"Whole Lotta Nothin" video + Dale Westerberg

[hudson99]

Mar 12, 2016 13:55:50 GMT -5 TomT said:

Mar 12, 2016 13:13:50 GMT -5 Veets said:

This thread seems incomplete without some criticism of bass and vocals. Any takers, or shall I start?

I really dig his bass line on Little People. That song has potential to be amazing on tour. It's Juliana with the solo if you didn't know. But I know you guys know. Geeks from the dork forest unite.

I wasn't sure about the vocals on Dance to the Fight but that song has really grown on me. She's basically doing The Donnas. And that slightly late guitar and the horn fills are great. A great rocker I hope to see live also.

Oooooh the Donnas is a good call.

[ClamsCasino]

Mar 12, 2016 13:55:50 GMT -5 TomT said:

It's Juliana with the solo if you didn't know. But I know you guys know.

Paul was just joking about that. That's him on the solo in Little People.

[Schecky]

yeah, I'm kinda over the punching the clock kinda drumming.
There's a reason the Clash were the best with Topper. A talented drummer can make all the difference.

[patty]

Veets: This thread seems incomplete without some criticism of bass and vocals. Any takers, or shall I start?

I'm happy to start..his vocals sound weak. As much as I wanted to love it, because everyone else does, 'Hands Together' is too long, says very little and the lyrics are slightly corny, 'danced with Garbo' is just a cringe worthy line. It is a male version of the song, 'I've never been to me' that awful saccharine hit by Charlene.
Forget the JH vocals- 'Dance to the Fight' is just a terrible song. Yes, their vocals do blend together but not in some groundbreaking amazing way. It's a record that will just go Pfffttttttt....when all the fuss dies down.

[twicks1]

I will dare (heh) to say that Paul's whiny vocal on "Back" actually ruins what is a really strong song otherwise.

[teddinard]

Mar 13, 2016 3:49:26 GMT -5 patty said:

Veets: This thread seems incomplete without some criticism of bass and vocals. Any takers, or shall I start?

I'm happy to start..his vocals sound weak. As much as I wanted to love it, because everyone else does, 'Hands Together' is too long, says very little and the lyrics are slightly corny, 'danced with Garbo' is just a cringe worthy line. It is a male version of the song, 'I've never been to me' that awful saccharine hit by Charlene.
Forget the JH vocals- 'Dance to the Fight' is just a terrible song. Yes, their vocals do blend together but not in some groundbreaking amazing way. It's a record that will just go Pfffttttttt....when all the fuss dies down.

I don't see a problem with the Garbo line, especially as it follows the line about Ty Cobb's funeral. These are disconnected images that don't give up their significance with anything like the corny obviousness of that "Never Been to Me" song. It's hard even to tell if they're just self-deprecating or full-on despairing.

It's more like a dream or string of fantasies that sound as if the singer's been half asleep watching late-night TV, which makes sense since the whole song is about a kind of isolated, domestic desperation. Climbing the stairs comes next.

And I like "Dance to the Fight." It's a raucous, daffy song about college kids doggedly determined to be debauched. "Drunken, flunkin' out" is funny, as is "Got a problem, runnin' outta cups,/I don't care, I got the test results." Heh. Like it, it's a fun song about trying a little too hard not to care.

And I think the fact that "Back" is sung a little too high, out of Westerberg's natural range, makes it more poignant. The strain of the vocal works very well for me.

But isn't it terrific how we all have our own points of view?

[gowhileucan]

Oh man some of these recent posts are like the exact opposite of my take - "Hands Together" to me is a flat out stunner and pretty much unlike anything else he's ever pulled off. It's an ingenious song, hands together in prayer and in love, the kind of thing he'd have previously laid on too thick, here he does perfect and offhanded.

"Dance To The Fight" is hilarious - "Mom and Dad, I'm running out of cups/Send cake, it's not enough" - I love that line.........and "Back" is not only one of the best cuts on the whole damn fine record, these songs have has his best singing since "Stereo".

[teddinard]

Mar 13, 2016 19:19:46 GMT -5 gowhileucan said:

Oh man some of these recent posts are like the exact opposite of my take - "Hands Together" to me is a flat out stunner and pretty much unlike anything else he's ever pulled off. It's an ingenious song, hands together in prayer and in love, the kind of thing he'd have previously laid on too thick, here he does perfect and offhanded.

"Dance To The Fight" is hilarious - "Mom and Dad, I'm running out of cups/Send cake, it's not enough" - I love that line.........and "Back" is not only one of the best cuts on the whole damn fine record, these songs have has his best singing since "Stereo".

We agree but I thought it was "Seven kegs is not enough." It's funny they're apparently calling mom and dad when they're running out of cups. And "Frat girls" is funny, especially followed by "collagen."

[farmerted]

I wish 'Hands Together' was longer. It's too short by half if you ask me.

[anarkissed]

Mar 13, 2016 3:49:26 GMT -5 patty said:

Veets: This thread seems incomplete without some criticism of bass and vocals. Any takers, or shall I start?

I'm happy to start..his vocals sound weak. As much as I wanted to love it, because everyone else does, 'Hands Together' is too long, says very little and the lyrics are slightly corny, 'danced with Garbo' is just a cringe worthy line. It is a male version of the song, 'I've never been to me' that awful saccharine hit by Charlene.
Forget the JH vocals- 'Dance to the Fight' is just a terrible song. Yes, their vocals do blend together but not in some groundbreaking amazing way. It's a record that will just go Pfffttttttt....when all the fuss dies down.

Thank you, Debbie Downer...I like how when I'm scraping together some meager shred of some mild, generally insignificant, feeble reason to feel better about my shitty life, you piss all over it...Geez...I don't have any friends or any reason to get up in the morning because I don't make the effort...I assume you don't because you're just too fucking depressing...I'd be o.k. with that, except I think that actually kinda turns you on...Yeah, I'm winding you up...You are my new archenemy...(Wiser's Deluxe has really been making a lotta sense lately...He's pretty fucking cool...) Don't blow me off...Come on, you wanna play, right? And what's the deal with that "Patty" shit? I thought you were a hot girl...Turns out you're just Irish, I guess? S'O.K....But you seem kinda tightass for Irish...This is all in fun, you know...And yes...I am drunk...

[TomT]

Mar 12, 2016 16:25:23 GMT -5 ClamsCasino said:

Mar 12, 2016 13:55:50 GMT -5 TomT said:

It's Juliana with the solo if you didn't know. But I know you guys know.

Paul was just joking about that. That's him on the solo in Little People.

For real?? It doesn't quite sound like a Paul guitar to me and I thought "Jules" can and does play pretty good. Say it ain't so. I had visions of her soloing on this in a single spotlight come tour time.

[ClamsCasino]

I've been a Juliana fan since the Blake Babies Earwig came out. I've seen her live a bunch of times. That might be her solo on Outta My System. But Little People is definitely Paul.

Look at the Peter Wolf interview when Paul says the Little People solo is Juliana. Peter stops what he's about to say in disbelief, then looks at Paul's face as he gives a sly, sidelong grin and knows he's joking. That's what the high five and the comment about, "Love makes us do foolish things," is about. And then Paul says it was an old clip that had been lying around forever. And then he goes on to say that he was trying to channel Prince.

youtu.be/hkNb8kY_DdI?t=2489