I don't think the style or the band's playing was the problem; the problem was that the songwriting was far below their usual standard. The dry mix sure didn't help either, as the music sounds flat and lifeless, by and large. And I listened to this album more times than I can count in the later 90s as I wanted to love it, but I eventually came to the realization that it's just not very good, and it seems like most people came to that same conclusion (many probably quicker than me).
I agree on the mix and overall sound. I don't necessarily agree on the songwriting. Some of it worked, very much so. But some of it didn't. The whole idea of the record was not to overcook the tunes. Write them and record them quickly without second guessing. It was a novel approach for Queensryche, as they had always worked and reworked songs and spent a lot of time in preproduction. They didn't here as an experiment with their process.
I can't stand All I Want; replace that with Chasing Blue Sky and the album is better immediately.
I think Chasing Blue Sky should absolutely have been on the record. I would have dropped Miles Away, Anytime/Anywhere, and All I Want, and replaced it with Chasing Blue Sky and called it a day.
RE: Hear in the Now Frontier
QR had ALWAYS delivered singular musical statements, and in that regard, HITNF seemed in line with their ethos.
Agreed. I actually didn't like PL on first listen, because it was a curveball after Empire. After sitting with PL one night on headphones, it hit me hard. So when HITNF came out, I wasn't surprised at the shift. But it also took me a bit to accept it, and I never really got to the same place with HITNF as I did PL.
I suppose I also didn't give any regard to the 'grunge' label, because to me, HITNF sounded more like a mix of a '70s garage-rock album mixed with an Indie-rock touch. At that time, I was so into so many different genres of music–everything from Dream Theater to R.E.M. to Portishead–so QR embracing a different sonic approach was music to my ears.
Again, I tend to enjoy when bands ebb and flow from release to release–just read any of my glowing thoughts on Metallica's Load period.
I enjoy that ebb and flow as well, but I also think a band needs to be conscious how far they can push their audience after that band achieves a certain level. I like Metallica's Load as a record. I don't necessarily like it as a METALLICA record. HITNF is a little different to me. Queensryche's path to that record flowed naturally if you pay attention closely to their catalog. So HITNF never seemed like a stretch, at least in retrospect. I mean, listen to Lucidity, then listen to PL, then listen to Disconnected, Out of Mind, I Am I, then listen to HITNF. The evolution is there. So it wasn't unexpected. What was jarring, and still is for me, is the mix. QR records were always HUGE sounding. Particularly Empire and PL. HITNF was very flat. Which was by design, but it makes it hard to digest.
As for the songs: contrary to Promised Land, an album that took a while for me to 'get,' I LOVED HITNF immediately. The opening salvo of "Sign of the Times," "Cuckoo's Nest," "Get a life," and "The Voice Inside," was a massive punch. I also really dug the final stretch from "Reach" to "Spool." Hell, even "Hero" and "Saved" felt like mid-album high-lights.
I think there's something to like about every song, and to this day, when I throw it on, I'm taken aback by the immediacy of the album. Mind you, there's moments where the band flashes their prog-tendancies ("Spool," "Some People Fly"), but the record has a solid momentum from cover to cover.
The more the years have gone on, the more I appreciate HITNF and what DeGarmo and Tate were trying to do. ALL the classic QR sonic hallmarks are spread throughout the record. I've always liked "Sign of the Times," "The Voice Inside," "You," "Reach," "Hit the Black" and "spOOL." Over the years though, I really developed a fondness for the guitar playing in "Hero," I really love the positive message in "Some People Fly," and enjoy the serene feeling in "Chasing Blue Sky." If those tunes alone were the record - those nine songs - I mean, I'd gush about HITNF. But while I like the lyrics of Cuckoo's Nest, I don't dig it musically, and while I like the music in Get A Life, I don't like the lyrics. And I'm just not a fan of Miles Away, Anytime/Anywhere, or All I Want.
To me, the saddest part about this era of QR is that it was the original line-up's last act, and it's a shame they went out on what many fans felt was a down note.
For the most part. I think the Tribe songs that all five of them recorded are solid, and Justified (which was written in those sessions) is pretty good too. For my money, I think "Open," "Desert Dance," "Falling Behind," "The Art of Life," "Doin' Fine" and "Justified" (the Tribe tracks all five were involved in) are a natural progression from HITNF, in terms of vibe and songwriting. Most people consider HITNF their swansong, but it's really those six songs, and I feel like they continue the sonic arc QR was on prior to CDG's first departure.
FWIW, I saw QR twice on this tour, and Tate definitely sounded like he was struggling. The band seemed shockingly tired compared the PL date I had seen just a few years earlier. It was a pretty shocking difference, and I think I knew trouble was brewing even before DeGarmo announced his departure.
Yeah, I saw them twice too. It was definitely a step down from PL.
Have always used Down On The Upside as a fair comparison myself, but where Soundgarden remained within their established area of expertise, as mentioned Queensryche were following for the first time and going for styles which often, simply didn't work. Great when it works but not so great when it doesn't which was unfortunately, too often.
That's the thing, Wardy. QR had been following trends starting with Empire. So this wasn't their first time. Chris was clearly inspired by Down on the Upside, SG in general, and obviously he's tight with the AIC boys. So that was inevitable, and not necessarily a bad thing. It was an experiment that was hurt by a record label going under. Like I make the case for above, had they not gone under, and QR toured extensively, I think HITNF would have reached a broader audience and that record would have done decently well.
And at 14 songs, and many of them average (IMO), the record ends up bloated.
Agreed on the bloat. For me, the HITNF sessions (if you include Chasing Blue Sky) are 15 songs. Of those, personally, I'd take nine for an album. Only one, however, rises to "gem" status for me personally, and that's "spOOL." The other eight are very good to above average album tracks.
Also can't help but think HITNF has aged as well as it has because many of us were left yearning for some more 'classic' sounding Ryche as the years rolled by. Which is fine, I'll take it 
Fair assessment. But for me personally, while that absolutely has an impact, I really have found more to love in the record the older I've gotten. And that's truthful, not just a yearning for nostalgia. I never "got" "Some People Fly" at the time like many did. Wasn't overly impressed. Now - I really enjoy that song. Same with "Hero." I still don't like Tate's vocal delivery (very monotone - but I think that's on purpose, which never dawned on me until the last few years), but the guitar work is among DeGarmo's finest, MO.
And on another note, the new Book has me intrigued Brian, hmmmm...
Thanks. Been a fun project. I've worked really hard on it. I could care less if it makes any money (as long as it pays for itself, I've invested thousands of my own money up front to help design and print it). But a book like this is, for all the old school Ryche fans, something I want them to crack open, find the shows they went to, and smile, and perhaps learn something new, or remember those times. I hope I did the band and everyone proud. Looking forward to it getting published.
I heard this album years after I heard the first five records. I remember liking it, but finding it a bit bloated. They definitely could have cut several songs. The grunge style suits them and most of the songs are fine as well, but there's too many of them. I also feel like the sound is a bit muddy. Had the album had a powerful production of for example Dirt by Alice In Chains, that would have been a whole different story.
Agreed completely. Dave Jerden would have been great on this record. I think Toby Wright's work speaks for itself, and I'm sure the band had a hand in the record's mix. They approved it, after all. But that dry, muddy sound doesn't help these particular songs. I mean, that killer end solo in "spOOL" is buried. It shouldn't be.
Topic: Official Queensryche thread: Kickstart the next album (Read 695765 times)
