jlatn5b
Charting
Joined: July 2010
Posts: 353
|
Post by jlatn5b on Apr 10, 2019 21:00:47 GMT -5
Love the piano melody on The Clown.
|
|
|
Post by RobbyFlorida on Apr 10, 2019 21:01:50 GMT -5
Love the piano melody on The Clown. That’s done by the pianist Reba tours with
|
|
|
Post by RobbyFlorida on Apr 12, 2019 23:28:28 GMT -5
|
|
someguy
Diamond Member
Joined: October 2003
Posts: 16,153
|
Post by someguy on Apr 13, 2019 1:17:48 GMT -5
The more I listen to this album, the more I like it. It wasn't as immediate to me as her last album, Love Somebody, but this another really solid set of songs. It definitely is a move back to her roots, like she has been saying in her interviews. It reminds me of some of her late 80s/early 90s works, but with modern productions. The lyrics on a lot of these songs are fantastic - I love that this album really gets back to the story songs that Reba does so well. Initially, my favourites look like this:
1. Tammy Wynette Kind Of Pain 2. Stronger Than The Truth 3. The Clown 4. The Bar's Getting Lower 5. Freedom 6. No U In Oklahoma 7. Storm In A Shot Glass 8. In His Mind 9. Cactus In A Coffee Can 10. Swing All Night Long With You 11. You Never Gave Up On Me 12. Your Heart
I love the top 11 though. "Your Heart" is good enough, but is the only one I could really do without. Because of her age and her gender, I'm not sure what to expect in terms of radio play, but this is a stellar set of songs that could produce a number of singles if radio would be open to them. I'm really looking forward to hearing the bonus tracks as well.
|
|
|
Post by castleoblivion26 on Apr 13, 2019 19:14:30 GMT -5
I think I've listened to most of the album (listen to it at work), though I think I missed a couple songs because I cannot remember "Your Heart" or "The Bar's Getting Lower" so will have to check them out again
so far my favorites are: "Tammy Wynette Kind of Pain" "The Clown" "Cactus In A Coffee Can" "Storm In A Shot Glass" and "Stronger Than The Truth"
Though I do also really like "Freedom" and "In His Mind".
|
|
someguy
Diamond Member
Joined: October 2003
Posts: 16,153
|
Post by someguy on Apr 13, 2019 19:49:17 GMT -5
“Your Heart” is forgettable, but “The Bar’s Getting Lower” is great. It reminds me of a hybrid between “The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter” and “All The Good Ones Are Gone”.
|
|
|
Post by RobbyFlorida on Apr 13, 2019 19:51:56 GMT -5
“Your Heart” is forgettable, but “The Bar’s Getting Lower” is great. It reminds me of a hybrid between “The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter” and “All Tge Good Ones Are Gone”. Excellent observation!
|
|
|
Post by McCreerian (Harris 2024!) on Apr 13, 2019 20:59:26 GMT -5
"Your Heart" is the only one I skip. No one seems to like that song.
|
|
.indulgecountry
Diamond Member
Best Country Poster 2011, 2017, & 2018
"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
|
Post by .indulgecountry on Apr 14, 2019 1:46:51 GMT -5
"Your Heart" is near the bottom for me as well just because of the strength of the other tracks on the record, but I still think it's great! The instrumentation is so good on that one.
For me, my least favorite on the record might actually be "The Clown" (ironically for the opposite reason -- not a fan of the production), which is probably an unpopular opinion given a lot of the posts above. It's still a fine song, but it just doesn't click with me like I wish it did.
|
|
bboat11
Moderator
Pulse's Resident Martina McBride Expert
Joined: February 2013
Posts: 27,412
My Reviews
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Staff
|
Post by bboat11 on Apr 14, 2019 16:45:11 GMT -5
"Your Heart" is near the bottom for me as well just because of the strength of the other tracks on the record, but I still think it's great! The instrumentation is so good on that one. For me, my least favorite on the record might actually be "The Clown" (ironically for the opposite reason -- not a fan of the production), which is probably an unpopular opinion given a lot of the posts above. It's still a fine song, but it just doesn't click with me like I wish it did. Yeah, so "The Clown" is literally not even an option for anybody to have as the least favorite song on the album. You're gonna have to do better.
