Author Topic: Today is a good day: released 10 years ago...  (Read 1121 times)

Guillaume

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Today is a good day: released 10 years ago...
« on: July 27, 2019, 06:59:45 PM »
Yes, next September wil be TIAGD's 10th birthday...10 years after, which are your thoughts about this album?
Great, good, average or weak NMA album?
« Last Edit: July 28, 2019, 11:52:23 AM by Guillaume »

Master Ray

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Re: Today is a good day: released 10 years ago...
« Reply #1 on: July 27, 2019, 07:44:03 PM »

Total classic IMHO.  Ten years?  F-ing hell...   :-[

Here's an odd and random thing... I always had it in my head that TIAGD and High were released only about a year apart but after looking it up on the internet, they were just over two years apart.  I suppose some long gaps between previous albums made it SEEM sooner... or maybe that's just the old brainpan getting some rust on it!  ;D

For that reason I somehow always link those two albums together and, if I had to choose, I'd probably place High above TIAGD... but only just.  It's a cracking collection of tunes.   :)

Whirlwind

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Re: Today is a good day: released 10 years ago...
« Reply #2 on: July 27, 2019, 07:48:21 PM »
A very weak album. The worst New Model Army album of them all.

Starts off with the worst track New Model Army ever named an album for. And from there it gets worse. Honestly, how often do you play this album? If one were to make a mix tape of great New Model Army songs, how many would come from this album? I'll tell you, none.




Guillaume

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Re: Today is a good day: released 10 years ago...
« Reply #3 on: July 27, 2019, 08:16:48 PM »
A very weak album. The worst New Model Army album of them all

hmmm...my vote will go for "Winter", sorry! :'(

I think it's a good album, a bit too "agressive" sounding with its loud guitars but there are some really good tracks:
"Autumn", "Peace is only", "States Radio", "Ocean rising", "Mambo queen of the sandstone city", "Disappeared", "North star"...as often with NMA"s last few albums i tend to skip 2/3 tracks but overall a solid album, and... 

Honestly, how often do you play this album?

I played it this sunny afternoon in my car and i was surprised how much i had fun playing it!  8) So today was a good day, guess!  ;)
« Last Edit: July 27, 2019, 08:22:06 PM by Guillaume »

Whirlwind

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Re: Today is a good day: released 10 years ago...
« Reply #4 on: July 27, 2019, 08:19:02 PM »
A very weak album. The worst New Model Army album of them all

hmmm...my vote will go for "Winter", sorry! :'(


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I haven't heard one note of "Winter." I have been saving that album for future listening.

Guillaume

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Re: Today is a good day: released 10 years ago...
« Reply #5 on: July 27, 2019, 08:20:32 PM »
I haven't heard one note of "Winter."

And what about the last album "From here"? What do you think of "Never arriving" and "End of days"?  ;)

Ten years?  F-ing hell...   :-[

10 years ago!!! incredible, indeed!!!

Pol

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Re: Today is a good day: released 10 years ago...
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2019, 08:28:31 PM »
Overall a good strong album. Kicks off with angry title track,not lyrically nma's finest but still kicks ass . .
Highlights in track listing order.
Autumn
States radio
La push
Arm yourself
Bad harvest
North star .
Left out oceans rising , not much different to the original but good none the less .
Really enjoyed the live tour of the album as well .
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Master Ray

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Re: Today is a good day: released 10 years ago...
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2019, 08:40:14 PM »

I think that the fact that NMA often bring tracks from this album into more recent live shows indicates that both the band and the fans are well on board with this excellent album...   ???

Ghosttrain

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Re: Today is a good day: released 10 years ago...
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2019, 08:54:30 PM »
Love the album,love the cover................have the skull design as a tattoo on my right arm.. 8)...

Whirlwind

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Re: Today is a good day: released 10 years ago...
« Reply #9 on: July 28, 2019, 02:25:07 AM »
I haven't heard one note of "Winter."

