Attending shows the past two nights and then listening to my various studio recordings, I'm curious as to what people we are certain to get on the next release...

Songs like God Save Rock 'n Roll, Buffalo Head, Temporary Blues, The Idea of Growing Old and Blow It Out have never previously been recorded in the studio, and remain active on setlists, but does that mean that we'll certainly get them?

Demons, Kari-Ann, Darkroom, and See You Through have been recorded but not released, so what is their fate?

And if the next release is a full length album, what of the material from The Features EP, Spongebath Samplers, Thursday/Rabbit March single, 33 1/3 / Circus promo, and The Beginning? Would they put any of those songs on an album?

My guess would be that if the next release is an album, it wouldn't include anything from The Features, might include Thursday, and probably wouldn't include any The Beginning, but might. Circus and some of the songs recorded with Mahaffey seem likely candidates as well, though the Dortch recordings from the Samplers and unreleased I doubt will see the light of daya again. Which means no Your Smile. Which Makes me sad. I think God Save RnR and Buffalo Head are certainties, and the preview certainly suggests that Leave it All Behind is as well.

Really, I'm just curious to see what other predictions are for the upcoming release. I can't wait, and I fear that it won't be coming as soon as my heart was set on (October).

Will

(Edited by Wiyum at 3:10 am on Aug. 24, 2002)

From what I understand, the recordings basically consist of just about everything written from Leave It All Behind until now. I heard Demons may be included as well, but I wouldn't expect Temporary Blues or other rare older ones.

Oh, and I'm pretty sure GSRnR has been recorded in the studio before, just never released. At least that was the rumor several months ago.

(Edited by Keith at 3:24 am on Aug. 24, 2002)

What all is included in this post Leave It All Behind period?

And so much for rare older ones, but what of really active older ones, like See You Through, Kari-Ann, Darkroom, and Circus? Songs that are still getting played every show?

Not that anyone knows for certain, inquiring minds simply want to know.

Will

That period would include- Leave It All Behind, Buffalohead, Blow It Out, Idea of Growing Old, Someway Somehow, and Bring On The Night. The Design falls in there too I think, but they seem to be just about done with that one.

I just wish that they would consider the fact that some people who will buy the album wont have things like the spongebath sampler or any promos or early releases. So, the songs which are old to the hardcore fans and the band are new to people who are just getting into the band. They should make the album appeal to the hardcore fans who salivate are the mere mention of an album release date as well as people whose first show may have been the Boro show two nights ago. Does anyone understand what I just wrote? Does all of this rambling make sense? I hope so...

Anyway, a long time ago i came up with a tracklisting for the album which mixed in new material with older songs which havent been properly released.

the tracklist:

1. Dark Room
2. Speed of 33 1/3
3. Buffalo Head
4. Leave it all behind
5. See you through
6. Exorcising Demons
7. Moonlight
8. Bring on the Night
9. Someway, Somehow
10. Kari-Ann
11. The Idea of Growing Old
12. God Save Rock and Roll


I know that this wont be the tracklist, but it would be the most well rounded tracklist featuring a little bit to satisfy everyone. I just wish the damn thing would come out already.

(Edited by ray davies at 9:53 am on Aug. 24, 2002)

I agree with you Ray. I have been pondering the tracklist ever since I heard that they were recording an album. Is there anywhere I can go to get the chronology of the songs? Was "Leave It All Behind" a really new song back in October 2001?

Yes part of me wants the album to be well rounded like your tracklist, but for selfish reasons I would love it to be all of the newer material simply because I have all the "older" songs (Dark Room, See You Through, etc) already. But I do also see the point that the people who have just discovered the Features need the older stuff too (since it IS bloody amazing). But whatever they do I know that it will be in constant rotation in mi coche so it'll probably be okay.

According to Matt P (no, not me) circa March, there were 17 new tracks and 3 old slated for recording.

I don't know what he means by "old" or "new", but I'll wager that the songs Keith mentioned have all made that list.

I do think that the recent revival of "Circus" means that we'll see it on the forthcoming work. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Wiyum is incorrect about a 33 1/3 single. The early recording of it and Circus were definitely never released on Spongebath, and the low quality versions that I've only be able to find of those recordings seems to be bootlegged demos to me.

I also expect to "See You Through" on the recording.

To quote C-3PO (and cement my place as the biggest geek on the board): "thank the maker!" The version of Circus I have is really really crappy and a new recording would really be welcome. I did not truly appreciate that song until they opened with it Thursday night. Wow...

what about action and moonlight?