|
|
bboat11
Moderator
Pulse's Resident Martina McBride Expert
Joined: February 2013
Posts: 27,412
My Reviews
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Staff
|
Post by bboat11 on Apr 14, 2019 16:48:53 GMT -5
Regarding the "Your Heart" situation, I am honestly surprised to see it getting such universal hate! Like, the song is not even close to being bad It would almost be unnecessarily harsh even to say that it is underwhelming. The fact is, this album is so strong it would easily still be in my bottom 3, but I would still give it a solid B+ or A- as a song... The gorgeous Spanish-influenced guitar alone is enough to make it a song worth listening to!
|
|
.indulgecountry
Diamond Member
Best Country Poster 2011, 2017, & 2018
"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
|
Post by .indulgecountry on Apr 14, 2019 17:03:12 GMT -5
"Your Heart" is near the bottom for me as well just because of the strength of the other tracks on the record, but I still think it's great! The instrumentation is so good on that one. For me, my least favorite on the record might actually be "The Clown" (ironically for the opposite reason -- not a fan of the production), which is probably an unpopular opinion given a lot of the posts above. It's still a fine song, but it just doesn't click with me like I wish it did. Yeah, so "The Clown" is literally not even an option for anybody to have as the least favorite song on the album. You're gonna have to do better. Sorry, but I don't care for the production and the melody is a little lacking as well. The opening chords sound off/uncomfortable to me for whatever reason. Just not a fan of how it was produced, and I find myself coming back to that song the least and failing to fully remember how it goes after it ends. It honestly bores me compared to all the great uptempos on the album plus epic ballads like "Cactus in a Coffee Can," "In His Mind," and "Tammy Wynette Kind of Pain." Meh.
|
|
bboat11
Moderator
Pulse's Resident Martina McBride Expert
Joined: February 2013
Posts: 27,412
My Reviews
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Staff
|
Post by bboat11 on Apr 14, 2019 17:26:31 GMT -5
Yeah, so "The Clown" is literally not even an option for anybody to have as the least favorite song on the album. You're gonna have to do better. Sorry, but I don't care for the production and the melody is a little lacking as well. The opening chords sound off/uncomfortable to me for whatever reason. Just not a fan of how it was produced, and I find myself coming back to that song the least and failing to fully remember how it goes after it ends. It honestly bores me compared to all the great uptempos on the album plus epic ballads like "Cactus in a Coffee Can," "In His Mind," and "Tammy Wynette Kind of Pain." Meh. To me it stands out because it's one of the strongest lyrical moments on an album that is already full of incredible lyrical moments. The lyrics are SO incredibly picturesque Like, I don't know if I have ever seen a breakup told from a more interesting perspective than it is in the first verse of this song. After a couple of bottles of red wine, the truth finally came out. The words "I don't love you anymore" spilled from his mouth. So I looked to the waiter for some consolation, But he just poured the coffee, and without hesitation he said, "Ma'am, is that all you'll be needin' tonight?"
You can feel almost a touch of comic absurdity in the whole situation based on the contrast between the way the narrator is feeling and the way that the world continues to go on around her. Not to mention the 6/8 time signature gives this a sense of urgency that is missing from all the other ballads on the album, while the somewhat disjointed piano melody is both beautiful and tragic, adding to the comic absurdity of the song. The entire setup of the song just makes me think of a sad clown doing a dance for a crowd full of jeering spectators who are laughing at him, and I would be willing to bet that that is exactly the feeling that Reba her team wanted to portray. Imo, the way that they interpreted the musical arrangement to go along with the lyrics has got to be one of the most masterful artistic moments on the entire album
|
|
kallie
Charting
Joined: September 2017
Posts: 186
|
Post by kallie on Apr 14, 2019 17:41:22 GMT -5
This album is one of the best I have heard in a long time. I really love every song except Your Heart, which I could have done without this one.
