TryWhistlingThis

For now I gave it a 7 (just after my first listen). Lately, whenever I hear something new by my favourite artists, I tend to highly rate it because it's new and just out of loyalty. So i've kind of reserved judgment just for now given that it's my first listen. But it's a great song for me because they're doing everything I wanted; moving forward with their sound beyond VLV rather than regressing to an earlier sound as a lot of other bands might. Oasis and Travis come to mind here when after their experimental fourth albums, they retreated back to the familiar habits. That's not the case with Coldplay. A very promising opening to this album.

"It's Friday, Friday, Coldplay goin' out on Friday"

You know I really want to get into Green Day because they have some great songs. I tried their latest album, 21st Century Breakdown and only listened to it twice after feeling it was the most disappointing album of that year. The album was overly long, they seemed to be writing the same kind of song throughout and overall was just noisy. What did I expect? Well, for an album that was said to be based on narrative, something diverse. Some rocky, up beat punk music with some classical, melodic stuff. It kind of delivered on those things but only in a way that an album on the top 20 charts would allow. I really want to like these guys but I just can't, it simply doesn't speak to me. From Green Day (judging on what I hear on the radio), I was anticipating a band with the sound that brings together the likes of R.E.M and Oasis. Frankly, 21st Century Breakdown just sounded like a Blink 182 double album.

Exactly. There was a point where Nigel was great for them, but with each subsequent involvement his work with them has just been less and less inspiring. Lillywhite was great but I thought Mitchell Froom hit the spot with 12 Memories; we had a textured album full of gloomy atmosphere with some of the lighter, melodic moments of Travis. The Boy With No Name was such a let down to follow up with, but Ode... is outstanding. Their best albums seem to be the odd numbered ones, kind of like Star Trek films.

Easily my favourite Australian album of 2010: If Crowded House can't be the best Australian group, then these guys deserve it. So many catchy pop/rock tunes, excellent musicianship and a first class songwriter. Seriously, these guys deserve the attention Powderfinger get. It's a shame the Hoodoos didn't really get much acclaim beyond the 90s. If you're a fan of Crowded House, Powderfinger, You Am I and The Easybeats, you are seriously depriving yourself of some great Australian rock music if you don't own an album by these guys.

I've got the remasters for both Joshua and Unforgettable - worth every penny. Keep in mind though that with those two records, that's the first time i've ever actually owned a copy and listened to them from start to finish, so the whole package (not just the b-sides) was a whole new experience for me. I've owned Acthung for a while so I hope the remaster gets the same treatment in terms of the added content (live, b-sides, demos, out takes etc...).

I still don't have Wreckorder. Anyone recommend it? I would have personally preferred some of those ideas just go to a Travis album. Like Keith Richards said, "going solo is going alone". I don't like it when artists sideline their band work with solo work. But that's just me :) I've actually started revisiting some Travis as its been a while since i've given them a session of compulsive listening (perhaps the first time on a regular basis since 2008, their last record released). Funny thing is my mind hasn't changed about the albums: - The Invisible Band is still my least preferred - 12 Memories is still my favourite followed by The Man Who - I actually don't think Nigel Godrich is the best producer for them - Love Will Come Through is my favourite song of theirs Of course, the album ranking is the same as what it was back in 2008: 1. 12 Memories 2. The Man Who 3. Ode To J. Smith 4. Good Feeling 5. The Boy With No Name 6. Invisible Band Keep in mind this is a band i've been a fan of since 1999. I got The Man Who for my 14th Birthday that year which was around the time I had begun my obsession with music. Listening to their records now, it just bleeds the most positive of nostalgia because those albums hold such a special place in my heart. I purchased 12 Memories on my last ever day of school after class broke up and listened to it about 4 times back to back. It was such an appropriate soundtrack for that day. That night we had our valedictory dinner and the album was just echoing in my head that entire evening.

