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Post by paradiseflats on Apr 3, 2019 14:53:03 GMT
Off on a trip to Holland in just over a week. Will have time to listen to it again and write my thoughts. In a cafe in Tilburg. Waiting for a friend...
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Post by Detroit on Apr 3, 2019 18:19:30 GMT
The only way I listen to the intro of the title song is with headphones on high. It's that good.
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Post by MrWaistcoat on Apr 3, 2019 18:32:58 GMT
Listened to the American remix today. The two singles are worth listening to, the others are barely changed.
When I got this album, I already had the singles and a few others as b sides like runaway. I never liked the cover. Speaking of runaway....it would be impossible to give an average song better treatment than this gets. Brilliant intro and outro, cool. Shady Lady rocks great. With both those songs, you can imagine how crap they'd be if they'd been recorded after John left the band.
There's nothing I dislike here, and it's a very good sound. Alan was basically proven correct that they didn't need an outside producer. They were clearly worried about fan criticism of the previous two albums, so we get a guitary sound and "epic" final song.
For me there isn't much that's top drawer / special other than the singles. I don't really like the first few mins of breaking away, but love the four rockers rollin bit.
The songs are samey in tempo. Mid paced rockers mostly. Not many I'd want in the live set. The band had lost it's earlier diversity. Maybe if the previous two albums had been better received they'd have gone with Bad Company and rearrange? Instead they played safe, and continued safe until 1982, with Francis by then desperate for change.
What the album needs somewhere is a quality, upbeat rock out. rockinon/CRWM attempts to be that....but I find it boring until the tempo change. The tempo change is sublime in a 4500x kind of way. Terrible lyrics, but some great guitar work in the second half of the song. Just about does the job, but it's no slow train , little lady or other classic rockout the earlier albums had.
For me a good or very good album, not a great one. Used to rate it higher than raotw, but I've changed my mind since the raotw remix.
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Post by fretbuzzzzz on Apr 3, 2019 19:31:13 GMT
Listened to the American remix today. The two singles are worth listening to, the others are barely changed. When I got this album, I already had the singles and a few others as b sides like runaway. I never liked the cover. Speaking of runaway....it would be impossible to give an average song better treatment than this gets. Brilliant intro and outro, cool. Shady Lady rocks great. With both those songs, you can imagine how crap they'd be if they'd been recorded after John left the band. There's nothing I dislike here, and it's a very good sound. Alan was basically proven correct that they didn't need an outside producer. They were clearly worried about fan criticism of the previous two albums, so we get a guitary sound and "epic" final song. For me there isn't much that's top drawer / special other than the singles. I don't really like the first few mins of breaking away, but love the four rockers rollin bit. The songs are samey in tempo. Mid paced rockers mostly. Not many I'd want in the live set. The band had lost it's earlier diversity. Maybe if the previous two albums had been better received they'd have gone with Bad Company and rearrange? Instead they played safe, and continued safe until 1982, with Francis by then desperate for change. What the album needs somewhere is a quality, upbeat rock out. rockinon/CRWM attempts to be that....but I find it boring until the tempo change. The tempo change is sublime in a 4500x kind of way. Terrible lyrics, but some great guitar work in the second half of the song. Just about does the job, but it's no slow train , little lady or other classic rockout the earlier albums had. For me a good or very good album, not a great one. Used to rate it higher than raotw, but I've changed my mind since the raotw remix. Enjoyed your review. The differences lyrically and musically between the Rossi/Young and Rossi/Frost partnerships were becoming clear especially with the WYW album. That is an interesting point about the Rockin' re-mix and it was a bit of a revelation and became every bit as worthy as WYW. The band had a bit more say in matters with WYW, though they always had the ultimate veto pretty much anyway, but Pip W and John Eden were involved with WYW.
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Post by Victor on Apr 3, 2019 19:35:27 GMT
As far as I know the album was produced by Pip Williams
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Post by fretbuzzzzz on Apr 3, 2019 19:46:01 GMT
As far as I know the album was produced by Pip Williams I can't remember now if John Eden gets a credit on the sleeve but he was involved in the process as well.
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Post by MrWaistcoat on Apr 3, 2019 19:50:09 GMT
Francis says in his book that Alan insisted the band produce themselves for this album. An unhappy compromise?
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Post by kursaal75 on Apr 3, 2019 20:47:25 GMT
As far as I know the album was produced by Pip Williams It was Victor, I've just checked. Engineer, John Eden.
