Love or Hate?

DeadChannel · 10-12-2015, 12:28 PM

Thread should be re-titled to "True Love, Love, Like, Meh or Hate"

grindy · 10-12-2015, 12:29 PM

^catchy

Trollheart · 10-12-2015, 01:07 PM

Yeah I thought about that, but it's been going too long to change it now. I like it as it is.

YorkeDaddy · 10-12-2015, 07:59 PM

DEFINITELY change my Andrew Bird rec to the new Chvrches album then

Trollheart · 10-12-2015, 08:32 PM

OK, will do, but in fairness I was going to listen to Chvrches anyway, so I'm not sure it really counts, as it's probably going to be an automatic Blue or Green already...

Trollheart · 10-13-2015, 04:28 AM

Title: Figure 8
Artiste: Elliott Smith
Genre: Folk/Indie
Familiarity: I've heard one other album; didn't love it, didn't hate it. Don't understand the messianic status he gets from so many people here, I really don't.

1. Son of Sam: Like the wistful, folky tone of the opening anyway.Yeah, this is pretty good. Uptempo, cheerful sound for such lyrical matter.
2. Somebody that I used to know: This is just okay.
3. Junk bond trader: I like this one though; there's a kind of sense of menace about the beat. It sounds tougher somehow. The bells are great too.
4. Everything reminds me of her: This is just a bit too moany and self-indulgent, one of the things I dislike about the guy, from the admittedly little I've heard from him. This is probably why I hated that Sun Kil Moon album too: I'm not paying (well, I'm not, but that's beside the point) to hear you whine about how **** your life is, dude. (Sorry, I know he's dead, but he doesn't get a pass for that)
5. Everything means nothing to me: Beautiful piano; this is far far better. Not sure though why he decided to place two tracks with very similar titles one after the other? Really nice though. Oh, I take it back: the way it exploded at the end. That's getting a Blue!
6. L.A: Well, it was going to have to be something really special to top that last one, and this one ...isn't. I mean, it's okay, but it's no Special K, ya know?
7. In the lost and found (Honky Bach)/The Roost: Very much a Supertramp vibe to this one, like it. Lead out is good too.
8. Stupidity tries: This is quite good, like the hammering, punchy guitar allied to the more sort of dreamy sound of the synth. Great ending too. Puts me sort of in mind of Hannon.
9. Easy way out: Back to the somewhat whiny songs, though the kind of waltzy feel to the tune is nice, and there's a certain feel of Paul Simon in the vocal.
10. Wouldn't mama be proud: This one's okay, but just that.
11. Color bars: This is better.
12. Happiness/The Gondala Man: Nice kind of psychedelic meets the Beatles feel to this. Not bad.
13. Pretty Mary K: This actually sounds like very early Genesis. Weird. Plenty of Beatles there too.
14. I better be quiet now: As the title suggests, much more laidback and it's quite nice really. Again, I wonder if this and the next two tracks are meant to convey a message?
15. Can't make a sound: Starts off pretty basic acoustic but then kicks up rather well and I really quite like this one now.
16. Bye: Nice little echoey classical piano to end. Sweet.

End result: More or less as I expected. People will blast me, but I warned ya. I don't hate Smith but I don't love him, and I don't see why he gets the props he does. He was a great songwriter and a good singer, but so were tons of others. Why is he so much better than, say, Dan Fogelberg, David Gates or Neil Hannon? A good album, certainly, but it hasn't changed my mind about Smith, and this is what people seem unable to get: I don't hate him or think he's no good. I just don't get the worship, that's all.

So, Love or Hate? Under the new, less tolerant and more hardline regime, this can only get the very first Like. It's edging towards Love, but it never quite makes it.

Plainview · 10-13-2015, 08:03 PM

You may have already listened to Rainbow Grey... BUT, if not, possibly try the new one in my sig instead? Think you'll like it more, and obviously I always prefer feedback on my latest one as it's been a while since that release. No worries if not!

simplephysics · 10-13-2015, 08:13 PM

Figure 8 is not the album to give someone who is on the fence about liking Elliott Smith. Although I don't hate it, it's near the bottom of my list of the albums he's put out.