Apologies for the repeat post. I wasn't sure whether my review belonged here or in the Radiohead thread. I've had two listens so far. Here's my review: Bloom – very Everything is in the right place featuring some out of time percussion. Definitely the sound of their post-Britpop disdain that we were treated to in the early 21st century. Familiar “hmmm-mmm-mmmm” harmony from Thom Yorke (distorted). Percussion slows to a synchopated, marching type beat with loads of synth seeping through. A good opener. Morning Mr. Magpie –this song has quite a strange low-fi pop La Roux type sound, bass heavy, vocals almost become a little secondary in the way they fade in and out in the middle. Flows quite nicely from the first track. Little by little – the first thing you will immediately hear are more live instruments, less electronica. Keep in mind that this doesn’t necessarily make it a better song, Thom’s vocals make this song the album’s first real challenge. At the moment i'm feeling a little bored by this song, uninterested. But the music does have its moments. Thom’s vocals bring it down a bit. Eastern tinged guitar parts, background electronic percussion stragely reminiscent of “…sardines…” (the opening track from Amnesiac). Feral – the first song I dislike on the album. Reminds me a lot of “Like spinning plates” from Amnesiac. The music is once again very electronic, lots of echo on the vocals. A very drowsy sound even by Radiohead standards. But, it’s also very inviting to sit at home DJs who remix music for a hobby. In fact, I don’t think there are any lyrics to be found in the vocals. Given that it’s an 8-track album, you get the impression (as speculated by an earlier review in this thread) that Thom wanted to really challenge the listener. I honestly find it hard to believe that they wanted an 8-track album of what they felt were the tightest and most cohesive songs from the album sessions for Limbs.... If we were to go through all the stuff recorded and demo’d for this album, I’m sure we could find at least 5 tracks we’d prefer ahead of this. Lotus flower – interesting opening groove. I enjoyed this song from first listen when watching the video. Has a Where I end and you begin vibe (from the Thief... album). A great track but there’s a lot of layers to get through. Some are putting me off, some I love, it’s so far feeling like a song that will just present itself to me sometime in the future while listening to it on the way to Uni or work. But it’s cool. I must say, if I were a director developing a concept for this song, I honestly would never have thought of Thom Yorke dancing. Codex – perhaps the song which is closest to continuing the feel of In Rainbows, but that’s still not saying a lot. The murky atmosphere from the previous tracks still runs right through it, but Thom’s melody’s are crystal clear which is a first for this album. A real highlight, I love this song. Probably the best song on the album. Minimal percussion, piano driven and obviously very moody with a touch of brass. Beautiful. Give up the ghost – some acoustic stuff here with some very angelic vocals from Thom. This is very close to the In Rainbows sound and is probably the cleanest and least oblique on the album. It’s almost like a very solemn Led Zepplin. Not in the way of soaring vocals and epic guitars, but more along the lines of those opening moments in Stairway to Heaven. Another album classic. Separator – back in Kid A mode. Nice piano arrangement, a very bright and optimistic sound. Surprisingly warm. A nice ending. Overall: a good listen. The sound of the album is definitely embedded heavily in the Kid A/Amnesiac period of their career. In fact, if you were to consider Kid A as consisting of a trilogy of albums, this would be the third episode. In some ways it’s kind of like the link between Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief in the way that it combines a lot of the cryptic experiments of Kid A/Amnesiac but also sets up in some areas (Codex and Give up the ghost) the melody and more straight forward approach heard on the Thief record. For now, it’s hard to say where this album sits. Radiohead are clearly a band (if you didn’t realise it before) that are paranoid of boredom, even if it means confusing the audience. In fact, in confusing the audience, they become more intrigued on becoming lost in their creativity. They don’t ever want us to be correct in what we expect of the band. They don’t want us to know when or if it’s coming and that, as frustrating as it has the potential to be, is what makes Radiohead the band they are. On reflection, maybe the 8 track approach (clocking in at 37:29) is a welcome one at that. To endure 40 – 50 minutes of the album may reduce the desire for repeated listens. For now: 3.5 out of 5 BUT with potential to really grow. It could easily be a 4 star album in another month, I doubt it will achieve the fifth though. So far it’s looking like: 1. Kid A 2. In Rainbows 3. The Bends 4. Ok Computer 5. The King of Limbs 6. Hail to the thief 7. Amnesiac

