Taylor Swift

[KevShmev]

It's really hard to nail a re-record. You get into an uncanny valley type situation where the closer it is to the original, the more the differences bother you. I am not familiar enough with the albums she has re-recorded to tell you much about the differences, but it does feel like the Speak Now songs just weren't quite right. I think it probably has more to do with her being older and having a different voice now, but some of the energy seemed different as well. Haven't tried 1989 yet, which is the album of hers I'm most familiar with.

I have said it before and I will say it again: it is impossible to recapture the energy and spirit of a record years later if you attempt to re-record it.  She has done a damn good job getting pretty close on all of them, but I do agree with you that getting super close makes the little differences stand out more.

With regards to her singing, yes, she is a better singer now than she was before she could legally drink, but that kind of "just going for it" youthful exuberance was a big part of the charm of her early vocals, flawed as they might have been at times. I have noticed too that she is really enunciating better.  Take Haunted from Speak Now.  I had almost forgotten that she used the word "terribly" in the chorus because the way she sings it on the original sees her take it a bit low and singing it like it's one and a half syllables instead of three (if that make sense), but on TV, you feel the weight of each syllable when she sings the word.  Not saying one way is better than the other, it's just different.  Little things like that I often catch. 

[Zook]

Those from the vault tracks and the blandest of bland.

[nick_z]

Those from the vault tracks and the blandest of bland.

You think so? I’m actually really liking them…

Also, I haven’t done any A/B, so I’m not sure if it’s just a feeling, but I’m loving the re-recording of Style (it was already one of my favorites, no matter how overplayed)…feels “bassier”…really cool…

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

new romantics is good but that one isn't really new. i agree the FTV tracks are boring otherwise

[Zook]

It's on the tip of my tongue, but I'm pretty sure some of the melodies in Say Don't Go are from a Police song.

[KevShmev]

There is a vocal melody in Say Don't Go that is somewhat similar to one in Clean (I think it's the first line of the second verse), so it makes sense that she left one off the original album considering the similarity.   

I don't think it's her best collection of From the Vault tracks (Red and Speak Now are neck and neck for that honor), and none of them touch the best songs from the proper 1989, but they are all still enjoyable additions to her ever-growing massive catalogue.

[bluefox4000]

This 1989 is just 1989 like the remake didn't improve much for me.

so i went to the vault........bland.i

all in all this was a weak package.

in fact the only vault tracks i go back to are Red's.  these re-record's i'll never pick them over the originals. the only one i think for me improved was fearless.  the others.....nah.  i know her ultimate goal is for fans to take the re-records but i won't be, lol

[faizoff]

Was my turn to take  my 9 year old daughter for her 2nd viewing last night, I don't know all her song catalog but the girl can entertain for sure.

The sound mix was fantastic, I kinda wished I had booked the Dolby show, I've read it really shines there. Obviously the cinematography, choreography and all the technical stuff are just flat out amazing, even if there are tracks that you don't care about, it's fun to watch the stuff going on the stage, the crowd lights colors,etc.. always something to keep your attention.

Can't compare tracks to their studio versions as I'm not that familiar but some sounded different, maybe due to the live settings, the instruments get more involved. I'm pretty sure I saw the guitarist or one of them at least, playing with an Eddie Van Halen striped guitar. Players were pretty good too.

Dancers were something else too, you have a cut guy with rock solid abs next to her and the flip side is an overweight big guy who could dance like no other. Very interesting mix of people. So yeah it was definitely entertaining.

[KevShmev]

This 1989 is just 1989 like the remake didn't improve much for me.

so i went to the vault........bland.i

all in all this was a weak package.

in fact the only vault tracks i go back to are Red's.  these re-record's i'll never pick them over the originals. the only one i think for me improved was fearless.  the others.....nah.  i know her ultimate goal is for fans to take the re-records but i won't be, lol

I am sure she knows many fans will still listen to the original records, especially after the initial impact of each TV release wears off, but when you look at how well each of the re-recordings we have gotten so far have done, it is hard to think of this as anything more than a massive triumph. 

