kylen4
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Post by kylen4 on Aug 14, 2015 23:32:20 GMT -5
I think "Heaven Help Me" could honestly make a great single. Gives me really a really nice vibe when I listen to it. I love the 70's vibe and musical composition choices of that song. I thought I wouldn't like it as much since it's not more acoustic but I love it.
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idolman88
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Post by idolman88 on Aug 15, 2015 2:35:27 GMT -5
Decided to give the VPN a try when I got home tonight, and got it to work. After listening to the whole album I'm truly amazed at how pop this album is! Some of Rob's previous songs such as lonely no more were pop, but they at least had some rock elements in them. On this album, it's a struggle to even find a guitar. People who don't like pop Rob are going to hate this album lol.
The only thing I don't like are all of the vocal effects that are used on his voice in spots throughout this album. I find it a little distracting, at least on first listen. I also don't care for that sample, I actually find it obnoxious.
I'm wondering if the mystery female singer on Paper Dolls is Mari? I know she has sang backgrounds on his songs before.
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Rumors
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Post by Rumors on Aug 15, 2015 8:49:41 GMT -5
Let me ask you guys something. Does the album give you a certain feel or vibe? Do the songs feel connected? I'm not sure how to word my question but one thing I've always thought about Rob's solo albums and Matchbox Twenty's albums is that sometimes they may lack a theme and are disjointed. I have always heard Rob say that he just picks the best songs he has at that time and puts them on an album. I sometimes find myself questioning that strategy. To me some of the albums have been a little bit too over the place. Take North, putting a song like Put Your Hands Up on the same album with let's say English Town is just too much of a stylistic change to make for a great album. So the comment above that this record is all very much a pop record with vocal enhancements and all I find encouraging. I think POP is probably the overall theme that's going to pull it all together. He didn't throw in two rockier songs to appease those fans that like rock music. My comment to those fans is don't try to make yourself like this album. Just skip it. I'm sure it will be one-of-a kind in Rob's repertoire. For fans that do like Pop or are on board with Rob's take on pop I'm sure are going to love it. :)
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Rumors
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Post by Rumors on Aug 15, 2015 8:55:59 GMT -5
Rob may be doing some guest DJ thing that I missed but maybe he talked about the album, too. Anyway, it may be that one of the songs on the album Rob co-wrote with his guitarist, Frank Romano. That's great for Frank! (I think's it Lie To Me?) Edit - Rob is guest DJ on iheart radio. Really cool. Just heard The Great Unknown. Oh my....that production with the bangs or whatever it was. It's a shock to the system! Just goes to show you all the possibilities a song can go to from the time a writer puts the song down on piano/guitar and the time it gets to the album. Yeah, this is a going to be an absolute favorite but it was not what I was expecting. I think that's a GREAT thing. Rob's getting outside his comfort zone. Got to respect him for that. www.iheart.com/live/rob-thomas-guest-dj-6957/
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Rumors
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Post by Rumors on Aug 15, 2015 10:48:03 GMT -5
Continuing with my review as the new songs come up in the playlist (based on one listen only)...
Absence of Affection - about a minute into this one and I'm thinking this is the first miss on the album for me....then it starts to click in and I'm thinking okay this is getting a lot better. By the end I'm digging it. I need to hear this one again. If you aren't listening along this is a Wallpaper song. The way I took it Babyface sent Rob the song and Rob laid down the lyrics on it.
Heaven Help Me - Agree with the compliments on this one. I'll be honest...this song didn't do much for me acoustically. Maybe I listened to one or two live performances before I'm thinking that I hope this one doesn't make the final cut on the album. HOWEVER, I LOVE what they did with the production on this one. It ENHANCES the songwriting rather than take away from it (which the production is borderline of doing on The Great Unknown).
Can't wait to hear the next new one!!!
