keazu
Oasis Roadie
Posts: 165
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Post by keazu on Oct 4, 2008 19:43:45 GMT -5
While I realize that this is a commonly expressed issue with the album, it still bugs me how the album lets down so much in the second half. Once Falling Down ends, its just all a tad droning. The songs stay too similar throughout (thats isnt to say each song is similar, rather that each one has little variation within itself.) Don't get me wrong though, I absolutely love the first seven songs, these last ones just irk me.
I dunno, TBWTL is okay, its good enough to be the beginning or end portion of the song, but I don't feel like it was strong enough to stretch out to four and a half minutes. There needed to be something else to break up the song. (like an earlier "dig out your soul" bit. Not that actual part, but some other part to break it up earlier.) Too much of the same for too long in this one.
AGN just really isn't a good song, I say. The rockiness of it never really comes together coherently, and just flat out gets dull by the second repition of the songs tagline. I believe in all should have replaced this one.
TNOR just wound up too slow and droning for all the potential it seemed to have to me. The initial beat is great, and the little guitar riffs in between verses were fantastic, but the verses themselves were just too bland and uninteresting. Really droning just seems to fit the song perfectly. Really quite a let down.
Oh man would I love to see what people see in Soldier On. It really has the same issues as TBWTL to me. It tries to extend a great basic verse into an entire song, and it just can't pull it off. I think Noel needed to get involved in this one, if it had some sort of chorus or verse to break up the song it could have been so good, but instead it tries to carry itself on the same basic arrangement thoughout. Its a damn shame.
You guys can agree with me or point out my flaws, I'd love to hear why this songs appeal to people so much. So help me out and let me know.
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Post by allinmymind on Oct 4, 2008 20:02:15 GMT -5
I love the second half, but the album sounds better as a whole ;D
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ozfan2
Oasis Roadie
Posts: 307
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Post by ozfan2 on Oct 4, 2008 21:42:12 GMT -5
Sorry, I really can't see it. I was waiting for the album to tail off but for me it doesn't.
I love the more experimental stuff.
No awesome album, very strong to the last second.
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Post by dazza68 on Oct 5, 2008 9:15:44 GMT -5
For me there's two problems. For Noel's songs the kitchen sink is thrown in along with a 50 piece choir for good measure. For most of the other tracks it’s down to the 10 quid toy sitar.
The other problem is that Noel disappears from events far too early, meaning there's no ebb and flow in the rest of the album.
Well, I can't do too much about the first point, but in this iPod era the second point is easily rectified.
Tracks 1 to 5 of course are sacred - one of the finest sides of music they've ever put together and a consistent song cycle unlike anything they've done before.
So to that problematic second half, which I’ve remade as follows:
6) To Be Where There's Life
7) (Get Off Your) High Horse Lady
8) Ain't Got Nothin'
9) Falling Down
10) Solider On
At the moment The Nature of Reality has been relegated to the level of a hidden bonus, but it is starting to grow and I may well reinstate it in the near future.
For me, this revised track listing flows a lot better. TBWTL for example takes on a new life as the entry point to the second half, almost like a later day Within Without You.
I also find the The Falling Down / Solider On paring at the end to be particularly effective. Noel's on a bit of a downer, only for the tables to be turned in Liam’s song, which basically says pull your socks up and get on with it. Dare I say it, almost a classic LennonMac Ying and Yang along the lines of It's Getting Better / Couldn't Get Much Worse.
The problem remains in the version with AGN'. I find the new version strangely muted when compared to the demo which I though really sounded great. I was tempted to slip in the demo, but that's probably taking things a little too far in maintaining the integrity of the album. In any case AGN sounds great on headphones, so there's a chance yet that it will win through.
Anyway, give it a try. It takes a little work to edit down some of the links, but ultimately its worth it - becomes a different album as far as I'm concerned.
Frustrating really, with a little more care and attention this really could have been the masterwork of their career, but the final execution has been a little sloppy in places. Nevertheless, in whatever form it’s still a very good album, and the bottom line is that I'm hard pressed to think of anything better that's come out this year.
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Post by joeymootz on Oct 5, 2008 11:20:45 GMT -5
These are all good points. Oasis has slightly suffered from a continuous "not as good" second half on every album since SOTSOG. Always. This always lets me down a bit. But only because i love them so much. Truth is, i'd still rather listen to a mediocre/poor second half of an Oasis album than any album by most other bands these days.
