Eric Church - "The Outsiders"

[Deleted]

Thanks to phil1996 for finding the link! Figured it would be best to move all album discussion into a new thread :)

STREAM FULL ALBUM HERE:

www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=267029367&m=267237509 (NPR)



Eric Church
"The Outsiders"
(EMI Nashville)

Release Date: February 11, 2013

Track List:

01 "The Outsiders" (Eric Church/Casey Beathard)

02 "A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young" (Eric Church/Jeremy Spillman)

03 "Cold One" (Eric Church/Jeff Hyde/Lynn Hutton)

04 "Roller Coaster Ride" (Eric Church/Jeff Hyde/Ryan Tyndell)

05 "Talladega"

06 "Broke Record" (Eric Church/Jeff Hyde)

07 "Like A Wrecking Ball"

08 "That's Damn Rock & Roll" (Eric Church/Casey Beathard/Michael Heeney)

09 "Dark Side" (Eric Church/Jeremy Spillman/Travis Meadows)

10 "Devil, Devil (Prelude: Princess of Darkness)"

11 "Give Me Back My Hometown" (Eric Church/Casey Beathard/Luke Laird)

12 "The Joint"

[sabre14]

One word...Whoa!!!

I knew this album would be different but, my goodness. "Devil, Devil : Prelude To Prince Of Darkness)" was certainly the most eyebrow raising track on this record. All I know is it's not country. It was more along the lines of old psycedelic rock. I only listen to it once but I'm sure there are some lines in that song I want to pay attention to more clearly. "That's Damn Rock n Roll" was another track that made me take notice. That one was like something my dad used to listen too on his rock cassettes. "Joint" was very odd in its own right with Eric's repetition of "Burned" at a super low demeanor.

Two songs I did really enjoy we're "Talladega" and "Dark Side". The former sounded like the most radio friendly track on the album (And there too many of those by the way). "Roller Coaster Ride" had some unique but weird instrumentation on it, though I did enjoy the track. Overall I need to listen to this more to take it all in but man when Eric said this record would be different, he wasn't kidding.

[Deleted]

Yeah, it's really different, that's for sure. Definitely can't slap the "country" label on this album. "That's Damn Rock & Roll" is obviously a rock anthem, as is "The Outsiders". "Dark Side" and "A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young" are old-school country songs but I don't think either would work well as a single. "Like A Wrecking Ball" has a pretty cool groove to it but uh, some weird lyrics. Definitely not a single.

"Cold One" could work as a single but I feel like it would be a little polarizing, at least from a production standpoint. Tracks 4-6 are really the only songs I can see working as singles. I really enjoyed all 3 of them. They were all well-written and somewhat quirky/unique like many of Eric's past songs have been, and yet they still sound 'mainstream' enough for today's country radio.

I don't even know what to make of track #10. Instrumentally it sounded good but uh, I really hate the cuss words. But this is definitely a modern country/rock album if I've ever heard one. Some straight-up rock songs but some country songs as well. It will definitely further Eric's reputation as one who will do things very differently and push the envelope. And he has definitely made it clear that he has the rock/country corner of the genre under lock and key.

[sabre14]

Yeah, some of the lyrics used in "That's Damn Rock N Roll" and "Devil Devil" gave me that shock factor. The use of the cuss words and the hard core drugs I'm not a big fan of either. I think Eric just surpassed the total number of taboo words from any past country album combined. I'll admit, after "Devil Devil" was over I went "What The Hell Just Happened?"

I gave most of this another listen and "Roller Coaster Ride" and "Talladega" I really like and are the two likely candidates for the next two singles. Saying this album will be much talked about and polarizing is the understatement of the century.

[rjz]

Did the stream disappear for anyone else? Right at the end of Cold One and it went away :(

Well, having only listened to the first 3 I don't have much to say! Missed the WTH ones ;)

Outsiders-don't like because of the sleazy beginning lyrics (profanity doesn't bother me but any profanity treating women like objects or trending to the distasteful does)

Love Man who Died Young and Cold One (I think with a little editing to the middle jam section it could be a great single) are great

[Dustin J.]

Wow... Eric is one of my favorite artists. "Chief" was a near perfect album, in my eyes.

Now, I'm all for pushing the envelope and "artist creativity" and all that, but this is just...out there. I mean...way out there.

It'll take a few more listens for me actually decide if a like it or not. That's not usually a good thing with me.

[ryanroberts]

Once again, Modern day Southern Rock at it's finest! Loving this record. I will agree that it will be polarizing to many. Gonna be an interesting Era!