Here is my ranking:
1) Storm in a Shot Glass 2) Tammy Wynette Kind of Pain 3) Freedom 4) The Clown 5) The Bar's Getting Lower 6) While You Were Sleeping 7) Ain't Got Nothin On My Pain 8) Stronger Than The Truth 9) In His Mind 10) No U in Oklahome 11) Swing All Night With You 12) You Never Gave Up on me 13) Cactus in a Coffee Can 14) Your Heart (I have tried to like this song, but just does nothing for me. Automatic skip each time I listen to the album)
|
|
.indulgecountry
Diamond Member
Best Country Poster 2011, 2017, & 2018
"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
|
Post by .indulgecountry on Apr 14, 2019 18:05:27 GMT -5
Sad that this lost out on the #1 for the country album charts to Reboot. :/
|
|
|
Post by RobbyFlorida on Apr 14, 2019 18:36:14 GMT -5
Sad that this lost out on the #1 for the country album charts to Reboot. :/ Too many new current artists on it. Probably most bought I hear them.
|
|
onebuffalo
Diamond Member
#LiteralLegender
I am One Buffalo.
Joined: June 2009
Posts: 26,968
|
Post by onebuffalo on Apr 14, 2019 18:44:07 GMT -5
Sad that this lost out on the #1 for the country album charts to Reboot. :/ Too many new current artists on it. Probably most bought I hear them. Anyone have sales figures for the Reba CD? She finished outside the top ten on the top 200 chart, so Billboard did not report it. Merci.
|
|
.indulgecountry
Diamond Member
Best Country Poster 2011, 2017, & 2018
"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
|
Post by .indulgecountry on Apr 14, 2019 18:49:11 GMT -5
Sad that this lost out on the #1 for the country album charts to Reboot. :/ Too many new current artists on it. Probably most bought I hear them. I think streaming is more so to blame for why B&D landed ahead of her than sales, but yes, for that reason basically. I dunno the final sales figures for this one, but it was predicted on the first page to land somewhere around 20k, and Reboot only opened with 21k (but it had the edge with streaming).
|
|
|
Post by RobbyFlorida on Apr 14, 2019 19:23:04 GMT -5
[/quote]Anyone have sales figures for the Reba CD? She finished outside the top ten on the top 200 chart, so Billboard did not report it. Merci[/quote]
|
|
|
Post by RobbyFlorida on Apr 14, 2019 19:26:57 GMT -5
Too many new current artists on it. Probably most bought I hear them. Anyone have sales figures for the Reba CD? She finished outside the top ten on the top 200 chart, so Billboard did not report it. Merci. Official 1st week Sales:20,552 #5 All Genre m.hitsdailydouble.com/building_album_chart
|
|
jar7519
Charting
Joined: November 2013
Posts: 54
|
Post by jar7519 on Apr 14, 2019 20:51:32 GMT -5
Sorry, but I don't care for the production and the melody is a little lacking as well. The opening chords sound off/uncomfortable to me for whatever reason. Just not a fan of how it was produced, and I find myself coming back to that song the least and failing to fully remember how it goes after it ends. It honestly bores me compared to all the great uptempos on the album plus epic ballads like "Cactus in a Coffee Can," "In His Mind," and "Tammy Wynette Kind of Pain." Meh. To me it stands out because it's one of the strongest lyrical moments on an album that is already full of incredible lyrical moments. The lyrics are SO incredibly picturesque Like, I don't know if I have ever seen a breakup told from a more interesting perspective than it is in the first verse of this song. After a couple of bottles of red wine, the truth finally came out. The words "I don't love you anymore" spilled from his mouth. So I looked to the waiter for some consolation, But he just poured the coffee, and without hesitation he said, "Ma'am, is that all you'll be needin' tonight?"
