Which is your favorite album-to-album transition?

Post by **Homesick** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 4:58 pm

Because I feel the site deserves a new featured poll—and because I want to make sure no one thinks I've completely disappeared from the site (I've just been swamped with taking parallel classes)—here's a brand-new poll for everybody:

Out of all of Soul Asylum's albums, which two do you think offer the best album-to-album transition?

You can judge it by how well the first album's closing track and the other album's opening track fit together, or you can rate it by how the band's musical style changed between the two albums, or you can look at some other measurement that you think best matches the question.

(I haven't included Time's Incinerator nor Clam Dip & Other Delights because they're somewhat removed from the band's regular release line.)

To me, the 8-year gap between Candy From A Stranger and The Silver Lining is the one album-to-album transition that seems to mirror the transition in the real world better than anything else could have. Candy ended with long and somewhat sad but still hopeful notes that both musically and lyrically signaled the end of an era. When The Silver Lining came almost a decade later, the slow fade-in to the inspirational Stand Up and Be Strong amplified the feeling that this was a new beginning in so many ways.

I say this even though the opening track is my least favorite song on the album and even though I hadn't actually waited all those years for the band's return like many fans did; ultimately, the strength in the transition between Candy and The Silver Lining lies more in the themes represented by Stand Up and Be Strong than anything else, and the way those themes tie back into the somber ending of Candy From A Stranger.

To put it a different way: When I listen to the two albums in sequence, the actual story behind them always makes the long fade-out, fade-in gap between them feel more special than just the musical transition in itself.

triumph3434 · Post by **triumph3434** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:49 pm

I voted Horse to GDU, although I almost voted Hang time to Horse.

lucy · Post by **lucy** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 5:16 am

I voted for While You Were Out to Hang Time because that was the first time I was really waiting for a new release since Made to Be Broken and While You Were Out came out so close together and the band was new to me at that time. When Hang Time was released I went to the record store the day it was out and sat in my room with the door closed and listened from start to finish (first side one, then side two since it was a record - does anyone else miss the different feel it gave albums when they had to plan for how the songs would go together for each side?) and I was so excited!! And then I got to see them shortly thereafter playing the new songs and that was the first time I saw then when I knew who they were - the first time i saw them a couple years earlier was my introduction to the band.

Closer · Post by **Closer** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 5:26 pm

I'd say Hang Time - Horse, because both belong to their finest and because of the change in musical direction while there's only one year between them.

philipgar · Post by **philipgar** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 9:00 pm

i voted hang time to horse because i love both these albums, and liked where they were going with it as well. It really showed where the band was heading, and I though it was great. Of course, reexamining the poll, it's tempting to say the change from SWYW to MTBB is my favorite transition. If only because had they not made that transition I wouldn't remotely care for the band (I couldn't see myself owning SWYW if it wasn't an SA album). It really marked how the band evolved, and showed a first album that was good compared to just loud and obnoxious with kinda gross lyrics.

Phil

dpirner · Post by **dpirner** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 10:49 pm

Hang time to And the horse... man those two albums!!! I sill can't decide which of them is the best... Hang time has its first 6 songs one better than the next one (finishing with endless farewell, an anthem!), but then it goes down a little until the end. Horse, has its best songs along all the CD, but I guess it should end with "we 3", that song is like an orgasm, then you don't want to listen anything else (I don't even remember which is the next song).
Saludos desde Argentina, el fan nro 1 de Soul Asylum!

crawl · Post by **crawl** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:03 am

Hores is always my number one choice. But I want Candy for transition.Not on the list I know some would but I feel like the juxtaposition show the depth, growh and potential...and I guess I just like it!

lune ellise · Post by **lune ellise** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 9:24 am

Hmmmm - I can't decide among WYWO-Hang Time; Hang Time-Horse; LYDLS-CFAS.

I HAVE to listen to all of them again to make my decision.

By the way - nice poll Jakob. I wonder how you get all these cool ideas for polls?

sayeeda · Post by **sayeeda** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 10:44 am

Hmmm...I couldn't possibly vote on this poll yet....still haven't heard all of the albums! Which of course means, I still haven't voted for 'Favorite Album' either.

I hope you two wonderful admins keep these two polls alive (as well as the site) for a few more years until I finally get through listening to all the albums.

Very early thanks for your effort in this endeavor.

lune ellise · Post by **lune ellise** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 4:21 pm

In the ends, I voted for SWYW->MTBB.

While the transition is considered as the most dramatic by most fans, I think it's also the most appropriate one. SWYW was an album full of punk and youthful energy, while in MTBB, the songwriting became more mature, the music style became toned down, but the "punk" is still there.

It was the real transition of the band, the rest of their journey was where the road took them (in my opinion).