Rock a Little - a missed opportunity...

marmotgirl · #1 01-29-2005, 05:41 PM

...for absolute greatness?

When I first heard RAL I loved it, don't get me wrong. And yeah, I still love it; but of all Stevie's albums I felt it got old the quickest. I don't even think this is solely a result of the very 80s synthy sound - I don't have a problem with that at all. There are just some - as far as I'm concerned, of course - very weak songs on there.

This in itself I could deal with...but then along comes the internet, and I get my paws on a bunch of RAL demos.
*headdesk, headdesk, headdesk*
Woman, what were you thinking when the tracklist was compiled?!

'She Loves Him Still' is one of the most touching things I've ever heard. The RAL demo of 'Greta' (3:48, not the 3:57 version that appears on a lot of Wild HEart demo compilations) might be one of my favourite songs ever...it has this incredible lilting lightness and energy about it that was completely bled out of the SA release. Same with 'Love is Like A River'...the RAL demo has some actual fire and vigor (I love the quiet/loud thing...you caaaaaan't....YOU CAAAAAN'T... )

The RAL 'Lady From The Mountain' is just absolute...aaaargh, perfection! 'Prettiest Girl in the World'...if only for that 'you don't know what pain is!': proper ripping, searing stuff. 'Something Exquisite', yet another one with a proper bit of drive to it. I'm not even going to start on 'Running Through The Garden' (although somebody told me that the version everyone's always accepted as a RAL demo might actually be from 1992? A big wtf to that!).

Even the songs that actually made the album are, to my mind, inferior versions. The extended version of 'Rock A Little' gives the song a much better...roundedness, for lack of a better word...I always thought it kind of slunk in, lingered about for a couple of minutes then slunk out again, but the extended version has that wonderful punchy bass part at the end. I know not many people appreciate 'The Nightmare', and I agree that the album version just goes on and on and on...but the alternate version (it was a b-side somewhere), with slightly different lyrics/structure (well this is not the world, not the world, not the real world... ) is totally kicking. The slightest little change makes all the difference.

Anyway. To hand it over after that massive rant

If you could reconstruct RAL, what would you do with it? Would you do anything with it?

amber · #2 01-29-2005, 05:44 PM

you're making me salivate, i haven't heard what you are talking about.
And i really like RAL.
To know it could've been better is...maddening....

Serrart · #3 01-29-2005, 07:36 PM

I have more a problem with RAL's sound (the eighties, especially the second part of them musically were mostly a nightmare for me) than with the songs, that I found much better than those on TOSOTM, where I have a problem both with the sound and the tracks.

I have listened some of the demos you were talking about: definitely I would have preferred She loves Him Still instead of Sister Honey, but I'd find a place for it on every Stevie album, it's so beautiful. For the others I'm not so sure.

Romy

Kelly · #4 01-30-2005, 07:53 AM

The omission of "She Loves Him Still" has always made me scratch my head. There have been a few times that Stevie has chosen to leave a song off an album that made no sense to me. Space Needle? SLHS has the most beautiful lyrics and RAL could have used the emotion and depth that SLHS expresses. All in all, RAL is not my favorite album..its actually low on my list. When it came out, I remember liking it but thinking it was a huge step down from BellaDonna. I know others will disagree but I see a decline with each one of her solo albums...until TISL...which I view as a huge resurgence of her creativity.
The Nightmare is the worst song ever!

#5 01-30-2005, 09:31 AM

RAL is probably the least-listened to Stevie record in my collection. I was not fond of it when it came out but i forced myself cause it was Stevie's record. I was trying to find the "how still my love's" or the "sable on blonde's"
etc etc...i was trying to find a connection and found none.

And i completely agree....when i heard the RAL demos like "she calls you missing," "greta", "running through the garden," and "thousand days" etc etc i couldn't understand why these songs were chopped from the recording sessions. It's like she started working on them and then completely decided to scrap everything and start over with stuff like "sister honey" and "the nightmare".

