Album reviews for The Garden EP, A song-by-song take at the album Options

[Lerxst]

Conclusion

The Garden EP is one of the worst pieces of music I have heard this year by ANY artist. It is incredibly lazy song writing and even lazily put together. It was just so over produced that it sucks any kind of natural or organic nature the songs could have had right out. This is a new low for Ed, honestly, this is the worst thing he has ever done, worse then Alive, worse then SFBM.

-14/100

Nice review pokey, but I see your Kelvin scale is a bit generous just a -14. Hahaha

You should post that to Ed's FB but too bad Nick and EK won't let honest reviews through. There's always Amazon reviews!!

-Jimmy

[Pokey]

Nah I can't post it to Ed's facebook because I've been banned for exposing Ed's shifty email dealings. And honestly I don't have any desire to spam or harass Ed's facebook and never did, I only posted there when he emailed me first which prompted my reply ... but that had to be deleted and swept under the rug because it's bad press, which is LITERALLY the worst thing in the world!
It must be killing Nick that he can't delete this review here like he did my post on FB. But really, this is an honest review - I listened to the EP and I commented on it as it played. For better or worse, those are my thoughts on the EP.

[mfitz804]

The lyrics are incredibly uninspiring. So many themes that he has repeated so many times. So much so that in a couple instances, I knew roughly (or exactly) what the next line would be when listening to the sing for the first time.

I noted much, much less falsetto than in some of the previous hated releases. In fact, without having listened for it, i don't recall one instance of it.

I still love Ed's voice, but honestly his writing has gone to shit.

Oh, and I hate Mind Games. I understand the impact John Lennon had on music, but honestly, I think some of his songs suck and this is one of them.

This post has been edited by mfitz804: Nov 24 2012, 7:22 pm

[jayda]

AHH saved me having to listen to it. Thanks Pokey. That was far more entertaining to read than having to listen to the bloody thing.

[Beardan]

Far too harsh Pokey. The songs are all listenable and the garden is excellent. I dont understand the line 'sometimes people change and im the proof' given ed has been preaching about love and the rest since tdth. however the song might be about other things?? Its not the greatest piece of work of all time, but i think its all pretty good. Ive enjoyed listening to it all.

[Pokey]

Far too harsh? Total honesty, from someone who fell in love with Ed for MJ, TC, SS and TDTH, this is like an entirely different person; he's changed, and this is the proof, if anything I was way too lenient with it.

[jayda]

He's gone so far away from LIVE (even from SFBM I think - they weren't as preachy) that it's totally different and in another genre. If you are into that pop stuff, then good luck to you. I prefer something that is individual and different.

As for the remixes, like many others, I find them a joke.

[Sonic Tonic]

I prefer something that is individual and different.

Such as Blink 182?

[Badman]

Far too harsh Pokey. The songs are all listenable and the garden is excellent. I dont understand the line 'sometimes people change and im the proof' given ed has been preaching about love and the rest since tdth. however the song might be about other things??

In Ed's head, he is talking about how he has changed from rock and roll excess to finding god/family. Many of us here twist it into him singing about how he has changed to become a guy who backstabs his friends CC&P. This is probably the clearest way I can explain it here for someone who is new to the board

[mfitz804]

My review.

Better than a punch in the nuts. Not quite as exhilirating as a punch in the face.

[jayda]

Such as Blink 182?

hell freakin yes! they're on their way to Australia soon!!!!

[dangum]

Continue discussion about royalty splits here:

The Songwriting of Live

[Hoodstock]

I know it's not popular with many of those who are here but I like the EP and can appreciate the attempt of giving control of the songs to others for remixes (even though they didn't really deliver).

Here's my take. Ed is 41. He's not the young up and coming artist that wrote MJ, TC, and SS. He never will be again. He's left Shit Towne, made it to the top, and living a life that he only dreamed of when he first started writing. He's now gone in his own direction, a pop rock artist that focuses on a small range of concepts throughout many of his songs. He's focused on certain things and he is what he is.

With that in mind I will say I enjoyed the EP.

No, it's not the great Ed that performed with early Live, it never will be. However, Ed is still an artist putting out decent music. It just happens not to be that similar to what made him popular, making it hard for the fan base he built to appreciate it.

I can understand those who are completely disappointed because they have hopes for recapturing the past, but Ed just isn't there anymore. His lyrics retread what he had with success in the past and he doesn't have the rock in him like he did on a song like Stage.

Ed's going to write about the same things on every album he ever does. He's trapped in a lyrical box and I don't ever see him moving outside his comfort zone again with the words he sings. If you can't get past that I totally understand.

As far as the EP is concerned, I'd say it goes along the same lines and is very comparable to the better stuff that was on Alive (if you happened to like any of that album).

I like The Garden, Rise, Solar Flare, Mind Games and I'm The Proof (Remix). The remix of I'm The Proof helps me get over the bad lyrics because it doesn't sound so much like Ed singing about himself since it is a duet.

I'd say if those 5 songs had replaced other songs on Alive it could have been a really good album. The rest of the EP I will probably never listen to again.

The only other remix (besides I'm The Proof) that could have been good was The Rise. If the added vocals had been left out it would actually be good as far as remixes go.

I have no problem with artists trying remixes as many are doing them. For example, Maroon 5 had something like five or six remixes of Payphone (just one song) on the deluxe version of their latest release. At least Ed had each of the songs attempted.

As far as my Ed solo artist playlist, this is what I listen to from him.

- The Great Beyond
- Grace
- Stand
- Zion
- Just In Time
- A New World
- Dirty Water, Lotus Flower
- The Garden
- Rise
- Solar Flare
- Mind Games
- I'm The Proof (Remix)

If you don't enjoy most of these songs then you don't like Ed as solo artist and you never will. You shouldn't waste your time on him anymore, he's not going to change. These songs really represent his sound.

If you still enjoy the Ed's voice and his sound, and can tolerate some of the corny lyrics at times, the playlist I laid out makes for a good album. I'd say the rest of his solo stuff is junk.

[World Dreamer]

Fair enough, Hoodstock. Good post.

[OutToDry]

yeah fair enough and objective post. I for one am not holding out hope he comes back to that form, he's never doing that, nor should he every come back to Live.....they are oil and water in musical circles philosophically.