[jaseboyhyde]

For those that aren't sure what to think yet:
It might help to break down the lyrics, find the name and lyric checks, and listen to the album in order.
I had the same reaction when I heard the album for the first time. I really wanted to love the album on first listen, but I didn't. There were a few songs I loved, but a few that I really didn't get. I didn't like a few songs at all. They've all grown on me and hearing the stories behind the writing of certain songs helped with that process for me.

Even on two of Jeff's cowrites, I really didn't like the production. Cold one and Roller Coaster Ride were hard to listen to the first couple of times for me.

Hey, we like what we like. You might just end up not liking it. For me, that wasn't the case.

Also, I haven't seen this out there yet, but the poem introduction to Devil, Devil was the one that was going to be Shel Silverstein's the Devil and Billy Markham, but there were apparently some copyright issues. Eric wrote something to go in its place. Reading that original poem helped me to understand the darkness of the poem Eric wrote. It fits with "Devil Devil", which was already written and timed for the poetry.

Another side note that will be of interest to many people: Joanna Cotten is singing harmony in lots of the songs.

[sabre14]

Feb 3, 2014 12:02:07 GMT -5 jaseboyhyde said:

Another side note that will be of interest to many people: Joanna Cotten is singing harmony in lots of the songs.

Wow, I forgot about Joanna Cotten. Anyone remember "The Prize"?. Seemed that was a love it or hate it song when it came out in 2007.

The three lines that caught my attention from the opening dialogue from "Devil, Devil"..."It all comes down to money and not romantic art of days gone past. If you forget that rule you can bet your backside you'll be buried in your a*s", "The agents are his bookies and the labels are it's pimps", and "The devil walks among us folks, and Nashville is his bride".

I don't know what Eric's intentions are when it comes to this track, but perhaps these lines are a symbol for his albums name. Personally I don't see the need or timing for him to take this "Outsider" approach but it's certainly interesting and going to be polarizing.

[zjames]

Love
2. "A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young"
4. "Roller Coaster Ride"
5. "Talladega" (feels like another Springsteen-sized hit)
6. "Broke Record"
9. "Dark Side"
11. "Give Me Back My Hometown"

Like
3. "Cold One" (the production is a little much)
7. "Like a Wrecking Ball"
8. "That's Damn Rock & Roll"
12. "The Joint"

Meh
1. "The Outsiders"
10. "Devil, Devil" (Prelude: Princess of Darkness)

So, my first impressions of this are pretty positive. The middle of the album is where this really clicks with me. "Roller Coaster Ride", "Talladega", and "Broke Record" all have unique production, interesting lyrics, and stay true to Eric's past work. "A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young" and specifically "Dark Side" are absolutely fantastic. I love when Eric Church goes a little slower and darker as opposed to the new rock side that he's trying to show off. Generally, the more rock-ish songs ("The Outsiders", "Devil, Devil") were my least favorite from the album. I respect Eric trying to expand his sound and push the envelope, but I don't think the Outsider, rock sound works nearly as well for him. Anyway, this album is sure to grab a lot of people's attention for how unique it is.

I see the third single being "Talladega". There's no way this isn't a big end-of-summer-into-fall hit. I wouldn't be surprised if Eric tries something different with the fourth single and releases "Dark Side" or "A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young". Then I see "Roller Coaster Ride" being the fifth single. If he decides to go six-deep, I think he can go with either "Broke Record" or "Dark Side"/"A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young" (whichever one wasn't released previously).

[kim8]

I'm just kind of skimming through these for now, but I really like Broke Record. Cool groove. I can hear that on the radio.

[phil1996]

This>>Bro-Country any day of the week. I love how different this is.

"Talladega is a sure-fire smash, and probably the next single, I'd assume. I'm also gonna guess "Roller Coaster Ride" and "Dark Side" (great lyrics) will see radio too. I could see him going 6 deep, since he's Eric Church and all. "Cold One" would sound SO awesome on radio, and it is definitely my favorite on the album. Love the weird production. If not "Cold One", then maybe "Broke Record" or "Man Who Was Gonna Die Young". I wish he didn't go with the vocal effects on "Wrecking Ball". "Devil Devil" is odd, that's all I'll say. I want to like "The Joint" but something about it bothers me. Maybe the weird "burns" in the song. I don't really care for "That's Damn Rock n Roll" either. But all in all, I love this, and it will probably continue to grow on me for years to come.

THANK YOU Eric Church for not giving in to Bro-Country and not going all Mainstream on us (*cough* Blake Shelton, Tim Mcgraw and FGL *cough*).

