The Official Brad (Stone Gossard) Thread

[VinylGuy]

I got Best Friends? in the mail today, so let´s start this thread about this amazing band.
So far for me its like this:

Best friends?
Shame
Interiors
WTDP
United we stand

[joostone]

Looking forward to their first EU tour!!

My ranking:

-Shame
-Best Friends!
-Interiors
-United we Stand
-WTDP

[washing machine]

The only Brad album I own is Welcome to Discovery Park, and I really like it. Every time I read a Brad discussion, though, that one seems to be ranked pretty low. I can think of two explanations for this:

1. Brad is a very good band and puts out consistently good records, but one of them has to be the "worst."
or
2. My tastes aren't really suited for Brad, and that album is perhaps a departure that happens to line up with what I like.

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

The only Brad album I own is Welcome to Discovery Park, and I really like it. Every time I read a Brad discussion, though, that one seems to be ranked pretty low. I can think of two explanations for this:

1. Brad is a very good band and puts out consistently good records, but one of them has to be the "worst."
or
2. My tastes aren't really suited for Brad, and that album is perhaps a departure that happens to line up with what I like.

I usually feel like it is pretty highly ranked for me, probably between interiors and shame, and I've kinda figured my high ranking was because its the first i got from them, and listened to it quite a bit for about 2 years before i started getting the other albums.

[phantomanddevil]

"...Discovery Park" suffers from the most bland, flat, production ever. It has no dynamics. There's some good songs, but the production makes them all sound flat and boring. There are rough mixes from "...Discovery Park" in the ether, and those versions of the songs are far superior. But because of the production, it's my least favourite record of theirs by a country mile. The first two and "Best Friends" are the best, I feel. Looking forward to my 6 shows next month!

[joostone]

The only Brad album I own is Welcome to Discovery Park, and I really like it. Every time I read a Brad discussion, though, that one seems to be ranked pretty low. I can think of two explanations for this:

1. Brad is a very good band and puts out consistently good records, but one of them has to be the "worst."
or
2. My tastes aren't really suited for Brad, and that album is perhaps a departure that happens to line up with what I like.

Yes.. It's the first reason.. so check out the other albums!!


Well I don't think that WTDP is a bad record but to me it's their worst...to me Brad is Shawn's soulfull ballads and Stone's funky groovy riffs. If you listen to satchel or his solo records you sometimes really miss the Stone influence, and you also miss that on WTDP. Stone wasn't really much involved on that one, only writing one song orso (he had just released 'bayleaf'). WTDP feels more like a shawn solo record or satchel record than a Brad record, eventhough it has some great songs ('brothers and sisters' !). Some of the WTDP outtakes they released on 'brad vs satchel' are really great too ('I must confess')

[VinylGuy]

The only Brad album I own is Welcome to Discovery Park, and I really like it. Every time I read a Brad discussion, though, that one seems to be ranked pretty low. I can think of two explanations for this:

1. Brad is a very good band and puts out consistently good records, but one of them has to be the "worst."
or
2. My tastes aren't really suited for Brad, and that album is perhaps a departure that happens to line up with what I like.

Yes.. It's the first reason.. so check out the other albums!!


Well I don't think that WTDP is a bad record but to me it's their worst...to me Brad is Shawn's soulfull ballads and Stone's funky groovy riffs. If you listen to satchel or his solo records you sometimes really miss the Stone influence, and you also miss that on WTDP. Stone wasn't really much involved on that one, only writing one song orso (he had just released 'bayleaf'). WTDP feels more like a shawn solo record or satchel record than a Brad record, eventhough it has some great songs ('brothers and sisters' !). Some of the WTDP outtakes they released on 'brad vs satchel' are really great too ('I must confess')

The Brad vs Satchel release is one i have to listen more to.
Listening to Best Friends?...and i cant believe they ditched this one so long claiming it wasnt good...this songs sound so fresh and loose as their first one..really guys, cmon.
Regards the Stone influence, he seems to write in a different mode than with PJ, and i like that.

[VinylGuy]

ill be listening Welcome to discovery park for the first time in a long time.
I have the feeling the some of the songs are going to impact differently than before.

[bodysnatcher]

The best one sentence review of a Brad album (taken from one of our weekly newspaper's local albums of 2012 section, reviewing "United We Stand"):

"The perfect disc to throw in with the cargo pants and golf club you're planning to send Dad for Father's Day."

[Birds in Hell]

The best one sentence review of a Brad album (taken from one of our weekly newspaper's local albums of 2012 section, reviewing "United We Stand"):

"The perfect disc to throw in with the cargo pants and golf club you're planning to send Dad for Father's Day."

[VinylGuy]

So how was the tour?? i saw this tour diary and it seems they played Bayleaf?? is that true?

I like the idea of brad playing those songs..

