Your Elsie Review

its funny how your perspective changes after hearing the full song. I thought i believe jesus brought us together was gonna be this really dark song, but after listening to it a couple times i think it's probably the sweetest / happiest song Brian's ever written, even compared to Casanova Baby and the Senor and the Queen.

"On a side note, I don't really get why people make such a big deal about the "I got a crush on you" line. Go listen to Springsteen's "Crush On You" and The Clash's "1-2 Crush On You" and you'll see what I mean, haha"
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For me personally, it's not really the line "I got a crush on you" that bothers me. Don't get me wrong, I believe Brian could do better with that line, but it's not that big of a deal to me. My issue is with the way it sounds at the end of the track when the females (I think the Parkington sisters) sing in the background "I got a crush on you". I mean no disrespect but to me it just sounds so high pitched and cheesy and tbh, really takes away from a great track.

simo wrote:

Angry Johnny wrote:

id have to agree with the comments above. only songs i cant really get into are ladykiller and crush. however, they are starting to grow on me. i do feel like each time i listen to the record, i hear new sounds as well. not sure what that "in the air tonight" sounding drum solo in mary ann is all about either...

If I remember right the drums in the studio were used on that song or something like that so they put in that drum part as a bit of an homage.

Correcting myself here...

Quote :

And we used the board that Phil Collins recorded “In the Air Tonight.” Pretty cool. We actually did that drum part in the record. That was the only time I ever played drums in my life. It was a kit we built out of toms; they were old toms from the ‘60s. I just pounded these toms around us, and we went [mimics the infamous beats from the song]. It sounds like garbage cans. But we did give a little nod to Collins.

http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/in_the_studio_horrible_crowes

Just found Elsie for sale at a certain record store that has provided me with albums days before their official release date! On CD only, but I bought it anyway because... uh, because I could.

She sounds incredible. I think I'll get rid of the version I have and rip it at the highest quality I can. I play music from my iPhone in the car, and it always sounds worse than when it's played from the iPod (same car, sane auxiliary input). Maybe that'll fix it.

Does the CD come with lyrics? Haven't got mine in the mail yet.

Yep! I know the person who typed up the lyrics from the vinyl said they were tiny and hard to see; I only glanced but they looked pretty big in the CD booklet.

It has some niiiice spotgloss on there, too. Very very pretty.

efofex wrote:

steffuhnee wrote:

fullcollapse wrote:

Steph, Cara will be on the phone with me the ENTIRE TIME. er, well, have me on the phone, presumably in her pocket. I will rely on you for pictures! You guys have to be my eyes and ears for this awesome event!

AHAHAHHA!
Yes, ma’am I will be taking millions of pictures for you and for anyone else.

Oh heyyy. I'll probably be there, so just because I know this, I'm gonna try to photobomb every picture I see being taken. Heyyyyy.

Just wondering, what part of LA are you from?

Let’s plan a meet up dude!

& I live in LA County
The city is Artesia, but people mostly recognize the surrounding cities
(Cerritos, Norwalk)

& you?

steffuhnee wrote:

efofex wrote:

steffuhnee wrote:

fullcollapse wrote:

Steph, Cara will be on the phone with me the ENTIRE TIME. er, well, have me on the phone, presumably in her pocket. I will rely on you for pictures! You guys have to be my eyes and ears for this awesome event!

AHAHAHHA!
Yes, ma’am I will be taking millions of pictures for you and for anyone else.

Oh heyyy. I'll probably be there, so just because I know this, I'm gonna try to photobomb every picture I see being taken. Heyyyyy.

Just wondering, what part of LA are you from?

Let’s plan a meet up dude!

& I live in LA County
The city is Artesia, but people mostly recognize the surrounding cities
(Cerritos, Norwalk)

& you?

You'll probably be able to spot me. I'm usually the only asian girl (well, at least, mostly asian) at shows. Say hi if you see me, could always use more show buddies!

Oooh, I know where Artesia is (but you're right, I think of Cerritos auto square before anything else when I think of that area)! I currently live in Irvine for school, but I'm from the San Gabriel Valley; went to school in Alhambra, live near Pasadena/San Marino area, etc.

Oh Steph, look, another Asian person for you to bond with! Just like you!

haha sorry, I had to. Don't kill me Stephanie I just have to give you crap since you get to see this show! I cannot wait to hear this stuff live. The atmosphere of it has to be incredible, just sitting here on the couch with the songs playing as loud as the computer will let it is awesome enough. It's even better in the car (no custom speakers, but it's a 2 year old car, so not too shabby), and I am DYING for the vinyl because that's going to blow me away. Hearing it live is right now, for me, the holy grail. Have fun!

efofex wrote:

steffuhnee wrote:

efofex wrote:

steffuhnee wrote:

fullcollapse wrote:

Steph, Cara will be on the phone with me the ENTIRE TIME. er, well, have me on the phone, presumably in her pocket. I will rely on you for pictures! You guys have to be my eyes and ears for this awesome event!

