bboat11
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Post by bboat11 on Oct 4, 2019 1:45:27 GMT -5
Umm, I just made a video analyzing Sara's vocal range on this album, in case anybody is interested in diving deeper into fascinating but rarely-discussed musical theory while they listen to this perfect album :)
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Troublemaker
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Post by Troublemaker on Oct 4, 2019 2:46:01 GMT -5
It was a perfect follow up to Stronger but of course it had to be done dirty. They could have easily gone 4 singles deep.
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bboat11
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Post by bboat11 on Oct 4, 2019 18:37:02 GMT -5
It was a perfect follow up to Stronger but of course it had to be done dirty. They could have easily gone 4 singles deep. I heard Sara say on Terri Clark's podcast recently that 2014 was the hardest year of her life. Apparently she really busted her ass promoting "Slow Me Down"! She did well over 40 free shows in addition to her regular touring schedule, essentially catering to radio stations like she was a brand new artist, promoting herself harder than she had ever promoted herself in her life, only to have them shut the door in her face and let her song die just barely inside the top 20... It's no wonder the album era died and Sara walked away from her label to do her own thing. It sounds like she was pretty much the one who put the final fork in the album, by telling her label she was never doing that sort of promotion again unless the industry climate changes to allow female artists to be competitive players again.
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taylor
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Post by taylor on Oct 17, 2019 21:22:58 GMT -5
I've always been a fan of Sara's so I will definitely be sending a list in by the weekend!
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SHOOTER
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Post by SHOOTER on Oct 21, 2019 11:55:47 GMT -5
This album is flawless! Wow! I’m blown away! :kii:
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d3vin44
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Post by d3vin44 on Oct 25, 2019 9:53:44 GMT -5
Damn. This was the HARDEST album to rank yet. There is one song in particular that I can't place. I currently have it at #5, but listening to bboat11 video above, I'm really inclined to change that. Like, it could honestly be my #1... It is that tight of a race between these songs for me.
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.indulgecountry
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Post by .indulgecountry on Oct 25, 2019 11:09:17 GMT -5
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.indulgecountry
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Post by .indulgecountry on Oct 30, 2019 18:46:56 GMT -5
Submissions closed! Thank you to everyone who sent in a list to rank this album! We'll go ahead and get some prediction questions up for y'all to answer. Pre-Reveal Questionnaire1. What song(s) do you think could win the Slow Me Down rankdown? 2. What song(s) do you expect might come in last place (#11)? 3. What single (Slow Me Down, Put My Heart Down) do you expect to place highest? Lowest? 4. What album track do you think will be the highest and where will it land? 5. Which feature on the album do you see lasting the longest (Not Over You, Can't Stop Loving You, Better Off)? 6. Any other predictions/thoughts? Participants: 01. Kanenrá:ke02. George Strait Junkie03. gardyfan04. bboat11 05. austin06. someguy07. tim08. ClevelandRox09. taylor10. SHOOTER11. Troublemaker12. d3vin4413. DistrictTwelve14. bigfan10115. LBTrocks16. Zeebz17. sabre1418. Wavey✨️19. .indulgecountry
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Post by tim on Oct 30, 2019 19:25:09 GMT -5
1. What song(s) do you think could win the Slow Me Down rankdown? I think this is the title track’s to lose
2. What song(s) do you expect might come in last place (#11)? “Not Over You”
3. What single do you expect to place highest? “Slow Me Down” for the win! Lowest? “Put My Heat Down” will likely come in at #2
4. What album track do you think will be the highest and where will it land? I’m pulling for “Better Off” but I think that one is likely to be a bit polarizing so I’ll guess “If I Run” or "Can't Stop Loving You" will likely be the highest placing album track and both in the top 5
5. Which feature on the album do you see lasting the longest? “Can’t Stop Loving You” in the top 5; “Better Off” in the top 7; “Not Over You” in the bottom 2
6. Any other predictions/thoughts? I remember listening to this album for the first time within the past year and instantly fell in love with “Better Off” and wish I had discovered that song sooner. It’s probably not one of my favorite albums by Sara but overall it is a quite enjoyable one from beginning to end.
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Post by castleoblivion26 on Oct 30, 2019 19:37:54 GMT -5
I totally forgot to finish this rankdown, sorry! Totally meant to and had listened to it to do it, kinda annoyed with myself now
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Kanenrá:ke
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Post by Kanenrá:ke on Oct 30, 2019 20:10:16 GMT -5
1. What song(s) do you think could win the Slow Me Down rankdown? Either of the two singles, could see an album track sneak a win as well but I think it's safe to say the singles will take it.
2. What song(s) do you expect might come in last place (#11)? "Gotta Have You"
3. What single (Slow Me Down, Put My Heart Down) do you expect to place highest? Lowest? "Slow Me Down" high, "Put my Heart Down" right behind it.
4. What album track do you think will be the highest and where will it land? "If I Run" #3? Honestly I could see like 5 songs taking 3rd.
