quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:
So, I was trying to appreciate "Blue Tulip" yesterday while driving home on the highway, when I got distracted in my attempt to focus on the music and slick on wet roads into the car in front of me. It crumpled me up pretty bad, but thankfully no one was hurt and my car still drives. But I must say, it didn't make me like the song any more.

The rest of the story is that my wife called me at work this afternoon and told me that she had pulled out in front of a truck who was signalling to turn, but ended up plowing right into her. She is also fine, and it was another low speed accident, but her car is really messed up and sitting at a body shop while it slowly bleeds a dark unidentifiable fluid.

It's a much longer story, but that's the jist of it. If Okkervil River wrote songs about cars smashing into each other, instead of rocky relationships, I might be able to relate to them a bit more.

Wow - that really sucks, Shad. A dual accident? How does that even happen...

Stupid Blue Tulip.

quote:

Originally posted by RavingLunatic:

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:
I love "Blue Tulip." It's sad, touching, moving and to be succinct, gorgeous. The swirling music, the gritty electric guitar, the build-up of that glorious climax and the terrific singing all make up for one of the better songs on the album.

I'm with FKA. I'm gonna say it's a top-3 song on the album. I'm really surprised people don't find the melody memorable. I've heard songs where the melodies just don't stand out, but this is definitely not one of them.

I kind of understand both sides of the debate on "Blue Tulip". I think that it's problem is that it is subtle. The first couple of times I listened to the album, it did not make an impression on me. But, now I realize what a powerful song it is. It builds in intensity and beauty until its intense crescendo.

I know this term is thrown around here quite a bit, but I think this song is a "grower".

The album as a whole is growing on me more and more. It's not to the level of The Stage Names, which I loved instantly. But, it is by no means an embarrassment or even a step back.

BTW, sorry about your coincidental misfortunes, Shad. I'm glad no one was seriously hurt.

Damn Shad that sucks, sorry to hear. Though that reminds my why I never listen to music I _really_ like when driving. I tend to get distacted and begin focusing on the music more than I'm focusing on the road. So after a few close incidents, from now on I just listen to the radio when driving.

I'm afraid to say for me Blue Tulip is an anti-grower. Every time I've listened to it I've liked it less. I can now recall the melody at will - this is not a good thing.

Yeah, man, sorry to hear that. I had a semi-truck completely tear off the back end of my car last winter while I was working. Bastard didn't even stop either. Later claimed he didn't do it but was nailed by the video camera and their company ended up paying up. I still got fucked over though, because I didn't qualify for a $150 discount on my car insurance because while I was inside working, a truck hit my correctly parked car. What a joke.

quote:

Originally posted by RavingLunatic:
Yeah, man, sorry to hear that. I had a semi-truck completely tear off the back end of my car last winter while I was working. Bastard didn't even stop either. Later claimed he didn't do it but was nailed by the video camera and their company ended up paying up. I still got fucked over though, because I didn't qualify for a $150 discount on my car insurance because while I was inside working, a truck hit my correctly parked car. What a joke.

That's really lame dude. Life can be frustrating. However, I'd rather be complaining about wrecked cars and money problems, than dealing with some life threatening disease.

We got word from the shop today that it's going to take $3,000 dollars for us to get her car running again. Which is ironically the exact amount that Sarah Palin gave us a few weeks ago to help us pay our heating bills this winter. Huh...

So, anyway. Okkervil River, right? Anyone else think that "Lost Coastlines" sounds a whole lot like "The Sporting Life" by the Decemberists? Just an observations. It's still a great song.

It also sounds like "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" by Jet and "Lust for Life" by Iggy Pop. It's a common little rhythm that's insanely catchy - I think the original came from the Iggy song - and I like it.

After getting to know this album, I just wanted to drop my opinion (not sure if anyone really cares, but here goes anyway).

