Frank Turner - No Man’s Land (August 16, 2019) Album • Page 11

This album has actually grown on me a lot. It is still not up to par with albums 2-6, but I probably like my version of it about as much as I like Sleep Is For The Week if I am being honest. It is a slight improvement on Be More Kind, but I still think it is a step down for him overall as a songwriter.

If you told me a couple years ago that Frank Turner was going to follow up PSFNP with two lackluster and boring albums I would have told you that you were f---ing crazy.

I cut it down to 10 tracks and dropped “A Perfect Wife”, “Silent Key”, and “Eye of the Day” – but I’ve been going back and forth on either including “Nica” or “Eye of the Day”.

 

I like Eye of The Day (a story about a victim of war times) the most I think, but Rosemary Jane (about his mom) and Perfect Wife (a pop song about a serial killer who murdered her husbands and family) are my top 3.

Still very far from being my favourite Frank Record, and still think it has some weak points. But he tried and it obviously was important enough to him so he did it.

 

So I listened to this on my drive home tonight and kinda gravitated to it a bit more than the first time. I'll say though, this isn't a great musical album.... but it kinda works as "stories set to music," kinda like little tiny podcasts about historical figures.

That being said, I still tuned out for a lot of it, but I found a few of the stories really interesting and heartbreaking. Sister Rosetta really hit me on this go around, Nica is completely heartbreaking, Rosemary Jane is just super sweet.

Anyway, as a Frank album it sucks, but as a series of stories they are interesting

 

It has a few good songs. I'm curious to see how many of these songs he plays on tour, he has a pretty big catalog now. I sure hope he doesn't play more than 3 of these in a set.

 

he really does work his ass off, something i’ll always love about him

 

This is going to be so fun next year

 

Seriously debating getting a weekend ticket... £125 is nothing really...

 

hope he brings this to NYC one year

 

Even if the last 2 albums suck, his live shows are still worth it.

 

Super interesting opening night setlist.

Frank Turner Setlist at Théâtre Corona, Montreal

 

Woof 9 straight NML songs but the rest is great

 

The first 9 are NML solo acoustic with "storytelling". He's essentially opening for himself.

I think I like getting those out of the way is better than the alternative

 

Yeah thats fair. Thats time for 1-2 more drinks at the bar before actually heading in lol

 

Respect for a 30 song setlist

Respect for changing up the setlist, although I don't love a bunch of the rare ones he actually chose.

 

Thank god he's doing them separately, I do not need to hear any NML songs in the middle of a standard set. I also wish Lifeboat would be dropped. He plays that one consistently and I think I've listened to the studio version 1 time.

 

Yeah Lifeboat sucks. I'd rather hear the NML songs !!

 

I really hope Wanderlust stays in the setlist as it’s my favorite b-side of his. I’m pretty excited to see him play in this unplugged format in a few weeks.

 

If we're going with deep cuts, give me We Shall Not Overcome

How that was left off the album is beyond me....

Great great song

I also would love to hear Nashville TENN

 

Wanderlust is such an amazing song.

 

Lots of good Frank b sides

 

Saw Nashville at Lost Evenings this year. He also played Redemption on the same setlist. My night was made

 

Frank Turner Setlist at The Regent Theater, Los Angeles

What a night. The exact way I think he wanted people to consume the NML songs. They worked well alongside the stories.

Unplugged with the Souls was incredible. The renditions of the songs were brilliantly done. I hope some recorded versions come out of this because I’d love to revisit them.

 

Is this sort of like the "Songbook" versions of these songs, would you say?

 

Different like how the Songbook versions were, yes. But the songs that have Songbook versions were even done differently.

Some songs like Redemption, Tell Tale Signs, The Opening Act of Spring were close to their recorded album counterparts, but most likely because they already fit the bill of unplugged.

Ballad was completely reworked, Prufolk was different, Substitute, Reasons Not To Be An Idiot, and Be More Kind were also quite different.

He gave a real powerful performance of I Am Disappeared

 

I would love to hear these versions of "Be More Kind" and "I Am Disappeared".