Author Topic: Official Queensryche thread: Kickstart the next album (Read 707153 times)

TAC · « **Reply #4305 on:** April 13, 2020, 08:26:05 PM »

Quote from: jjrock88 on April 13, 2020, 08:24:52 PM

“You” is easily my favorite from HITNF. The less is more mentality is with this album I think. Knock it down to 10 songs total and it’s much better IMO

Yeah, and knock Promised Land down to 4 songs.

jjrock88 · « **Reply #4306 on:** April 13, 2020, 08:27:30 PM »

Ouch 😂

IDontNotDoThings · « **Reply #4307 on:** April 13, 2020, 10:24:31 PM »

Quote from: TAC on April 13, 2020, 07:52:52 PM

My faves off of HITNF are Anytime Anywhere and Hit The Black.

What a coincidence. Those are my two least favourites!

Samsara · « **Reply #4308 on:** April 13, 2020, 11:16:49 PM »

My top tracks from HITNF:

spOOL
Reach
The Voice Inside
Hit the Black
You
Some People Fly
Sign of the Times

>>>To be honest though, other than Anytime/Anywhere, Miles Away, and All Want, I dig the rest of the record. I think "Hero" has one of the coolest guitar solos Chris has ever done (the outro). Saved is also a really cool track, the chorus vocal is a bit obnoxious though. Take that out, and that song would be up there with the top group I listed.

Mister Gold · « **Reply #4309 on:** April 14, 2020, 12:22:09 AM »

Quote from: Lowdz on April 13, 2020, 02:48:47 PM

On the subject of HITNF, it was a huge disappointment. PL took a while to open itself up to me but HITNF was just so flat and lifeless. I’m listening to it now and it’s just there. But still better than anything that came after it. This isn’t QR to me. Chris should have done it as a solo album. Is Wilton even on here? It all just sounds like Chris and his slide.

Yeah, I've never been able to click with HITNF. I'm not opposed to the idea of QR doing a grunge album... but they sound incredibly uninspired on HITNF. "Lifeless" is exactly the adjective I come to for the album whenever I try to give it another go. It just sounds and feels dead. There's no life, no energy or soul. It's just a band in the motions with a key songwriter who clearly already feels like he's on his way out.

IDontNotDoThings · « **Reply #4310 on:** April 14, 2020, 12:28:19 AM »

#1. spOOL
#2. Sign Of The Times
#3. All I Want
#4. You
#5. Some People Fly

(big dropoff here)

#6. Chasing Blue Sky*
#7. Miles Away
#8. Hero
#9. Reach
10. Cuckoo's Nest
11. The Voice Inside

(another big dropoff)

12. Saved
13. Get A Life
14. Anytime Anywhere
15. Hit The Black (

)

Mladen · « **Reply #4311 on:** April 14, 2020, 01:24:19 AM »

You, Get a life and Cuckoo's nest are my favorites on the album. It would have been a fine release if it had been trimmed down a bit and had better production.

Mister Gold · « **Reply #4312 on:** April 14, 2020, 07:02:41 AM »

Quote from: Mladen on April 14, 2020, 01:24:19 AM

You, Get a life and Cuckoo's nest are my favorites on the album. It would have been a fine release if it had been trimmed down a bit and had better production.

Quote from: Mladen on April 14, 2020, 01:24:19 AM

It would have been a fine release if it had been trimmed down a bit and had better production.

Quote from: Mladen on April 14, 2020, 01:24:19 AM

a fine release if it had been trimmed down a bit and had better production.

Quote from: Mladen on April 14, 2020, 01:24:19 AM

a fine release

There's no saving that album.

...Oh my god, I think I'm starting to understand how TAC feels whenever we bring up Promised Land or Power Windows.

KevShmev · « **Reply #4313 on:** April 14, 2020, 07:42:07 AM »

Yeah, but Promised Land and Power Windows are legitimately great albums, while Hear in the Now Frontier is anything but.

