Overall, the album has aged fairly well for me. I recently took a little break from it because I played it to death after it came out (along with Snowfall On Judgement Day and The Whirlwind). But I'd say, overall, it ranks about where it initially did, which is: really, really good album. DT did an overall outstanding job with the album, and the entire packaging with special editions, etc. The only minor flaws as an album is in terms of overall song lengths. Quite a few of the songs could have been cut down just a bit, and maybe add a shorter song on the album. With only six songs, if I don't like one, and am not in the mood for another one or two on a particular day, the album just feels too short, despite clocking in at nearly 80 minutes. Anyhow, since this is a "song-by-song" thread:
ANTR: I thought this song was terrific when it came out, and my opinion has not changed one bit. The transitions between heavy and lighter sections work really well, and there is a lot of atmosphere that really lets the song breathe. I love the section with Mike's vocals. The only weakness in that section is the "roar" at the end. Sorry, but it just doesn't sound convincing and, more importantly, doesn't feel like it fits. The instrumental portions also feel a bit long, and some trimming would make the entire song flow a bit better, IMO.
AROP: Nothing spectacular, but it is a solid, fun song. I liked it well enough when I first heard it, but felt that it easily wasn't their strongest. I still feel about the same. And I think the radio edit flows better than the full song. When I heard the full song initially, I didn't really feel it was too long. But after hearing the edit, I definitely felt like there is fat in the full version that can be trimmed.
Wither: This song has probably aged the worst of any on the album, but that isn't a bad thing. I still think it is a good song, and definitely worthy of being on the album, but I don't like it as much as I initially did.
TSF: This one has aged really well. I liked it a lot when I first heard it. I think I like it even more now. Again, it would probably be even better if cut down a bit. And the "take all of me" reprise still feels forced and unnecessary. If I had the stem tracks, I would streamline the song a bit by eliminating that part. I would go from the slow Repentence section immediately before it right into the instrumental section that uses the main TROAE riff immediately after the "take all of me" reprise, and then I would cut the instrumental section down a bit. Still, great song that I like even more now than I initially did.
TBOT: Still about the same as when the album came out: There are some really cool moments, and when I take the time to really dwell on the lyrics, they are indeed emotional. But generally, I basically just don't connect with this song emotionally, and that drags it down for me. Despite some really cool moments, and despite my appreciation for what Mike was going through when he wrote it, I generally don't care for this track.
TCOT: I guess you could say it hasn't aged well, since I don't like it as much as I previously did. I still think it is a very good song. But the volume swell section in the middle kills the momentum for me and makes me lose interest. There just isn't enough that is interesting going on in that part of the song to keep me. And that's a shame because the rest of the song is absolutely brilliant.
Topic: How Have the Songs on BCSL Aged for You? (Read 10257 times)
