Anybody else a little underwhelmed by the new release?

[fdamb]

I do so hope it will grow on me but for what its worth, none of the albums ever needed to. Not one bit.

I think that's is a crucial distinction, thank you for underlining it. Albums previous "grew" on me in the sense that they became fermented in the mind, but there was never a "ok lets sit down and try to will this thing on" phase. Things in time "sensed" in retrospect always carry a certain irreducible essence. For instance if you introduce a new scent into your room for the remainder of this month, then cut it off, and smell it at some later date you'll get a "feeling" from it which is irreducible to just the scent. It would be a sort of "nostalgia". It's very common.

In the same way as a candle or whatever I can put this album on repeat over and over again and maybe get something from it later. But,..the fact is that the earlier album's go beyond this. Let's just say official catalog, Geogaddi and before, ok; Basically no one debates the quality of these albums. What is going on with these albums is that they are actually forcing you into a different way of relating to space and time. What makes Geogaddi "scary" to people is that its doing that to you, like when you take some psychedelic and you're waiting for it to come on. Watching your thoughts slowly shift, twist and turn until your suddenly possessed by a different chemical state.

There is something so ineffable, ..so profound, to say "Alpha and Omega". Transcendent yet personal, cosmic yet insular and private. A key to some kind of pyschical mind-well. The music is like some element that allows the brain to explore a non-local informational space. A flash of landscapes, ideas, dimensions, portals, and potentials. That's is what I get from BoC in the finest and I am forever indebted to them for that.

You know, It's so easy to be a critic and the greater you are the more critical people are of you. However, I feel like the last speaker of some dying language when people rate TH, which I have listened to repeatedly, to the older stuff. It's just not the same catalyst. I feel like there has to be something beyond my subjective experience which makes those albums greater, than this album which is certainly great in its own right.

[Opothecary]

This is the first one since MHTRTC that hasn't had to grow on me, but it definitely got even better on subsequent listens. I've heard it compared to MHTRTC but I don't think that's accurate at all, other than its "earworminess" factor maybe.

It might remind you of music 5 or 10 years removed from some of their older material, but you can't just keep making the same album over and over again and I'm glad they didn't. It's still their sound, but it goes in some new directions. Maybe being 35 instead of 40, I am at a better age than some to appreciate what they did here. I don't see how it really matters though. They've taken the concepts and material that influenced them as teenagers rather than as small children, and that's totally cool.

[23degreesdream]

This is the first one since MHTRTC that hasn't had to grow on me, but it definitely got even better on subsequent listens. I've heard it compared to MHTRTC but I don't think that's accurate at all, other than its "earworminess" factor maybe.

It might remind you of music 5 or 10 years removed from some of their older material, but you can't just keep making the same album over and over again and I'm glad they didn't. It's still their sound, but it goes in some new directions. Maybe being 35 instead of 40, I am at a better age than some to appreciate what they did here. I don't see how it really matters though. They've taken the concepts and material that influenced them as teenagers rather than as small children, and that's totally cool.

Same for me, also a 35 yr old, it struck a chord straight away.

The nostalgia is there but more for dodgy 18 rated VHS tapes exchanged in the school playground (watched in secret of course and usually with crap tracking) and late night made for tv thrillers. This as opposed to the Infant/junior school nostalgia of MHTRTC.

[Jinjur]

This is the first one since MHTRTC that hasn't had to grow on me, but it definitely got even better on subsequent listens. I've heard it compared to MHTRTC but I don't think that's accurate at all, other than its "earworminess" factor maybe.

It might remind you of music 5 or 10 years removed from some of their older material, but you can't just keep making the same album over and over again and I'm glad they didn't. It's still their sound, but it goes in some new directions. Maybe being 35 instead of 40, I am at a better age than some to appreciate what they did here. I don't see how it really matters though. They've taken the concepts and material that influenced them as teenagers rather than as small children, and that's totally cool.

Same for me, also a 35 yr old, it struck a chord straight away.

The nostalgia is there but more for dodgy 18 rated VHS tapes exchanged in the school playground (watched in secret of course and usually with crap tracking) and late night made for tv thrillers. This as opposed to the Infant/junior school nostalgia of MHTRTC.

Yeah, there is something there......a glimmer for me, but nowhere near as complete and overpowering as older work

J

[mc10101]

Yeah, there is something there......a glimmer for me, but nowhere near as complete and overpowering as older work

J

Believe me it WILL happen, the first few listens have their work cut out just ridding us of our imagined expectations. For me it was the 6th play which did it....and how....

