disappointed?

[hearingballads]

cheburashka! Wow I entirely understand where you're coming from. I didn't realize it before but I guess really enjoy listening to her more unique music/goth? music (singing about topics outside of falling in love). And on top of that Vanessa and her producers crafted those topics into beautiful Harmonium tracks. I love all the piano intros in Harmonium. So Grand and to the Point--gets you to the heat of her classical piano skills and the heat of her lyrics. Intros for H&T were bad. BAD. I love Vanessa and her music, I'm sorry Vanessa! But. The thing is, I tried listening to each track 4 to 5 times again, and I straight up go on tangents wondering what happened in the recording studio. It's not that I Hate the album. I know I don't love the album. I might not even really really like H&T. Home and Come Undone have grown on me, but it's still kind of bland without the orchestra stuff done on Harmonium. I admit I like the lyrics, despite my comments about it being overdone with the falling-in-love, breaking up, and dealing with breaking up subjects. But mainly I like the lyrics because they were well-written, not because of the topic. EW's right, the songs are very pretentious, maybe our Vanessa has gone idealistic on us. Not meaning Vanessa is idealistic in real life, but the songs come out that way--very pretentious.  

Basically I can listen to harmonium all day and still be amazed by how brilliant and beautiful music can be when Vanessa behind the piano. After listening to H&T three times, I feel incomplete. The wrong-ness of the album has become one of my pet peeve's.  The producers messed up the songs on top of the fact that the story behind the songs aren't great. I think they also fixed her voice with computer engineered stuff on Harmonium, which made it better. Vanessa was a little off-key in Home and another track.

Like cheburashka said, it's inevitably a little shaky for a new label, especially a hip hop label, to release a pop/rock album. The instruments used, the way they were used, sounded wrong--the puzzle piece did not fit the puzzle.  Really really dislike the intros for most of the songs. Especially with Fools Like Me, the whistling thing threw me off. When did Vanessa start whistling or let people whistle on a "fools like me" type of track. Fools like me was a potentially good song turned into potentially worst song on the album. (sorry for being overdramatic with the contrasts!). I wanted fools like me to be heartbreaking, not uplifting. And the choir really annoys me, on "more than this." It overshadows Vanessa's voice. "The One"' intro with Stevie's Nicks is one word: scary. Scary like a scary part in a scary movie. How did they ever decide to include stevie in a ballad? Stevie in Vanessa Ballad=strange. I know I sound harsh, but here are my opinions, entirely un-sugarcoated/straight up my personal/individually artistic views.  

This post is getting way too long and I'm starting to ramble. haha. I Apologize!

I want a more matured Vanessa, one bursting with new topics, and little transformations here or there. H&T Songs are so love-sick, fantasized, and heartbreaking now. Don't know what to make of it.

But again like Cheburashka said (came up with some great points), Vanessa can really sing now. Can't even hear her breathing between lines anymore. Great vocal improvements for Vanessa!


I don't know if anyone else noticed... Vanessa seemed withdrawn on TRL. She barely cracked a smile. She always appears to be tired (I KNOW she always looked tired before but now she looks straight up sad and dejected)--like her livelihood has been sucked out of her. She's only 27, yet she acts like someone much older. She needs to have some fun. Find someone new! Maybe/probably the break-up caused this grief/pain that is now projecting externally. I don't know. I really really hope that Vanessa feels alive or happy again. =(  


As long as Vanessa is satisfied, I guess it's cool with me too. I think we all create really really high expectations for Vanessa, especially with her first album in 3 three years, because she's so incredibly talented! And unique and down-to-earth, the list goes on and on. Please don't hate me for the strong opinions I've expressed!

-HearingBallads

[Ghisy]

Wow, I just read this thread, I didn't really pay attention to it before.
I don't think I'm THAT disappointed in H&T. I know I was expecting more p&v  songs (Dan, I don't think listening to them for 50 minutes would be an exhausting listen ).
My personal tastes are more into acoustic stuff, hence "Home" is problably my favorite track on the cd.
But the rest is fine too and sometimes I enjoy listening to produced music (even overproduced).
I don't really think we should blame Vanessa for how this album sounds: sure, it's less darker than Harmonium (and I DID love the "dark VC") but she needs to get back out there (= mainstream music world).
So if H&T sells better and gives her the credit/money she deserves/needs and helps her create more awesome music in the future, I'm all for it!
To sum it up, H&T is a great album and I'm proud of Vanessa and still amazed by her piano skills.

[Saulo]

I was not disappointed with Heroes & Thieves at all. I think it's her best album yet so far, her most mainstream accessible CD but at the same time it's not something that's going to taint her indie vibe cred. (If you know what I mean) It is just as enjoyable as her debut album, if not, even more. Sure, Harmonium was fantastic, but there were songs on it I just couldn't get into like the songs on Heroes & Thieves. I personally LOVE Nolita Fairytale, Hands on Me, The One (This might be my favorite VC song- of all time) and Fools Like Me. But the whole thing is just fantastic.

I am really satisfied with this album, and I am hoping she'll get the recognition she deserves with it.