Mister Gold · « **Reply #4314 on:** April 14, 2020, 07:43:08 AM »

Quote from: KevShmev on April 14, 2020, 07:42:07 AM

Yeah, but Promised Land and Power Windows are legitimately great albums, while Hear in the Now Frontier is anything but.

I was trying to be nice, but yeah, you're completely spot on with this.

T-ski · « **Reply #4315 on:** April 14, 2020, 08:03:41 AM »

Quote from: KevShmev on April 14, 2020, 07:42:07 AM

Yeah, but Promised Land and Power Windows are legitimately great albums, while Hear in the Now Frontier is anything but.

This is the correct response.

Samsara · « **Reply #4316 on:** April 14, 2020, 08:27:50 AM »

I think the problem with Hear in the Now Frontier is that the deeper cuts aren't as good. The filler doesn't fill the record well enough.

I mean, using my own list above as reference, I really like 7 songs from a 14-track record, and there are four others (Saved, Hero, Get a Life, Cuckoo's Next) that to me, are good filler with flaws (Saved's chorus is terrible, Hero plods but the guitar work is stellar, etc.). But all four, for me, are certainly listenable. They are filler. That brings the record to 11 songs.

7 out of 11 is a pretty damn good percentage. The problem is the remaining three (again, for me). I can honestly say that before HITNF, there was never a Queensryche album that I thought had three songs I never really wanted to listen to. But Anytime/Anywhere, All I Want, and Miles Away fit that. They feel like demo ideas just slapped on there.

And I think, from reading most of the responses here, that while what constitutes the "filler" tracks will differ among us, the general problem is the same -- the filler material is just so subpar in comparison to the deep album cuts of the records that came before it.

p.s. I thought Chasing Blue Sky should have easily replaced Miles Away, which had it, would have brought the total number of good songs to 8 for me, personally. But still 8 out of 15 from the Hear in the Now Frontier era is a damn fine percentage of tunes.

Mladen · « **Reply #4317 on:** April 14, 2020, 08:46:21 AM »

This would be my version of the album - remixed, of course:

1. Sign of the times
2. Cuckoo's nest
3. Get a life
4. The Voice inside
5. Some people fly
6. You
7. Hero
8. Miles away
9. Reach
10. All I want
11. Sp00l

Some people fly, Hero and Miles away are still kind of average, but they don't bother me as much as the tracks I cut off. If this were the track list and the sound were better, I would actually put on the album every now and then.

Mister Gold · « **Reply #4318 on:** April 14, 2020, 08:56:01 AM »

Quote from: Samsara on April 14, 2020, 08:27:50 AM

I think the problem with Hear in the Now Frontier is that the deeper cuts aren't as good. The filler doesn't fill the record well enough.

I mean, using my own list above as reference, I really like 7 songs from a 14-track record, and there are four others (Saved, Hero, Get a Life, Cuckoo's Next) that to me, are good filler with flaws (Saved's chorus is terrible, Hero plods but the guitar work is stellar, etc.). But all four, for me, are certainly listenable. They are filler. That brings the record to 11 songs.

7 out of 11 is a pretty damn good percentage. The problem is the remaining three (again, for me). I can honestly say that before HITNF, there was never a Queensryche album that I thought had three songs I never really wanted to listen to. But Anytime/Anywhere, All I Want, and Miles Away fit that. They feel like demo ideas just slapped on there.

And I think, from reading most of the responses here, that while what constitutes the "filler" tracks will differ among us, the general problem is the same -- the filler material is just so subpar in comparison to the deep album cuts of the records that came before it.

p.s. I thought Chasing Blue Sky should have easily replaced Miles Away, which had it, would have brought the total number of good songs to 8 for me, personally. But still 8 out of 15 from the Hear in the Now Frontier era is a damn fine percentage of tunes.

I dunno. I keep trying to listen HITNF (heck, I'm listening to it right now actually

) and it just... isn't clicking with me, except for Hit the Black and Reach maybe. By and large, the album comes off to me like Chris and Tate both really wanted to do more of a grunge album, while Wilton, Ed and Scott come across as rather checked out from the material. And despite probably being for this change in direction, Tate unfortunately didn't have the right sort of voice for grunge. He sounds out of place, despite clearly trying to me.

