What do you think of the Album?

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Islandflyer
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Re: What do you think of the Album?

Post by Islandflyer » Sun May 25, 2014 8:01 pm

TheSquirrel wrote:Flesh And Blood could almost have come from Solace and Monsters could almost have come from Touch. The great thing is I like the pacing and the songs have an individuality of their own without everything sounding the same. She's back - albeit temporarily, but I'll settle for that. I argued a few years ago that Kate Miller Heidke's Nightflight is the album McLachlan should be making. Every track has a personality of its own. Shine On's occasionally a little too snoozy for my taste, but has some strong songs. Yeah she's back. Thank goodness.
Does that mean I'm not the only fan of Touch here? :lol: I like those songs too, Squirrel. They have that edgy quality so characteristic of her earlier work. And Monsters has that aura of mysteriousness that some of the Touch songs have. The Gothic "touch" so to speak. I really like Surrender and Certainty a lot, and Song for My Father has a kind of ethereal nature to it, along with lovely lyrics. The more pop-like songs I like less, but they're still good. Why do you think she's only "back" temporarily? Is she going someplace else? ;)

I'm hoping she plays the whole album in June so I can get a feel for the live sound of them all. Hopefully, at least one will be a solo. No backup singing or other instruments. Two solos would be fantastic!
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Re: What do you think of the Album?

Post by TheSquirrel » Sun May 25, 2014 8:57 pm

Islandflyer wrote: Does that mean I'm not the only fan of Touch here? :lol: I like those songs too, Squirrel. They have that edgy quality so characteristic of her earlier work. And Monsters has that aura of mysteriousness that some of the Touch songs have. The Gothic "touch" so to speak. I really like Surrender and Certainty a lot, and Song for My Father has a kind of ethereal nature to it, along with lovely lyrics. The more pop-like songs I like less, but they're still good. Why do you think she's only "back" temporarily? Is she going someplace else? ;)

I'm hoping she plays the whole album in June so I can get a feel for the live sound of them all. Hopefully, at least one will be a solo. No backup singing or other instruments. Two solos would be fantastic!
You're certainly not the only fan of Touch on here, I love it, but it certainly dates us. I have said too many times already how I far prefer her earlier edgy stuff to later mumsy comfortable middle aged stuff, although thinking of it like that is probably a misperception. Her songwriting from what she has said of it bears more resemblance to constipation or a hard pregnancy.

It doesn't come easy, and I had already considered her a spent force, so I'm delighted to see something worthwhile again. I'm surprised at the quality of the new material. It may just be a blip in a steady artistic decline, but it's better than I was expecting or even hoping. For me her last work of any note was Afterglow and that was 11 years ago. I had already lost interest, and was expecting nothing, but it's amazing what happens when something catches your ear and you love music. The switch got turned on again - "hang on this could be good."

It's easy to criticise and I'm a borderline troll at times, it's just that I consider her early material to be so good, I judge everyone and everything else by it, being my favourite music of all time. I end up being prejudiced, and my judgement twisted over how I reacted when I first heard her.

I have to admit she has irritated me ever since her lawyers sent the cease and desist mail to the last McaLchlan fan site. She usually has nothing new to promote, but continually appears on shows with the same thing (Angel) over and over and over and over. This from a person who is supposed to be a part time artist and have her own life, but she can't keep out of the public eye. Wish she would just shut up, disappear, spend some quality time with herself and her family, and write some decent songs, which is her job. The artist exasperates me, but the music moves me like no other.

I didn't want another FTE or Solace, but I did want to see the new one have some application, and sound as though she is at least enthusiastic about what she is doing, rather than fulfilling a contract. A different perspective for all those who loved LOI, is I'm too old and don't have the taste and am not open minded enough to accept an artist moving on and doing something different. It's all a matter of taste, and she still has legions of fans, so it could be simply an artist moving on, and some of the fans not accepting new material. This one appeals to my taste, and just like some of the old material, I think it's going to get better the more I listen to it.

