Red Mosquito

it's really how familiar it feels that's the problem. Plus the first few lyrics aren't good. Life Wasted starts with some clunky lines, but at least I love the riff, and LW grows into one of my favorite PJ songs. So I am eager to hear where this one goes

it's really how familiar it feels that's the problem. Plus the first few lyrics aren't good. Life Wasted starts with some clunky lines, but at least I love the riff, and LW grows into one of my favorite PJ songs. So I am eager to hear where this one goes

It also certainly has an 'attack of the dull chorus' syndrome that's hit a bunch of their songs (WWS, Marker, and a lot of S/T for that matter).

i like that chorus. Hell, I like all those choruses (the ones you mention). Army Reserve, Unemployable, Gone, and Big Wave are a bit weak, though

'attack of the dull chorus' would be a good band name

stip wrote:i like that chorus. Hell, I like all those choruses (the ones you mention). Army Reserve, Unemployable, Gone, and Big Wave are a bit weak, though

I hear in the chorus of WWS what others hear in Evacuation. It's such a letdown after a pretty damn good lead up.

LW has one of the best bridges in PJ's catalogue imo, but I don't really like the rest much. It's OK.

digster wrote:

stip wrote:i like that chorus. Hell, I like all those choruses (the ones you mention). Army Reserve, Unemployable, Gone, and Big Wave are a bit weak, though

I hear in the chorus of WWS what others hear in Evacuation. It's such a letdown after a pretty damn good lead up.

I get not liking it, but the whole thing is so catchy and it propels you right into the next verse. I also think the dance craze vibe is deliberate, highlighting our inability to take war seriously.

stip wrote:

digster wrote:

stip wrote:i like that chorus. Hell, I like all those choruses (the ones you mention). Army Reserve, Unemployable, Gone, and Big Wave are a bit weak, though

I hear in the chorus of WWS what others hear in Evacuation. It's such a letdown after a pretty damn good lead up.

I get not liking it, but the whole thing is so catchy and it propels you right into the next verse. I also think the dance craze vibe is deliberate, highlighting our inability to take war seriously.

I agree, and it's one of the reasons I really like WWS. It's a groovy riff. You can dance to it. There's a fun sense of irony there; the kind of irony they were pitching for in Backspacer but for whatever reason they missed.

i don't think backspacer was meant to be anything but sincere.

stip wrote:

digster wrote:

stip wrote:i like that chorus. Hell, I like all those choruses (the ones you mention). Army Reserve, Unemployable, Gone, and Big Wave are a bit weak, though

I hear in the chorus of WWS what others hear in Evacuation. It's such a letdown after a pretty damn good lead up.

I get not liking it, but the whole thing is so catchy and it propels you right into the next verse. I also think the dance craze vibe is deliberate, highlighting our inability to take war seriously.

Maybe that's what they were going for, but to me I just hear petulance and something that always takes me out of the song without fail. It doesn't sound like it really makes any sense with what came before it, and I personally never got a 'dance craze' vibe from that chorus.

stip wrote:i don't think backspacer was meant to be anything but sincere.

Well, I would agree if it wasn't for Johnny Guitar, which isn't really. That song makes me think that Supersonic or The Fixer could have been the fun, irreverent romp that it should've been but wasn't. That's one frustrating thing about PJ; if you want an album taken seriously, don't put Johnny Guitar on it. And if you do, don't make it the best song or people will find the rest weaker for its inclusion.

harmless wrote:

stip wrote:i don't think backspacer was meant to be anything but sincere.

Well, I would agree if it wasn't for Johnny Guitar, which isn't really. That song makes me think that Supersonic or The Fixer could have been the fun, irreverent romp that it should've been but wasn't. That's one frustrating thing about PJ; if you want an album taken seriously, don't put Johnny Guitar on it. And if you do, don't make it the best song or people will find the rest weaker for its inclusion.

Johnny Guitar is playful and laughs at itself, though. It's a different sort of fun.

stip wrote:

harmless wrote:

stip wrote:i don't think backspacer was meant to be anything but sincere.

Well, I would agree if it wasn't for Johnny Guitar, which isn't really. That song makes me think that Supersonic or The Fixer could have been the fun, irreverent romp that it should've been but wasn't. That's one frustrating thing about PJ; if you want an album taken seriously, don't put Johnny Guitar on it. And if you do, don't make it the best song or people will find the rest weaker for its inclusion.

Johnny Guitar is playful and laughs at itself, though. It's a different sort of fun.

Different to what? That's the sort of fun I like. I'm not sure anything else is very fun.

harmless wrote:

stip wrote:

harmless wrote:

stip wrote:i don't think backspacer was meant to be anything but sincere.

Well, I would agree if it wasn't for Johnny Guitar, which isn't really. That song makes me think that Supersonic or The Fixer could have been the fun, irreverent romp that it should've been but wasn't. That's one frustrating thing about PJ; if you want an album taken seriously, don't put Johnny Guitar on it. And if you do, don't make it the best song or people will find the rest weaker for its inclusion.

Johnny Guitar is playful and laughs at itself, though. It's a different sort of fun.

Different to what? That's the sort of fun I like. I'm not sure anything else is very fun.

I may have misunderstood you. I thought you were implying that johnny guitar was meant to be ironic in a dark sort of way that was out of sorts with the rest of the album. I don't think it's a dark song, and I think it's sincere in the clean way the rest of the album is.

stip wrote:

harmless wrote:

stip wrote:

harmless wrote:

stip wrote:i don't think backspacer was meant to be anything but sincere.

Well, I would agree if it wasn't for Johnny Guitar, which isn't really. That song makes me think that Supersonic or The Fixer could have been the fun, irreverent romp that it should've been but wasn't. That's one frustrating thing about PJ; if you want an album taken seriously, don't put Johnny Guitar on it. And if you do, don't make it the best song or people will find the rest weaker for its inclusion.

Johnny Guitar is playful and laughs at itself, though. It's a different sort of fun.

Different to what? That's the sort of fun I like. I'm not sure anything else is very fun.

I may have misunderstood you. I thought you were implying that johnny guitar was meant to be ironic in a dark sort of way that was out of sorts with the rest of the album. I don't think it's a dark song, and I think it's sincere in the clean way the rest of the album is.

I just mean that Johnny Guitar has a deliberate sense of irreverence and self-parody. That's what makes it 'fun'. The other 'fun' stuff on the album is taking itself too seriously, hence isn't really that 'fun' at all. I'm not usually taking myself seriously when having fun, so if that yearning desire to 'fight to get it back again' is too sincere I'm not going to find it as fun as I could have. Just MHO.

well I see fixer the same way Kevin Davis talked about it in the fixer thread. It's not meant to be a fun song in the way I think you're using the term. In fact, the only 'fun' songs on backspacer are probably johnny guitar and supersonic, maybe GSMF, but even there probably not. There's a lightness and a cleanness to them, a lack of weight (which is not the same thing as a lack of substance even though people make that mistake all the time), and that makes the album a carefree and enjoyable listen, but I'm not sure I'd call it fun.

I don't find BS to be a fun album. It has a lightness, a free-from-the-shackles vibe that is refreshing. The only tracks that are 'fun' would be JG and SSonic. The Fixer has a pop feel but it has a very sincere and determined message. GSMF and GS are lighter but not fun.
Side B is not fun (SS excepted).

Edit: Damn, Stip you took my words.

Good points, gentlemen.

*high five