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Post by kayfaberaven on Mar 7, 2021 13:08:14 GMT -5
I really enjoyed it, and it was great to be able to experience it with my family. I think they "get" the whole thing now!! The setlists were incredible - my highlight was Our Whole Lives on Night 1. Clearly, picking 25 songs is becoming increasingly difficult, but I'm glad that they are sticking with that rather than going longer. Was last night the first gig without Hoodrat - I was explaining to my family that there were seven songs they always played, until last night!! Yes, as their catalogue continues to grow it must be harder for them to come up with setlists. I've seen enough THS shows now that, selfishly, I'd be happy if they focused almost entirely on HiW, TD, TTTP and ODP. But I also understand that they need to sprinkle in "the hits", and it's also nice to hear some of the deeper cuts from the first four albums.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Mar 5, 2021 12:06:42 GMT -5
I always assumed "the band" had about the same level of fame and success as THS at their peak.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Mar 5, 2021 12:04:05 GMT -5
Whoa, great little nugget from the Positive Posting FB group . . . A member there pointed out that "Pretty Many People," in addition to a Spices lyric, is also the title of a 2014 album by a band called Three Man Cannon. I hadn't heard of that band, so I looked 'em up. They're from Scranton. That's very interesting and it answers my internal query as to why Craig used that strange phrasing.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Mar 1, 2021 16:09:53 GMT -5
Minor question on The Feelers that's bugging me because I can't figure it out: Who is "you" in "When she asked if she could choke you"? Is this the Maestro telling the narrator (so "you" is the narrator?) or is this the narrator telling the Maestro (so "you" is the Maestro)? It's got to be the former, right? If so, then does that tell us anything more about what's going on here?
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Post by kayfaberaven on Feb 21, 2021 10:22:48 GMT -5
Admittedly I've had a few drinks (for real, vanilla vodka and Diet Dr. Pepper Doing the work. I actually like it! I saw someone compare it to children's cough syrup, which seems fairly accurate to me.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Feb 20, 2021 23:29:48 GMT -5
OK, I've listened through ODP about 5 times. I love it. In a few different interviews Craig has said that the band now has about 118 or 119 songs, so the pressure is off a bit and they're having fun. He's also said that because they recorded in two big chunks they weren't trying to hit a home run every song (which apparently happened a bit on TTTP) and were aware they were making a full album. Also, I'm loving all the keys, the interplay of the guitar and the horns (gonna need the Horn Steady for these songs), and the backing vocals, but on at least a few songs Bobby's drumming is the pleasant surprise.
A few thoughts song by song:
The Feelers: Interesting opener. Love all the changes of pace, which are off-putting (in a good way), especially on my first listen. I could see this as a closer, actually.
Spices: I'm surprised THIS isn't the opener (although how much of that is because I've listed to Spices --> Family Farm --> Heavy Covenant dozens of times over the past couple months?). I've also learned that I enjoy vanilla vodka and Diet Dr. Pepper.
Lanyards: Just incredible lyrics and imagery.
Family Farm: The biggest banger of the bunch, and the closest to "classic" THS.
Unpleasant Breakfast: I like the woos. The first time I heard them I was...puzzled. I'm curious if the song would now sound like something was "missing" without them. The woos will be fun live, but I'm not sure we'll time them correctly unless Craig or Franz prompt us.
Heavy Covenant: My favourite song on the album. It just keeps building and building. There must be at least 20 different things going on simultaneously at the end and it gets just up to the edge of being too much, but it's perfect, especially on headphones.
The Prior Procedure: This feels like an outtake from TTTP to me, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Has what I find to be the funniest lyric (or is it Craig's delivery?) on the album: "And it looks like she's old enough to know a little better / But these people seem really open-minded"
Riptown: This one hasn't totally grabbed me yet, although I like the story Craig (?) told in an interview about a roadie named Rip who would say there was going to be an after party in his hotel room -- the Rip Zone.
Me and Magdelena: This one makes me feel smart because I (think I) can follow the narrative fairly easily.
Hanover Camera: I like this as a closer, although I keep expecting it to be more drawn out with a guitar solo or something.
Parade Days: I like it but understand why it's a digital only bonus track because it doesn't quite fit with the rest.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Feb 20, 2021 22:51:31 GMT -5
"But in some ways, Van Halen was also a big influence. There's one guy who's kind of talking or yelling, and there's another guy playing a lot of guitar solos."