YorkeDaddy · 10-13-2015, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreadnaught

Figure 8 is not the album to give someone who is on the fence about liking Elliott Smith. Although I don't hate it, it's near the bottom of my list of the albums he's put out.

He already heard XO and was similarly lukewarm about it (for some reason)

So yeah I think it's safe to say the Trollheart-Elliott Smith experiment is an official failure

Trollheart · 10-14-2015, 10:44 AM

Title: Rainbow Grey
Artiste: The Deaf Aids
Genre: Electronic
Familiarity: I've heard one of their albums before; don't remember being impressed

1. Synthetic soul: Nice piano, nice beat but has that cutting-in-and-out thing that I hate and always upsets my ears. Getting into a kind of trancey groove now. Yeah it was okay but not really my thing, kind of lacking any real cohesive melody. Good for what it is though.
2. Lend me your ears: Nice piano on this, bass works in nicely too. Sampler effect? Also nice. Little too much warping though later on. Kind of ruins it for me. That fuzzy bass is good though. Can't honestly say I love it, can't honestly say I hate it. So my first Orange then on this album.
3. The hollow house: More guitar driven, when with a title like that I had expected echoey piano or droney synth. Hmm. Funky. But it doesn't suit the title. No, sir, it does not, noway nohow.
4. Limb from limb: I'm finding the music a little formless, to be honest. It's well played but in general it doesn't really go anywhere. This is a good example.
5. Rainbow grey: Nice phased guitar opening (I think) and it's a slower track. Some nice synth, almost Vangelisesque at times. Really nice track.
6. On tape: Love the acoustic guitar on this one, the handclaps, everything. Great track. Unfortunately he has to mix in some sampled phased weird stuff. Some nice electric guitar which sounds like a sitar
7. Everybody's special: Don't really like this; has no melody ... or does it? No, it doesn't.
8. Microwave dinner: No, really hate this. Grates on me.
9. Cheap trick: This is a good bit better. Some pretty cohesive stuff on it. Like the piano and the synth.
10. Lossless: This one's also not bad. Some nice phrases in the music but again it kind of leaps all over the place.

End result: This is why I hate reviewing music by people I know. It's often completely outside the kind of thing I enjoy, and then I have tpo be negatively critcal, which is something I don't like doing. However this is just not my cup of tea. No doubt there's talent there and I'm sure lots of you would and will enjoy it, but it's not for me.

So, Love or Hate? Just a Meh, I'm afraid. Not even enough Orange to get it a Like, but at least it wasn't a Hate...

10-12-2015, 12:29 PM	#1862 (permalink)
grindy . Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: . Posts: 7,201	^catchy __________________ *A smell of petroleum prevails throughout.*

10-12-2015, 01:07 PM	#1863 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	Yeah I thought about that, but it's been going too long to change it now. I like it as it is. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

10-12-2015, 08:32 PM	#1865 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	OK, will do, but in fairness I was going to listen to Chvrches anyway, so I'm not sure it really counts, as it's probably going to be an automatic Blue or Green already... __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