I certainly agree with many folk's sentiment that Will Sheff is writing some of the best stuff coming out today. The guy has a gift for vocal melodies and lyrics, that's for sure. That said, I'm not entirely convinced by The Stand Ins. Maybe my expectations were just too high coming off the fantastic The Stage Names. A couple of tracks kinda feel like duds to me, something the previous album didn't have. "Bruce Wayne Campbell" in particular just feels like it doesn't go anywhere. The melody is good, but it just kinda meanders. It just doesn't compare to "John Allyn Smith Sails" which builds up to "Sloop John B" awesomness. "On Tour with Zykos" has some pretty questionable lyrics (and they drink MGDs?)

Aside from these two, everything else here is pretty golden. "Blue Tulip", which seems to be the target of some ire here, is actually a pretty good song if you ask me. "Lost Coastlines" and "Singer Songwriter" feel like classics already to me.

All in all it's a good release. It'll surely end up in my top 10. It just doesn't quite live up to The Stage Names, so I guess there's some level of disappointment there.

It's funny how this thread is turning out. From an outsider perspective it could come across as an album that most of us doesn't like from a band we are not too fond of. But in realitiy, it's only because we like Okkervil River and had such huge expectations that we feel compelled to, not give reasons why the album isn't good, but to explain to ourselves why it's not going to be our automatic number one album of the year. I would be surprised if all of us that are hear voiceing our disapointments about the album didn't still have it in our top ten at then end of the year, like sans_ said.

This will still make top ten just because it's Okkervil River. "Calling and Not Calling My Ex" is among the best songs they've written and "Lost Coastlines" is so damn catchy.

I saw them in Hollywood earlier this week and have a new found respect for "Blue Tulip," the song that seems to be the most divisive. The way they play it on stage is so much more energetic and urgent than on the album. You can only hear hints of it on the recorded version, but live, you can really hear the strain in his voice and the emotion during the mid-section instrumentals.

They also played a quiet version of "A Stone" which almost had me teary-eyed. Here's the setlist if anyone is interested:

Girl In Port
Singer-Songwriter
Black
Pop Lie
A Hand To Take the Hold of the Scene
The Lastest Toughs
Starry Stairs
John Allyn Smith Sails
A Stone
So Come Back, I'm Waiting
Black Sheep Boy
For Real
Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe
Unless It's Kicks
Encore 1:
Maine Island Lovers
Blue Tulip
Westfall
Encore 2:
Okkervil River Song

Not 100% of the song order, but something like that. I found it funny how they didn't play "On Tour With Zykos" even though Zykos was one of the opening bands. (Zykos is terribly boring, by the way. Sea Wolf, the other opening band, was much better).

First off, I'm sorry about everybody's accident horror stories. Shadrach's has to be the absolute worst. I actually spent 11 days on vacation last month in Alaska and saw Sarah Palin (pre RNC) directly in front of me at the checkout of a Fairbanks Safeway. I had no idea who she was at first, but before I left the store and saw her signing autographs, I realized that she was the Governor.

I love Okkervil River, but I only listened to the new one once when Sarah was streaming it (basically because I have a moratorium on new music), but I told her it sounded disappointing. Now, I'm the first person to say that you have to listen to music as often as possible to let it grow on you. But, on the other hand, any music you listen to often enough, you will enjoy, probably a lot. My point is what's to decide if you love really good music? The "fact" that you know it's good or the fact that you listen to it a lot?

You "know" it's good, and that's why you listen to it a lot. Because you always enjoy it when you're listening to it, a lot. If you don't, then it's probably not really good, yes?

I disagree with what you say about listening to anything will cause you to enjoy it, probably a lot. I've listened to albums I don't enjoy much, more than I would otherwise, because people on here I often agree with have said they like it. Some still do nuthin' for me.

Hope the moratorium ends soon.

You guys can speak for yourselves, this is a great release from a great band, easily up to par with their last album, and very likely a top 5 contender for me.

And Mark, I could have sworn that you were talking about Sarah Palin streaming the new Okkervil.

quote:

Originally posted by Chamberk:
And Mark, I could have sworn that you were talking about Sarah Palin streaming the new Okkervil.

And touting it as foreign policy experience. Where is Okkervil River anyway?