Admittedly I've had a few drinks (for real, vanilla vodka and Diet Dr. Pepper, although I just switched to a margarita), but I legitimately laughed out loud at this.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Feb 19, 2021 17:57:45 GMT -5
I got so excited by the release of ODP today that I quickly signed up for the Weekender, planning to watch in my office (I'm at work in Vancouver). And....then I remembered that it wasn't today. Ooops.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Feb 12, 2021 13:47:24 GMT -5
Oh, man, skepticatfirst ain't gonna like this from Craig, when talking about SepSun: "I came up with the overarching concept, which I had done before a little bit on the last Lifter Puller record, so I knew we could pull it off." -a little bit on the last Lifter Puller record -a little BIT on the last Lifter Puller record -a LITTLE BIT on the last Lifter Puller record -a LITTLE BIT on the LAST Lifter Puller record -etc.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Jan 29, 2021 13:48:03 GMT -5
Did you see Craig's tweet from yesterday? "This [another tweet indicating that using a rhyming dictionary was once considered 'cheating' in the rap community] just reminded me that for a few years in Lifter Puller I thought it was cheating to write down lyrics. You had to just keep them in yr head. Forgot some good ones I think. The 90s were so weird." He later tweeted that his belief was based on the views of Notorious BIG.
I haven't had a chance to catch up on your thread here, but that means that whatever Craig accomplished for at least some of his Lifter Puller days, he did it without writing down his lyrics (!!?!?!?).
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Post by kayfaberaven on Jan 27, 2021 16:52:13 GMT -5
I really enjoyed both parts, as Craig and Tad were both very open. Craig talked a lot, and Tad spoke, uh, less, although I get the sense they both prefer it that way.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Jan 18, 2021 22:18:01 GMT -5
First: A big thanks to the guys making this! It's really good. I have to admit I'm a little bit skeptical entering material about Hold Steady, based on the humble assumption that people handle it too lightly, or just hear them or read them in a way I can't relate too. That might make me an asshole, but that's the way it is. This podcast is not like that, and halfway through the AKM season, I really like it! This is in general one of the most incredible parts of Craig's writing: Being able to just bang out lines, verses, entire songs, who work perfectly on two or even three layers. I recommend everybody finding the post about Stuck Between Stations in the Here Goes thread, where skepticatfirst make a great case for how the second verse fit equally good to describe a) John Berryman, b) Jesus and c) a character in the THS narrative. I guess it's possible to read a personal level into it as well. That is sooo tight writing. I hear you about being a bit skeptical, as I was as well. And there's still times when I'll roll my eyes a bit, like when one of them said he stopped listening after BAGIA. But overall it's a good listen. As for Craig's layers, I made a similar point (I think in the TTTP thread, but I'm not sure) about the number of potential readings of "And the dress she was wearing made a nice case for natural selection" from Star 18.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Jan 15, 2021 11:37:02 GMT -5
With Family Farm and Heavy Covenant, it's clear that this album is going to be awesome. Indeed, listening to these songs, along with the songs from TTTP, it seems to me that it's now impossible for THS to record a song that is at least "pretty good", and it's difficult for them to record a song that isn't at least "really good". On stage, Craig likes to say that this 6 piece version of THS is the best version ever. Couple that with the liberal use of The Horn Steady and, now, the production by Josh Kaufman, and everything is just so...near to perfection at every turn. There are parts of these new songs where it seems like they're right up to the edge of being too much (in addition to the standard-issue vocals and rhythm section, the guitar parts slither around one another, there seems to be multiple layers of keys at times, the horns, backing vocals...), but they never cross the line. I cannot wait to hear the whole album from front to back.
I also had a few thoughts about Craig's lyrics these days. It seems that he's understandably not interested in directly revisiting the Holly/Charlemagne story, but I think he's very aware of the world in which THS songs occur (as compared to, say, his solo work). He also seems to be more than willing to throw in a few Easter eggs for listeners looking for them, like the religious stuff, "hornet" and "lamp post" on Family Farm or "frontage road" or "It seems a single body is a couple different people in this one life" or "forty bucks" in Heavy Covenant.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Jan 6, 2021 17:04:31 GMT -5
The first episode of the second season of this podcast is out. This season is for Separation Sunday, and the first ep was about Hornets. Many of you probably already made these connections, but my mind was blown near the end of the podcast when one of the guys noted all of the lyrics in Hornets that could also be about church/religion (I realize lots of Sep Sunday fits into this category, but my point is that I never heard these particular lyrics that way). For example:
-"I like the guy who always answers the door/He always knows what you came to his house for." I always only thought of this lyric as referencing a drug dealer. But it could also be the greeters at the church doors (and I guess could be God himself) -"...I'm gonna have to go/with whoever's gonna get me the highest." I always only thought about drugs here, not God. -"I like the crowds at the really big shows / People touching people that they don't even know, yo." I always only thought of concerts/festivals, not the part of church where congregants greet one another with handshakes/etc.
Perhaps obvious to some of you, but not to me.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Dec 7, 2020 14:13:59 GMT -5
I bought the 3-bundle reflexively, just to support the band in a bad time; in no sense was I thinking it was going to be an experience. Holy shit did I get more than I bargained for. This perfectly describes my experience as well.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Dec 5, 2020 12:55:54 GMT -5
A couple of thoughts about We Can Get Together from yesterday:
1. I'm relatively certain that I'll never hear a version any better than the one that opened the encore. First, it sounded absolutely incredible, especially the keys from Franz. Then add in the circumstances of the pandemic, and people literally crying in the zoom chat, and it's hard to imagine a scenario that would be more emotional.
