Jimmy Eat World - Integrity Blues (October 21, 2016) Album • Page 103

Maroon and white slowly coming back

 

If I didn't love polished production then quite frankly Jimmy Eat World wouldn't be my favourite band. I just happen to like a certain incarnation of Dizzy because I connect with it more easily. That's all there is to it. Whether or not I connect with something can't be explained away, nor can I can control it.

Believe me, I wish I loved the album version.

Can we leave it at that?

 

I probably prefer the acoustic version, but I know everyone takes my Dizzy opinions with a huge grain of salt anyway haha

 

That was tongue in cheek because I figured we had moved past it and could look back and laugh about it. It's not in my user title to be provokative. Like you said, it was just a silly joke reference.

 

Yeah, that song is meant to be a massive. It doesn't have the same power if it doesn't swell and crash the way the album version does

 

I think we hit on something interesting here about how to measure a song's aesthetic value against an artist's intentions (demo song vs. fully realized album version).

I find it difficult to appreciate demo versions because I know how some artists respond to fans who feel unfinished, unpolished snapshots of the recording process are superior to the songs they slaved over for hours and hours perfecting every minute detail. But that's just me.

If you're able to separate the art from the artist, more power to you. I simply can't.

 

I think JEW is one of the best bands in this scene at using production and various studio flourishes to enhance the quality of already very good songs. I think "Dizzy" is a prime example of that, and I even think the production choice on Damage – which I know is often derided – is as well.

 

Don't get me wrong, if I spoke to the band I certainly wouldn't tell them that I prefer the demo version. They might feel hurt and they don't deserve that. But that's the case with any critique really.

 

I gotta say, after listening to the live version of "You Were Good" from long before the record came out, the studio version disappointed me a bit. Jim used a loop pedal live, and there were some pretty cool riffs and a guitar solo that aren't on the album. Took me a while to warm up to the version on "Damage," but I certainly love it for what it is.. in a different way than I loved the live version.

 

Fortunately that wasn't the case for me with You Were Good but it was for Mixtape. But the change from live to album was so enormous that it basically became a different song.

 

Just posting as an observer, and in no way trying to get in the middle of things. I think the discussion about artists intent vs. (as Craig put it) a piece of art's aesthetic, face value is really intriguing. To be honest, it goes a little over my head and I'd rather listen to what others have to say than interject my own uninformed, undeveloped opinions, but I'd love to see where that conversation goes. There have undeniably been some negative energies in this thread today and I hope it can be resolved and bring back the fun of this thread.

Again, not trying to make a statement or side with anyone here, I just felt compelled as someone who is consistently following this thread to share my thoughts as a silent observer.

 

I once told Nic Newsham that I hated Gatsbys American Dream until I heard Volcano. He laughed and said he was glad I came around.

 

Ha yeah I'm not about to heckle the band for choosing the version I like less, but I definitely feel fine about preferring one or the other

 

It's just a different take on the song. It's way more raw, it works just as well. They are literally equal in quality for different reasons. Shows how good the song itself is

 

Bro we are talking about music here

 

Thanks. It's a topic that has really interested me of late as well. I'm posting this part as reading material for you and partly as a link so I can read it myself on my lunch break. This article looks like it delves into the topic and it may be interesting to me. Definitely something I want to read about more: The Importance of the Artist's Intent

 

I personally think it's great to discuss opinions on here. One of the beautiful things about music is seeing how it effects other people and it's interesting to see why people like the things they do. As long as no one gets personal with attacks and no one takes it too far, it should be perfectly fine to debate music on a music forum.

 

Craig's hive mind comment absolutely came across as an attack

 

I think there's a way to tell a band that you prefer one version over another without heckling them about the choice they made. If you approach it right you can even use it as a starting point to get their take on why they went the direction they did with the song, and it might even give you a new appreciation for the version they chose.

 

I don't necessarily agree but I don't have a dog in this fight

 

Music is important though! and opinions matter, they're just not entirely subjective as some people may believe.

 

Agreed seven thousand percent

 

Explain to me how opinions on music are objective

 

Oh, for sure. I didn't mean that no one should bring that up at all, just that I probably wouldn't and of course if anyone's heckling the artist that's not a good way to go about it either

 

Idk artist intent is interesting but I agree with Tristan/ @FTank in that I don't put much stock in them or think about the intentions all that much when listening. But it's interesting to know.