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

MilanPan!c · 01-08-2010 5:03pm

ElaElaElano wrote: »

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

Yes, all songs are too long and there's too many of them, but it's a grower.

punchdrunk · 01-08-2010 7:08pm

anyone else hearing Blondie's heart of glass in "sprawl part II"

sleepyescapade · 01-08-2010 8:56pm

love love love this album!!!!!

jill_valentine · 01-08-2010 10:53pm

Everybody can agree it's a couple of songs too long, but I've yet to see any two people agree which couple of songs. I wouldn't give up Month of May or Wasted Hours for anything, although I'd happily bury Suburban War and City With No bloody Children.

Grew on me like a weird fungus, this did, I have to say. First rip did it no justice.

ElaElaElano · 02-08-2010 12:13am

jill_valentine wrote: »

Everybody can agree it's a couple of songs too long, but I've yet to see any two people agree which couple of songs. I wouldn't give up Month of May or Wasted Hours for anything, although I'd happily bury Suburban War and City With No bloody Children.

Grew on me like a weird fungus, this did, I have to say. First rip did it no justice.

You know I've spent all weekend trying to come up with a good 'grew on me like a...' analogy. Well played!

Also, Rococo is my new favourite song. (Subject to change- a lot).

iMuse · 02-08-2010 1:27am

I really hope the first Rip didnt put people off the album, It sounds really flat compared to the real thing. Sprawl 2 is my fave song on the album

jill_valentine · 02-08-2010 1:37am

I think the most recent promo for the Madison Square Garden webcast is probably a hint of what Terry Gilliam has planned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tROh21N1m7M

IamtheWalrus · 02-08-2010 10:17am

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"

Surely Pitchfork deserve citation here.

eclectichoney · 02-08-2010 10:48am

IamtheWalrus wrote: »

Surely Pitchfork deserve citation here.

???? Sorry?

Xavi6 · 02-08-2010 2:26pm

I'm underwhelmed and disappointed overall.

It's an average album, no more than a 6 out of 10, and not a patch on previous offerings. It starts off well, lulls massively in the middle, then picks up at the end. When it's good it's great but when it's bad it's awful, and quite boring.

Listenable but by no means a classic. I won't be revisiting it nearly as much as the last two albums unfortunately.

S.M.B. · 02-08-2010 2:42pm

eclectichoney wrote: »

???? Sorry?

pitchfork happened to mention the exact same thing in their review

eclectichoney · 02-08-2010 3:26pm

S.M.B. wrote: »

pitchfork happened to mention the exact same thing in their review

Oh - I honestly haven't even read it (I gave up on PF a long time ago), I was just thinking of the Roxanne drinking game thing. Fools seldom differ, eh?

S.M.B. · 02-08-2010 3:47pm

I believe you electichoney, but many wouldn't!!!

Still haven't fully digested The Suburbs myself.

eclectichoney · 02-08-2010 7:01pm

S.M.B. wrote: »

I believe you electichoney, but many wouldn't!!!

Still haven't fully digested The Suburbs myself.

Actually - just out of interest I checked the review on Pitchfork just now and it was only published on the 2nd August so they stole *my* line dammit! :mad::mad::D:D

IamtheWalrus · 02-08-2010 9:58pm

eclectichoney wrote: »

Actually - just out of interest I checked the review on Pitchfork just now and it was only published on the 2nd August so they stole *my* line dammit! :mad::mad::D:D

I stand corrected. I put Pitchfork before a boardsie. Shame on me.

FortuneChip · 02-08-2010 10:17pm

punchdrunk wrote: »

anyone else hearing Blondie's heart of glass in "sprawl part II"

I'll be showing this post to a mate that laughed at me for suggesting that!

punchdrunk · 02-08-2010 11:59pm

FortuneChip wrote: »

I'll be showing this post to a mate that laughed at me for suggesting that!

it so does! I knew i was wasn't crazy

IamtheWalrus · 03-08-2010 10:34am

FortuneChip wrote: »

I'll be showing this post to a mate that laughed at me for suggesting that!

