Laughing City
Author Message
EisleyForever
Vintage Newbie


Now that the album is (legally) available at a much higher quality than that silly old myspace stream, I figured we should get our chairs together in a little circle, and go around the little circle and let each person state their little feelings about Combinations.

I'm going to blast it on my surround-sound stereo later today and then come back to the circle with my happy Bob-Ross opinion all painted and ready to go.



The fact that I--and most of you--have already listened to the album is rendered vull and noid right now. Shh. Speak!

_________________
If the end of the world has proper noodles I'll probably be okay with it.
Joined: 29 Jun 2003 | Posts: 11069 | Location: Prague
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address
zaz
Sea Post King


EisleyForever wrote:
Now that the album is (legally) available at a much higher quality than that silly old myspace stream, I figured we should get our chairs together in a little circle, and go around the little circle and let each person state their little feelings about Combinations.

I'm going to blast it on my surround-sound stereo later today and then come back to the circle with my happy Bob-Ross opinion all painted and ready to go.



The fact that I--and most of you--have already listened to the album is rendered vull and noid right now. Shh. Speak!


null* and void*
you do too many spoonerisms!
Joined: 12 Aug 2007 | Posts: 108 | 
View user's profile Send private message
TheAntrider
Protocol Droid


My short verdict after about five listens: I really, really dig this album. I'll have to say more later after I am not tired.
_________________
My photography:www.jamiemphoto.com

You can't spell awesome without emo...backwards! -Julie
definingawesome (11:44:11 PM): Eisley shivers our timbers
Joined: 15 Aug 2003 | Posts: 25184 | Location: East Texas
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address
Admiral79
Lost at Forum


I love the album. All the songs are very catchy and memorable. I think the band out did themselves on the bridges especially. All of them are very emotional and capturing.

The only real negative thing I have to say is that the album doesn't have enough tracks. I would have liked to see between 12-14 tracks instead of 10. What's discouraging about that is we know they have quality songs they could have put on the album. Us hardcore fans will download them off itunes, but why not put them on the album and give us more to love?
Joined: 08 Sep 2004 | Posts: 1335 | Location: COLUMBUS, GA
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address Yahoo Messenger
OceanMachine
Lost at Forum


I think the album is excellent. Come Clean is the only tune that doesn't really click with me, but the rest is just what I was hoping for, and then some.
_________________
Joined: 20 Feb 2006 | Posts: 1275 | Location: Ontario, Canada
Last edited by OceanMachine on Tue Aug 14, 2007 4:08 am; edited 1 time in total
View user's profile Send private message
silverfrost
Sea Post King


All I have to say is that I'm in love. Smile
_________________
jenosullivanmusic.com // youtube
Joined: 28 Apr 2005 | Posts: 183 | Location: Syracuse, New York
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website AIM Address Yahoo Messenger MSN Messenger
Binary Dragon
Sea Post King


Admiral79 wrote:
I love the album. All the songs are very catchy and memorable. I think the band out did themselves on the bridges especially. All of them are very emotional and capturing.

The only real negative thing I have to say is that the album doesn't have enough tracks. I would have liked to see between 12-14 tracks instead of 10. What's discouraging about that is we know they have quality songs they could have put on the album. Us hardcore fans will download them off itunes, but why not put them on the album and give us more to love?


From what I understand, the album was put together a whole entity, as opposed to an amalgam of tracks. The other songs got cut because they didn't fit with the rest as well.

_________________
Joined: 01 May 2006 | Posts: 178 | Location: Tucson, AZ
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address
KyleRossP
Sea Post King


My review comes from the viewpoint of the possibility of Combinations being a commercially successful album; not whether the songs themselves
as they are, are "good" or not.

I am one of Eisley's biggest fans, i've seen them perform a zillion times over many years.
I love Eisley, they are one of my favorite bands. I obtained an advance copy of Combinations, and unfortunately i must be honest and say
that after many listens, I am disappointed with the new album. It is certianly better overall than Room Noises. However, i think the songs themselves are not as powerful. There are no powerhouse, emotionally charged, knock-you-on-your-butt songs like Marvelous Things on the new album.

