Song of the Moment: Sirens

[McParadigm]

Kinda shocked that a song this inoffensive is generating such a debate.

Really? What have you been doing with those 4485 posts?

[harmless]

Kinda shocked that a song this inoffensive is generating such a debate.

My eventual dislike of the song might end up being nothing to do with the song.

[EJ]

Kinda shocked that a song this inoffensive is generating such a debate.

My eventual dislike of the song might end up being nothing to do with the song.

Pink Floyd will ruin the song for you.

[harmless]

Kinda shocked that a song this inoffensive is generating such a debate.

My eventual dislike of the song might end up being nothing to do with the song.

Pink Floyd will ruin the song for you.

I like Pink Floyd. Never said I didn't.

[Jorge]

Kinda shocked that a song this inoffensive is generating such a debate.

Really? What have you been doing with those 4485 posts?

4487 now, chump

[McParadigm]

I like Pink Floyd. Never said I didn't.

Your descriptions of them seem to indicate a surface-level awareness of their music, though.

[Jaeti]

This song was a conversion experience for a lot of people, and those who liked it right away witnessed the conversion in others.

Haha, and we got to watch the conversion happen in real time. Not that that means it's perfectly magical and will win everyone over, but you could literally watch people go from hating it at 11am to loving it by noon. And that happened over and over again. It was kind of wild, in an internetty sort of way.

I think it's a great song, but I also recognize that its mystique increased exponentially in a way that could easily be off-putting to those who dislike it.

[harmless]

I like Pink Floyd. Never said I didn't.

Your descriptions of them seem to indicate a surface-level awareness of their music, though.

I didn't describe them. I described the perception it's possible to have of them if you're 1) not a fan, or 2) a casual fan. I like them in spite of their sometimes heavy excess, because I realise they're partly about that excess. They're prog, and prog is about excess, surrealism, the weird and wonderful. I get that, so when I want that, I'll go to Floyd. But this is the reason why Brendan O'Brien cheesy excess doesn't necessarily put me off these songs just because these songs have it. That would be a casual listener's reaction, and because I'm not a casual listener, I look at the rest of the catalogue and it's mostly a lot deeper and more nuanced and less polished, I'm not going to judge PJ on this.

[harmless]

This song was a conversion experience for a lot of people, and those who liked it right away witnessed the conversion in others.

Haha, and we got to watch the conversion happen in real time. Not that that means it's perfectly magical and will win everyone over, but you could literally watch people go from hating it at 11am to loving it by noon. And that happened over and over again. It was kind of wild, in an internetty sort of way.

I think it's a great song, but I also recognize that its mystique increased exponentially in a way that could easily be off-putting to those who dislike it.

I actually wish it was *more* Floyd-like. The "Hear the sirens" line sets you up for weird surrealism and then it becomes a standard love song. I'm off the high that I was on when I first heard it, and for me, that's what lets it down the most.

[LetMeSleep]

Say what you will about Bo'B but he got the correct timing on Mike's delay for the solo. Man it's frustrating on the video.

[harmless]

Say what you will about Bo'B but he got the correct timing on Mike's delay for the solo. Man it's frustrating on the video.

I noticed that too. I never got why people used delay if it wasn't syncing up with the drums.

[Jaeti]

For the record: I've been thinking, and talking, and thinking, and talking, and I understand why for some people "Sirens" was the final nail in the coffin. I understand why it seems like the last assault (which overall has been cumulative) from a band with, for some, different values than the ones we signed up to. And while I don't always feel like that myself (it's easy to feel like it sometimes) I won't deny anyone the right to the anger and disappointment. I've sort of been doing that, and I was wrong to be doing that. There are some deeply intelligent people pretty pissed off right now. I'm not one of them, but I get it.

My buddy was on this side of things. Long time fan, for some reason he felt Sirens too 80's ballad/Pop. Pissed him off. So he went on a music site and streamed some 80's ballads to further his case against the song and well...he loves Sirens now. hahah

Haha, that's great. And some of those are great songs. And this one just might be, too.

[HardTI]

Harmless, are you starting to not like this song?