Yes, the extended "rock a little" is awesome. Now, that's an example of a song on the album that i thought not much of until i got a European import of "I can't wait" in 1986 that had this great extended remix of "rock a little". Same thing with "the nightmare" although not as intense. The alternate version on the 12" "i can't wait" is better than the one on the album.

And to be honest, i really didn't like "talk to me" when it came out. It's grown on me but i don't ever crave to hear it.

Basically, the only songs i would keep are "rock a little", "i can't wait", "no spoken word" and "has anyone ever written..." oh and i think i like "i sing for the things" too. The rest can go. Not that i hate them but they wouldn't be my first choice.

I also would have included "battle of the dragon" and "mirror mirror."

markolas · #6 01-30-2005, 10:52 AM

Well again, I'm going to have to speak up for RAL.

It and TOSOTM are my two favorite Stevie albums. I don't think the songs on it are weak at all. She Loves Him Still is a great demo, but the others...meh. Although I will say that I love the version of Greta that ended up on Street Angel.

Sister Honey and The Nightmare are two of my favorite songs from RAL, btw.

Wouldn't replace either one of them with anything. In fact, the only songs that I could *maybe* do without are If I Were You and Some Become Strangers.

StevieNicksEO17 · #7 01-30-2005, 11:46 AM

I love RAL. I wouldn't have changed anything about it. I really think it is one of Stevie's best albums. The Nightmare, Imperial Hotel, If I Were You and No Spoken Word are some of my favorite songs of hers. I never get sick of those songs. I really don't understand why no one likes those songs either

David · #8 01-30-2005, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marmotgirl

I know not many people appreciate 'The Nightmare', and I agree that the album version just goes on and on and on...but the alternate version (it was a b-side somewhere), with slightly different lyrics/structure (well this is not the world, not the world, not the real world... ) is totally kicking. The slightest little change makes all the difference.

Excellent post, but the version of "The Nightmare" on the album is totally different from the one on the "I Can't Wait" 12-inch: the lyrics are the least of the changes. The track itself & all the instrumentation are all completely different.

I love both versions, but the one on the album -- which seems to strike some people as droning -- is the more powerful to me. I think it's a serious work of Stevie art, & a pumping track by all the other guys.

MacMan · #9 01-30-2005, 02:03 PM

RAL was one of my favorite albums for YEARS!!!! I listened to that sucker regulary well into the 90's and didn't get tired of it, or even think it sounded dated... Now, it does abit, but I still like it, and I have to give it to Stevie for changing gears and moving in a completely different direction then Bella Donna and Wild Heart. That's kind of what it's about, not staying in one place and taking some chances... Keeps things interesting.

HejiraNYC · #10 01-30-2005, 07:00 PM

Well at least she had the presence of mind to leave off "Mabel Normand," quite possibly the worst demo ever. It ranks up there with "Dial the Number" and "Old Fashioned."

amber · #11 01-30-2005, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacMan

RAL was one of my favorite albums for YEARS!!!! I listened to that sucker regulary well into the 90's and didn't get tired of it, or even think it sounded dated... Now, it does abit, but I still like it, and I have to give it to Stevie for changing gears and moving in a completely different direction then Bella Donna and Wild Heart. That's kind of what it's about, not staying in one place and taking some chances... Keeps things interesting.

I, too, Love RAL. Currently it's actually my favorite solo album, even though it doesn't contain any of my previous favorite songs. (Edge, SDMHA, Stand Back) except for I Can't Wait. I haven't heard the demo's or anything, but RAL kicks A to me. Sister Honey makes me soooo happy...

ontheEdgeof17 · #12 01-30-2005, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amber

I, too, Love RAL. Currently it's actually my favorite solo album, even though it doesn't contain any of my previous favorite songs. (Edge, SDMHA, Stand Back) except for I Can't Wait. I haven't heard the demo's or anything, but RAL kicks A to me. Sister Honey makes me soooo happy...

Burn one with those three tracks added.

I <3 RAL. I Sing For The Things is slowly moving into my top ten favorite songs.