[jcnporter]

If I am being honest, I cannot help but feel disappointed :/


Let me break that down before I get flamed.


I know we have all come to BoC through different paths, life circumstances and ages. My first foray into the BoC world was during a pretty rough patch in my life and as cheesy as it sounds, the music made sense to me and stirred things inside that I simply struggle to put words to.

Feelings, thoughts, family, memories, mistakes, childhood, emotions......

The older releases are so very much important to me in this respect, MHTRTC, Geogaddi, IABPOITC etc.

Each and every single one has something, something that I cant explain that makes me go "whoa"....goosebumps, hair standing on end etc. You know the score. One of the biggest hitters for me has to be "Kid For Today". It just makes everything seem......right.

I can (and have done lately in the build up to TH) listened to these on repeat and can do so with ease.

To me, that is the beauty of what these gents do, they can create that familiarity with their work that makes it seem personal. Almost gives the sense that they were around with you when these memories that they are stirring were originally seeded in your mind. Its not art, its not math, its not skill......its fucking voodoo.

Along came TCH which was definitely a change, but a beautiful one nonetheless......Dayvan Cowboy captured both me and my wife's hearts on special drive from LA to San Francisco. Special stuff.

So I know that a lot has changed......I am in a much better place, wonderful wife, kids, home, career......and I am fairly sure the guys have had a good deal of change too, hopefully all good.

But these changes, have definitely changed the BoC sound for me in this album......I know many others will disagree but we all have our own take on things........but there was an awful lot hanging on this album for me and it didn't deliver. I do still like some tracks, Reach for the dead is still lush..........but none of them do THAT thing. You know....the one that you don't know what it is, but want more.

I am fairly sure the hype didn't help, not just the warp hype but also my in built hype.

I do so hope it will grow on me but for what its worth, none of the albums ever needed to. Not one bit.

A bit deflated but I have enjoyed the ride I have to say and I am chuffed to have been a part of this community while it was happening. That will be one of the biggest wins out of all this for me

Just my opinion of course

J

Much of the music I enjoy reminds me of the past. Atmospheres or experiences, or even seasons become associated with certain albums. Given that BOC's music is deliberately 'designed' to evoke nostalgia or reference the past, perhaps that personal link is intensified as a result - the implied nostalgia in the music becomes 'real' when associated with the listener's life.
From your post it sounds like past BOC albums are strongly connected to phases of your life - perhaps you are still yet to experience what you will associate Tomorrow's Harvest with in the future?
This is probably the first album where I've experienced a period of build up and anticipation for - perhaps at the moment what you associate with Tomorrow's Harvest is....the build up to Tomorrow's Harvest?
Yes personally I'm not seeing how it fits into my life so far, but of course it's very very early days.

[lyst]

This thread captured a lot of what I was feeling. I've been waiting patiently like the rest of you all these years for this. I was expecting to get blown away. I didn't. Reach for the dead in itself turned me off to the album. And then I heard the whole thing and thought Come to Dust was the only good song. After a few more listens and letting it settle though, i'm acquiring a love for the feelings and the moods this album gives. I think that is its strongest selling point, it may not have mindblowing arrays of melodies or percussion, but it does transport me like prior BoC releases. I think it is kind of sad though that I widdled the album down. When I burned it i took out all of the ambient / interlude tracks as well as Palace Posy. And when you do that you realize the album is great and all, but if you are hoping for a full album of complete BoC songs you will be dissapointed, there is a only a handful of these 4 or 5?

A HUGE turnoff for me was the percussion. It's just there. There's nothing to it really. I get now what they were trying to do with all the hissing and distortion because of the interview, but the underlying main song percussion in older BoC releases were all there. Something to latch on to. Besides Come to Dust and maybe 1 or 2 more tracks, there's nothing really to latch on to on this one. Instead of starting with a real song beat and then making more complex after, they just made the beats complex and flowing from the start and lead you on to where there could be a simple beat to latch on to but that for the most part never arrives.

They knew what they were doing with these songs and how they fizzle before they really explode. It is almost like they are poking fun at us I think. It is quite obvious from all these years that they are sarcastic sadist bastards.

