Cheaper than Free Video up (for free on Itunes)

[J.Miller]

I am trying to put into context on how I feel about Stevie's new music and music from her past. Watching 'Cheaper Than Free' brought me to tears because Stevie is very happy now without any doubt. To compare it to' Doing The Best I Can' is so striking. Back in those days I was in denial that Stevie was going through some very tough periods in her life. To let all that in would have broke my heart even more. Now, Stevie has found her way out of that and I am very happy for her. Ironically today I am having a few tough moments myself. To sum it up , if this music / album fails to reach many ears I will take solace in the fact that Stevie is in a happy place now and that makes me happy.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AreMVWFAQhY

[justcrazylove]

Love the song and the video, but god damn kids settle down with the trite pettiness, my only issue with the Ledge is when any kind of new music development happens in the world of the Mac all these newbies come along and talk bollocks! Stop your bitching and enjoy the ride because there are a few of us here that have been waiting for years!

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by ryguy2010

Sorry to hear about your family member Jondalar. Am glad the song comforts you. Fell like a bit of an arse considering the circumstance. Just realize what I am saying is all about my personal feelings for the song.

Oh I understand. I just think the song has already fulfilled a need for me, the way Has Anyone Ever Written did in the past when I was depressed. I hope the song is a hit, but I don't care because I have encoded it emotionally and the song has done its job.

[Dodfather]

Ok - I finally got to watch this now. I'm not too keen to be honest. Stevie's vocals are great and she looks brilliant in the video, it's especially good to see her smiling so much, but the song is a bit of a dirge. Even as a proper whisky soaked old time country ballad I'm not sure how well it works. As well as overly cheesy lyrics there's no real melody to speak of. I thought there was going to be when the track kicked in a bit more but it just doesn't really go anywhere.

I'm also not a fan of Dave's voice, although I usually always like his production so still have high hoped for the rest of In Your Dreams (very high in fact!)

It would have been well placed as a curio duet on Dave's album, a single B-side or a bonus track on Stevie's - but as a full album track and possibly a single, I dunno...

[TakenByTheSky23]

Opinions are varying on this SO much! That's what s great about this board. We're able to get others' opinions and maybe give them some (even subconscious) consideration. Even though many of us are unmovable in our opinions. And that's fine too! We're all entitled. That's why we're here.

It may be first thing in the morning for me, but I wasn't expecting much when I hit the play button on first watch for the video. I've never been wild about the clip. And watching the video initially, again - not too impressed. It's a subdued and very light track, so of course the video isn't going to have the grandiose spectacle some of us might have been hoping for. I know we all love our visual counterparts to Steve's songs - especially these days as she hasn't made a video in a long time - but this video was a snooze to me. Too documentary in style. And I find the "acting" between Dave and Stevie gimmicky. I'm prepared to be beaten upside the head, but again, we all have the right to our opinions.

That said, I listened to just the audio immediately afterward without the video, and have to say that the song itself is greater than I had hoped it would be. I therefore think that this track would have been better suited for just an album track without a video release.

I'm keeping in mind, too, that this is clearly the next song that Stevie wanted released. That's the direction she wanted to go in after Secret Love, and that's her prerogative.

I was just really hoping that the next thing we'd be seeing would have more energy, especially after the relative lightness of Secret Love (though I do love it). We know that she's MORE than capable of still turning out songs that have attitude and that chug along like a heart attack (what we're heard so far of Moonlight and Wide Sargasso Sea - those would have been GREAT choices for the next single/video). We all know that she's still a rocker. It just would be nice if the non-Ledgies and non-die-hard fans out there could have something released to prove that too. She can do it all and still has the rock energy in spades - I want the world to know it!

[KarmaContestant]

So many interesting opinions this morning...

I'm loving the video, loving the song - it's been stuck in my head all morning. This is going to be such a great album, I think!

Cheaper Than Free is no TISL or I Can't Wait or Rooms On Fire, but I don't think every Stevie song needs to be a spawling, epic tale of lost romance and treacherous love with lyrics that take days to decipher. Some of her simplest tunes rank among my favorite - The Highwayman & Storms for example.

I'm not hearing the 'country' vibe that seems to bother some fans. I really don't hear it at all. There is no western twang, which for me is an essential part of country music. I hear more of a simple guitar/rock ballad like Landslide, with less clouds and more sunshine.

Based on what I had read over the past couple months...and having NOT heard any of the clips or snippets that were talked about, I was really expecting this song to be another Two Kinds of Love....another That Made Me Stronger....or another Desert Angel, you know - an actual dud.

[Richard B]

I love the song more than the video.
In fact, I was making the bed this morning, playing the video but not watching it, just listening to the song. Really love the simplicity of it all.
I don't find it lyrically trite...I mean honestly...the song Landslide has very simple lyrics and one could find it silly and trite.

[belladonnadream]

I think its cute,,,considering its free maybe it isn't the second single... I'm hoping Moonlight is released...

