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olracUK Group: Members Posts: 1683 Joined: June 2003 Posted: April 06 2014, 20:36 So, in the car today I played Mike's 2 "rockiest" albums back to back - both have all vocal tracks, a pop or rock feel separated by nearly 30+ years. Which is better? It's a very subjective question (especially if you're a "classic" fan, or an "ibiza flavour" fan) - but can we add some subjective thoughts to the comparison? For EM the variation of vocal duties adds to the subtlety, and pleases my ears more. The lyrics are slightly above theasurus/rhyming dictionary level. Production is good, band OK to excellent. For MotR lyrics are more meaningful, but just one (screaming/screeching) vocalist means there is a lack of variety and interest. Also, the demo's show that on certain ballads Mike does better himself. And the old ryhming dictionary has come out again but with much less success. The major plus point on this album is the guitar solo's - blows EM out of teh water. Just a shame Lipson and the mastering team have taken some superb studio guys and turned everything up to 11 - and blurred the sound in the volume. Having said all that, EM took a good few years to earn repeat plays in my car, but MotR has got there much faster. What do you think? -------------- The answer is 42 - but what is the question? Back to top

GusFogle Group: Members Posts: 199 Joined: July 2011 Posted: April 06 2014, 21:46 I couldn't disagree more about the guitar solos. Mike's playing on MOTR is really sloppy. Like he recorded everything on the first take and included the solos as a matter of perfunctory duty. Listen to his solo on "Moonshine" for example. It never reaches the climactic peak you expect, and it sounds like someone pressed record while Mike was jamming to the backing track for the first time. Earth Moving has several excellent, though simple solos. The solo on "Holy" is simple yet musical, and very clearly thought out and something that contributes to the composition and not just something as a means to an end to justify it as "rock music" as is the case on MOTR. Conceptually though I think maybe "Discovery" is a better candidate for comparison with MOTR. Mainly just because of the "personal" lyrical content and overall more rock and roll vibe. In fact when Mike said he was doing a "rock album" my first thought was that he'd already done it 30 years ago with Discovery. I don't HATE Man on the rocks but I would definitely put it in his bottom 10, below Heaven's Open and Earth Moving certainly. I just think it was a missed opportunity and I'm disappointed with it more than anything else. Back to top

qjamesfloyd Group: Members Posts: 1357 Joined: April 2001 Posted: April 07 2014, 07:30 I really like MOTR, the guitar solo's are great in my view. There is nothing wrong with recording and keeping the first take, if they think that is the best one(If that was the case) I have to disagree with Moonshine, I think It's his best song in years, and far better than anything on EM.  The fact that these songs are more personal to Mike makes them a bit above songs that are being written just to fill up an album. I do like some tracks on EM though, I have always like Blue Night, good singing, and a wonderful acoustic solo. I've said before I think MOTR lacks a good acoustice song. It's still to early for me to say witch album of the two I prefer. Back to top

GusFogle Group: Members Posts: 199 Joined: July 2011 Posted: April 07 2014, 11:07 I like "Moonshine" I think its the best track on the album. I just think he didn't put much thought into the guitar solo. (Plus Moonshine is really just "song of the boatman" with lyrics put to it, so I'm not sure we can really consider it "new") Back to top

MusicallyInspired Group: Musicians Posts: 1445 Joined: June 2001 Posted: April 13 2014, 22:24 I prefer MOTR to EM. I actually love the solos. Very raw. Exactly fits the tone of the whole album. Pure unrefined and uninhibited Mike. Love it. I think the comparison between MOTR and EM is stronger because both albums are the only ones in Mike's entire discography that don't have any instrumentals (not counting the bonus disc). -------------- BrandonBlume.com "The beauty in life is in the embracing of the variety of things. If all the world was blue there would be no colour blue." Back to top

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