With that said, i want to say that DOYS (even the second half) beats DBTT for one simple reason. It's much more interesting and fun. Better, cooler, weirder production.
And the first half is just awsome! Bag it Up is incredible.
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Post by Moorish on Oct 5, 2008 11:35:38 GMT -5
Have to agree that the album tails off after Falling Down.
Q called it a terrible piece of sequencing to have FD happen at that point in the album, and they were right. The other tunes, Gem and Andy's in particular, should have been more spaced out on the record.
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Post by sloasis on Oct 5, 2008 11:38:08 GMT -5
Haven't heard it yet, but I would be quite ironic that the album starts to fall down after Falling Down.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 5, 2008 11:56:53 GMT -5
Because the first seven tracks flow so well together, I think it would be a shame to break that up, just to make the album more consistent. The latter tracks have their charm, but I like the head space the first seven put me in.
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Post by ugottahavefun on Oct 5, 2008 14:39:38 GMT -5
The TRacklisting was a shambles. BWTB and IBIA shoul've been there
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Post by Mogly on Oct 5, 2008 18:04:16 GMT -5
The TRacklisting was a shambles. BWTB and IBIA shoul've been there those two songs are b-side material, nothing more. They can't touch any of the songs that made the album. The second half is not half, more like a third... it's only the last 4 songs. I like all four songs, I think SO is a very good closer, but they obviously don't flow as well as the first 7 songs. Those first 7 songs are monsters. It's great song after great song. TBH I love the album the way it is. DM could've had Fade Away, It'¡s good to be free, Listen Up instead of Up in the Sky or Digsy's Diner. But people just don't think of that... The same goes for MG. |
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gem909
Oasis Roadie
Posts: 101
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Post by gem909 on Oct 5, 2008 22:28:32 GMT -5
the record is stunning i just dont get people and there griping about the second half of the record
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Post by themanwithnoname on Oct 6, 2008 4:09:06 GMT -5
Everything up to and including Falling Down is good, the rest is dire and really spoils what would otherwise be a pretty strong Oasis album.
Here's my tracklisting:
Bag It Up
The Turning
Waiting For The Rapture
The Shock Of The Lightning
I'm Outta Time
(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady
Falling Down
Boy With The Blues
To Be Where There's Life
(I Want To Live In A Dream) In My Record Machine
That's an awesome album and definitely their best since MG.
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Post by Unlikely Lad on Oct 6, 2008 8:14:29 GMT -5
Have to agree that the album tails off after Falling Down. Q called it a terrible piece of sequencing to have FD happen at that point in the album, and they were right. The other tunes, Gem and Andy's in particular, should have been more spaced out on the record. What rating have Q given it? |
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rpn101
Oasis Roadie
Dream it while you can, maybe someday I'll make you understand
Posts: 283
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Post by rpn101 on Oct 6, 2008 9:15:46 GMT -5
the bottom line is that not all 11 eleven songs on an album will be great.
In my opinion, DOYS has 8 (exc NOR, AGN and TBWTL), and in my view that's a fu#king good effort.
And all this talk of a crap second half is nonsense. the album is great until FD, and soldier on is great. so what people are basically talking about is the three songs between FD and Soldier on.
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Post by MEANSTREAK on Oct 6, 2008 9:23:31 GMT -5
I quite like the Nature of Reality, I don't think oasis have sounded so heavy since Fade In-Out. I dig the hard jamming distorsion every now and then.
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Post by chesterman on Oct 7, 2008 13:22:14 GMT -5
Tracks 1 to 5 of course are sacred - one of the finest sides of music they've ever put together and a consistent song cycle unlike anything they've done before. So to that problematic second half... I agree that the sequence of Tracks 1 though 5 is brilliant. However, in the days of "real" side twos, even the best of bands often struggled with the second side; both Hard Days Night and Help have some brilliant songs on side two (eg, Things We Said Today, It's Only Love, Yesterday) but their second sides as a whole aren't really nearly as good as their side ones. Dig Out Your Soul is no different there. Only difference is, in the CD/iPod era it ALL gets played rather than the needle coming off at the end of side one and people perhaps not turning the LP over quite as often, after the first few plays. Best side two ever? Technically its side four (Dylan cheated) and probably Sad Eyed Lady of The Lowlands on Blonde on Blonde. |
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Nov 4, 2024 5:04:30 GMT -5
Nov 4, 2024 5:04:30 GMT -5