Kryptoman, thanks for that thought-provoking, thoughtful post. Perspective is everything, eh?
Hi ljsmack
Crawling out of lurkdom to chime in on your comment from yesterday:
PSS: I have listened to Runnin so many times, and I just added it to my Spotify playlist. In many ways it seems a thematic precursor of TOH, from what I've gleaned from Adam's interviews this era. Anybody else think that?
Yes! I've been thinking about this too, and I've been surprised that I haven't seen anyone chatting about it. Also, I can hear little hints of Runnin' in Ghost Town. Both start wallowing in the disaffection with one's current jaded existence, trying to run from it, then accepting and/or rising above it (or maybe just throwing up your hands and dancing to escape it for a while). And both have that driving beat/heartbeat, the huge swelling bridge, and there's even a little nod to Runnin' with the "don't give a f**k if I go down, down, down..."
For me this piece shows the power of perception. Now Adam has a 'genuine rock voice'? And sings with a 'sharp cutting edge'? Whereas so many other people have always said he is too polished? I think the knowledge that Adam fronted Queen causes people to hear him differently. Fascinating.
And as far as the 'middle of the road' comments, that is just too funny. Yep, I get that the song WWFM is not 'out there' but this is obviously someone that hasn't looked further. If Adam is the middle of the road, I would sure love to see what the edges look like.
I am glad he likes Ghost Town and sees Adam's career taking off!!
If ever there was a left handed compliment this is it... Did he listen to The Trespassing album..
Hey, Mellie, I'm left-handed. (Or maybe you meant back-handed.)
Mmmmmmm, pleased that he likes Ghost Town but I take issue with how he characterises Adam's career and music to date.
For me this piece shows the power of perception. Now Adam has a 'genuine rock voice'? And sings with a 'sharp cutting edge'? Whereas so many other people have always said he is too polished? I think the knowledge that Adam fronted Queen causes people to hear him differently. Fascinating.
And as far as the 'middle of the road' comments, that is just too funny. Yep, I get that the song WWFM is not 'out there' but this is obviously someone that hasn't looked further. If Adam is the middle of the road, I would sure love to see what the edges look like.
I am glad he likes Ghost Town and sees Adam's career taking off!!
If you never saw Adam in a solo concert.....and you only knew him from the promoted RCA singles.....he would seem sanitized and safe.....except for Queen and the AMAs. The RCA singles WWFM, IIHY, BRIKM and NCOE are the definition of sanitized, safe pop. That is how RCA thought Adam should "go to market". It is why they failed so miserably. It is why the split was a real case of "creative differences".
Jason Johnson wrote, "Then something amazing happened. Queen happened." I think this was a turning point for Adam but not in the way he meant it. I think that working with Queen (and it seems particularly Brian) helped Adam learn how to focus more on creating an emotional moment, in front of a huge audience. I do not believe we get "Ghost Town" sung the way he sang it without Adam performing WWTLF and "Save Me" many times.
"Now there’s an audience for me being exactly who I am. There’s permission given.” Adam Lambert
Kryptoman, thanks for that thought-provoking, thoughtful post. Perspective is everything, eh?
Hi ljsmack
Crawling out of lurkdom to chime in on your comment from yesterday:
PSS: I have listened to Runnin so many times, and I just added it to my Spotify playlist. In many ways it seems a thematic precursor of TOH, from what I've gleaned from Adam's interviews this era. Anybody else think that?
Yes! I've been thinking about this too, and I've been surprised that I haven't seen anyone chatting about it. Also, I can hear little hints of Runnin' in Ghost Town. Both start wallowing in the disaffection with one's current jaded existence, trying to run from it, then accepting and/or rising above it (or maybe just throwing up your hands and dancing to escape it for a while). And both have that driving beat/heartbeat, the huge swelling bridge, and there's even a little nod to Runnin' with the "don't give a f**k if I go down, down, down..."
Can't wait to hear the rest of this album!!!
Add me to the "Runnin'" on repeat crowd. There is a reason why it is one of the top tracks from Trespassing in sales and streams.
"Now there’s an audience for me being exactly who I am. There’s permission given.” Adam Lambert
We have often used the saying "He could sing the phonebook". But just because he could does not mean that he should I remember when I first heard BTIKM in Claude Kelly's demo version. Then Adam's version came out and while it had naturally better vocals, it was pretty much the same. It was too RnB for Adam's style. It surely fits Claude Kelly's style, but it took two powerful live TV performances (esp. the second one) to show it could be elevated above that. Same with the NCOE, which IMHO had better arrangement in Bruno's demo version (thank you for nothing, Dr. Luke!), but very similar vocals. There was a mix somewhere online at some point where it wasn't clear whether Bruno was singing, or Adam (or both, blended). So while we know Adam could make ANY song his own if he wanted to, I am not sure he was really investing energy into those few label-mandated tracks when he had brilliant co-written compositions like Shady, Cuckoo or Chokehold. (And damn that Runnin' bonus, we will never hear it live! :( )
If Ghost Town is any indication of what is to come with TOH, we might be finally getting an album where he does not have to sing a single "phonebook" song! No wonder he is so excited...
