|
Post by scarredbyfallout on Jun 1, 2009 3:28:09 GMT
As we don't have a dedicated room for it yet, would anyone like to name thir favourite and least favourite Bachelor tracks?
As for the complete album, over all I like it. It's got a definite WITW feel about it in places, but with a touch more of the bombast that defined TMP. Definitely something to appreciate with time. It's something high quality, new and different, which is all we could have hoped for and everything we expected. Nicely done Patrick!
On first listen (this my be subject to change after I've listened a few times):
Best - Oblivion/Theseus Worst - Damaris
It's not that Damaris is bad, just got a little too much of that 80's cheese thing going on that kind of puts me off. I might appreciate it more upon later listening though, right now it just feels a little out of place on the album
When he sang Theseus live... God, it gave me shivers. I do love that song
It's always hard for me to do things like this, hehe. I think an album can only truly be appreciated as a complete piece of work, rather than a collection of them. It's the sign of a truly memorable work if you think of the album before you think of any particular song.
Also, what's the deal with the AWFUL spelling mistakes on the downloads? Hardly professional, Bandstocks.
As a side note, Blackdown and The Sun Is Often Out complement one another particularly well
Edit: Here's me changing my mind already! Replace Oblivion with Messenger. Lyrically, i'm rather liking that one.
|
|
kristian
Apparition
twitter.com/KangTeng
Posts: 42
|
Post by kristian on Jun 1, 2009 3:51:35 GMT
Thanks for opening this thread - I like the album a lot ... right now I would place it right after WITW, which probably will remain my favorite. As for my favorite tracks, I would say Oblivion (love the whole song, but Tilda is awesome!) and Damaris (that's how tastes can differ, I guess ... it's just so ear-catching and great) Least favorite is probably Count the Casualty. But I already know that those will change really soon ;-) Overall, I'm so happy the album is finally out and I have to say that I love it!
|
|
|
Post by patty (candelia) on Jun 1, 2009 5:03:20 GMT
i have a first listen now and damaris is definitely not my favorite,
thickets is exceptional and battle is rock'n'roll yeahhhh love it, for the rest i need more time to decide but the whole album sounds pretty good. very different from previous albums but i guess that's what makes it interesting!
oh and the messenger (start previously heard in one of his chapter video) is lovely.
|
|
vanillacat
Libertine
For today I am a wild creature, and tomorrow I will be lost again
Posts: 74
|
Post by vanillacat on Jun 1, 2009 8:37:34 GMT
I guess this thread is irrelevant to me, since I already listened to the album *sheepish* But yeah, I'm hoping that when I receive the CD today, I will view the album in a whole new light, in all its stereo glory! It's not a bad album so far, but maybe it requires some oomph that laptop speakers simply cannot provide
|
|
|
Post by patty (candelia) on Jun 1, 2009 9:11:05 GMT
i use technics headphones (right left well adjusted) with my laptop so the quality is pretty good. and after a few listenings, the album is more than "pretty good".
|
|
|
Post by Zurich80 on Jun 1, 2009 9:19:34 GMT
It's a maagnificent album. In every way. Each track has its own rewards, which it continues to give with every listen. For me, WITW is still top, The Bachelor is second, BUT .... has the potential to pass it. A stunning work, well done Patrick.
|
|
|
Post by cmj on Jun 1, 2009 9:40:37 GMT
Yet another thread about the new album? If we're going for favourite/least favourite tracks then;
Best; The Bachelor. Easily. It's one of my songs of the year and is one of the few songs that are up there with his previous work. Also The Sun Is Often Out, but I don't think it would have the same effect if I didn't know what it was about. Worst; The Messenger. It just completely passes me by. It's not so much I don't like it as I don't even notice it. It's just boring. Patrick said he wrote it when he was fourteen and I'm really not surprised. Other than that I don't particularly like Hard Times either; I think I overplayed it too much before I got the album and now it grates on me. Battle doesn't fit particularly well into the album either. It sounds out of place, but I'll forgive it for being the best new song live (much to my surprise, in all honesty).
|
|
|
Post by katherine☮ on Jun 1, 2009 10:40:05 GMT
my first impression: i really like it, a lot more than when i listened on myspace. best song/s: Kriegsspiel, such a good opening! Hard Times, Oblivion,Count The Casualty, Battle (really wasn't expecting to like that!) these are subject to change, a lot. worst song: Damaris, when i heard him sing it at the tate modern i loved it, its such a lovely song really, but the beginning just reminds me of titanic too much and it does sound a tiny bit cheesy with the choir singing 'rise up'. its listenable though. but yeah, the songs i like are the ones i was least expecting to, and the ones i don't like were the ones i was expecting to like. there's so much variety in this album compared to others though, i think everyone who hears it will like at least one song. well done patrick!
