Jump to content
IGNORED

Tomorrows Harvest - Today


phudoshin

Recommended Posts

The synths at the 3:47 mark in 'Reach for the Dead' bring me to near-tears even after all this time. Nobody else in music gives me those moments. 'Nothing is Real' is one of my top 5 BoC tracks ever.

 

Needless to say I still love the hell out of this album. But I'm also shamelessly obsessed with these guys, so there's that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love the album, too. Pretty much the same as Joyrex and Friendly Stranger said: "Come to Dust" and "Nothing is Real" are outstanding tracks. I'll be honest, there were some moments in "Geogaddi" that I found kinda embarrassing at first (back in 2002--I had no prior knowledge of BOC, and that was my first BOC album), such as "The Devil's in the Details" ("Orb already did the subliminal tape thing," I thought, "but without the annoying kid sound"). Over time, those moments grew on me, but the thing is, "Tomorrow's Harvest" didn't have any of those kind of moments. I like how the tracks with the samples (like "Collapse" or "Split Your Infinities") have the vocals even more distorted.

 

Anyway, the reason why I'm writing this is because something Friendly Stranger said made me realize something: I really like "Tomorrow's Harvest", but I'm not nearly as obsessed with the band anymore. They're still one of my top bands--don't get me wrong--but it feels like this release has allowed me to move on a bit and stop wondering, for example, "What's up with BOC?!", which was a daily question for me for a long while.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

yea I think it's still really good. I like it better than tch. really thought they'd have a companion ep with this by now.

Yeah, I wonder what they've been up to...

 

 

Oh come on man!!!!

 

Please please please drop us a boards nugget, it'll make my week/month/year!

 

 

joyrex knows as much as we do in the boc department, he just uses ellipses to look mysterious!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Weak repetitions of stuff they and their fans have already done a million times wouldn't be such a bad thing if it was just a little more exciting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

 

yea I think it's still really good. I like it better than tch. really thought they'd have a companion ep with this by now.

Yeah, I wonder what they've been up to...

 

 

Oh come on man!!!!

 

Please please please drop us a boards nugget, it'll make my week/month/year!

 

 

joyrex knows as much as we do in the boc department, he just uses ellipses to look mysterious!

 

Yeah... :emotawesomepm9:

 

Weak repetitions of stuff they and their fans have already done a million times wouldn't be such a bad thing if it was just a little more exciting.

Certainly - good thing Tomorrow's Harvest was a further evolution of their sound, and not a rehash of their past.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Their sound didn't evolve at all. It's actually a huge regression from the campfire Headphase. The only thing better about it is the concept but the tracks are too stunted and cute to pull it off.

 

The only track on here that matches the quality of TCH was nothing is real and it sounds like it was recorded at the same time...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest skytree

I've found myself listening to the album a LOT recently - I think it works especially well as a complete album (from start to finish), just like a soundtrack to a film, which I heavily suspect that was BOC's intent with the themes on this album.

 

I really think people may have dismissed this too quickly when it was first released, as I find the tracks as iconic and classic as anything they've put out in the past.

 

It also shows a clear evolution in their sound, and that might be why some don't like it - they were expecting more of what BOC previously did.

 

Add to the fact there was an 8-year gap in their last output and Tomorrow's Harvest, I think that even more reinforced the expectation for it to sound more like their prior work.

Honestly this is pretty much exactly how I feel about Tomorrow's Harvest. Still spin it regularly. Maybe it's because I like the juxtaposition of seeing the art on my wall right next to my window looking out over Manhattan, and the eerie parallels thereof... (:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I've found myself listening to the album a LOT recently - I think it works especially well as a complete album (from start to finish), just like a soundtrack to a film, which I heavily suspect that was BOC's intent with the themes on this album.

 

I really think people may have dismissed this too quickly when it was first released, as I find the tracks as iconic and classic as anything they've put out in the past.

 

It also shows a clear evolution in their sound, and that might be why some don't like it - they were expecting more of what BOC previously did.

 

Add to the fact there was an 8-year gap in their last output and Tomorrow's Harvest, I think that even more reinforced the expectation for it to sound more like their prior work.

Honestly this is pretty much exactly how I feel about Tomorrow's Harvest. Still spin it regularly. Maybe it's because I like the juxtaposition of seeing the art on my wall right next to my window looking out over Manhattan, and the eerie parallels thereof... (:

 

Even though it's a picture of San Francisco?

Their sound didn't evolve at all. It's actually a huge regression from the campfire Headphase. The only thing better about it is the concept but the tracks are too stunted and cute to pull it off.

 

The only track on here that matches the quality of TCH was nothing is real and it sounds like it was recorded at the same time...

in. your. opinion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Their sound didn't evolve at all. It's actually a huge regression from the campfire Headphase. The only thing better about it is the concept but the tracks are too stunted and cute to pull it off.

 

The only track on here that matches the quality of TCH was nothing is real and it sounds like it was recorded at the same time...

I kind of disagree here. the long gap has a lot to do with how this is received and perceived. if this followed geogaddi in 2005 or so, it would be a classic right now and people would be talking about how they pushed or furthered the darker sound.