I've had two listens so far. Here's my review: Bloom – very Everything is in the right place featuring some out of time percussion. Definitely the sound of their post-Britpop disdain that we were treated to in the early 21st century. Familiar “hmmm-mmm-mmmm” harmony from Thom Yorke (distorted). Percussion slows to a synchopated, marching type beat with loads of synth seeping through. A good opener. Morning Mr. Magpie –this song has quite a strange low-fi pop La Roux type sound, bass heavy, vocals almost become a little secondary in the way they fade in and out in the middle. Flows quite nicely from the first track. Little by little – the first thing you will immediately hear are more live instruments, less electronica. Keep in mind that this doesn’t necessarily make it a better song, Thom’s vocals make this song the album’s first real challenge. At the moment i'm feeling a little bored by this song, uninterested. But the music does have its moments. Thom’s vocals bring it down a bit. Eastern tinged guitar parts, background electronic percussion stragely reminiscent of “…sardines…” (the opening track from Amnesiac). Feral – the first song I dislike on the album. Reminds me a lot of “Like spinning plates” from Amnesiac. The music is once again very electronic, lots of echo on the vocals. A very drowsy sound even by Radiohead standards. But, it’s also very inviting to sit at home DJs who remix music for a hobby. In fact, I don’t think there are any lyrics to be found in the vocals. Given that it’s an 8-track album, you get the impression (as speculated by an earlier review in this thread) that Thom wanted to really challenge the listener. I honestly find it hard to believe that they wanted an 8-track album of what they felt were the tightest and most cohesive songs from the album sessions for Limbs.... If we were to go through all the stuff recorded and demo’d for this album, I’m sure we could find at least 5 tracks we’d prefer ahead of this. Lotus flower – interesting opening groove. I enjoyed this song from first listen when watching the video. Has a Where I end and you begin vibe (from the Thief... album). A great track but there’s a lot of layers to get through. Some are putting me off, some I love, it’s so far feeling like a song that will just present itself to me sometime in the future while listening to it on the way to Uni or work. But it’s cool. I must say, if I were a director developing a concept for this song, I honestly would never have thought of Thom Yorke dancing. Codex – perhaps the song which is closest to continuing the feel of In Rainbows, but that’s still not saying a lot. The murky atmosphere from the previous tracks still runs right through it, but Thom’s melody’s are crystal clear which is a first for this album. A real highlight, I love this song. Probably the best song on the album. Minimal percussion, piano driven and obviously very moody with a touch of brass. Beautiful. Give up the ghost – some acoustic stuff here with some very angelic vocals from Thom. This is very close to the In Rainbows sound and is probably the cleanest and least oblique on the album. It’s almost like a very solemn Led Zepplin. Not in the way of soaring vocals and epic guitars, but more along the lines of those opening moments in Stairway to Heaven. Another album classic. Separator – back in Kid A mode. Nice piano arrangement, a very bright and optimistic sound. Surprisingly warm. A nice ending. Overall: a good listen. The sound of the album is definitely embedded heavily in the Kid A/Amnesiac period of their career. In fact, if you were to consider Kid A as consisting of a trilogy of albums, this would be the third episode. In some ways it’s kind of like the link between Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief in the way that it combines a lot of the cryptic experiments of Kid A/Amnesiac but also sets up in some areas (Codex and Give up the ghost) the melody and more straight forward approach heard on the Thief record. For now, it’s hard to say where this album sits. Radiohead are clearly a band (if you didn’t realise it before) that are paranoid of boredom, even if it means confusing the audience. In fact, in confusing the audience, they become more intrigued on becoming lost in their creativity. They don’t ever want us to be correct in what we expect of the band. They don’t want us to know when or if it’s coming and that, as frustrating as it has the potential to be, is what makes Radiohead the band they are. On reflection, maybe the 8 track approach (clocking in at 37:29) is a welcome one at that. To endure 40 – 50 minutes of the album may reduce the desire for repeated listens. For now: 3.5 out of 5 BUT with potential to really grow. It could easily be a 4 star album in another month, I doubt it will achieve the fifth though. So far it’s looking like: 1. Kid A 2. In Rainbows 3. The Bends 4. Ok Computer 5. The King of Limbs 6. Hail to the thief 7. Amnesiac

