That's a bummer, Skylined. I'm sorry you don't like it...

Yeap it's a bummer. :(

It won't grow because while I was listening to their new songs I was like "this could be any "modern" rock/pop band and not the chems".

I just don't feel that I'm listening to the chem bros.

If somebody told me that what I was listening was the chem bros, I would have told that person to stop jokeing.

But you see, it can't be any "modern" rock/pop band because of the diversity of the whole ablum. Each song is also much more intricate than what is heard on first listen. Even if the album was a compilation of many different arists and styles, 11 (one for each song) groups couldn't make this album because of the quality and intricacy of the music. The fact that once again the Chems have made an album that 11 groups couln't make is stunning.

Sorry you won't even give it a chance though, Skylined. Theres always next time.

"But you see, it can't be any "modern" rock/pop band because of the diversity of the whole ablum. Each song is also much more intricate than what is heard on first listen. Even if the album was a compilation of many different arists and styles, 11 (one for each song) groups couldn't make this album because of the quality and intricacy of the music. The fact that once again the Chems have made an album that 11 groups couln't make is stunning."

.

.

.

Damn boy, what did you smoke?

Nothing, but I am quite tired.

I see what you mean Profunk - what you said made sense to me! For all the diversity on the album, I hear the Chemical Brothers' signatures all over the tracks.

If any ol' band can make tunes that sound as stunningly produced, layered, textured and intimate as the songs on We Are The Night, I'd sure like to hear it.

To tell you the truth, this was something that I feared.

It's so hard to explain that I've already spent like 5 minutes trying to write something...

When I heard Spring I knew that something bad could happen, and I was right. I didn't like that song and I could imagine that their next album could be a bad one, but I had my fingers crossed. Seems that having my fingers crossed didn't work. :S

Don't take this like if I'm whining or ranting, believe me, I was waiting for a great album.

i just heard it the first time last night, and it's already grown on me within the past 20 hours. PTB drew a line in the sand and WATN made it deeper. The line represents the change The Chemical Brothers are executing, and that sets off a reaction of new audiences, a stronger present audience, and departering audiences. This album might grow on some people if it wants to, but for some this might (sadly) be their last listen into The Chemical Brothers.

I'm glad the Chemical Brothers have kept up with the times. You can't make the same kind of electronic music for your whole career. It just doesn't work. I think a lot of people from what I've read in other forums are upset that their sound isn't like DYOH anymore... but all bands merge into differnt areas...it's too keep their sound fresh and not dated. So either you move on or you stick to a era that most loved. All new albums will gain fans and lose fans. I personally don't sit there hoping that their next ablum will sound like this or that. I probably end up crushed because whatever the perfect LP I had in my head was completly different. I am loving this album heaps now though but I hope that deosn't die down even before its released.

is it just me or does it sound exactly like Damon Albarn repeating "There's no path to follow" in the intro and Battle Scars

I totally agree, kwiddle. I like it that the Chems have kept up with the times and are willing to broaden their musical horizons while holding onto techniques and experience and sound they've gained from the past. I was telling a friend recently from the old Chems mailing list that it doesn't make sense for the Chems to go back to 1997 anymore than it makes sense for us to take a trip back 10 years. It's freakin nonsense, really. If you don't like the new stuff, then stick with what rocks your ages and cherish it. Times change, and the audience can be fickle. Had they continuously pumped out more Dig Your Own Holes or Surrenders then they would have been accused of being trapped in some sort of sad musical vortex where things never change, and ultimately the Chems would cease to be relevant.

TJ, the thing is, with any veteran band that has built a steady and expansive back catalogue, there will always be the risk of losing fans who choose not to follow the new path of their musical heroes. I watched this happen with a band I've followed for 23 years. They haven't done anything I really dug the shit out of in 10 years, but I'm still a fan because I've got the music that drew me to them in the first place. For verteran bands, losing fans is a bittersweet reality - on the upside there are people that stick around because the music from yesteryear still means so much, plus there will be new audiences coming into the fold and being fresh to discover everything and all things Chemical. It's just impossible to appeal to everyone every single time, and if people don't like something new... it's a bummer, but it's all right. I don't know if that's necessarily a sad thing if people move on because the albums of previous years are still there, and the songs remain the same.

I started another thread about something that's been bothering me, but since it's very much relevant here, thot'd bring this here so others who are waiting for the cd get some strength. ;)

-- Confessions of a greedy mind :

Ok, here goes the reason I was off the boards the last 3 days. This may be long, and just babbling to most here, but I had to put my thoughts down.