Bottom line is it's good to enjoy her music again.
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Re: What do you think of the Album?

Post by Jessel » Thu Jun 05, 2014 3:24 am

Whoops I know I'm quite late to the party. Well, a month after it was released I finally gave the album a listen. So how's everyone doing? I bet some have moved on but I hope most of you are still here. I'm pretty much pre-occupied with work, life, and other interests but I haven't forgotten this board although it's sad that message boards are slowly dying out these days due to social media like Facebook, Twitter, et. al but there we go...

What's It Gonna Take is my favorite track - it could be because it was the first new Sarah song I heard in years and partly due to the fact that it was written for a musical (King Kong). There came a point in my life when I no longer find it easy to "connect" with new music (even by artists I used to adore) on a personal/spiritual level so I did the most sensible thing: switch genres. Musical theatre is something I'm comfortable with and not only did I feel the excitement whenever something new is in works but it also opened my mind to possibilities. I'm no longer that annoying, insufferable old fart of a music critic I used to be and nowadays I can pretty much tolerate and enjoy anything I hear with the exception of that ultimate craptastic cheesefest Gangnam Style lol.

Flesh & Blood and Monsters easily hooked me and needless to say, they're arguably the most edgy ones in my opinion. I'm betting those songs are Surfacing outtakes.

On the other hand, I felt like Sarah is in danger of sounding too country-ish in Broken Heart and Song For My Father. Not a bad thing I hasten to add; it's just not my scene.

As for The Sound That Love Makes ... gawd, that's got to be Sarah's cheesiest song to date. It's corny, chick-flicky, and fangirly - something that belongs in one of those Katherine Heigl and Amanda Seyfried movies but I admit I can't stop listening to it because it's fun and we all know that Sarah and the words "fun tune" have no business being in the same sentence haha. It's a breath of fresh air really. :)

Overall, I think its such a nice adult contemporary/pop album and as to whether Sarah changed for the better or worse is just a matter of perspective methinks. I know some are still hoping for the second coming of FTE but Sarah has moved on and she "matured" with her audience. She's no longer that brooding, angst-ridden 20-something chanteuse who penned some of the most brilliant 5-minute miracles I ever heard in my entire life; and let's face it, so are we. When I discovered her back then (circa '97/'98) the months that followed it were, in retrospect, the happiest days in my life since I discovered a plethora of music (inlcuding her contemporaries like Paula Cole & Shawn Colvin) that resonates with me on so many different levels but I'm no longer that person. I no longer have the same problems nor the same mindset - I'm a middle-aged person who is no longer operating on the same wavelength with teenagers/younger people. Seriously, the mere thought of me feeling misunderstood and being self-obsessed at my age would give me nothing but indigestion lol.

Okay, rant over. :)
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Re: What do you think of the Album?

Post by Islandflyer » Fri Jun 13, 2014 3:01 am

Jessel wrote:Whoops I know I'm quite late to the party. Well, a month after it was released I finally gave the album a listen. So how's everyone doing? I bet some have moved on but I hope most of you are still here. I'm pretty much pre-occupied with work, life, and other interests but I haven't forgotten this board although it's sad that message boards are slowly dying out these days due to social media like Facebook, Twitter, et. al but there we go...

What's It Gonna Take is my favorite track - it could be because it was the first new Sarah song I heard in years and partly due to the fact that it was written for a musical (King Kong). There came a point in my life when I no longer find it easy to "connect" with new music (even by artists I used to adore) on a personal/spiritual level so I did the most sensible thing: switch genres. Musical theatre is something I'm comfortable with and not only did I feel the excitement whenever something new is in works but it also opened my mind to possibilities. I'm no longer that annoying, insufferable old fart of a music critic I used to be and nowadays I can pretty much tolerate and enjoy anything I hear with the exception of that ultimate craptastic cheesefest Gangnam Style lol.

