MERGED ----> The Killers - Sam's Town

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My opinion- Sam's Town is a consistently good, solid album. Hot Fuss has some tracks that are better than anything on Sam's Town, but Hot Fuss also drops off in quality in the second half of the record.

First half of Hot Fuss > Sam's Town > Second half of Hot Fuss
 
The_acrobat said:

First half of Hot Fuss > Sam's Town > Second half of Hot Fuss
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This right here is EXACTLY what I think of the alubms I just couldn't really think of what I meant when I tried to explain it
 
$9.99 at Kmart after work Tuesday for me.

Can't stop listening to it, reading reviews, praying for Atlanta tickets.

Doesn't look a think like Bono, but he sings like the Boss I didn't understand when I was dreaming of the Joshua Trees in the desert when I was young.
 
There's going to be a spring tour, which I'm guessing will be much more expansive. The copy of the album I bought at Target last night gave me a presale code for up to four tickets (presales :crack: ) but no bonus tracks.

Sam's Town has a much different vibe than Hot Fuss. It's not a bad album, but it definitely is a lot different, and I think it's probably not what many people were expecting from them. I haven't listened to it enough yet to say anything beyond that.
 
It's funny but while listening to this for the first time I thought it sounded like an album that would embraced more by the English than the Americans and sure enough at MetaCritic the main British mags and newspapers (NME, Q, Mojo, Guardian, Observer) gave it very favourable reviews while the American ones such as Spin, Rolling Stone, NY Times gave it a poor review.
 
ladywithspinninghead said:
It's funny but while listening to this for the first time I thought it sounded like an album that would embraced more by the English than the Americans and sure enough at MetaCritic the main British mags and newspapers (NME, Q, Mojo, Guardian, Observer) gave it very favourable reviews while the American ones such as Spin, Rolling Stone, NY Times gave it a poor review.
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I think most American music mags/ critics don't care for The Killers, am I wrong in the assumption? This is even with Hot Fuss...


Also, I think if you're looking for b-sides/ bonus stuff, there is some stuff a couple pages back unless they've been edited out. Daddy's Eyes is ok but its sort of like Lady With the Spinning Head in that the lead break/ solo in This River is Wild is the same as Daddy's Eyes...


I've actually been listening to Hot Fuss again (special edition) and appreciating it more in retrospect. The whole 2nd half of Hot Fuss sucks idea is a crap opinion. IMO Change Your Mind is as good if not better than some songs in the first half. I would have appreciated Midnight Show much more but it's too U2 for my tastes...
 
Flying FuManchu said:



I think most American music mags/ critics don't care for The Killers, am I wrong in the assumption? This is even with Hot Fuss...
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It might just be that American music mags have better BS detectors when it comes to cliches about the open road and warm gooey American values.

Still undecided on the album after a couple listens through myself.
 
Canadiens1160 said:
It might just be that American music mags have better BS detectors when it comes to cliches about the open road and warm gooey American values.

Still undecided on the album after a couple listens through myself.
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??? But my impression was that even Hot Fuss (their bread and butter) got the a tepid reception/ reaction from American critics as well... I think there may be cliches in the new album but not an overabundance and obviously used to make a point... I don't think it's littered throughout the album is what I'm saying.


Hell, the whole Bruce Springsteen "influence" IMO is sooooo overrated or over-analyzed that it's probably distracting from the music. Flowers probably tried to give props and credit to Springsteen so an audience who probably would not have cared for the Boss would appreciate him more but in the end he just gave ammunition for critics to use alah the Sheffield RS review, LOL!


What are the gooey American values anyways?
 
I am not hearing anything about American values in these songs...maybe I'm not listening hard enough....whatever, I'm not gonna even attempt to try


About the second half of Hot Fuss...One of my favorite songs by the killers is change your mind. I love that song. Aside from that one though, none of the rest make my top ten. That doesn't mean I 1)don't like them 2) think they suck. I just prefer most of the songs on Sam's Town to them
 
just came back from the Wiltern, what a show. the stage, lights, sound, atmosphere, everything. these guys know how to put on a fucking show. is anyone going to tomorrow?
 
