Early verdicts? It's been a day now...

[Markeb]

and two for some who got their CDs a day early! What do you think? (The thread no one wants to start?)

I like the record. I get some of the reviews who aren't real happy with the middle of the record. I'm only on my third pass through so far, and some cuts are going to have to grow on me. For the fans who post on this forum, we've all been looking forward to this and hoping for a home run, and I'm not sure if that's making me reluctant to call it one, or if it's not. Hence, a number of extra listens are necessary!

I'm a diehard Springsteen fan, and I think part of me really wanted a "Darkness" experience (Born to Run was his first commercial success, but most fans think Darkness on the Edge of Town, the follow up, is his best album). The Lion The Beast The Beat and The Divide are as good of cuts as I've heard from anyone in a long time. Stars is great. I think the sound overall is well produced, and there are some potentially commercial tracks (let's face it, they aren't going to make it big in this day and age without something that gets some Top 40/Pop play).

So, I'm happy, and think it's a great album. The first and last tracks leave me yearning for a little more in the middle; not disappointed, just wishing, if that makes any sense!

OK, I did it! Anyone else?

[marknga]

I've been reluctant as I wanted to give it several listens in several different environments and moods. But since this is the "Early Verdict" I'll chime in.
Love the title track... great way to start the record, just grabs you by the throat and screams listen to this! Then comes "Never Go Back". Since its lease it doesn't do anything for me, oh musically it is cool but lyric structure and phrasing it isn't for me. Ok there it is but really it does "fit" in the album.
"Parachute Heart": gotta give it time. It is ok. "Stars": Homerun, deep ball to centerfield... back back back it is ... it is out of here! Love it.
"Timekeeper"ne of those that gets better every listen, liking it. Love where it fits in the theme of the album.
"Loneliest Soul": my goodness... Grace lonely? Hard to imagine it but damn it I feel her pain. Like it.
"Turntable": ok here is my dilemma; love the music, the guitars the growl the buzz the beat.. the lyrics are silly and sometimes duh? But damn it is a catchy tune and God knows how many great songs are stupid and make no sense. Love the Benny feel in this one.
"Keepsake", "Runaway" and "One Heart Missing" are a tremendous set into the big ol finish. I like all three and "Runaway" is just a good groovy tune, with "One Heart" following: wow.
"The Divide": LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. Ever since I saw the first youtube videos of this being performed live I was hooked and the record is no different. Great closing song and to be frank one of my favorite songs in the last 10 years or so off a new album. Cannot wait to see this one live and in person. The beat, the rise and fall, the ascent and then crashing... damn good tune.
Extras:
Be honest only one listen or so: "Roulette and All Over You" are going to grow on me.
The cut with Chesney.... bad wrong ...stick with Grace's version. I had to strain to hear him and the mix doesn't work for me.
"Ragged Company" with Willie Nelson: should open the doors to the Nashville Country crowd. LOVE the song (original) can picture anybody more ragged looking than the Red Headed Stranger"

So guess I like it... it is hard for me to feel like I am being objective as I love this band and their energy. So I gave my wife and daughters copies to listen to (while they like GPN they tend to think of my obsession as borderline weird) so it will be cool to hear what they think.

My dream GPN album would have been more 2:22's, Sugar, Watching You, Stop The Bus, Ah Mary etc.... but this album has some of everything on it. One of the most intriguing records in a long long time.
Sorry for the ramble......next

[Doc Zinger]

1st time through with album, have watched some of the songs on Y tube.

"The Lion..." like cited great opening, they finally got what I call "the big or huge sound" in this song. Along the lines of Arcade Fire. After watching the 2011 Bonaroo Arcade Fire set I came away with the impression of what a big sound they put out. Woundered if that is why the were main PM headliners vs GPN being afternooners. Of course they have alot more people on stage vs GPN, but the studio version of TLTBTB has a bunch of added players, don't think we will get this full set up in their live shows(da!) MG the drum and bass lines are fantastic, the frick'n power of it is almost too much on my home system,( 2-15" subs, 2-10" bass/2 -12" bass,2- 24" mid range horns/2 horn tweeters, 6 stereo amps in set up- it can move some air) the old woofers bark on this one.

Did like Parachute Heart, seems more country than anything else, love the easy way Grace cranks out this song, her voice just flows so effortlessly and natural. I haven't seen it on the BOS Tour set list but would think it would go over well with that crowd. All the players are turing out great work on this one almost in a throw away manner, like we can do great casual country and don't have to strain to do it well, so all you country light weights take notice. I'm listening to it again as I write this shit, what a song, the drumming is great, Matt really lays down the foundation for this song in a huge way. Maybe not a great message song but sometimes you just like to hear an easy going tune and not have to think about much. This song alone is worth the album cost for me.

Will and some more BS after a few most listing sessions.