It's just... a dead album to me. Which is weird. I don't feel that way about Q2K or Tribe, even if I rarely ever revisit those albums. Bizarrely the band sound a bit more unified on those albums than HITNF, despite that almost certainly not being the case in practice. And I block out the rest of the Post-Tribe Tate era stuff anyhow so I'm kind of a blank slate on that front until we get to the s/t album in 2013.

pg1067 · « **Reply #4319 on:** April 14, 2020, 09:37:10 AM »

Quote from: KevShmev on April 14, 2020, 07:42:07 AM

Yeah, but Promised Land and Power Windows ~~are legitimately great~~ were seriously disappointing and inferior albums

ftfy

EPICVIEW · « **Reply #4320 on:** April 14, 2020, 09:41:46 AM »

I love how some people seem to like certain songs, while others think they are the worst songs on HITNF, some think it has tons of emotion and some say it is lifeless, some hate the mix, some love the mix quality and grunge feel. To me that is what made Chris and Geoff QR truly art and polarizing and never did they get in the box of what the fans or label wanted. to me its a bitter sweet CD as you can feel Geoff struggling at times with knowing that Chris had made up his mind to leave and save his marriage and pursue his flying investment and leave the music scene . I love the dry mix on Geoffs voice , really shows his acoustic abilities and how he was able to do what Chris was trying to convey on what is a very personal Chris exit album. I l love that CD more and more and always have , it had a very mature feel when I was much younger, now I see it clearly. thats true art , in some ways its their best , its just not heavy metal, just hard rock meets grunge, meets folksy

Samsara · « **Reply #4321 on:** April 14, 2020, 09:58:03 AM »

MG - I think Chris has a very defined vision for the record. Something looser, something that was more accessible that incorporated the alternative sound that was popular at the time. And I think for the most part, the songs on there marry that with Queensryche's brand of hard rock. But yes, I agree that Geoff's voice doesn't quite suit that direction, but he pulled it off in spots on that record well enough. Again, i don't think Queensryche was attempting to be a grunge or alternative band. I think the goal was to incorporate alternative elements, a more spontaneous approach, and good melodies to appeal to radio. And I think HITNF achieved that.

Does that alternative style appeal to the Queensryche audience? It's hard to say. Like I said earlier, I firmly believe HITNF would have blown PL out of the water in terms of success had EMI not folded. Sign of the Times and You were big at radio, and HITNF is chock full of singles. As I said before, HITNF is essentially modeled after Empire. It's just HITNF shifts things to the more alternative sound to a degree that was popular at the time.

I get the...difficulty with the record. I really do. But over time, it really grew on me. Focusing on the guitar work really helped. I can't say enough about just how great the guitars are on the record.

As for me, I compare HITNF to Soundgarden's Down on the Upside. To me, both are very similar in style and sound to a degree. But I'm a Soundgarden fan, so what I find cool and pleasing to hear incorporated into QR's sound may obviously not appeal to those that aren't.

EPICVIEW · « **Reply #4322 on:** April 14, 2020, 10:24:24 AM »

I personally find NO FILLER on HITNF. songs like Saved, You, Reach. Miles away. Hero, are all amazing songs that Chris really wanted to be heard , Im glad they put them all out and made it a very long album for Chris's finale, in some ways Spool to me is a bit tedious and could be shortened by a minute, but other than that its a perfect CD to me

jammindude · « **Reply #4323 on:** April 14, 2020, 10:46:57 AM »

Quote from: T-ski on April 14, 2020, 08:03:41 AM

Quote from: KevShmev on April 14, 2020, 07:42:07 AM
Yeah, but Promised Land and Power Windows are legitimately great albums, while Hear in the Now Frontier is anything but.

This is the correct response.

Thirded...