[sevenELIXIR]

my opinion here.... tomorrow's harvest seems to have a sound from the early 80s, as opposed to campfire, music has the right to children, which contained more 60's/70's vibes. that right there will skew many listeners expectations, since I think they've used a lot of synth sounds and production techniques from a certain area that everyone is used to. 1982/3 seems to fit the sound of tomorrow's harvest.
the one thing that throws me though, is that there are a few tracks on tomorrow's harvest that seem very out of place. I previously said that a lot of the songs sounded predictable in melodic structure (to an extent), but during the live transmission I distinctly remember feeling a bit shocked to hear 'palace posy' pop up in the middle of things. the vibe doesn't seem to match much of the rest of the album. I don't mind this at all actually. bibio did something like this on mind bokeh when he threw in take off your shirt during the middle as well. but that's what makes the album special to me. would tomorrow's harvest be better if some of the tracks that didn't fit the overall vibe be removed? who knows. but you can't change it either way, so I say enjoy it. it is what it is. take it with an open mind. it really is a good album.

[noby]

The next Boc album will have a mid- to late-90s sound such as the boards themselves to it causing an infinite recursion causing the world to implode.

[Opothecary]

I think for fans that came onboard with TCH (because of that sound) they probably have the biggest musical hurdle to overcome in the history of the group. TCH is like some lysergically enhanced version of an Eagles 8-track tape, TH is a post-rock, almost proto industrial disaster movie soundtrack. Calling it "early 80s" instead of a 70s aesthetic is probably the shorthand way of describing it. Those sunny sounds of the 70s gave way to new wave, industrial, real cold sterile sounding music at that point.

The only thing they have in common are the intangible production values that make BoC themselves. Someone who liked one of those types of sounds outside of the context of BoC would probably never listen to the other style of music on their own, or at least many would not.

TH is just representative of some of their other eclectic tastes that others might not share. I listened to my share of bleak music before moving onto sunnier tunes (ironically, a lot of that came from listening to BoC), so I think I was very prepared for this. It would be interesting to hear of the other musical interests of some other people that instantly fell in love with the record.

[FernieCanto]

Michael: “We’re still proud of Geogaddi, but let’s get things straight: it was a record for the fans – guys of whom we knew they would have the patience to listen to it attentively anyway, and who would make it a sport to pick out the obscure winks to politics and Satanism. Campfire is more of a warning directed to the fans: you better watch out, the next record could perhaps differ even more radically from our earlier work.

I'm surprised this quite didn't get discussed further. I mean, many fans could possibly take that as a slap on the face, but sometimes that's important. I think many fans have difficulty to accept the fact that their idols are (usually) independent entities, they can (theoretically) do whatever the hell they want. If they have compromises, it's with their label, their contract, and not with their fans.

It's important for the artist to have a degree of disdain for his fans, because otherwise, the train of history grinds to a standstill. BoC have made their intentions very, very clear in that interview, and both Campfire Headphase and Tomorrow's Harvest make more sense in that context. It's foolish to complain that they "changed", or that they "lost" something, because that is the whole point.

If an album gains immediate acceptance from the entire fanbase, I think that's dangerous. It's a possible signal that the artists aren't trying to move. I remember getting an exclamation sign in my head (this hurts, guys! Don't try it!) when I read one of the pre-reviews describing Nothing Is Real as "Roygbiv part II"; and I was relieved when I listened to it and figured out it was bullshit. I figure that every and any change will cause a split. A split is a positive sign. Most people who are bothered by the new record have been affected by it. That's what counts.

But still, I have gone through some bitter disappointments with new releases before. It was hard for me to accept that Mike Oldfield sucked hard from Tubular Bells II on, so, yeah, I can relate.

[Moloch]

The next Boc album will have a mid- to late-90s sound such as the boards themselves to it causing an infinite recursion causing the world to implode.

Yeah, after visiting the 80s I hope they do the 90s as well. Hopefully with some Gang$ta rap.

[jcnporter]

Michael: “We’re still proud of Geogaddi, but let’s get things straight: it was a record for the fans – guys of whom we knew they would have the patience to listen to it attentively anyway, and who would make it a sport to pick out the obscure winks to politics and Satanism. Campfire is more of a warning directed to the fans: you better watch out, the next record could perhaps differ even more radically from our earlier work.

I'm surprised this quite didn't get discussed further. I mean, many fans could possibly take that as a slap on the face, but sometimes that's important. I think many fans have difficulty to accept the fact that their idols are (usually) independent entities, they can (theoretically) do whatever the hell they want. If they have compromises, it's with their label, their contract, and not with their fans.

It's important for the artist to have a degree of disdain for his fans, because otherwise, the train of history grinds to a standstill. BoC have made their intentions very, very clear in that interview, and both Campfire Headphase and Tomorrow's Harvest make more sense in that context. It's foolish to complain that they "changed", or that they "lost" something, because that is the whole point.