[Dodfather]

Originally Posted by TakenByTheSky23

And I find the "acting" between Dave and Stevie gimmicky. I therefore think that this track would have been better suited for just an album track without a video release.I'm keeping in mind, too, that this is clearly the next song that Stevie wanted released. That's the direction she wanted to go in after Secret Love, and that's her prerogative.

I was just really hoping that the next thing we'd be seeing would have more energy, especially after the relative lightness of Secret Love (though I do love it).

I agree with this. Fair enough, it's obviously up to her. I do love Secret Love! That's why I'm still confident about the album. Stevie has also said she never wanted to be an actress...

Originally Posted by KarmaContestant

I'm not hearing the 'country' vibe that seems to bother some fans. I really don't hear it at all. There is no western twang, which for me is an essential part of country music. I hear more of a simple guitar/rock ballad like Landslide, with less clouds and more sunshine.

I don't need Western twang for it to be country - Stevie would sound terrible doing such a thing! She doesn't have it in After The Glitter Fades and that's one of her most countryish tunes. For me it's more about the instrumentation which, with steel guitar and (I may be mistaken) dobro - always make me think country, which I love!

By the way, was I seeing things or is Reese Witherspoon in the video?!

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by Richard B

I love the song more than the video.
In fact, I was making the bed this morning, playing the video but not watching it, just listening to the song. Really love the simplicity of it all.
I don't find it lyrically trite...I mean honestly...the song Landslide has very simple lyrics and one could find it silly and trite.

I don't find it lyrically trite either. It's a sentimental song with no repeating chorus and I think it's more effective than Secret Love. It's just really good.

[KarmaContestant]

Originally Posted by Dodfather

I don't need Western twang for it to be country - Stevie would sound terrible doing such a thing! She doesn't have it in After The Glitter Fades and that's one of her most countryish tunes. For me it's more about the instrumentation which, with steel guitar and (I may be mistaken) dobro - always make me think country, which I love!

By the way, was I seeing things or is Reese Witherspoon in the video?!

I see what you're saying, but the 'twang' is definitely there in After The Glitter Fades - it's just an instrumental twang rather than vocal.

And yes - that is Reese! Lucky girl.

[Tango]

Originally Posted by Jondalar

I been emotional lately with a sick family member. This song just envelopes me like Has Anyone Ever Written. I just love it.

That's kind of how music works--certain songs touch your soul in a way that regular words can't. I'm glad this song reaches you. (no matter how it affects me or anyone else) I hope your relative heals and will soon feel better.

There were several people on this board that were moved to tears by this song. Others, not so much or at all. There isn't a right or wrong reaction. People are getting to listen to it and are clearly feel free to discuss it openly here, no matter what their thoughts are.

[ryguy2010]

People who throw out lines like "newbies" is what I loathe about this board. For some reason as far as my eyes can see the ONLy people who I've seen bitc... are the very people who "love" the song and are so narcissistic as to think those who find it to be marginal should "shut up" and be Stepford Wives. We ALL belong on the board and some people act all cliquish and or threatened when someone "new" comes along. Get over it. More importantly get over yourself. As far as me personally I've been a fan since I was 10. Oh and when a new album comes out.. I personally can't think of a better platform or time for a fan to comment So please quit bellowing b/c people aren't cowering and are saying what they feel!!

[PenguinHead]

What I find, both funny and perplexing, are the expectations people have -- which in turn turns fans against each other with such intensity!

I have been a die-hard fan of Stevie since 1976 (and many other artists as well). Given the forum we have in the age of the internet, I've seen how radically our relationships with artists have changed. We used to just buy the album, examine artwork, and read the liner notes. Then intently listen to every note. Some songs may hit you right away. Other songs may take repeated listens to fully appreciate -- sometimes even years!

Now we are questioning and debating the viability and integrityof marketing plans, their PR, their singles, their producers etc... Judgements are delivered and established quickly - even before we have the full product. It's not about being open to change or progress, or being challenged by an artist's work --- it's only about your own expectations about what you want it to be! Me! Me! Me! ImMEdiately!

I learned that my favorite artists don't always fulfill my ME expectations. True artists challenge their fans. Stevie is a far cry from those artists...at least on an extreme level. She stays mostly in her own comfort zone. After Bella Donna and Wild Heart, I was so dissappointed with Rock A Little. It was a harsh departure (in my under-developed mindset) from the previous albums. Why couldn't she just stay in the same vein as before?

All these years later, I appreciate the album more for what it wasn't -- the same as before! Is Stevie rock and roll? Is she country? I really don't care. Just being Stevie with some new music is good enough for me. I'm not getting my panties in a twist over this or that. Nor am I criticising every little snippet and piece of media we are getting leading up the release date. My only expectation is that I will have a new Stevie album. And like a bastard child, I will eventually accept, if not love, whatever she delivers.

[Jondalar]

Ok, so we have the video. Where is the song? I mean when is it going to be released to radio and is it going to pop and country?