Edit: According to Wikipedia, Okkervil River took their name from a Russian short story, so I guess streaming The Stand Ins could classify as foreign policy experience, at lease as much as allowing Russian dignitaries to travel in Alaskan airspace.

As a side note. I know OR got their name from the short story, but I'm fairly certain there is a real Okkervil River in Russia just outside of St.Petersburg.

You know, sometimes I forget my original hypothesis that the best Okkervil River song is "For Real."

Cause goddamn that song kicks some ass.

quote:

Originally posted by Chamberk:
You know, sometimes I forget my original hypothesis that the best Okkervil River song is "For Real."

Cause goddamn that song kicks some ass.

There are so many Okkervil River songs that I think this way about though. I could easily name 10-15 of their songs that are "The Best Okkervil River Songs Ever!", but that changes as soon as I but on another one.

"For Real" is pure genius though. I miss the Okkervil River that used to sing about being tempted to kill people knives.

In other news, I realized today that "Blue Tulip" sounds like it could have been penned by The Counting Crows. Really. Listen to it. I'm just sayin'.

quote:

Originally posted by Chamberk:
You know, sometimes I forget my original hypothesis that the best Okkervil River song is "For Real."

Cause goddamn that song kicks some ass.

This has always been my theory. I hold it with conviction.

quote:

Originally posted by Shadrach:

quote:

Originally posted by Chamberk:
You know, sometimes I forget my original hypothesis that the best Okkervil River song is "For Real."

Cause goddamn that song kicks some ass.

There are so many Okkervil River songs that I think this way about though. I could easily name 10-15 of their songs that are "The Best Okkervil River Songs Ever!", but that changes as soon as I but on another one.

"For Real" is pure genius though. I miss the Okkervil River that used to sing about being tempted to kill people knives.

In other news, I realized today that "Blue Tulip" sounds like it could have been penned by The Counting Crows. Really. Listen to it. I'm just sayin'.

Okay, let's hear everyone's picks for "Okkervil River - The Best of..."

I'll start. Let's keep it to 15 tracks.

1. Lost Coastlines
2. Unless It's Kicks
3. For Real
4. Black
5. Westfall
6. The War Criminal Rises and Speaks
7. Savannah Smiles
8. Plus Ones
9. A Girl in Port
10. A Stone
11. The Latest Toughs
12. Calling and Not Calling My Ex
13. The President's Dead
14. John Allyn Smith Sails
15. Okkervil River Song

I'll bite. Simply in the order they come to me.

1. For Real (Black Sheep Boy)
2. Savannah Smiles (Stage Names)
3. Black (BSB)
4. Song for A Star (Down the River of Golden Dreams)
5. The War Criminal Rises and Speaks (DTRoGD)
6. A Favor (Sleep & Wake-Up Songs)
7. No Key No Plan (Black Sheep Boy Appendix)
8. Lost Coastlines (Stand-Ins)
9. Westfall (Don't Fall In Love with Everyone You See)
10. Red (DFILWEYS)
11. Blanket and Crib (DTRoGD)
12. End with Fall (DTRoGD)
13. The Velocity of Saul at the Time of His Conversion (DTRoGD)
14. A Girl In Port (SN)
15. Singer-Songwriter (SI)

1. For Real (BSB)
2. Red (DFILWEYS)
3. Another Radio Song (BSB Appendix)
4. Kansas City (DFILWEYS)
5. A Girl in Port (TSN)
6. The Latest Toughs (BSB)
7. Unless It's Kicks (TSN)
8. It Ends WIth A Fall (DTROGD)
9. Black (BSB)
10. John Allyn Smith Sails (TSN)
11. The President's Dead (TPD)
12. Westfall (DFILWEYS)
13. Okkervil River Song (DFILWEYS)
14. Lost Coastlines (TSI)
15. Starry Stairs (TSI)

I'd Probably rank their albums this way:

1. Black Sheep Boy
2. Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See
3. The Stage Names
4. The Stand-Ins
5. Down The River of Golden Dreams