*Official* The Astonishing discussion thread

[rumborak]

So you're saying that the music we hear is not the greatest song in the world, just a tribute?

TENACIOUS D PT 2 CONFIRMED

Can't wait for Gabriel to write a song about cock pushups.

[ariich]

So you're saying that the music we hear is not the greatest song in the world, just a tribute?

TENACIOUS D PT 2 CONFIRMED

Can't wait for Gabriel to write a song about cock pushups.

I'd forgotten that one.

Personally I'm looking forward to his rendition of the one-note song. That'll be truly epic.

[ErHaO]

I actually wish DT went the Tenacious D Master Exploder route for Gabriel's deafening scream.

Then again, that scream as is now can actually be considered comedy.

[SebastianPratesi]

I actually wish DT went the Tenacious D Master Exploder route for Gabriel's deafening scream.

Then again, that scream as is now can actually be considered comedy.

Well, the line "So I'll treat them all to sonic ecstasy" by Gabriel sure sounds like something sung by Jack from 'Master Exploder', now that I think about it.

Although I would say that JP plays with more arms than Kyle in that song.

[RoeDent]

A tiny nitpick: It would have been cool to have some of the dialogue passages shift back and forth between the left and right stereo channels, ā la The Great Debate. I'm thinking particularly the fast section between Daryus and Arhys in The Path That Divides. Because they use the same vocal effect on JLB for both characters, it's hard to tell that it's two different characters speaking.

[Dream Team]

A tiny nitpick: It would have been cool to have some of the dialogue passages shift back and forth between the left and right stereo channels, ā la The Great Debate. I'm thinking particularly the fast section between Daryus and Arhys in The Path That Divides. Because they use the same vocal effect on JLB for both characters, it's hard to tell that it's two different characters speaking.

Agreed.

[Kotowboy]

oops.

[MirrorMask]

One weird thing I realized about The Astonishing... while being unlike anything they've done before, and having a completely different format (a rock opera), all the out-of-the-field things about this record are to be anticipated, so it kinda "robs" you of the "Wow, listen to what they've done here" factor.

I mean, since I'm immersed in the story, when I hear The Answer I hear Gabriel's point of view, I don't think "Wow, listen to this 2 minutes song, the shortest full song DT has ever done!"... and when I hear Lord Nafaryus or Three Days I follow our dear Emperor's moods and state of mind, I'm not surprised and amazed at "a song with jazz and swing".

So, in a sense of course I hear all the weird stuff going on... but on the other hand I kinda expect it because I already know these songs are part of a rock opera rather than "normal DT albums". Would love to feel this amazed and caught by surprise on following albums as well.

Am I making sense?

[hefdaddy42]

No.

[Prog Snob]

To elaborate on Hef's response...

No way.

[Kotowboy]

For anyone that wants to read the credits.

[bosk1]

To further elaborate on Hef's response:  No.

[jakepriest]

Jesus, whose idea was it to put white text over an image of clouds? 

[MirrorMask]

Well, my point was... when you hear Illumination Theory, for example, you listen the orchestral interlude, unless I'm forgetting something it is the first time - Six Degrees Overture aside - that there's only an orchestra in a DT song, so you can go "wow, they've put a completely orchestral interlude in this song". Hell, you can even be surprised at DT' first and never heard before attempt at "growl" vocals on A Nightmare To Remember.

With The Astonishing, it's not that I go "Listen to this song, it's so short! they've never done such a short song!" or "Listen to this song, it's so theatrical, James is acting, there's this weird atmosphere going on, this is unlilke anything they've ever done"... because I already know the album is anything unlike they've ever done. It's a rock opera that spans 2 CDs and has 34 songs. I expect all the weird stuff and song structures never used before, because *the entire album* is based on a different format.

So my point is that if you get a surprise in a normal DT song on a normal DT album, you can be truly amazed. When you get it on a 34 SONGS ROCK OPERA, you still can enjoy it but well, you already knew beforehand things would have been completely different.

[Prog Snob]

Jesus, whose idea was it to put white text over an image of clouds? 

My name isn't Jesus, but I'll respond anyway. I am guessing JP's. 

[hefdaddy42]

Well, my point was... when you hear Illumination Theory, for example, you listen the orchestral interlude, unless I'm forgetting something it is the first time - Six Degrees Overture aside - that there's only an orchestra in a DT song, so you can go "wow, they've put a completely orchestral interlude in this song". Hell, you can even be surprised at DT' first and never heard before attempt at "growl" vocals on A Nightmare To Remember.

