review thread: straight to nowhere ~spoilers~

[kimmuriel]

So I finally got my copy of Straight To Nowhere.

When I first saw the packaging and opened it up, I must admit that I had a bit of a double take.
I have no clue why exactly there are two cd slots [apart from the fact that it looks kind of snazzy], but the packaging is not the real issue here.

The music is GREAT.

Track one is the radio edit, which is, surprise surprise, a radio edit.
Awesome song, but I still prefer the original because it's longer!

I'm going to skip over tracks two and three as they are exactly the same as the album versions .

november 5th is really, really beautiful. It's like an icy garden. I imagine the whole environment - trees, flowers, soil, and maybe a fountain - iced over as someone creaks open the gate and walks around this forgotten place for the first time since they were a child. It's totally overgrown and crumbling.

mary vincent (alternate version) is a slower, much more melancholy version. It's only piano and vocals. The piano is played sparingly, which frees up the song and brings space to the mix. I really felt like crying in this song, and I almost never cry. I love this song so much. I'm glad it was rerecorded in this way. It shows just how great a musician Claudia is.

[becky]

Cool, glad someone started this!

I love your description of Nov. 5th! The music is so sad. So beautiful. It easily could have been included on the album.

The alt. version of mary vincent is a tear jerker! I really think Claudia did such a beautiful job.

Having this additional material makes me even more excited (if that's possible) to see the music performed live.

Everything Jerome & company have done with this music is stunning in my opinion.

I'm so happy there is something current that is different than the majority of the garbage being promoted today (no offense to the band Garbage! I liked the first 2 albums then lost track though).

reminder is a style of music that's hard to find. Is a bit like nin's Still which I adore. With the "rock" that's being released/promoted sucking so badly for the most part, until it makes some sort of come back (I'm hopeful it will..everything comes in cycles), I'm so happy there's an alternate style of music I love available. I realize this style of music isn't for everyone, but I think there are enough of us out there who do love it, that it can thrive, and be something to enjoy for a long time to come.

I've been a music junkie ever since I can remember (as a tiny little kid). Played for about 4 years when I was much younger. Music is a big part of who I am, and without having music I find meaningful, I think my life would be hollow!

I give the maxi-single 5 out of 5 stars!!!

(okay, so we don't have stars, so hearts will have to do!)

[rogets]

First let me say I am an idiot Upon receipt, I immediately saved it to my iPod for later listening. As my iTunes so frequently does, it didn't capture the last song and I listened twice before realizing this......doh!

Tracks 1,2,3 - nothing new here. The radio edit loses 15 seconds that's all.

Track 4 - more please. I love this as I love all the instrumentals on reminder. Truely I'd die for a full length disc of nothing but instrumentals from JD. The music feels barren, desolate, inhospitable. I'm not a imagery type of person but if I were putting image to this it would be the desert or a moonscape.

Track 5 - Let me start by issuing the disclaimer that I do like this song and I do like Claudia and I do like the idea of just vocal and piano. I'm having problems with the way all are presented in this version. Remember back to your first listen to reminder and how different and odd Claudia's voice sounded? After a few listens you couldn't imaging anyone else singing these songs...they fit together so well. This version brings me back to that initial reaction. It also highlights all the problems that I have with her vocal style - enunciation and vowel formation mainly. I'm also not crazy about the piano accompaniment with the constant chordage. The album version feels very gentle to me while this version goes to the other extreme and feels so, so harsh. Almost like the song is being slapped around a little. I'd like a more melodic accompaniment to bring some of the gentleness back. Finally, I'm annoyed by the ending, I don't think it matches this interpretation at all. If you're gonna go for the harsh, discordant version, commit to it! Wrapping up the song like a present with a pretty little bow via the major chord resolution just ain't working for me. Again - I like the song, I like Claudia, I like the idea. I just think this was a miss.

[becky]

I have to add that I can't stop listening to November 5th. I'm so hooked.

I do like mary vincent quite a bit, and think the stripped down is awesome, but I respect the opinion otherwise.

As I stated, this music isn't going to grab everyone...some like the instrumental only pieces and not the vocals.

I'm just grateful for those of us that do love it, we have it available!

[jentwo]

These different reactions to track #5 are very interesting! Personally, I adore it. I find it very moving and I'd love to see this arrangement used in the live performance. I think it's a lot more melancholy, and the album version almost feels too upbeat to me now.

[kimmuriel]

I was intially kind of shocked when I heard how stripped down it was - I was expecting it to be much more like the album version.
Of course, that's not a bad thing at all. It adds a whole new layer to the song. In my opinion it's really beautiful. If this is any indication as to how nearLY is going to be when played live, I may swoon with delight.

[mikeko]

I finally received my copy today! November 5th is so original and beautiful that I can't come up with any word to describe it now. The alternative version of Mary Vincent is just breathtaking..... I really love both tracks.. (Sorry, I got home late and tired, and my brain isn't working well...but I just wanted to say something here because those songs are just amazing!)

[Reena]

November 5th is so beautiful!!! It sounds so sad. It sounds like how a loss feels...if I make any sense. It feels cold, lonely, empty and sad, but also acceptance, in the end (I think thanks to the viola?). How is it possible that you were able to capture all those feelings in this music, Jerome? It is really amazing! So much emotion! I can't stop listening to it.
(I like the description of the icy, forgotten garden.)

The first two chords of the alternate version of Mary Vincent sound exactly like a Damien Rice song (Cold Water)...so that kind of caught me off guard. I didn’t really like it the first time, because of Claudia’s voice. But even more because I guess I wasn’t really listening. I was doing a zillion things all at once and it was playing at the background. So that made me think it wasn’t good.
At night I listened to it again and then it hit me. It has become a completely different song. It sounds much sadder and you cannot help but listen to every word she’s singing. In the album version you can get lost in the layers of music, but in this version you can’t escape. You HAVE to listen to the words. It is sung with much more emotion, you feel every word. It feels real. It is beautiful!

Thank you for these two extra tracks. They are amazing!

[Pam]

I got mine today! I had a few good listens, but then I had to rush off to work. I am not great at reviews, so I apologize in advance (I cannot put into word what my brain is thinking). November 5th is gorgeous! I didn't know it was instrumental, and I love it! It was one of those songs where you love it the moment you first hear it! Just gorgeous!

Mary Vincent (alternate version) just took my breath away. At first I was a little iffy about it, but all of a sudden I heard a really beautiful power in Claudia's voice. I listened to it over and over and my goosebumps were continuous. This version is moving, and I love it! That's all I'm going to say...beautiful.

[becky]

Pam, that's a great review! I concur with you on it!

[fuzzyblue]

one word.. stunning.