Arcade Fire - Mega Superthread. All gig/new album discussion.

KnifeWRENCH · 24-07-2010 6:15pm

So far have listened to "Ready To Start", "Empty Room" and "Month of May".

Really liking what I've heard so far!

calex71 · 24-07-2010 11:49pm

Not liking this at all 3 or 4 listens and empty room is they only song I would call good.

It's for me them using different sounds over the same bass and drums doing the same thing they have done the 1st two times only they have been caught out this time, and it's not that good. Just my opinion on 3 listens , no need to shoot :eek: For the record I was a big fan until this but .........

Edit: What annoys me not just about this or even fanboys is the media and people in general about bands like this , "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh it's Arcade Fire or X band we have to say it's good, least we be smote from onhigh for saying otherwise." I came to this with an open mind after not really liking the 1st 4 leaked songs and came away only liking empty room and the sprawl II

SK1979 · 25-07-2010 12:05am

calex71 wrote: »

Not liking this at all 3 or 4 listens and empty room is they only song I would call good.

It's for me them using different sounds over the same bass and drums doing the same thing they have done the 1st two times only they have been caught out this time, and it's not that good. Just my opinion on 3 listens , no need to shoot :eek: For the record I was a big fan until this but .........

Edit: What annoys me not just about this or even fanboys is the media and people in general about bands like this , "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh it's Arcade Fire or X band we have to say it's good, least we be smote from unhigh for saying otherwise." I came to this with an open mind after not really likng the 1st 4 leaked songs and came away only liking empty room and the sprawl

I think its ok for you to have this opinion of the album. Personally I've only been able to listen to it through twice so far but I already like at least 5 of the tracks immensely. I expect to like more after another couple of listens.

Your point about critics etc liking the album for the sake of losing cred etc elsewhere is the same point that can always be made against any critically successful band. At the end of the day music is subjective, I do like Arcade Fire and from what I've heard of this album I really like it again. The fact that there are more tracks here will immediately infer more "lesser" tracks than both the very tight other albums.

MilanPan!c · 25-07-2010 12:06am

Still holding out hopes that it'll sound better in full CD quality, but at this point the only real classic track for me is track two...

FortuneChip · 25-07-2010 9:47am

I've given it a few listens now, and it's definitely got a couple of duds, but there's four or five songs that I'm enjoying. One or two songs sound a little too similar to previous tracks though.

eclectichoney · 25-07-2010 10:08am

I have only listened a few times but the mid-section sounds very samey to me??? I really do think it is too long to be honest, a few tracks should have been cut to tighten it up, it sprawls in a directionless way too much for my liking (excuse the pun

).

Track 2 seems the best thing on it to me, seems a good track alright. But I'm finding a lot of it is way too overdone for me, and at times it seems a bit contrived. It's hard to believe this is the same band who made Tunnels (which is still a great track in my mind)

ElaElaElano · 25-07-2010 1:33pm

Agree with that eclectichoney, I think what jumps out the most in that respect is the drums...five or six songs seem to have exactly the same beat that makes the middle drag on a little bit. There are still some great tracks though, I'm loving 'empty room' and 'ready to start' in particular.

The Pontiac · 25-07-2010 2:04pm

God I think it awful. On my third listen now and it's getting torturous. 'Ready to Start' is indeed ok, but sounds like an outtake from the Funeral album. The title track is good but even that gets a bit boring too fast after a few listens. 'We Used to Wait' is my favourite, and the rest are rubbish IMO.

Think I'll put on Neon Bible now.

MilanPan!c · 25-07-2010 7:42pm

Glad to see I'm not alone in the RTS love...

very strange how the critical reaction is so different to the fan one... not just here either...

http://www.ateaseweb.com/mb/index.php?showtopic=235087240&st=0

http://www.ateaseweb.com/mb/index.php?showtopic=235087189&st=160&start=160

and check out the rococo "remix:

http://www.ateaseweb.com/mb/index.php?s=&showtopic=235051085&view=findpost&p=6015938

jill_valentine · 25-07-2010 11:26pm

To be fair, Atease users don't like anything. I mean, they don't even like Radiohead.

[Long Story Short]

I take your point, and it's a good one, but anyway, Atease is not the most objective source on the subject.

As for The Suburbs, I'm enjoying it, but think it desperately needs to lose two or three songs. Sprawl II is cracking, but it looks a bit embarrassed next to Sprawl I for instance. Didn't blow me away, but it's growing on me.

MilanPan!c · 25-07-2010 11:36pm

jill_valentine wrote: »

To be fair, Atease users don't like anything. I mean, they don't even like Radiohead. 7

All joking aside, and this will sound ridiculous, it's worth mentioning that Atease has a particular bee in their bonnet about Arcade Fire. I mentioned that I moderate Arcade Fire's forums, and one of fun things that involves is tidying up Atease trolling and sockpuppet accounts. I'm not sure how it started, but there's something of a "friendly rivalry" between the two boards. It's like the world's lamest retelling of West Side Story.

I take your point, and it's a good one, but anyway, Atease is not the most objective source on the subject.

As for The Suburbs, I'm enjoying it, but think it desperately needs to lose two or three songs. Sprawl II is cracking, but it looks a bit embarrassed next to Sprawl I for instance. Didn't blow me away, but it's growing on me.