AHAHAHHA!
Yes, ma’am I will be taking millions of pictures for you and for anyone else.

Oh heyyy. I'll probably be there, so just because I know this, I'm gonna try to photobomb every picture I see being taken. Heyyyyy.

Just wondering, what part of LA are you from?

Let’s plan a meet up dude!

& I live in LA County
The city is Artesia, but people mostly recognize the surrounding cities
(Cerritos, Norwalk)

& you?

You'll probably be able to spot me. I'm usually the only asian girl (well, at least, mostly asian) at shows. Say hi if you see me, could always use more show buddies!

Oooh, I know where Artesia is (but you're right, I think of Cerritos auto square before anything else when I think of that area)! I currently live in Irvine for school, but I'm from the San Gabriel Valley; went to school in Alhambra, live near Pasadena/San Marino area, etc.

dude, i think I follow you on tumblr, ahahah!
are you also going to the show the next day?
oh and UC Irvine?

fullcollapse wrote:

Oh Steph, look, another Asian person for you to bond with! Just like you!

haha sorry, I had to. Don't kill me Stephanie I just have to give you crap since you get to see this show! I cannot wait to hear this stuff live. The atmosphere of it has to be incredible, just sitting here on the couch with the songs playing as loud as the computer will let it is awesome enough. It's even better in the car (no custom speakers, but it's a 2 year old car, so not too shabby), and I am DYING for the vinyl because that's going to blow me away. Hearing it live is right now, for me, the holy grail. Have fun!

I’m not asian, though!
I’ll forgive you this time because I love you!
& i totally want the vinyl! even though I dont have a player... -_______-

fullcollapse wrote:

I am DYING for the vinyl because that's going to blow me away

I don't see how the vinyl can possibly out-sound the CD, as the hiss-crackle-and-pop is gonna drown out some of the really subtle sounds on this amaaaaaaaaaaaaazing production

steady now steady now wrote:

fullcollapse wrote:

I am DYING for the vinyl because that's going to blow me away

I don't see how the vinyl can possibly out-sound the CD, as the hiss-crackle-and-pop is gonna drown out some of the really subtle sounds on this amaaaaaaaaaaaaazing production

My main thing is the speakers we have the record player hooked up to. Not fancy by any means, but the sound is big and fills our little music room/my husband's man cave and things usually just sound lovely. Of course it's much better when something is recorded in analog but I'm not going to complain. This album is still making me twitch, it's ridiculous!

fullcollapse wrote:

steady now steady now wrote:

fullcollapse wrote:

I am DYING for the vinyl because that's going to blow me away

I don't see how the vinyl can possibly out-sound the CD, as the hiss-crackle-and-pop is gonna drown out some of the really subtle sounds on this amaaaaaaaaaaaaazing production

My main thing is the speakers we have the record player hooked up to. Not fancy by any means, but the sound is big and fills our little music room/my husband's man cave and things usually just sound lovely. Of course it's much better when something is recorded in analog but I'm not going to complain. This album is still making me twitch, it's ridiculous!

this makes me wonder, if men have a 'man cave', what do women have?

steady now steady now wrote:

fullcollapse wrote:

steady now steady now wrote:

fullcollapse wrote:

I am DYING for the vinyl because that's going to blow me away

I don't see how the vinyl can possibly out-sound the CD, as the hiss-crackle-and-pop is gonna drown out some of the really subtle sounds on this amaaaaaaaaaaaaazing production

My main thing is the speakers we have the record player hooked up to. Not fancy by any means, but the sound is big and fills our little music room/my husband's man cave and things usually just sound lovely. Of course it's much better when something is recorded in analog but I'm not going to complain. This album is still making me twitch, it's ridiculous!

this makes me wonder, if men have a 'man cave', what do women have?

Well, I basically take up the living room, I have my spot on the couch and my laptop, and we recently got cable so there's a lot more TV to watch. I also take up the coffee table. But of course, occasionally he comes to the living room and we watch tv, or I'll tidy up of we have friends over. Looks pretty normal, but we essentially live at opposite ends of the apartment! haha

I know it seems weird but we're very close to our 9th anniversary, so we're extremely used to each other's company and we just naturally developed our own territories with our first apartment about 5 years ago. Sadly he's got the record player, so all vinyl activities (including storage of our 740-ish records) goes on by him.

