Author Topic: Liberman  (Read 264831 times)

Rabbits_on_the_run

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Re: Liberman
« Reply #525 on: October 23, 2015, 08:07:00 am »
The production on this album is amazing. It's like a Hear the Bells aesthetic like HTB was the easel and she painted this album using those colors.

All the songs are listenable and some points in the production make you wanna close your eyes and just take in the moment
.

I'm so proud of her.  :'(

Yes. Exactly!!!

Arwen

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Re: Liberman
« Reply #526 on: October 23, 2015, 09:07:16 am »
Wow. Can't wait. Did you get it from the official store?

Yes, I got it from Vanessa's store. This pic isn't mine, but here's the booklet photo:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205079841620733&set=pcb.1028882520489797&type=3&theater



The link doesn't work for me, but it's ok! Thanks anyways! :) I'll wait until I get home.

Oh no! Here you go:


(from the phantom friends FB group)

sarab

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Re: Liberman
« Reply #527 on: October 23, 2015, 09:17:05 am »
I'm going to write my quick thing before reading anyone else's stuff so if I repeat stuff, sorry!

First off when I opened my package I was brought to tears.  I am so ecstatic and proud that Vanessa has shared such an intimate moment of motherhood with us.  I had always wondered if she'd ever step up to the plate like some celebs (namely Alyssa Malano) and post a breastfeeding pic on instagram or twitter.  I figured she would never, being she's so private in the first place and this can be a hot button issue (don't get me started on why it shouldn't be, that's a whole other thread for a whole different website).  So when I opened my package to see her in such a gorgeous snapshot on the lyric book cover... I was very moved, and every time I think about it I am moved.  As a mother, a nurse, and a lactation consultant I just couldn't be more proud to be a fan of hers.
On to the music!
I had actually given in and listened to the album stream the other night at work.  we were having a craptastick night and I just needed it to calm me down, and it did.  It brought me in to a zone where I could just relax and forget about all the stuff going on around me.  Now that I've got the album it will be on repeat (after nap time of course).
House of Seven swords was not one of my favorites I had heard live, but this album version is fantastic.  I'm so glad the production of unlock the lock is so minimal, that was my favorite live.  operator is so good.  it's done in a pop way but an alternative pop way.  it actually reminds me a lot of the music she was listening to shortly after rabbits came out .. she posted songs that she liked almost daily back then and I downloaded a bunch of them. so this album feels to me almost like i'm listening to her play list.  lyrics are inspiring, and build upon themselves as always.  I had worried about all the lyrical repetitiveness in the songs I had heard live but it works in the studio versions.  I have nothing technical to add but I am very impressed by this album, I like the way it's been done.  I'm glad we have the live versions of most of the songs, but I think I'll be listening mostly to the studio versions!  Each version of the song is like it's own song anyway.. related but not exactly the same.  I think I remember someone saying that nothing where something used to be sounds more hopeful on the studio version, and more remorseful and sad for the live version, and I totally get that now that I've listened to the studio one.  ok that's all I have to add!
~Sara~

Ghisy

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Re: Liberman
« Reply #528 on: October 23, 2015, 09:28:24 am »
I didn't get any update or anything BUT the CD was delivered by FedEx this morning (and I'm in Switzerland). Such a great and unexpected surprise. The record is amazing. Production, songwriting, Vanessa's voice... It's perfect. Thank you Vanessa for another masterpiece. The front picture of the booklet with Sid is beautiful! I also love the fact that she names Victor in her thank you list.

I had a DHL notification a couple of days ago and both the regular & deluxe edition arrived today in my mailbox! One was sent through DHL and the other by FedEx. Go figure. Kudos to Dine Alone Records for upgrading shipping so overseas fans can also get it on release day. It's a small gesture but much appreciated!

About the album, I'm in love. That sums it up.
Ghisy
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joey

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Re: Liberman
« Reply #529 on: October 23, 2015, 11:17:33 am »
OK. From which blessed orgasm filled bowels of this planet was that studio version of HOSS made?

I. AM. DEAD.

It's like... It's just an acoustic version. No biggie right? She can't have done anythi... What. The. What?

Also, does anyone hear a Stevie-esque voice in that version?
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coldyoungheart

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Re: Liberman
« Reply #530 on: October 23, 2015, 11:50:20 am »
Wow. Can't wait. Did you get it from the official store?

