I've recently had the occasion to listen to Snow Patrol's new release, a double album called Up to Now. The band had put together forty songs for this compilation, but they realised eventually that they couldn't include them all – so they had to reduce the number to thirty. Even if the album is called Up to Now, the songs are not listed chronologically, but are chosen in order to represent all the studio albums. And, as the band stated, the title means actually that they have even more to offer in the future.
The compilation features most of the band's singles, including the live version of Chasing Cars, which will always remain in my memory as the song that made me listen to Snow Patrol. You can find here all the singles from Eyes Open (in my opinion, the best album Snow Patrol released until now); and we can't but approve of this decision, considering that Set the Fire to the Third Bar, the sensual (I can't find a more proper word to describe it) collaboration with Martha Wainwright also enters to this category. However, if they would have asked me, I'd have rather recommend them to forget about "teeeeeeeeeeeeeeell me that you'll..." Open Your Eyes and put You Could Be Happy or Make This Go On Forever instead. Uh well. They say you could be happy, not that you will be happy.
Also, I've been kind of disappointed to realise that no, Get Balsamic Vinegar... Quick You Fool! is not part of this release (I guess I'm the only one who thinks that the distorted-voice-weird-instrumental-bitchy-lyrics song should have been a single). Actually they included only two songs from the first album, Starfighter Pilot (what was wrong with them?) and Fifteen Minutes Old (that's more like it). A pleasant surprise has been… no, not Ask Me How I Am (I expected to find this crazy song included here and I wasn't wrong), but Batten Down the Hatch. All the other songs from the second album represent great choices, making me say every time "Good, they put this one too!" Never Gonna Fall In Love Again didn't appear though – why can't things be perfect? But the fact that they included two versions of Run (the original one and a brilliant live version from Union Chapel) brought the smile again upon my face. I won't say very much about the singles from the last album, as it didn't quite impress me – it's good, but not as good as the previous ones. Just this: Crack the Shutters is cool. Enough.
The album also features a few B-sides (Crazy in Love amongst them - yes, that Crazy in Love, yes, yes, Beyoncé's song) and three previously unreleased songs, Just Say Yes (the new single), Give Me Strength (translation: Thank you for buying mah albums and listening to mah music, xoxo Gary) and Dark Roman Wine. All in all, it's a very good release, and if you're not bothered by the huge quantity of honey and sugar ('cause it's all about love, darlings), you'll agree with me.
*photo courtesy of Snow Patrol official site
ok, I never thought you (by you I mean all of you who write here, even thought I know only nancy) would write about snow patrol. I thought you were more about lesser know things, or maybe they were just lesser known to me. anyhow, I'm glad I was wrong, cos it's nice to finally hear someone admit that snow patrol is not all (stress on the all) about mushy songs that make you sick, and that in between all that, some songs are just brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI can't help but agree that eyes open is by far the best thing they've ever released, and I also regret make this go on forever, but that's about all the regret I have concerning this album. run is more than superb, everything I love is there and dark roman wine is slowly crawling under my skin. now I just wish people would get past chasing cars and listen to this album, I think it would change any skeptic's mind about snow patrol. sadly, I don't see it happening. now all I have to do is wish for a concert ticket as christmas present. sadly again, I don't see that happening either