Frank Turner - Songbook (December 15th 2017) Album • Page 2

I consider things like this, Three Years, EP's, ans so on a bonus. Happy to hear a new album is coming this Spring, but the new song a new versions will pass the time.

 

"Was it Kate Bush who re-recorded one of her albums? That struck me as gigantically pointless. I do think that records are moments in time and it’s slightly self-involved and fatuous to spend your whole life trying to redo things you’ve already done."

Rank Your Records: Frank Turner Rates His Five Albums

 

I love FT but ive actually always thought of him as pretty self involved lol, i mean hes doing one of those “come spend the weekend with me and hang out with me and watch me and just me” kind of things next year. Heck he created his own music festival where he headlines every night lol

 

Maybe he is, in the sense that he's a private school kid, who happened to be a punk instead of the social norm around himand made his own way in music. I don't think you end up where he is without believing in yourself, being stubborn and making your precense known.

He's really into his place in music. Where he comes from (hardcore/folk music), how hard he had to work to get there (touring/personal struggle), who he's friends with, who he listens to, who he supports, and so on. I think his upfrontness is part of what draws people to him. I have a feeling if I met him I'd probably think he's such a nice guy. He's a great story teller.

 

I just listened to the new Songbook Version of Long Live The Queen, and I'm here to eat some serious crow. This version of the song is f---ing incredible - and this is a song that's an absolute classic to begin with. The album version we already have is a masterpiece. Sometimes it brings me to tears. But this new version reminds me of when bands put out a killer live album - like Okonokos from My Morning Jacket - with a version of an older song that kinda reimagines it how the band plays it now with new chemistry and a different dynamic. Only this isn't live, it's recorded in the studio. If the other Songbook Versions are like this I can kinda see where he's coming from with this idea.

 

Just gave all the re-worked tracks a listen and they’re all awesome per usual Frank Turner standards.

Quite particularly enjoyed Way I Tend To Be There, Long Love the Queen, and I Am Disappeared the most.

He nails nearly every thing he touches and now I’m super amped/ready for his new album next year!

 

On the other end of the spectrum, I kind of found this to be completely non-essential listening.

I’ve only heard up to Disappeared so I can’t speak to Broken Piano or Ballads yet, but I found that so far most of these new arrangements are underwhelming.

I think Love 40 Down is one of his weaker song to begin with and the new arrangement does it no favours. I Am Disppeared is one of my very favourite songs but the new version completely strips it of it’s urgency, so that the compelling element of desperation in the song is lost. Couldn’t make it through a somber version of the upbeat Josephine, and Glorious You is just the acoustic version with a backing band.

I did enjoy Polaroid Picture well enough, and I thought Way I Tend to Be was effective in its simplicity, but yeah. This release is just a big shrug for me. LLTQ and Photo are literally just them playing the songs in the style that they would be performed live now, which begs the questions: Why not just a live album?

Anyways, I’m still so hyped for the new album.

 

Yeah I doubt I'll even bother listening to this.

 

It's just meant to be a fun thing. There's nothing wrong with the originals.

 

I love hearing his voice again. The ending of Josephine is very well done and I don’t mind hearing different versions of songs I’ve listened to death.

I feel like this was just a placeholder for us fans in waiting for the next album. I recall him being DONE in studio with his album back in the summer, but then he went back recently into studio to make more changes.

Either way new Frank Turner and Brian Fallon records in the same year is fucking glorious.

 

He finished recording in June, the last thing he tracked were crowd vocals for the new version of the sand in the gears at an acoustic show.

I love the new Long Live the Queen, and am always down for more versions of ballad, but outside of that this is definitely just an ok listen and not something I’ll go back to a whole lot.

 

On Instagram towards the end of October he was in studio working on stuff and posted on the 30th he finished recording the next album. I know he was working on some b-sides but the Instagram on the 30th made it seem like it was more than just b-sides. So I do think he went back in to work on it!

Either way, I’m pumped!

 

Oh, i guess he decided to finish some more stuff on it. He originally did an acoustic show in Ft. Worth to celebrate being done with the album and played some songs off of it and everything.

 

The next album will probably feel like a collection of songs than anything. I'm ok with that.

 

I was really excited for the concept album he's working on but I think he's said he did something else instead to be more topical which is way less interesting to me. I don't think Sand in the Gears is very good. I might be wrong though.

 

The way he talked about it at the ft worth show he mentioned experimenting with weird / electronic instruments and that the album was shaped a lot by politics and the general turmoil / divide among people, and that he was thinking of titling it after the track Be More Kind.

 

Gorgeously! I adore his voice. I'm waiting.

 

Anything even vaguely experimental would be fine by me. He's basically made the exact same album seven times at this point - would love to hear something / anything a bit different from him, even if its duff.

 

my sister loves frank turner. i like him too, but not as much as her. we go see him when he comes to texas, and i pre-ordered songbook for her for christmas.

i hadn't heard all this about the new album! now i'm really excited.

 

I think Broken Piano was a step towards experimenting a bit with his voice, well still falling in the Frank Turner realm. I can see what you mean though. Maybe Four Simple Words is another example of him trying something. I don't want him to go all dance beats club music like a fall out boy though. He's a story teller writer. As long as that doesn't get lost.

 

Where do I begin listening to Frank Turner's extensive discography? I have somehow mostly missed out on him and listened to 'England Keep My Bones' and 'Tape Deck Heart' so far. He has so many releases with live music and covers and everything, I am curious what everyone considers essential listening. Thanks in advance!

 

It can be brutally overwhelming at first but take it slow. There are technically only 6 real albums which is still a lot, but his Spotify makes it seem much more daunting.

It’s good to begin with England Keep My Bones and Tape Deck Heart. Those are awesome!

Next I would digest Love, Ire & Song. Was the first album I heard from him and won me over. You’ll notice it has less of a “band” and is more acoustic driven.

Then you could do either Positives Songs For Negative People or Poetry of the Deed. These have the band backing him. He thinks less highly of Poetry of the Deed and it certainly feels more of the “forgotten album” but some of those tracks do find their way into setlists such as The Road.

Those are all worth listening, but his first album Sleep is for the Week isn’t amazing but does have a few good tracks such as Father’s Day, Worst Things Happen At Sea, Ballad of Me And My Friends, and The Real Damage.

My rankings would probably be:

Love Ire & Song
England Keep My Bones
Tape Deck Heart
Positive Songs For Negative People
Poetry of the Deed
Sleep is for the Week

Good luck and enjoy the ride. If you love what you hear DEF go see him live. He’s probably my favorite live performance and it might not even be close.

 

I would honestly start with last minutes and lost evenings which IMO is a great compilation of some of his best, most accessible songs, and from there visit the albums you like most.

 

Love Ire and Song, easily.

 

I considered myself a pretty fringe FT fan with really only listening to Tape Deck Heart, PSFNP, Campfire Punk Rock and Love Ire Song maybe once so I thought this would be a great release to jump into.

I preordered the deluxe box set and I've been listening my download non-stop the last couple days. I really love what he did with his Songbook versions, the new song is really good imo, and it has some of my favorite songs of his that I've already been fond of. I'd say this was a must listen for me, but I can see why many of you don't really see the point to it all that much.