Mister Gold · « **Reply #4324 on:** April 14, 2020, 08:54:13 PM »

Quote from: Samsara on April 14, 2020, 09:58:03 AM

MG - I think Chris has a very defined vision for the record. Something looser, something that was more accessible that incorporated the alternative sound that was popular at the time. And I think for the most part, the songs on there marry that with Queensryche's brand of hard rock. But yes, I agree that Geoff's voice doesn't quite suit that direction, but he pulled it off in spots on that record well enough. Again, i don't think Queensryche was attempting to be a grunge or alternative band. I think the goal was to incorporate alternative elements, a more spontaneous approach, and good melodies to appeal to radio. And I think HITNF achieved that.

Does that alternative style appeal to the Queensryche audience? It's hard to say. Like I said earlier, I firmly believe HITNF would have blown PL out of the water in terms of success had EMI not folded. Sign of the Times and You were big at radio, and HITNF is chock full of singles. As I said before, HITNF is essentially modeled after Empire. It's just HITNF shifts things to the more alternative sound to a degree that was popular at the time.

I get the...difficulty with the record. I really do. But over time, it really grew on me. Focusing on the guitar work really helped. I can't say enough about just how great the guitars are on the record.

As for me, I compare HITNF to Soundgarden's Down on the Upside. To me, both are very similar in style and sound to a degree. But I'm a Soundgarden fan, so what I find cool and pleasing to hear incorporated into QR's sound may obviously not appeal to those that aren't.

Oh I don't disagree that Chris had a very specific vision in mind for HITNF and I absolutely get what he was aiming for. And yeah, had EMI been in a better state financially at the time, I wager HITNF probably would have been a huge sales success in a way that Promised Land wasn't. I don't disagree with any of that.

My issue is that it feels like Chris and Geoff are the only two people in the band that sound particularly invested in what they're performing on the album. I can hear Chris doing some great guitarwork and Geoff trying his damnedest to make his voice work despite it not being a natural fit. I can get why HITNF has fans... it just doesn't register to me, because it sounds like three fifths of the band are out of sync with the other two.

I don't regularly listen to grunge, but I don't dislike it. I'm fond enough of bands like Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. But the difference there to me is that I can tell all of the members of those bands are in sync with each other, much like how the original Queensryche sounded from the E.P. all the way to Promised Land. I feel like I'd probably enjoy HITNF more if Chris and Geoff had somehow opted to make that album as a side-project with other local Seattle musicians that were just as interested in grunge and alternative rock/metal as they were... or if Michael, Ed and Scott were all somehow interested in the material too.

I actually went back and checked the songwriting credits earlier and I find it telling that the two songs I liked best on HITNF (Hit the Black and Reach) were both co-written by either Ed or Michael, rather than Chris. The band sounds more alive on those two tracks, likely because it's material they contributed.

goo-goo · « **Reply #4325 on:** April 15, 2020, 07:53:30 AM »

I was listening to the latest Conception album and Roy would have seem a very good choice as vocalist for the current QR lineup. I realize logistics would have made this impossible but his voice was an obvious fit when I heard the Conception album.

Samsara · « **Reply #4326 on:** April 15, 2020, 07:55:56 AM »

MG,

I get what you are saying. I can hear that. Queensryche morphed away from Wilton's strengths on PL and HITNF. Ed and Scott though, I don't think they sound disinterested at all though. But Wilton certainly took a back seat on HITNF.

Grappler · « **Reply #4327 on:** April 15, 2020, 08:11:34 AM »

Quote from: goo-goo on April 15, 2020, 07:53:30 AM

I was listening to the latest Conception album and Roy would have seem a very good choice as vocalist for the current QR lineup. I realize logistics would have made this impossible but his voice was an obvious fit when I heard the Conception album.

I love Roy, but he wouldn't have fit Queensryche at all. He's definitely lost a lot in his upper range, even going back to the last Kamelot album(s) that he sang on. When QR brought Todd in, they wanted someone that could sing the old, higher-ranged songs that Geoff wasn't interested in playing.

