There is Progress now, where the once was none...
Progress is the new Take That Album, I received the deluxe edition yesterday and I've been listening pretty much all the time.
The Flood - Even after listening to The Flood like a million times, I still like it enourmously. It is epic. I can't wait to see them perform it live next year. When I first listened to it I was honestly almost crying. If I have to choose a favourite from the album it would be The Flood. I just can't get enough of it. It's just the right amount of dark. I like dark pop music. One of my favourite TT songs are darker and a bit on the depressive side with occasionally some hope thrown in. So it might be only natural that I like Progress as a whole because it is not a very positive album, at least I don't feel it is. But I always preferred drama and tears over comedy, so it's perfect for me. But beware - it's nothing like the rest of the album, which sounds very different. But that's not to say it's bad - it is just different you won't hear another 10 tracks like The Flood. It ends with thunder and transits into
SOS - which is fantastic. If I had to describe it in one word, I would choose "cool". I don't know why but I think it sounds extremely cool. Mark is kind of on lead but it is somehow shared with Robbie who sounds really good here. First time listening I didn't know what to think. Now I love it. I think the lyrics are somehow apocalyptic and End of the World feeling.
Wait - Mmmh, very depressive song. Not my favourite, but it is also not bad. Some lyrics I don't get. Maybe something about governments and dictatorship? Communism? Robbie leads the song, but the other voices are very much there especially in the chorus. I hear lots of Howard. Nice harmonies, maybe the song that sounds most like TT alltogether. With stomping feet it transists into
Kidz - which, like SOS is a cool song. I just love the way this song is made. The lyrics are also cool. Another Mark lead vocal. He just get's the best songs on the album. All that Hey, Hey, Hey and La, La, La, La is nice. I just like the way Mark kind of shouts "What you looking at?" I just can imagine the whole stadium rocking that song. And I like that they used some real kids voices, I wonder if they are the daughters & sons of TT?
Pretty Things - First listen - didn't like it. Now I do. I like the violins. It is much slower than the rest of the album. Medium Tempo. It is another Robbie lead with Gary kind of helping? I don't know how to decribe it, it sounds like they are singing in hushed voices and you can hear a spinet? It's not electric at all.
Happy Now - Happy Now, very nice. The chorus sounds a little bit like the Bee Gees. Gary has the most lines in this one. Very dream like, but still another faster dance track, with transists with what sounds very much like Jay into cho, cho, chos and then
Underground Machine - Robbie leads, singing he just is just a piece of a pie chart. I kind of like Robbies humor in it. Even though the whole album is dark and apocalyptic I think this one is a funny one. I think it is the fun song of the album, not to be taken seriously. And I love Jays cho cho cho's. I just had to laugh at "If you're so good looking why don't you sleep with yourself tonight?"
What do you want from me? - Nice intro....Another Mark on lead vocal. I like it, fast and the lyrics are really good. It's about a long term relationship and really catchy. Loads of Synths used here. It has an 80s feeling and also feels very futuristic or 2010, if you like. I like how the word "Progress" is in the lyrics of this song and in the lyrics of The Flood.
Affirmation - Howard on lead. I really like Howards voice on Beautiful World or Mancunian Way, for example. But I'm still not sure what to think of Affirmation. He sings in a very low key and then pretty high again. But it's certainly not bad. I just have to get used to it, I guess.
Eight Letters - Loads of people seem to love this one the most, it has Gary on lead vocals. One of the lines is "Look back but don't stare" like the new documentary. I preordered the DVD and will only watch it in December. The lyrics are touching - it's about TT and their history back in the 90s from Robbies POV. The line I found really sad is "I thought I'd go before you leave me" after all this time I still feel sorry for them. Even though Robbie leaving didn't hurt me as much as them splitting up eventually. The sound of this song has some antiquated feeling to it and that puts me off. I'm not loving it as much as I would have, if it wouldn't sound a little weird - especially in the chorus.
(Hidden Track) Flower Bed - Jason gets the hidden track. Very etheral, slow and otherwordly. It sounds more like being underwater than in a Flower Bed. I like it but I probably won't listen to it that much. It is ok, for being a hidden track, though.