With The Astonishing, it's not that I go "Listen to this song, it's so short! they've never done such a short song!" or "Listen to this song, it's so theatrical, James is acting, there's this weird atmosphere going on, this is unlilke anything they've ever done"... because I already know the album is anything unlike they've ever done. It's a rock opera that spans 2 CDs and has 34 songs. I expect all the weird stuff and song structures never used before, because *the entire album* is based on a different format.

So my point is that if you get a surprise in a normal DT song on a normal DT album, you can be truly amazed. When you get it on a 34 SONGS ROCK OPERA, you still can enjoy it but well, you already knew beforehand things would have been completely different.

So?

I still don't get your point.  I knew it was going to be different, but I still know the band creating it, so I was still able to marvel at things I would have marveled at anyway.

[escruting]

[wrong thread]

[MirrorMask]

So?

I still don't get your point.  I knew it was going to be different, but I still know the band creating it, so I was still able to marvel at things I would have marveled at anyway.

I do marvel at it as well, it's just that the music is so tied together with the story (and  the lyrics as well), that I view the songs as chapters of a story first and foremost. For example I view Three Days as "the song where Nafaryus gives the ultimatum", rather than "a song with a weird structure and an even weirder swing / jazz section". I still realize, acknowledge and absoutely enjoy that there's stuff never heard before on a DT album, but the songs were made to serve a story and that's how I realized I view them.

Same for Ravenskill as an example, the lyrics go as far as quoting verbatim her exchange with a peasant so to me it's "the song where Faythe goes to Ravenskill and meets Gabriel", rather than "a DT song that starts in a very mellow way and then gets heavier as it goes on".

A while back I posted "Imagine if Three Days was a regular song on a normal DT album, would people love it?" and someone replied "Well, it would be weird to have a random song about a tyrant threatening a village". See? it's hard to take these songs as they are and judging them only for what they are musically, when they're all so tied to the story they're telling.

All of this is a personal observation, and in no way a criticism of the album that I love dearly!

[dparrott]

For anyone that wants to read the credits.

...good luck with that.  Yea, I don't see how that passed QA.

[SebastianPratesi]

I can read the credits on my copy of the album without a problem, so I'm not sure what's wrong. Maybe the colour printing is different around the world, or something.

[rumborak]

For anyone that wants to read the credits.

...good luck with that.  Yea, I don't see how that passed QA.

The QA guy is swamped right now. He still needs to check whether DT12 album cover has visible artifacts, or whether there are any cutoffs in the MOB video.

[chaossystem]

I'm surprised no one has commented on this yet: The beginning of the Palladium concert is up on YouTube! It's NOT a very good video. The camera wobbles around a lot, and the sound cuts out a LOT, including the ending being cut off, but it has an intro and for the most part it is the first three Astonishing tracks. At least it gives us some idea of what the show is and will be...

[Clancy Wiggum]

Listened to it half a dozen times now (as well as seeing the show in London) and my impressions at this point are that the album is really good. It's too early to say for sure but this could end up being my favourite album from them.

[bosk1]

I'm surprised no one has commented on this yet: The beginning of the Palladium concert is up on YouTube! It's NOT a very good video. The camera wobbles around a lot, and the sound cuts out a LOT, including the ending being cut off, but it has an intro and for the most part it is the first three Astonishing tracks. At least it gives us some idea of what the show is and will be...

Have you even read the Palladium thread?  There are a ton of videos posted there (i.e., in the thread where they belong), including a couple of different ones of the opening songs.

[KevShmev]

Jesus, whose idea was it to put white text over an image of clouds? 

Probably the same nimrod who decided to staple the booklet to the inside of the digipak (or whatever the hell it is called).

As great as the music is on this record, the packaging was epic fail.  It was clearly done by someone who has never owned a CD, since no one who has, with a brain, would have done that.

[erwinrafael]

So I saw some of the live show videos, and it confirmed what I was suspecting back then.

The Astonishing studio record shortchanged Mangini because the cymbals were too low in the mix. Once you hear what the cymbals are really doing, then you would really get how well Mike composed his parts.

[chaossystem]

Jesus, whose idea was it to put white text over an image of clouds? 

Probably the same nimrod who decided to staple the booklet to the inside of the digipak (or whatever the hell it is called).

