Partially true. There was a version of My Blue Heaven with a completely different chorus (the demo of which is available online) which they didn't like, and they adopted the Wedding Dress chorus later.
A good number of those LN demos are better than what made the album, but My Blue Heaven definitely improved.
My bad for bringing this up again but I haven't logged on since last week and I wasn't done lol I don't know what to tell you both. I'm a regular on another forum where discussing tons of topics surrounding the music like the marketing aspect, to give an example, is not only a thing but greatly encouraged. So to go from here to this thread where someone who literally works in that area, even if it's not particularly in the music industry, makes some suggestions and stuff and gets snarky replies in response... the contrast is wild. It makes this place so unfriendly, especially to newcomers or users who don't post much, you know? All that "don't discuss X if you aren't specialized in X" argument I remember seeing earlier makes no sense too. Imagine if you applied it to everything, what's the point then? This forum would literally not exist. Also not everything has to cater to you. Is it that hard to disengage and scroll if a topic that bores you pop up? This is like... internet etiquette. Glad you're self aware, that's the first step I guess. On a more positive note, I revisited Happiness Is and Tidal Wave and I've come to the conclusion the former is one of their best albums. I love the dark, grungy feel of the whole thing and Adam, with his raspier delivery, sounds right at home on it. Kinda feels like it sonically builds on the similarly grungy songs from the past such as Catholic Knees or El Paso. Also a big fan of the drum sounds they achieved on here. Mark is known to hit his drum kit very hard and it's never been translated this well on a record. It also contains some fantastic, moodier bridges. I could go on and on, that album sounds even better than it did back in 2014 to me. The only bummer being that two of the best songs, weirdly both with a dance-punk feel, were left out as bonus tracks. Tidal Wave is also solid and I have to give it props for featuring some of their best slow jams out of their entire discography. Just not a fan of Adam's voice this time. I don't know if it's the mix or just how he actually sounds like as he gets older, but he sounds rough at times. The increase in americana influences fits the band well even though this isn't a genre I'm usually drawn to. That said, the first half is like the most energetic they've been since Where You Want To Be and always gets me hyped. Both are good late (?) career releases that reaffirmed my faith for them after being whelmed with New Again and strongly disappointed with S/T. Hope the creative streak they've been on with this line-up's second wind continues.
I still enjoy Louder Now on the whole, but I think my ideal version would be: 1. What's It Feel Like To Be A Chost? (Demo version) 2. Liar (Album Version) 3. MakeDamnSure 4. Twenty-Twenty Surgery (Demo #1 Version) 5. My Blue Heaven (Album Version) 6. Spin 8. Divine Intervention (Album Version) 9. Miami (Album Version) 10. Ron Is Poor 11. I'll Let You Live 12. Brooklyn (Album Version) Ron Is Poor goes so hard. The chorus is a little corny, but damn I love that one. I also love the bridge of "Divine Intervention" (Demo Version), if you added that to the reunion version of the song ("Semi-Automatic" from the self-titled b-sides) you'd have a pretty great song.
I wouldn’t change anything about Louder Now. But the demo “pick up the knife” (I don’t know if that one had a name) went so hard.
The fact that they regularly played this on tour after happiness is came out instead of other tracks makes me think they know they fucked up by not putting it on the original track listing.
Just realized I never properly checked out the couple songs they put out between 2018 and this year. Didn't they have some features too? I lost track once they stopped releasing albums for a long while.
I didn't follow the features myself but as far as songs go you've got All Ready, Song For Dan, Just a Man and the Bullet With Butterfly Wings cover. I'm into all of them
I’d also check out Loved You A Little if you haven’t already. That was the song by The Maine that Adam featured on. That was the only somewhat recent feature of theirs that I’ve enjoyed- honestly dont really remember the others off hand
I loved All Ready to ago and Song For Dan. Really thought those were leading into the next album but I’m guessing Covid put a stop to that
i read that “A Song for Dan” was dedicated to a friend of the band who passed away in 2016 during the recording process of Tidal Wave.
I'd much rather move past the Steve Aoki mention as quickly as possible and get back to New Again debates, tbh
I debate that it’s the best album. It’s a perfect redemption story. From the darkest of times to the best. Fazzi’s r&b influence perfectly matched the dark, sexy undertones of the album. It’s an album full of reveling in the worst parts of the self, then having to come to terms with your choices. The grooves are so locked in. Adam has some of his most Adam-ass lines (“I not the one you love the most, I’m enough to fill the void your daddy left). It’s TBS’ grown and sexy album. I admittedly really fell off of them after that album because I was such a fazzi fan (having a further seems forever tattoo def helped). Love the first 3 albums but man, that album just hit me in the heart at the time