Yeah to all the above and double YAY for Runnin
agree! I was also thinking the reviewer has not listened to the albums but goes only by the sound of the singles...and all those that got any radio play were the worst possible songs from either album (and for me that includes WWFM)...
I am still hoping to hear Runnin' live one day. That's because Adam is aware of it's popularity with fans (he mentioned that fact in some interview a while ago) so I am keeping my hope alive. But my #1 favorite song By The Rules will never get played
To change the subject to the glorious NOW:
What moment of the GT is YOUR favorite?
Mine is the "O -o-o-o" at 2:55 and 3:11 , that big first "O" especially
I agree with you, floralia. I get the impression that this guy has only heard the singles and didn't bother with the albums. Ain't nothin' "Simon Cowell-ised" about "Shady"! We all were complaining that the choice of singles was unfortunate and didn't represent Adam's music, but we recognized the brilliance of the albums, especially Trespassing.
The article says that WWFM peaked at #24 on the Billboard Hot 100. I thought it went to #10. It was right after Adam performed it on Idol, and I remember Adam tweeting excitedly, "Top Ten hit!" Or was that on a different chart?
Yes, I think he may well have limited his listening to the singles. Re WWFM, I thought it reached #10 too but the the Wiki for Adam's discography states #24 so I'm not sure now - perhaps someone else will confirm one way or the other
Adam's Wiki Discography says WWFM was #10 Billboard. Maybe someone just corrected it. Q3 brought this up a couple days ago. There was a Billboard list that said it was #24, but the original charts back in the day said #10, so 24 seemed like an error that crept in. Someone who doesn't numbers can remember this story better.
Crawling out of lurkdom to chime in on your comment from yesterday:
PSS: I have listened to Runnin so many times, and I just added it to my Spotify playlist. In many ways it seems a thematic precursor of TOH, from what I've gleaned from Adam's interviews this era. Anybody else think that?
Yes! I've been thinking about this too, and I've been surprised that I haven't seen anyone chatting about it. Also, I can hear little hints of Runnin' in Ghost Town. Both start wallowing in the disaffection with one's current jaded existence, trying to run from it, then accepting and/or rising above it (or maybe just throwing up your hands and dancing to escape it for a while). And both have that driving beat/heartbeat, the huge swelling bridge, and there's even a little nod to Runnin' with the "don't give a f**k if I go down, down, down..."
Can't wait to hear the rest of this album!!!
Add me to the "Runnin'" on repeat crowd. There is a reason why it is one of the top tracks from Trespassing in sales and streams.
... and me to the "Runnin" crowd. On my Spotify list as well. I still don't understand why he didn't perform live when he performed other bonus songs on tour.
Late last night, Cassie made a great post and Glampoon made a little Glampoon-snark post :D. I then got carried away on a dead thread with a response about what draws me to different songs. In case you are interested or bored:
Yes, I think he may well have limited his listening to the singles. Re WWFM, I thought it reached #10 too but the the Wiki for Adam's discography states #24 so I'm not sure now - perhaps someone else will confirm one way or the other
Adam's Wiki Discography says WWFM was #10 Billboard. Maybe someone just corrected it. Q3 brought this up a couple days ago. There was a Billboard list that said it was #24, but the original charts back in the day said #10, so 24 seemed like an error that crept in. Someone who doesn't numbers can remember this story better.
Stranger and stranger, here in the second para it says #24:
Playing devil's advocate here: Compared to the passion of Ring Of Fire and WLL on Idol, for a rock lover (which I assume the writer is as he embraces that "Queen happened" just like certain Q&A attending Glamberts), both albums might look middle-of-the-road. The first one delivered a first single written for Brittney Spears, a Pink-album-reject second single that became a hit but might have been helped by being a good answer to the AMA controversy, a third single that is just too much like an Euro-dance-party song, a Muse-reject, a GaGa-reject, an overproduced empowerment anthem that could have been great (and was great) acoustic live, an overproduced I-don't-wanna-miss-a-thing movie track as bonus... Then if he heard just the singles off Trespassing, the picture might not be much better. A first single that just should not have been on the album (and fits neither the dark nor the light side of it), a Bruno-Mars-reject second single that shouldn't have been on the album either, a "thank God he is buddies with Queen so he won't get sued" third single. Add to that putting possibly the best track ever recorded by the artist in the bonus section...
As you can see, it is all a matter of perspective. If the guy prefers his Adam in a rock sauce, he got the wrong meal.
Please don't read the above as me hating Adam's albums, I love most of what is on them, and then live they go to a whole new level anyway. But it is possible for a music critic not to like all of Adam's studio work esp. after the promise of the rock performances on Idol, so I tried to look through his eyes...
I think that Adam's ability to sing anything ,leaves many folks with a particular desire for Adam to sing only what they like..Luckily Adam hears the sound of his own drummer
This is so exact in it's truth. ^^^^^
"I am who I am." Adam Lambert "Church of Glam Rock, are you ready for this shit?!" Adam Lambert "Serious Pipes Under the Serious Moonlight"