[Cheburashka]

Well, Saulo and Ghisy, that's the thing for me. I don't think V needs to be mainstream famous. I think that after BNN's crazy success, she feels the need to be near the spotlight. But really, she doesn't need it! H&T would have been just as good if it was an indie label or even self released. That way, she could have done whatever songs she wanted with the necessary accompanying instruments. Like NoLita live doesn't sound anything like on the album; it has more strings and it's more choppy and... sounds like something she would have liked to do for H&T. And just that she tried to give the album a "theme" seemed slightly childish for me. An album doesn't need a "theme;" the emotion of the songs will come together to make up a grand story. That's why harmonium was the best album; all of the songs sounded completely different from one another, and each had their own unique story to tell. You'd listen to one and skip forward to the next and say "Whoa! where did THAT come from?!" because each showed a versatile V.
I'll reiterate; it's a good album for anyone else, but, to me, for V, it fell short

[Butz]

Why can't you guys just accept, that her vision for this record was intended to be positive and just chapters of what she's been trough. So no "goth" shit, she's not in that place right now. She's a pop artist, and she's always been pop. There's nothing wrong with that.

So you didn't get a Harmonium part 2, get over it already.

[Butz]

double post

[amberbeads]

Why can't you guys just accept, that her vision for this record was intended to be positive and just chapters of what she's been trough.

Exactly. She's not writing about dark things because those things aren't happening to her right now.
And the thing about her livelihood being sucked out or whatever.. She ended a five year relationship, or however long. As positive as she tries to sound with songs like My Best and praising Stephan's musical talent, I'm sure she was absolutely devastated and is still trying to get over it.

[hearingballads]

yea I agree with Cheburashka again. I wouldn't have minded if Heroes and Thieves wasn't in the spotlight. A lot of great artists or scientists, haha, weren't discovered until they're dead, not that I don't want vanessa to get the recognition she deserves, but I think the songs are what is important. Yea I love surprises, unfortunately this album did not provide those surprises, in a good way. And Vanessa's trying too hard I think to become what others expect , want?, from her. She should just produce write great songs and put them all in an album, ex. include best behavior and all is well, and toss the whole theme thing out.

If you're happy with the album, thats great. Be happy. Don't need to attack others who have different opinions....

[Butz]

Why can't you guys just accept, that her vision for this record was intended to be positive and just chapters of what she's been trough.

Exactly. She's not writing about dark things because those things aren't happening to her right now.
And the thing about her livelihood being sucked out or whatever.. She ended a five year relationship, or however long. As positive as she tries to sound with songs like My Best and praising Stephan's musical talent, I'm sure she was absolutely devastated and is still trying to get over it.

Thank you. And it's also not because she broke up with Stephan, that she should've went back into the studio, and write "dark" songs about that her heart is broken, yadayadayada. If that were the case we could've waited another year for the record. Or maybe even longer!

Just be content with what you have, Vanessa poured her heart and soul into this record. I'm just grateful she didn't disapear from the music scene all together.
She provided a heartfelt record, no superficial shit. She's still genuine, and progressing. Just let her be for God's sake!

[Butz]

yea I agree with Cheburashka again. I wouldn't have minded if Heroes and Thieves wasn't in the spotlight. A lot of great artists or scientists, haha, weren't discovered until they're dead, not that I don't want vanessa to get the recognition she deserves, but I think the songs are what is important. Yea I love surprises, unfortunately this album did not provide those surprises, in a good way. And Vanessa's trying too hard I think to become what others expect , want?, from her. She should just produce write great songs and put them all in an album, ex. include best behavior and all is well, and toss the whole theme thing out.

If you're happy with the album, thats great. Be happy. Don't need to attack others who have different opinions....

It was HER decision to have a theme on this record! And she's not trying too hard to prove herself or whatever. This was the record SHE wanted okay.

[Cheburashka]

I suppose no one can express their honest and respectful opinion without someone attacking them. No need to be overly sensitive, I'm not jabbing at her personally; this is just what I see. Again, I LIKE the album, but I don't love it. I support her whatever she decides to do. Sorry I said anything

[hearingballads]

I said it before, I guess I'll have to say it again, I don't love or really really like the album, but I don't hate it. I enjoy listening to it. It just doesn't have the effect Harmonium had on me.

So Butz can you please calm down.

The fact that I'm even posting here, it means that I genuinely care, and am offering my honest opinion for the good of vanessa's music making. I honestly still believe in the things I said above, I won't take them back. Like I said BEFORE, I respect Vanessa, so therefore, since she's proud of H&T , I am more than happy for her. And the fact that she has a label that lets her do her thing and believes in her whole-heartedly is another great great thing. Why Do I Have to Keep Explaining/Reiterating My Words in here when I wasn't even attacking Vanessa in the first place. There's a difference between having opinions to attack and having them to analysis a situation. I'm the latter.

[chrisb]

I'm afraid I was a little dissapointed with the new album, I didn't expect anything dark because most of the previews for the songs were upbeat but I was dissapointed with the lyrics mostly and the musical style of some of the songs. I think I need to let the album grow on me but at the moment, I really only enjoy Nolita Fairytale and This Time.

[alison]

AND I was disappointed with "Hands On Me." Why did they have to make one of my favorite songs on the album so alternative. RUINED it for me. I thought all her live performances of hands on me were amazing, heart-felt, personal, just the way I imagined her studio version to be. But NO it just isn't the same. I really wanted a nice clear, quality version of Hands On Me with the traditional piano and V's voice, and perhaps violin in the background. ARGH.

AGREED!! i felt the same way..also somewhat with fools like me. the metronome thing totally turned me off. i love when she changes tempos.

[Butz]

Ok, sorry guys but I was just venting. Cause there are some other users here, who just tore this album apart. Like it was total shit, and I'm just being defensive. Not sensitive, I'm not neurotic in that way.

Just let it grown on you, that's all I have to say. I had the same thing with other artists records, and the record will grow on you. You can't love every album equally the same, I understand that. But some peeps, just give up. And start picking every negative thing about it. And I can't stand that pessimistic crap.

I read your last comments, and now I see that you're not bashing or whatever (: