Taylor Swift

[KevShmev]

To me, innovation and influence can be both tricky things to assess more often than not.  Sometimes, both or either can be obvious, and sometimes, neither is.

In the meantime, last night's two surprise songs are both massive winners for me.  Sad Beautiful Tragic is a top 10 Taylor song in my eyes, and Ours is a lovely song.  She also swapped out Invisible String for The 1 in the main set, and made it clear that changes (outside of the two surprise songs slots that are different each show) will happen in the set from night to night, so that is great to see.

[MoraWintersoul]

When Taylor Swift scratches your setlist watch itch that Dream Theater has left unattended for a decade

[KevShmev]

Three weeks till I see her in Nashville!!

[faizoff]

She has 3 dates here in Tampa and the first day the parking and traffic in the area were just a huge disaster throughout the day. I was in the vicinity much earlier in the day and the traffic was already crazy, just can't imagine how it must've been right before the concert.

[KevShmev]

She has 3 dates here in Tampa and the first day the parking and traffic in the area were just a huge disaster throughout the day. I was in the vicinity much earlier in the day and the traffic was already crazy, just can't imagine how it must've been right before the concert.

Not surprised. I expect Nashville to be crazy the weekend we are going, but we plan to get down there by mid-afternoon Friday, and then our hotel is just under a mile from the stadium, so once we get to the hotel and settled in, we can just walk or take the free trolley to the concert a few hours later.  It's just a matter of how bad traffic will be just getting into Nashville earlier in the day.

[KevShmev]

Ms. Swift in NYC last night:

[Zook]

Are we sure that's the real Taylor Swift and not the clone created by the illuminati deep state lizard people? Where's the massive swarm of fan girls surrounding her? Is that John Cena walking in front of her?

My wife has been listening to Speak Now a lot lately. Not a bad album. I guess that's her pop rock Avril Lavigne album? I remember when that one first came out. Everyone was making fun of her for the "gap between your teeth" line. It's still terrible, and my wife has been listening to the album so much that I'm really sick of it now, but it could be worse. Dear John is a really good song. Almost 7 minutes too. Does that mean Taylor Swift is prog? She even has a 10 minute song now!

[MirrorMask]

Ms. Swift in NYC last night:

She reall has that "ah, I'm a pop megastar and I got you musical prog metal nerds hooked with songs I wrote just because I couldn't go out of the house anymore" smirk on her face 

[KevShmev]

I have been on the "Speak Now might be her best album" train for a while now (I am sure my older posts in this thread reflect this), but I get why it's not as crazy popular as many of her other albums.  It doesn't have one of her monster hits that the masses know like crazy, and stylistically it is kind of caught in the middle with country starting to fade away, the true pop stuff was still an album away, and there is quite a bit of rock, with the production being a little rough around the edges in a good way.  That is why I am not looking forward to Speak Now TV like many are, as I am sure it will be all cleaned up and shiny, and that is not what Speak Now is.  The dirt and grime of the original is a big part of the charm of the album.

[HOF]

Ms. Swift in NYC last night:

She came back stronger than a 90s trend.

[XeRocks81]

she seems okay despite the breakup

[KevShmev]

Looks like Ms. Swift is smarter than Tom Brady, Shaq and Steph Curry.

https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-avoided-100-million-ftx-deal-with-securities-question-2023-4

[KevShmev]

I had never read this interview/conversation between Taylor and Paul McCartney from late 2020, but it is a nice read!

https://archive.ph/Emmtn

[Metro]

My sister is going to Nashville to see Taylor Swift.

That’s crazy. Traveling all the way to Nashville from Richmond for a concert. Who would do something so ridiculous.

[KevShmev]

No reaction to an interview between McCartney (perhaps the most famous living musical artist) and Swift (perhaps the most popular current artist)?  For shame, DTF.   For shame.

[Stadler]

No reaction to an interview between McCartney (perhaps the most famous living musical artist) and Swift (perhaps the most popular current artist)?  For shame, DTF.   For shame.

Well, I consider McCartney to be the greatest living musician in the world right now and Taylor Swift is the greatest American artist of her generation, so I will read it, I just haven't had an opportunity yet.

[KevShmev]

No reaction to an interview between McCartney (perhaps the most famous living musical artist) and Swift (perhaps the most popular current artist)?  For shame, DTF.   For shame.

Well, I consider McCartney to be the greatest living musician in the world right now and Taylor Swift is the greatest American artist of her generation, so I will read it, I just haven't had an opportunity yet.

 

[Skeever]

I care about either of them about as much as I care about the color of Mike Portnoy's beard at the moment.

In fairness, that does actually amount to a little bit.

[Stadler]

I care about either of them about as much as I care about the color of Mike Portnoy's beard at the moment.

In fairness, that does actually amount to a little bit.

HAHA

[soupytwist]

Just popping in to let you guys know Taylor has a feature on a track the next National album due to drop late April.

So this is out and it's a good track, not 100% sure their voices mesh that well though.  I think folklore/evermore fans should enjoy it.

[KevShmev]

The Alcott - love the song.  I think their voices blend together wonderfully, just like they did on Coney Island, one of my favorites from Taylor's Evermore. 

[TAC]

That's a lame pose by Paul on the cover.

[HOF]

I did find the vocal blend a bit jarring on Coney Island. Not sure I care for the National guy's voice.

[KevShmev]

I did find the vocal blend a bit jarring on Coney Island. Not sure I care for the National guy's voice.