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idolman88
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Post by idolman88 on Aug 15, 2015 10:51:14 GMT -5
Let me ask you guys something. Does the album give you a certain feel or vibe? Do the songs feel connected? I'm not sure how to word my question but one thing I've always thought about Rob's solo albums and Matchbox Twenty's albums is that sometimes they may lack a theme and are disjointed. I have always heard Rob say that he just picks the best songs he has at that time and puts them on an album. I sometimes find myself questioning that strategy. To me some of the albums have been a little bit too over the place. Take North, putting a song like Put Your Hands Up on the same album with let's say English Town is just too much of a stylistic change to make for a great album. So the comment above that this record is all very much a pop record with vocal enhancements and all I find encouraging. I think POP is probably the overall theme that's going to pull it all together. He didn't throw in two rockier songs to appease those fans that like rock music. My comment to those fans is don't try to make yourself like this album. Just skip it. I'm sure it will be one-of-a kind in Rob's repertoire. For fans that do like Pop or are on board with Rob's take on pop I'm sure are going to love it. :) Yeah I definitely agree that some of his/Matchbox's albums are a bit all over the place stylistically, North being the best example. I thought Cradlesong was very cohesive though. And this album is definitely cohesive too. The songs do feel connected. After listening a few more times, my top 6 favorite songs are: 1. The Great Unknown 2. ITWFGT 3. Paper Dolls 4. Absence of Affection 5. Heaven Help Me 6. Pieces
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Rumors
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Post by Rumors on Aug 15, 2015 10:57:56 GMT -5
Paper Dolls - I'm floored. This is NOT what anyone would expect from Rob. This is very much in the mold of the piano pop/duets in the past few years. The vocals are wonderful on this and there's a dark tone that I love. The female is a new artist that Matt (producer) brought in. Her name is Rudy. I would be very surprised if she isn't one of Matt's artists. Rob said she was brought in as a place holder at first but they loved her voice on it so they kept it as it is. Just WOW on this one.
Now playing is Street Corner Symphony. Like two different artists. (One of my favorite Rob songs BTW.)
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Kyle
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Post by Kyle on Aug 15, 2015 11:05:49 GMT -5
Let me ask you guys something. Does the album give you a certain feel or vibe? Do the songs feel connected? I'm not sure how to word my question but one thing I've always thought about Rob's solo albums and Matchbox Twenty's albums is that sometimes they may lack a theme and are disjointed. I have always heard Rob say that he just picks the best songs he has at that time and puts them on an album. I sometimes find myself questioning that strategy. To me some of the albums have been a little bit too over the place. Take North, putting a song like Put Your Hands Up on the same album with let's say English Town is just too much of a stylistic change to make for a great album. So the comment above that this record is all very much a pop record with vocal enhancements and all I find encouraging. I think POP is probably the overall theme that's going to pull it all together. He didn't throw in two rockier songs to appease those fans that like rock music. My comment to those fans is don't try to make yourself like this album. Just skip it. I'm sure it will be one-of-a kind in Rob's repertoire. For fans that do like Pop or are on board with Rob's take on pop I'm sure are going to love it. :) Yeah I definitely agree that some of his/Matchbox's albums are a bit all over the place stylistically, North being the best example. I thought Cradlesong was very cohesive though. And this album is definitely cohesive too. The songs do feel connected. After listening a few more times, my top 6 favorite songs are: 1. The Great Unknown 2. ITWFGT 3. Paper Dolls 4. Absence of Affection 5. Heaven Help Me 6. Pieces I agree with this, same favorites as me but for me I'd swap "Paper Dolls" with "Wind It Up." If "All The Best Things" gets released I think that'll be one of my favorites, I love the snippet that he played on periscope. Also Rumors, where did you hear that Ruby thing?