Those were earlier. Action debuted early last Summer around the time of GSRnR. I'm not sure about Moonlight, but I know it's older than Leave It All Behind.

Are you sure?
I thought Moonlight was introduced at the beginning of this year.
Leave It All Behind debuted in fall 2001.

Does anyone know for sure?

OK...I just checked myself. Thank you, Ms. Carroll, for archiving the setlists so well.

Leave It All Behind was well established when Moonlight was added to their sets in December/January. I think Leave It All Behind was introduced at 328 on Oct 12. Matt introduced it as new, anyway.

I think Moonlight will be among the songs recorded.

You may be entirely right, but I know for a fact that at one time there was an mp3 clip of 33 1/3 on the Spongebath site. Not the whole song but like 25 seconds. And I know that numerous people have mentioned a 33 1/3 / Circus promo that was given out at shows. When? I don't know.

I haven't, obviously, seen the promo, and I agree with you that these recordings are pretty poor.

And I also think that the revival of Circus means that it'll be on there, which makes me oh so happy.

Will

I stand corrected and I hope you're right about it being recorded.

I will add that I have also heard that any future Features releases will be heavilly slanted towards the "new" songs (I think we've listed all of them). I don't think that the Features assume "everyone has those old songs, so we won't release them now," I think it's just the natural tendency of a band to favor their newer material more, if for no ther reason than they're fresher.

BUT...I have also heard that 'Circus' and 'Exorcising Demons' could be re-recorded and perhaps released with the new stuff. But that's just rumors, folks.

(Edited by jamiecarroll at 6:25 am on Aug. 26, 2002)

I posted this list a few months ago, but here's a list of some of the songs that were recorded this summer. I think there were 2 more than these, but I don't know which ones they were:

Leave it All Behind
Bring On the Night
Someway, Somehow
Idea of Growing Old
Exorcising Demons
Buffalo Head
A New one (?)- maybe this was Long Way Down?

There is a demo CD in existence now drawn from these recordings that includes (from my very poor memory): Bring on the Night, Leave It All Behind, Buffalo Head, Someway, Somehow, and one more- either Blow It Out or Idea of Growing Old- I can't remember.

Doubtful. When they played Look Out Below on Thursday night, Matt said that it was written earlier that week.

Will

I had a conversation with the band's management about a month ago. They indicated the band would be recording some stuff that "if they don't record now will never be recorded." They gave me the distinct impression that there would be some older stuff (possibly on an EP instead of an album).

that sounds about right to me. an EP on older stuff and an LP of newer stuff would be in order. i really hope they have recorded circus and moonlight.

Mr. Foolery, your news is (Features) music to my ears. I can now at least harbor the hopes that See You Through, Circus, and 33 1/3 may yet be officially released. Who knows what else... Your Smile (even I won't hold me breath on that one)?

Will

I hope that they record dark room. that would fit prefectly on any album or ep.

Ray, you mean re-record it? I think it's part of the Mahaffey Session (sp?), if not.

i'm sure that's what he means. we have the original recording on my computer. personally, i'm quite content with the recording that i have now.

I am as well. I believe that the Mahaffrey sessions sounded really good and to re-record them would...I dunno. It wouldn't be bad (it IS the Features) but I would rather them get the new stuff recorded (I need Buffalo Head). Could they release the Mahaffrey sessions as an EP or is there a weird copyright thing keeping them from being officially released? It just seems weird that the Features most popular/catchy songs are not available to the public.

Agreed. I wish I had Paid to Think from these sessions... I know of no one that has it, but supposedly it exists.

I've been listening to these sessions alot lately and I can't for the life of me figure out why they weren't released. Prolonged listens to the Dortch sessions have proven that they were probably right not to release all of them (and they released everything that I think they should have, excepting Your Smile). But the Mahaffey sessions have really held up for me. I dunno why they were shelved.

I still need to get me these Rawlings sessions.

Will

It's not copyright.
They were just unhappy with the product. (see the thread where Mahaffey himself posted about the recordings in the archives)

I think the Features had together their best body of songs to that date when they recorded with Mahaffey. See You Thru and Dark Room were new. A few months later, the writing took a different turn and the stuff for the Beginning EP was written. Songs like those and Stagecoach in its current form came about and seem a little less poppy than Kari Anne and 33 1/3. That's fine--the Features are always honing their craft. Those songs are good, and I'm glad I have them, but the Mahaffey sessions weren't quite strong enough for a Features LP debut.

