Taking Back Sunday brings its 20th-anniversary tour (and a unique set-choosing device) to Las Vegas for two shows This is a good interview with Shaun, he briefly talks about the band recognizing that the response to the reunion wasn't as strong as they thought it'd be. "There was a definite downturn about eight or nine years ago when [Nolan] and I came back to the band. People did not like this genre of music; they thought it was lame. We put our nose to the grindstone and just went back to work. We were like, “I don’t know if people are responding to this like we thought they would, but we really love doing this.”
I’m glad they persevered despite fans being underwhelmed by S/T and not getting TAYF 2.0. I think them signing with Hopeless also really breathed new life into them and gave them to freedom to explore their full potential.
Missed this convo last page but the true way to fix Louder Now is to remove Twenty-Twenty Surgery (one of the band's worst songs) and Error: Operator (decent song that doesn't really fit on the album and didn't need to be on it because it's a soundtrack song) and replaced them with Brooklyn and Sleep.
The verses in Twenty-Twenty Surgery are great. The chorus could have been better but I think it's a pretty good song tbh. Up Against is easily my least favorite song on the album, and probably bottom 3-5 of their career.
Twenty-Twenty Surgery's pre-chorus alone makes it a lock for remaining over the truly awful Up Against
What? No. Those two songs are awesome. So are Brooklyn and sleep. Honestly I’d say replace Up Againt or Miami if something has to go for those
I like Up Against more than Twenty-Twenty but they're both bottom-tier songs for me. Then Miami is just above them. Error: Operator isn't bad but it didn't need to be on the album; I personally don't like when bands take soundtrack songs and throw them on their records. I'll compromise by taking off Up Against, Twenty-Twenty, and Error: Operator, throwing on Brooklyn and Sleep, and making it a lean 10 tracks.
yeah I'm a fan of not having soundtrack songs on records. like You Gave Your Love To Me Softly is insanely good but I think most people would agree Pinkerton is better off w/o it Miami also fucking rules btw
Error Operator is one of my favorite TBS songs though! And it’s news to me that it was even on a soundtrack... haha
I didn’t either until recently. I always knew it from the album and likely wouldn’t have ever heard that song if it wasn’t on the album. It’s also awesome live, I won’t accept taking it off the album talk
not to divert the subject but while we're talking b-sides I a) cannot believe This is Happening didn't make HI and b) cannot believe they never finished You Were Right both are or had the potential to be top 10ers for me
I used to think Up Against was total garbage until my most recent TBS binge. It’s still probably my least favorite on the album but I find it enjoyable now.
I remember the original version of Error Operator being played on the Macbeth website back in the day along with Burn by Alkaline Trio. I would always repeat those songs when surfing that site lol. BUT the live version of Error Operator on the Louder Now Live albums is the best.
oh yeah Didn't See that Coming is just clearly one of the best from those sessions lol. it flows beautifully into EMG too, I'm convinced that was a tracklist at one point
Do it now. Right now. Do not post again until you hear all of the HI bSides, Brooklyn, Sleep, Long Time Commin, And Didn’t See That Coming