Was my turn to take  my 9 year old daughter for her 2nd viewing last night, I don't know all her song catalog but the girl can entertain for sure.

The sound mix was fantastic, I kinda wished I had booked the Dolby show, I've read it really shines there. Obviously the cinematography, choreography and all the technical stuff are just flat out amazing, even if there are tracks that you don't care about, it's fun to watch the stuff going on the stage, the crowd lights colors,etc.. always something to keep your attention.

Can't compare tracks to their studio versions as I'm not that familiar but some sounded different, maybe due to the live settings, the instruments get more involved. I'm pretty sure I saw the guitarist or one of them at least, playing with an Eddie Van Halen striped guitar. Players were pretty good too.

Dancers were something else too, you have a cut guy with rock solid abs next to her and the flip side is an overweight big guy who could dance like no other. Very interesting mix of people. So yeah it was definitely entertaining.

 

The live band is definitely a great thing, as it is nice to hear some of the songs that got the pop treatment in the studio performed with a live band playing real instruments.

[Zook]

The chorus to that "Police song" randomly popped in my head just now. It's Your Love by The Outfield.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

i've been a Taylor Swift fan for a long time (first show was the Fearless tour back in the day), but the events of the last year have made me have to consider heavily backtracking my fandom and the way I approach listening to her music. I am almost embarassed to admit that I like her as much as I do because, frankly, the hype and the sensationalism around TS has absolutely gone over the top and has long reached the point of absolute over-saturation, not to mention some additional issues

* Really bothers me that every time she releases something, she releases 5+ vinyl variants, each with a unique bonus song on it. I know this isn't new, bands have been doing this forever, but no band does 5+ variants/bonus tracks on EVERY SINGLE RELEASE, even re-releases. That is just such a shameless money grab, each time
* (This one isn't TS' fault, but she encourages it) Really bothers me that the absolute oversaturation and obsession with her in the media means that you can't even go out to your local corner store without having to hear about her, what she's doing, who's she's dating, etc
* Really bothered me to see, at my show on the Eras tour (first night of the Denver run) to see so many Swifties behaving in a rather repulsive manner (being incredible rude to event staff, especially merchandising and concessions, but also ushers in each section who are just trying to get fans into the right seats)
* Really bothered me to see so many Swifties at my show giving cops and other uniformed people friendship bracelets

So yeah, while I never considered myself a Swiftie (see: fanatic fan) like I am with lots of other bands that we love to talk about here, I have definitely re-evaluated my relationship with her music and decided that I need to stay the hell away, as her posturing on so many of these things I just can't stand by. It was nice growing up with her and getting to see her live several times, but it's just become too much, so count me out 

[XeRocks81]

um, sure I guess ?

[Skeever]

i've been a Taylor Swift fan for a long time (first show was the Fearless tour back in the day), but the events of the last year have made me have to consider heavily backtracking my fandom and the way I approach listening to her music. I am almost embarassed to admit that I like her as much as I do because, frankly, the hype and the sensationalism around TS has absolutely gone over the top and has long reached the point of absolute over-saturation, not to mention some additional issues

* Really bothers me that every time she releases something, she releases 5+ vinyl variants, each with a unique bonus song on it. I know this isn't new, bands have been doing this forever, but no band does 5+ variants/bonus tracks on EVERY SINGLE RELEASE, even re-releases. That is just such a shameless money grab, each time
* (This one isn't TS' fault, but she encourages it) Really bothers me that the absolute oversaturation and obsession with her in the media means that you can't even go out to your local corner store without having to hear about her, what she's doing, who's she's dating, etc
* Really bothered me to see, at my show on the Eras tour (first night of the Denver run) to see so many Swifties behaving in a rather repulsive manner (being incredible rude to event staff, especially merchandising and concessions, but also ushers in each section who are just trying to get fans into the right seats)
* Really bothered me to see so many Swifties at my show giving cops and other uniformed people friendship bracelets