[Jersey Guy]

I listened to it in all different environments by now also (headphones, stereo, car blasting away, outside and on the treadmill ) The one common thing is the louder the better! Love TLTBTB opening up! Never go back (really growing on me) Especially blasting it outside last night! Thank God I got good neighbors. The only negative after the first two songs Parachute Heart puts a pin in my balloon ,I want to keep cruising and it brings me back to earth ( found a solution for me I rearranged the songs on my playlist on my IPOD , I went TLTBTB , NGB, the Divide , What a trilogy!!!!!) Stars is a hit! Love the Quirkinest of Loneliest Soul ! The Divide , WOW!!!! I like the rest of the songs also. I must say I'm glad they experiment ( I love my old GPN which I'll always have but also look forward to the future , which is bright!!!!

[Markeb]

It became official today: My wife informed me that TLTBTB sounded better than the last album. It's now official that it's a great album!

(Those of you who've been married for any length of time understand; the rest can look forward to this "aha" moment down the line!

[Xaphan]

Good one, Markeb.

The frriends I sent the cd to are reporting in and it is all positive. Generally the comment is, "the best work she has ever done." While there are some individual songs from other albums that I might like a bit more than some of these singles, the album as a whole is outstanding.

[melissa]

further evidence that "new" folks love it:
a friend of mine caught up w me today, rolling down her window to ask me if i could hear what she was playing. reportedly, she hasn't listened to anything else but LBB on repeat since getting her copy at the release show on weds!

[Trish]

further evidence that "new" folks love it:
a friend of mine caught up w me today, rolling down her window to ask me if i could hear what she was playing. reportedly, she hasn't listened to anything else but LBB on repeat since getting her copy at the release show on weds!

Ditto! Been doing a ton of driving lately (which is almost the only time I listen to music) and have seriously played it no less than 50 times since picking it up last week. In fact, I haven't felt the least bit motivated to listen to anything else. It's addictive - the more I listen to it, the more I want to hear it again.

Love every track - favorites being LBB, Stars, One Heart Missing, and the Divide. After forming that opinion without looking at the liner notes, I finally read the writing credits and those 4 are all the same: Potter. Every song on the album is great and has its own place in the entire whole, but for me Grace is really at her best when she's pouring her own passion out into the lyrics. An artist doesn't have to do that every time, but nothing gets to me quite as much as when they do - and Grace is one of the best at it.

I prefer the regular version of the album to the bonus track version ... just the 11 primary tracks in sequence start to finish ... then back to the beginning again. (Is it just me, or does this album seem less linear and more like it has an outside and a center? Strong powerful exterior (LBB/Divide) with Loniest Soul being the at center ... really freaking brilliant).

Totally love LBB ... love it. I may never listen to anything else again.

[Doc Zinger]

You guys make alot of good points and give insite on what to listen for. About the only thing to say now about this album is it grows on you the more you listen to it, not made for a one time pass through. I wonder how many people or maybe more so, new to GPN people will give it a one time listen and give it an some ok, some good, and some ho hum, and leave it at that and go on to looking for the great next new album without realizing they just had it in their hands.

I didn't like a few of the songs at first but after listening to "Timekeeper","Loneliest Soul", "One Heart Missing"(does this song remind anyone of U2's "With or Without You"), "Roulette." They have grown on me and I can see/hear more what Grace is trying to say with these songs but it took a few sessions to get it. Listening to " All Over You," as I write this, OMG the things this woman can do with her voice and with seemly such effortlessness and so naturally is a thing of great beauty. This song like alot of the others on the album has a great intro, not long but nice, also like the start of "Parachute Heart."

Also have to add how great everybody's musiclanship is one this album, these guys can hold their own against any group out there now, but than again they've been doing that for sometime. And they have the ultimate come back to any group that dares to criticize them, "Screw you, we got Grace and you don't!"

[Markeb]

Well, I started this one, so might as well add to it now!

I have pretty much convinced myself that this is GPN's best front to back album. The middle has grown on me, a lot. I've read some reviews where I don't know what the reviewer was smoking.

I still believe the opener and closer are absolute kicka$$ rock 'n' roll! Stars is incredible. But, and this is key, there's nothing on it that I don't like! There is a certain coherence that was probably missing in their earlier work. That may be a result of the iTunes generation and essentially no "new" artists putting out a coherently themed album. See my earlier comments on "Darkness on the Edge of Town". That album reflected a hard time in America, and the songs wrap around that theme. Grace seems to have put together a coherent album largely dealing with human interaction, and it's truly "album oriented rock," which unfortunately is somewhat dead these days (a long post for another day...).

iTunes tells me I've listened to every cut now at least 10 times, and had the benefit of seeing Grace live last weekend. It's a great album, reflected to some extent in its premiere on the various Billboard charts (more significant if it sustains this week). Still wish it left me wondering, for 34 years, if the "spot under Angel's Bridge" was my suicidal body or my dark, homeless self, but it comes darn close!