[VinylGuy]

[phantomanddevil]

The tour was fucking amazing. Quality performances. Band having fun. Stone had a cold. Then Keith got sick near the end. Lots of drinkin' with the fans on the Continent. Mad stories...mad fun...fantastic shows..Shawn had no problems with his voice at all...the set length was about 100 minutes...venues seemed to, VERY roughly, hold about 800 in the UK and anywhere from 400-800 in continental Europe. London and Manchestee sold out in advance. Birmingham sold out with walk ups on the night. None of the other shows sold out that i am aware of. Opened AND closed with Buttercup in the UK, then just played it last the other nights except one night in Germany they opened and closed with it. Thereafter, the opening number changed. Last song of main set: Screen. Encore was about 30-40 mins.Usually (but sometimes omitted, depending on curfew),Shawn doing Suffering solo, then a solo Wrapped in my Memory with all of Crown of Thorns sung but to a totally NEW piano arrangement. Then the band back. TheDay Brings, Lift, A Reason to be in my Skin (sometimes), Jumpinh Jack Flash, Buttercup. Entire shows were taped properly but are not ready for circulation just yet.Happy plays bongos on The Day Brings. Stone plays bongos on 20th Century only one acoustic guitar used this tour, and only Stone played it-a 12-string, for Price of Love and a few others. Shawn ad Happy share keyboard duties. Happy and Keith Lowe both used yellow pics with a brad logo on one side. Stone used orange with the same logo. Barrett tour managed. Rob Skinner did backline. I went to Manchester, Birmingham, London, Zoetermeer, Utrecht, Hengelo and Florence! Think about sums it up!

[phantomanddevil]

Stone sang/played a new song he wrote about a recent holiday to mexico called...i can't spell it right now. Somewhere in Germany, they dumped that and played the song Bayleaf instead for the rest of the tour.

[Simple Torture]

The "Welcome to Discovery Park" vinyl is on sale at Soundstage Direct if anyone's interested; if you spend more than $29.99 there, you'll get free shipping: http://www.soundstagedirect.com/brad-we ... ords.shtml

[VinylGuy]

Stone sang/played a new song he wrote about a recent holiday to mexico called...i can't spell it right now. Somewhere in Germany, they dumped that and played the song Bayleaf instead for the rest of the tour.

that was cool...i hope he plays that song with pj...why not? ed did setting forth and guaraanted..

[phantomanddevil]

Stone sang/played a new song he wrote about a recent holiday to mexico called...i can't spell it right now. Somewhere in Germany, they dumped that and played the song Bayleaf instead for the rest of the tour.

that was cool...i hope he plays that song with pj...why not? ed did setting forth and guaraanted..

I was at the PJ show where Ed did Guaranteed. Virginia Beach 2008. Not an amazing show, but memorable coz i got to hear that, the only time i ever got one of my faves, Evacuation, AND, THE BEST BIT: I got to go to a Waffle House!

Guys, the Brad tour was amazing this year. Seriously. Although i'm a big fan of Shawn's, the 1998 and 2002 Brad shows i saw were disappointing. These were proper tight. Fucking brilliant, in fact!

Shawn Smith can damn near out-sing anybody in the fucking planet!

[Birds in Hell]

Evacuation + a waffle house, sounds like a good time to me.

Glad you had such a blast, Rands!

I'm still a relatively uncommitted Brad fan but would definitely catch them any time they passed through here.

[phantomanddevil]

It's all about Shawn for me, Spence, and he was in fine humour and fine voice. In fact, he and i went on the almighty piss in the Netherlands. We were both fucked. He said after the next night's show: "i left not long after you last night, Randall. 10 minutes before i went onstage tonight, i was lying in the dressing room, thinking: i can't imagine doing a gig tonight!" the Netherlands, for all the times i have been there, has never, ever, been unkind to me.

They were unbelievably tight. Something to be said for not mixing a setlist too much. Play it tight and play it proper, says i.

[Will]

May 23rd, 2012, Red Palace, Washington, DC

1. Upon My Shoulders
2. Waters Deep
3. Last Bastion
4. The Only Way
5. Every Whisper
6. A Reason To Be In My Skin
7. Lift
8. Sweet Al George
9. Price Of Love
10. Make The Pain Go Away
11. Wrapped In My Memory
12. 20th Century >
13. Nadine
14. Diamond Blues
15. Secret Girl/Encore Break
16. Purple Rain > (Shawn Smith solo)
17. Crown Of Thorns (Shawn Smith solo)
18. Don't Cry
19. Screen
20. Buttercup
21. The Day Brings

Small club gig from last year. Tiny space, maybe 150 people total. Recorded in front of the back bar more to Shawn Smith's side, further away from Stone, with an Edirol R-09 using the internal mics, split up in CDwave and then EQ'd in Cakewalk to take out the boom below 80hz and add brightness above 14khz. Playing it in Winamp with a subwoofer makes me want to take out the high end on another mix. There's almost too much of it. But adjust your settings to suit your ears. FLACs on the way when I can find time.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/5fq7qb
(Lower light blue link at the bottom... "Click here to start download from sendspace.")