Album thoughts

[Viper]

Quite agree with granite city above. So many of thre tracks on TGL seem to be a natural progression from Ricky's Pale Rider, in terms of mood, lyrical content and musical style. Keeping track of R&L's less chart-friendly work since the DB heyday probably makes this easier to get into. I also get the impression this is something they want to do for themselves rather than the greatest hits fans, and if they like it along the way, then fair enough.

There are some tracks on the album that I can take or leave, but there are at least three that are among my favourite songs of the year. That makes it a good album in my book. Live, it was a success too.

Interesting post there.

I tend to think it is a bit of a smoke screen to what really is going on with many bands that begin to diverge into "other" music, dont want to "play the hits" etc.

I think that is code for " bugger " we have lost our edge and "cant" seem to write anymore hits.

Your fan base is still there waiting for another DB "classic" good music is always just that good music.

Deriding "mainstream" songs is also dodgy I reckon, I just think many bands use that as an excuse for failing to hit the mark anymore.

If DB put out a cracker tune, it would fly, mainstream or not.

[granitecityanorak]

Sorry Viper but the last 10 years would demonstrate that Deacon Blue will never achieve the same chart sucess now no matter what they record, compared with the chart positions they had from 1988-94.

Walking Back Home (1999) album barely made the top 40 album chart and the "Love Hurts" single was pulled by Sony after lower than expected album sales... the resulting tour sold out no problem.

Homesick (2001) and "Everytime You Sleep" and "A Is From Astronaut" singles all suffered from poor promotion. I think the album stayed in the top 100 for a few weeks, the second single didn't chart, but there were still 2 sold out UK tours that year.

The Very best of Deacon Blue double CD compilation... don't think that charted?

Raintown Legacy Edition (2006) didn't chart?

Singles (2006) was in the top 100 for 2 weeks, Bigger Than Dynamite single didn't chart.

Live (2007) DVD and Cd didn't chart.

Deacon Blue no longer get the adverstising they used to get from 1988-94. Their chart positions have little to do with whether the songs are popular or not... they don't get played on radio 1 or appear on TV shows like Later or get decent write ups in Q or Mojo. Ricky is still writing hits but these days its James Blunt, Will Young, Jamie Cullum etc that have the promotional machinery behind them and enough exposure on TV and radio to get decent sales.

[Viper]

So you are saying they have written "hits" but they have not taken off because of infrastructure problems ?

On the other hand perhaps they have just not been able to write the right songs.

I often think a bands drift into other genre is a sure sign they have gone off the boil song writing wise.

A good sound is a good sound, take a band like ACDC their recent album was a huge success and they are in their 50's ! To me they just continued to put out good songs and stuck to "their" sound.

DB have a unique sound when it is pure DB, thats where I would like to see them stay, I am pretty sure this album will do nowhere near as good as a good new DB album might.

[craig75]

I think GCA has summarised it perfectly. Viper, for a single or album to have commercial success it needs exposure through the various forms of media that we have today. Deacon Blue have not had anywhere near a decent level of exposure since Our Town in 1994 and therefore their musical output, in the main, will not reach a wider scale than the hardcore fanbase and casual observer. A large number of great albums don't even get near to troubling the charts, this is a sad fact.

To suggest ' bands drift into other genre is a sure sign they have gone off the boil song writing wise' is a little narrow minded to say the least. I firmly believe that Ricky and Lorraine are writing the music they want to write and have little interest in obtaining a top 10 album. Let's not forget they are older and wiser than when Deacon Blue were topping the album charts in 1989 and artists move along as well as fans. Have you listened to any of Ricky's 'Another Country' shows on BBC Radio Scotland?

Above all else people should remember this is a McIntosh Ross record and NOT a Deacon Blue record, I haven't once thought of comparing The Great Lakes to any Deacon Blue output because in my mind it simply isn't relevant.

[Viper]

I dont agree re bands trying a different genre. I think many have tried this when they find their chart interest wanes, a very common tactic.

As was pointed out above the last few pure DB albums failed to fire and since then it has been RR on his own Lorraine on her own and now R@L together, if those albums had taken off I think the emphasis would have stayed with DB rather than these side projects.

Nothing wrong with any of that but I still reckon those side shows are just that whereas DB is the main game.

These days bands can garner wide exposure via the net in an effective way and dont necessarily need a big label behind them.

[craig75]

As was pointed out above the last few pure DB albums failed to fire and since then it has been RR on his own Lorraine on her own and now R@L together...

Lorraine has not released any solo material with the exception of a track called Baby Piano with Lol Hammond.

[The_Chocolate_Girl]

I don't have time to post a massive reply here, but I will say one thing: See while we have crap churned out on the back of Reality TV programmes passing as music these days? Proper artists don't have a look in at getting the recognition they used to.

And I'm not trying to be xenophobic here, but see if DB had been an English band? I bet their 'comeback' would have been more of a commercial success.

But people vote with their feet, and each tour is a sell out, and that speaks volumes.

You show me any of these X-Factor/Britain's Got (nae) Talent winners selling out gigs in 20 years and I'll show you a fantasy!

[granitecityanorak]

I dont agree re bands trying a different genre. I think many have tried this when they find their chart interest wanes, a very common tactic.

As was pointed out above the last few pure DB albums failed to fire and since then it has been RR on his own Lorraine on her own and now R@L together, if those albums had taken off I think the emphasis would have stayed with DB rather than these side projects.

Nothing wrong with any of that but I still reckon those side shows are just that whereas DB is the main game.

These days bands can garner wide exposure via the net in an effective way and dont necessarily need a big label behind them.