Yes, I got it from Vanessa's store. This pic isn't mine, but here's the booklet photo:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10205079841620733&set=pcb.1028882520489797&type=3&theater



The link doesn't work for me, but it's ok! Thanks anyways! :) I'll wait until I get home.

Oh no! Here you go:


(from the phantom friends FB group)

Wowowoow! Gorgeous :).

Thanks!

nutnlp

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Re: Liberman
« Reply #531 on: October 23, 2015, 01:08:31 pm »
Regretting not pre-prdering since Best Buy, Target or Walmart dont have the CD in stores..tried all 3 today.  Here I come Amazon haha
..is rushing to pack his bags and take a trip to egypt like the average person does!!!

lavender skies

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Re: Liberman
« Reply #532 on: October 24, 2015, 03:48:07 am »
Am slightly devastated that A Matter of Time doesn't have a living room session as it's my favorite song from the album.

cassiemoy

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Re: Liberman
« Reply #533 on: October 24, 2015, 06:26:52 am »
OK. From which blessed orgasm filled bowels of this planet was that studio version of HOSS made?

i snorted

(i agree 1000%)
formerly fish_for__stars.

Alex0821

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Re: Liberman
« Reply #534 on: October 24, 2015, 09:53:36 am »
Here's my (extremely long-winded) track-by-track review of "Liberman"!

Take it Easy – I think this song does a fantastic job of establishing a lot of the themes and concepts for the album: the dreamy atmosphere, instrumentation not necessarily led by piano, finding comfort in chaos, aging and dying (yes, I actually think a lot of this album has to do with getting older and becoming closer to death). I love how the song is an allusion to “The Last Unicorn” – I’ve never seen it before, but I love when she references the works of others, it makes her lyrics really rich. I still think the intro and outro are way too long. And how is that not a trumpet?? 8/10

Willows – A perfect song, as far as I’m concerned. I love how the instrumental and the lyrics give me these ‘hearty pioneer’ vibes: “Go build a cabin, find land and a tree… on your knees planting seeds” etc. I love how the instrumental rises and falls at all the right moments, and the piano and guitar complement one another so well on this track. The harmonies in the last chorus are phenomenal. I really, really like this song. 10/10

House of Seven Swords – I’m disappointed this song didn’t get a better instrumental. I mean, it barely has one. The bridge would have been a perfect place for the music to swell bigger than it does. I also wish the lyrics had more Tarot references, since that’s a really interesting concept for a song. But I like how she comes off as this older, worldly woman explaining how the world works to a younger listener. There are some very pretty harmonies, as well. 7/10

Operator – If you told me this song was an outtake from “Harmonium,” I’d believe you. It would fit perfectly alongside similarly earnest tracks like “Private Radio” and “Papa.” I didn’t love the living room session of this song when we got it with “Blue Pool EP,” but the studio version is quite good. I really like how it’s a sort of Mrs. Robinson-esque story about an older woman seducing a younger man. I definitely think this was the right choice for a single, though I thought the music video didn’t tell the story as well as it could have. 9/10

Blue Pool – Another darn-near-perfect song. I love when Vanessa writes in 3/4 time. I really dig the Old Hollywood feel of the song, and how it tells the story quite literally, which doesn’t work for every song. I don’t always like long outros, but “Blue Pool”s is so pretty that I don’t mind. I think this is the song I’m most looking forward to learning how to play on the piano. 10/10

Nothing Where Something Used to Be – As I’ve said before, I don’t like the studio version as much as I like the living room session. However, the “hoos” in the outro are really haunting, and I really like the punctuated strumming of the guitar. The lyrics denote a level of maturity and introspection towards a breakup that most songs don’t have, and this perfectly illustrates the “grownup” nature of the whole album. 8/10

Matter of Time – This song reminds me so much of “Get Good” for some reason. It’s probably the guitar and the melody of the verses. The whole song is very simply stated, but the minimalism works really well here (it did not in “House of Seven Swords”). Again, the harmonies are ace. 8/10

Unlock the Lock – I never liked the live performances of this song, but the studio version works on a whole other level. The harmonies of the chorus hit my ear just right, and the staccato strings (is that cello, or more guitar?) punctuate the beat well. The music of the bridge grows into the chorus in a way that “House of Seven Swords” should have. 8/10

