So...what does everyone think of SYW?

Livia · #1 04-16-2003, 01:44 PM

I know a lot of people have already given their opinions in the AOL thread last week. However, now that I'm sure we've all given it a few good listens on our home stereos, whaddaya think? The good, the bad and the ugly, let's hear it!

I stopped listening to the GOS demos several months ago. And there's really only 4-5 other songs that I knew nothing about until yesterday, other than what I've read online. But even w/ those, I wouldn't even read the lyrics. A friend of mine (who has not heard any of the GOS songs) took the whole day off yesterday. He was outside Circuit City at 9:50 AM, waiting for them to open. He said there were 4 other people there, also waiting for the new FM album! He emailed me after his first listen and said, "I just finished listening to it. I'm blown away, literally. Like I am exhausted...like I went on this wild trip. Quite possibly the greatest thing FM has ever done. LB is a f*cking genius." Well, after hearing that, I checked w/ my coworkers and cleared the decks to take off the afternoon...

My overall very FIRST impression, listening to this album is like being on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride! Or being on a roller coaster, you just don't know what's around the bend or over that hill, or what's gonna happen next! The production is STELLAR! LB should be very proud of himself. This album is so eclectic, and has something for everyone! The musicianship is amazing. This is the best I've heard any of them play, especially John. I don't know, it just seems like they are all having a blast, and it shows!

There are a couple cool nuances on the DVD that you don't really notice on the regular one....like the bridge on Smile at You, the "What you did not need was a woman who was stronger...." part - the swirling voices remind me of the voices from the TV in Poltergeist (Carol Ann saying, "Where are you Mommy, I can't see you") very creepy, and cool! However, Stevie's vocal in Peacekeeper is kinda lost...But the DVD still ROCKS! I bought the LE and the DVD yesterday and was glad to have the lyric book from the DVD to use, so I didn't mess up the LE book spine.

WTWCT - Classic FM, great tune!

Murrow-Raucous, raucous rock and roll! And I love the Ram Jam/Black Betty shout out!

Illume-I love the chanting and the rhythm, very Desert Angel-ish, in the way it's structured and doesn't really rhyme. Considering I HAVE Nag Champa incense and was burning it all day yesterday, the ChampRa thing bugs me too, but I'll get over it.

Thrown Down-best version I've heard yet! But I still like the wall of sound version too.

Miranda-I can TOTALLY see the porn star theme! OMG! Abused by her father, loves the camera, can't let anyone love her, "she sticks the camera right into her arm." As if the camera is her needle, her drug of choice the attention. It's actually a very dark, sad song, hidden behind an uptempo beat w/ a catchy chorus.
Red Rover- brilliant guitar work!

I adore SYW! I like the kids at the end. Since we know SN wrote it about CMV, it made me think about LB and his "cycles." That even though Chris has retired, the kids are like the next generation of singers...kinda taking her place in the song...I love it!

Peacekeeper- love it!

Come-WILD! Brilliant! It rocks! Have to be ready to turn down the volume at work....

Smile at You-prefer the angry demo, but I still love it

RTTG-Still too 80's sounding for my taste, but you can do the Flashdance "Maniac" thing to it really well!! Stevie's pronunciation of "towards" kinda bugs me. She says it like "two- wards," instead of "tords."

Silver Girl-hasn't really grown on me just yet, but it will.

SYHA-Love it, but you can barely hear CMV.

BTLH-See above

Everybody Finds Out-Okay, I'll have to start another thread to analyze this, but WOW! Nothing like Stevie's ever done. Are the horns at the end keyboard-horns? Probably....this will be the dance remix, definitely! Break out the disco ball!

Destiny Rules-adequate, not my fave. But it will grow on me. Reminds me of "Affairs of the Heart" on BTM.

Say Goodbye-speed talking 101

Goodbye Baby-a masterpiece, beautiful lullaby. I'm getting all verklempt now....(sniff)

BlueGrass · #2 04-16-2003, 02:03 PM

Keep in mined the only songs on hear I have heard before are the GOS ones and Thrown Down. I tried not to spoil myself...

Well, I brought the CD back to my friends and we played it through.

WTWCT is really a pleasant opener. I love how it starts off and Lindsey's "Uh hah's" @ the end.

