AMIT reviews of Tracker

[jimbobaby]

Hello.  Not posted on here for ages although I do "lurk" to keep in touch with what's going on.  Just listened (albeit via you tube) twice right through. Waiting for Amazon to deliver the real thing on Monday.   My early general reactions are:  Its a while since I looked forward to a MK album so much as this one given the strength of the previewed tracks and the promise of a less folky feel.  Initial reaction after the first listen was disappointment but the second listen was better.  Regardless of how I feel about the songs, the production is terrific.  Much clearer than previous albums.  As ever, the great man has resisted the temptation to play a lot of solos, particularly on the outros where he could have really got stuck in but that's just how it is these days.  I suspect this album will be a grower but it doesn't have me jumping up playing air guitar (that might be an age thing!). Lastly, there is an awful lot we've heard before both lyrically and musically.

My individual song reactions (after 2 listens so I reserve the right to change completely;

Laughs and Jokes and Drinks and Smokes -  Listened on a You tube link that played at half speed without realising and thought it was crap. Sounded like a Mark plays the Pogues parody.  At normal speed its much better than I thought but could have been off get Lucky. 6/10

Basil - Some nice bits in it but I'll take a while to get used to the whole song. Nice ending. 6/10

River Towns - Quite like this one but gasping out for a decent outro.  6/10

Skydiver - Get the Beatles references.  Fun but I think it'll be a skipper before long. 4/10

Mighty Man - Great intro.  Very derivative of other songs (Fish etc) but I like it. 7/10

Broken Bones - Awful song. Nothing to commend it at all (personal taste of course!).  Don't care if I never hear it again. 2/10

Long Cool Girl - Really like this one. 7/10

Lights of Taormina - Favourite track on the album.  Don't like the little bridge chorus as its a little rushed (seems like another lifetime...) in the middle but lovely song.  Frustratingly fades out just as what sounds like a national solo starts. 9/10

Silver Eagle.  Acoustic intro sounds just like Get Lucky.  Think this one will grow.  Needs a proper solo (sorry, wasn't going to keep saying that)

Beryl - Love it.  Sounds like Dire Straits and he plays guitar. 9/10

Wherever I Go.  Took me a long time to like this, but I do.  Maybe there's a moral there for the rest of the album.  Ask me again in a week! 7/10

[richardmu]

The extra tracks are astonishing really. Much better than at least 7 of the tracks on the first 11.

[nababo]

Well if you buy the Special Edition they ARE! 

LE

Hi, LE
Yes, I did buy the supermega box. Lucky us. Just listened to "Time will end all sorrows" and "Oklahoma ponies" to confirm my thoughts that the quasi-leftovers are better that many songs on the album. "Oklahoma ponies", except for the far too coutry solo with violin, and "Hot dog" are my faves from all the pack.

[Mark Heritage]

A part from Gravy Train, The Long Highway and Follow the Ribbon, I don't think any   MK b-sides have been worthy of album proper. That also goes for Millionaire Blues and Kingdom Come from On Every Street. One Every Street is my all time favourite album.

Hopefully i'll like these extra tracks to bolster up Tracker.

[nababo]

A part from Gravy Train, The Long Highway and Follow the Ribbon, I don't think any   MK b-sides have been worthy of album proper. That also goes for Millionaire Blues and Kingdom Come from On Every Street. One Every Street is my all time favourite album.

Hopefully i'll like these extra tracks to bolster up Tracker.

My list is wider. It has Early bird, Summer of love, Let's see you, Camerado, Long highway, Gravy train, Tall order baby and What have I got to do, at least, and I would definitively put Millionaire blues and Kingdom come on On every street, instead of, hmmm, wll, none of them, I'd just add these two tracks...