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Rumors
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Post by Rumors on Aug 15, 2015 11:08:13 GMT -5
I can't get the quote feature to come up right when I don't want the whole quote. But from idolman88 above: After listening a few more times, my top 6 favorite songs are:
1. The Great Unknown 2. ITWFGT 3. Paper Dolls 4. Absence of Affection 5. Heaven Help Me 6. Pieces [/quote]
It's funny how favorites change. I was SOLD on ITWFGT but I think it may end up in the middle of my list. We'll see. I will say that One Shot so far would be at the bottom of my list. That song is darn catchy but it's just too much like American Authors. Just not enough Rob in that one.
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Kyle
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Post by Kyle on Aug 15, 2015 11:15:57 GMT -5
I've actually been skipping One Shot recently, I loved it at first but I grew tired of it really fast. It's somewhere at the bottom for me. I would actually rank it like this for me (the entire album):
Pieces Great Unknown Heaven Help Me Absence of Affection ITWFGT Lie to Me Wind It Up NLYTM Hold On Forever Paper Dolls Things You Said Trust You One Shot
I think I'd like Things You Said more if it wasn't for that weird sample in the middle. I don't understand why ITWFGT doesn't get the abbreviation but NLYTM does
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Rumors
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Post by Rumors on Aug 15, 2015 11:27:26 GMT -5
ITWFGT - Rob got the music from Circuit and C&G (I may have that wrong). I assume Rob wrote the lyrics. Was originally going to give it to Cee Lo but he liked it so much that he kept it. He has had this song for while...maybe before they wrote for North? I may not have heard all this correctly as I was loading up my dryer (Saturday morning chores!)
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kylen4
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Post by kylen4 on Aug 15, 2015 11:32:45 GMT -5
More thoughts on the album. I'm really enjoying and I'm very impressed with the production too.
Someone asked if its cohesive and it is. Stylistically Rob went with a certain direction and aside from a song or two, he did it very well.
Favorites right now are:
1) the great unknown 2) pieces 3) hold on forever 4) ITWFGT 5) heaven help me 6) wind it up 7) absence of affection
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Rumors
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Post by Rumors on Aug 15, 2015 12:14:13 GMT -5
Lie To Me - I like it. Again, it's keeping pace with that vibe that's really different for Rob but is all over this album that I'm loving. Maybe the production is much more cohesive from Matt this time around. I'm really curious to see the songs he produced.
Listening to This Is How A Heart Breaks - another one of my Rob favorites and while I was listening to this one something struck me....new songs don't have the female singing at the end like this song and Her Diamonds. I remember someone saying Her Diamonds would be a really great song if not for the ending. Rob said the song came out just like he wanted it to. LOL! I think I lean more to the side that I would prefer not having those vocals there. So far I haven't heard them on the new album with three more songs to hear (Pieces, Wind It Up, and Things).
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Rumors
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Post by Rumors on Aug 15, 2015 12:18:27 GMT -5
Things You Said - LOVE IT ALL! Enough said....way up on my list!
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Rumors
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Post by Rumors on Aug 15, 2015 12:59:27 GMT -5
PIECES, PIECES, PIECES - Best Rob vocal EVER. That song seals the deal for me. This is the best Rob/MB20 album since YOSLY.
I hope this thing I'm listening to is a loop because I may have to go through it one more time. :| I have no idea how I would rate the album right now but I guess the standouts will be Pieces, The Great Unknown, and Paper Doll.
Oh yeah, that arrangement in the middle of pieces is gorgeous. That's from Matt I'm sure and that's the type of thing he excels at.
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idolman88
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Post by idolman88 on Aug 15, 2015 13:51:43 GMT -5
PIECES, PIECES, PIECES - Best Rob vocal EVER. That song seals the deal for me. This is the best Rob/MB20 album since YOSLY. I hope this thing I'm listening to is a loop because I may have to go through it one more time. :| I have no idea how I would rate the album right now but I guess the standouts will be Pieces, The Great Unknown, and Paper Doll. Oh yeah, that arrangement in the middle of pieces is gorgeous. That's from Matt I'm sure and that's the type of thing he excels at. I remember Rob saying Matt produced everything on the album except Trust You.
