A Mark In Time
Previous Albums => Tracker (2015) => Topic started by: Simon on March 27, 2015, 04:10:50 PM
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Am seriously trying to find at least one song I can wholeheartedly say will become a classic. It appears to be more of the same recently and I noticed with Get Lucky and Privateering (I struggled with Privateering too but at least with it being double there was more chance of finding the odd 'diamond') that the songs were getting 'less lively' with a more jazzy feeling - nothing to keep the audience awake really. Yes Mark is not as old as he once was, neither am I but I say it with reluctance and a great deal of sadness that I feel this album could have been a lot better. And judging by some of the comments on the forum other people may have similar feelings.
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What, in your opinion, would be the last "classic" song that Mark recorded?
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IMO this is the best MK album in years! If there are some classics on it? I couldn't care less. All that matters is that there's some good music on it :)
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IMO this is the best MK album in years! If there are some classics on it? I couldn't care less. All that matters is that there's some good music on it :)
+1 I agree, for the FIRST time no skippers on this one. I don't care about songs being a number 1 hit or being played on the radio daily. This album will last for many years for me.
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Good question.
A classic isnt something I consider to be a favourite song, but one that will be robust and stand the test of time. In that vein the last 'classic' would be something like (recent order first) Boom Like That, Postcards from Paraguay, Our Shangri La, Hill Farmers Blues, All That Matters, Why Aye Man, What It is, Saling to Philadelphia. Speedway at Nazareth and nearly all of the tracks from Golden Heart :-) - plus a special mention for Kill To Get Crimson - a favourite album of mine, no skippers, but no classics - just every song is very listenable.
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I rate albums on the number of skippers. Not on the number of excellent songs. And this one has proprotionately more skippers than Privateering does.
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I rate albums on the number of skippers. Not on the number of excellent songs. And this one has proprotionately more skippers than Privateering does.
For me this album has no skippers, and Privateering has at least 5 skippers for me
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IMO this is the best MK album in years! If there are some classics on it? I couldn't care less. All that matters is that there's some good music on it :)
+1 I agree, for the FIRST time no skippers on this one. I don't care about songs being a number 1 hit or being played on the radio daily. This album will last for many years for me.
I agree too! No skippers on this album for me. I have listened many times and nothing irritates me - I just love it! Much better than Privateering, imo! :thumbsup
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Quite agree with all in the sense their are 'no skippers' at all on this very beautiful album, and in fact the bonus tracks as well. And yes LE 'Hot Dog' has grown on me at last!! ;)
Privateering IMHO has been left in the dust with this album....
'Classic track' wise, do we not think that Basil, TOTT, 'Oklahoma Ponies' and of course the beautiful LOT may become 'Classics' ?
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I have 6 skippers on the main CD + 3 on the bonus CD.
I have 10 skippers on Privateering.
I have 5 skippers on Get Lucky.
Roughly every other track. That's life.
I know I have strong statements but to be honest, when I like a song, I like it a lot. ;)
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Tracker is just lighter, brighter and more sensitive than Privateering.
Figuratively speaking, Mark undid another button to breathe more freely at these unattainable altitudes.
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A classic isnt something I consider to be a favourite song, but one that will be robust and stand the test of time. In that vein the last 'classic' would be something like (recent order first) Boom Like That, Postcards from Paraguay, Our Shangri La, Hill Farmers Blues, All That Matters, Why Aye Man, What It is, Saling to Philadelphia. Speedway at Nazareth and nearly all of the tracks from Golden Heart :-) - plus a special mention for Kill To Get Crimson - a favourite album of mine, no skippers, but no classics - just every song is very listenable.
It's funny how diverse people's opinions are. My feeling is that this is Mark's best album since at least Shangri-La, maybe STP. STP is my favorite MK album, and the only one that has absolutely no skippers. KTGC, Get Lucky and Privateering I found very poor. I have found myself skipping The Fish and the Bird, Part 2 Mighty Man and Long Cool Girl, but really like everything else. I think some of these tracks are right up there with some that you mentioned (Basil, RiverTowns, Silver Eagle). But it all boils down to what your tastes are. I like All That Matters, but would never think of it as a "classic".
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Tracker is just lighter, brighter and more sensitive than Privateering.
Figuratively speaking, Mark undid another button to breathe more freely at these unattainable altitudes.
:thumbsup :wave
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Tracker is just lighter, brighter and more sensitive than Privateering.
Figuratively speaking, Mark undid another button to breathe more freely at these unattainable altitudes.
I think it all boils down to how good the songs are. The last three albums have just had not very many strong songs. It doesn't matter if you record it with the best musicians in the world, in the best studio, with super-valuable vintage equipment and the world's greatest engineer, if the songs stink, they stink.
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Tracker is just lighter, brighter and more sensitive than Privateering.
Figuratively speaking, Mark undid another button to breathe more freely at these unattainable altitudes.
I think it all boils down to how good the songs are. The last three albums have just had not very many strong songs. It doesn't matter if you record it with the best musicians in the world, in the best studio, with super-valuable vintage equipment and the world's greatest engineer, if the songs stink, they stink.
