Anyone else not convinced with BDAW ? OK just me then...

[Master Ray]

Fair enough, MerseyExile.  The advance word is that the new songs take on a whole new meaning when played live...

Keep an eye out for fellow NMA-ers in Manchester... posts will be forthcoming on this site!

[Stoney]

The American angle is nothing to do with the songs mate. The mixing of the trax was done in the States yes, but the writing and recording was done here. Mostly in Bradford, the drums recording took place in London. 99% of the music and song"construction", was done in Bradford at the practice room/studio.......
Mixing, is simply getting the levels between the instruments right. Vocals, louder than guitar/drums/bass and keyboards..... The different songs and parts of songs require tweaking and fine tuning to enhance certain parts that the writers/performers want  highlighted. The actual sounds were already on tape before Joe Baresi had any involvement. So if the songs "sound" American to you it wasn't from the mixing stage. Just saying...... There are certain things you can do to give a mix a more American sound, but not in the way you mean mate..... It has more to do with sonics and drum sounds especially, and that isn't something that could be levelled at Dog n Wolf.... It's for too rich and grand sounding, way more world music/African even at times than American. To me anyhow......
I do hear alot of Neil Young in a couple of songs, especially Lean Back And Fall......... But Justin has been a fan of his as long as I can remember so it's no surprise really....

[MARKXE]

Having just done the first 5 Dates I can assure anyone that the new songs are amazing live.
Munster on Tuesday was lacking something, some of the new songs just did not seem to gel, maybe it was because it was the first live plays and the band were still feeling their way into them, anyway something was amiss, and most of the people I spoke to afterwards seemed to think the same.
Hamburg was a totally different vibe, the band belted out the new stuff as if they had been playing it for ages, and as the week went on the songs just got better and better.
Michael and Ceri are unbelievable the sound and feel of the of the drums is epic.
The new songs sound much better live, and as you can see and feel Justins passion they take on a whole different twist.
As people have already said there is not the "Anthem" type songs with chanty choruses but you know what all the new songs just feel right and they just drag you into them like a dark tunnel kicking and screaming and then fire you out into the light, converted and shouting for more.
Stormclouds, Pull the Sun, Lean Back and Fall will have you singing your heart out if you have one, along with rest of the new stuff.
There are Anthem Songs in there and they will get you,

[Johnz]

"We spread our mischief with a little glint in the eye.
Where there is war we like to bring peace
Where there is peace we want to bring war"

No offence to anyone and if you don't like the album then that's too bad. But I can picture JS having a little chuckle about people being upset that their band don't rock the way they're supposed to.

[MerseyExile]

Lots and lots of good points and all well made. 

I started the thread because I was very disappointed, not “upset”, with BDAW.  Everyone else was totally obsessed and loving it and I wondered if it was just me that thought it weak.  Between this and other threads it seems there are a very small minority of us who are less than enamoured with BDAW.

Som of us have all lived with NMA songs for all/most of our life. We know that the band and the music  evolves. We know the dynamic.  I’m really pleased for everyone that gets BDAW but obviously it’s not me. It'd be a bloody awful world if we all agreed on everything.  I do look forward to hearing it live, oh yes…
 
To sum up, I would like much MUCH more angst next time Justin please. I think this thread has now run it’s course from me. Respect and thanks for brilliant commenting and see you in November.

[purplehaze]

hi, just got to say got my bdaw on friday.Usually it takes a few listens of any new music by bands that i love ,but this album one listen and i just absolutely love every song ,it really makes me think and feel stuff i havent felt for years. although it is a totally different kettle of fish to the old nma stuff,it still has the passion but chanelled in a different direction ,i love that the band try different pastures ,it keeps it alive like. you can hear the tribal feel and drum sound but ialso  feel celtic undertones in with folklore which in part gives it a mythical feel,if that sounds pretencious i dont care im just describing how i feel .but the main thing i want to say is i proper love it im now addicted,cant listen to out else at the moment.

[jackroadkill]

"We spread our mischief with a little glint in the eye.
Where there is war we like to bring peace
Where there is peace we want to bring war"

No offence to anyone and if you don't like the album then that's too bad. But I can picture JS having a little chuckle about people being upset that their band don't rock the way they're supposed to.

Good quote, and yes, you're right, but not all of us were expecting the (to use the most hackneyed of phrases) "rock-band-in-a-room" thing again.  There have been a few of those now, so it would have been daft to expect another.  Nobody is complaining that this album wasn't TIAGD II, but some of us are saying that we don't like BDAW - and that's too bad for those people who don't agree, I suppose.

NMA are still the best band that I know of.  No other band's music does it for me like theirs does.  I will be at three of the gigs this autumn and can't wait.  However, without putting words into anyone's mouth I don't suppose that the band will be surprised or annoyed that some longtime fans don't like the new album.  Personally, this is one of those albums I'm just going to have to admit to not liking and not worry about it.  It hasn't changed the way I feel about the band one bit.

[Johnz]

Good quote, and yes, you're right, but not all of us were expecting the (to use the most hackneyed of phrases) "rock-band-in-a-room" thing again.  There have been a few of those now, so it would have been daft to expect another.  Nobody is complaining that this album wasn't TIAGD II, but some of us are saying that we don't like BDAW - and that's too bad for those people who don't agree, I suppose.