 

tch is still the oddball no matter which way you slice it. if we flip flopped the 2 releases, tch would be getting ripped even more so now than it did when it was released.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

tch is still the oddball no matter which way you slice it. if we flip flopped the 2 releases, tch would be getting ripped even more so now than it did when it was released.

 

 

no way. Not even sure why you'd say that, you think "the wait" is the primary reason people are ripping TH?

 

TCH was a bit of a surprise in that it seemed more polished and commercial than previous releases, also a bit more bombastic with Dayvan Cowboy (although arguably 1969 had been similarly bombastic). I also found it to be less chock-full of fresh ideas than previous releases, but over time I really grew to appreciate the mellowness of it, and level of detail. Satellite Anthem Icarus, OSTRE, etc. To me it's the perfect "car album" and though I sold my car several years ago I spun it for years before that without getting tired of it.

 

Whatever you may think of TH, it's not a "generous" album. Tracks are cut off quickly without being allowed to evolve much, or become hypnotic (with a few exceptions). It feels, to me at least, drawn out and thin - it starts with a bunch of intros in a row, ends with several outro tracks, but there's very little "meat" between these thick pieces of bread. That's not necessarily a deal breaker as their short tracks have sometimes been their best - Sherbet Head ended up being my favorite track off of TCH - but there are no short tracks of similar caliber here. I think those who enjoy the album will argue that's an artistic choice befitting the sparse, wasteland feel of the album, but I think in this case less is just less. I also find one of the few intended "epic" tracks - Jacquard Causeway - to be pretty annoying.

 

Also I find it interesting that it seems their "secret weapon" synth seems to have broken or something. They had a bunch of earlier tracks where the synth alone could send chills down my spine, eg. Oirectine, but now to me their synths sound pretty unremarkable. Not sure the reason for the switch but it was noticeable to me.

 

Different strokes of course, but at least give those of us who don't like it the courtesy of assuming we're mature enough to not let "the wait" influence us that much. I don't think it factors into my thinking, there was also a good-sized wait for TCH.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyway, the reason why I'm writing this is because something Friendly Stranger said made me realize something: I really like "Tomorrow's Harvest", but I'm not nearly as obsessed with the band anymore. They're still one of my top bands--don't get me wrong--but it feels like this release has allowed me to move on a bit and stop wondering, for example, "What's up with BOC?!", which was a daily question for me for a long while.

same, but for me the reason is the album, track titles, and interviews from the time all seem to broadcast "the world is doomed, we're tired, and fuck you." That cured me of my fandom like a splash of cold water in the face. I think it's actually their most boring album, message-wise - it beats you over the head with the doom scenario

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Anyway, the reason why I'm writing this is because something Friendly Stranger said made me realize something: I really like "Tomorrow's Harvest", but I'm not nearly as obsessed with the band anymore. They're still one of my top bands--don't get me wrong--but it feels like this release has allowed me to move on a bit and stop wondering, for example, "What's up with BOC?!", which was a daily question for me for a long while.

same, but for me the reason is the album, track titles, and interviews from the time all seem to broadcast "the world is doomed, we're tired, and fuck you." That cured me of my fandom like a splash of cold water in the face. I think it's actually their most boring album, message-wise - it beats you over the head with the doom scenario

 

Oh bloody hell, I agree with all you've written so much. Even that fandom part sounds just like me. I was so hyped for TH, and then when I tuned into the Youtube stream all I could think of when it ended was "...that's it?". I couldn't believe they are able to produce such bland melodies and convey such simple messages. I thought that they were...I dunno, INTELECTUALLY above that. But no.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

Even though it's a picture of San Francisco?

Yeah just the overall fragility of the urban environment vibe.

 

Exactly. Really into the theme. I sort of view this album as the soundtrack of nature eventually taking over urban decay after some human caused catastrophe. All while not sounding corny or over the top. It's dark but peaceful.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Anyway, the reason why I'm writing this is because something Friendly Stranger said made me realize something: I really like "Tomorrow's Harvest", but I'm not nearly as obsessed with the band anymore. They're still one of my top bands--don't get me wrong--but it feels like this release has allowed me to move on a bit and stop wondering, for example, "What's up with BOC?!", which was a daily question for me for a long while.

same, but for me the reason is the album, track titles, and interviews from the time all seem to broadcast "the world is doomed, we're tired, and fuck you." That cured me of my fandom like a splash of cold water in the face. I think it's actually their most boring album, message-wise - it beats you over the head with the doom scenario

 

It's funny that it took up to TH for you to see BOC's message has always been bleak - even parts of TCH, while generally a "happy" album, have wistful, dark overtones. I think TH is just more overt about it, due to the theme of the album.

 

I do think the time between had an effect on some people's expectations of the music - the more they waited, and hoped, and repeatedly listened to the back catalogue, it reinforced fans' preconceptions of what their new music would sound like (or they expected it to sound like) - when they finally heard it, I suspect the refinement, and somewhat different approach they took with the tracks on TH were far enough removed from previous BOC tracks (although I suspect some tracks might be older than TCH, possibly even Geogaddi) that it caused a disconnect.