Pitchfork also agrees.

johnny_ultimate · 03-08-2010 7:04pm

Just had a first listen there. This is a very rough first impression, but so far it seems to start off extremely well (first 5-6 songs), become a wee bit duller in the middle, and then ends extremely well.

Will have a few proper listens over the next day or two!

jill_valentine · 03-08-2010 7:10pm

The digital version bought direct from arcadefire.com has a built-in iTunes slideshow music video...thing in each song, to accompany each of the tracks. It was put together by the band and Vincent Morrisset, the guy who did the interactive music videos with them before.

It also has embedded links in each song related to various themes of the lyrics etc., so Deep Blue has a wiki link to Alan Turing, and Month of May has links to various pages about the stormy May weather of Montréal. Cool idea.

eclectichoney · 03-08-2010 7:46pm

IamtheWalrus wrote: »

Pitchfork also agrees.

Ah For god sake - did Pitchfork just copy this thread verbatim in their review or what like? :rolleyes: I knew there was a reason i don't bother reading it anymore.

It is a real pity that the album is so long - as there are definitely 4 or 5 decent tracks here, but as it is, the bad ones outweigh the good imo. If there were only ten or so tracks it would feel like a much better record.

KJF · 04-08-2010 10:40am

It's growing on me more and more with each additional listen.

Critics are loving it by all accounts
http://onesentencereview.com/music/arcade-fire-the-suburbs

Liathroidi Dana · 04-08-2010 3:08pm

I'm really loving this album so far. I agree it could do without a few songs in the middle, but everything else is exceptionally solid. My second favourite album after Neon Bible.

Just one question, is there much difference in terms of quality between the CD and the iTunes version (which I have)?

johnny_ultimate · 04-08-2010 3:14pm

I've just listened to it properly, and I'm very very impressed. The middle is still the weakest part, but it's a sprawling (heh), haunting album. Sprawl II is simply amazing, love the simple but effective lyrics: ""They heard me singing and they told me to stop. Quit these pretentious things and just puch the clock". The opening to Suburban War is win. I'd heard it before the album comes out, but the title track gets better with each listen. I even didn't mind Month of May with a lyric sheet in front of me! Perhaps overlong, but it's a powerful album IMO.

MikeHoncho · 04-08-2010 4:13pm

This is a top class album. Vastly superior to Neon Bible and almost as good as Funeral. I do agree its a little flabby in the mid section but in a day and age when a lot of albums will be called great for only having 2 or 3 decent songs this is totally forgivable. This album has 10 or more songs any band in the world would be proud to have written and recorded.

Its going straight in to my top 5 albums of the year so far anyway.

jill_valentine · 04-08-2010 11:23pm

The rumour seems to be early December.

Basq · 05-08-2010 12:02am

'Sprawl II' is just sublime.. a definite contender for song of the year!

Regine's vocals are stronger than ever on it!

calex71 · 05-08-2010 12:48am

I'm still hating it

Just doing nothing for me, guess my tastes are in the idfferent place than they were

foals · 05-08-2010 2:25am

anybody no wat time the live streaming on you tube of the madison square garden gig is . how do u watch it on you tube , arcade fire channel ?

jill_valentine · 05-08-2010 3:42am

You'll be able to watch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/ArcadeFireVEVO

They go on around 10pm New York time, which I'm told is 3am here? It should be available to rewatch afterwards for a bit anyway though.

S.M.B. · 05-08-2010 9:18am

jill_valentine wrote: »

The rumour seems to be early December.

The O2 for an Irish date is it? Wonder will it be the same in London....

KJF · 05-08-2010 1:44pm

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Just had a first listen there. This is a very rough first impression, but so far it seems to start off extremely well (first 5-6 songs), become a wee bit duller in the middle, and then ends extremely well.

Will have a few proper listens over the next day or two!

I'm on about listen no. 20 now and I have to disagree. I think the albums strongest songs are in the middle.