Plus, Roy left the music industry to focus on his personal life and only within the last year or two has he reunited with Conception.

goo-goo · « **Reply #4328 on:** April 15, 2020, 08:27:20 AM »

Quote from: Grappler on April 15, 2020, 08:11:34 AM

Quote from: goo-goo on April 15, 2020, 07:53:30 AM
I was listening to the latest Conception album and Roy would have seem a very good choice as vocalist for the current QR lineup. I realize logistics would have made this impossible but his voice was an obvious fit when I heard the Conception album.

I love Roy, but he wouldn't have fit Queensryche at all. He's definitely lost a lot in his upper range, even going back to the last Kamelot album(s) that he sang on. When QR brought Todd in, they wanted someone that could sing the old, higher-ranged songs that Geoff wasn't interested in playing.

Plus, Roy left the music industry to focus on his personal life and only within the last year or two has he reunited with Conception.

Todd sounds very strained (and sometimes horrible) when hitting the upper ranges. I don't think Todd's voice will last long the way he sings.

Mister Gold · « **Reply #4329 on:** April 15, 2020, 08:28:53 AM »

Quote from: Samsara on April 15, 2020, 07:55:56 AM

MG,

I get what you are saying. I can hear that. Queensryche morphed away from Wilton's strengths on PL and HITNF. Ed and Scott though, I don't think they sound disinterested at all though. But Wilton certainly took a back seat on HITNF.

Yeah, I've tried to get onboard with HITNF for ages now. For some reason, I just can't.

On the bright side though, I've been jamming to The Warning a lot lately and God does it hold up well. Such a stellar album!

EPIC Outro · « **Reply #4330 on:** April 15, 2020, 09:15:52 PM »

HITNF is the only QR album I haven't heard a single note from.

Wait, Tribe. I havn't heard Tribe either

Maybe this week!

Cruithne · « **Reply #4331 on:** June 04, 2020, 08:15:50 AM »

Quote from: T-ski on August 22, 2019, 12:05:40 PM

huh.

posted on August 21st....

Eddie Trunk
@EddieTrunk

Just had a long phone chat w/ @queensryche
drummer & old friend Scott Rockenfield. He’s indeed alive & well & it was great catching up. As soon as he’s ready he will be coming on #TrunkNation to check in & say what he’s up to. Maybe next month. More soon!

Still waiting.

Just listened to a recent thing on YouTube where he discusses that conversation and it really does sound like Rockenfield gave Trunk a non-committal answer and Trunk, being the kind of person he is, ran with it.

Also, Trunk goes on to speculate about DeGarmo/Tate/Rockenfield getting together to play. No further comment.

Setlist Scotty · « **Reply #4332 on:** June 04, 2020, 10:31:17 AM »

Quote from: Cruithne on June 04, 2020, 08:15:50 AM

Quote from: T-ski on August 22, 2019, 12:05:40 PM
huh.

posted on August 21st....

Eddie Trunk
@EddieTrunk

Just had a long phone chat w/ @queensryche
drummer & old friend Scott Rockenfield. He’s indeed alive & well & it was great catching up. As soon as he’s ready he will be coming on #TrunkNation to check in & say what he’s up to. Maybe next month. More soon!

Still waiting.

Just listened to a recent thing on YouTube where he discusses that conversation and it really does sound like Rockenfield gave Trunk a non-committal answer and Trunk, being the kind of person he is, ran with it.

Also, Trunk goes on to speculate about DeGarmo/Tate/Rockenfield getting together to play. No further comment.

Ha! I remember waiting for Eddie to make some announcement, and have forgotten about it ever since, which is probably exactly what he wants at this time. Pretty sure he knows something but was told to keep his yapper shut. I say this because I asked someone who's profile is similar (in music journalism and is a known name in the music industry) and while he said that he knows some details that aren't public knowledge, he didn't feel it was his place to speak about them.

I would imagine we'll eventually find out what happened - at least to a degree - but it might not be for a loooooonnnnnng time.

bosk1 · « **Reply #4333 on:** June 04, 2020, 11:58:12 AM »

Quote from: TAC on April 09, 2020, 08:16:35 AM

Did my post trigger your alarm ...?