[ingridswing]

Listening the album on proper hifi now, after my earlier listening on earphones from my phone. Must say it grows quickly. Now doing the cd for the 3rd time. Will do the bonus later tonight.
So far my favorites so far:
basil, lights of taormina, wherever I go. But I feel already that top 3 Will change in top 6 soon, and from what I haard from the bonus it Will be a top 10

[LoveExpresso]

There is always that one moment when everything clicks into the right place and the soul of something has arrived at you - I had this moment today in the late afternoon when I was giving the album another complete listen. Experiencing track 1 this time differed so much from first listenings that I was literally shocked and I was so touched by his voice and the words and their meanings. And the flute solo of Mike is so wonderful and floating, think of the two Mc's whatever you will. The "swinging London"-bow with the "Take Five" hommage is so masterly done, all in all a really phantastic great opener from the heart. Have you read the lyrics about the "knocking shop"? 

I really LOVE River Towns, it is not one second too long, it is perfect. Reading that a Sax is onboard at this song does not prepare you for this very striking horn-a-like Saxophone tone.  What astonished me most was that suddenly I even liked Skydiver and recognized it as what it is. Must have to do with the weekend in reach although I have to work tomorrow..   

My favourite songs are still River Towns, Broken Bones, Long Cool Girl and Silver Eagle. The last one could really make you cry literally because it is so beautiful and so sad.. the other three are phantastic. The JJ Cale mentioning before release was one thing, but who would have expected MK playing funk on only one chord and let it still sound interesting?

This album has a lot to give, some real variety - sounds strange to some people, but only waiting for the next guitar solo might give away the true joy of these beautiful songs.

Beryl is at the wrong place of the album for me. Skippers? Yeah, Wherever I Go. And sometimes Taormina. Many people say it is the best track on the album, not for me. It is nice of course, but overrated only because of a great intro. So, more negativity I am not willing to give tonight.

Would have been phantastic to have Terminal Of Tribute To on it, but now we have 18! new songs to enjoy, more than 80 minutes, just think of the last one, 2x45 min., double album. I had fears of feeling a little bit under-supplied with just one "normal" album after the Privateering bliss, but MK has delievered! We are richly blessed by Mark, just imagine other artists' output. How productive he is, how busy and how creative and how diligent.

Sorry for the emotions, just written out of a very satisfied and happy mood. Best thing is this will stay with you for the rest of your life, the MK cosmos is still expanding. Another child has been added to the family. 

LE

[ingridswing]

Wow LE, this review brought me shivers. I have other favorites but you catch the feel of the whole album, including bonussongs so well.  thanks for sharing your thoughts 

[Justme]

To me it's really just like he said: the songs walks out of the door to have a life of its own. We have the pleasure to meet them and after some time we become friends. I'm sure that I don't speak just for myself when I say the more you listen to them the more you'll like them.

[Justme]

To me it's really just like he said: the songs walk out of the door to have a life of its own. We have the pleasure to meet them and after some time we become friends. I'm sure that I don't speak just for myself when I say the more you listen to them the more you'll like them.

[LoveExpresso]

Wow LE, this review brought me shivers. I have other favorites but you catch the feel of the whole album, including bonussongs so well.  thanks for sharing your thoughts 

Wow! 
A friend (MK fan, guitarist, non-forumer) called a minute ago, saying, it was the best album MK has made so far. We started to marvel about single songs... He got his Deluxe Box today and loved the heavy vinyl.. I guess I will give it another spin later tonight...

But making YOU shiver, Ingrid, wow, just wow. Thanks! 

LE

[Banjo99uk]

Great words LE, nice to read your thoughts.

[Pottel]

It has nothing to do with that. I'm not saying you cannot criticize someone's work. That's pefectly fine. It's about the contradiction that you describe a song as poor and terrible, when you're on a fan forum. I don't get that. But that'll be my fault. For now I will keep silent on this subject, say what you want to say. I think it's a very nice album.

dude, pls no, continue. but yes, why not post a negative opinion? that is what it is, a personal opinion. people loved KTGC, i hated it, and i said so, so what?

[LoveExpresso]

Thanks. It struck me that while we are discussing Tracker, MK and Guy have already done another soundtrack album, and soon will go for rehearsals to start a really long tour. Guy was talking about having the mix of the Altamira soundtrack completed. On and on it goes.

LE

[Pottel]

38 special, i damn like!!