ElaElaElano · 05-08-2010 6:33pm

If anyone's interested, there's a complete guitar tab of the whole album (that was quick!) available here-

http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/a/arcade_fire/the_suburbs_album_crd.htm

There can't be more than six chords right the way through the album, very straightforward to play everything.

johnny_ultimate · 05-08-2010 10:44pm

I've decided I'm going to stay up for the stream.

Might regret it around four A.M., but I really want to hear Sprawl II performed as live as I can get right now :pac:

bigguy086 · 05-08-2010 11:02pm

the album is brilliant.
something thats annoying me though that someone might be able to tell me the answer. i got a "leak" last week and the leak was obviously terrible as it had the zane lowe preview of we used to wait on it and the first two tracks from funeral on it. there is a few other songs on it though that are actually not bad but ive no idea what they are. here is one of them in lyrics

Meet me down by the river
Meet me down by the river
Meet me down there
Don’t matter which river
Don’t matter which river
They’re all going somewhere
They’re all going somewhere
Just as long as you’re looking for me
I can be a good friend
And I can be a good lover
I can be a good lover
But I can’t do both of them
No I can’t do both
Just as long as you’re looking for me
Come stand in the water
Come stand in the water
Tell me that you don’t care
Shaking and shivering
Time is making jokes at my expense
Dancing in the river bend
Just as long as you’re looking for me
They’re all going somewhere

downloaded off itunes today and im loving it. just another reason why piracy wrecks my head is these songs appearing on this leak and ive no idea what they are haha!

jill_valentine · 06-08-2010 12:29am

One of the fake leaks circulating was by a band called Wildlife, maybe give them a bash?

MrSir · 06-08-2010 1:28am

Totally psyched about a this performance tonight! Well morning I guess.

iMuse · 06-08-2010 2:18am

Think ill stay up now, my sleeping pattern is well and truly fcuked anyway

johnny_ultimate · 06-08-2010 2:51am

Terry Gilliam ey? Impressive!

Banjo Fella · 06-08-2010 3:14am

I love this album, not too fond of City With No Children or Half Light II but otherwise I think it's great! Sprawl II is particularly amazing - they've achieved a great mix of their usual style and a more electronic, rhythmic, synth-infused sound, just as successfully as the way they mixed rich, orchestral parts with distorted, overdriven guitars on Funeral.

Month of May is brilliant, too. Love these lyrics;

"So young, so young
So much pain for someone so young, well
I know it's heavy, I know it ain't light
But how you gonna lift it with your arms folded tight?"

iMuse · 06-08-2010 3:23am

Stream crappy for anyone else, sound keeps going loud then quiet again.
Setlist so far:

1-Ready to start
2-Laika

johnny_ultimate · 06-08-2010 3:24am

iMuse wrote: »

Stream crappy for anyone else, sound keeps going loud then quiet again.
Setlist so far:
1-Ready to start
2-Laika

Yeah it's fluxing a bit - not a lot, but the occasional loud to quiet jump.

Owen Pallett = win.

Kold · 06-08-2010 3:30am

Holy random volume changes Batman. The bitrate is switching at will.

jill_valentine · 06-08-2010 3:48am

Stream has settled down a bit, but still patchy. Goddammit.

johnny_ultimate · 06-08-2010 3:53am

Fairly solid here after a dodgy start.

Kick ass concert though. Glad to see so many members on the stage, giving the songs a very strong kick. Crown of Love sounded spectacular.

johnny_ultimate · 06-08-2010 4:49am

Superb gig guys, definitely worth checking up when the sensible ones amongst you wake up

iMuse · 06-08-2010 4:51am

Great gig, worth staying up for

UnknownSpecies · 06-08-2010 4:51am

Yup definitely worth checking out, cant get enough of them

MrSir · 06-08-2010 4:52am

Wish I was there it was a great show.

jill_valentine · 06-08-2010 4:53am

I love those guys.

I uh, may have mentioned that before though. Sprawl II false start was hilarious.

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

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