|
|
|
Post by jadeface on Jun 1, 2009 10:52:01 GMT
I don't really know what to say about it. I love that it's very different to all his other CD's. I'll write a bit about each track. Hard Times is one of the catchiest for me, I listened to it just once a few weeks ago and I had it in my head for days. Oblivion I like quite a lot, but I know it's not my favourite, not just yet anyway. The Bachelor is the one I loved from the first time I heard it, and I think this will be the strongest on the album for me always. Damaris isn't terrible, I do quite like it, I think that maybe it just didn't need so much work on it as maybe he thought? I think it works well as a very stripped down song, much more powerful that way. But what the hell, he's trying out new things and I can't slate him for it. Thickets feels very traditional, I like it, but I haven't listened to it enough yet. Count The Casualty; now I don't really know what it is, but why does the string part sort of remind me of Linkin Park near the beginning? Patrick I'm really sorry haha. I think it's just the way it's been recorded, but it just reminds me of something they'd put in their music. I like it better when the string changes towards the end. But I don't hate it, it's quite a good song. Who Will, it's just an all around nice song and you can tell it means a lot to him. Vulture has grown on me loads! It's the sort of thing I'd like to dance to when I go out. Blackdown is lovely lovely lovely. The Sun Is Often Out is another favourite. I guess I just seem to go for the songs that strike something with me emotionally, or I somehow identify with. And this one really does, it's a difficult song to have made and I really respect him for it. Something in Theseus sort of strikes something with me, and even though I'm still not sure about Tilda Swinton's narration I still love it a lot. At the beginning when it's very silent, is my favourite thing about it though, and I sort of wish it was like that the whole way through, like when he performed it live when I saw him last. Battle still scares me but in a good way, maybe. But it's like he's cut out all the low frequencies in his voice so I think it cuts through me. But I also think he's done it for just that reason. I think The Messenger might grow, it does feel like he wrote it a long time ago, and some of it feels similar to Lycanthropy. It has something in it I'm sure. I think I need more time to listen to it over and over. But I'm happy with it and I'm excited for his next album because it will be a huge contrast to this one, and I think his whole outlook will be less dark as he's said in that faceculture interview.
|
|
|
Post by dee on Jun 1, 2009 11:56:56 GMT
I'm loving Hard Times, The Bachelor and The Sun Is Often Out. There no tracks that I particularly dislike but some stand out more than others
|
|
|
Post by dot on Jun 1, 2009 12:27:41 GMT
At the moment my favourite is The Sun is Often Out and my least favourite is Battle. I suspect my favourite will change as time goes on, though I think battle will remain my least favourite.
|
|
|
Post by Talia_sometimes on Jun 1, 2009 12:52:10 GMT
I love it. Its beautiful. I went down to HMV at lunch time and picked it up. faves are probably (It doesnt seem in trend to like this, but...) Damaris, the sun is often out, Blackdown, Who Will and THESEUS. Dear Lord theseus is divine. I nearly wet myself listening to it. Like...down my leg. Fixated.
Not toooo struck on Battle, but it was a highlight of the live show! Probably need to listen to count of casualty a bit more as it hasn't struck me yet.
FAB
|
|
|
Post by Lanuit on Jun 1, 2009 12:57:27 GMT
My 4 favourite tracks are Count Of Casualty, The Messenger, The Sun Is Often Out and Theseus. I love the bit in Count Of Casualty near the end where the bars are counted. '1,2,3,4'. I also love the start of The Messenger. I like Blackdown but I do feel a little bit uncomfortable listening to it sometimes because It's so personal. For some reason I don't feel awkward listening To The Sun Is Often out though. It's strange but with Blackdown I feel like I shouldn't be listening to it and it's not for me to hear. I do really love the album though.
|
|
|
Post by papilioulysses on Jun 1, 2009 13:16:30 GMT
pw_official AT LAST! The Bachelor has been released upon the UK! Just went to HMV to see it sitting on the shelves.. Cant believe its my fourth! Joy x p 6 minutes ago from web
|
|
|
Post by scarredbyfallout on Jun 1, 2009 13:25:41 GMT
Yay! ;D
|
|
|
Post by Zurich80 on Jun 1, 2009 13:31:19 GMT
Ok, for me best songs are 1) Damaris (A melodic and touching masterpiece ). 2) The Messenger (Beautiful instrumentation). 3) Count Of Casualty (Intense emotional track). 4) Blackdown (Simply gorgeous). Worst at the moment are 1) Battle. (works well live though) 2) Vulture (horrible bedroom electro babble). 3) Hard Times (features nothing but a 4 note viola riff). Most will grow on me, but I'll forever skip Vulture and Hard times. Nowt in those tracks for me.
|
|
|
Post by scarredbyfallout on Jun 1, 2009 13:33:51 GMT
Oops, just realised this got moved. Sorry, wasn't thinking!
|
|
|
Post by Emelie on Jun 1, 2009 14:16:33 GMT
favourites: Hard times, count the casuality, battle and Oblivion.
Haven't listened to Blackdown and Theseus yet though
|
|
Chris
Libertine
Posts: 85
|
Post by Chris on Jun 1, 2009 16:27:55 GMT
I'm loving 'The Bachelor'.
For me, I love most of the songs on there but the ones that stand out the most for me are;
Blackdown: Such a beautiful song with a haunting melody. The string and Irish whistle part at the end of it really lifts the whole thing up and makes it really stirring. It contrasts with the beginning bit but in a good way; it emphasises the emotion of it. Its a very uplifting track I think.
Theseus: I found this one really inspirational... I think the narration at the start of it works well, the voice of hope reminding me a bit of one of those ancient greek oracles; tying well in with the Theseus metaphor. I love the lyrics and the way the music builds up and swells as well.
Damaris is growing on me on as well. The only song I'm not too keen on at the moment is The Messenger.
|
|
|
Post by scarredbyfallout on Jun 1, 2009 17:08:56 GMT
Having listenened to Damaris a few more times, I can see why people like it it, lyrically it's good. I think the problem I have with it is that it's a bit over blown musically. Some of the instrumentation sounds almost forced, it come across almost like a dodgy 80's teen movie soundtrack in places. It would imagine it would sound much better if it was stripped down and some of the extraneous stuff taken out. The choir towards the end is a bit needless and actually seems to drown out some of the power of Patricks own voice, the strings are overused, losing some of the impact they have in other songs, and there's an electronic bit that is sort of in the back ground most of the way through it that makes it sound like a Simple Minds song!
I'm not really a musical expert, these are just my opinions, and I'm sure there were very good reasons for it being made the way it was, but it just doesn't work as well as the rest of the album does for me. Still, as I've said before, even at his worst Patricks still great. The lyrics for Damaris are very good and it's not a bad song even as it is.
|
|