Random thought: Stone is STRONG on this song. Lots of rhythmic things butting up against each other and what not.

[Birds in Hell]

Say what you will about Bo'B but he got the correct timing on Mike's delay for the solo. Man it's frustrating on the video.

As a guitarist, I'm quite fond of delay times that don't match the tempo of the song.

Perfectly tempo-matched delay can be cool in the right context but it's not really my thing.

[harmless]

Harmless, are you starting to not like this song?

Random thought: Stone is STRONG on this song. Lots of rhythmic things butting up against each other and what not.

There are things I don't like about it. Up to the pre-chorus it's amazing. But its uniqueness is gradually rubbed off until you get to the ending, with the xylophone melody that I'm starting to realise doesn't fit this otherwise moody rock ballad. Robbie Williams shows up more and more.

But mostly I'm just getting upset with myself because I'm not enjoying trying to constantly analyse and reconcile the tension between my distaste for BO'B and my enjoyment of these songs, but it's an addiction and a compulsion. This album is going to be a very good album written by a bunch of happy guys without the time or inclination to make a great album.

My ultimate feeling about it will depend on how happy I am about that.

[balam]

Count me among those whose head is still spinning from the 180 I've done on this song. This is what I was messaging another fan friend while listening to Sirens for the first time:

"Meh.

"Maybe it will grow on me

"Loved Mike's 12-string teaser, this is just so Bon Jovi. Curse you Brendan O-brien

"UGH This makes me stabby lol

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"There's probably a good song in there somewhere but this over-the-top production is just the worst

"Jesus Christ this is terrible

"Talk me down"

It took a few days but I'm really liking this song now. The lyrics and vocals elevate it for me. Much prefer the more spare video version and may not listen to the studio version again. I hope they will be able to nail this live, this song will probably wind up like DTE for me, where I only listen to live versions rather than the studio one. fwiw my favorite records are from the middle years (Binaural/Yield/Vitalogy/No Code)

[LetMeSleep]

Say what you will about Bo'B but he got the correct timing on Mike's delay for the solo. Man it's frustrating on the video.

As a guitarist, I'm quite fond of delay times that don't match the tempo of the song.

Perfectly tempo-matched delay can be cool in the right context but it's not really my thing.

But that is awful.

Edit: Maybe he was compensating for the MattCam factor.

[HardTI]

Harmless, are you starting to not like this song?

Random thought: Stone is STRONG on this song. Lots of rhythmic things butting up against each other and what not.

There are things I don't like about it. Up to the pre-chorus it's amazing. But its uniqueness is gradually rubbed off until you get to the ending, with the xylophone melody that I'm starting to realise doesn't fit this otherwise moody rock ballad. Robbie Williams shows up more and more.

But mostly I'm just getting upset with myself because I'm not enjoying trying to constantly analyse and reconcile the tension between my distaste for BO'B and my enjoyment of these songs. This album is going to be a very good album written by a bunch of happy guys without the time or inclination to make a great album.

My ultimate feeling about it will depend on how happy I am about that.

Damnit, harmmy! We're losing you! Where is the xylophone in here? Is it not in that live version?

[Birds in Hell]

Say what you will about Bo'B but he got the correct timing on Mike's delay for the solo. Man it's frustrating on the video.

As a guitarist, I'm quite fond of delay times that don't match the tempo of the song.

Perfectly tempo-matched delay can be cool in the right context but it's not really my thing.

But that is awful.

Tempo-matched delay just reminds me of the Edge or those godawful "praise & worship" guys that hang out on The Gear Page.

The live version really doesn't sound bad at all to me.

[LetMeSleep]

Say what you will about Bo'B but he got the correct timing on Mike's delay for the solo. Man it's frustrating on the video.

As a guitarist, I'm quite fond of delay times that don't match the tempo of the song.

Perfectly tempo-matched delay can be cool in the right context but it's not really my thing.

But that is awful.

Tempo-matched delay just reminds me of the Edge or those godawful "praise & worship" guys that hang out on The Gear Page.

The live version really doesn't sound bad at all to me.

It's just the solo at 2 points. It's frustrating (as a drummer).