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AnOceanPearl

Vancouver Megathread

By AnOceanPearl, in Matthew Good

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cweb

cweb

Posted
Posted
I'm pretty sure this is how many albums (especially older ones) are delivered to iTunes. I think they're ripped from CDs and sent in a lossless format to Apple, who then creates the AAC's.

 

It'd be nice if they could always go back to the files that used to manufacture the original CDs, but I can't imagine that those files would still exist - if they ever did - for albums that were released more than 15 years ago.

 

In particular, I think Cobraside is just taking the albums they're sent via CD and ripping them. Compare the versions of Vancouver between iTunes Canada and iTunes US. The iTunes Canada version is from Universal - the artwork is clean, and the song files sound perfect. The version that's on iTunes US is from Cobraside - the artwork looks a little fuzzy (the color's off) and some of the song files have skips in them.

 

I'm not sure how Matt's deal with Cobraside is set up (I'm assuming Universal isn't involved), but it'd be great if the albums could be delivered to Apple using the lossless files that Universal sent rather than having Cobraside create them themselves. Anytime you burn/press to audio CD and re-rip, you're likely to introduce errors.

 

hmmm, to me that's just lazy. i don't see how hard it is to just spit a wav file of the final mix out, send it to apple, and have them convert it.

 

okay, so older albums might not have that option available. but when you post something to be downloaded by millions of people, shouldn't you do some quality control and test it first?

 

maybe Apple is trying to cut costs and literally has one guy in a dark basement somewhere ripping CD after CD, and he no longer cares. but they're making enough money on the operation as a whole, why risk pissing people off? until iTunes has a monopoly on the market, people like myself might stick with buying a CD- especially if stuff like this continues.

 

otherwise, think i like this better than Hospital Music. some of the songs are too long and a few of the drum rhythms are repetitive, but there's a nice mix of songs.

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Manchalivin

Manchalivin

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I purchased the CD today. I would have yesterday but it didn't work out. Stupid paper case, was my immediate thought upon seeing it in the store, but it's better than some and the booklet is pretty nice. I really like the drums or whatever it is that sounds so unique in Fought to Fight It. When I first heard the stream it sounded cheesy or something to me, I was iffy on it but something about it has dug its way into my head and I now love the way it sounds in that song.

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IamNick

IamNick

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Posted
I purchased the CD today. I would have yesterday but it didn't work out. Stupid paper case, was my immediate thought upon seeing it in the store, but it's better than some and the booklet is pretty nice. I really like the drums or whatever it is that sounds so unique in Fought to Fight It. When I first heard the stream it sounded cheesy or something to me, I was iffy on it but something about it has dug its way into my head and I now love the way it sounds in that song.

 

I used to hate those paper cases too, but I've got a handful of them now and I don't mind them.

 

am i the only one, who is not a little bit annoyed in not getting the bonus tracks....besides this im lovin the album.

 

I like the live version of 99% of us is Failure, the other 2 are ok.

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Ychocky

Ychocky

Posted
Posted (edited)
Apparently I am not getting mine today, unless my upstairs neighbors have it. Not in my door, mailbox, and no delivery slip.

 

Not received in Ottawa yet. (MapleMusic)

 

I may just head to HMV and give the other copy to my brother in law (When it arrives)

 

Oh and Hello all.

 

EDIT: I was supposed to quote there...

Edited by Ychocky
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Prometheon

Prometheon

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Posted

Listening to Fought to Fight It, Matt changed something from the demo: he no longer says "Here they come again: those million ears to deafen it all out." Both times he drops the line "those million voices looking to get out."

 

Disappointing ;)

 

But listening to the album in CD format rather than the stream rocks

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Manchalivin

Manchalivin

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Posted (edited)

I love Empty's Theme Park as a closer. It fits so good and I like it much better now than the original demo. I thought it was musically pretty great since the second demo but now I like the whole thing. The chorus is really nice. I do like this version's chorus better than the first demo's.

Edited by Manchalivin
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Moonlight_Graham

Moonlight_Graham

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Picked up the album in the store and listened to it for the very 1st time last night. It definitely sounds different than any album he's done, that's for sure. A lot less raw than Hospital Music. Much more produced sound with many layers, and effects added to vocals etc.. Very radio/consumer friendly with a ton of pop-ish hooks and beats to the songs. The drums i find quite generic (not necessarily a bad thing, just more pop-like), & if I didn't know about the recording process i could have assumed most of the album was done with a drum-machine. Now i see why Matt said an acoustic tour for the album wouldn't fit.