Openness, restlessness, rootedness vs rootlessness, ambiguous regional pride, love for one's family, the highway, but hey . . .how American is that?

except it's just an "American masquerade."

In a USA today piece, and I'm paraphrasing here, Flowers suggests this record will help people see that Americans are human and not the "devils" that make war.
 
discothequeLP said:
just came back from the Wiltern, what a show. the stage, lights, sound, atmosphere, everything. these guys know how to put on a fucking show. is anyone going to tomorrow?
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I was at the show, too. It was totally awesome, so high energy!! I was so exhausted and amped up we went to Canter's afterwards to come down from it. I haven't been to a show like since the Vertigo tour. KILLERS rock!!!!!!

And I loved what they opened with. Fucking EPIC!
 
oktobergirl said:


I was at the show, too. It was totally awesome, so high energy!! I was so exhausted and amped up we went to Canter's afterwards to come down from it. I haven't been to a show like since the Vertigo tour. KILLERS rock!!!!!!

And I loved what they opened with. Fucking EPIC!
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dammit, i was looking for Canters but took a left at Fairfax instead of a right :angry:


are you going again tonight??
 
On the first album, The Killers were an American band trying to sound like a British band. And, for the most part, it worked.

On this album, they're an American band trying to sound like a British band who, in turn, are trying to sound like an American band. And it doesn't work nearly as well.

Songs like "For Reasons Unknown" are too bland and typical of the band, and seeming experiments like "Bones" just fall flat most of the time. Not to mention the absolutely cringeworthy lyrics. Blech. It's not the worst album I've ever heard, and it's got some decent high points and scattered hints of goodness, but most of the time they just can't put it all together. I do like "This River Is Wild" and "Why Do I Keep Counting," though. The biggest disappointment for me with this album is all the wasted potential. This band has loads and loads of it. If they could only put all of it together to make something really great..

And on a slightly off-topic side note, I find it kind of interesting to see critics of modern U2 in this thread singing the praises of this album. If this is the kind of songwriting and production some of you'd like U2 to have...well, let's just say I'll take HTDAAB any day of the week. :wink:
 
XHendrix24 said:
On the first album, The Killers were an American band trying to sound like a British band. And, for the most part, it worked.

On this album, they're an American band trying to sound like a British band who, in turn, are trying to sound like an American band. And it doesn't work nearly as well.

Songs like "For Reasons Unknown" are too bland and typical of the band, and seeming experiments like "Bones" just fall flat most of the time. Not to mention the absolutely cringeworthy lyrics. Blech. It's not the worst album I've ever heard, and it's got some decent high points and scattered hints of goodness, but most of the time they just can't put it all together. I do like "This River Is Wild" and "Why Do I Keep Counting," though. The biggest disappointment for me with this album is all the wasted potential. This band has loads and loads of it. If they could only put all of it together to make something really great..

And on a slightly off-topic side note, I find it kind of interesting to see critics of modern U2 in this thread singing the praises of this album. If this is the kind of songwriting and production some of you'd like U2 to have...well, let's just say I'll take HTDAAB any day of the week. :wink:
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I believe the lyrics are fine. Cringeworthy? Far from it, I think. He's got the ambiguity thing down IMO. "Bones" is no experiment outside of the horn section bits. Reminded me of something that could have been on Hot Fuss (similar style to Change Your Mind and they also used horns in Hot Fuss I believe)... I like "For Reasons Unknown," its Killers by the numbers but with a nice vocal performance by Flowers and IMO he brings it home at the end. I don't think the song is bland but then I liked HTDAAB (warts and all).

As a lyricist Flower's is fine... he may put in some questionable lines/ cliches but (if we're gonna make a U2 reference), so does Bono but it matters not as long the song as a whole is strong. The song Sam's Town is lyrically strong, as is Why Do I Keep Counting, Read My Mind, the Exitlude/ Enterlude bits, When You Were Young, This River is Wild (if not cute) etc...