And what about the last album "From here"? What do you think of "Never arriving" and "End of days"?  ;)

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I will be listening to that new album the second it arrives. Have not listened to any of the pre-release songs. Why would I? The album comes out next month, I'll take it all in on that first glorious listen.

fiddlesticks

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Re: Today is a good day: released 10 years ago...
« Reply #10 on: July 28, 2019, 09:37:49 AM »
Today Is A Good Day is one I find myself coming back to again and again. Thematically, it draws me to the USA, with songs like States Radio, La Push, and, of course the title track. Musically, it lacks the layered depths of some of the later records, especially Between Dog and Wolf, but not the raw passion, melodic hooks and lyrics that work on more than one level.
States Radio, for example, paints a picture of a nation through its radio stations. You can imagine the wandering visitor picking up his borrowed car and driving along, taking in the cultural landmarks through the sights "at the side of the road" and also by working his way through the frequencies on the stereo, each station bringing to mind some quirk or characteristic of the place he is visiting.
La Push is very evocative of a place locked in time. Depressingly sad, but beautiful.
Ocean Rising and North Star brings to mind the journey, while Autumn speaks of the fragility of life. Again another beautiful song.
Perhaps the reason I like it so much is the opener. That news report which heralds the end of the old regime and new possibilities. I like to play it when, as a small, insignificant component of that global system, I fire up the screen in the morning and wonder how different life could have been...

Guillaume

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Re: Today is a good day: released 10 years ago...
« Reply #11 on: July 28, 2019, 11:56:04 AM »
NMA albums, even the uneven ones, tend to age like fine wine:

I like more in 2019 "Strange brotherhood", "Carnival" and "Today is a good day" than i liked them in 1998, 2005 and 2009...there are treasures on each ones of these albums, you just have sometimes to dig through playings and years to find them!  :)

Also, don't forget that "Today is a good day" was the last album starring the great, late Nelson!
Even is Ceri is doing a damn fine job for more than 7 years now! ;)
« Last Edit: July 28, 2019, 12:02:31 PM by Guillaume »

cthulhu

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Re: Today is a good day: released 10 years ago...
« Reply #12 on: July 28, 2019, 12:17:31 PM »
Very well said fiddlesticks! I can relate to that very good. I love TIADG because of its raw passion and the rockin' tunes.  The title song made a direct strong connection for me to this feeling of "there you have it! it was inevitable what happened and now the masks are off and that is a good thing!" in relation to the wall street crash.
Autumn is such a beautiful hymn and manages totally to do what it is about. You can fall into the beautiful melody and singing and the choir while thinking about death and the mortality that is life itself.
And then there is ocean rising. In the new model army version! It was such a ride and joy for me when i listened to it the first time live. I think it was before the release of TIAGD, i don't know, but when the tune began at the gig, i wasn't prepared for bombastic translation from the simplistic NBTS version to a version with drums and electric guitars. What a story, what a song, what a "blow me away moment"!
The least played song would be La Push for me.
Love the album!
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cthulhu

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Re: Today is a good day: released 10 years ago...
« Reply #13 on: July 28, 2019, 01:41:09 PM »
Quote
NMA albums, even the uneven ones, tend to age like fine wine
Very true! I also very sure that there will come the time, when i find the connection to La Push. I have several songs that i didn't like at first, skipped them but then went on to become favourites. Luhrstaap or orange tree roads for example.
ever tried. ever failed. no matter.
try again. fail again. fail better.
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Whirlwind

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Re: Today is a good day: released 10 years ago...
« Reply #14 on: July 28, 2019, 02:14:22 PM »
I have several songs that i didn't like at first, skipped them but then went on to become favourites. Luhrstaap for example.
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You honestly did not like "Luhrstaap" upon first listenings? You would skip that song???
Man, "Luhrstaap" is one of the Top 10 greatest New Model Army songs.