5. Which feature on the album do you see lasting the longest (Not Over You, Can't Stop Loving You, Better Off)? I think "Not Over You" will last the longest but I'd prefer "Better Off"
6. Any other predictions/thoughts? A very strong album that's pretty consistent throughout which makes it hard for me to predict.
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bboat11
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Post by bboat11 on Oct 30, 2019 20:56:26 GMT -5
1. What song(s) do you think could win the Slow Me Down rankdown? Lmao this could literally be like 7 different songs, and I would be neither surprised or disappointed... But factoring the ever-present hit bias, I am going to go with the safe bet of "Slow Me Down".
2. What song(s) do you expect might come in last place (#11)? "Gotta Have You", as much as I love it, has got to be the only real contender here...
3. What single (Slow Me Down, Put My Heart Down) do you expect to place highest? Lowest? "Slow Me Down" at #1, "Put My Heart Down" at #2 :) I'd love to see them switch though!
4. What album track do you think will be the highest and where will it land? This is actually what I am most looking forward to finding out! I am going to go ahead and give some dark-horse love to "Revival" :)
5. Which feature on the album do you see lasting the longest (Not Over You, Can't Stop Loving You, Better Off)? "Better Off" and "Can't Stop Loving You" will both likely be in the top 5. I bet CSLY will be highest. "Not Over You" will probably finish in the bottom 3.
6. Any other predictions/thoughts? This is such a consistent album!!! It was nearly impossible for me to rank, and every single reveal is going to cause me great pain... Literally EVERY song on this album could have been my #1 depending on my mood at the time...
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taylor
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Post by taylor on Oct 30, 2019 22:01:09 GMT -5
What song(s) do you think could win the Slow Me Down rankdown? Revival, If I Run, Slow Me Down
What song(s) do you expect might come in last place (#11)? My last place song (forget what it is actually lmao)
What single (Slow Me Down, Put My Heart Down) do you expect to place highest? Slow Me Down in the top 5. Lowest? Put My Heart Down somewhere in the middle
What album track do you think will be the highest and where will it land? I hope Revival makes the album tracks rankdown if there ever is one
Which feature on the album do you see lasting the longest (Not Over You, Can't Stop Loving You, Better Off)? Better Off and/or Not Over You
Any other predictions/thoughts? An incredible album like usual... I can't wait to rank Words if we haven't already! That release (since it was independent) passed me by completely!
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SHOOTER
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Post by SHOOTER on Oct 30, 2019 22:31:01 GMT -5
1. What song(s) do you think could win the Slow Me Down rankdown? probably one of the singles because Pulse 2. What song(s) do you expect might come in last place (#11)? definitely not mine based on these guesses 3. What single (Slow Me Down, Put My Heart Down) do you expect to place highest? Lowest? Slow Me Down is the one to beat. 4. What album track do you think will be the highest and where will it land? Better Off for top-5!!! 5. Which feature on the album do you see lasting the longest (Not Over You, Can't Stop Loving You, Better Off)? Probably CSLY but it should totally be BO 6. Any other predictions/thoughts? Flawless album. Even my #11 I like. Very glad I got to discover this gem.
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austin
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Post by austin on Oct 31, 2019 10:31:50 GMT -5
1. What song(s) do you think could win the Slow Me Down rankdown? Put My Heart Down 2. What song(s) do you expect might come in last place (#11)? Better Off 3. What single (Slow Me Down, Put My Heart Down) do you expect to place highest? Lowest? Put My Heart Down 4. What album track do you think will be the highest and where will it land? You Never Know 5. Which feature on the album do you see lasting the longest (Not Over You, Can't Stop Loving You, Better Off)? Not Over You!!! 6. Any other predictions/thoughts? No
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.indulgecountry
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Post by .indulgecountry on Nov 1, 2019 19:10:07 GMT -5
Thanks everyone for the predictions! I'll go ahead and start by revealing the song that came in last place now.
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.indulgecountry
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"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
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Post by .indulgecountry on Nov 1, 2019 19:35:38 GMT -5
We kick things off in the Slow Me Down rankdown with the loss of "Gotta Have You," which was in dead last for literally the entire submission process and it never even flirted with the possibility of climbing so much as a single spot higher. There were some pretty contested places in this rankdown (including the fight over #1 and the songs in the middle changed hands very frequently), but this one was basically universally decreed as the weakest link on the record. Well, not quite universally since we start off with a #1 loss right off the bat, with ClevelandRox being the unlucky one here (he saw it coming though according to his notes when he submitted). Lyrically the song is a pretty basic fluffy love song that Sara was probably drawn to in her happy post-remarriage state, but she turns in a solid performance as usual and the immediacy of the chorus is endearing, though the production on it is a little over-blown. Most seem to agree this is more akin to filler on an otherwise stellar LP, with almost exclusively bottom half ranks (aside from the #1 and one additional top 5). "I want you like a burnin' flame I wake up callin' out your name Don't take your time, don't make me wait I want you like a burning flame"
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Wavey✨️
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Post by Wavey✨️ on Nov 1, 2019 19:51:26 GMT -5
Oop. We all damn near was thinking the same lol.