The bit about them sounding like an American band trying to sound like a British band who in turn wants to sound American makes little sense. They don't deny their Brit dance rock influences or abandon them. The 80s synth sounds are still there but not as pronounced but when they are, IMO they help the songs (Sam's Town, especially, When You Were Young, Read My Mind, etc.). What if you had not known if they were an American band. I mean what is an "American band?" I mean do they sound like Korn, Staind, etc? To me, it sounds like they just wanted to make a somewhat different record from their last one. IMO they succeeded in that part.
 
I 've listened to the album only twice but both times I almost fell asleep..
And I am a huge fan...
IMHO it's the common second album problem...Every band, especially the new experience this... Just take a look at Franz Ferdinand, Keane, etc second albums...
I think that it is really difficult for a band that makes a mega-hit album to fulfil the expectations and to support the hype that created...
 
Flying FuManchu said:
As a lyricist Flower's is fine... he may put in some questionable lines/ cliches but (if we're gonna make a U2 reference), so does Bono but it matters not as long the song as a whole is strong. The song Sam's Town is lyrically strong, as is Why Do I Keep Counting, Read My Mind, the Exitlude/ Enterlude bits, When You Were Young, This River is Wild (if not cute) etc...
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If you think those songs are lyrically strong, you and I obviously have very different views on what constitutes that label.

"I see London, I see Sam's Town"
"He doesn't look a thing like Jesus"
"The devil's water, it ain't so sweet"
(Basically the entirety of the Exitlude/Enterlude songs - just the existance of these is enough to make me loathe them)

Makes me cringe every time I hear them. Completely unneeded references to cities that make no sense in context, poorly developed religious imagery (attempting to emulate Springsteen lyrics and failing), and I still have no idea why the Inter/Exitludes were necessary. Was this supposed to be some kind of concept album? Did I miss that part?

Oh, and as far as "Bones" goes, if the horns weren't bad enough, the whole deal with everyone in the band shouting select lyrics in a Bohemian Rhapsody-esque fashion makes me want to hurl, to put it as eloquently as I possibly can.

I guess I should put some positive points here, since I don't want to come off as too negative, even though I don't like the album. Sam's Town the song is good minus the aforementioned "I see London, I see Sam's Town" part. And "Bling (Confessions of a King) is a pretty solid song too, minus the horrendous title. :)
 
menelaos said:
I 've listened to the album only twice but both times I almost fell asleep..
And I am a huge fan...
IMHO it's the common second album problem...Every band, especially the new experience this... Just take a look at Franz Ferdinand, Keane, etc second albums...
I think that it is really difficult for a band that makes a mega-hit album to fulfil the expectations and to support the hype that created...
Click to expand...

I think this album is setup for failure... in Britain it might be ok but in America, I can see them not doing well... It's not Hot Fuss Part Deux. People have said they liked the bonus tracks better than the the album which just proves that point b/c the bonus tracks would have fit nicely on Hot Fuss. Also expectations may be too high that they have had to have made the perfect album in order to overcome those expectations. Sam's Town is not perfect (damn good in my eyes) and its not going to satify everyone.

Most American critics have been negative towards the album b/c of the Springsteen reference and Flowers' hype/ perceived arrogance. Critics do help push sales IMO and negative reviews never help. NME, Q, Mojo, etc. may be positive but do Americans really except for a small number read those mags. I have a hard time believing it.

Also, IMO alt rock with little buzz just doesn't sell IMO. They don't have that new band buzz so I wonder if all their touring will bear some fruit...
 
XHendrix24 said:


If you think those songs are lyrically strong, you and I obviously have very different views on what constitutes that label.

"I see London, I see Sam's Town"
"He doesn't look a thing like Jesus"
"The devil's water, it ain't so sweet"
(Basically the entirety of the Exitlude/Enterlude songs - just the existance of these is enough to make me loathe them)

Makes me cringe every time I hear them. Completely unneeded references to cities that make no sense in context, poorly developed religious imagery (attempting to emulate Springsteen lyrics and failing), and I still have no idea why the Inter/Exitludes were necessary. Was this supposed to be some kind of concept album? Did I miss that part?

Oh, and as far as "Bones" goes, if the horns weren't bad enough, the whole deal with everyone in the band shouting select lyrics in a Bohemian Rhapsody-esque fashion makes me want to hurl, to put it as eloquently as I possibly can.