[McCreerian]

I'm listening to this now. I can't call it Country, Rock, or Pop. It's like Eric created his own genre. Its great for it not to be typical Luke, Blake, etc Copycat stuff. Don't know how radio will react to it since the genre has got even more narrow since "Chief" was released.

[matty005]

Feb 3, 2014 16:18:51 GMT -5 phil1996 said:

This>>Bro-Country any day of the week. I love how different this is.

"Talladega is a sure-fire smash, and probably the next single, I'd assume. I'm also gonna guess "Roller Coaster Ride" and "Dark Side" (great lyrics) will see radio too. I could see him going 6 deep, since he's Eric Church and all. "Cold One" would sound SO awesome on radio, and it is definitely my favorite on the album. Love the weird production. If not "Cold One", then maybe "Broke Record" or "Man Who Was Gonna Die Young". I wish he didn't go with the vocal effects on "Wrecking Ball". "Devil Devil" is odd, that's all I'll say. I want to like "The Joint" but something about it bothers me. Maybe the weird "burns" in the song. I don't really care for "That's Damn Rock n Roll" either. But all in all, I love this, and it will probably continue to grow on me for years to come.

THANK YOU Eric Church for not giving in to Bro-Country and not going all Mainstream on us (*cough* Blake Shelton, Tim Mcgraw and FGL *cough*).

FGL didn't give in to going bro country. That is all they have ever been. You can dislike that style of music, but they might just be creating the music they like. I doubt they gave in to anything. You can say Tim and Blake "gave in" since their style has changed, but it's different for FGL.

Will check out this album later tonight. I really hope I enjoy it. I love Eric, but hated "The Outsiders," but love, "Give Me Back My Hometown."

[jonathanalan]

Wow, I actually think it's pretty phenomenal. I was expecting like Godsmack with the way some of you were describing it, lol. It definitely is Eric Church. Can't wait to hear it in HQ!

[tim]

My first listen this morning was a little rough…and I also found the album to be out there. Later in the evening I had a chance to fully listen to the album from the beginning to end…and I get it. With each song a story builds and I found the songs to get better and better as the album went on. My personal favorite has to be "Dark Side," and at first George's "Drinkin' Man" came into mind while listening to it. It's a dark, dark song done so well it could actually be a single later down the road. A song I wasn't expecting to like was "That's Damn Rock & Roll," but damn Eric makes this work. It's quite a jam. "Talladega" is an obvious single choice and should be a huge hit over the summer months; "Like a Wrecking Ball" could also be a hit for Eric. I also enjoyed the Devil, Devil prelude…Marty Stuart's "High On A Mountain Top" came to mind here at times, especially later into the prelude.

Some have mentioned the choice of words in some of his songs. For the most part I also don't like the use of profanity in lyrics, but Eric's use here is done in art and tastefully done I guess could you could say. I have no problem with it all in the songs I heard.

All in all…this is one phenomenal album. As a longtime fan of the George Strait, Alan Jackson, and Randy Travis era, I've been longing to find another artist out there that grabbed my attention the way that they did. Personally, I think I've found that in Eric.

[someguy]

Thanks for posting the link. After one listen, I don't really like it. I'm sure some of the tracks will grow on me, but as a whole, I don't see me getting this album. I bought Chief and liked a lot of it, so I was hoping to like this, but I don't.

The one thing I do appreciate about the album is that it is different. However, different doesn't always mean good, and this album is a case of that for me.

"Talladega" is really the only other song I see being a successful single from this album, after "Give Me Back My Hometown". Both pale in comparison, imo, to some of the album tracks from his last album. "Roller Coaster Ride", "Cold One" and "Broke Record" could all be released possibly, but I see all of them meeting with the same fate that "The Outsiders" did should they be released.

I think this album will either hit big or flop big, and right now I see it being the latter.

[jughead]

His lyrics tho. None of his peers could ever.

[countryfeedback182]

First listen through and I immediately fell in love with Talladega. Went to the iTunes store to buy it (yeah, I'm old school) and it wasn't available yet. That's a smash, no question. Also really liked Dark Side. It's a really good album as a whole, if a tad self-indulgent (Devil, Devil).

[Spacey_Kacey]

Feb 4, 2014 14:00:37 GMT -5 countryfeedback182 said:

Went to the iTunes store to buy it (yeah, I'm old school) and it wasn't available yet.

iTunes has been replaced? I must be really old school. I know Google thinks I'm 65+ according to it profile created from my search history, but still. I must be the most out of touch teenager in the world. Excuse me while I go short Apple.