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Post by tim on Nov 1, 2019 20:32:54 GMT -5
I'm a bit surprised to see how disliked "Gotta Have You" is, but then again when I started this rankdown this just happened to be the one song that kept sliding further down on my list. I wouldn't quite call this album filler as I do find it to be a bit catchy but I can see why some might listen to this and think that.
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bboat11
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Post by bboat11 on Nov 1, 2019 20:59:53 GMT -5
No surprises there! I LOVE "Gotta Have You", and even I was only able to put it at #9 on an album that is this strong... Like, if this was a rate down, it would probably only be my 9th-highest rank, but it would still be like a 95 out of 100 "Gotta Have You" can definitely be faulted for the bombastic production, without question. But I love the soft, simplistic melody in the verses, and how it becomes gradually less simplistic as the song goes on. I also love the way the loud chorus contrasts with that. Not to mention the background vocal "oo oo ooooo" that kicks off each chorus in the quiet moment before the full band comes in!! I was pretty confident this would be last place, but I have no idea what to expect next! Maybe "Not Over You"??
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Kanenrá:ke
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Post by Kanenrá:ke on Nov 1, 2019 21:20:30 GMT -5
Well no surprise there, it’s catchy and I do find myself often humming it but it’s very fluffy lol
I do love the “ooo ooo ooo” part bboat pointed out!
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.indulgecountry
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"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
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Post by .indulgecountry on Nov 4, 2019 14:38:22 GMT -5
Time to find out which feature bites the dust first: will it be Gavin DeGraw, Vince Gill, or Isaac Slade (of The Fray)?
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Kanenrá:ke
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Post by Kanenrá:ke on Nov 4, 2019 14:48:41 GMT -5
Isaac firs please!
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.indulgecountry
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"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
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Post by .indulgecountry on Nov 4, 2019 14:52:23 GMT -5
In the battle of the three features on the record, Gavin DeGraw's assisted cover of his own hit pop song "Not Over You," is the first to make its exit from the Slow Me Down rankdown. I liked this in its original rendition, but Sara Evans easily elevates this with her voice and the call-and-response and harmonies from DeGraw really take it an extra step. She sounds amazing here, but that was only good enough for a #9 rank from me, and it suffered from receiving mostly middling ranks in the submission process so it hovered in the bottom half for the entirety. It eventually slipped into second-to-last with the final few lists that were received, but it finished over 30 points ahead of "Gotta Have You," and within 10 points from the three songs that are ahead of it, so it was a hotly contested race between this and a few other songs. No last place ranks are lost, but a handful do lose a top 5, including a pair of #3s from austin and gardyfan. "If you ask me how I'm doin' I would say I'm doin' just fine I would lie and say that you're not on my mind But I go out and I sit down At a table set for two And finally I'm forced to face the truth No matter what I say, I'm Not over you"
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austin
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Post by austin on Nov 4, 2019 14:53:36 GMT -5
I think this could have been a successful single. I love her version of this! Glad she covered it, even if it was really random.
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Kanenrá:ke
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Post by Kanenrá:ke on Nov 4, 2019 14:56:00 GMT -5
Aw dang, I always liked Gavin's original. Specifically the melody, then Sara came and slayed it! This may be my favorite from her vocally on the album*!
(*Haven't put all that much thought into that aspect yet looking at the tracklist, but gut says this to be true lol)
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.indulgecountry
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"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
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Post by .indulgecountry on Nov 4, 2019 15:08:00 GMT -5
Up next we see our second #1 loss of the rankdown.
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taylor
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Post by taylor on Nov 4, 2019 15:11:21 GMT -5
Oh cool, I got myself a perfect ranking! Worried about my #1 now though...
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.indulgecountry
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"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
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Post by .indulgecountry on Nov 4, 2019 15:15:56 GMT -5
... and the #1 loss turns out to be my own, #RIP. Sadly, my favorite track, "Good Love Is Hard to Find," only narrowly escapes the bottom 2 in the rankdown. Everything about this song is A+ for me, from the gorgeous dobro that carries the track, to the springy melody, to the sunny disposition with which Sara handles it vocally, it's all a home run imo. Clearly not everyone hears the magic I hear in this one though, as it received a lot of lower rankings that drug it down, including a lone last place from bboat11. It would up being a polarizing song as it received a lot of bottom 3 ranks and a lot of top 4 ranks, with only a couple in between. "Yeah, to find someone who knows you And everything you are inside Oh no, there's nothing you won't do 'Cause good love is hard to find"
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taylor
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Post by taylor on Nov 4, 2019 15:19:48 GMT -5
Go "Revival"! Go "Revival"! Go "Revival"! You can do it!!!
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