I really like how one track transists into the next. It really feels like this album is a unit, and not just some random songs that don't connect, because they do and I like how they do it. So my final verdict? It is different, but awesome. I really like it. It certainly is not worse that The Circus or Beautiful World, it is just different. And I'm very glad it is different. I never understand when people say "Why don't they release another song like "insert Song X"?" For me I have to say I don't want to listen to Circus 2 or another Patience again and again so I'm glad that Progress is not like this. I like that they changed the musical direction and I've been a fan since the beginning. I'm so happy that I got tickets for the tour 2011, since I can't wait to see them perform these songs live on stage. This whole apocalyptical theme Progress has, I almost can see that they can create a phenomenal show around it. I also understand, if people don't like it, though. If you expect an album like the ones before you'll be disappointed and you have to like electro-music at least a little, I guess. For me I never have certain expectations how music has to sound - even for my favourite artists, so I'm almost never disappointed. For Progress they couldn't have chosen a better title. They could have played it save and satisfied a lot of people. They didn't and know there will be backlash between the haters and the lovers. At the moment I cannot get enough of the Album. So for me it's A+
The Flood - Even after listening to The Flood like a million times, I still like it enourmously. It is epic. I can't wait to see them perform it live next year. When I first listened to it I was honestly almost crying. If I have to choose a favourite from the album it would be The Flood. I just can't get enough of it. It's just the right amount of dark. I like dark pop music. One of my favourite TT songs are darker and a bit on the depressive side with occasionally some hope thrown in. So it might be only natural that I like Progress as a whole because it is not a very positive album, at least I don't feel it is. But I always preferred drama and tears over comedy, so it's perfect for me. But beware - it's nothing like the rest of the album, which sounds very different. But that's not to say it's bad - it is just different you won't hear another 10 tracks like The Flood. It ends with thunder and transits into
SOS - which is fantastic. If I had to describe it in one word, I would choose "cool". I don't know why but I think it sounds extremely cool. Mark is kind of on lead but it is somehow shared with Robbie who sounds really good here. First time listening I didn't know what to think. Now I love it. I think the lyrics are somehow apocalyptic and End of the World feeling.
Wait - Mmmh, very depressive song. Not my favourite, but it is also not bad. Some lyrics I don't get. Maybe something about governments and dictatorship? Communism? Robbie leads the song, but the other voices are very much there especially in the chorus. I hear lots of Howard. Nice harmonies, maybe the song that sounds most like TT alltogether. With stomping feet it transists into
Kidz - which, like SOS is a cool song. I just love the way this song is made. The lyrics are also cool. Another Mark lead vocal. He just get's the best songs on the album. All that Hey, Hey, Hey and La, La, La, La is nice. I just like the way Mark kind of shouts "What you looking at?" I just can imagine the whole stadium rocking that song. And I like that they used some real kids voices, I wonder if they are the daughters & sons of TT?
Pretty Things - First listen - didn't like it. Now I do. I like the violins. It is much slower than the rest of the album. Medium Tempo. It is another Robbie lead with Gary kind of helping? I don't know how to decribe it, it sounds like they are singing in hushed voices and you can hear a spinet? It's not electric at all.
Happy Now - Happy Now, very nice. The chorus sounds a little bit like the Bee Gees. Gary has the most lines in this one. Very dream like, but still another faster dance track, with transists with what sounds very much like Jay into cho, cho, chos and then
Underground Machine - Robbie leads, singing he just is just a piece of a pie chart. I kind of like Robbies humor in it. Even though the whole album is dark and apocalyptic I think this one is a funny one. I think it is the fun song of the album, not to be taken seriously. And I love Jays cho cho cho's. I just had to laugh at "If you're so good looking why don't you sleep with yourself tonight?"
What do you want from me? - Nice intro....Another Mark on lead vocal. I like it, fast and the lyrics are really good. It's about a long term relationship and really catchy. Loads of Synths used here. It has an 80s feeling and also feels very futuristic or 2010, if you like. I like how the word "Progress" is in the lyrics of this song and in the lyrics of The Flood.
Affirmation - Howard on lead. I really like Howards voice on Beautiful World or Mancunian Way, for example. But I'm still not sure what to think of Affirmation. He sings in a very low key and then pretty high again. But it's certainly not bad. I just have to get used to it, I guess.
Eight Letters - Loads of people seem to love this one the most, it has Gary on lead vocals. One of the lines is "Look back but don't stare" like the new documentary. I preordered the DVD and will only watch it in December. The lyrics are touching - it's about TT and their history back in the 90s from Robbies POV. The line I found really sad is "I thought I'd go before you leave me" after all this time I still feel sorry for them. Even though Robbie leaving didn't hurt me as much as them splitting up eventually. The sound of this song has some antiquated feeling to it and that puts me off. I'm not loving it as much as I would have, if it wouldn't sound a little weird - especially in the chorus.
(Hidden Track) Flower Bed - Jason gets the hidden track. Very etheral, slow and otherwordly. It sounds more like being underwater than in a Flower Bed. I like it but I probably won't listen to it that much. It is ok, for being a hidden track, though.
I really like how one track transists into the next. It really feels like this album is a unit, and not just some random songs that don't connect, because they do and I like how they do it. So my final verdict? It is different, but awesome. I really like it. It certainly is not worse that The Circus or Beautiful World, it is just different. And I'm very glad it is different. I never understand when people say "Why don't they release another song like "insert Song X"?" For me I have to say I don't want to listen to Circus 2 or another Patience again and again so I'm glad that Progress is not like this. I like that they changed the musical direction and I've been a fan since the beginning. I'm so happy that I got tickets for the tour 2011, since I can't wait to see them perform these songs live on stage. This whole apocalyptical theme Progress has, I almost can see that they can create a phenomenal show around it. I also understand, if people don't like it, though. If you expect an album like the ones before you'll be disappointed and you have to like electro-music at least a little, I guess. For me I never have certain expectations how music has to sound - even for my favourite artists, so I'm almost never disappointed. For Progress they couldn't have chosen a better title. They could have played it save and satisfied a lot of people. They didn't and know there will be backlash between the haters and the lovers. At the moment I cannot get enough of the Album. So for me it's A+