Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness - Zombies on Broadway (February 10, 2017) Album • Page 13

The swirling guitar line on it's own is enough for me to dig Only Ashes

 

I don't really have a problem with Break Myself. It's fine. Not a great melody and kind of generic, but not offensive in any way. I have never liked "Only Ashes" at all.

I generally think both SoCo records feel less cohesive than anything that came after, though. Andrew is better suited to the poppier sound he took on with Jack's and the Wilderness, and he's just a better album maker than he was in those days.

 

North is probably my least favorite andrew album

 

I love north, but it has one of my least favorite Andrew songs on it- Me and the Moon. I know I'm the only one who hates it. I'm a bad person, I'm sorry.

 

Good! You should be sorry!

 

I'm not a big fan either

 

I sent myself to the corner to think about what I've done.

 

i’m inclined to agree with you on passenger (the b sides are fire tho my bias to the near perfection of eit could never be tempered) but i’m curious what this looks like. off the top of my head mine looks like:

the resolution
spinning
crashin’
swim
annie use your telescope
at full speed
keep rising
hammers and strings
diane, the skyscraper
orphans
caves

out of it is actually my favorite b side but it feels too much like an eit song (ditto for miss california) and doesn’t really fit.

 

I wouldn't change it quite as much as you:

Crashin'
Spinning
Swim
Dear Jack
What Gets You Off
Annie Use Your Telescope
There, There Katie
Drop Out
Hammers and Strings
At Full Speed
The Resolution
Caves

Bonus Track: Doris Day

I think that hits harder, thematically, and has fewer duds. I could be convinced to keep "Bloodshot" on there, and I don't mind "Orphans" either, but the original record is a bit too long. Agreed that "Miss California" feels like it belongs elsewhere. So does "Doris Day," to be honest, but I just think that's a better song.

 

hmm interesting

was never too big on dear jack and there, there katie. i think the backstory to them gives them some weight but otherwise i find them uninteresting don't really return to them.

and was really considering throwing dropout in there (i do like that song a lot). but i like my records pretty tight and thought you could leave that one out narrative wise.

i actually like what gets you off too but i think it's out of place in terms of subject matter lol.

i was kind going for a descending type album. the first part deals with the post cancer turbulence while the second half gets into the thick of it. i dunno like i said it's off the top of my head and haven't listened too it.

i do like the tracks you kept (obviously we align a good amount on that front).

surprised i never did this before tho

 

Paging @Craig Manning :

 

He covered this on one of the Jack's tours. I think I still have a live recording or two of it from back then. Would love him to cover something like "Backstreets" and nail the Roy Bittan piano parts.

 

It's better now. 3-part harmonies and accordion.

 

The version of Swim they are playing on this tour is gorgeous

 

my glass passenger edit would prob just replace "american love" with "doris day," but then i am the only person on earth who likes "suicide blonde"

 

I like Suicide Blonde

 

i love "at full speed" and think it's one of andrew's best songs but i think putting it on glass passenger with "caves" makes it feel like there are two closing tracks

 

The Glass Passenger is my favorite JM album

 

"Cell Phone" is the clear-cut top B-side, if you must tamper with the tracklist

 

that's awesome. seeing him in berkeley next month.

 

I honestly think he's better live with the Wilderness band than he was with Jack's. Really blew me away when I saw him last summer. I had tickets to this tour, too, but ended up being out of town. I hope there's another leg that comes close to me, because I'd love to hear the new songs live.

 

Oh yeah this is the best he's ever sounded, no debate. And the new songs are fantastic live. He knows exactly when to go frontman and when to play piano.

 

Judging by what happened with the last record, he'll be touring this one for awhile, so I'm sure I'll get another chance to see it. Which of the new songs was your favorite to hear live?

 

God hard to pick. "Brooklyn" and "Island Radio" were surprising in how good they sounded. "So Close" with disco lights and the house disco ball was unreal. "Fire Escape" sounded like the megahit it really is. Honestly the only one that could have been improved was "Shot Out of a Cannon" because the little synth hook after the chorus was almost inaudible.

 

"So Close" is the one I want to see the most, I think. He did "Fire Escape" when I saw him last summer, and that was killer.