2. Did anyone notice that during the soundcheck Craig did the "Business" air quotes (from Sequestered) when he said "and listen to your records" at the end of the last part: Heaven is whenever we can get together / Lock your bedroom door / And listen to your records. Has he done that before? I guess I should have picked up on it from "lock your bedroom door", but it tweaks the meaning for me a bit.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Dec 4, 2020 23:14:25 GMT -5
Anyone watch the soundcheck ? Soundcheck was cool. I was working while watching, but basically they went through most/all of Heaven is Whenever with somewhat reworked versions.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Dec 3, 2020 15:45:31 GMT -5
I bought the full package to support the band, but I have no idea if I'll be able to attend. I wonder if it's possible, if I cannot make it, to pass it along to a member of the US who wants to attend but maybe cannot swing it financially right now? PM'ing you. I'm in for Fri & Sat but have a friend I'd typically invite over. He's got two kids & no money; he'd love to join in if you can't make it. PM'ed you back.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Dec 3, 2020 10:41:50 GMT -5
I sort of think that's worth celebrating. Well said! (What FB group are you talking about? I didn't know there was a group there. I only stick with FB for the music groups. No where else I can talk to the "kids on the net!") It's called The Hold Steady Positive-Posting. Currently there are various margarita recipes flying around in there.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Oct 30, 2020 12:27:35 GMT -5
I bought the full package to support the band, but I have no idea if I'll be able to attend. I wonder if it's possible, if I cannot make it, to pass it along to a member of the US who wants to attend but maybe cannot swing it financially right now?
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Post by kayfaberaven on Oct 20, 2020 19:11:58 GMT -5
needless to say, I saw that they slapped the SP logo on bandannas and masks and spent more money than I intended to. I couldn't resist a mask. I'm hoping it will become a relic of a brief, challenging time when masks were something that we needed to wear, and not something that I'll need to renew every year.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Aug 5, 2020 19:33:23 GMT -5
I listened and enjoyed it. I thought you guys did a good job in delving into the song, given its overall simplicity. I'm really looking forward to The Swish.
AKM was my entry point to The Hold Steady. It wasn't until about 2006 when I first heard about them, but I decided to start at the beginning. I thought it was audacious that they used their band name in the first song. And then when they did it again in The Swish, and DJs and Knuckles, I was hooked.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Jul 23, 2020 11:35:11 GMT -5
Thanks for the heads up...I'll check it out.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Jul 16, 2020 17:31:14 GMT -5
I'm not sure if the specifics of how the album was recorded has been addressed in this thread yet. I believe the first five songs on the album were all recorded in one session, which was the last of the recording sessions for the "album". So it makes sense to more easily consider the first 5 songs as part of a cohesive unit. Conversely, the last 5 songs were recorded over a number of different, previous sessions, and I believe that during those sessions the band didn't even know they were going to make an album. So those last 5 songs may share things, thematically, but they may not necessarily form a cohesive narrative with one another or with the first 5 songs. Unless Craig had the overall narrative in mind before the very first session, which is possible. I also guess that whatever "story" is included in this album is not part of the Charlemagne, Gideon, etc. narrative, although the themes are similar. That's just a hunch, mostly based on how talented Craig is. I figure that if he was creating an over-arching narrative he would want to create a new narrative.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Jun 19, 2020 12:09:48 GMT -5
One example of why Craig is such a genius is the almost throwaway lines in Star 18, that I keep reconsidering and re-interpreting:
"And she was chewing through her cheek at the National Zoo / And the dress she was wearing made a nice case for natural selection"
As indicated on genius.com, "tooth grinding is what the amphetamines do" (i.e. a reference to the preceding line of the song). But is the National Zoo actually the National Zoo in Washington, or is it a name for a club or party place? So, two potential meanings there.
Assuming she is actually at the National Zoo, then I can think of so many different readings of "And the dress she was wearing made a nice case for natural selection":
1. In my mind, the dress is an animal print of a species near the top of the food chain (say, leopard). 2. Or, it could be an animal print of a species that is prey not predator (say, zebra). And, building on this, wearing a print that makes you look like prey isn't that smart if you go to a zoo, so it makes a case for natural selection in two different ways. 3. Or, it's not an animal print at all, and it means that the dress made her look sexually attractive, especially to the opposite sex. 4. Building on #3, "case" could also have two meanings: (1) made the argument for natural selection; or (2) literally a case for her body, which embodies the concept of natural selection. 5. Or, it means the dress makes her look silly or stupid or unattractive (so, negative aspects of natural selection).
Yes, I've thought about this too much. And these are just two lines in one song.
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