You can feel almost a touch of comic absurdity in the whole situation based on the contrast between the way the narrator is feeling and the way that the world continues to go on around her. Not to mention the 6/8 time signature gives this a sense of urgency that is missing from all the other ballads on the album, while the somewhat disjointed piano melody is both beautiful and tragic, adding to the comic absurdity of the song. The entire setup of the song just makes me think of a sad clown doing a dance for a crowd full of jeering spectators who are laughing at him, and I would be willing to bet that that is exactly the feeling that Reba her team wanted to portray. Imo, the way that they interpreted the musical arrangement to go along with the lyrics has got to be one of the most masterful artistic moments on the entire album I just got around to finally listening to this CD today & I will say by far, my favorite track is "The Clown"! bbtoat11, you described everything I was thinking about this song! There is something kind of comedic yet a sadness in the lyrics & music. May be it's because you can just see it playing out as she sings the words. The way Reba sings the lyrics, you just really do feel for her in the situation. I love the lyrics & play on words, referencing what is happening, to a Circus. She sings of having to paint a smile on her face to hide the frown and one of the last lines "When the Circus is over & the tents go down, the show must go on for the Clown". I just thinks these are great lines! I hope she releases this (even if radio won't play it!) & makes a great video because you can practically visualize the video as the song is playing. In my mind, I see them at a dim lit fancy restaurant. After the guy tells Reba he no longer loves her, she looks in to a large mirror that is on the wall by their table & as the camera pans inside of the mirror, Reba begins to sing but in the reflection, Reba's face is painted as a clown (although this could just be creepy) and the backdrop, in the mirror, would have some sort of circus vibe. Her voice sounds as strong to me on this song, as anything she did in the 80's or 90's. The music gets stuck in your head too. Love the piano! Great album over all! Other stand outs for me are "Freedom" & "Cactus in a Coffee Can". Even if radio ignores any singles from this album, I really hope the album gets some recognition at the CMA's &/or Grammy's!
|
|
rsandcm1
Charting
Joined: March 2012
Posts: 349
|
Post by rsandcm1 on Apr 14, 2019 23:35:21 GMT -5
Sad that this lost out on the #1 for the country album charts to Reboot. :/ "Reboot" was the only one available at my local walmart. No George, no Reba.
|
|
austin
9x Platinum Member
Pulse Survivor Sri Lanka Sole Survivor
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 9,313
|
Post by austin on Apr 15, 2019 9:43:33 GMT -5
Sorry, but I don't care for the production and the melody is a little lacking as well. The opening chords sound off/uncomfortable to me for whatever reason. Just not a fan of how it was produced, and I find myself coming back to that song the least and failing to fully remember how it goes after it ends. It honestly bores me compared to all the great uptempos on the album plus epic ballads like "Cactus in a Coffee Can," "In His Mind," and "Tammy Wynette Kind of Pain." Meh. To me it stands out because it's one of the strongest lyrical moments on an album that is already full of incredible lyrical moments. The lyrics are SO incredibly picturesque Like, I don't know if I have ever seen a breakup told from a more interesting perspective than it is in the first verse of this song. After a couple of bottles of red wine, the truth finally came out. The words "I don't love you anymore" spilled from his mouth. So I looked to the waiter for some consolation, But he just poured the coffee, and without hesitation he said, "Ma'am, is that all you'll be needin' tonight?"
You can feel almost a touch of comic absurdity in the whole situation based on the contrast between the way the narrator is feeling and the way that the world continues to go on around her. Not to mention the 6/8 time signature gives this a sense of urgency that is missing from all the other ballads on the album, while the somewhat disjointed piano melody is both beautiful and tragic, adding to the comic absurdity of the song. The entire setup of the song just makes me think of a sad clown doing a dance for a crowd full of jeering spectators who are laughing at him, and I would be willing to bet that that is exactly the feeling that Reba her team wanted to portray. Imo, the way that they interpreted the musical arrangement to go along with the lyrics has got to be one of the most masterful artistic moments on the entire album Have you heard Jessica Andrews' version? It's easily available, including Spotify. I think Jessica nails this song and its been a favorite of mine since 2013/2014 when I first heard it.
|
|
austin
9x Platinum Member
Pulse Survivor Sri Lanka Sole Survivor
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 9,313
|
Post by austin on Apr 15, 2019 9:47:04 GMT -5
My favorites: Storm In A Shot Glass The Clown The Bar's Getting Lower
My least favorites: Swing All Night With You Your Heart No U In Oklahoma
Great album!
|
|
recordyear
Diamond Member
album listener
Joined: January 2017
Posts: 15,605
|
Post by recordyear on Apr 15, 2019 20:21:19 GMT -5
20k pure sales and 21k SPS first week according to Billboard. #4 in country album chart behind Brooks & Dunn, Luke Combs and George Strait. #22 overall.
|
|
Kanenrá:ke
Moderator
ethereal eternal nonexistent
she left her briquettes out in typical heaux fashion.
