The Hold Steady Band • Page 11

Their arguably lower budget albums did their music more of a service than higher budget and access to "better" studios and producers

 

Somehow missed that those reissues from a couple years back were all remastered until I saw the comment on the previous page. It’s been a long time since I listened to Stay Positive, but the remastered version seems to sound a lot better. Are the others worth listening to? Can’t imagine Separation Sunday sounding any better than it already did.

 

I think Almost Killed Me sounded a little better. I know its probably blasphemous to say, but I never got into AKM as much as other THS records. So, its tough for me to make a definitive statement on that one. FWIW, the "deluxe" editions on Streaming services are the remastered ones. So you can check them out there and see for yourself.

I think Stay Positive was the one that was most strikingly better. But I think it was also the one that needed it the most!

 

AKM is a classic record where i think it’s less good but when i listen to it it’s incredible

 

Happy 15th birthday to Separation Sunday today!

 

Ok yeah their most recent album rules. Never gave it a shot cause I haven't really liked anything since Stay Positive (other than Weekenders) but goddamn.

 

1. Boys & Girls in America
2. Separation Sunday
3. Stay Positive
4. Almost Killed Me
5. Thrashing Through the Passion
6. Heaven is Whenever
7. Teeth Dreams


The first 4 are all incredible and you could make a case for any of them being the best THS record. Thrashing Through the Passion is so good and underrated, seems like a lot of the indie world has moved on, bar rock just isn’t the thing right now unfortunately. Heaven is Whenever has quite a few gems (Most would agree “The Weekenders” is among their very best songs), and a couple clunkers. Teeth Dreams is pretty safe, it’s fine but it’s the one that washes over me.


Top 10 The Hold Steady songs

1. Stuck Between Stations
2. Constructive Summer
3. Stevie Nix
4. How a Resurrection Really Feels
5. Massive Nights
6. Positive Jam
7. The Weekenders
8. Banging Camp
9. First Night
10. Killer Parties

Wow. What a great fucking band. That was hard. 20 would be hard! Also one of the absolute all time best Side 1 Track 1 bands.

Positive Jam, Stuck Between Stations and Constructive Summer are 3 of the greatest album opening tracks ever. And imo “Me and my friends are like/ the drums on ‘Lust for Life’” is the greatest opening lyric ever. Yes, ever.


Edit: I’ll take my own bait. 11-20

11. Girls Like Status
12. Certain Songs
13. Party Pit
14. Multitude of Casualties
15. Southtown Girls
16. Sequestered in Memphis
17. Slapped Actress
18. Lord, I’m Discouraged
19. The Sweet Part of the City
20. Blackout Sam


Great ballad band as well! The only review I ever wrote was actually at AP.net for Boy and Girls. I wonder if it’s archived somewhere. That record meant the world to me in college.

 

Sep
Boys & Girls
Passion
Killed Me
Stay Positive
Heaven
Teeth Dreams

 

I might even be underrating Thrashing. Listening as I edit my post. It’s real good.

 

I do think having several of the tracks released for up to a year in advance deflated the hype for Thrashing but that collection of songs is some of their best in years.

Confusion in the Marketplace hits harder with each passing month.

“searching for a purpose or just something we can celebrate” I mean c’mon

 

avoided hearing most to all of the those tracks ahead of time for just that reason

 

Yeah, definitely the release strategy was odd but also cool because it probably made them some more $$$ to do things how they did. Those songs ripped when I saw them this past Fall.

 

yeah that too. when i saw em in cambridge they went lights out

 

Still one of the best live bands. Absolute pros.

saw them on the Boys and Girls tour and there were vendors walking around the crowd with a case of bud heavy selling cans like it was a damn ball game. Amazing.

 

New album kicks ass. Great band.

 

I just recently got Thrashing Thru the Passion on vinyl. It sounds like shit! Super disappointing

I have liked the album since it came out, but man, this quality is embarrassing

 

I think I'm in the minority in really liking that album, and I'm super excited to hear the bonus tracks and demos with Franz.

 

love hiw

 

It’s got a few top tier THS tracks.

 

extremely underrated record, like it as much as stay positive some days

 

(My second favorite Hold Steady record.)

 

that's funny, cause there's periodic days where i like stay positive more than separation sunday

 

I think with Franz it would be every bit as good as the three records that preceded it. I quite enjoy it though

 

Here's a sentence I didn't expect to write today:

Gimme those liner notes