I just got back from watching The Eleventh Hour. Out of the Doctor's we've had for this new series, this was clearly the best Doctor debut. This is the introduction to the Doctor we should have had back in 2005. Why did I love it so much? Well, for me, this Doctor is more down to Earth (excuse the pun) than that of Tennant's interpretation of the role. I always felt that Tennant's use of humour (such as rambling, random shouting and spontaneous quirks) in some ways forced the audience to appreciate him. Whereas, with Smith's interpretation, there's certainly some anarchy there but there's also a great deal of subtlety to through his off the cuff remarks such as "Where's your boyfriend...the good looking one" while in the presence of Rory. In fact, out of any of the Doctor Who i've seen, including the classic era, this is by far the most laugh-out-loud moments i've experienced. One of the highlights for me was early on in the episode when the Doctor is handcuffed to the radiator. In the RTD era, if any of his Doctors were in that position, it either would have been straight out with the sonic screwdriver or an obscured movement of the wrists covered up with a facetious one-liner to get move us on. Here, the Doctor needs his companion to undo the restraints or at least wait for the sonic screwdriver. These moments really added depth to the character and gave him a far less comic book character type feel. The Doctor here is facetious, arrogant but also contemplative. Where Tennant would merely ramble a solution, Smith reasons. Another noteworthy quality was the quality of performances, not only from the lead cast but also from the guest and supporting cast. The episode was extremely well shot and the CGI, explosions and overall spectacle was kept to a minimum. This is something I felt that the RTD era really lacked at times as, much like some of the performances, there was a very forceful means of maintaining the attention of the audience. Here, it really did come down to the dialogue and dramatic tension. That's not to say that there weren't moments like that in the RTD era or in any way to describe it as totally shallow (I loved his vision), but it would come and go. Instead, I get a feeling that Moffat will be more consistent with his approach to character and plot development. Smith's Doctor truly brings out the alien in the title character where I felt it was absent in some of Tennant's tenure. That's not to discredit or express any dislike for Tennant. Waters of Mars is, after all, my favourite Doctor Who episode. However, I felt that even in his first episode, Tennant (at times) got to a point where he was effectively waving his arms about and throwing his voice to keep the audience interested. So far, I haven't detected this at all with Smith. Instead, he seems to invite the audience with a more slightly passive tone so when he is bombastic, it actually stands for something rather than something that can sometimes be gratutious. Furthermore, from this, i'm actually open to the idea of the Doctor having a closer relationship with his companion because...I actually feel the character deserves it more than any other Doctor because I feel this interpretation of the Doctor could truly unearth the human and alien differences between the two instead of having an alien that relates too seamlessly with the humans. Interestingly, when I read initial reviews I was worried the tone of the show would play down to the younger audience too much. But, I was surprised and relieved to find that there is actually quite a gloomy atmosphere to the feel of the show. You can sense from the shady production and from Smith's performance that there are skeletons to be revealed in this series. I'm confident that the best is yet to come. The TARDIS interior is also brilliant. Again, as with the overall episode, it's what we should have had back in 2005. Doctor Who is really back. This is the most excited I have ever been for a new Doctor. Smith could well end up being my Doctor, just when I thought nothing of the modern incarnation of the series could surpass Eccleston. Until next week :)

I heard the new song recently, it's quite good. I certainly hope that's not the last we've heard from this band because with Oasis and The Verve gone, I don't know how long I can live without my 90s Britpop fix apart from Radiohead.

