IYD - Rank the Songs

[michelej1]

Originally Posted by Jondalar

I really like the song, but it goes on too long. I figure My Heart is going to be the same way. Both demos meandered on with the same lines.

And it's true that in the past I've really loves the little phrasing and extra vocals that Stevie puts on the end of a song as it trails to a close. I actually like that alot in Ghosts Are Gone even. But in Annabel Lee, it's regimented at the end. It almost sounds like a vocal exercise as she repeats closing lines. It's not that sense of wailing adlib abandon you get at the end of other songs, such as:

blame it on my wild, my wild, my willlllld heart baby, blame it on my wild heart . . .

Michele

[cliffdweller]

Originally Posted by darklinensuit

Let me make your list-making even more challenging now.
What criteria do you use in determining your rankings?
Are Stevie's vocals more important than the lyrics? Does your love for/aversion to Sharon & Lori's sound affect your choices? Do you generally prefer bluesy/torch singer Stevie, rocker Stevie, folksy Stevie, or witchy Stevie? Or is your list more influenced by how you think certain songs measure up to their earlier demos?

For me I usually go for witchy Stevie. I like meaningful lyrics, but the vocals really mattered to me after what I feel were a few duds on TISL & SYW. No surprise then that "Moonlight" tops my list - especially since I tried to judge it on its own terms, rather than compare it to my favorite demo.
Also, the only reason CTF is not at the very bottom of my ranking is that her vocal is good.

- Jake

I think I'm the only person on this board that really likes CTF The lyrics are pretty rudimentary and not among Stevie's most inspired, but I think the song is really beautiful and heart-felt and a great closer for the album. AND Stevie sounds great on it, like you said.

And to answer your question above, I prefer rocker Stevie with a dash of witchy .

[Thrown_Down]

The top 4 is really easy... the rest not so much:

1) Moonlight
2) Italian Summer
3) Wide Sargasso Sea
4) Everybody Loves You

5) In Your Dreams
6) Annabel Lee
7) For What It's Worth
8) Secret Love
9) New Orleans
10) Soldier's Angel



11) You May Be The One



12) Cheaper Than Free
13) Ghosts Are Gone (I don't quite know what to make of it yet.)

[Christopher]

Upon my 1st 2 listens of IYD, there were songs I immediately connected with and were instant favorites. But having revisited the album many times now. I love them all! Each for very different reasons. I simply cannot rank this collection of songs. I think that is a testament to how truly great this record is. It's an instant classic - an album I can't even fathom almost not being recorded in the pantheon of Stevie's catalogue.

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by michelej1

And it's true that in the past I've really loves the little phrasing and extra vocals that Stevie puts on the end of a song as it trails to a close. I actually like that alot in Ghosts Are Gone even. But in Annabel Lee, it's regimented at the end. It almost sounds like a vocal exercise as she repeats closing lines. It's not that sense of wailing adlib abandon you get at the end of other songs, such as:

blame it on my wild, my wild, my willlllld heart baby, blame it on my wild heart . . .

Michele

well, I think the way she ended it on the album is a lot better than way it ended on demo. I mean she does cresendo the last of the verses and it does goes somewhere. It's a really good song, just goes on a little to long. The ending doesn't negate the song for me, I just sort of ignore the last 20 seconds of it. Love the middle part, really added to the song.

[Hawkeye]

whats with all the I don't know what to make's on Ghosts are Gone. Whats not to get. It's a kick ass rock song but with amazing vocals unlike Running through the Garden for example. It's almost like Led Zepplin's Kashmir, which I know Stevie has mentioned trying to emulate in her Austrailia MSO show before.

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

I think I'm the only person on this board that really likes CTF The lyrics are pretty rudimentary and not among Stevie's most inspired, but I think the song is really beautiful and heart-felt and a great closer for the album. AND Stevie sounds great on it, like you said.

And to answer your question above, I prefer rocker Stevie with a dash of witchy .

no you are not, I love that song. The problem is we have all heard Cheaper than Free and Secret Love so much that lots of people are ignoring those songs. When everything evens out in a month or two or three, then people can really focus on their true favorites.

[SpyNote]

I usually know which songs I will always like the first time I hear a new Stevie album. So these are my "first impressions..."

Love these songs...

01. Secret Love
02. Italian Summer
03. Moonlight
04. You May Be the One
05. Annabel Lee
06. Wide Sargasso Sea

Still trying to get into these songs...

07. For What It’s Worth
08. Everybody Loves You
09. New Orleans

Unfortunately, I don't really like these songs...

10. In Your Dreams
11. Cheaper Than Free
12. Ghosts Are Gone
13. Soldier’s Angel

[skcin]

Originally Posted by LikeAWillow

Thanks! I seriously can't choose favorites among the different tiers, but I know which groups of songs are stronger for me.