I guess I should put some positive points here, since I don't want to come off as too negative, even though I don't like the album. Sam's Town the song is good minus the aforementioned "I see London, I see Sam's Town" part. And "Bling (Confessions of a King) is a pretty solid song too, minus the horrendous title.
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"I see London, I see Sam's Town"

I didn't like that part either until I understood where that line was coming from when knowing the "history of the Killers." It's a personal "homecoming song." Sam's Town is about Las Vegas, home, the casino- it's potential metaphor included, etc... it's America. The song itself is part diatribe against critics who have been negative towards the band as a whole and the stress that comes with it (keeping in mind that the Brits have whole-heartedly embraced them). What keeps him going? Home. Sam's Town is home and seeks refuge there but the irony is that it could also be the place that they've received the most criticism. London vs America. Flowers loves London (England). He's an acknowledged anglophile but he also sees America, and hes made a juxtaposition... A place where he fantasized as being this great place (London) and America.... place where he can let "his hair down, etc." He wants to say America is great in this song but that would be cheesey as heck compared to Sam's Town. Am I wrong in my interpretation Killers fans?

"He doesn't look a thing like Jesus"

Again there isn't anything innately wrong with this line IMO. It's just a taste thing. It's a distinguishing line/ hook to set it apart... Why of all the things he could have written, sang, did he choose Jesus? Hell if I know, but maybe he didn't want to use the more typical word such as "saint," "savior," "friend," etc... I think it's interesting songwriting b/c it's different out from left field. Sort of like Bono and his misuse of the Spanish language IMO.

"The devil's water, it ain't so sweet"

Uhmmmm, again I dunno, I don't see it as bad or good lyrics. Is it b/c he uses the word devil? Or is it b/c he describes devil's water as tasting bitter when in actuallity it tastes sweet which puts you off, I dunno... Maybe it's the contraction... ;)

(Basically the entirety of the Exitlude/Enterlude songs - just the existance of these is enough to make me loathe them)... The intro so to speak and the outro. I personally like it b/c it's a change of pace from the bombastic nature of the album. The lyrics aren't bad b/c they flow well all you've stated is that you loathe them. Again it's a taste thing I believe. Show tunes... it is reminiscent of folksy/ rootsy Americana... Maybe you hate the style but I don't see/ hear bad lyrics...

Isolating a line from the song and pointing to it as being why the song has bad lyrics isn't fair. I don't deny their are questionable lines/ lyrics but I think Flowers as a lyricist gets a bad rap especially when you start isolating a line. Isolating a line and analyzing by itself can make one lose sight of under what context that line was written IMO.

Hey I love the Queen vocal influences littered throughout the album. Flowers is a crooner alah Mercury (without the range) and they must love Queen. They're also Beatles fans so it's not like the whole chorus thing is a Queen thing alone. I'm down with it.

Bones WAS my least favorite song on the album but its an atypical love song IMO, heck its not even really a love song. Very campy song yet with sinister bent to it which is why I've grown to like it. I thin they cheesed it up (with the horns and the vocal flourishes to make it less threatening), but its actually pretty humorous in a dark way IMO.

I don't see the referencing of cities as unecesasary considering this is a personal record of sorts to Flowers and the religious imagery is whatever to me considering it's not even the focus of Flowers IMO unlike Bono.
 
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discothequeLP said:
just came back from the Wiltern, what a show. the stage, lights, sound, atmosphere, everything. these guys know how to put on a fucking show. is anyone going to tomorrow?
Click to expand...

Yay!! Less then two weeks for me! :hyper:

Your avatar confuses me. :angry: :wink:
 
XHendrix24 said:
"I see London, I see Sam's Town"
"He doesn't look a thing like Jesus"
"The devil's water, it ain't so sweet"
(Basically the entirety of the Exitlude/Enterlude songs - just the existance of these is enough to make me loathe them)
Click to expand...

Some of the most cliche lyrics I 've heard in a while...

In addition we must not bury them...Think U2 and their second album (October)...If U2 had started today probably they wouldn't be the U2 we all know...Even Bono admited that during the induction at the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame last year...
 
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