Well, If you shout..., I'm glad you love at least one track. Or that it inspired such a strong emotional response, reminded you of happy times, etc.
I'm strangely bummed, though, that you don't like the record. Just because I know how much you used to love the band, and how passionate you were about them. The first thing I knew about you on this board was that you were "the guy who fucking loves the Hold Steady." It was just one of those facts of life. The sky is blue, grass is green, Ryan Seacrest is gay, and IYS is a huge Hold Steady fan. And now for you to not like their new record is just...kinda weird.
Your opinion is totally cool, of course. I'm just an idiot and am over-thinking things. One of my many neuroses. Sorry.
Absolutely no need to apologize! None of that! I guess it's just one of those things, you know? I feel at least as strongly about
Separation Sunday now as I did (somehow, it was already) five years ago. I felt strongly enough to be at fucking Reckless at 7:00, on Saturday morning, to get this. I always only loved about half of the first album, and still do; I also still LOOOOOOOOVE
Boys & Girls in America. With a fiery passion.
But both people and bands made up of people change, as time goes on. I spun this, and then I spun
Sunday, and it's no longer the same band. It's not even that "they don't have it, anymore," or something like that. It's just really NO LONGER THE SAME BAND. I mean that both literally and figuratively--different lineup, different sound, totally different frontman (and it's also important to note that the fans have gotten really, really, really obnoxious, in comparison to the old days; that makes it tougher
for me even to enjoy the shows, sometimes). That doesn't mean that The Hold Steady is now a bad band; it just means that they're no longer that good of a band for me. I don't like U2 anymore, either. Or Lou Reed. Or Brian Eno. Or much David Byrne. The list goes on, man. All of these people/bands were as important to me as The Hold Steady, and they all still are; I just don't want or need to pay all that much attention to what they're still up to, you know? They're all among my all-time favorites, when it comes to what I consider their respective golden years. I am endlessly happy that I know and love their music.
If
Separation Sunday (or
Achtung Baby or
Transformer or
More Songs... or
Here Come the Warm Jets, etc.) came out next week, I would be losing my fucking mind. Even though I spend most of my time pretty deep in the underground, these days, and don't actually listen to very much which sounds ANYTHING like THS, I do still like all of this stuff. So it goes, you know? He wasn't going to stay 33 forever, and now he sounds like...well, you know.
Tunnel of Love era Springsteen and Bon Jovi. Some Eagles, too. Such is life. Maybe in 15 years, this album will mean all the world to me. Who knows?
Anyway, as a final addition, I should also note that I don't HATE this album. I just don't really like it too much. Ho-hum.