After much thought, i am convinced Combinations has fallen victim to mis-production. By this i mean, the record producer Mr. Gibbs, who is a well-known producer of music for motion pictures and television,
has been very successful in producing and arranging the new songs into squeaky clean, bland sounding songs
that would fit nicely on some unknown movie soundtrack or TV show.
For instance, "Many Funerals", which should be a great, harsh Alternative Rock radio song, has been dissected and decimated and turned into
a clean little "perfect" track. Ugh.
Eisley is not a little indie band; they are a major label artist, and make no mistake, major labels like WB exist for the purpose of making hits and earning money.
After listening to Combinations, i cannot believe that WB can be happy with it. There are no songs that fit well onto any radio format.
As much as my fellow Eisley fans despise, or simply do not listen to, radio, having hit radio songs is still required for mainstream exposure and success.
Artists can rarely have Gold or Platinum selling albums until the masses of mainstream people, who have never heard of Eisley before, are exposed to them, buy the CD, and come to the shows. Unfortunately, radio is still the way that exposure most easily happens. So, it would be in WB's interest to have Eisley with hit songs on the radio.
Combinations simply doesn't have this. The songs are not harsh enough for Alt. Rock radio, not "hit" enough for hit radio.
I believe there are several songs on this album that COULD be produced into radio hits of various formats: I Could Be There For You, Many Funerals, Go Away...
but these songs, as they exist on Combinations, are not produced properly for radio. Perhaps a trip back to the studio, some "re-production", and some I-Tunes exclusive new versions, are in order......Eisley's songs are inherently NOT radio friendly; WB cannot expect that an Eisley album can be successful without vast production to turn these songs into radio-friendly tracks. Mr. Gibbs has created some beautiful songs.....but not commercially successful ones.

Ten Cent Blues is the best song on this album, the lyrics, and the lyrical phrasing among the melody, are incredible.....but it needs better, and more, instrumentation. It's almost as if Gibbs spent way too much time orchestrating the song "Combinations", but left Ten Cent Blues neglected and unfinished.
WB has spent more money on, and given more attention to Eisley, than any other artist, probably ever, that aren't big sellers; i don't believe WB can continue this unless money starts to come in. As much as i want Eisley to be commercially successful, i just don't see it happening with Combinations.
WB's decision to make "Invasion" the single is perplexing. It's lyrics are too vague and weird for the mainstream, and that ridiculous video...i won't even go there.
Eisley's goal was never to have hit singles and be big rock stars; i hope they are happy with the songs they've made.
Room Noises, which sold, what, 75,000 copies? , was viewed as a great success for uknown Eisley, but, to a major label like WB, it was comparatively a huge flop.
unfortunately, it appears to me that Combinations will follow along the lines of Room Noises, perhaps selling a little better, but i will be shocked and amazed if it becomes Gold (500,000). I have to predict that Eisley could very well be dropped from WB if sales aren't good, especially since their contract was for 2 albums, which they've now delivered.
I hope you all can appreciate my honesty; I wish i could jump up and down and rave about the incredible Combinations; but, it's just not there. I hope my predictions never come true. When this album becomes Platinum, you all have permission to tell me what an idiot i am Smile
I'm not sure that the magic i hear when seeing Eisley in concert can ever be captured on a studio recording.
Mostly, i hope Eisley is happy, and that they will continue to perform, as well as record, after they are no longer part of WB.

Kyle - #1 Eisley Fan
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 | Posts: 441 | Location: Dallas, TX
View user's profile Send private message
keithabbott
Sea Post King


I really like the album. My wife thinks also that there aren't enough tracks. She likes Eisley but she wouldn't buy the CD because there are only 10 tracks. I'm used to 10 tracks because the Innocence Mission tends to release shorter albums. Heck, their albums are usually only about 30 minutes in length.

The only thing about Combinations that kind of puts a damper on the CD is Invasion and Many Funerals for me. I just think they are a bit much for the album. And Ten Cent Blues, although a very good song, feels like it has an obligatory Texas-country twang ala Golly Sandra..granted I love that song too.

I find myself liking the title track Combinations the most. Ever since they posted the behind the scenes video of that song, I felt like I was hooked. Of course I also really like Come Clean, Go Away and Taking Control.

_________________
http://www.myspace.com/keithabbott
Joined: 28 Mar 2006 | Posts: 267 | Location: Fairfax, VA
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
paintfullyours
Sea Post King


Ok, so I went to Target this morning to get my paws on a copy of the cd. ( There are only 2 copies left by the way, which made me all warm and giddy inside, go Oshkosh!) N E who, I've been playing the cd over and over on rotation, and each time I listen to it, I notice more and more amazing intricacies that are unlike anything I've heard outside of the Eisley Chronicles. They never cease to completely take the lead in a genre that I believe is something soley started by them, to the heights of an ethereal rollercoaster of beautifully melodic music.
Thank you eisley for making my ear drums happy. I love you all.