Illume is a lil too much. I don't get what is up with her lyrics in some parts of the song. I love the percussion though.

The beat to Thrown Down is beautiful - all melodic and stuff

SYW is classic Mac, gotta love it

Peacekeeper - Such a well crafted song, it doesn't get played out

RTTG does not sound like it's from the 80s to me. I like it.

Silver Girl - Eh

Everybody Finds Out - It's one of those you can find me in da club songs. HOT

Say Goodbye - The GOS version is different - Lindsey mixed it differently - I'm getting use to it but I love it!

Goodbye Baby - Stevie sounds so soft, I didn't picture the song to come out like this though.

The GOS songs were already there, so that is prolly why I wasn't like "HOLY **** THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE!" I'm still trying to get use to Illume, Silver Girl and Smile @ You. Right now after a few solid listens through it is a great album.

Props to LB

DrummerDeanna · #3 04-16-2003, 02:07 PM

Wow....well, first off, I enjoyed reading the thread previous to this one...however I am not that analytical...at least not yet

haha...my first impression...well I was just speechless....but I love the album...it's different...and I love it....as always, I took a liking to Stevie's songs....Lindsey's I had to listen to a couple of times to "get it" and I also like them a lot now too....I do feel like there is something missing though...with the absence of CMV...BUT...the album is what it is...and I LOVE it!!!

Livia · #4 04-16-2003, 04:00 PM

Another thing I wanted to mention in my original post- that megaphone voice effect is SO overdone, at this point. It was cool 4-5 years ago, but I'm just so sick of hearing it. Maybe because I'm really into a lot of local Austin bands too, and nearly EVERYone has used that effect on their albums...

Livia · #5 04-16-2003, 04:26 PM

And another thing, about the liner notes: Would it have killed them to thank their patient fans who had to wait so long for a new album?

sara1998 · #6 04-16-2003, 05:09 PM

I haven't listened to ANYTHING else since yesterday @ 10:00am!
Lindsey Buckingham has been pent up for way too long... he has completely outdone himself, as has the others, but I'm really proud of Lindsey...

I love the whole damn album... I wasen't expecting anything like this.

WTWCT- great opener
Murrow- this rocks, though it still has some to grow on me
Illume- This is my complete fav on the album, I was sobbing BIG tears listening to this for the first time
Thrown Down- Beautifully done, this is my fav version
Miranda- Love it. It rocks! First time you hear it the chorus kinda takes you by suprise!!
SYW- I really like this now that I've heard it all the way through
Peacekeeper- Kinda burned out on this one already, but thats my own fault!
Come- naughty, naughty man!!

Some of the rest haven't quite grown on me yet. However, Goodbye Baby had me bawling too. She sounds like a Mother singing a lullaby...

I was so excited to finally hear this, I was shaking all the way home from the store... I was there 20 minutes before Best Buy opened, and, get this, the employees were in the parking lot, with a boom box blaring, and a volleyball net strung between 2 handicapped parking signs in the parking lot playing volleyball before they opened the store. I was crackin' up!

Maria

BlueGrass · #7 04-16-2003, 05:13 PM

Oh yeah, I forgot.

Lindsey has never come this hard on electric guitar. He has like three screeching guitar solos. First with Murrow which almost hurts my ears towards the end, then with Come, and then RTTG.

What do you guys think. I think he gave his best electrical performance ever, better than ISA, but prolly not GYOW.

Later

gypsysara · #8 04-16-2003, 05:18 PM

I love this album a lot, Im still forumulating my opinions about it but I admire the Mac for still rocking yet with a modern touch. Rover, Miranda, Thrown, SYW and Illume are my favourites to begin with.

Thrown Down... for me this song is being released at a time when personally... it has a huge meaning for me personally. So I got a bit teary eyed hearing it... even now, swallowing a lump thinking about him and the song.

sara1998 · #9 04-16-2003, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gypsysara
.Thrown Down... for me this song is being released at a time when personally... it has a huge meaning for me personally. So I got a bit teary eyed hearing it... even now, swallowing a lump thinking about him and the song.

I'm going through the same thing with this song... I know what you mean...

Maria

gypsysara · #10 04-16-2003, 05:36 PM

"everybody finds out" rings that same bell for me too right about now.

The woman cant be me, but it cant be her either... and Im thrown down about now.