My favorite post/response, ever. Jason, given I respect your opinion and welcome a healthy debate: Why would you consider TAYF as a better record than WYWTB, Happiness Is, or even Louder Now?
I don't know how to reply when you think this is hate: Liner Notes (October 29th, 2023) This week saw the release of several albums I’ve written about that are finally available to everyone. The new Taking Back Sunday album is shockingly good. I had written off the band after not liking the past two or three albums outside of one or two songs, but this album has blown me away. Highly recommended. Liner Notes (September 30th, 2023) Taking Back Sunday’s 152 is the best argument for mixing up who you work with and trying an outside-of-the-box producer I’ve seen in a long time. The result is the band’s best album in twenty years. Seriously, I’m obsessed. It’s just a front-to-back great rock album. Zero misses. They sound rejuvenated and inspired, and the album sounds incredible. Fresh. Modern. Punchy. From the standout “Keep Going” to the ballad “I Am The Only One Who Knows You,” I’m genuinely blown away. I had it on this morning while I was sitting here writing and doing some housekeeping, and I noticed Hannah dancing on the couch a few times, and when “Juice 2 Me” came on, she looked over and said, “Who is this? It’s really good.” Yep, yep, it is. It’s really good.They released albums I didn't like, which I've said. They released albums I did like, which I've said. Let me remind you that you started this conversation by saying, "Oh Jason, STFU already." The hilariously not true given my praise for their debut album, "You’ve been shitting on this band since day one." And "Did Adam bang your girlfriend or something?" I'd love to know in what world you think anyone's opinions about music deserve to be talked to like this? Especially when I am literally praising the band for releasing arguably the best album of their careers in the post you quote.
I personally like TAYF a whole lot more than all those records, with Louder Now being third in my ranking.
How would you rank their Discography, Jason? Genuinely curious (also bored). WYWTB - Love this record. Love Fred. Decade is still, what I believe to be, the best song they have ever written. Louder Now - Love this record. 152 - Thoroughly Enjoy this record. TAYF - Classic, yet dated. HI - When it hits, it really hits. When it misses, eh. ST - Similar feelings to HI, just not as many Highs. New Again - I LOVE Everything Must Go, I really like Swing. The rest of it is fine. Tidal Wave - I genuinely do not understand this record. Everything just sounds, bad.
Come on man, you’re not fooling anyone. Throwing out a couple of instances where you cut them a break doesn’t negate all the other times you’ve shit talked them. Backhanded compliments don’t count as compliments when you immediately follow it up with another takedown. I’m obviously not talking about your opinions on 152. As I stated I’ve been on here since you started AP so don’t pretend you haven’t spent the last two decades shit posting this band. Didn’t your review for Louder Now start off to the tune of something like “I know what you’re thinking, Jason Tate is reviewing the new TBS album, oh no…but wait, it’s actually pretty good”. So yea, your opinion of the band hasn’t really changed much since day one: it’s always been some insult or negative comment. For twenty years dude! Anyone’s opinions talked about like what exactly? This is literally a product of your own creation. That’s what this entire site was built upon. People posting news about bands and making comments about those posts/bands. I’m not gonna pat you on the back for liking TBS now that they finally don’t sound at all like TBS
Ok, last time I engage in good faith, if it's going to remain clear you're not going to. As I said: They released albums I didn't like, which I've said. They released albums I did like, which I've said. This is not "fooling anyone" - it's literally what I said. Them releasing a good album and being bad live is something, most because apparently you're the outlier, Taking Back Sunday fans know, accept, and talk about constantly. It is the main discussion point in the band's current thread on this very site. And yes, saying their album is good is still a compliment even when followed with and they suck live. You've once again now pointed out an example of something I've flat out said I dp (and, I'd venture every single human being alive does): Praise the albums I like and not praise the albums I don't like. How this has been turned into something nefarious is beyond me. This is literally a lie. No, what you're apparently going to do insult me personally for having at various times in my life like a Taking Back Sunday and at other times not liked a Taking Back Sunday album. I'd recommend you take a decent look at yourself today and contemplate if you're happy with doing that and putting that out into the world. If you are, if you like personally insulting people because they liked one album, but not another, and doing so with some vaguely sexist comments, please find another website to do it on.
