YTSEJAM Digest 6990 Today's Topics: 1) Live at Budokan by xcitor 2) Ultra-Live by "Paul W. Cashman" 3) RE: Fates Warning X by "Souter, Jan-Michael" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 5 Oct 2004 14:31:46 -0400 From: xcitor To: ytsejam@torchsong.com Subject: Live at Budokan Message-ID: picked up the DVD at lunch today. i'm viewing/listening on my pee cee now. so far so good. can't wait to get home and take in the bonus material. -- email_address_removed SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 Oct 2004 02:57:22 -0400 From: "Paul W. Cashman" To: ytsejam@torchsong.com Subject: Ultra-Live Message-ID: ytsejam@torchsong.com wrote: > Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2004 07:44:51 -0500 > From: "Souter, Jan-Michael" > Subject: Superior - "Ultra-Live" open for pre-order > > Speaking of MUST Buy's, I can't wait for this one Bernd !! Thanks for the > update. No kidding! I wasn't sure whether it was out yet or not. Definitely a must-get. -- +--- Paul W. Cashman, ICQ #4151223 www.paulcashman.com ----+ | NEW email: email_address_removed | | "true" website address: http://66.193.230.227/~paulcas/ | +---------------------------------------------------------------+ ---YTSEJAM-FILTER: This message was posted using the YML command ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 07:36:48 -0500 From: "Souter, Jan-Michael" Subject: RE: Fates Warning X Message-ID: Yep. Early listens to this CD were discussed all over the net at how disappointing this new Fates CD was. I'm sure we'll see more of our friends on the list posting similar reactions. -----Original Message----- From: Ambassador Nelaskon [mailto:email_address_removed Well, I can't say I've been this excited about a new CD release since "Scenes From a Memory" way back in '99. From "Perfect Symmetry" on, Fates has been one of the best bands around ... and they've been pretty consistent as well. WELL ... we've seen the progmetal scene struggle for a clear direction over the last couple years, only to find *real* momentum behind bands like Nightwish (surprisingly enough for me). But Fates Warning ... these guys haven't had a bad album in like forever, OSI was really good, and the first song we heard from Fates Warning X was fucking badass. I'm referring to Simple Human here. This was way better than any "As I Am" and seemed like a great development of some of the things they did in Disconnected... You know what I mean? Fates has a certain "real" quality to them that many other bands don't seem to get the same. So of course this would be one band at least that wouldn't let me down, right? Of course there would be some emotional moments, some progressive stretches, and of course some kickass stuff besided Simple Human, right? Just like they've always done? Nope. After getting all excited about it, and racing out to get what was sure to be a contender for CD of the year 2004, I put it on and wondered what the fuck happened. The first track is kinda dull in a sence because it's a bit disjointed and nothing rerally "catches". There are a couple places where you can feel it should start rocking out, but it just doesn't do it. Well, that's OK for an introductory song. But it's not just that one. Second is Simple Human. Of course, it's better on CD than that crappy MP3. But from there... Have you guys heard songs from bands like, say, Creed maybe, where everything sounds OK, but you just find yourself not caring about what they're doing? Well, on this CD, all the SOUNDS are good, but the songs themselves... Well, the programming and keys are great, and the bass actually sounds strong and clear without being muddy. Great production all around, but when you find yourself focusing more on lisening for the next electronic sound and other than that waiting for the next song because "the next one HAS to be better, this is Fates Warning", there's a problem. Pretty much every song on here doesn't catch me in a rocking-out way, or in an emotional way either. Ray Alder's usually awesome singing is just "eh..." this time. It's like we get a bunch of mid-paced tracks that are trying to sound strong and forceful, but just have no drive to them at all, like they're just plodding along. I do like the last track, and there's a cool spacey instrumental "bit" in there, but besides that... Where is the energy in Ray's singing that usually cuts around and then pulls me into the sound? Where are the emotional touches that connect me to what the band is trying to convey? Where are the sections of songs that actually develop and DO something? You know, there's one song that just starts to sound like it's getting really good, but then it just ends there. ARGH!!! It's sad, because all I hear is a band with a couple great ideas ... that has just gotten old and forgotten why they're even making music. And especially after being so impressed with "Simple Human", this is just really disappointing. Of course, parts of it will grow on me by future listens, but right now I don't even find myself wanting to bother wasting my time. Like I just want to hear 2 tracks and a spacey shit, and ignore the rest of the album. BTW, the last track that I also like "Wish" is also slow, but they do something with the instrumental atmospheres and guitar melodies. On the rest of the album, I just found myself going "Hey, that SOUND is cool! Maybe on the NEXT track they'll have a song with some energy or powerful quality to it that'll make better use of it..." but it never happened. I played it again for my mom and brother, who are also Fates fans, and they had similar reactions. From my mom, it was like "Well, it's OK, but nothing like the 'wow, this is awesome' stuff we're used to them doing" ... and then my brother just decided he had to hear a different Fates after that to kind of compensate for what he didn't get from FWX. Bottom line? Every Fates CD from Perfect Symmetry onward is better than this. OSI is better ... and I'm thinking of the letdown DT albums ... nope, they're still better. Needless to say, I am really upset right now. Fates Warning of all bands, too. :( Peace, Cyaron ------------------------------ End of YTSEJAM Digest 6990 ************************** === Contributions to ytsejam: ytsejam@torchsong.com === === Send requests to: ytsejam-request@torchsong.com === === More information at: http://www.dreamt.org/local/ytsejam.php === === Brought by the ghost of ytsejam@arastar.coms past === === Reach the owner of this list at: ytsejam-owner@torchsong.com ===