Flesh & Blood and Monsters easily hooked me and needless to say, they're arguably the most edgy ones in my opinion. I'm betting those songs are Surfacing outtakes.

On the other hand, I felt like Sarah is in danger of sounding too country-ish in Broken Heart and Song For My Father. Not a bad thing I hasten to add; it's just not my scene.

As for The Sound That Love Makes ... gawd, that's got to be Sarah's cheesiest song to date. It's corny, chick-flicky, and fangirly - something that belongs in one of those Katherine Heigl and Amanda Seyfried movies but I admit I can't stop listening to it because it's fun and we all know that Sarah and the words "fun tune" have no business being in the same sentence haha. It's a breath of fresh air really. :)

Overall, I think its such a nice adult contemporary/pop album and as to whether Sarah changed for the better or worse is just a matter of perspective methinks. I know some are still hoping for the second coming of FTE but Sarah has moved on and she "matured" with her audience. She's no longer that brooding, angst-ridden 20-something chanteuse who penned some of the most brilliant 5-minute miracles I ever heard in my entire life; and let's face it, so are we. When I discovered her back then (circa '97/'98) the months that followed it were, in retrospect, the happiest days in my life since I discovered a plethora of music (inlcuding her contemporaries like Paula Cole & Shawn Colvin) that resonates with me on so many different levels but I'm no longer that person. I no longer have the same problems nor the same mindset - I'm a middle-aged person who is no longer operating on the same wavelength with teenagers/younger people. Seriously, the mere thought of me feeling misunderstood and being self-obsessed at my age would give me nothing but indigestion lol.

Okay, rant over. :)
Keep ranting, Jessel! I was ambivalent about it at first, but it is growing on me slowly. :) Maybe she's just that "brooding, angst-ridden 40-something chanteuse" now, but she does still have that ability to reach right inside your head and turn a switch, at least with songs like Surrender and Certainty and Song for My Father.

Either that, or I'm just misinterpreting the subliminal messages I get. But for a middle-aged man to become suddenly interested in music of a younger generation like this one has shows she has, like all good writers, a certain power of persuasion that is irresistible. If one is willing to listen. Like with her earlier albums, I'm finding that the more I listen (not just hear) the more I take from the music, and the more I appreciate it and want to listen again.

At first I resisted it, thinking I "should" like it because, as a fan, I was "supposed" to. But I thought some of the sounds just had to much of a pop music sound. But the ones that don't, like the two I mentioned and Turn the Lights Down Low as well, are getting to me now. What's it Gonna Take I only heard last year briefly, but I did like the sound and feel of it. She does seem able to direct a song with a sharp focus when asked to. Whether it will stand on it's own like "I Will Remember You" only time will tell. Monsters has that "edginess" so reminiscent of many songs from the FTE era, and maybe Brink of Destruction does, too.

The other thing I discovered is that Sarah expresses herself best in live shows. Somehow the intense passion I hear in these old recordings is there, but more subdued in the albums. So I will find out in a week if that is true with Shine On. I'm hoping very much for some solos, which is where she is most brilliant.

Like you, I switched genres, becoming more interested in her style of music a couple of years ago. It does give one a different perspective. I was a jazz nut for years, but no artist moved me as deeply as Sarah's music does.

The bottom line is I'm sold on this album, but not on all the songs. And, The Sound That Love Makes is corny, you're right, but is nevertheless adorable. A bit of comic relief. :lol:
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Re: What do you think of the Album?

Post by Quincy » Fri Jul 11, 2014 8:02 pm

Hi Everybody,
I know I haven't been here for quite a while but I eventually downloaded the album, having spent a Saturday trailing round the shops only to find that you can't buy the physical CD here in the UK!! (Unless somebody knows different!)
I can't say that I was overly impressed at first, although I didn't help by only playing snippets and then putting it down. When I did sit and listen to it from start to finish it seemed to gel a little better. It didn't help that I played it on the anniversary of my fathers death. That really didn't do me any good at all.
It is starting to take shape more now, and given the concept behind the songs it was what I was expecting. I think that from a die-hard fans point of view, it's a good album, however, it won't bring many new fans into the fold. As for a favourite track, I really don't have one. They all sound pretty good, some songs have more meaning for me for sentimental reasons. All in all it's a nice album, more than a little safe and predictable, but nice anyway.

