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Ed introduced this song at least once by saying they fucked up and left the best song off the album, so mjd has at least one person in his corner.
I also think Ed sounds great here. The weariness fits. "I think I'll throw these fuckin' pills away..." wouldn't work as well with an in your face, hey ho let's go, got some if you need it delivery.
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 3:35 pm Posts: 32296 Location: Buenos Aires
guestT wrote:
"I think I'll throw these fuckin' pills away..." wouldn't work as well with an in your face, hey ho let's go, got some if you need it delivery.
That is not the only possible alternative
You can argue that his approach is deliberate and fits the theme of the song, and that is fine. I just don't think it is a very good vocal take; it sounds unengaged and perfunctory, like it's a guide vocal track. He is actually flat in a couple of spots, which may be my biggest issue with it
Joined: Tue September 24, 2013 5:56 pm Posts: 47166 Location: In the oatmeal aisle wearing a Shellac shirt
theplatypus wrote:
guestT wrote:
"I think I'll throw these fuckin' pills away..." wouldn't work as well with an in your face, hey ho let's go, got some if you need it delivery.
That is not the only possible alternative
You can argue that his approach is deliberate and fits the theme of the song, and that is fine. I just don't think it is a very good vocal take; it sounds unengaged and perfunctory, like it's a guide vocal track. He is actually flat in a couple of spots, which may be my biggest issue with it
I always thought the same thing, like he did a quick take for later comping, and for whatever reason decided to just keep the take he did.
Yup. The song has always felt rough around the edges, with great natural (for lack of a better word) energy.
_________________ "The fatal flaw of all revolutionaries is that they know how to tear things down but don't have a f**king clue about how to build anything."
Joined: Tue September 24, 2013 5:56 pm Posts: 47166 Location: In the oatmeal aisle wearing a Shellac shirt
Just to be clear, I do enjoy this song. I just think it's sort of the beginning of the end for Ed's vocals, and it never seems to fit on a re-tracked version of Riot Act no matter how many ways I try to skin that cat.
I'm not really into the whole "retracking" thing but I don't necessarily get the sense that "Down" feels out of place with the other "Riot Act" material; I think "Riot Act" is one of those albums that works on a sort of "harmony of difference" principle where musically everything belongs because nothing does, with the unifying threads being the consistent headspace and general tone of the songwriting, as well as the live feel of the production (it's not a perfect comparison but "Riot Act" makes me think of "Exile on Main Street" in that regardless of how the songs actually sound, every one of them is shot through with that unmistakable feel of those five guys playing together in that space at that time). "Down" would be a lower-tier song on the album, and there are many live performances that are superior to the studio take, but I like the song a lot and am rarely unhappy to hear it -- it has a kind of breezy, almost alt-country-like twang that to my ears is unique in their catalog, and in an accomplishment that they'd struggle to repeat in later years, it manages to feel lightweight without seeming trite.
I love "Riot Act" so much. I think I'm going to listen to it or one of the '03 boots today.
Last edited by Kevin Davis on Tue October 24, 2017 6:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 3:35 pm Posts: 32296 Location: Buenos Aires
Here's a minor thing that kind of bothers me about the Lost Dogs version of "Down": it fades out too early.
Yeah all the instruments come to the natural conclusion but compare the ending of the song on the Live at the Garden video version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEB5GzoP5vA
I still like the studio cut. Its got a lazy listless breezy quality and its perfect for how laid-back the song sounds. Almost reminds me more of Michael Stipe than Eddie Vedder.
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