All fair points, but still... I went through all three AF records being an ateaser and this reaction seems a lot more negative... I'm hoping it'll grow on me though. I really am.

jill_valentine · 26-07-2010 4:55am

City With No Children is abrasively horrible to my ears, so I deleted it from my MP3 player, and I gotta say, my experience of the album improved immeasurably as a result. It is definitely a nothing-nothing-nothing-nothing-CLICK! kind of disc, IMHO, and the tedious nerd aspect of me loves Deep Blue to bits just at the minute.

homerun_homer · 27-07-2010 10:48am

Nearing the end of my first listen now. Enjoying thealbum, will need to take it in over a few listens. I knew after seeing the tracklist that the album was gonna be too long.
Long albums are a tough nut to crack, I presumed some songs might be minute long stop-gaps but after seeing the NME track by track I realised they'd all be full songs - 16 is too many for even the best of bands (which they are one for me). I'm sure even the naysayers on this board would find a great album in choosing just 10-12 songs and cutting out their own filler, but that's not how a great album should work.

Sprawl II is on at the minute, it's great!!

eclectichoney · 27-07-2010 11:01am

Anyone else getting the feeling that this record is made for an Arcade Fire drinking game?? Take a shot every time they sing the word "Kids"

jill_valentine · 27-07-2010 5:58pm

It's worth saying that the original leak, although it was labelled 320, was a transcode of a transcode - so if you are going to be bould and wrap your ears around it early, make sure it's the vinyl rip that's now doing the rounds.

That stuff doesn't normally bother me, but the difference is significant, the strings and backing vocals are more or less nonexistant in the former, and they bring the latter to life. The vinyl track order is slightly different too.

dylbert · 27-07-2010 8:04pm

eclectichoney wrote: »

Anyone else getting the feeling that this record is made for an Arcade Fire drinking game?? Take a shot every time they sing the word "Kids"

And take two every time you hear "Suburbs", I'm pissed already :P

I'm halfway through my second listen now, I agree that the middle sounds samey but theres some great tracks on it, think it's a grower, can't wait to hear it in CD quality.

S.M.B. · 28-07-2010 9:08am

My pre-order CD is on its way!

MilanPan!c · 28-07-2010 5:36pm

jill_valentine wrote: »

It's worth saying that the original leak, although it was labelled 320, was a transcode of a transcode - so if you are going to be bould and wrap your ears around it early, make sure it's the vinyl rip that's now doing the rounds.

That stuff doesn't normally bother me, but the difference is significant, the strings and backing vocals are more or less nonexistant in the former, and they bring the latter to life. The vinyl track order is slightly different too.

+100

jill_valentine · 28-07-2010 9:52pm

Incidentally, the easiest way to spot the difference is that the vinyl rip will have Suburban War as the second last track, rather than Sprawl II.

S.M.B. · 29-07-2010 10:23am

Sweet, I have the poorer rip. I'm hoping to have the CD by the time I get home this evening.

SK1979 · 30-07-2010 11:44pm

Sprawl 2 and We Used to Wait are massive "growers".

Getting into this album more and more.

Sprawl 2 is a crazy track, but its up there with my favourite track from them ever.

The Pontiac · 31-07-2010 7:05pm

I'm starting to really like this album now.:o Was reorganising my music on my laptop today and just hit 'Empty Room' and said to myself "That's a great track", so ended up listening to the rest of it and blimey there's some bloody great tracks on it. "We Used to Wait' is sheer class!! It's perhaps a little long alright, so it might have been a good idea to lose a few tracks..maybe just 3 or 4 though??

It's also a fairly powerful album so I'd agree that a good copy (and a good system) is imperative. Jesus, delighted I gave it another go now. I had a rotten hangover on first listen, so maybe it was a bit heavy going for the head. lol

thorbarry · 31-07-2010 9:18pm

im trying to rip this CD to my computer, how can Windows media player not recognize it :S

The Pontiac · 01-08-2010 1:22am

thorbarry wrote: »

im trying to rip this CD to my computer, how can Windows media player not recognize it :S

Delete Windows Media Player and download Media Monkey. Trust me, Windows MP is a piece of shít.

thorbarry · 01-08-2010 10:27am

<Ollie> wrote: »

Delete Windows Media Player and download Media Monkey. Trust me, Windows MP is a piece of shít.

Media Monkey eh, i'll give it a try. Thing is, I dont use windows media for anything except for ripping CD's. I use winamp for listening

thorbarry · 01-08-2010 1:17pm

thorbarry wrote: »

Media Monkey eh, i'll give it a try.

hahaha i love it, media monkey is awesome

MilanPan!c · 01-08-2010 3:36pm

Much prefer Foobar as a media player. .. Best there is.

Also dbpoweramp is a GREAT ripper/converter.

eclectichoney · 01-08-2010 3:50pm

MilanPan!c wrote: »

Much prefer Foobar as a media player. .. Best there is.

Also dbpoweramp is a GREAT ripper/converter.

Milan - I have found my soulmate!

+1 for Foobar and + 1 for DBPoweramp (I don't think the latter is free, but well worth the $20 or whatever - been using it for years now)

In relation to The Suburbs - I think it would be a much better album if City with no Children, Wasted Hours and Month of May were chopped out.

thorbarry · 01-08-2010 4:26pm

eclectichoney wrote: »

In relation to The Suburbs - I think it would be a much better album if City with no Children, Wasted Hours and Month of May were chopped out.

Gotta say, i love month of may, cant get it out of my head. So far the album is really growing on me

ElaElaElano · 01-08-2010 5:00pm

Agree with everyone, it's a real grower. Still definitely feel the midsection is too repetitive but it does get better with every listen.

Arcade Fire - Mega Superthread. All gig/new album discussion.

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