OK now I'm going to read what everybody else is thinking!!

Q

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Re: What do you think of the Album?

Post by RiverOfLove » Tue Jul 15, 2014 3:09 am

I thought her creative peak was Afterglow, and then came...the Christmas album and LOI. I had thought that the well had dried up. I like comfortable Sarah, but I like edgy Sarah even more.

This new album is on par with the first five albums, or her period from 1988-2003. It's almost as if she picked up right from there. Love Beside Me, Monsters, In Your Shoes...all great stuff. The Sound That Love Makes is almost a followup to Ice Cream.

It's easy to see why this album has gone gold. I don't think she'll ever outsell her early stuff, because she's not a new artist anymore...but for 2014, this is an excellent album. I'm looking forward to buying the vinyl copy to add to my CD and MP3 versions.
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Re: What do you think of the Album?

Post by Islandflyer » Thu Jul 17, 2014 4:30 am

RiverOfLove wrote:I thought her creative peak was Afterglow, and then came...the Christmas album and LOI. I had thought that the well had dried up. I like comfortable Sarah, but I like edgy Sarah even more.

This new album is on par with the first five albums, or her period from 1988-2003. It's almost as if she picked up right from there. Love Beside Me, Monsters, In Your Shoes...all great stuff. The Sound That Love Makes is almost a followup to Ice Cream.

It's easy to see why this album has gone gold. I don't think she'll ever outsell her early stuff, because she's not a new artist anymore...but for 2014, this is an excellent album. I'm looking forward to buying the vinyl copy to add to my CD and MP3 versions.
You've hit it right on. Pretty much what I've concluded, as well. The cutting edge is back, and the passion is too. Add to that Song for My Father, Brink of Destruction, Turn the Lights Down Low and Surrender and Certainty. The older songs she's playing are still edgy and have that passion, so they all fit together nicely.
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Re: What do you think of the Album?

Post by TheSquirrel » Wed Jul 23, 2014 1:29 am

Quincy wrote:Hi Everybody,
I know I haven't been here for quite a while but I eventually downloaded the album, having spent a Saturday trailing round the shops only to find that you can't buy the physical CD here in the UK!! (Unless somebody knows different!)
Q
I bought the cd a few weeks ago over here, so it must be available somewhere. FWIW I bought it at David's Music in Letchworth which is independent and not part of any chain.

Neither I nor my partner are optimistic about any live dates in Europe. Canada and USA are buying in droves, and that's where her bread is buttered. At least the album appears to have done well.
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Re: What do you think of the Album?

Post by Karine » Mon Sep 29, 2014 3:12 am

Finally, 4 months after its release, Shine On is mine!! :D
I bought my copy of the deluxe album today and I extracted the mp3 files from it (so I can also listen to the songs while I'm sitting in the bus). I can't believe it took me so long to get it :lol:
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Re: What do you think of the Album?

Post by Islandflyer » Mon Sep 29, 2014 3:36 am

Karine wrote:Finally, 4 months after its release, Shine On is mine!! :D
I bought my copy of the deluxe album today and I extracted the mp3 files from it (so I can also listen to the songs while I'm sitting in the bus). I can't believe it took me so long to get it :lol:
I thought you had the mp3's months ago "with a little help from your friends", Karine ;)

I guess it takes a long time for stuff to get to that Hudson's Bay trading post out there in the West by canoe, huh? What's it called, Montreal? :lol:

Hey, it takes even longer to get something to the West Coast, when it has to be shipped around Cape Horn on a clipper ship! :mrgreen:

If you got it from Amazon they do that for you, and it's automatically in the cloud (maybe not in the canoe, though :P ).
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