As great as the music is on this record, the packaging was epic fail.  It was clearly done by someone who has never owned a CD, since no one who has, with a brain, would have done that.

really...how the HELL are we supposed to read the credits? And while I don't HATE the booklet being where it is, Having it be detachable would probably have been better.

[Heavens_Cove777]

A brilliant album. I think Arhys is one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. His famil
Means so much to him, especially Xander and Gabriel. One of my favorite parts is in the title track when he speaks from beyond the grave telling Gabriel to show his son love and courage and to let him
Know that courage is boundless. Very powerful album, I love it !

[pcs90]

So I saw some of the live show videos, and it confirmed what I was suspecting back then.

The Astonishing studio record shortchanged Mangini because the cymbals were too low in the mix. Once you hear what the cymbals are really doing, then you would really get how well Mike composed his parts.

This is why I wish they would release instrument stems for the entire album. I doubt they will, but man it'd be awesome. Then we could really hear all of Mangini's details as well as some of the choir lyrics that aren't printed.

[chaossystem]

A brilliant album. I think Arhys is one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. His famil
Means so much to him, especially Xander and Gabriel. One of my favorite parts is in the title track when he speaks from beyond the grave telling Gabriel to show his son love and courage and to let him
Know that courage is boundless. Very powerful album, I love it !

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way...in spite of it not being  the "big rock epic" I STILL feel that he closing track is one of the best parts of the story, and for me, at least, will be considered a DT classic.

[ariich]

A brilliant album. I think Arhys is one of my favorite fictional characters of all time. His famil
Means so much to him, especially Xander and Gabriel. One of my favorite parts is in the title track when he speaks from beyond the grave telling Gabriel to show his son love and courage and to let him
Know that courage is boundless. Very powerful album, I love it !

I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way...in spite of it not being  the "big rock epic" I STILL feel that he closing track is one of the best parts of the story, and for me, at least, will be considered a DT classic.

I don't find it all that interesting, but I have to say that in the live show last night and the way they treated it as an encore, it was really great. Really worked perfectly in that way.

[dparrott]

[quote author=rumborak link=topic=45713.msg2106361#msg2106361 date=1455916826

The QA guy is swamped right now. He still needs to check whether DT12 album cover has visible artifacts, or whether there are any cutoffs in the MOB video.
[/quote]

Heh...oh yea...the DT12 art.  Sounds like they need a new QA person.

The booklet attached to the digi would be fine if it were just credits, but yea no one thought of having to HOLD THAT THING FOR 2 HOURS!    

[fadetoblackdude7]

The booklet attached to the digi would be fine if it were just credits, but yea no one thought of having to HOLD THAT THING FOR 2 HOURS!   

That's why I prop it up against something

[kirksnosehair]

For anyone that wants to read the credits.

...good luck with that.  Yea, I don't see how that passed QA.

I have admit that I was...astonished....at how terrible the contrast is in the booklet.  I'm with you.  The person who approved this either approved something that looked different and the printers screwed it up, or they hired Helen Keller as their graphic artist.   

[vazquez]

Yesterday I finally bought The Astonishing. I have read dozens of reviews and posts - and even so I was completely surprised by what Iīve heard. Before, I have listened twice to TGoM and once to MoB. Itīs hard to think about just one or two things to say, because during the 2 hours+ I spent in completely attention listening to it, many ideas came into my mind. Sound? Perfect. Size of the songs? Not a second too many or too short. The fade out a lot of people complained? Itīs correct. James is the star of the show? You bet.

But now I want to point three things:

1) You must have a good stereo system to listen to this album. Silly thing wasting it listening to it in an i-pod or usual mp3 player. This album deserves the best sound system money can buy. In my sound system, every instrument is perfect. The voice is so clear, probably one of the best vocal recording I have ever listened.

2) I have more than 3 thousand albums and I have listened to at least twice that. Itīs hard to get something that surprises me. Even more from a band in itīs thirteenth album. And I was surprised at every minute. The album is seemless, and at the same time, itīs daring. Thatīs something very hard to be done.

3) I believe this album is one of the two or three I have listened when you - your whole being - is an essential part of the listening experience. It has some many details and information on it that what you know, what you have heard before, read, watched, thought, felt, must be used to get you the full experience. Your mind and heart are active instruments that play along with the band.

Thatīs so much to write and admire, for now letīs say itīs a brave album filled with joy and enthusiasm and itīs something very special and rare in those days we are living.