The Walkabouts

Daniel Bailey7 said:Wait, so you actually want us to start blaming you? 😬

Look, the world is a mess. It doesn't matter if the majority screwed things up. It doesn't matter if the majority is wrong, or if I'm right. It doesn't matter if the Trail of Stars is the law and some other train isn't. 😛

Adam Moore, what makes you think Devil's Road and Nighttown aren't up to par? Personally, I find them even more compelling than Trail of Stars... though, I suppose I’ll need to listen to 😁
at least another five hundred times before I can say for certain.

granitecrane said:Yeah, look, I don't think Bob Dylan is anything special either. I have no clue why people obsess over him so much. It’s like he didn't just change music history, but the entire course of the planet—maybe even the universe itself! Honestly, both he and his fans can take a hike. He’s not bad, but I’ve got a stack of his albums sitting here, and sometimes those repetitive counting songs and endless lyrics just drive me crazy, even if he does have some great tracks that people forget about today...

Whoa, whoa, whoa. No true Dylan fan actually thinks he changed history or views him as some big revolutionary (not that he sees himself that way, either). Real fans love the Dylan who wrote sweet love songs, the Dylan with that beautifully twisted perspective on life and the world, and the Dylan who was just a sugar-sweet, lovestruck, brilliant idiot. That’s exactly what he puts into his music.

:trcistavitdylana:

hollowseal33 said:blah blah blah. No self-respecting Bob Dylan fan actually believes he fundamentally altered the course of history, nor do they acknowledge him as some sort of revolutionary (not that he’d ever claim the title himself, right?). What they actually embrace is the Dylan who penned those sweet, sugary love songs—the Dylan with that wonderfully warped perspective on life and the world at large, and the Dylan who was just a hopelessly lovestruck, brilliant, absolute idiot. It's that raw honesty he pours into his lyrics that truly matters.

:trcistavitdylana:

Look, I’m not some anti-Dylan zealot. I’ll take him over ninety percent of the garbage out there any day. But occasionally, certain theories regarding him just grate on my nerves—specifically this tendency to elevate him above everyone and everything else. There are plenty of musicians and composers far superior to him, so when a handful of hyperactive fanatics try to shove their endless interpretations into my head as if they were some holy pop Bible, I simply refuse to entertain it.

granitecrane said:There are plenty of musicians and composers out there who are way better than him

Nah.

stormyviper11 said:There isn't.

Actually, there is.

I don't have an opinion on it, but honestly, it really depends on how you define the term.

hollowseal33 said:I don't have one, though objectively speaking, it depends heavily on how you define the term.

Of course. Everyone has their favorites. You have your Bob Dylan, while I have mine! Music is inherently subjective at times, yet it isn't quite as arbitrary as some would like to suggest—as if we should simply toss garbage and masterpieces into the same bin just for the sake of it.

The last Walkabouts album I really dug was Setting the Woods on Fire... looks like Daniel Bailey7 is onto something again...
Honestly, I’m still trying to wrap my head around how The Walkabouts became such a huge deal in our old grunge scene back in the day. 😬

granitecrane said:just a bunch of crazed maniacs acting totally unhinged.

those drug-addled extremists really can be nasty...

Look, I’ve never gone absolutely off the rails for The Walkabouts, but man, I grew to despise Eckman even more after that solo set he did a few years back in the atrium of the Museum of Art and Design.

I only showed up to that show because they advertised Vlado Kreslin, but he couldn't make it due to being sick... I know, I know—it isn't Chris's fault, but the timing was just terrible...😢

Jesse Sanchez60 said:The last Walkabouts album I actually loved was Setting the Woods on Fire... so Daniel Bailey7 is making some valid points again...
I still haven't quite grasped how or why The Walkabouts managed to gain such traction within our old grunge-obsessed social circles back in the day.😬

Ah, so you belong to that specific breed of listener who is perpetually stuck mourning a band's debut era. Were they just a bit more aggressive then, making them more appealing to you than anything that followed? Personally, I find their follow-up work to be superior, particularly when you listen to Devil's Road and Nighttown.