I still only know a fraction of The National's material, but based on what I've heard, his voice fits their melancholy rock style pretty well. 

[HOF]

My daughter always plays Taylor Swift when I drive her in to school. Soon as she gets out, I switch it to whatever I have in the CD player, which today happened to be Phil Collins. It occurred to me that Taylor is the same age now as Collins was when No Jacket Required came out.

[Stadler]

My daughter always plays Taylor Swift when I drive her in to school. Soon as she gets out, I switch it to whatever I have in the CD player, which today happened to be Phil Collins. It occurred to me that Taylor is the same age now as Collins was when No Jacket Required came out.

I was thinking about Phil Collins the other day (two reasons:  one, the drummer list and two, his daughter Lily was a guess on The Masked Singer) and that's a sad situation.  I get the reasons why - though I don't agree with them - but I can't for the life of me not understand why he's not held in the same regard as Sting, and Peter Gabriel and Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift.   He is a WORLD CLASS drummer, he's drummed on albums by some of the greatest musicians of all time, he's a WORLD CLASS singer, WORLD CLASS writer... I don't know if this is current, but for the longest time, he was one of only three artists to sell 100 million records as part of a group and also as a solo act, along with friggin' Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson.

"No Jacket Required" - my favorite of his solo records - has become something of a symbol of the '80s and not in a good way, but once you get past Sussudio and One More Night, that is a STELLAR record, and there is some great playing on that disc.     

[HOF]

My daughter always plays Taylor Swift when I drive her in to school. Soon as she gets out, I switch it to whatever I have in the CD player, which today happened to be Phil Collins. It occurred to me that Taylor is the same age now as Collins was when No Jacket Required came out.

I was thinking about Phil Collins the other day (two reasons:  one, the drummer list and two, his daughter Lily was a guess on The Masked Singer) and that's a sad situation.  I get the reasons why - though I don't agree with them - but I can't for the life of me not understand why he's not held in the same regard as Sting, and Peter Gabriel and Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift.   He is a WORLD CLASS drummer, he's drummed on albums by some of the greatest musicians of all time, he's a WORLD CLASS singer, WORLD CLASS writer... I don't know if this is current, but for the longest time, he was one of only three artists to sell 100 million records as part of a group and also as a solo act, along with friggin' Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson.

"No Jacket Required" - my favorite of his solo records - has become something of a symbol of the '80s and not in a good way, but once you get past Sussudio and One More Night, that is a STELLAR record, and there is some great playing on that disc.     

It might hurt that Collins hasn't aged well physically, so he's kind of had to drop out of the touring scene over the last 10 years or so. But I do get the sense that he's still got a fairly solid legacy. Having the Disney success in the 90s probably helped him reach another generation. Not sure what's up with the RRHOF not recognizing him. I love No Jacket Required, and I think it is definitely his best drum performance of all of his solo albums. Just a great drumming album in general. I prefer a couple of his other solo albums overall, but it's great.

To bring this back full circle, I thought this was an odd Collins song for Taylor cover (especially since it's not a Collins original), but I guess it was more her age than some of his older stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6FXmdoGut8

[Stadler]

I'm sorry to be a pig, but how freakin' gorgeous is she in that video?    My goodness. 

[TAC]

I'm sorry to be a pig, but how freakin' gorgeous is she in that video?    My goodness.

That's a good moment for her, but in general, she really doesn't do anything for me.

[Podaar]

About halfway through, it looked like she wanted to kick that stool out of the way and dance a bit. 

[soupytwist]

My daughter always plays Taylor Swift when I drive her in to school. Soon as she gets out, I switch it to whatever I have in the CD player, which today happened to be Phil Collins. It occurred to me that Taylor is the same age now as Collins was when No Jacket Required came out.

I was thinking about Phil Collins the other day (two reasons:  one, the drummer list and two, his daughter Lily was a guess on The Masked Singer) and that's a sad situation.  I get the reasons why - though I don't agree with them - but I can't for the life of me not understand why he's not held in the same regard as Sting, and Peter Gabriel and Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift.   He is a WORLD CLASS drummer, he's drummed on albums by some of the greatest musicians of all time, he's a WORLD CLASS singer, WORLD CLASS writer... I don't know if this is current, but for the longest time, he was one of only three artists to sell 100 million records as part of a group and also as a solo act, along with friggin' Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson.

"No Jacket Required" - my favorite of his solo records - has become something of a symbol of the '80s and not in a good way, but once you get past Sussudio and One More Night, that is a STELLAR record, and there is some great playing on that disc.     

Because his solo music became the prime example of 80's Yuppie music.  It's probably a UK thing, but that American Psycho monologue seemed to suggest the sigma travelled.

[XeRocks81]

She announced Speak Now (Taylor's Version) as her next release,  july 7th  https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/1654697334012366849

[MirrorMask]

I need her "adult" version of Haunted right now.

[HOF]

I find the song Speak Now super irritating. The lyrics are sort of clever, but the whole “I can’t believe you chose her, you know you really want to be with me” thing is so vain (it pops up in other songs of hers too). At least when the Spin Doctors do it it’s kind of in a self deprecating way.

[MirrorMask]

Today I discovered, from the same album, Better than Revenge, which is a nice rocking song even though a bit on the silly side, and for a moment I was sure she was singing "She took him faster than you could say Savatage", but it was just "sabotage"