MSN Expert Witness (Robert Christgau)
musicOMH.com
New Musical Express
New York Magazine
The New York Times
No Ripcord
NOW Magazine (Toronto)
Okay Player
One Thirty BPM
The Onion (A.V. Club)
Paste Magazine
The Phoenix (Boston)
Pitchfork
Pop Matters
Prefix Magazine
Q Magazine*
Rock Sound
Rolling Stone
Slant Magazine
Spin*
Sputnikmusic
The Telegraph (UK)
Tiny Mix Tapes
Uncut*
Under The Radar*
Urb*
Village Voice
The Wire*
XLR8

Billboard gave stevie a glowing review. It's not there.

[mylittledemon]

Speaking of underwhelmed... I STILL have not received my Barnes and Noble copy of IYD.