 

A few of the songs i remember from the demos (i haven't listened to the demos for at least 6 months as to not spoil the album) totally kick ass now, whereas the demo versions of the songs didn't really stand out for me.

 

Two things i'm disappointed with is that Matt doesn't really showcase his voice much at all on the album. Not very many of those classic MG wailing belting of notes that puts a shiver up your spine. I found a lot of production technique of Matt singing on top of his own voice during a bunchof the songs, which is different than most of his past stuff.

 

Another disappointment is 'Silent Army In The Trees'. I think the acoustic version just works better. Matt added a big drum beat with lots of production in the middle of the song. The drum beat part was actually really cool (kinda like 'While We Were Hunting Rabbits'), but IMO doesn't fit the message and tone of the song. The song sounds better and fits the mood of the lyrics better when stripped down.

 

But anyways, pretty good album. I'll have to listen to it a bunch more to get a true feel for it. It's different for sure so i'll have to get used to the change in style, but overall i like it so far.

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Manchalivin

Manchalivin

Posted
Posted
Picked up the album in the store and listened to it for the very 1st time last night. It definitely sounds different than any album he's done, that's for sure. A lot less raw than Hospital Music. Much more produced sound with many layers, and effects added to vocals etc.. Very radio/consumer friendly with a ton of pop-ish hooks and beats to the songs. The drums i find quite generic (not necessarily a bad thing, just more pop-like), & if I didn't know about the recording process i could have assumed most of the album was done with a drum-machine. Now i see why Matt said an acoustic tour for the album wouldn't fit.

 

A few of the songs i remember from the demos (i haven't listened to the demos for at least 6 months as to not spoil the album) totally kick ass now, whereas the demo versions of the songs didn't really stand out for me.

 

Two things i'm disappointed with is that Matt doesn't really showcase his voice much at all on the album. Not very many of those classic MG wailing belting of notes that puts a shiver up your spine. I found a lot of production technique of Matt singing on top of his own voice during a bunchof the songs, which is different than most of his past stuff.

 

Another disappointment is 'Silent Army In The Trees'. I think the acoustic version just works better. Matt added a big drum beat with lots of production in the middle of the song. The drum beat part was actually really cool (kinda like 'While We Were Hunting Rabbits'), but IMO doesn't fit the message and tone of the song. The song sounds better and fits the mood of the lyrics better when stripped down.

 

But anyways, pretty good album. I'll have to listen to it a bunch more to get a true feel for it. It's different for sure so i'll have to get used to the change in style, but overall i like it so far.

I think I know what you mean with this. That's something I thought recently about this album, that there isn't really any song where the vocals stand out in that way, where Matt has those super passionate and/or haunting sounding particularly delivered vocals that can give you goosebumps but I don't think this album is meant to be that way and I really enjoy this collection of songs. It's different but I think his vocals on this album fit the music nicely and are still plenty powerful throughout, just in a different way. And I'm not disappointed with that for this album. I like it because the album has a different vibe, and is kind of refreshing in my opinion. I like that it is so melodic and thick and much more light and upbeat than Hospital Music. Just what he needed I think and what I'm sure most fans wanted to hear. The songs are well written overall and sound really nice and quite a few parts even catchy but not in a cookie cutter cheesy radio rock kind of way. The Matt Good kind of way.

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Moonlight_Graham

Moonlight_Graham

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Posted (edited)
I think the part right before the outro in Volcanoes is a pretty good showcase of Matt's passionate vocals.

 

Ya i agree thats a pretty cool part.

 

That said, its not Matt wailing & showig his voice chops ala "Fated"/"Avalanche"/"While We Were Hunting Rabbits" style, or when Matt just sings "Hoooooooo Hoooo Hooo" during parts of Black Helicopter when he played it on the acoustic tour. Man i love when he belts it! But he does belt it a bit in Great whales of the Sea, but maybe its just hidden under the layers he uses on his voice so it doesn't different?

 

I'd also have to edit my comments after a 2nd listen through the album. Its not as "pop"-ish as i 1st thought, i guess it is compared to Hospital Music, but its still MG. As Manchalivin said it's a more upbeat album, plus its not as raw and has a bit more production to it.

 

I don't know if i never listened to the "Fought To Fight It" demo or what, but that song is nothing like anything i heard in the demos. Great stuff. And i love 'Us Remains Impossible'. That should have been the 1st single.

Edited by Moonlight_Graham
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