Personally, I’ve always been a fan of Ended up a Stranger.

Jesse Sanchez60 said:The last Walkabouts album I actually loved was Setting the Woods on Fire... so yeah, Daniel Bailey7 is hitting the nail on the head again...
I mean, I still don't quite get how or why The Walkabouts became such a huge thing in our old grunge scene back in the day😬

It’s just because they were on Sub Pop, man. People heard that name and automatically started spinning them.😬

Ashley Brown81 said:I actually quite enjoy Ended up a Stranger.

Really? I don't know. It feels as though their music has steadily become more lightweight and increasingly somber over the years; listening to them now, they almost sound exhausted. Is it possible they’ve reached some sort of new dimension through this shift? 😬 He sounds like he's practically Leonard Cohen at this point, and the lyrics feel less like songs and more like spoken word poetry, yet they manage to pull it off thanks to those lush, rich arrangements—which truly remain the standout strength of most of their albums.

They can get tedious if you listen to them in bulk, but there are definitely some gems in there. Personally, though, I’m all about the tracks where Chris takes the lead; the ones featuring Carl on vocals mostly fall flat for me.

On the flip side, I love it just as much—maybe even more—when Carla is singing.

I still don't quite wrap my head around how or why The Walkabouts managed to gain such traction within our old grunge-obsessed circles back in the day.

I’m asking myself the same thing. It’s a total mystery.

When I pick through their early stuff, it isn't because I'm looking for pure melodic beauty or technical shredding. It’s about that dark, brooding, rainy atmosphere you only find on the Pacific Northwest coast (think Twin Peaks or The X-Files).

Hangman is my passenger, tonight.

I think Chris sounds terrible when he sings—honestly—but I still prefer Carla, even if her vocals aren't exactly world-class. They have some killer tracks, though. My absolute favorite has to be "To Hell and Back."

As far as the lights staying on, Sam had some pretty relevant experience with that 😉 😬

The songwriting is absolutely top-tier—just another one of their massive strengths alongside that lush, sweeping instrumentation.

granitecrane said:I mean, what can you say? I don't know—it just feels like their music kept getting lighter and more depressing as time went on. Honestly, listening to them now, they sound totally exhausted.

Maybe that’s exactly why I dig it. 😬 No, seriously, this album is easily my favorite—it’s got that peak drama, and the arrangements and lyrics are just spot on.

He sounds just like Leonard Cohen already, and the songs feel more like spoken word poetry than actual tracks.

That’s exactly what does it for me. I’m not sure why people aren't really feeling it, but they definitely hit the mark with me.

Ashley Brown81 said:maybe that's why I like it 😬 no, seriously, that album is my favorite—it’s just so dramatic, and the arrangements and lyrics are incredible.

I feel the same way. I can't quite wrap my head around why people aren't more into it, but for me, they hit the mark perfectly.

Have you listened to the Devil's Road and Nighttown albums? Those were really the transitional records where they moved from that alt-country sound into something approaching gothic pop. From there, they just kept evolving into deeper levels of melancholy, until eventually, it sounds like... Ended up a Stranger 😁

Regarding the vocals, I wouldn't call her "average"; I'd say she's excellent. Whether she sounds better or worse simply depends on the song, and when they're singing those depressing tracks, there is no need to overstate or force the vocals. Sometimes their songs feel a bit abrasive to the ear, and the reason might truly be those monotonous, improvisational, and imperfect melodies wrapped in heavy instrumentation that adds to the confusion. All their music possesses a certain unique charm because of that, yet I still feel something is missing... perhaps better songwriting? I don't know what the issue is! Perhaps I am merely a damned "perfectionist" expecting something that meets my own impossible standards, which likely wouldn't seem perfect to anyone else 😎
In any case, listening to them is a breath of fresh air compared to all the tired stereotypes we are constantly served.