If an album gains immediate acceptance from the entire fanbase, I think that's dangerous. It's a possible signal that the artists aren't trying to move. I remember getting an exclamation sign in my head (this hurts, guys! Don't try it!) when I read one of the pre-reviews describing Nothing Is Real as "Roygbiv part II"; and I was relieved when I listened to it and figured out it was bullshit. I figure that every and any change will cause a split. A split is a positive sign. Most people who are bothered by the new record have been affected by it. That's what counts.

But still, I have gone through some bitter disappointments with new releases before. It was hard for me to accept that Mike Oldfield sucked hard from Tubular Bells II on, so, yeah, I can relate.

A big part of the appeal for me in BOC is the distinct character of their albums, while maintaining certain themes and atmospheres. I think Tomorrow's Harvest 'fits' in that respect. A big turnoff is when bands' output flattens out or when they try to recreate past glories or return to past sounds, which happens all to often - see most established bands or artists as they hit middle age.

[Opothecary]

If an album gains immediate acceptance from the entire fanbase, I think that's dangerous. It's a possible signal that the artists aren't trying to move. I remember getting an exclamation sign in my head (this hurts, guys! Don't try it!) when I read one of the pre-reviews describing Nothing Is Real as "Roygbiv part II"; and I was relieved when I listened to it and figured out it was bullshit. I figure that every and any change will cause a split. A split is a positive sign. Most people who are bothered by the new record have been affected by it. That's what counts.

But still, I have gone through some bitter disappointments with new releases before. It was hard for me to accept that Mike Oldfield sucked hard from Tubular Bells II on, so, yeah, I can relate.

Yeah, I don't see it as Roygbiv II at all. However, I do see it as the most emotionally affecting song of theirs since anything on MHTRTC, and I think Roygbiv is a good highlight of what I'm talking about, so maybe that's what people mean. As much as I love BoC across the board, there is this special tier of songs that I hold far and above the rest of the catalog, and Nothing is Real is that song from this album.

[thepastinsidepressant]

my opinion here.... tomorrow's harvest seems to have a sound from the early 80s, as opposed to campfire, music has the right to children, which contained more 60's/70's vibes. that right there will skew many listeners expectations, since I think they've used a lot of synth sounds and production techniques from a certain area that everyone is used to. 1982/3 seems to fit the sound of tomorrow's harvest.
the one thing that throws me though, is that there are a few tracks on tomorrow's harvest that seem very out of place. I previously said that a lot of the songs sounded predictable in melodic structure (to an extent), but during the live transmission I distinctly remember feeling a bit shocked to hear 'palace posy' pop up in the middle of things. the vibe doesn't seem to match much of the rest of the album. I don't mind this at all actually. bibio did something like this on mind bokeh when he threw in take off your shirt during the middle as well. but that's what makes the album special to me. would tomorrow's harvest be better if some of the tracks that didn't fit the overall vibe be removed? who knows. but you can't change it either way, so I say enjoy it. it is what it is. take it with an open mind. it really is a good album.

exactly, of all this 80s reference thing going on, there are tracks on here that are out of place. i don't know from what period, perhaps 90s style, and they don't fit but hey. RFTD, PP, JC, NS most defintely don't evoke the 80s. it doesn't matter anyway, the voice sampled on SYI is from an early 90s documentary so...

its from the past, thats how we'll explain it to the teacher.

[IanRedpoint]

It's important for the artist to have a degree of disdain for his fans, because otherwise, the train of history grinds to a standstill. BoC have made their intentions very, very clear in that interview, and both Campfire Headphase and Tomorrow's Harvest make more sense in that context. It's foolish to complain that they "changed", or that they "lost" something, because that is the whole point.

Yeah. I think it's more a healthy disdain for fans' expectations than for the fans themselves. BoC's texted response to the Lake Dolores listening party is all the proof we need that they appreciate us.

I didn't have any preconceptions about what TH would sound like (and it still sounded like BoC) so I wasn't disappointed. I would have been disappointed if it sounded like a retread of an earlier release. One of my favourite bands when I was a teenager was The Cure, and I got used to the notion that every album should sound completely different to the one before. It's one of the reasons why music is so fascinating - it's always changing, taking on new outside influences, always evolving. As a listener you have to embrace that change else there's a danger that you'll end up only listening to the music of your youth, as happened with my parents.