At risk of going off topic, uh, my comments on the album - probably eric's worst, but still pretty good. "A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young" is a masterpiece, and I can't stop listening to the current single. Some decent songs between those, and I didn't hate the lead single. Moderate dislike perhaps, but not hate.

[phil1996]

I'm still trying to figure out what the Princess of Darkness story means...lol.

[jonathanalan]

It's not out until next week.

[Markus Meyer]

What the hell.

[jaseboyhyde]

Feb 8, 2014 12:55:41 GMT -5 Markus Meyer said:

What the hell.

LOL.
Elaborate!
I feel like an English teacher. "what the hell" is not a complete thought, Markus! Please raise your hand and try again.

Feb 8, 2014 12:55:41 GMT -5 @Phil said:

I'm still trying to figure out what the Princess of Darkness story means...lol.

Phil, have you read "The Devil and Billy Markham" by Shel Silverstein? That was intended to be used, but was changed last minute. Eric wrote "The Princess of Darkness" to go in its place. It makes more sense to me now after reading the Shel Silverstein poem.

[Markus Meyer]

Feb 8, 2014 13:14:56 GMT -5 jaseboyhyde said:

Feb 8, 2014 12:55:41 GMT -5 Markus Meyer said:

What the hell.

LOL.
Elaborate!
I feel like an English teacher. "what the hell" is not a complete thought, Markus! Please raise your hand and try again.

Feb 8, 2014 12:55:41 GMT -5 @Phil said:

I'm still trying to figure out what the Princess of Darkness story means...lol.

Phil, have you read "The Devil and Billy Markham" by Shel Silverstein? That was intended to be used, but was changed last minute. Eric wrote "The Princess of Darkness" to go in its place. It makes more sense to me now after reading the Shel Silverstein poem.

Lol I feel that sentence more or less sums up my thoughts on the album.

[Deleted]

I was able to listen to the album all the way through the first night it was up for streaming at NPR, but now I can't anymore. When I click the link all it does is play one second of "The Outsiders", then it buffers for 5 seconds, then it plays another second, then 5 more seconds of buffering...and on and on and on. It's so annoying. It didn't buffer once the very first night, but now it'd take me an hour to get through one song. Anybody know what could be causing that? Otherwise I guess I'll just have to wait until I can stream it elsewhere..

[jaseboyhyde]

Feb 8, 2014 13:33:26 GMT -5 jhomes87 said:

I was able to listen to the album all the way through the first night it was up for streaming at NPR, but now I can't anymore. When I click the link all it does is play one second of "The Outsiders", then it buffers for 5 seconds, then it plays another second, then 5 more seconds of buffering...and on and on and on. It's so annoying. It didn't buffer once the very first night, but now it'd take me an hour to get through one song. Anybody know what could be causing that? Otherwise I guess I'll just have to wait until I can stream it elsewhere..

Have you tried a different internet browser? Firefox and Chrome are free downloads and sometimes they'll play things different ways than explorer does. Just an idea to possibly help get it playing smoother for you.
Another option is to stop the full album, click on "full article" and listen to the songs one at a time.
I had the same problem and doing both of the options above allowed me to continue to listen until the full album pops up on my itunes ( I preordered so songs are becoming available one at a time).

[bigfan101]

Wow, this is disappointing for me...I practically burnt my copy of Chief out...and after listening to the stream I don't even know if I will make the purchase. I would just describe this as album as odd... I just watched a interview with him and he kept saying he hopes it sells but doesn't really care if it does or not because creatively this is what he wanted to do.

As many have said Talladega is good, but the way he has chosen his single this era I wouldn't be surprised if it never makes it off the album. Everything else is just stunning terrible to me; it seems like Eric had about three different creative visions which is why the album is all over the place.

And as someone else have said, Devil, Devil is ridiculous -- I don't wanna hear all the cussing and it makes me a little worried about what is going on in Erics head

[Deleted]

Feb 8, 2014 13:39:44 GMT -5 jaseboyhyde said:

Have you tried a different internet browser? Firefox and Chrome are free downloads and sometimes they'll play things different ways than explorer does. Just an idea to possibly help get it playing smoother for you.