I toked up on Friday again (n I've toked a few time this week after months, so this stuff hit me BIG), and suddenly I felt there was something lacking in the album. I couldn't really put my finger on it, as I love the tracks, I've played the album some 400 times since I got it (no It's not a case of overplayed - I can do that with any Chems, it's never really overplayed), and I identify with the ever changing Chems, I have no problems with them trying out completely non Chems sounding songs - but something was definitely lacking and had been bothering me since middle of last week now.

Well, so I decided to revisit some old Chems, starting with PTB, since that's where they left us last. I smoked up some heavy shit and just lay back there in my bed hearing it HIT me so hard again (yes, I love PTB almost as much as all the other Chems), and contrary to what I was expecting, which was getting bored of PTB midway and switching back to the new album, I sat through the whole album, beautifully amazed at it's genius and ended up hearing some other old albums as well as PTB again a few more times over the weekend. The drums on PTB are fucking hard, and so much layered - I don't know where the notion of PTB lacking the trademark infinite layers of sound came from, but I think I've cracked what's lacking here, for me. It's not the wide spectrum of stuff the Chems are continously experimenting with, or the lack of genius material, it's just simply the fucking quality of the cd we've been spinning. That's all, simple yet the fact hit me very hard. The first thoughts were scary - I hoped I've not screwed up this album for myself by hearing this crappy quality - yes most folks won't agree with me, but the 192 kbps quality we've got kills the album's depth and real hooks - the trademark Chems "real" psychdelia - the millions of layers and sounds that seem to come for u from all kindsa weird directions and places, the way they produce, on cd.

One thing that was worrying me throughout was the lack of hard hitting drums on this album, but then thinking back earlier I didn't really remember any mindblowing breaky drums on PTB also, but when I finally got around to hearing it again I discovered that the drums and the millions of layers of sound have always been the real magic that hooks me into the Chems, including PTB - I was really pscychdelically twisted and I could again hear a million different drums and layers and layers of sounds and other stuff on PTB - which I can hear on this new album also but because of the fucked up compression at work have been subdued too mcuh and hence does not leave the effect these songs really will have off a proper mix off a cd.

Don't get me wrong - this album is no way weak, I was just about to get into that mindset that the album is slipping off, from being so effective and massive, as I initially felt it was, but this timely experimentation and trying to find the answer has helped - I am fucking sure it's just the bloody quality which is preventing this album from becoming a sureshot psychedelic masterpiece - I need all the layers they've put in and the way they were intended to sound, to come crystal clear and as disjointed or jointed as planned and put into the original mix by the Chems - not some shady ripping software compressing the stuff and cutting out the depth or highs of the frequencies that have gone in. Also the panning is so ineffective on this bad quality mix. All the trademarks of the Chems sound have definitely suffered in this rip.

Apologies for the long rant, but I've decided to stop playing this album (unless I'm really craving for something) often, and wait for it to be out on cd. For those who're waiting - trust me hang on, and it'll be really worth it. I'm sure what I need, so meanwhile, I'm gonna spend this month in between revisting all the older chems which I've not been doing in a while and then taking the album like it was intended to be, again.

Pfftt.

--

N here's something I replied to something Whirly said :

----

Whirly :

I hear ya and understand... But I'm going to enjoy what I have for the time being. If I want to listen, I'm not going to deny myself that pleasure because I can't see any reason for that. I sort of look at the quality as a difference between cassettes and cd. If it's this good to my ears now, then when the time comes to have the real deal then I'm probably going to combust.

I've been itching to give a solid song by song review (it's coming, I promise. ;) )

of We Are The Night but I'm waiting for that moment when I can hear everything the way it was meant to be heard.

That said, revisiting the back catalogue has been a wonderful, perspective gaining experience. It's incredible to hear the spark of brilliance in Exit Planet Dust and put it up next to We Are The Night and see how the Chemical Brothers have evolved.

---

I don't know whether my rambling makes sense but I did get a bit scared as I had this weird feeling that the album was lacking something to have the holding power of any other Chems album over me.

And then I tried to think why so many folks didn't like PTB, I think the album just fucking rocks - it did hit me that I'd never heard any mp3s of that album and heard it straight off cd, and tho it took a while to grow completely, once it did it's another masterpiece.