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Rumors
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Post by Rumors on Aug 15, 2015 14:20:31 GMT -5
So you are thinking Matt produced the song(s) that Wallpaper (Ricky Reed) was involved in as well. Cool!
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Rumors
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Post by Rumors on Aug 15, 2015 17:18:45 GMT -5
First, let me just say that I've had fun today listening to Rob on iHeart radio. What a fun and unexpected way to spend the day and hear the album. As I've done things around the house today I've listened to all the songs twice. I definitely have two songs as the standouts, then a group that I'm sure I'll have on repeat a lot, and then I have a group of songs that aren't necessarily fillers but aren't as strong and don't personally appeal to me as much. Overall, I do think this is some of Rob's strongest writing but it's hidden in with all the heavy production (which I am loving by the way). I say this because I think the writing will be very easy to overlook underneath all the production. I hope fans give it more than one listen.
Standouts -
1 Pieces - (I'm shocked I'm rating the big ballad as the best track but there's no way to get around this one. Awesome singing and songwriting/song structure.) You know John Legend just had a huge hit with a ballad. I *hope* Atlantic puts this one on the radio and let's see what happens. It could just take off - it's just such a great song.
2 The Great Unknown - Of the early acoustic songs, this was the only one that I really, really liked. I loved the lyrics. So going into hearing the album version I knew I loved the lyrics; the production threw me. It wasn't what I was expecting. It was really harsh and heavy leading up to the part where he says "now you just want to get out alive." Since this is about Marisol (he said it is about her strength), this line really has an impact and I can understand the production here better now. It's not necessarily a pretty song nor meant to be one. I love it.
Then the next group -
3 Heaven Help Me 4 Absence of Affection 5 Things You Said 6 Paper Dolls 7 ITWBGT
Last group -
8 Hold On Forever (maybe just too sweet for my taste - it is however a very well written song) 9 Trust You 10 Wind It Up 11 NLYTM 12 Lie To Me 13 One Shot
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Rumors
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Post by Rumors on Aug 15, 2015 17:55:23 GMT -5
Off-topic but as I was listening to Rob's turn as a DJ, I wrote down the songs he played. He obviously loves a lot of different musical styles just like a lot of people do. We haven't really heard his turn with alt-country yet but I think it's coming (either from him or MB20). I would be shocked it that's not the next project.
Here we go -
Van Morrison - Into The Mystic (in his top 5 songs ever) The Plain White Ts - The Giving Tree (hats off to current tour mates) Jim Carroll Band - Those Are The People Who Died (song he listened to a lot when he was young and thinks people should know this band more than they do) Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (one of Rob's favorite songwriters along with Bernie Turpin) Willie Nelson & Waylon Jennings - Luckenbach TX My Morning Jacket - Victory Dance (one of Rob's favorite bands) Bruce Springsteen - Devils and Dust Tom Petty - Square One The Break and Repair Method - You Won't Be Able To Be Sad (song by Paul the guitar player in MB20 - I like this one from Paul) Mumford & Sons - Thompkins Square Park Wilco - She's A Jar (Rob doesn't know if he could like someone who doesn't like Wilco LOL) Billy Joel - Only The Good Die Young (another one of Rob's top writers) The Jayhawks - Over My Shoulder U2 - All I Want Is You The Replacements - Within Your Reach The Smiths - Sheila Take A Bow (one of his band's during his youth - first song that came to mind of theirs) Big Star - Thirteen George Michael - Spin The Wheel Willie Nelson - Angels Flying Too Close To The Ground
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SHOOTER
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Post by SHOOTER on Aug 16, 2015 10:11:43 GMT -5
Still no word on what the extra songs are but (at least) the album's being advertised in the Target circular for $10.99.