Everyone Is Here is great as is the rejected Visconti version of the album. But my personal favourite was Finn. I recommend that to anyone that hasn't heard it yet. Very eclectic and surreal. Very touching tribute to Paul there, Tauiwi, I remember seeing it on the night.

Good to see a fellow Hester appreciator there, Italian :cool: I've seen Crowded House twice and also saw two Finn Brothers shows on their Everyone Is Here tour. Brilliant every time. My favourite Crowded House album would have to be Together Alone while the best Neil Finn solo album was clearly Try Whistling This for its experimental and brooding qualities. While I enjoyed One Nil, I could never quite relate to the infatuation people seemed to have with it. Anyway, onto Saturday Sun. Brilliant. I actually had a read reviews before downloading and listening and I honestly expected to strongly dislike it from how some of you were describing it. I thought the Roundhead version was 50/50 but slightly better than Don't Stop Now (a song which I actually disliked) but loved the Enmore version. Naturally, their recordings will always be more restrained than how they sound live, so i didn't expect it to weigh up to the Enmore version. But this is just great. In my ears it beats any of the singles from Time On Earth and One Nil. I love the little electronic sparkles between and around the lines (but I am also a Radiohead fan ). I really love where they have taken their sound as I always believed that the keys and strings should be kept to a minimum for CH and instead felt they should be driven by the guitars. Instead, this song is beginning to reinvent my interpretation of the band 10 years AFTER becoming obsessed with them. I really really love this. Keep in mind this is someone who was luke-warm with the Roundhead Studios performance. That same person also still HATES the front cover The strange thing is, a lot of these songs from the soon to be released album have alternate versions. Saturday Sun is just one example: Acoustic Roundhead Studios Recording: [ame= ] [/ame] Enmore version: [ame= ] [/ame]

I haven't notice a thread for the subject matter in the title but felt the forum was long overdue for a thread devoted to the genius that is Neil Finn. As a massive fan, i'm looking forward to the new Crowded House album (their second since their reformation). Any other fans? I thoughta fitting way to kick the thread off is to direct you to their new song, Saturday Sun which can be downloaded at the following link for free: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sunday-telegraph/intriguing-turn-in-a-crowded-career/story-e6frewt9-1225854928567 Just scroll right down to the bottom of the article where it gives you the option to download.

Yeah? I have to say that album was upon first listen. My love for it cemented especially when I heard UP.

Me too. That's why i'm actually open to the idea of Noel going solo. I love his voice and his songwriting, sometimes i've felt that Oasis have held his creativity back. He actually wanted Dig Out Your Soul to be more experimental but Liam wouldn't allow it since he thinks "Oasis is not a keyboards band". I've always been open to anything that Noel has to offer. Hell, i'll accept a spoken word album right now. I can't agree there. Don't Believe The Truth demonstrated their maturity, meanwhile Dig Out Your Soul screamed their versatility and growth as musicians and song writers. DOYS it actually my second favourite Oasis record. "Waiting for the rapture", "Falling Down", "The Nature of reality" and "The Turning" can't be refused.

I've been a fan of PJ since 2001. My favourite album is actually Binaural, i'm the only person I know that can connect with it. I just can't go past Of The Girl. The Fixer sounds pretty cool, it's getting some decent radio play too, way more than any of the singles from the Self-Titled album. I'm looking forward to hearing some of these new sounds that have been talked about by the band.

"Exit" for me, I just love the build up to that frenetic rock storm that edge gets going toward the end of the song. I listened to No Line... again tonight, only 1 track I dislike - Fez. Everything else is brilliant. I especially love Cedars of Lebanon, for me, that's the best closing track they've ever had. Album rankings for now: 1. Joshua Tree 2. Pop 3. How to dismantle an atomic bomb 4. No line on the horizon 5. Achtung Baby 6. All that you can't leave behind 7. Zooropa 8. Passengers I don't have any of the others yet.

I just hope Noel isn't saying goodbye to music. I'm open to him moving on from Oasis, but we need something haunting and moody from Noel's solo repertoire. Something along the lines of Gas Panic, Part of the Queue or Waiting for the Rapture would satisfy nicely.