Thanks! I've been using Chrome, but I just tried Internet Explorer and it plays smoothly. :)

I'm really enjoying this album, and I didn't think I would. It's cliche to say this, but it just sounds so "different". I don't own any of Eric's past albums, and I probably need to rectify that. I remember listening to Chief and I knew it would be a huge record for him, but I didn't feel like I liked enough songs to warrant purchasing the whole album, so I just cherry-picked the tracks I liked. I eventually went back and got a couple more tracks and when it was all said and done I owned 8 out of the 12 tracks, including the bonus track. And I do own all of Eric's singles from the first 2 albums as well. But I will have to add his catalog to the list of music that I need to get someday, which includes the catalogs of Dierks Bentley, Gary Allan, some older George Strait stuff...there's too much to list!

Anyway, back to The Outsiders. I never had any qualms with the title track. I actually really like it for its sound alone and it definitely will be a great arena type of song. And in retrospect, its release to country radio doesn't really bother me at all, because it really just served as a buzz single--it was barely on the charts that long at all. The only thing I would've changed is I would've made it a dual release to both country radio as well as some of the rock formats. Even if it didn't catch on at those other formats, it probably wouldn't have cost the label much, if anything. Seems to me it would've been a low-risk, high-reward situation...a nothin'-to-lose scenario.

"Give Me Back My Hometown" is a great single, but it's not even my favorite song. That would probably have to be "Roller Coaster Ride". GMBMH is right up there as well, as are "Talladega", "Broke Record", and "Cold One". Those are also the songs that I would choose singles from, as many of the other ones aren't going to work at country radio. That doesn't mean they are bad songs, though. "Devil, Devil" and "The Joint" are really the only songs I'm not a very big fan of, but both of them have some qualities that I actually do like. Again, that really surprises me, based off my initial reaction to the album...I didn't hate the album, but I just couldn't see myself really enjoying it as a whole; and yet, the whole project has grown on me tremendously.

Oh, and I can't forget about "Dark Side". I really like that one as well, and if he wants a riskier single selection, this would be the one to go with. I think the last verse, the outro-verse, would probably have to be omitted in a radio edit, but I think the rest of the song itself could work. "Talladega" is a really strong song and I just love, love the groove, lyrics, melody...everything about "Roller Coaster Ride". "Cold One" also has really cool lyrics and a cool sound, although I don't think it's quite as immediate as either "Roller Coaster Ride" or "Talladega" is. I really like the cheeky storyline in "Cold One".

I've never considered myself anything more than a casual fan of rock 'n' roll music, but there are some songs that I can remember listening to growing up, and even some modern rock music that I do like. And I really like "That's Damn Rock 'N' Roll". I think EMI should send that to Rock radio at some point during the 'era'.

Anyway, overall I really like this album. It's really different but the combination of lyrics, Eric's vocals, Jay Joyce's superb production, and Eric's creative vision really make this work for me. Here is how I would do the singles:

01 "The Outsiders"
02 "Give Me Back My Hometown"
-----------------------------------
03 "Talladega"
04 "Roller Coaster Ride"
05 "Broke Record"
06 "Dark Side"

I do think that they could go with 6 singles this time around. Given some of Eric's past comments, he likes to sit on albums for a while and he doesn't expect to make a ton of studio albums during his career. And since "The Outsiders" was really just a blip on the map, it's almost as if GMBMH is the first single. So, with that in mind, I can see there officially being 6 singles. I like the idea of "Dark Side" getting sent out to radio, just to push the envelope a bit. I would either do that one last, or following a big hit. Maybe they could do it 5th. But it just seems to me that "Talladega" is the obvious more 'mainstream' choice for the summer months, and "Roller Coaster Ride" is just so cool and fun that it has to be a single, so I went with that 4th.

All in all, this album is one of a kind. There are no other artists that are anywhere close to Eric's sound, especially with the direction he's taken on this project. And, to me, this album works. I enjoy it a lot and would personally give it an 8/10 or so, but I have a hunch it's going to keep growing on me more and more.

[phil1996]

Feb 8, 2014 13:26:11 GMT -5 Markus Meyer said:

Feb 8, 2014 13:14:56 GMT -5 jaseboyhyde said:

LOL.
Elaborate!
I feel like an English teacher. "what the hell" is not a complete thought, Markus! Please raise your hand and try again.

Phil, have you read "The Devil and Billy Markham" by Shel Silverstein? That was intended to be used, but was changed last minute. Eric wrote "The Princess of Darkness" to go in its place. It makes more sense to me now after reading the Shel Silverstein poem.

Lol I feel that sentence more or less sums up my thoughts on the album.

I love this album, but my first thoughts were 'what the hell' too, lol. It's not an album that I'll ever get tired of hearing, since it's so different. Took a few listens to get somewhat used to it