~ V
Joined: 02 Aug 2005 | Posts: 24 | Location: Oshkosh, Wisconsin
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Girlylikepixieflamethrow
Golly, Poster


My absolute favorite moment on Combinations has to be Chauntelle's part (solo) on "I Could be There for You"...

My favorite songs are Come Clean, Go Away, Taking Control, and a Sight to Behold. I love Go Away.


I rushed to BESTBUY this morning to see if they had Combinations w/DVD... they only had 2 copies of Room Noises. I was a bit ruffed.

Then I drove over to Target and only found 2 copies of the 9.99 standard version of Combinations. I've had my "Eisley 'Combinations' money" set aside for about a week and a half now... I ordered it through B&N about a week ago, but they haven't called yet... and for *personal* reasons I don't really feel like going into B&N now...

so, all that to say, I pretty much dig it and will plan on buying the DVD as soon as I can.

_________________
the thrill of Hope... the weary world rejoices.
Joined: 16 Jan 2005 | Posts: 861 | Location: Yawr!, KS
View user's profile Send private message
redorgreen
Sea Post King


I just bought my copy off of iTunes, and really like it. Marsh King's Daughter is really good, Ten Cent Blues is my least favorite...I really like Combinations and Come Clean.
Joined: 21 Jul 2005 | Posts: 54 | 
View user's profile Send private message
Girlylikepixieflamethrow
Golly, Poster


keithabbott wrote:
I really like the album. My wife thinks also that there aren't enough tracks. She likes Eisley but she wouldn't buy the CD because there are only 10 tracks. I'm used to 10 tracks because the Innocence Mission tends to release shorter albums. Heck, their albums are usually only about 30 minutes in length.

The only thing about Combinations that kind of puts a damper on the CD is Invasion and Many Funerals for me. I just think they are a bit much for the album. And Ten Cent Blues, although a very good song, feels like it has an obligatory Texas-country twang ala Golly Sandra..granted I love that song too.

I find myself liking the title track Combinations the most. Ever since they posted the behind the scenes video of that song, I felt like I was hooked. Of course I also really like Come Clean, Go Away and Taking Control.


Not to doublepost here, but I too felt a bit "shortchanged" by ending up with only 10 tracks. I do realize that the DVD combination has "bonus tracks" but still, it's not the same. I'm not dissatisfied, just doesn't seem as fulfilling as it could/should be.

Blah blah blah. That's my 2-cent blues.

_________________
the thrill of Hope... the weary world rejoices.
Joined: 16 Jan 2005 | Posts: 861 | Location: Yawr!, KS
View user's profile Send private message
mr pine
Vintage Newbie


the only part of your review i fell i can comment on is this since the rest is all opinion.


KyleRossP wrote:


Room Noises, which sold, what, 75,000 copies? , was viewed as a great success for uknown Eisley, but, to a major label like WB, it was comparatively a huge flop.



i believe boyd said that room noises sold way more that the wb had predicted. and even though it wasnt a "commercial" success, nor did it have any radio hits. it still sold more than the wb anticipated and was considered a success in that respect.

if record companies only kept bands on their label that sold millions of copies there would only be about 15 or so records being made every year.

that is all i had to say about that

_________________
Wil's excellent description of me.

wilsmith wrote:
You're the Anti-Censorship+Topless Twitpic Parodying+Youth Group Video Directing guy that's a champion for the 1st amendment, Videogames as Art, and unrepentant file sharing...

Instagram - Facebook - Twitter - YouTube
Joined: 09 Aug 2004 | Posts: 4836 | Location: illinois
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address
keithabbott
Sea Post King


All it takes is "profit" to keep a band around.

mr pine wrote:
the only part of your review i fell i can comment on is this since the rest is all opinion.

i believe boyd said that room noises sold way more that the wb had predicted. and even though it wasnt a "commercial" success, nor did it have any radio hits. it still sold more than the wb anticipated and was considered a success in that respect.

if record companies only kept bands on their label that sold millions of copies there would only be about 15 or so records being made every year.

that is all i had to say about that

_________________
http://www.myspace.com/keithabbott
Joined: 28 Mar 2006 | Posts: 267 | Location: Fairfax, VA
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Post new topic   Reply to topic

Display posts from previous:   



You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
All times are GMT - 12 Hours
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB, coffee, and Eisley fans worldwide.
phpBB is © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group