[23degreesdream]

my opinion here.... tomorrow's harvest seems to have a sound from the early 80s, as opposed to campfire, music has the right to children, which contained more 60's/70's vibes. that right there will skew many listeners expectations, since I think they've used a lot of synth sounds and production techniques from a certain area that everyone is used to. 1982/3 seems to fit the sound of tomorrow's harvest.
the one thing that throws me though, is that there are a few tracks on tomorrow's harvest that seem very out of place. I previously said that a lot of the songs sounded predictable in melodic structure (to an extent), but during the live transmission I distinctly remember feeling a bit shocked to hear 'palace posy' pop up in the middle of things. the vibe doesn't seem to match much of the rest of the album. I don't mind this at all actually. bibio did something like this on mind bokeh when he threw in take off your shirt during the middle as well. but that's what makes the album special to me. would tomorrow's harvest be better if some of the tracks that didn't fit the overall vibe be removed? who knows. but you can't change it either way, so I say enjoy it. it is what it is. take it with an open mind. it really is a good album.

hmm i suppose it comes down to invidivual perception but the reference point for MHTRTC is for me late 70's and early 80's childrens TV, documentaries, schools/college TV and public info films from that era.

TH for me evokes mid to late 80's action and horror TV and VHS (although perhaps thats just me remembering watching stuff in that era that was actually from alot earlier!) Agree Palace Posy seems to jump in out of nowhere - amazing track but the vibe seems quite consistent until that bowls in

[d e n]

Michael: “We’re still proud of Geogaddi, but let’s get things straight: it was a record for the fans – guys of whom we knew they would have the patience to listen to it attentively anyway, and who would make it a sport to pick out the obscure winks to politics and Satanism. Campfire is more of a warning directed to the fans: you better watch out, the next record could perhaps differ even more radically from our earlier work.

If an album gains immediate acceptance from the entire fanbase, I think that's dangerous. It's a possible signal that the artists aren't trying to move. I remember getting an exclamation sign in my head (this hurts, guys! Don't try it!) when I read one of the pre-reviews describing Nothing Is Real as "Roygbiv part II"; and I was relieved when I listened to it and figured out it was bullshit. I figure that every and any change will cause a split. A split is a positive sign. Most people who are bothered by the new record have been affected by it. That's what counts.

i think this is an important message.

if Boards of Canada released an album that was congruent with those of the past i would have been bummed. they are too talented to fall into a trap like that. as harsh as this sounds, i feel that the artist's who have to do that are the ones without the talent/creativity/imagination, whatever. to continue to move into uncharted territory. and when artists try to move onto something new but don't quite make it i think it's pretty obvious.

talent is something you either live up to or you don't. boc wouldn't be living up to their potentially had they produced a record that tried to capture what they've done in the past. i know people will argue that Music and Geogaddi are completely different but still have the same affect. i see how this is true. but i also feel Tomorrow's Harvest to very affective.

i think they really took their music to the next level with this album. the diversity between Music Has The Right To Children->Beautiful Place Out In The Country->Geogaddi->Campfire Headphase->Trans Canada Highway->Tomorrow's Harvest is fucking remarkable to me and is the very reason why I have been so intrigued and excited about their music for so long. and why i feel so compelled to post and talk with everyone here. i don't have facebook, but i have twoism.


also, Opothecary, re your question about influences and particularly JC: I have a harder time relating to the references of time periods but as far as the music itself... i've been hugely influenced by artists like J Dilla and Robert Glasper since around '08 and a lot of their music lays back metronomically just a hair... i don't understand it... but it just feels so good to listen to music that feels (music)time that way. it sort of opens up the whole piece and creates this awesome space. that's why Jacquard Causeway hit me immediately.

P.S i find the sounds of Palace Posey to totally fit in with the rest of the album. i think it makes the whole thing more dynamic and if anything i would have loved to see one more track that did the same.

[postbox1234]

The biggest difference I can see between this and their earlier releases is the melancholia that flows throughout the whole thing. Their music has always had an emotional element but I've never considered their music to be melancholic, more nostalgic and unsettling. Perhaps its the change in mood that certain people are having trouble with? Personally, I love melancholic music and TH fits in line with a lot of music I listen to so I personally love the album (probably will end up my favourite of all their releases)

[sevenELIXIR]

I am curious to know the ages between those who love tomorrow's harvest and those who aren't too keen on it. I myself am 30, and I think it is a very solid release, but MHTRTC and geogaddi, along with campfire are classic