English Oceans Discussion Thread

[Cole Younger]

Went back through the thread after being away from it for a while.

I don't find myself missing the pedal steel. It was good on the songs that included it originally. But I never liked hearing it on live songs where it seemed like it didn't belong. I'm glad I don't have to hear Women Without Whiskey with pedal steel again.

Neff is very talented and made some good contributions but I personally like the current sound better than what it sounded like for the few years prior. Not that they didn't sound good. But an abundance of pedal steel was not what drew me to this band.

[Zip City]

I loved the pedal steel on WWW

[Cole Younger]

I loved the pedal steel on WWW

I know.

Just personal preference.

[LastLawson]

"Trapped in a truck with Jimmy listening to his band".

That guitar solo sucks and it sucks on purpose. It's Jimmy's band.

I thought it was his gf bitching him out.

[dogstar]

So I was in the gym this morning and the guy I gave a copy of English Oceans to, to explain my trip to the US in February, says he really likes the record and that it reminds him of this



Always interesting to hear a non-fans opinion, even if I can't understand it at all.

[beantownbubba]

Ummm, did he mean it as a compliment or a diss?

[allisonsdc]

Ummm, did he mean it as a compliment or a diss?

sounds like a diss to me

[beantownbubba]

Ummm, did he mean it as a compliment or a diss?

sounds like a diss to me

Yeah, but you know them Brits talk funny.

[allisonsdc]

Yeah, but you know them Brits talk funny.

Yeah. And he probably had faggots in rich sauce for dinner last night.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I remember one reviewer comparing Patterson's vocals to Henley's. That would have been early on, maybe around the time of the first two records. Then again, I've also heard the Truckers compared to Train (that would have been the Decoration Day era).

[dogstar]

Ummm, did he mean it as a compliment or a diss?

He said he really liked the album and I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be a compliment. To be honest I was surprised he compared the album to the Eagles, but then I don't know much of their music so for all I know he might be right.

I think we sometimes forget that other people, especially people new to the band, come with different frames of reference and also don't maybe have the breadth of musical knowledge that some people here have.

Yeah, but you know them Brits speak properly.

Edited for accuracy.

Yeah. And he probably had faggots in rich sauce for dinner last night.

I'm sorry, I don't live in the North of England.

[beantownbubba]

Ummm, did he mean it as a compliment or a diss?

He said he really liked the album and I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be a compliment. To be honest I was surprised he compared the album to the Eagles, but then I don't know much of their music so for all I know he might be right.

I think we sometimes forget that other people, especially people new to the band, come with different frames of reference and also don't maybe have the breadth of musical knowledge that some people here have.

Yep, that's why I asked. I wasn't being nasty, or at least I wasn't trying to be.

[SouthernFriedCanuck]

Got my disc and vinyl in the mail today! Time to listen!!

[MattfromMass]

"Trapped in a truck with Jimmy listening to his band".

That guitar solo sucks and it sucks on purpose. It's Jimmy's band.

I thought it was his gf bitching him out.

The whole song sounds so great except for that solo. Do we know who plays it? I read a few pages back say Jay plays it live but does he play it on the record too? When he plays it live does he play it better than the album? It sounds like someone who doesn't know how to play guitar.
I love the stones feel to the whole tune though. Great song aside from that solo.

[Rocky]

I think some folks are missing the punk rock / knock it out in less than 2 weeks / don't overthink things nature of this release.

[Clams]

Give a listen to Some Girls. I hear lots of those same choppy, meandering guitars on Lies, Before They Make Me Run, Whip Comes Down, and Shattered.

[Duke Silver]

I've found myself listening to EO on shuffle more than I have previous albums. I think it's because--to these ears--Cooley's songs are tracked in descending order of kickassness while Patterson's are ascending. So listening on shuffle gives me the best chance of hearing two kickass songs in a row.

[RolanK]

"Trapped in a truck with Jimmy listening to his band".

That guitar solo sucks and it sucks on purpose. It's Jimmy's band.

I thought it was his gf bitching him out.

The whole song sounds so great except for that solo. Do we know who plays it? I read a few pages back say Jay plays it live but does he play it on the record too? When he plays it live does he play it better than the album? It sounds like someone who doesn't know how to play guitar.
I love the stones feel to the whole tune though. Great song aside from that solo.

I could be wrong, but I'm hearing this as Cooley noodling, picking with fingers (not a pick). He's missing a couple of notes towards the end of the solo, but in the raw spirit of the album I assume they decided to keep it as it works well as a kind of a warm up to the parts coming later on in the song.

[jmdaniel]

My preorder was delivered today! Two weeks after release date! Thank goodness I preordered it, otherwise I might have gotten it two weeks ago, and at half the price!

Thank you, Musictoday!

[linkous]

My preorder was delivered today! Two weeks after release date! Thank goodness I preordered it, otherwise I might have gotten it two weeks ago, and at half the price!

Thank you, Musictoday!

This hasn't affected me, but this whole Musictoday thing seems like a total f' up and has affected quite a few people by the looks of it . Can we expect any kind of statement from them, or the band?

