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Author Topic: AMIT reviews of Tracker  (Read 72335 times)

Offlineingridswing

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Re: AMIT reviews of Tracker
« Reply #195 on: April 02, 2015, 01:46:16 PM »
@dmg - I remember when we all listened to the album for the first time, which has now been deleted,  you commented that you had listened to more than half of the album and just realised that there were no long solos on it and that it didn't matter to you because of the beautiful infills and licks, etc, or words to that effect, in the songs!   Now you are telling me that I must have been brainwashed, which I find quite insulting, especially as you had said much the same thing as me.   Were you brainwashed too?  :think  Why can't you just accept that some people actually enjoy this album?   ;)

+1 Indeed, just accept you don't like it and accept there are a lot people who really love it

OfflineK-alberto

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Re: AMIT reviews of Tracker
« Reply #196 on: April 02, 2015, 07:44:31 PM »
@dmg - I remember when we all listened to the album for the first time, which has now been deleted,  you commented that you had listened to more than half of the album and just realised that there were no long solos on it and that it didn't matter to you because of the beautiful infills and licks, etc, or words to that effect, in the songs!   Now you are telling me that I must have been brainwashed, which I find quite insulting, especially as you had said much the same thing as me.   Were you brainwashed too?  :think  Why can't you just accept that some people actually enjoy this album?   ;)

+1 Really nice answer!!
I still have not commented the new album, not only for the language difficultu but... because I'm still undecided if this is an album with lovely songs with wonderful sound... or a too slow and "already heard" bunch of songs.... :hmm :hmm :hmm

Offlinedmg

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Re: AMIT reviews of Tracker
« Reply #197 on: April 02, 2015, 10:23:13 PM »



I still have not commented the new album, not only for the language difficultu but... because I'm still undecided if this is an album with lovely songs with wonderful sound... or a too slow and "already heard" bunch of songs.... :hmm :hmm :hmm
[/quote]

A look through the threads and one will observe many comments starting with the words:  "it starts like" or "it sounds like" or something similar.  I think that answers your question.
"I'm playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order."

OfflineK-alberto

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Re: AMIT reviews of Tracker
« Reply #198 on: April 02, 2015, 10:46:10 PM »
Yes I know. But it doesn't annoy me too much. I mean, the "R&J" intro of Too Long Girl sounds so good i get stuck to the song. A different question is: do the songs always "evolve" from that starting point to somewhere else...? Not always. Maybe they will do in their live version.
For example: Kingdom of Gold (which for me is a live masterpiece, maybe my favourite live song in MK solo carreer), does move from the starting point. It does particularly in the live version, with the magic electric solo, but also in the record there is a clear sign of a tension to be solved, which you clearly hear  in the crescendo of Ruth & the irish instruments. It is solved with the live solo.... and what a solo!
In a way, what seems to lack in Tracker is an amount of tension in some of the tunes. I don't know if I have explained what I think.
All that said, hey, they're wonderful harmonies, sounds and licks anywhere...!!  :clap
« Last Edit: April 02, 2015, 10:48:34 PM by K-alberto »

Offlinedmg

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Re: AMIT reviews of Tracker
« Reply #199 on: April 03, 2015, 12:51:40 PM »
@dmg - I remember when we all listened to the album for the first time, which has now been deleted,  you commented that you had listened to more than half of the album and just realised that there were no long solos on it and that it didn't matter to you because of the beautiful infills and licks, etc, or words to that effect, in the songs!   Now you are telling me that I must have been brainwashed, which I find quite insulting, especially as you had said much the same thing as me.   Were you brainwashed too?  :think  Why can't you just accept that some people actually enjoy this album?   ;)

You are right!  However, upon repeated listening I am finding that it is precisely because of the lack of guitar playing that there is less to enjoy and discover on every listen.  Now I am feeling I have heard it all and there's nothing left.  I'll wait for the live versions though because invariably they have been much better in this respect over the years.  I seldom listen to any of the albums TBH.

I do accept that others like the album - even I like it!  I do have the right to give my opinion on aspects of it I do find less than perfect though.  If comments of criticism were banned then surely forums would cease to exist?  :)
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Offlinesuperval99

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Re: AMIT reviews of Tracker
« Reply #200 on: April 03, 2015, 01:31:44 PM »
@dmg - I remember when we all listened to the album for the first time, which has now been deleted,  you commented that you had listened to more than half of the album and just realised that there were no long solos on it and that it didn't matter to you because of the beautiful infills and licks, etc, or words to that effect, in the songs!   Now you are telling me that I must have been brainwashed, which I find quite insulting, especially as you had said much the same thing as me.   Were you brainwashed too?  :think  Why can't you just accept that some people actually enjoy this album?   ;)

You are right!  However, upon repeated listening I am finding that it is precisely because of the lack of guitar playing that there is less to enjoy and discover on every listen.  Now I am feeling I have heard it all and there's nothing left.  I'll wait for the live versions though because invariably they have been much better in this respect over the years.  I seldom listen to any of the albums TBH.