Good. That's how I have to do it too:

Love everything about them, no complaints:
For What It's Worth
Moonlight (A Vampire's Dream)
Annabel Lee
Wide Sargasso Sea
You May Be The One
In Your Dreams

Minor bugs:
Ghosts Are Gone - it drags on a bit for me. but I love that it's a fast rocker.
Secret Love - i do like it more than I did initially, but it's just not quite as good as the others.
Soldier's Angel - love love love the music, love the guitar, love the desparate haunting feel. but while some of the lyrics are incredible, others induce eye-rolling.
Italian Summer - i get such a big emotional response from the music building up to the crescendo. but the lyrics do nothing for me & come close to ruining the song tbqh. i have to give it more time, because i want to love it.
Cheaper Than Free - not terrible, but not as good as the other songs

No
New Orleans - I wanna get drunk, I wanna wear beads.
Everybody Loves You - i'm a little shocked that so many people love this tune. for me it's like a cross between i miss you, bombay sapphires & silver girl. bland adult contemporary blandness.

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

I think I'm the only person on this board that really likes CTF

No, you're not. For me, it's just not quite as good as most of the other tunes on the album.

Originally Posted by Jondalar

no you are not, I love that song. The problem is we have all heard Cheaper than Free and Secret Love so much that lots of people are ignoring those songs. When everything evens out in a month or two or three, then people can really focus on their true favorites.

See, I like Secret Love a lot now - way more than I did at first. it actually gets stuck in my head.

[tilthefirefades]

Moonlight
Wide Sargasso Sea
Italian Summer
You May Be The One
Annabel Lee
Soldier's Angel
Everybody Loves You
Secret Love
Cheaper Than Free
For What It's Worth
Ghosts Are Gone
In Your Dreams
New Orleans

[SpyNote]

Bonus track - "My Heart"

Forgot about "My Heart," which will be on the Barnes & Noble special edition CD. If it's the same song that's been circulating since TISL, that will be on my "love" list, too.

[carrie721]

Originally Posted by skcin

Good. That's how I have to do it too:

Love everything about them, no complaints:
For What It's Worth
Moonlight (A Vampire's Dream)
Annabel Lee
Wide Sargasso Sea
You May Be The One
In Your Dreams

agree.

Minor bugs:
Ghosts Are Gone - it drags on a bit for me. but I love that it's a fast rocker.

yeah, it's like 90 min long. but it's great.

Secret Love - i do like it more than I did initially, but it's just not quite as good as the others.

can't stop listening to it. it's in the "love everything about it" category for me. i CAN NOT believe that that stupid demo amber and i mocked mercilessly 5 years ago is now THIS SONG. unbelievable.

Soldier's Angel - love love love the music, love the guitar, love the desparate haunting feel. but while some of the lyrics are incredible, others induce eye-rolling.

initially this song made me want to hurl, but it's growing on me.

Italian Summer - i get such a big emotional response from the music building up to the crescendo. but the lyrics do nothing for me & come close to ruining the song tbqh. i have to give it more time, because i want to love it.

i love it and you're just a bitter buffalonian.

Cheaper Than Free - not terrible, but not as good as the other songs

No
New Orleans - I wanna get drunk, I wanna wear beads.

i love it and you're just a bitter buffalonian.

Everybody Loves You - i'm a little shocked that so many people love this tune. for me it's like a cross between i miss you, bombay sapphires & silver girl. bland adult contemporary blandness.

bland song is bland.

[skcin]

Originally Posted by carrie721

i love it and you're just a bitter buffalonian.

I've said it to you before, and I'll say it again:

"I'm in Italy, it's raining, look at those islands, it's still raining, it's summer, raining hard, I'm in Italy."

And I guess I should apologize to Hawkeye for yelling at him when he said it didn't do anything for him in the sizzle reel.

[TinyDancer]

1. For What It's Worth- love, love, love.
2. In Your Dreams- great vocals
3. Moonlight- the beginning is so haunting and beautiful, very RAL sounding.
4. New Orleans- The more I listen to it the more I like it.
5. Italian Summer- I am a sucker for strings they remind me of my wedding
6. Secret Love- As an album lead-off it makes more sense and it has grown on me
7. You May Be The One
8. Annabel Lee
9. Wild Sargasso Sea
10. Everybody Loves You

11. Soldier's Angel- I am soooo sad to have this one at the bottom of the list. This was my most anticipated track because I love me some LB, but I am just not feeling this track. I was expecting something a little more Twister-esque.

12. Cheaper Than Free- ah it's OK.

Overall, it's awesome. It beats TISL in my book and is right up there with BD. I was so happy that she came through vocally on this album. I was terrified we were going to get some ****ty vocals (SYW), but she totally delivered.

[carrie721]

Originally Posted by skcin

I've said it to you before, and I'll say it again:

"I'm in Italy, it's raining, look at those islands, it's still raining, it's summer, raining hard, I'm in Italy."

it's still f*cking hilarious. and you're right. but you're wrong.