[loopyhelsbells]

Yeah. And he probably had faggots in rich sauce for dinner last night.[/quote]

Nought wrong with Faggots..We have them all the time Dogstar..They originate from the West Country

[jmdaniel]

Well, listened to EO yesterday for the first time, after my preorder took two weeks to land at my house. I'm here to say the wait wasn't worth it. Been a DBT fan since seeing them at the 2005 ACL fest, (known as The Dust Bowl year), have the complete catalog, and this release is quite the turd. I've never hit the skip button as much as I did when listening to this latest one. I'll still check them out here in Austin on 5/1, but when half their new album consists of crap I'd go take a piss to in a live setting, I'll be attending with trepidation.

[porkulator]

Since I got my copy,I've listen to pretty much nothing else.I'll not bother with preordering in the future.
I love the punky,raw,hurry up and get it in the can style of the record,I hope they shelve it on the next one.Leave that for the Rock Show,it fits better live.
Until l see more tunes done live(St. Louie here I come!)I"m going to say none of EO are going to break into my top ten favorite Hood or Cooley songs but I don't skip any on the record.
I don't miss the pedal steel on EO at all,but I do miss it at the shows.
I love Jays playing and what he brings to the table.nice to see some personality and emotion in that spot.Said it from day one,Love this lineup.
Love the Truckers and can't wait for the Rawk Show Saturday,first time at the Pagent.
Just my two cents,thanks,I'll hang up and listen.

[TW_2.0]

Well, listened to EO yesterday for the first time, after my preorder took two weeks to land at my house. I'm here to say the wait wasn't worth it. Been a DBT fan since seeing them at the 2005 ACL fest, (known as The Dust Bowl year), have the complete catalog, and this release is quite the turd. I've never hit the skip button as much as I did when listening to this latest one. I'll still check them out here in Austin on 5/1, but when half their new album consists of crap I'd go take a piss to in a live setting, I'll be attending with trepidation.

Anything you like about the new record ?

[Cole Younger]

Well, listened to EO yesterday for the first time, after my preorder took two weeks to land at my house. I'm here to say the wait wasn't worth it. Been a DBT fan since seeing them at the 2005 ACL fest, (known as The Dust Bowl year), have the complete catalog, and this release is quite the turd. I've never hit the skip button as much as I did when listening to this latest one. I'll still check them out here in Austin on 5/1, but when half their new album consists of crap I'd go take a piss to in a live setting, I'll be attending with trepidation.

What do you dislike so much specifically? I'm not challenging you I'm genuinely interested to know why you don't like it. If you are a long time fan I'm interested to know what makes this record so bad to you in comparison to the others. Part of why I ask is because a buddy of mine who lurks here but never posts had a similar reaction at first. He says it has grown on him though with more listens. After the first few days of having his hands on the record he said something that really confused and surprised me. He said he was real disappointed in the Cooley songs.

[jmdaniel]

Anything you like about the new record ?

What do you dislike so much specifically? I'm not challenging you I'm genuinely interested to know why you don't like it. If you are a long time fan I'm interested to know what makes this record so bad to you in comparison to the others. Part of why I ask is because a buddy of mine who lurks here but never posts had a similar reaction at first. He says it has grown on him though with more listens. After the first few days of having his hands on the record he said something that really confused and surprised me. He said he was real disappointed in the Cooley songs.

Here's my rundown...

Songs I Like
Shit Shots Count
First Air Of Autumn

Tolerable Tunes, May Grow On Me
When He's Gone
Pauline Hawkins
The Part of Him
Grand Canyon

Dreck
Primer Coat
Made Up English Oceans
Hearing Jimmy Loud
Til He's Dead Or Rises
Hanging On
When Walter Went Crazy

Are You F'ing Kidding Me?
Natural Light

I find it funny that a band whose fans used to knock Shonna's stuff, calling it stuff to head to the porta johns to, have replaced her music with 40-50% of the stuff on this album. I think for me, what's telling is that in my iTunes account, for whatever reason, when I sort by Artist, the next DBT album that came up after I finished running through EO was The Fine Print. And I was amazed that a record of B sides was a BIG step up, at least for me. YMMV.

[Cole Younger]

Well no two sets of ears are the same. You are going to want to slap me but what about those songs do you dislike? I get it about Natural Light in that its so radically different from anything they've ever done. I love it myself but I can see it being a polarizing tune.

But why the others? I can understand if somebody thought they weren't among the band's best, but dreck? Again, I'm not trying insinuate that you have no right to feel this way. I'm just trying to understand it because most reviews have been very positive.

Kind of surprised you would like First Air of Autumn but hate Primer Coat. It's not like they are the same song but both are more subdued mid temo songs that are somewhat similar to me.

[Zip City]

It's too bad you don't like it. Can't please everyone, though. Here's hoping you hang in there and they grow on you

[Smitty]

My least favorite song on the record is "Hangin On", but it's by no means a bad song, just doesn't live up to the others. Aside from that it's a damn near perfect record IMO. I was extremely underwhelmed by "Pauline Hawkins" at first but I think it's my favorite now.

[SouthernFriedCanuck]

I really, really, really like "Natural Light". Second favorite after "Shit Shots Count". Great sound, love the piano!