The National are a great band we should keep discussing.

[cobl04]

Goddam work. Is there a replay anywhere?

 

[iron yuppie]

Nice setlist. The love for Sad Songs is welcome.

 

[nielsgov]

What a great set. Karen is probably my favorite song of theirs.

 

[u2popmofo]

What are all of your opinions on the best National album to give someone unfamiliar with the band? I realize I'm in the vast minority on my opinions of Boxer, and realize it's still their most "popular" at least in regards of sales and such. Despite Alligator probably still being my personal fav., I was mostly debating between Boxer and High Violet. Sort of a toss up between them for me. What do you guys think?

 

[iron yuppie]

That's a really tough call. I definitely think that High Violet is the most immediate of their albums, but Alligator shows the most range. I think this choice is going to depend largely on the personality type of the recipient.

 

[Imperor]

I'd go Boxer just because kicking things of with "Fake Empire" should hook anyone immediately.

 

[phanan]

And then followed by Mistaken For Strangers for a nice 1-2 punch. I think that's the way to go.

 

[cobl04]

Alligator.

 

[LemonMelon]

Definitely Boxer. It's probably their most accessible, and has Fake Empire/Mistaken For Strangers/Apartment Story to hook anyone in. I love Alligator, but because most of the standouts are at the end, it would be a somewhat tough sell.

That said, Karen is my favorite National song too and it would suck if they hated Boxer and never got to Alligator. Oh wellz.

 

[intedomine]

Not much discussion focuses on the first two National albums. Are they really as inferior compared with the latter three as the lack of talk on here about them seems to suggest? Murder Me Rachael (the only song I've heard from the first two albums) is a beauty.

 

[Kieran McConville]

I don't know a thing about their first album, but it being described as 'country rock' on wikipedia doesn't inspire a whole lot of confidence in me. Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers is pretty good, I think. It is a lot less stately and controlled in parts (ie. when compared to their recent stuff). I love it when he just loses his shit and screams.

On the other hand, my favourite song there might just be 'Trophy Wife', a very lowkey, breezy and poppy - albeit deeply melancholy - number. Very unlike most music I can think of from them.

I'm actually not that keen on 'Alligator'. It starts great and finishes great but by god there is a slump through the middle. Not a song there is bad, in the same way that 'Anyone's Ghost' isn't bad, but just... meh.

 

[Imperor]

Not much discussion focuses on the first two National albums. Are they really as inferior compared with the latter three as the lack of talk on here about them seems to suggest? Murder Me Rachael (the only song I've heard from the first two albums) is a beauty.

Sad Songs is tremendous and the debut has many great moments. But I wouldn't recommend either of them to someone wanting to give the band a shot.

 

[djerdap]

I rate Sad Songs higher than Boxer or High Violet. Great record.

 

[u2popmofo]

American Mary and Son are the only two songs from the debut I go back to much, and I admittedly don't go back to them all that often. Sad Songs is great, but I agree with Imps opinion that it's probably the type of thing that most people might not get a lot of enjoyment out of unless they're already a fan.

 

[iron yuppie]

Strangely enough, Sad Songs was the first album of theirs that I heard (a friend recommended it to me), and it grabbed me thoroughly enough that I made sure to get High Violet as soon as it was released. What I love about Sad Songs is that it reveals something new with every listen; Available is also among my top five National songs.

 

[Imperor]

"Fashion Coat," gang.

 

[djerdap]

Available, Fashion Coat, Slipping Husband...

 

[u2popmofo]

90-Mile Water Wall has been my fav from that album for a while now. Lucky You was my fav from it 5 or so years back.

 

[nielsgov]

Cardinal Song is the best one for me.

Jesus Christ you have confused me. Cornered, wasted, blessed and used me.

 

[the tourist]

I still like the alternate version of Terrible Love more than the original.

 

[PhilsFan]

The alternate version kicks the shit out of the original. I don't get the appeal of the album version at all. People say it "fits" with the album. No, it doesn't. It's lo-fi as shit, and the only other song on the album that you could say that about even a little bit is Lemonworld. The drums sound horrible, and this is a band that relies on a great drum sound. The National have been almost uniformly great, but they made a big mistake not re-recording Terrible Love before the album came out. I was really happy they did eventually redo it for the single release.

 

[the tourist]

I don't think Lemonworld sounds lo-fi. I think Lemonworld's guitars have a fuzzy, chorusy sound that makes them sound lo-fi. But I don't think the song as a whole does.

 

[cobl04]

The alternate version kicks the shit out of the original. I don't get the appeal of the album version at all. People say it "fits" with the album. No, it doesn't.

You obviously haven't read the top comments on youtube.

The album version is fucking miles better. The music just before the first chorus is the best example of why. On the alternate version it sounds neutered.

 

[Kieran McConville]

I think the album version of Terrible Love is the best thing on the album, frankly.

Yes, the alternate version does sound neutered. It sounds drained and polite and completely lacking the oceanic turbulence (appropriate, no?) of the original.

 

[cobl04]

I wholeheartedly agree.

 

[nielsgov]

Yes, the alternate version does sound neutered. It sounds drained and polite and completely lacking the oceanic turbulence (appropriate, no?) of the original.

That's a great way of putting it. It's like comparing the album and single version of Please. The latter might have some great parts that are missing from the album version but the former has more "soul".

 

[Imperor]

Yeah, gimme that album version. For real.

 

[u2popmofo]

I like both.

 

[nielsgov]

I like both.

Impossible.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Album version.