*Sigh* Why don't more bands make albums like New Adventures in Hi-Fi? Oh...they're not R.E.M! :P

We're a dying breed!

Forgive me for the innordinately large post, but i'm a massive fan with a real passion for this band. Here's my thoughts on the last few days that have passed: You can say what you like about their behaviour and borrowing from The Beatles, but they were still brilliant. I love them and nothing could ever change that. Many people say that since 1997, anything released by Oasis has not been worth it. I passionately disagree with this. Since 2000, they've gone on to doing some of their most amazing work. I know a lot of people will agree with this, but it's struck a chord with me and I couldn't be prouder of the band. I'm especially delighted with their latest, Dig Out Your Soul, this is my second favourite Oasis album. Sadly, the animalistic personalities stood in the way of the genius of this band being truly realised. Had they shed their use of coarse language and pontificating themselves as "the worlds greatest band", I really see no reason why they couldn't have been as big as Coldplay. Anytime I talk to someone who puts this band down, they always express their dislike for the Brothers before discussing the music. In fact, people who express a dislike for the band only know about 2 or 3 of their songs! I absolutely adore the talent of Noel Gallagher in the same way I do Neil Finn, Paul McCartney and Chris Martin. A lot of people around here disagree with this (understandably which is why I don't bother taking the discussion too far), but over the years, Noel Gallagher (I don't mean the whole band here, just Noel as a singer and songwriter) has proven that he can be just as poignant and melodic as Neil Finn and Chris Martin. Musically and lyrically, I consider Noel, Chris and Neil to be of the same class. There, I said it. You're perfectly welcome to disagree, but in my ears, there is an unsung, underrated genius in Noel just as there is Neil and I can't imagine my opinion of that changing - ever. I love Noel Gallagher. Personally, as much as i've enjoyed seeing Liam's growth as a songwriter over the years, I wouldn't want to see Oasis without Noel. In fact, i'm more open to a Liam-free Oasis than to lose Noel. In a funny sort of way, I am happy for Noel. Lately, in interviews, i've noticed him becoming less and less enthusiastic about music. His attitude seems to stem from his working environment, so maybe it will help him turn a new leaf and find a new found enthusiasm to record, tour and love music. Therefore, the split certainly doesn't come as a surprise given that 1997, along with Cool Britannia, should have killed the band, but it didn't (which is a testiment to the strength of the band). Any life that the band has endured since this era has been a bonus. In my opinion, they went on to do some of their best work and break the mould of simply being a Beatles tribute act. My only fears that remain is that recently, in his Blogs, Noel not only explicitly states his farewell to Oasis, but there's also some undertones of him maybe leaving music. I hope i'm wrong, but he hasn't really expressed any intention to go at it alone, instead, he's just said cheers and left it open. I certainly hope this isn't the case as i'd love to hear some solo stuff from him. I sincerely believe that some of Noel's most intelligent, heartfelt and innovative work has yet to be heard. They will be missed.

For those wanting to know Travis a little more, here's a personal, home made "Best Of" I put together if you want to taste test some off iTunes. They're basically the songs I love the most by Travis. This set covers an almost equal amount from each album (give or take 1 or 2 tracks the difference) and it doesn't just consist of singles. Try and listen to them in the order set out as I think they flow pretty well. Have a listen: 1. Ring out the bell 2. All I wanna do is rock 3. Something anything 4. Big chair 5. Driftwood 6. The Fear 7. Somewhere else 8. Pipe dreams 9. Broken mirror 10. U16 girls 11. Sing 12. Under the moonlight 13. Quite free 14. Why does it always rain on me? 15. Writing to reach you 16. Re-offender 17. Good day to die 18. Love will come through 19. Happy to hang around 20. Slide show / blue flashing light

LOL so true! If James Blunt is so concerned about aviation damage to the environment, then why the hell does he tour? Unless he goes from gig to gig on his pushbike, he really doesn't have a right to criticise people for damage to the environment if he himself does it in the same way.