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Rumors
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Post by Rumors on Aug 16, 2015 10:32:51 GMT -5
I may have to adjust my rankings above. Absence of Affection is inching up into that Standout area. You can play the what if game forever but this would have made a much better choice for first single if they were trying to convey that this album would be a different style for Rob. Love the groove to this song and there's some sexiness in the vocals which I'll admit are missing in Trust You. I still like Trust You though. It's definitely at the top of my third tier of songs.
I would like to know what the bonus tracks are, too.
And is he making any TV appearances other than the Today Show on 8/24? I don't know what happened to the PR guy from the spring that said Rob would be all over the place. I certainly haven't seen anything but Rob trying his best to stir interest for the album on his Facebook and Twitter pages. Rob's fan base is older and doesn't hang onto every word that an artist makes on the internet. I hope Atlantic has some other marketing tools apart from the internet.
Rob Tweet Female vocal on PAPER DOLLS is a new artist @iamrooty from @emblemmusic
Rooty - I got that guess right. She's on Matt's label (Emlemmusic) She's an Irish singer/songwriter. Has worked with Avecii and has two co-writes on a One Direction album so I guess she's doing okay. Who knew. I did like her voice a lot with Rob's.
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Rumors
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Post by Rumors on Aug 16, 2015 20:41:34 GMT -5
Pieces - Seems to be the early winner with fans on Rob's twitter feed. Ballads are tricky. I think this song has all kinds of potential. Let's see if Atlantic thinks so to and does something with it. Atlantic has done a great job with Ed Sheeran's X. They saved the big ballad as the third release and it paid off in spades (of course singles 1 and 2 did much better than Trust You has done) but they *may* have a similar plan for Rob. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I also think that Absence of Affection must be a single, too.
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Kyle
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Post by Kyle on Aug 17, 2015 0:25:51 GMT -5
I feel like there are a lot of contenders for possible singles for this album if they really want to push this album. Absence of Affection and Heaven Help Me, even *maybe* Wind It Up.
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No Brake$
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Post by No Brake$ on Aug 18, 2015 12:46:27 GMT -5
I thought "Hold On Forever" was the next single for sure?
I look forward to listening to the album soon, I've been seeing some pretty decent reviews, and everyone seems to be on board that there are some great songs on here. I'm somewhat excited.
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Kyle
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Post by Kyle on Aug 18, 2015 15:37:07 GMT -5
I thought "Hold On Forever" was the next single for sure? I look forward to listening to the album soon, I've been seeing some pretty decent reviews, and everyone seems to be on board that there are some great songs on here. I'm somewhat excited. Oh it is, Rob announced it at one of his recent shows.
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Rumors
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Post by Rumors on Aug 19, 2015 17:08:35 GMT -5
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idolman88
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Post by idolman88 on Aug 19, 2015 21:24:00 GMT -5
Yeah that's interesting stuff. I guess it makes sense that Rob will soon need to say goodbye to the pop music world. I'm actually really happy that he decided to go all-in on pop for "The Great Unknown" before he moves a different direction. I'm looking forward to sitting down and listening to all 15 tracks (including the two Target mystery tracks) soon.
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Rumors
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Post by Rumors on Aug 20, 2015 5:32:04 GMT -5
I agree, Idolman. I'm glad this album is very much on the pop side of things. There are 4-5 songs that I absolutely love. I like seeing the funkier side of Rob. I think the only mis-step really has been the choice of the first single. I think that turned some longterm fans off to this project which will be a shame because I think Pieces may be one of the best songs Rob has written. Here's another good short article. I like reading where Rob sees himself in the pop landscape. radio.com/2015/08/20/rob-thomas-the-great-unknown/#.VdVg6yFJ5dh.twitter
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Rumors
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Post by Rumors on Aug 20, 2015 5:44:31 GMT -5
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Kyle
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Post by Kyle on Aug 20, 2015 7:26:26 GMT -5
Does anyone think they could post the two Target tracks? I just moved into college and there isn't a target remotely close and I can't order it online because they don't deliver to P.O. boxes :/
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