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Post by spentbullets on Mar 28, 2009 17:31:40 GMT -5
because I feel like starting a thread while I'm bored at work
The album in earnest is a monster achievement. although it was a slow grower for me, it is now in almost constant rotation and not only on the stereo but also singing to myself when I have a chance alone heh
The show in March 08 was amazingingly tight and not at all the same experience as any TS show I'd been to prior. Front Street is a song that simply must be experienced live (and hopefully when Greg is on point). Although the cover tags were sparse compared to a TS gig, they were all well played and had great impact
My personal high points of the band are:
1 - Down the Line (amazing live cover that is easily matched on the studio recording, no small feat)
2 - Adorata EP (I wish they had recorded 10 more songs with the pure energy and joy of Flow Like a River and Duchess, they should definitely carry over this looseness onto the next record.)
and a couple low points (about the same song):
All Misery - they should have included this song on the Evening With... tour. it really would have been something else.
as for the song itself, an earlier interview with Greg that first mentioned the song and he claimed it was the best vocal he had ever heard from Mark, to which I say not hardly! Not at that time, and certainly not after such projects as Soulsavers and some of the moments on Bubblegum. So I can honestly say this song was the only major disappointment for me
Christopher
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Post by wheels132 on Mar 28, 2009 17:43:10 GMT -5
Nice thread man. I actually agree that All Misery is FAR from being one of Mark's best vocal performances - I was initially put off by it as well. However, I'm thinking that maybe Greg was talking more about Mark's delivery of the lyrics and not so much his voice. I personally love the song, it's like Mark's kind of spewing out poison as the song builds and gets more intense and dark. It we're talking GT, Seven Stories, Duchess, Bete Noire, and Who Will Lead Us have SUPERB Mark vocals.
I was fortunate enough to see GT twice while they toured, although I was NOT fortunate enough to see one of their acoustic shows. I do have some bootlegs though and they are phenomenal. I have to say the second GT show I saw back in Nov 08 was far better than the one I saw in Mar 08. Mark's vocals were turned up a lot more in the mix and the band seemed so much tighter, but I guess that's to be expected.
Saturnalia was one of the best albums of 08 to me. I can't wait to see what they come up with next. Although what I REALLY want now is a new Mark solo record. That would be the fuckin' tops. Some new Soulsavers news would be nice too......
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Post by manintheshadows on Mar 28, 2009 19:48:15 GMT -5
Great thread!
After such anticipation, it was always going to be difficult to deliver on years of promises. And I truly believe that Saturnalia pretty much delivered, which is no mean feat considering the weight of expectation. As a complete work, it flows beautifully from one song to the next and the album forms a great sum of its parts.
Live, I can say that I ws lucky enough to catch them five times (six if you include the Evening With... show) and whike the quality of the shows varied with the enthusiasm of the audiences (started on a high at Koko, went a bit odd in Birmingham, pretty dull at Shepherd's Bush, picked up loads in Sheffield and finished on a massive and emotional high at Union Chapel) but the band were in top form throughout, despite the occasional funny mood.
On All Misery, I can see where Greg's coming from - the lyrics might not be up there with the best but the delivery is so otherworldly (I remain convinced that the melody for this - like the midget blokey in Twin Peaks - was originally conceived in the opposite direction, such is the way that certain parts are phrased) that it really is astonishing.
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Post by trench on Mar 28, 2009 22:01:47 GMT -5
Couldn't agree more with what's been said so far, the delivery on "All Misery/Flowers is superb. It's an altogether fantastic album. And "Flow Like a River" and "Duchess" are my favourites from "Adorata", "Duchess" especially. Oh yeah, "St. James Infirmary", total gem.
Unfortunately I didn't get to see them live, gutted (no pun intended).
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Post by spentbullets on Mar 29, 2009 14:30:36 GMT -5
another point to discuss, a lot of these songs when performed live are much, much better than on record (Each to Each springs to mind) much more immediate to me. The same is true of alot of TS songs
ok, I don't dislike the song as far as the lyrics of All Misery, but the song as it is on the album sticks out like a sore thumb, as it was obviously recorded prior to the Saturnalia sessions (am I right? lemme know if I'm offbase)
on a related note, does anyone know when the cover songs that became Adorata were recorded? as in, recorded during a break on the tour, or at the same time as Saturnalia?
Christopher
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Post by Stephanie on Mar 29, 2009 14:40:26 GMT -5
I think of "All Misery" as the centerpiece of the album. It's certainly the song I play the most. I agree that in terms of Mark's ability to sing like a (fallen?) angel, it's not his most powerful moment as a vocalist, but I think I appreciate what Greg was saying in the sense that Mark's vocals create a very powerful effect and atmosphere on that song; I can't imagine the song without him on vox. (Nor can I imagine it without Greg's harmonies.) The effect of that song really hangs on the inflections of Mark's voice, on its worn, weary tone, its "rag and bone" timbre, that mysticism that comes across where it feels like he's already singing "from the other side."
"The Body" is the song I skip the most regularly, but that said, I don't dislike it. It's a poignant and atmospheric song that rewards multiple listens. But it's just so mellow and different from everything else on the album, I think it might have found a better home elsewhere. I'd personally have taken it off (though I think I understand why it was put on--it helps to bring out some of the heavier material on either side of it out through contrast) and put "Spanish Doors" on instead.
I think "Spanish Doors" could have easily been sequenced into the album without compromising the flow of the album. I'd probably put it in the last quarter of the album, perhaps between "Bete Noire," and "Each to Each," or perhaps right before "Front Street." I love "We Have Met Before" but I agree that it fit better on an EP than it would have on Saturnalia.
I definitely think this album will remain on regular rotation for me for a long time. I made a very strong personal and emotional connection to it but think that even regardless of that, it's just a very solid record. The musicianship, the arrangements, the vocals, the mixing and production, the lyrics, the whole vision and tone--it works on every level for me. As does the EP, which I wish was available on CD too. Ah well.
The first live GT show I attended (NYC 2/14/08) was transcendent. None of the three I attended following that show matched that first one in terms of mystery, emotional intensity, and energy, though they were all nonetheless remarkable shows. Perhaps the closest was the one they played in Washington, DC, in November. It was an absolute treat to get to see Afterhours as well.
I am grateful to the GT for giving me a soundtrack to a difficult year that brought out the beauty and mystery hidden in the pain. I'm grateful for it having drawn out some amazing songs and vocals from my favorite singer and songwriter. And I'm grateful for it having introduced me to Greg, of whom I am now a committed fan. I've also never felt as connected / related to a music fan community as I do the folks I've encountered who are fans of these guys.
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Post by spentbullets on Apr 17, 2009 21:32:25 GMT -5
I recently came up with a few more thoughts that I probably should have mentioned in my original posting:
Another definite high mark for the band was the KEXP performance of I Was in Love With You, with yet another one take vocal masterpiece from Mark, and you can hear the drum tight tension dripping off from Greg's voice on the same song. Probably because he was getting pissed that KEXP dropped the ball in regards to the soundmixing that afternoon..
alas another missed chance at greatness was when Greg took ill on the original Euro tour and the band had to cancel 2 FM radio show appearances. Part of me still feels a bit cheated when I think of how awesome a live studio take of say, Front Street or Each to Each would sound to these ears. Ah well.
Christopher
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