Bands trying out different genres and style of music is called artistic progress. I'm glad the Beatles ventured beyond the realm of their first album and progressed and made albums like Help!, Rubber Soul, Revolver, and having made Sgt Pepper they also felt they could go back to basics on albums like The White Album and Let It Be.

I think Viper needs to realise Deacon Blue are not going to be a huge commercial success ever again or even the main game for any of the band. All of them talk about enjoying playing together live and enjoying the Singles recording sessions but none of them talk as though they want to go back to Deacon Blue being their main thing. Jim has a career as a uni lecturer, Dougie has his TV career, Lorraine has her acting, Ricky has his broadcasting and songwriting careers, which means there are only really a few weeks each year where they can become Deacon Blue for a short time. If they spend a few weeks recording an album and getting it mixed and released, who is going to put their normal career on hold to do the promotion to sell the album? Interviews with newspapers, magazines, fanzines, online sites, radio, TV.

When Deacon Blue were a big commercial success they wer eone of the biggest homegrown bands on the UK arm of CBS / Sony. As such in addition to relying on their own songwriting and recording skills and live shows, they did benefit from having CBS / Sony's backing for getting TV and radio exposure, fundig for videos and tours and advertising. Even if they went back with Sony now there is no way Sony would view them as one of their main UK acts deserving of a lot of promotional help.

Raintown sold over 1 million copies from 1987-94 but when it got remastered and released in better sound quality, better packaged, with a bonus disc in 2006 the remaster didn't chart. The music was the same, the sound quality was better, it is DB's best loved album but the remaster didn't sell in huge numbers or make the chart. Def Leppard and the Stone Roses have both fared better with remasters charting recently even though they probably sold a similar amount to Raintown.

Singles featured remastered versions of most of the songs from Our Town (a number 1 million selling album in the 90s)plus 3 new songs, and a promotional UK wide tour, Bigger Than Dynamite was playlisted on the Scottish commercial stations and a lot of Radio Scotland shows, there were TV ads for the album, DVD and single and tour... single didnt chart, album charted for 3 weeks max.

Read some recent review of DB,or RR solo in Q, Mojo etc and you'll see they don't get a fair hearing any more. In 1989 Q rated "When The World Knows Your Name" as one of the best albums of the year, high profile review, lots of full page ads for the album, singles and tours as well as favourable interviews. A few years later after DB had disbanded when the same album gets released in the 'nice price' range DB and the album are both rubbished and slagged off and the album gets rated a 2 out of 5. The music had stayed the same but DB were now often being reviewed as an old hasbeen band rather than an exciting up and coming you gotta hear them band.

You are living in dream land if you think all Ricky has to do to have a hit is record some pop songs and record them with Deacon Blue. His biggest hit ever was "High" with James Blunt. He's happy to write the hits and let others deal with the hassle of negotiating with record companies and doing interviews and promotional appearances and tours.

[Viper]

I am still trying, but most of the songs just dont do it for me.

I have to reiterate is voice is so different, to be frank his singing on Mount Juliet is um.............terrible especially the high notes.

In short I reckon he needs the backing of the full band to be found in DB to carry his voice these days.

I will keep listening mind you.

Bring back DB...............

[Viper]

Good post granitecityanorak.

[Viper]

Have tried my very best and listened to the album many times, end game is best described for me as "limp"
At best pleasant background music with a couple of reasonable songs.

I reckon there is an elemant of too many Deacon Blue devotees determined to talk up anything put out by R @ L regardless of its merit.

Anyway this is just my opinion, for those who love this album, enjoy !

For me " bring on a new DB album ! " It is DB or bust.......

[granitecityanorak]

Have tried my very best and listened to the album many times, end game is best described for me as "limp"
At best pleasant background music with a couple of reasonable songs.

I reckon there is an elemant of too many Deacon Blue devotees determined to talk up anything put out by R @ L regardless of its merit.

Anyway this is just my opinion, for those who love this album, enjoy !

For me " bring on a new DB album ! " It is DB or bust.......

Well each to their own Viper! There are plenty of reviewers who actually prefer McIntosh Ross and the Great Lakes album over Deacon Blue's back catalogue. People could look at your own posts on this thread and claim that since you are banging on about Deacon Blue being where its at that you are the Deacon Blue devotee among us.

[Viper]

Anyone read any stats on how this album performed ?

Months down the track has not made it any better for me, a dud really, corny/cheesy sums it up. Also Ross really has a weak voice with the full band to carry him.

Bring back classic deacon blue, fantastic stuff.

[allymcf2000]

IN REPLY TO YOUR MESSAGE VIPER,I THINK THE ALBUM WAS A NEW DIRECTION FOR RICKY AND LORRAINE AND I DONT THINK HIS VOICE WAS WEAK.IT WAS DIFFERENT DUE TO THE TYPE OF SONGS HE WAS SINGING.MORE MELLOW THAN DEACON BLUE.
I KNOW MOST PEOPLE WOULD LIKE OLD DEACON BLUE BUT RICKYS SOLO STUFF IS DIFFERENT AND THATS WHY HE DID THE ALBUMS WITH A DIFFERENT BAND AS IT DIDNT FIT INTO THE DEACON BLUE GENRE.I LIKED THE MCINTOSH ROSS ALBUM BECAUSE IT WAS DIFFERENT AND NEW.AND WHEN I SAW THEM LIVE IT WAS MORE INTIMATE AND LIKE A CONTINUOUS SHOW.LIKE WHEN DEACON BLUE DID THE RAINTOWN CONCERTS.