NMA are still the best band that I know of.  No other band's music does it for me like theirs does.  I will be at three of the gigs this autumn and can't wait.  However, without putting words into anyone's mouth I don't suppose that the band will be surprised or annoyed that some longtime fans don't like the new album.  Personally, this is one of those albums I'm just going to have to admit to not liking and not worry about it.  It hasn't changed the way I feel about the band one bit.

Fair point. And there is really no use in arguing about music. You either like it or you don't. I don't have a problem with people criticising the album. It's part of the review process and it's always good to hear different views. I agree that the band must have been aware that this album wasn't going to be for everyone. The same applies to Carnival, I guess (Which far more people hated when it came out).

However, the fact that a great many people absolutely love this album goes to show that it's not the songs but people's individual tastes that are the issue. I still believe that more of the underwhelmed people will warm to it with time.

[Anna Woman von NRW]

It's been interesting reading this thread develop - like the divergence of opinion and the fact that pretty much it's stayed nice to each other.

As I've said elsewhere I love this album although it took a while for me to "get". I think I do understand why some people aren't liking it though. With a 33 year back catalogue there's no way I'm gonna like everything in it. Some stuff just isn't going to click for whatever reason. Not sure I've got the words to describe what I mean here but I'll give it a go... There's a facet of NMA that doesn't seem to be immediately apparent in BDAW. There isn't a Vengeance, Hunt, World, Get Me Out, War, WWTG, R&R, Imperial Day, Bloodsports, TIAGD or whatever on here. You know that visceral outpouring sort of song? That vibe doesn't really hit you in the face here. Those feelings are in here but I reckon they're expressed in different ways. What I'm trying to say is that I get why some folk don't like this album so much and I guess I miss that feeling from this body of work too. But there is enough other back catalogue stuff for me to delve into to get that. Neither do I believe that we wont get it again on the next album.

I also think it's quite telling that over the various threads there's been a fair bit of confusion over who's playing what where... If you can't tell whether its guitar, bass, synth or strings then surely there has to be a bit more breadth in here than seems immediately in your face?

Finally, i'll echo other posters - I bet this takes on a whole new life live. Wonder what we'll all make of it after the live album?

Anyway, usual apologies if I've rambled on spouting stuff that makes no sense.....that's just me 

[Darkness]

It's starting to grow on me and it (nearly) sounds like a NMA album...

[Ron B]

 As a long time Fan I respect everyones view on this CD because the one thing we share is a love of this bands music.  I like this one a lot.  I would say that this one should have been the Followup to High in that I sense a lot of the songs on BDAW would fit right in on that CD. Just the sound and feel of this reminds me of High and that is  one of their Best works in my opinion. I still have LOHC as my all time Favorite as that CD was my 1st buy of a NMA CD.  Even after all these years I still do not have the full collection of all of NMA  song catalog but I am working on it.

[purplehaze]

yes,certain aspects made me think of high as well,it just has that vibe about it.

[the_red_ant69]

5 listenings further ... no, it doesn't work for me.
I hope this will be a one off and that the band will find the right (in my eyes) path again - sorry, I'm not into this kind of arty type of songs ... 

[Bunny]

Hello all. First post so be gentle!! Ive read these posts with interest. Just to add my two penny's worth. The first play of the album I was convinced they'd shot themselves in the foot. It took me to around 6 plays before it clicked, but thats not the first album Ive listened to that thats happened. Its not the typical rock out album, but I really like it. Ive always though of them as intelligent musicians and this album is just a progression, albeit in a different vein. I'd have to say im really keen on it, as much as anything thats gone before....although Id have to say Ghosts gets skipped every time 

[MerseyExile]

I thought Anna Woman o Kent was spot on. 
“...There's a facet of NMA that doesn't seem to be immediately apparent in BDAW. There isn't a Vengeance, Hunt, World, Get Me Out, War, WWTG, R&R, Imperial Day, Bloodsports, TIAGD or whatever on here. You know that visceral outpouring sort of song? That vibe doesn't really hit you in the face here….”. Eloquently said. Thanks.

Huwcamden said “Sunday morning chill out sounds”. I used the terms “MOR” and “no angst” but again good comments.

Thanks Anna + Huw. To me BDAW is the LP that the faithful love and praise and I don’t. No problem. C’est la vie.

Interestingly, tonight I played the first half to four people aged 30+ who are not hardcore NMA fans, including my son and his partner. but all have liked the previous NMA sound. My son had to put up with NMA in the house and car from an early age but just about forgives me.  Seriously, he’d be hard pressed to corrctly name more than a few LPs but has always enjoyed many NMA songs from ballads to anthems. Without saying who the band was, I played the first seven songs. Two recognised Justin’s voice. My son thought it was a solo outing or Justin in a new post-NMA band. The comments were “Dad, that was really shite, tell him to get back to New Model Army".

I'm not trying to validate my views of the LP or denegrate others. BUT it got me thinking of Darkness quote in this thread of the “Emperors new clothes”.  Is it not possible that some here are so obsessive that in their blinkered eyes NMA can do no wrong ?