I'm also not making any resolution not to hear it again, but I was spinning just this again and again, and I'm gonna hear it only when I crave now like I said, and wait to do it again with the real cd. Am gonna meanwhile revisit the rest of the discog once again - I've been hearing too many mp3s lately, even the live sets and other artistes.

Whirly - try this - toke up on some good weed, hear this album, hear PTB completely and voila - it may hit u that the songs we've been hearing are not even 30% of the magic the real cd would offer - basically because of the extensive production that goes into ANY Chems, and mp3s definitely fuck em up. The Chems are TOO huge a duo of producers to be heard fairly on mp3s. That too the first time. I'm not saying we're not enjoying and loving this album already, but on cd it's gonna have those famous REALLY DEEP hooks because of all the psychedelia that comes in their production - the crazy pannings - the multiple layers flying in an out - all those are majorly cut off in this - the mix is not even 30-40% of a any typical Chems studio mix.

Like all those sounds on Burst Generator - I'm sure once we hear those coming in at the right intended frequencies the way they went into the final mix - they'r gonna really blow - not that they dont know - ah nevermind - i think u get what I mean.

Even Tom said in an interview on Radio 1 "The Salmon Dance is the song that is really gonna divide our listeners"

I was also scared that i might not like this album.I mean , its not like i like something just because its from the Chems. There are lots of Chems tracks out there i hardly ever listen to.So i'm thinking , well , maybe this is the album that i will not like!

I never wanted a second DYOH - but i will agree that i i had an idea in my head of how i wanted it to sound like. Than i heard the album and i was blown away. Not only by its beauty - but also because it sounded so different than how i thought it would sound. And all the better for it.

The Chems are not only expanding their own musical horizons - but also mine! You cant keep on making the same album over and over again - Like Whirly and Kwiddle already pointed out. If people want another DYOH they should go to the shop and buy DYOH.

I think they took everything out of this album that was in there. I dont think there was any way they should have done things differently. They never fail to amaze me , and they never fail to make me feel alive when i listen to their tunes.

Skylined , i am sorry you dont like the album Mate! At least you dont go all "IT SUCKS WHAAH MOTHRFUCKERS!!!" Hahaha. You cannot like anything from an artist , so i hope for you the next album will be more of youre league! In the meanwhile , dont stop posting on this board!

xx

But but but. I just HAVE to say this, How can you NOT like it !! Hahahaha! Its so good!

We are the night! Burst Generator! All right Reversed!

I mean jeez!

Who said anything about not liking it? Unless u were referring to skylined's post?

I absolutely love it, it's just that I think the real cd's gonna be the real deal - these mp3s are lacking the production or depth (or panning, etc etc - all the famous chems effects that come flying in layers from all kind of directions on a good system), and are not even 30% of the magic the real album would be.

If you've got access to your cds try playin any Chems studio cd and then this disc you have and u'll see what I mean.

Again, I'm not saying I don't like it - I LOVE it, I was doubting that the magic's gonna not be as hard hitting after a certain no. of months pass by, but I'm sure if I stop now, and discover the whole album again at my pace with the real cd, it'd be a timeless gem, just like the others. It's all IMHO talk here, of course.

No sillypants i was referring to Skylined :D

Like everyone here it seems I caved in to pressure and downloaded it last week and have been listening to it on and off ever since. I think its a very mixed bag, its the only Chems album thus far that has taken real effort to get into, which is not a sign of a truly great album for me. The focus seems to be more on vocal collaborations this time around and to be honest thats not their strongest area for me and its not why I'm drawn to their music. Highlight of the album is probably Das Spiegal closely followed by Saturate but even Saturate I think struggles with its structure. Burst Generator is good but they've done far better big anthems than this i think. I certainly don't get that prickly hairs on the back of my neck feeling I get from the likes of Surface to Air.

I'll leave it on a positive note though by saying WATN does show a more sophisticated and subtle side of the Chems and I give them credit for going down that road. I do hope though that they don't think they're getting to old for full on big beat stuff.

Well , i did hear that Ed said "I'm getting to old for 2 am staring times for dj sets" :lol:

But fair enough Toby!

One other reason why burst Generator is very special to me ;

Nye. Almost all of my good friends from Holland and Barcelona were there and ebcause i travelled so much i hadn't seen those people for ages.

I also dont take much drugs - or often - so when i eventually do i get uber fucked.

Here i am , 12 o clock , rushing my face off , with all my best friends around me , dancing into the new year with this tune playing and my favorite artists ever playing it.

That was some moment i will NEVER forget!

Do it again!