The Turn - Full Album on iTunes US now Options

[RobB]

It's here!

[QuietRiverRage1]

New poster here, though I've been following these boards for quite a while. This album was the first one that made me feel compelled to post here.

I'd like to preface this by saying that I respect and still appreciate the music that Ed has and continues to put out. Though, I think he must have run into some major vocal issues at some point because he has clearly lost a little bit of his vocal ability and replaced it with more of a high pitched sound. Still, I respect him. I did like Alive, absolutely hated the Garden.

As for CCP, I loved The Gracious Few album after I listened to it enough times. I started to see the ability that the band has with a strong frontman at the helm. They work well as a unit, and you can tell they are on the same page for exactly what you want.

In terms of Live. I am a TC, SS, TDTH guy. I did like BOP to an extent, but absolutely hated V and SFBM. I think I share the opinions of a ton of people on this forum when they say that the last three albums they put out were the weakest. I still bought every one, I still enjoyed them to some extent and even think that one of the best songs they ever did came off of BOP in Like I Do.

Now, the new Live, I'll start with a track by track.

Sirens Call: Strong song. I think that it lays down the foundation for what the album is supposed to be right from the get go. Musically, the song is there. Vocally, Chris showcases what he is capable of. 8/10

Don't Run to Wait: I've seen some critics of this song try to compare it to a knock off of Stage. Honestly, I don't care. Its heavy and I think this is Chris at his best. The style of this song is everything I have always loved about my favorite Live songs in the past. Fast paced, anthematic, heavy. 9.5/10

Natural Born Killers: Am I the only person who really thinks this is an amazing song? A little bit creepy yes, but at least they are singing about something different than love and babies. The chorus is what really brings it home for me. I found myself singing it almost right off the bat the first time I heard it. I also absolutely love how the song finishes so heavy. It really carries the weight of the whole track. Fantastic. 9/10

6310 Rodgerton Dr.: To me, I think the reason why most people love this song is because it the one track that actually sounds more like an old school Live track than anything else. Chris's low key vocals, with a mix of the acoustic and electric works pretty well together. If you threw old school Ed into this song in Chris's place, you could make a case for this being a B side on SS or TDTH. With Chris, it works and is a good change-up for the album. 8/10

By Design: As someone going through a bit of a life change myself, I actually related to this song quite a bit. The lyrics resonated with me, so I am a little biased. I think this song flows well coming out of Rodgerton. Once again, love the chorus, love it musically. 8.5/10

The Way Around Is Through: I actually think this is the third weakest song on the album. I don't hate it, I just think it is slightly repetitive. I was nervous when I first heard this song, heard the words "Believe Tonight" and thought "Uh-oh...this was the song that was supposed to be the best live song they ever wrote?". Like I said, its not awful, and actually when showing the video to a friend of mine (who doesn't really listen to Live) he was immediately interested in hearing the rest of the album, so maybe choosing this as a single wasn't THAT bad of an idea? 7/10

Need Tonight: This song is somewhat of an enigma to me. I like the low, slow, mysterious vibe that it carries. The chorus is slightly repetitive, but I like how Chris throws some feeling into it as the song goes on on. I think I need more time for this one to grow on me, but this is the track that I just give the ol' "Meh." to. 6.5/10

The Strength to Hold On: Back on track here big time. I absolutely love this song. Musically I love how it bounces back and forth. Chris's vocals bring a ton of passion and tie the whole thing together. This is just not just a track running through the rounds. I like that. 8/10

We Open The Door: I liked this song the first time I heard it a while back. I like the studio version just as much. I've always loved the chorus, and it immediately burns itself into your head. That is a good sign if you are trying to get someone new into Live. I also love the power in which this song closes out. 8/10

He Could Teach The Devil Tricks: I think if you fast forward about 6 months into the future, people will look at this track and say that this is the one that grew on them most. I think that its a very mysterious song once again, and the power of the chorus is absolutely there. This is absolutely another song where Chris shows his talent and passion. I am reminded a little bit White, Discussion with this. Now, don't get too crazy on me with that last statement, but that is how I view the track. It is the last effort to really kick ass on the album. And they do. 8.5/10

Till You Came Around: This song is about as far from a Live song as you can possibly get. The softer side thing is interesting, and Chris reverts a little more back to his Unified Theory days instead of the new Chris which was showcased on this album. I don't hate the song, but it certainly needs to grow on me as well. 6.5/10

So, here's the deal. If anyone was expecting TC or SS out of this album, you were kidding yourself. Those two albums are a different animal, not necessarily in how good they are, but in the style and feel. First of all, the band has evolved from those days to something different. With the vocals, to me, you can't go in expecting Chris Shinn to sound like old school Ed. Chris is not Ed, he is a different lead singer...not necessarily better, not necessarily worse, just different. If you take the album for what it is, and just listen to it as a hard rock album in general, it sounds fresh, somewhat modern, and it rocks from cover to cover. This is, in fact, a VERY good album, and that is simply from a rock standpoint, not from a "Live Fan" standpoint. I like songs that make me want to go back and listen over and over again. I like songs that make me say "wow, that was somewhat unexpected". I like songs that make me want to belt out the chorus while I'm blasting the album in my car. That is exactly what The Turn does. It's not easy to produce a quality album when you are an older band bringing in a new lead singer to replace someone who was as iconic as Ed. Live did it, and I think if people kept an open mind, they would get some fans back with this one.

End rant. Thanks for reading!