In this apartment his "cave" is not so much a cave as it is the room that would be our dining area if we wanted one, between the hallway and kitchen. I gotta invade any time I want a snack!

While I am waiting for my preorder package (got the poster yesterday!) I have been listening online six or seven times now since Thursday evening. I have a nice set of Altec Lansing speakers so I get the amazing texture and layering of these songs even on my computer. Absolutely amazing. Every time I listen, I love the songs more.

I am totally in love with Elsie. Words cannot describe what I felt when I just listened to it from beginning to end for the first time. I am speechless and close to tears. And I'm glad that I didn't bother with the previews on iTunes - it worked so much better for me this way. It was definitely worth the wait and all the teasing. I think I can never stop listening to Elsie again.

I can't decide on a favourite song so far but Black Betty, Crush, Sugar, Hurricane and Ladykiller rank pretty high already.

This album must sound sooo good on vinyl - it feels like it was made just to be played on a turntable and yes, that means The Horrible Crowes finally turned me into a vinyl person again. Can't wait to have all the different versions in my hands ....

I can totally picture Brian & Ian play these songs live in a tiny old theatre ... this has to happen somehow. It just has to.

I love it. My favorite lyric has to be " Sometimes I'm up somtimes I'm down, Sometimes I'm almost level with the ground.

JimmyB wrote:

I love it. My favorite lyric has to be " Sometimes I'm up somtimes I'm down, Sometimes I'm almost level with the ground.

that's one of brian's 'stolen' lines. it comes from an old blues song and/or a version of 'swing low, sweet chariot'. it's still a great song tho.

Yeah...Crush, Mary Ann, or behold the hurricane is my favorite song.

steffuhnee wrote:

efofex wrote:

steffuhnee wrote:

efofex wrote:

steffuhnee wrote:

fullcollapse wrote:

Steph, Cara will be on the phone with me the ENTIRE TIME. er, well, have me on the phone, presumably in her pocket. I will rely on you for pictures! You guys have to be my eyes and ears for this awesome event!

AHAHAHHA!
Yes, ma’am I will be taking millions of pictures for you and for anyone else.

Oh heyyy. I'll probably be there, so just because I know this, I'm gonna try to photobomb every picture I see being taken. Heyyyyy.

Just wondering, what part of LA are you from?

Let’s plan a meet up dude!

& I live in LA County
The city is Artesia, but people mostly recognize the surrounding cities
(Cerritos, Norwalk)

& you?

You'll probably be able to spot me. I'm usually the only asian girl (well, at least, mostly asian) at shows. Say hi if you see me, could always use more show buddies!

Oooh, I know where Artesia is (but you're right, I think of Cerritos auto square before anything else when I think of that area)! I currently live in Irvine for school, but I'm from the San Gabriel Valley; went to school in Alhambra, live near Pasadena/San Marino area, etc.

dude, i think I follow you on tumblr, ahahah!
are you also going to the show the next day?
oh and UC Irvine?

Really? I doubt it, I mostly post about movies and food, not really much of the music variety that would lead you to me though. And I want to, but I'm not sure, I'm in the process of moving apartments and don't have a lot of expendable money at the moment. Yes, ma'am, UCI. You're familiar with it, I presume?

So I've given it a few listens, and I absolutely love it. It's an incredible album. Need to give it a few more listens to figure out just how much I love it, if that makes sense.

Favourite tracks are Sugar, Behold The Hurricane, I Witnessed A Crime (why is no one mentioning this, it's awesome), Cherry Blossom and Blood Loss.

Ghost wrote:

So I've given it a few listens, and I absolutely love it. It's an incredible album. Need to give it a few more listens to figure out just how much I love it, if that makes sense.

Favourite tracks are [...] I Witnessed A Crime (why is no one mentioning this, it's awesome), Cherry Blossom [...].

consider both of them mentioned by me as well now, and Go Tell Everybody and, well, the whole lot really

Yeah, I can't say there is a bad song on it at the moment!

steady now steady now wrote:

fullcollapse wrote:

I am DYING for the vinyl because that's going to blow me away

I don't see how the vinyl can possibly out-sound the CD, as the hiss-crackle-and-pop is gonna drown out some of the really subtle sounds on this amaaaaaaaaaaaaazing production

I didn't either. When i first listened to my social distortion vinyl (first vinyl ever) i was really surprised, especially since i could compare it with my CD and mp3's. The sound is just different, you gotta hear it.

I'm no expert but all the hiss and crackles must be from a poor record and/or turntable set up no?