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Post by fretbuzzzzz on Apr 3, 2019 21:55:28 GMT
Francis says in his book that Alan insisted the band produce themselves for this album. An unhappy compromise? I believe all parties were generally pleased with how WYW turned out in the end, following the unconvincing IYCSTH. The following albums, JS and NTL, were undoubtedly very successful. Not only in terms of album sales but also bearing several hit singles. Though the band were on a mission it would seem to draw a line under this successful time commercially and try producing on their own with 1982. Whether Alan hoped it would mean back to the old methods or Francis using it as more opportunity to do things his way, I have no idea, but whatever it was, it was a dissonant album. With accusations later on of Francis going behind the others back. Perhaps Francis on main vocals on Rick's 'She Don't Fool Me' being an indication that maybe Rick had taken a step back away with this album? Alan later describing the album as one of their worst.
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Post by dontthinkitmatters on Apr 5, 2019 7:19:58 GMT
Much prefer Whatever You Want over RAOTW both album and track wise. WYW the single surprised me as I had been sick to my back teeth of hearing it, but on the album it's a bit of a highlight, awesome intro to it, whereas with RAOTW I cannot get past the piano intro before I jump for the skip button. Used to be a big fan of Shady Lady back in the day but find it a bit bland now. Who Asked You is my fave track on the album , something about it reminds me of On The Level. Pretty sure with similar production it wouldn't be out of place if it had been recorded in 74. I like Your Smiling Face, and still rate LOAI , enjoyed it live on the Pictures Tour (?) as well.
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Post by dontthinkitmatters on Apr 5, 2019 7:31:28 GMT
Side 2 and CRWM/ Rocking On, prefer the second half by a long way. Not heard it live but have seen a few clips and think there is better album stuff not used in the set that would have been better. Runaway falls into the Shady Lady bracket and feels like a Quo by numbers track. High Flyer definately works , although I always think production wise it only sounds half finished. Breaking Away has one of those outro's that I wished was also used as an intro ...and throughout the track, good stuff. All in all an enjoyable all round album , although falls behind the classics.
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Post by MrWaistcoat on Apr 5, 2019 14:55:11 GMT
With accusations later on of Francis going behind the others back. Perhaps Francis on main vocals on Rick's 'She Don't Fool Me' being an indication that maybe Rick had taken a step back away with this album? Alan later describing the album as one of their worst.I can also remember how proud Alan was of 1982 at the time. He strongly argued during BTB that "we were throwing our hard work away". Alans views now seem to mirror that of many FF era fans, ie classic Quo is Dog through to BFY. How many years of perspective he needed for that I don't know, in my case it was a great many!
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viza
Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 411
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Post by viza on Apr 5, 2019 15:05:18 GMT
Listened to the American remix today. The two singles are worth listening to, the others are barely changed. Never heard the American remix so I thought I should give it a try. Only listened to these two tracks. Didn't work for me. The idea of cuting the intro to WYW may have been a way to catch listener with short attention span but why start of the record with LOAI then? The intro is my favorite part of the song and is missed. The sound is a lot more thin and less clean. The guitar parts are a lot more muddy and mixed with synth parts. You can hear a clear cut directly after the guitar/synth solo of WYW. It's lile they did that in two separate takes or maye cutted something out.
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Post by fretbuzzzzz on Apr 5, 2019 21:30:36 GMT
With accusations later on of Francis going behind the others back. Perhaps Francis on main vocals on Rick's 'She Don't Fool Me' being an indication that maybe Rick had taken a step back away with this album? Alan later describing the album as one of their worst.I can also remember how proud Alan was of 1982 at the time. He strongly argued during BTB that "we were throwing our hard work away". Alans views now seem to mirror that of many FF era fans, ie classic Quo is Dog through to BFY. How many years of perspective he needed for that I don't know, in my case it was a great many! Going off track a bit, but there's an interview out there somewhere and Alan says he can't remember what tracks are on 1982 but quite damning of it anyway. When Francis mentioned that Rick wasn't at some recording sessions, I assumed he meant much later albums but thinking now that maybe 1982 could fit the bill? I have been listening to a few tracks on the back of comments made and perhaps apart from the co-credited 'Resurrection' is there anything on the album that is obviously Rick? Francis was determined to get Andy B in the group photo on the back cover as has said he was a signed-up member by this point.
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Post by MrWaistcoat on Apr 6, 2019 10:16:47 GMT
Listened to the American remix today. The two singles are worth listening to, the others are barely changed. Never heard the American remix so I thought I should give it a try. Only listened to these two tracks. Didn't work for me. The idea of cuting the intro to WYW may have been a way to catch listener with short attention span but why start of the record with LOAI then? The intro is my favorite part of the song and is missed. The sound is a lot more thin and less clean. The guitar parts are a lot more muddy and mixed with synth parts. You can hear a clear cut directly after the guitar/synth solo of WYW. It's lile they did that in two separate takes or maye cutted something out. Totally agree, meant worth listening to as very different. Think they may have put some effects on Rick's voice on loai. Yes, the cut on WYW is awful. Remember the album being discussed on the old board and don't remember anyone liking it. Worth mentioning now as I don't think many fans realise it's become so easily available. Back in the 80's and 90's this was a sought after recording.
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