River – I said a few days ago that I didn’t like this song, and I should be roundly punished for that because it’s become one of my favorites after a second listen. I think this song would have been right at home in “Rabbits on the Run,” perhaps more than any other song on this album. I can’t quite articulate what I like about this song. I like the sustained notes of the chorus, and the instrumental has some interesting things going on. 9/10

Ascension – I really like the piano chords, which remind me of “The Marching Line.” The whole song sounds like coming out of a dream, making it the perfect ending to this album. Though after all the references to aging, death, being lost and similarly morose topics throughout the album, I wonder if “Ascension” is instead about rising up to heaven and “waking up” from the mortal experience. Chilling to think about, but ultimately not a very good song in its own right. 6/10

In Conclusion – I ended up liking “Liberman” a lot more than I thought I would. In fact, it is likely my favorite album of hers, with the possible exception of “Heroes and Thieves.” I usually like a more typical pop production in the music I listen to (“Heroes” being a perfect example of that), so “Liberman” is very different from what I usually enjoy. But in standard Vanessa fashion, the lyrics are so beautiful, her voice so pitch-perfect, and the melodies so lovely that I don’t really miss the production except in a few of the songs that could have benefited from a stronger production. I really like some of the themes that run throughout the music, such as aging and finding solace in a chaotic world, and I love how so much of it is in second person, like she is singing to the listener or like we are a character in each story. I feel like there’s still a lot worth exploring here, and I’ve only just begun listening to the living room sessions, so I’ll look forward to enjoying “Liberman” for many months to come. 9/10
Check out my newest piano instrumentals, "Willows" and "Blue Pool"!

[sobriquet]

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Re: Liberman
« Reply #535 on: October 24, 2015, 11:02:48 am »
I really love the record, although whenever I listen to the whole thing, I rearrange the songs according to my own preference. IDK, anyone might want to give it a try as well?

[Studio Versions]
Take It Easy
Operator
Willows
Blue Pool
I'll Wait For You (yes, I include this one)
Young Heart (yes, this one too)
Matter of Time
House of Seven Swords
Unlock the Lock
Nothing Where Something Used to Be
River
Ascension

[Stripped Versions]
House of Seven Swords
Take It Easy
Unlock the Lock
Operator
Willows
Blue Pool
River
Nothing Where Something Used to Be

I actually plan to insert some songs in RoTR, but oh well. This is a new project altogether.

Floating on the sea, stars are watching me. Currents take me out, what will be will be.

lavender skies

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Re: Liberman
« Reply #536 on: October 24, 2015, 03:47:31 pm »
While I love some songs on rabbits, it was always my least favorite album--proably because it was so different than her previous work. Her old versions of FWF were my favorite and I didn't like the dreamy vibe of this. But his album. It's perfect. I know sales wise it's not expected for much but if V still lurks around here I hope she knows what a dream record this is. It's the perfect time for it and it's hauntingly beautiful. My bro works for buzzfeed and I think I convinced him to do a review of the album for some extra publicity.

sarab

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Re: Liberman
« Reply #537 on: October 25, 2015, 03:34:19 pm »
While I love some songs on rabbits, it was always my least favorite album--proably because it was so different than her previous work. Her old versions of FWF were my favorite and I didn't like the dreamy vibe of this. But his album. It's perfect. I know sales wise it's not expected for much but if V still lurks around here I hope she knows what a dream record this is. It's the perfect time for it and it's hauntingly beautiful. My bro works for buzzfeed and I think I convinced him to do a review of the album for some extra publicity.

that would be awesome, buzzfeed gets a lot of traffic.. someone did a piece on adele releasing a single on Friday too.  that definitely could have overshadowed Vanessa's release
~Sara~

darren1711

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Re: Liberman
« Reply #538 on: October 26, 2015, 12:36:35 pm »
Excellent review from Pop Matters here http://www.popmatters.com/review/vanessa-carlton-liberman/

Alex0821

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Re: Liberman
« Reply #539 on: October 26, 2015, 05:09:09 pm »
Excellent review from Pop Matters here http://www.popmatters.com/review/vanessa-carlton-liberman/

Great review! I totally agree that ROTR is only a departure from her past work in terms of the musical production - she's been remarkably consistent in terms of the actual songwriting.

And HAHAHA about Senator Lieberman - I'm from his state and I thought the same thing when I heard the album title for the first time.
« Last Edit: October 26, 2015, 05:11:28 pm by Alex0821 »
Check out my newest piano instrumentals, "Willows" and "Blue Pool"!