So yeah, while I never considered myself a Swiftie (see: fanatic fan) like I am with lots of other bands that we love to talk about here, I have definitely re-evaluated my relationship with her music and decided that I need to stay the hell away, as her posturing on so many of these things I just can't stand by. It was nice growing up with her and getting to see her live several times, but it's just become too much, so count me out 

Shake it out, my friend.
Welcome to the dark side muwahahaha 

[KevShmev]

I can't imagine depriving myself of music because some fans are annoying and because of the media, but we all have our own paths to follow. 

I do agree the bonus song deal on different releases is annoying, but it feels like many do that silliness. I remember when CD releases in Japan would get a bonus song we here in the States did not.

This, however, might be the biggest WTF I have ever seen:

* Really bothered me to see so many Swifties at my show giving cops and other uniformed people friendship bracelets
 

Ultimately..

[Zook]

So there's a different bonus track on each of 1989 TV? I looked at the back of a few at Target and they looked the same. I just turned to my wife and said "now she's just being greedy". The clock thing was a neat concept and way to sell more copies, but the only difference I could see with these variants is spine color and cover.

I say this as someone who owns I think every version of Night of the Stormrider, but at least the booklets are different because they were from different countries.

[KevShmev]

So there's a different bonus track on each of 1989 TV? I looked at the back of a few at Target and they looked the same. I just turned to my wife and said "now she's just being greedy". The clock thing was a neat concept and way to sell more copies, but the only difference I could see with these variants is spine color and cover.

I say this as someone who owns I think every version of Night of the Stormrider, but at least the booklets are different because they were from different countries.

No, there is one bonus track (I cannot think of the name, as it's a song I am not familiar with) that is on the Targent vinyl only for now.  She did the same thing with Midnights, where Hits Different was only available if you bought the Target vinyl.  Hits Different eventually was available for streaming, and I am sure that will be the case with this 1989 TV bonus track as well.

The way I see it, the only people this hurts are the impatient fans.   I listened to Hits Different from a rip from YT where someone had uploaded it until it was available officially and I could buy it on iTunes to get it in HQ.

[Stadler]

Re: the bonus songs, I had this conversation with my daughter.  She unfortunately has inherited my completist genes (there are a couple bands where I have every SONG ever officially released by them - DT one, Kiss another - and there are ways of doing it.   Mike made it easy - love him! - with the fan club releases and what not.  Others - Maiden - make it hard with the vinyl-only releases and what not.  You DO have to be patient. It almost always finds it's way out there officially in some form or fashion. 

I was watching the end of the Chiefs - Broncos game, and they actually put up a graphic:  Travis Kelce's yardages when TS was present vs. when she wasn't in attendance.   Let's hope she starts an Australian tour soon!  Like next week!! 

[KevShmev]

Haha, Argentina is next week and then Brazil after that, so being on the other side of the equator at least will have to work for the rest of 2023.

[XeRocks81]

if the chiefs make it to the superbowl she actually will be off touring Japan, australia etc. by then

[PMSummer]

I was watching the end of the Chiefs - Broncos game, and they actually put up a graphic:  Travis Kelce's yardages when TS was present vs. when she wasn't in attendance. 

And stuff like this is why I kinda understand hoveringsojourns point above. I like her music but can't turn my head without hearing about her. She's on the news, I hear her in stores, on the cover of magazines, my son even sent me an article of something like 'what videogame best represents each Taylor swift album', the record store is like 20% TS and now she's everywhere in the cinema too. Too much!

