Avocado Demos II leak!

[Got Some]

Liked: 2X4,rearranged(2), only cloud,life wasted,severed hand

Ok: 10 billion years big wave breeze d lucky 13

Pass: open door

2X4 :writer guess: mike :could of been an awesome opener with a bit of fixering.
Only cloud : writer guess : Jeff : has a doors feel
Life wasted: love that extended solo i like the lyrics to life wasted
Severed hand: didn't love it anymore or any less love this song
Big wave: verses sound better
Open door: writer guess stone: pass
Rearranged priorities: writer guess matt or jeff: nice track but tough to put vocals on
Rearranged furniture: writer guess mike: sounds like a better down
10 billion years: it was ok. Ed would sound better.
Lucky 13:matt. fun track best of luck putting vocals on that baby
Breeze D: writer guess : nice track but same as above

[Mine]

That's nonsense. Trying to be inclusive has nothing at all to do with how much you care--especially if this process means Ed has to do more work.

I think this is probably a very unpopular point of view but it makes sense that someone with a clear idea of how a song is supposed to sound like is going to be less inclusive, especially a 90's weirdo Ed kind of character. Certain additions and changes can ruin the balance of a song. I think the extent you're willing to go in order to preserve your artistic vision is definitely related to how much you care about it.

Alternately, you can approach this from the perspective that the BAND is creating music and the BAND should make the decisions together, and that other people's contributions can just as easily enhance a song as ruin it--and that when you've been together a long time and are working with people you respect you should trust them.

This has nothing to do with commitment.

Well commitment to the process and band doesn't necessarily imply any commitment to the artistic vision.
You probably noticed that most people advocate for a strong influence from whichever member over the others so it seems that too much collaboration and openness towards the others isn't really what most seem to believe is generally the best choice.

[stip]

The band as a collective entity may have a vision that exists independent of any one member.

[McParadigm]

The band as a collective entity may have members that exist independent of their vision.

[Mine]

The band as a collective vision may exist independent of its members.

[McParadigm]

The collective as a band member may have an entity that envisions independence.

[Kevin Davis]

Collective Soul has five band members who have all purchased vision insurance independent of each other.

[epilogue]

[Norah]

purple monkey dishwasher

[jtmack20]

I found this snippet from an interview with Jeff in 2005. Thought it ties in to discussion of these demos. Means there is most definitely a studio version of "Of the Earth", which I would love to hear, and possibly a version of "2x4" with vocals, which we be cool as well...

So far, the band’s written a total of 25 songs, but the final track listing will have around a dozen songs — and the decision about which tracks make the final cut largely rests with “Ed, because he’s writing 95 percent of the lyrics,” Ament said. But the bassist did reveal some potential song names: “Marker,” “Crapshoot Rapture,” “Worldwide Suicide,” “Cold Concession,” “2X4″ and “Severed Hand.”

Ament singled out two other tracks as his current favorites. “One is called ‘Of the Earth,’ that’s a song Ed wrote that is kind of a cross between early Peter Gabriel/ Genesis and Sleater-Kinney with, like, the Who’s Live at Leeds or something. There’s also a song that Stone brought in that Ed wrote some great lyrics to [a song] called ‘Parachutes.’ That’s probably one of my favorite pieces of music that Stone has written in a long time. It’s got a beautiful melody.”

[Tj]

I hope someone can hook me up with these.

[LetMeSleep]

I found this snippet from an interview with Jeff in 2005. Thought it ties in to discussion of these demos. Means there is most definitely a studio version of "Of the Earth", which I would love to hear, and possibly a version of "2x4" with vocals, which we be cool as well...

So far, the band’s written a total of 25 songs, but the final track listing will have around a dozen songs — and the decision about which tracks make the final cut largely rests with “Ed, because he’s writing 95 percent of the lyrics,” Ament said. But the bassist did reveal some potential song names: “Marker,” “Crapshoot Rapture,” “Worldwide Suicide,” “Cold Concession,” “2X4″ and “Severed Hand.”

Ament singled out two other tracks as his current favorites. “One is called ‘Of the Earth,’ that’s a song Ed wrote that is kind of a cross between early Peter Gabriel/ Genesis and Sleater-Kinney with, like, the Who’s Live at Leeds or something. There’s also a song that Stone brought in that Ed wrote some great lyrics to [a song] called ‘Parachutes.’ That’s probably one of my favorite pieces of music that Stone has written in a long time. It’s got a beautiful melody.”

Whether it's a LD2 or a reissue, I can't wait to hear more from these sessions. As far as we know it's the last time there was a wealth of material recorded and considered for release. The last 2 albums appear to have had just the released tracks rec'd/finished (as far as we know).

[tk]

Does anyone have a copy of Of The Earth from PJ20 they could share with me?

[CopperTom]

I finally listened and finally read this entire thread.

I enjoy 2x4 and The Only Cloud In The Sky the most. Ed's mumbling or groaning is comical in some of these. So we're calling Cold Confession, "CC" and Let it Ride, "LIR" now. Oh. 26 pages and not a single PM theplatypus comment. Fail, RM, fail.

[Birds in Hell]

26 pages and not a single PM theplatypus comment. Fail, RM, fail.

Sounds like an unqualified success to me.

[ridleybradout]

Again, as a former professional audio engineer, I'd like to add: I think that there's a high chance that for some reason, the band is currently passing old tracks through the studio system. I'm thinking that they are probably reviewing older outtakes and whatnot, in hopes of releasing a lost dogs 2, or similar. It otherwise makes very little sense for someone outside the band to have their hands on demo recordings from 2005 – – most studio sessions live on house hard drives, the relevant files then transferred -- at the end of the session -- to the personal hard drives of the engineers. Most studios delete the sessions from their hard drives anywhere from one to several months after the initial session. Apart from the band, Adam Kaspar, and possibly his assistants, there's no one else who would have a practical reason to have held on to these files for this long.

The band sounded uncharacteristically focused on Of The Earth the other night, so hopefully you're onto something here...

[Kaius]

That was killer. Love how they bridged out of that long jam. Yum.

[Norah]

Best version of Of the Earth I've heard heard right there.

[Kaius]

Best one I've heard heard as well.

[stip]

There's been 5 or 6, right?