However, I think their current songs are even better than those on the Mahaffey sessions, and with the right recording treatment, these new songs could do the Features the justice they deserve.

That is very true. Their best material is unreleased. The Mahafferty sessions would be a very good ep. God, I need the new features album/ep/whatever. I wish they would release it already. Features deprivation is not cool.

I finally found this thread (it has no title, I think. took some doing to find it), and Matt says nothing but good things about the sessions and claims that at the time the band liked them. There is no real mention that the band disliked them.

I'm not saying that this isn't the case, I'm just saying that the Mahffey thread doesn't open any eyes as to why the sessions were ever ditched.

Will

The person who could best answer that question would be one of my two favorite administrators--Michael.

the 5th song on the demo was blow it out.

Does anyone have a copy of this demo cd? it would be really nice if someone could create mp3's of these recordings. just a thought.....

Yo Yo Yo...Those recordings are probably "top secret", or "members only", or "tightly guarded" at this point in the game. Unchecked sharing of these recordings would probably be seen as a faux pas by the band/management. But still, when can I get a copy?

(Edited by jamiecarroll at 6:21 am on Aug. 26, 2002)

My guess is that they will use this disc to get some label interest. Hopefully, they're 100% complete tracks so they can say, "Look, we've already got half the album. It's awesome so far. Wanna sponsor us to make the other half?" So we'll get those five tracks when the album is released.

Right you are, Jamie. I can tell you that they sound great- I think they're the most true to life recordings to date & that Buffalo Head & Leave It All Behind are stand-outs in that respect. But I listened to it under closely-monitored conditions and was not even allowed to handle the disc, for fear I might run upstairs & burn it : )

wow, that's hardcore.

I also agree with it's hardcoreness, but I'm really just trying to see how many quote boxes I can pile into one post.

five quotes is enough for me

as for the album, if i get all the new stuff i will be happy as hell, i agree with those who are all about having kari-ann, circus and GSRnR on it, those are just freakin awesome songs

(Edited by Cautioner at 1:47 pm on Aug. 26, 2002)

I don't expect to see Kari-Anne or 33 1/3 since they haven't been played lately. Exorcising Demons probably. Circus probably also. Maybe Dark Room too. I'd want a decent version of See You Thru more than any of those. I've been very unhappy with the studio versions I've got right now of that song.

Kari-Anne was played at the Boro and the Attic last weekend... maybe its on a revival (like Circus)?

Will

Personally, I'd take "33 1/3" over "Kari Anne." But, unfortunatley, Roger hasn't called me yet to ask what I think the track listing for the next album should be.

Roger, I know you read this message board. I'm waiting by the phone so you can call any time.

Agreed. I love 33 1/3. I was rather bummed when I got the setlist for the Attic show, and I saw that 33 1/3 was to be played, but got skipped. I think it was the slot that Armani Suede took, as it happened. And that was great, since I'd assumed I'd never hear that one live.

Does anyone in the band actually read what we say here? That'd be crazy...

Will

Yes it would...now I'm going to have to put everything through a Features filter. No talk of "The Pelham Invasion of 2003" that I was planning. Oops...

I've heard that, in addition to brianeno2, the pantheon of spirts that watches over our message board includes a couple of band members.

I have heard that as well. However, I choose not to divulge anything.

rollum reads the board. i know that much.

Tom, you don't want your Level 2 security clearance revoked do you? Hush!

Holy Crap! I have special access privileges??? Time for me to start abusing some power!

Who has the most posts? Why it's Tom Foolery, with 87,367.

that's cause rollum's the coolest.

I know Matt P (no, not me) doesn't read the board.
Some think that Rollum has infiltrated our ranks and posts on here some.
Roger has posted on past message boards relating to the Features (i.e. Spongebath and Roberta Williams')
Parrish--who knows?

Parrish has posted here a few times as well.

Wow...I wonder if Parrish is as amazing with a keyboard as is he is with a keyboard?

And judging by the suckiness of that pun, I would say it is time for me to sleep....

digsy... you had so much promise. really, i'm hurt by this bad pun.

I'm okay now, I swear! It was only because I was tired! I will constantly be funny from now on. Well not in this post, the next one...maybe...but I will try harder.

Ah the burden of being "wittiest male" continues in college world.