I do accept that others like the album - even I like it!  I do have the right to give my opinion on aspects of it I do find less than perfect though.  If comments of criticism were banned then surely forums would cease to exist?  :)

It's the reverse for me.  I am finding more and more to like about this album and the lack of long guitar solos doesn't bother me a bit, but, as you say, live versions can be better than on the album - we will know soon!  ;)    Of course, criticism is welcome, but it has to be balanced with something more positive once in a while.  :)
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OfflineKnopflerfan

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Re: AMIT reviews of Tracker
« Reply #201 on: April 03, 2015, 02:24:55 PM »
I tend to agree with both dmg and superval, the album hasn't lost it's spark I'm just at the stage where I know what's coming if you know what I mean.
Live versions seem to have more life - take 'I used to could' for example, I think it's quite  'dry' on the album but on stage - wow!!
But I'm of the opinion I shall keep on listening to Tracker purely because I really enjoy listening to it and playing along with it trying my own licks out....
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Offlinesuperval99

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Re: AMIT reviews of Tracker
« Reply #202 on: April 03, 2015, 02:36:31 PM »
I tend to agree with both dmg and superval, the album hasn't lost it's spark I'm just at the stage where I know what's coming if you know what I mean.
Live versions seem to have more life - take 'I used to could' for example, I think it's quite  'dry' on the album but on stage - wow!!
But I'm of the opinion I shall keep on listening to Tracker purely because I really enjoy listening to it and playing along with it trying my own licks out....

After a while I always listen to albums on random and then there is always a nice surprise coming up and it's less likely to get that "I know what's next" feeling!   ;)
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OfflineRail King

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Re: AMIT reviews of Tracker
« Reply #203 on: April 21, 2015, 03:33:58 PM »
After listening to Tracker and all bonus tracks once more (oh well, not just once), with a special focus on drums this time, I think that evergreen question about who MK's best drummer was is sort of answered. What Ian Thomas does on these tracks is simply amazing – and always exactly what benefits the song. I don't think we would ever have heard drumming as on "Laughs" or "Terminal" with any of his predecessors. Long may he stay.

Offlinejbaent

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Re: AMIT reviews of Tracker
« Reply #204 on: April 21, 2015, 04:37:52 PM »
Take a listen to Devil Baby and Metroland, for instance... Chad Cromwell did some fantastic works with MK before, imho, Chad was the best one he had and will ever had since Pick Withers.
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Re: AMIT reviews of Tracker
« Reply #205 on: April 21, 2015, 04:44:12 PM »
Take a listen to Devil Baby and Metroland, for instance... Chad Cromwell did some fantastic works with MK before, imho, Chad was the best one he had and will ever had since Pick Withers.

Totally agreed, or take 'Old Pigweed' for instance, one of the smartest drum lines that I ever heard. Let alone groove.

Offlineyontwocrows

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Re: AMIT reviews of Tracker
« Reply #206 on: April 22, 2015, 12:35:57 PM »
I can't comment on who is the best drummer. But i certainly like the drum work of Ianto on the Tracker album...

Offlinejbaent

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Re: AMIT reviews of Tracker
« Reply #207 on: April 22, 2015, 12:50:12 PM »
About reviews, I always rate MK's new records in three different phases, when I listen to it the first time, after many listenings giving the songs a chance to grow, and after some weeks of the releasem when I hadn´t listen to it for days or weeks...

This last phase is what will mark my rate. If I feel like listening to it frequently, from time to time, or nothing at all.

I liked Tracker in the first phase, loved some of the songs and liked the cd as a whole in the second, but it´s failing in the third. Yesterday I put the cd just to try if the feeling changes, but not...

With the past of time, Tracker has changed into a cd that I don´t feel like listening often...

It´s a good record, yes, it is, but his quality is not good enough to make me miss listening to it and sing his songs.

Actually what I listen in the car it´s another way I rate cds, the music I enjoy listen when driving. Tracker has failed that test too from the very beguining. I like it, but when driving, more than two songs bore me to death and I have to put the radio instead, and when I stop, I change the cd for another one, that lately it´s the new Toto cd.

This is just my opinion about it, actually, Privateering passed "my test" with better rate, but the winners are still "Crimson", "Ragpickers" and "Roadrunning". Yes, I´m weird, but that cd´s make me feel like listening to them when it´s been a while...
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Offlinedmg

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Re: AMIT reviews of Tracker
« Reply #208 on: April 22, 2015, 10:44:47 PM »

With the past of time, Tracker has changed into a cd that I don´t feel like listening often...

It´s a good record, yes, it is, but his quality is not good enough to make me miss listening to it and sing his songs.


I've got to agree with you totally on this.  Usually the sheer quality of his songs makes me find something in them and therefore Mark's songs grow on me but in Tracker the songs, for the most part, are just too simplistic and have become less interesting upon each listen. 

Also, the loss of a guitar on the album has meant that his vocal has had to be the mainstay of the album and he has said himself many times that he's not a singer, so really what was he thinking!  :hmm
"I'm playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order."

Offlinesweetsurrender

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Re: AMIT reviews of Tracker
« Reply #209 on: April 23, 2015, 06:40:27 AM »

With the past of time, Tracker has changed into a cd that I don´t feel like listening often...

It´s a good record, yes, it is, but his quality is not good enough to make me miss listening to it and sing his songs.


I've got to agree with you totally on this.  Usually the sheer quality of his songs makes me find something in them and therefore Mark's songs grow on me but in Tracker the songs, for the most part, are just too simplistic and have become less interesting upon each listen. 

Also, the loss of a guitar on the album has meant that his vocal has had to be the mainstay of the album and he has said himself many times that he's not a singer, so really what was he thinking!  :hmm

I couldn't have agreed more with jbaent and dmg. That's how I feel. I listened only in the car while driving.  The album doesn't appeal much to me from the listen. After about a week of repeated listening, it still doesn't grab much of my attention. I pretty
much put it away for now. Hopefully I'll get excited about listening to it again before the tour. For now, I'm sticking with good old DS/other great MK recording stuff :)

 

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