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

This, however, might be the biggest WTF I have ever seen:

* Really bothered me to see so many Swifties at my show giving cops and other uniformed people friendship bracelets
 

unsure how it could be the biggest WTF ever, there are hundreds, thousands probably even, documented cases of cops committing atrocities on their citizens from all over the world. America least of all is safe from the pandemic of cop violence. Just try to put yourself in the shoes of someone who's life was traumatized by cops and then imagine the pain of seeing people showering them with gifts while they.... do their job? these same swifties in Denver had no problem shouting obscenities at merch cashiers but then would turn around and give cops friendship bracelets.

bad vibes, just totally rancid vibes, actually.

edit: and before anyone asks, yes, i was traumatized by cops in Denver in 2020 when they marched through capital hill spewing tear gas directly into peoples homes (mine included) during the George Floyd protests. Also about a year later a group of rogue cops in Denver just arbitrarily fired into crowded night life streets and killed innocent people who were just trying to have a night out. I don't think that behavior warrants a friendship bracelet. so yeah, i don't like cops and i have good reason

[XeRocks81]

I guess there is a kind of peak happening right now in pop culture due to the success of The Eras tour but that stuff usually ebbs and flows, it’s not gonna last forever. 

[KevShmev]

Yep, overexposure is happening for sure, but it's not her fault that the media comments on everything she does and just her mere presence anywhere in public is a big story. Blame the media and the papparazi.

As for the police point above, I am not a fan of stereotyping an entire group based on the bad actions of some (and in fact, I had hoped most of us had gotten past that by now).  I will leave it at that (as I do not want this thread to become a fiasco with off topic chatter).

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Not safe from Taylor anywhere, now we're not safe from P&R anywhere either!

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

i'm happy to drop it too (and exit this thread entirely, lol, BTW how do you make threads you've previously posted in stop showing up in the "Show new replies to your posts." link? that's primarily how i have used this site) but i would just like to say i have done no stereotyping because that would imply the things i said only partially applied to the group of people i made the claim about. in my experience i have never encountered a person of that group who didn't act that way, so not sure how it could be a stereotype - it's just plain experience

[XeRocks81]

another thing is those eras shows are so huge,  anytime a large number of people like that gather in one place there’s always going to be a significant portion of inconsiderate a-holes in there, ain’t no way around that. 

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

another thing is those eras shows are so huge,  anytime a large number of people like that gather in one place there’s always going to be a significant portion of inconsiderate a-holes in there, ain’t no way around that. 

i go to probably about 50-100 concerts a year, and while yeah, her show was definitely one of it not the largest i've been to in forever, the proportion of obnoxious, entitled fans was out of control. i understand that everyone spent a lot of time and money to be there but nobody owes you anything. i saw cursing, physical confrontations, spitting, etc. just an absolute madhouse and parade of inexcusable behavior

[KevShmev]

Looks like Is It Over Now? will be the first single from 1989. I would have chosen Say Don't Go, which is insanely catchy, but Taylor loves to go with the non-obvious choices sometimes.

Speaking of which, Cruel Summer, from 2019, just hit number 1 on the pop charts last week.  That has happened before, a song slaying on the charts years after its initial release, but it's not the norm.

[Stadler]

This, however, might be the biggest WTF I have ever seen:

* Really bothered me to see so many Swifties at my show giving cops and other uniformed people friendship bracelets
 

unsure how it could be the biggest WTF ever, there are hundreds, thousands probably even, documented cases of cops committing atrocities on their citizens from all over the world. America least of all is safe from the pandemic of cop violence. Just try to put yourself in the shoes of someone who's life was traumatized by cops and then imagine the pain of seeing people showering them with gifts while they.... do their job? these same swifties in Denver had no problem shouting obscenities at merch cashiers but then would turn around and give cops friendship bracelets.

bad vibes, just totally rancid vibes, actually.

edit: and before anyone asks, yes, i was traumatized by cops in Denver in 2020 when they marched through capital hill spewing tear gas directly into peoples homes (mine included) during the George Floyd protests. Also about a year later a group of rogue cops in Denver just arbitrarily fired into crowded night life streets and killed innocent people who were just trying to have a night out. I don't think that behavior warrants a friendship bracelet. so yeah, i don't like cops and i have good reason

