Wow...Not only was that uncalled for, WufSpidah, was it really necessary to
copy me +and+ the list on that message? Like I need 2 copies of your note...
But I do get the point - you think the new SDRE album is a prog-rock album.
Well, it's big-sounding, no doubt about that. SDRE has always bordered on
melodrama and big-ness (musically/lyrically/thematically). That's the risk
you run when you play their brand of heavily emotional music. Critics of
the band have long complained about their "pompous aspirations" or whatever,
much along the lines of what you're suggesting...it's an old critique,
nothing new I assure you.
I also just don't get how suddenly the "SDRE sound" is itself "unproduced,"
as one contributor to the list put it. That's just plain ridiculous. I agree
there is such a thing as over-production, but SDRE is *not* a 'punk rawk'
band - it's time to get over that fact. It's also time to get over the fact
that nearly eight years have passed since the members of the band wrote the
songs that appeared on "Diary." The band has moved on (quite literally in
some instances), the world has kept turning, and SDRE has been relasing some
great records in the meantime. You may not want this *particular* kind of
evolution, WufSpidah, but it's hardly your position (as someone who just
happened to buy their CD 7 years ago or whaterver) to hold this band to your
definition of what constitutes proper musical evolution and dictate to the
rest of us how inferior our respective tastes in music are. If you think
the album is terrible, then say so and state your reasons and move on.
Telling me (or anyone else) that we have poor taste (Queen?!? Please...)
because we happen to like it is not just tacky, it's arrogant.
Lou G. is a great producer, in my opinion, and he managed to capture the
big-ness that was always lurking behind the truly great SDRE songs (see:
"The Blankets Were the Stairs", particularly in the chorus for a sense of
what I'm getting at) -- listen to the production work he did on the SUGAR
albums and you'll see what I mean. That's good stuff, and I'm glad they
chose to work with him.
This album just makes a lot of sense to me. It's timely and relevant, and
intense (insert adjectives from my first post here). Umm, I just don't hear
the Tiffany comparison, or the Journey/Styx comparison for that matter.
Yeah, it's big-sounding. Well, welcome to the world of rock music,
WufSpidah. Yes, they use loud guitars. And, gosh darn it, they actually
tuned 'em this time around and spent an extra week or two in the studio. And
I, for one, appreciate it.
Joseph K.
http://www.smallcraftsighting.com
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