Your posts on PL trigger alarm in most of us, Tim.

I get that you don't care for PL. But it has always somewhat baffled me that it is because the songs don't feel "complete" or as deep to you. To me, and many, love them or hate them, I just feel it's hard to deny how deep and complex the songs on PL are, even the ones that sound straightforward on the surface.

Quote from: Samsara on April 09, 2020, 11:39:54 PM

What I think gets overlooked sometimes with PL and with HITNF is that one of the band's major riff writers wasn't nearly as prolific during these cycles. Wilton was huge for QR from the EP-Empire. And then after Empire, he took a backseat for various reasons. Then again, most folks love "Damaged" off PL, and Wilton didn't write that song -- Chris did, musically.

Yeah, it's easy to associate Mike as the "metal" guy, and Chris as the amtmosphere/melody guy. But Chris is absolutely a metal guy too, and Damaged is a good reminder.

Regarding the singles, I also can confirm that I Am I was the first single. But that said, it got VERY little radio play (at least locally in N. Cal.) and pretty limited MTV play as well. I think I maybe saw it played on MTV once, if at all, and I think I may have heard it once or twice on radio either just prior to or just after release of the album. It felt like you were more likely to hear one of the singles from Empire than I Am I. Bridge did a bit better.

I remember Sign of the Times and You getting a lot more airplay during the HITNF cycle. I even heard Reach a couple of times, I believe before the album dropped. Without looking it up, I don't believe it was a single. But local radio must have gotten a promo copy and liked the song.

Samsara · « **Reply #4334 on:** June 04, 2020, 12:26:45 PM »

bosk:

Yep, the first single for PL was I Am I, followed by Bridge, and then Dis-con-nec-ted. Someone Else? was a promotional single (I have the CD).

Hear in the Now Frontier, the singles were Sign of the Times and You. The Voice Inside and spOOL were both promotional singles (I tracked down the latter two years back) and probably would have been released. But I think Reach had great potential for singles.

I did this blog a few years back on the singles from PL:

http://anybodylistening.net/promisedlandsingles.html

I totally think different choices could have led to the album doing way better (it still sold a million, but that was down from the 3.5 million of Empire).

ytserush · « **Reply #4335 on:** June 04, 2020, 04:14:27 PM »

Quote from: Samsara on June 04, 2020, 12:26:45 PM

bosk:

Yep, the first single for PL was I Am I, followed by Bridge, and then Dis-con-nec-ted. Someone Else? was a promotional single (I have the CD).

Hear in the Now Frontier, the singles were Sign of the Times and You. The Voice Inside and spOOL were both promotional singles (I tracked down the latter two years back) and probably would have been released. But I think Reach had great potential for singles.

I did this blog a few years back on the singles from PL:

http://anybodylistening.net/promisedlandsingles.html

I totally think different choices could have led to the album doing way better (it still sold a million, but that was down from the 3.5 million of Empire).

I keep meaning to pull Hear In The Now Frontier off of the shelf for a good listen. Haven't listened to it in years.

Peter Mc · « **Reply #4336 on:** June 04, 2020, 05:14:43 PM »

Quote from: Samsara on June 04, 2020, 12:26:45 PM

bosk:

Yep, the first single for PL was I Am I, followed by Bridge, and then Dis-con-nec-ted. Someone Else? was a promotional single (I have the CD).

Hear in the Now Frontier, the singles were Sign of the Times and You. The Voice Inside and spOOL were both promotional singles (I tracked down the latter two years back) and probably would have been released. But I think Reach had great potential for singles.

I did this blog a few years back on the singles from PL:

http://anybodylistening.net/promisedlandsingles.html

I totally think different choices could have led to the album doing way better (it still sold a million, but that was down from the 3.5 million of Empire).