 

The reality is some still don't like TCH even though it's a great album (but not one I personally find myself returning to very much), and there are folks who initially dismissed TH, but now after some time, have come to see it in a different light - possibly as a result of being "turned off" of BOC by their initial disappointment of TH.

 

I myself liked TH when it came out - but found myself not listening to it or skipping tracks on a regular basis, barring the few obvious standouts. Fast forward to a year later, and it's like I listened to it the very first time - and really, my suggestion to anyone is listen to this with a good set of headphones, at a decent volume - there are tiny things that get lost listening normally that pop out - it really shows the complexity and the care that BOC took in crafting these tracks.

 

Music is funny.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

tch is still the oddball no matter which way you slice it. if we flip flopped the 2 releases, tch would be getting ripped even more so now than it did when it was released.

 

 

no way. Not even sure why you'd say that, you think "the wait" is the primary reason people are ripping TH?

 

TCH was a bit of a surprise in that it seemed more polished and commercial than previous releases, also a bit more bombastic with Dayvan Cowboy (although arguably 1969 had been similarly bombastic). I also found it to be less chock-full of fresh ideas than previous releases, but over time I really grew to appreciate the mellowness of it, and level of detail. Satellite Anthem Icarus, OSTRE, etc. To me it's the perfect "car album" and though I sold my car several years ago I spun it for years before that without getting tired of it.

 

Whatever you may think of TH, it's not a "generous" album. Tracks are cut off quickly without being allowed to evolve much, or become hypnotic (with a few exceptions). It feels, to me at least, drawn out and thin - it starts with a bunch of intros in a row, ends with several outro tracks, but there's very little "meat" between these thick pieces of bread. That's not necessarily a deal breaker as their short tracks have sometimes been their best - Sherbet Head ended up being my favorite track off of TCH - but there are no short tracks of similar caliber here. I think those who enjoy the album will argue that's an artistic choice befitting the sparse, wasteland feel of the album, but I think in this case less is just less. I also find one of the few intended "epic" tracks - Jacquard Causeway - to be pretty annoying.

 

Also I find it interesting that it seems their "secret weapon" synth seems to have broken or something. They had a bunch of earlier tracks where the synth alone could send chills down my spine, eg. Oirectine, but now to me their synths sound pretty unremarkable. Not sure the reason for the switch but it was noticeable to me.

 

Different strokes of course, but at least give those of us who don't like it the courtesy of assuming we're mature enough to not let "the wait" influence us that much. I don't think it factors into my thinking, there was also a good-sized wait for TCH.

 

 

come on man, i am not assuming you aren't mature. lol, where in the world are you getting that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest transmisiones ferox

TCH probably their most dreamy and trippy album for me, just looked at the track names... TH feels sober and more old, I think they dropped that tch hippy sound to get to the point, that is on TH. Just listen how isolated is the end of RFTD, it's like old bones... overall I feel that in order to get that strong feeling of isolation they had to loss some of the sound...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Obviously I'm not that guy, but I feel like I have to respond

 

 


Anyway, the reason why I'm writing this is because something Friendly Stranger said made me realize something: I really like "Tomorrow's Harvest", but I'm not nearly as obsessed with the band anymore. They're still one of my top bands--don't get me wrong--but it feels like this release has allowed me to move on a bit and stop wondering, for example, "What's up with BOC?!", which was a daily question for me for a long while.

same, but for me the reason is the album, track titles, and interviews from the time all seem to broadcast "the world is doomed, we're tired, and fuck you." That cured me of my fandom like a splash of cold water in the face. I think it's actually their most boring album, message-wise - it beats you over the head with the doom scenario

 

It's funny that it took up to TH for you to see BOC's message has always been bleak - even parts of TCH, while generally a "happy" album, have wistful, dark overtones.

 

 

 

I wouldn't say that their albums were always sad. I think that it all boils down to balance and good taste (of the band). Music Has The Right To Children does have some sad tracks, but it's not Tomorrow's Harvest sad- it's more about leaving your precious years behind, all your friends and places you've been to for something new. Geogaddi? Well, it's very trippy. It's definitely a screwed up album- but it's not 100% bleak like Tomorrow's Harvest. Oh and you just can't convince me that TCH (EP&LP) are as dark as TH! And then Tomorrow's Harvest comes along, its message completely clear, just like its setting.

 

 

 

I think TH is just more overt about it, due to the theme of the album.

 

And that lack of subtlety makes me feel weird about TH

Edited by Bordie
Link to comment
Share on other sites

its got some great tunes on it,but it doesn,t flow well enuff for any kind of mood or concept to hold up well over the length of the whole album imo,i listen to it on shuffle a lot these days,my favourites are reach for the dead,telepath,sick times,collapse,palace posy,nothing is real.sundown,come to dust,semena mertvych,the others i can take or leave,but there are tracks on other boc lp,s that i feel the same way about,so its no big deal,i,m so glad they made it,and can,t wait for more

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.