10-13-2015, 04:28 AM	#1866 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	Title: Figure 8 Artiste: Elliott Smith Genre: Folk/Indie Familiarity: I've heard one other album; didn't love it, didn't hate it. Don't understand the messianic status he gets from so many people here, I really don't. 1. Son of Sam: Like the wistful, folky tone of the opening anyway.Yeah, this is pretty good. Uptempo, cheerful sound for such lyrical matter. 2. Somebody that I used to know: This is just okay. 3. Junk bond trader: I like this one though; there's a kind of sense of menace about the beat. It sounds tougher somehow. The bells are great too. 4. Everything reminds me of her: This is just a bit too moany and self-indulgent, one of the things I dislike about the guy, from the admittedly little I've heard from him. This is probably why I hated that Sun Kil Moon album too: I'm not paying (well, I'm not, but that's beside the point) to hear you whine about how ** your life is, dude. (Sorry, I know he's dead, but he doesn't get a pass for that) 5. Everything means nothing to me: Beautiful piano; this is far far better. Not sure though why he decided to place two tracks with very similar titles one after the other? Really nice though. Oh, I take it back: the way it exploded at the end. That's getting a Blue! 6. L.A: Well, it was going to have to be something really special to top that last one, and this one ...isn't. I mean, it's okay, but it's no Special K, ya know? 7. In the lost and found (Honky Bach)/The Roost: Very much a Supertramp vibe to this one, like it. Lead out is good too. 8. Stupidity tries: This is quite good, like the hammering, punchy guitar allied to the more sort of dreamy sound of the synth. Great ending too. Puts me sort of in mind of Hannon. 9. Easy way out: Back to the somewhat whiny songs, though the kind of waltzy feel to the tune is nice, and there's a certain feel of Paul Simon in the vocal. 10. Wouldn't mama be proud: This one's okay, but just that. 11. Color bars: This is better. 12. Happiness/The Gondala Man: Nice kind of psychedelic meets the Beatles feel to this. Not bad. 13. Pretty Mary K: This actually sounds like very early Genesis. Weird. Plenty of Beatles there too. 14. I better be quiet now: As the title suggests, much more laidback and it's quite nice really. Again, I wonder if this and the next two tracks are meant to convey a message? 15. Can't make a sound: Starts off pretty basic acoustic but then kicks up rather well and I really quite like this one now. 16. Bye: Nice little echoey classical piano to end. Sweet. End result: More or less as I expected. People will blast me, but I warned ya. I don't hate Smith but I don't love him, and I don't see why he gets the props he does. He was a great songwriter and a good singer, but so were tons of others. Why is he so much better than, say, Dan Fogelberg, David Gates or Neil Hannon? A good album, certainly, but it hasn't changed my mind about Smith, and this is what people seem unable to get: I don't hate him or think he's no good. I just don't get the worship, that's all. So, Love or Hate? Under the new, less tolerant and more hardline regime, this can only get the very first Like*. It's edging towards Love, but it never quite makes it. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018*

10-14-2015, 10:44 AM	#1870 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,994	Title: Rainbow Grey Artiste: The Deaf Aids Genre: Electronic Familiarity: I've heard one of their albums before; don't remember being impressed 1. Synthetic soul: Nice piano, nice beat but has that cutting-in-and-out thing that I hate and always upsets my ears. Getting into a kind of trancey groove now. Yeah it was okay but not really my thing, kind of lacking any real cohesive melody. Good for what it is though. 2. Lend me your ears: Nice piano on this, bass works in nicely too. Sampler effect? Also nice. Little too much warping though later on. Kind of ruins it for me. That fuzzy bass is good though. Can't honestly say I love it, can't honestly say I hate it. So my first Orange then on this album. 3. The hollow house: More guitar driven, when with a title like that I had expected echoey piano or droney synth. Hmm. Funky. But it doesn't suit the title. No, sir, it does not, noway nohow. 4. Limb from limb: I'm finding the music a little formless, to be honest. It's well played but in general it doesn't really go anywhere. This is a good example. 5. Rainbow grey: Nice phased guitar opening (I think) and it's a slower track. Some nice synth, almost Vangelisesque at times. Really nice track. 6. On tape: Love the acoustic guitar on this one, the handclaps, everything. Great track. Unfortunately he has to mix in some sampled phased weird stuff. Some nice electric guitar which sounds like a sitar 7. Everybody's special: Don't really like this; has no melody ... or does it? No, it doesn't. 8. Microwave dinner: No, really hate this. Grates on me. 9. Cheap trick: This is a good bit better. Some pretty cohesive stuff on it. Like the piano and the synth. 10. Lossless: This one's also not bad. Some nice phrases in the music but again it kind of leaps all over the place. End result: This is why I hate reviewing music by people I know. It's often completely outside the kind of thing I enjoy, and then I have tpo be negatively critcal, which is something I don't like doing. However this is just not my cup of tea. No doubt there's talent there and I'm sure lots of you would and will enjoy it, but it's not for me. So, Love or Hate? Just a Meh, I'm afraid. Not even enough Orange to get it a Like, but at least it wasn't a Hate... __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

10-12-2015, 12:28 PM	#1861 (permalink)
DeadChannel Music Addict Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Canada Posts: 1,259	Thread should be re-titled to "True Love, Love, Like, Meh or Hate"