Look, not arguing with you; your experience is yours and nothing I can or will say about that.  But there are other experiences out there.   For example, my brother is a cop, and has been on the job for the better part of 25 years.  Highly decorated, and has nothing to do with the 1 or 2% that we now read about in the press because it's newsworthy.  I don't do it now - my house is not visible from the street - but historically I have burned a blue candle (the electric kind, with the bulb) in my attic window.  There are times I worry about him coming home to his boys.  He probably wouldn't take it - he's now at the stage where he makes sure his address isn't readily available, that kind of thing - but if someone in good faith offered him a friendship bracelet, it gives me some comfort that there are people out there that aren't stereotyping, that aren't lumping every cop into the bucket occupied by a handful of psychopaths with Napoleonic complexes.

So yeah, if not all Muslims are terrorists, and not all... you get the picture, then certainly we can be open to the fact that not all police officers are of the ilk of Derek Chauvin.

With all that said, I am sorry for your experiences.

[Metro]

I like that Blank Space song. That’s a good one. Why’s the Space so Blank?

[KevShmev]

This, however, might be the biggest WTF I have ever seen:

* Really bothered me to see so many Swifties at my show giving cops and other uniformed people friendship bracelets
 

unsure how it could be the biggest WTF ever, there are hundreds, thousands probably even, documented cases of cops committing atrocities on their citizens from all over the world. America least of all is safe from the pandemic of cop violence. Just try to put yourself in the shoes of someone who's life was traumatized by cops and then imagine the pain of seeing people showering them with gifts while they.... do their job? these same swifties in Denver had no problem shouting obscenities at merch cashiers but then would turn around and give cops friendship bracelets.

bad vibes, just totally rancid vibes, actually.

edit: and before anyone asks, yes, i was traumatized by cops in Denver in 2020 when they marched through capital hill spewing tear gas directly into peoples homes (mine included) during the George Floyd protests. Also about a year later a group of rogue cops in Denver just arbitrarily fired into crowded night life streets and killed innocent people who were just trying to have a night out. I don't think that behavior warrants a friendship bracelet. so yeah, i don't like cops and i have good reason

Look, not arguing with you; your experience is yours and nothing I can or will say about that.  But there are other experiences out there.   For example, my brother is a cop, and has been on the job for the better part of 25 years.  Highly decorated, and has nothing to do with the 1 or 2% that we now read about in the press because it's newsworthy.  I don't do it now - my house is not visible from the street - but historically I have burned a blue candle (the electric kind, with the bulb) in my attic window.  There are times I worry about him coming home to his boys.  He probably wouldn't take it - he's now at the stage where he makes sure his address isn't readily available, that kind of thing - but if someone in good faith offered him a friendship bracelet, it gives me some comfort that there are people out there that aren't stereotyping, that aren't lumping every cop into the bucket occupied by a handful of psychopaths with Napoleonic complexes.

So yeah, if not all Muslims are terrorists, and not all... you get the picture, then certainly we can be open to the fact that not all police officers are of the ilk of Derek Chauvin.

With all that said, I am sorry for your experiences.

Well said, Bill. 

I like that Blank Space song. That’s a good one. Why’s the Space so Blank?

That's the fun of satire. 

[Dr. SeaWolf]

I've been away from these forums a while (like, a *really* long while) and have become something of a TS fan in the interim, and I have to say it's surprising but refreshing to see Taylor Swift appreciation on a DT forum; though I don't recall much antipathy toward pop music in general back in the dark ages when I posted regularly.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Oh there definitely was a couple decades ago.  Fortunately, it's gradually diminished over the years. 

[KevShmev]

Three shows have been added to the Eras tour, in Vancouver in early December 2024.  I suspect some from Canada will still complain. 

[XeRocks81]

I live on the opposite side of the damn country but I still signed up to the pre-sale, lol