Joined: January 2009
Posts: 12,383
Staff
|
Post by Kanenrá:ke on Apr 16, 2019 6:35:37 GMT -5
To me it stands out because it's one of the strongest lyrical moments on an album that is already full of incredible lyrical moments. The lyrics are SO incredibly picturesque Like, I don't know if I have ever seen a breakup told from a more interesting perspective than it is in the first verse of this song. After a couple of bottles of red wine, the truth finally came out. The words "I don't love you anymore" spilled from his mouth. So I looked to the waiter for some consolation, But he just poured the coffee, and without hesitation he said, "Ma'am, is that all you'll be needin' tonight?"
You can feel almost a touch of comic absurdity in the whole situation based on the contrast between the way the narrator is feeling and the way that the world continues to go on around her. Not to mention the 6/8 time signature gives this a sense of urgency that is missing from all the other ballads on the album, while the somewhat disjointed piano melody is both beautiful and tragic, adding to the comic absurdity of the song. The entire setup of the song just makes me think of a sad clown doing a dance for a crowd full of jeering spectators who are laughing at him, and I would be willing to bet that that is exactly the feeling that Reba her team wanted to portray. Imo, the way that they interpreted the musical arrangement to go along with the lyrics has got to be one of the most masterful artistic moments on the entire album Have you heard Jessica Andrews' version? It's easily available, including Spotify. I think Jessica nails this song and its been a favorite of mine since 2013/2014 when I first heard it. Same here, I’ve adored Jessica’s version for years and actually don’t like the changes Reba does to it. Still a killer song and if I wasn’t so in love with Jessica’s I’d probably rank this version higher but it is a let down. Similar to Reba doing Martina’s “Love Land” actually.
|
|
.indulgecountry
Diamond Member
Best Country Poster 2011, 2017, & 2018
"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
|
Post by .indulgecountry on Apr 16, 2019 10:05:08 GMT -5
Decided to listen to Jessica Andrews' version of "The Clown" and I dislike hers too, but for different reasons than Reba's rendition. I think the production is a lot better on hers, but her version also feels too slow and plods along. I like that Reba sped it up and I do prefer her voice, but the production and melody really make me tune out. I just don't get the appeal of the song. It's a swing and a miss for me, though it's not totally unlistenable or anything to Reba's credit, but on an album with such great ballads, it's skippable.
|
|
austin
9x Platinum Member
Pulse Survivor Sri Lanka Sole Survivor
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 9,313
|
Post by austin on Apr 16, 2019 14:38:03 GMT -5
Decided to listen to Jessica Andrews' version of "The Clown" and I dislike hers too, but for different reasons than Reba's rendition. I think the production is a lot better on hers, but her version also feels too slow and plods along. I like that Reba sped it up and I do prefer her voice, but the production and melody really make me tune out. I just don't get the appeal of the song. It's a swing and a miss for me, though it's not totally unlistenable or anything to Reba's credit, but on an album with such great ballads, it's skippable. Sounds like you are the clown in this case. kidding
|
|
someguy
Diamond Member
Joined: October 2003
Posts: 16,153
|
Post by someguy on Apr 16, 2019 17:23:50 GMT -5
The target edition arrive today. I love both of the bonus songs. I wish they had just made one 14-track regular edition of the album with both of the songs included in the main album.
|
|
someguy
Diamond Member
Joined: October 2003
Posts: 16,153
|
Post by someguy on Apr 21, 2019 4:23:14 GMT -5
Updated ranks, with the bonus songs:
1. Tammy Wynette Kind Of Pain 2. While You Were Sleeping 3. Stronger Than The Truth 4. The Clown 5. Freedom 6. No U In Oklahoma 7. Storm In A Shot Glass 8. In His Mind 9. Cactus In A Coffee Can 10. Swing All Night Long With You 11. The Bar's Getting Lower 12. You Never Gave Up On Me 13. Ain't Got Nothin' On MY Pain 14. Your Heart
"While You Were Sleeping" so should've been on the main album (just like "More Than Just Her Last Name" last time).
|
|