That started in the Louder Now era and hasn't stopped. Honestly, Adam was most confident in TAYF era. His stage presence at the time was "I fking own this"
I gotta agree with you. Something about the tuning on his voice is just weird, like it sounds extra crispy or something. I really wish I liked the album more, since I've been an apologist all the way through Tidal Wave.
The convo around Adam's vocal style/effects/tuning on the new album is very interesting to me, because I love the album, but the only times I've played it around my wife, she was quick to point out that his vocals sounded strange and not in a way that she liked at all - and she has liked TBS fine in the past. I either feel like I can't hear it or apparently don't mind it; it would be cool if they ever released any kind of behind the scenes studio doc to see what is going on his vocal bus in the mix. I certainly don't think they ever will, but I'd be interested to know.
The hypocrisy here is laughable. Oh wait, I forgot, YOU’RE the only one allowed to insult people on your site. It’s not even about liking or disliking albums. I asked you where all the hate came from cause after twenty years I’m sick and tired of coming on this site for TBS news and having to read another childish insult about the band from you. Even your “praise” is wrapped in insults. For two decades Jason. So you get to sit there for a band’s entire career and insult them but as soon as someone calls you out on it you have the audacity to claim YOU’RE insulted. That’s rich. And then telling someone who’s supported this site since you started it to find another website. Cause Jason’s the only one around here who gets to say whatever hurtful fucking shit he wants. “Vaguely sexist”?! Cause I asked you why you’re still acting like some high schooler gossiping about the dude that stole his girlfriend? What a joke. You are literally proving my point with this shit
Five posts trying to respectfully explain that people like and dislike things to someone that took personal shots at me is more than enough for me this week. I'm too old to break down quote posts on the internet.
First time I saw them (I think 2002?) in Denver he just broke his hip. So he went on the stage and talked about how they are nuts during the show, but during this one he was limited with a cane. Definitely full of confidence at that moment, broken hip and he's still out there belting and swinging the mic.
Late to the party but, at least in the NYC area, TBS has always been (and is still) a bigger ticket draw than Jimmy Eat World
Nice! Those kinds of regional crowd differences are always really interesting to hear about. Makes sense I reckon, since TBS started up that way.
I literally said it’s not about liking or disliking albums it’s about the hundred other disses he’s thrown out over 20 years. In this thread alone dude said they’ve always sucked live and his voice has always been autotuned crap for their entire discography. Jason trying to make it about preferring albums when I’ve clearly stated multiples times it’s about him insulting the band every chance he gets. Learn to read or stfu.
Again Jason, you can explain the difference between liking and disliking things. I think everyone gets that. It’s misdirection. The point isn’t you have musical tastes. The point is you are the dude who uses your own site to insult a band in almost every TBS thread that’s ever been posted going back to the early 2000s. That’s how many threads since you started the site. And that’s how many insults you’ve posted in each and every one. So again, for all those who still don’t get it, it’s not about whether you liked 152 over TAYF. It’s about using your platform to shit talk people the same way you did when we were all teenagers. You are obviously not “too old” to continue to act like a child going through puberty. I don’t have to to go through your entire post history regarding TBS since you started this site to prove my point and YOU f-ing know that. I don’t care what your trash opinions are regarding some bands discography, I care about the fact I could make a novella out of your pedantic comments and insults and trash talk regarding said band. Grow up. Get over it. If Adam didn’t break your little heart somehow 20 years ago why are you still acting like it. It’s old hat dude. It’s immature piling on. It’s spreading hate. The fact you think it’s ok for you to do but no one else can do it is bullshit. You know it. I hope everyone else here knows it too. It’s a valid point with 20 years worth of evidence to prove it. Say something nice or don’t say it at all. Your daughter knows that, every other child learns that. Set a better example by showing you know that. You’re fostering a community of disrespect where your leading the charge and people actually defend you for it. Christ dude, do better
As a fan of the band, I can say that TBS has always been spotty live, vocally. I don't think anyone has ever denied that.