Yeah, I’m not as big a fan of Promised Land as some, it was my first QR album but not on the strength of any singles, just purely on reviews I’d read. I found it patchy, and still do, but the songs I did like made me investigate them further and, as soon as I heard the Empire album, I had a new favourite band. Damaged should definitely have been the lead off single and One More Time is a forgotten gem which should have been another single. I also find Bridge to be the least interesting of all the slower songs on the album. Out Of Mind has a much more memorable acoustic riff and feels uniquely Queensrÿche and Lady Jane a catchier chorus. Yes those two songs are a little darker and more unsettling but they have that atmospheric unique Queensrÿche feel whereas Bridge could be any acoustic ballad, apart from the guitar solo which is recognisably QR.

Singles aside though, the album is simply not as accessible as Empire. There are not as many songs with huge melodic singalong choruses. You have to applaud them maybe for going for something more ambitious and deep but it lacked that super melodic sound and immediacy of the albums that came before apart from a few songs. They could have released better singles and maybe sold more albums than they did but ultimately it was never going to match Empire as the songs aren’t as strong imo.

KevShmev · « **Reply #4337 on:** June 04, 2020, 07:58:31 PM »

I Am I was definitely the first single from PL, as I remember hearing it and thinking, "Who in the hell is this??" Keep in mind that at that point all I knew by the band, IIRC, was the Empire hits, Real World, and some of Mindcrime.

Promised Land was the first of a handful of albums where I went from "WTF is this?" on the first few listens to the lightbulb moment of "OMG, this is awesome!!"

Samsara · « **Reply #4338 on:** June 05, 2020, 08:44:18 AM »

Quote from: KevShmev on June 04, 2020, 07:58:31 PM

I Am I was definitely the first single from PL, as I remember hearing it and thinking, "Who in the hell is this??"

Quote from: Samsara on June 04, 2020, 12:26:45 PM

Yep, the first single for PL was I Am I, followed by Bridge, and then Dis-con-nec-ted. Someone Else? was a promotional single (I have the CD).

Quote from: Peter Mc on June 04, 2020, 05:14:43 PM

Singles aside though, the album is simply not as accessible as Empire. There are not as many songs with huge melodic singalong choruses. You have to applaud them maybe for going for something more ambitious and deep but it lacked that super melodic sound and immediacy of the albums that came before apart from a few songs. They could have released better singles and maybe sold more albums than they did but ultimately it was never going to match Empire as the songs aren’t as strong imo.

You have to remember too, that the band was on the verge of breaking up after Empire. I know they sugarcoat it and say how they took a long break, etc., but the truth of the matter is, Tate got divorced and taken to the cleaners and was depressed, Rockenfield got divorced, Wilton had his issues, etc. Chris pretty much pulled everyone together and got it everyone out to do the record. I think that vibe of darkness and disillusionment is what makes the album special.

I personally think the songs are as strong, if not stronger than Empire, but as you said -- they aren't nearly as accessible. And I think that was actually the point. Sure, they have Bridge on there as a sort of acoustic ballad in the vein of Silent Lucidity, but its way darker. I very much respect Queensryche for deciding that they were just going to do what they felt, as opposed to what was expected. I actually think Promised Land has weathered the test of time much better than Empire (with the exception of a few songs like Anybody Listening, the title track, Best I Can, and Della Brown). Debatable for sure, but sitting here thinking about it right this second, that's what I feel.

Promised Land was not for everyone, much in the same way A Pleasant Shade of Gray from Fates Warning wasn't for everyone either. It took me a long time to get into the latter, and its still not as good (to me) as most Fates fans rate it. So I totally understand the perspective of those like you and TAC who are not very fond of Promised Land.

Samsara · « **Reply #4339 on:** June 05, 2020, 08:46:38 AM »

p.s. by the way, I found a new bootleg (new to me at least, as I didn't have the show in my collection) that was packaged up as a silver CD. It was from November 13, 1991 at Cincinnati Gardens, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Plucked from the DAT master of the gig. I decided to review it. Check it out:

Queensryche Sings the Queen City Blues [Album Review]

News: Track-by-track video for Untethered Angel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Co1_h0GtAw

Author Topic: Official Queensryche thread: Kickstart the next album (Read 707153 times)