Actually, I also loved Privateering and I could happily listen without skipping a song - non of the songs were stinkers imo, BUT Tracker is superior to my ears. Get Lucky was also a good album for me, with one skipper - You Can't Beat The House (it just didn't fit in), but I enjoyed the rest of the album. :)
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I'm not saying I didn't like any of the songs...I just thought they were not nearly up to Mark's previously established standard. A bad MK album is still better than most of the stuff out there. ;)
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Terminal of tribute to could be a hit (very cool guitar rhythm part at the end / sharp lyrics / nice layer for soloing / a real pity that it's not on the main album)
Said this: i love the whole album, it's his best solo album. Taste differs ;-)
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I haven't listened to the album since last Sunday :o and I find it pretty cool to see so many members posting that seldomly do so - Moss Guitars opinion was always one I am very interested in for example - and I like the different ideas in this thread. Judging an album by the number of its skippers is very refreshing.
I go for the melodies I have in my head during working, walking, waiting and and so on. A dear colleague at work asked me this afternoon what it was I was whistling all the time, nice melody, and i had to think about it for a second because it was half unconsciously done, and it was Heart Of Oaks. Whistle it, try to whistle it, and you will see what a wonderful and not too easy melody it has! I was reading 1:48 min before release and thought, well, that can't be a serious track, and now I think, every second is right, the song is so phantastic the way it is - not a second more is needed!
There are two or three skippers for me, but sometimes I give them a try and I skip others - i changes. I cannot follow the sheer exitement about TOTT,
it is an OK song for me - but there are many others my heart is connected much more to! River Towns... and My Heart Has Never Changed.. and .. and.. .
LE
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I agree with you, LE. TOTT is not my favourite, neither (but i like it). But i think it has be the most potential to be liked by a mass.
And your approach of whistling is a good idea. I had the same experience trying to sing along loud to each song. This was fabulous and was a nice approach to a few songs. (Mighty Man for me / River towns / Silver Eagle / Heart of Oak. But it also fun to do the skyyyyyyyyyydiver / the chorus of Laugh and Jokes and drinks and smokes / and so on) Try it. It fells good
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I can't shut my mouth when listening to Laughs And Jokes.. even with headphones on I have to sing along to it. Mark has so much energy and feeling in this opening song, it is really phantastic.
That one could be a "classic" as mentioned in this thread before..
I agree that real solo classics are What It Is, Speedway To Nazareth, Why Aye Man and Done With Bonaparte. And Sailing To Philadelphia. But that's it. Nothing from Privateering (apart from the title track maybe - but time must tell).
LE
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Tracker is just lighter, brighter and more sensitive than Privateering.
Figuratively speaking, Mark undid another button to breathe more freely at these unattainable altitudes.
I think it all boils down to how good the songs are. The last three albums have just had not very many strong songs. It doesn't matter if you record it with the best musicians in the world, in the best studio, with super-valuable vintage equipment and the world's greatest engineer, if the songs stink, they stink.
Strong songs??
I think personally that on each MK Album, each tune/track is 'strong' in the context of the amount of thought that has gone into both the lyrics and the tune? and I mean MK's Lyric's and tunes are certainly something else!!
As for 'stinking' I'm not sure I follow personally....
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Yes, Privateering could become a classic (not for me). And Speedway is certainly a classic, but listening to the album version i would never have guessed that it once becomes one. On Tracker i have the feeling that many songs have the potential for good solos. I could be wrong. Looking forward to the Tour
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I agree with you, LE. TOTT is not my favourite, neither (but i like it). But i think it has be the most potential to be liked by a mass.
And your approach of whistling is a good idea. I had the same experience trying to sing along loud to each song. This was fabulous and was a nice approach to a few songs. (Mighty Man for me / River towns / Silver Eagle / Heart of Oak. But it also fun to do the skyyyyyyyyyydiver / the chorus of Laugh and Jokes and drinks and smokes / and so on) Try it. It fells good
Surely it's; SKYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY, skyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, DIVER!!!! :wave
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Tracker is just lighter, brighter and more sensitive than Privateering.
Figuratively speaking, Mark undid another button to breathe more freely at these unattainable altitudes.
I think it all boils down to how good the songs are. The last three albums have just had not very many strong songs. It doesn't matter if you record it with the best musicians in the world, in the best studio, with super-valuable vintage equipment and the world's greatest engineer, if the songs stink, they stink.
Strong songs??
I think personally that on each MK Album, each tune/track is 'strong' in the context of the amount of thought that has gone into both the lyrics and the tune? and I mean MK's Lyric's and tunes are certainly something else!!
As for 'stinking' I'm not sure I follow personally....
I thought what I said was pretty clear. I think KTGC, GL and Privateering are weak albums. Even the best songs on them are not that great. But if you think that each tune/track that Mark has ever recorded is great, I'm happy for you!
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Each to their own at the end of the day TJ...
I agree KTGC was very weak in fact the accompanying tour wasn't good either. MK didn't seem on top of his game at that particular point in time. But I do think that from GL onwards he has steadily got deeper with the songwriting and subsequent music making for one hell of a journey....
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I will concede that GL and Privateering were better than KTGC...
And I think if Privateering had been cut down to 1 disc, maybe 13 or 14 songs, I would've liked it better. As much as I like hearing b-sides and bonus tracks, there is something to be said for just putting your best product out there.
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The only bonus as I see it from a fan's point of view is that it's great to collect the different 'sets' on offer to gain the bonus content, otherwise yes the 'average joe' will only buy the standard cd....