well, i voted, but i say repost this poll one month after the offical release and see if and how votes change. i guess it'd be hard to track individual preference though. i mean, overall percentages may show up the same, but with completely different people voting for the songs. damn, stats are a nasty business.

The poll specified best "track" which is why I voted "Animals". Favorite song would likely have yielded alternative results because there is actually quite a difference. "Track" to me means best utilization of the studio artform and how it can enhance and enrichen a song (suprisingly "M,M & I" would tie for second) .

As mentioned by many others, I actually do prefer the live versions of most of these songs. Several of these versions initially equalled or even almost topped their live counterparts up until some portion would differ significantly enough ("Elephant" was perfection up until that new Lisa sings along bit) to what had worked so beautifully.

The exceptions to that are "Me, My Yoke and I" which could never acheive such seemingly unfathomable layers live (in fact, it always struck me as a terribly thin song previously) and "Coconut Skins" which is aided by the addition of lovely, tasteful subtle backing instrumentation like maracas, woodblock, tamborine and mandolin. Now until I'd heard the recently improved outro edition, this "Accidental Babies" would have been considered ideal. but now I've been spoiled and can't stand being deprived of that breathtaking alternative endng. I pray that they'll extend it again on the b-side when that one becomes a single!

I disagree however with what Quebec said. Other than "9 Crimes" which I don't despise but definitely remains my least favorite, every one of the other songs qualifies as stellar and worthy of consideration for inclusion in a best list.

That first live performance of "Grey Room" is still stunning enough to keep it one of my three favorite Damo songs and although I adore the addition of the cello and violin (precisely because Lisa completely ruins the isolation of it in the exact way that I'd feared she would) I can't vote for it. Like "Accidental Babies", where he wisely left her off, Lisa simply has absolutely no business being anywhere on this song, let alone turning it into a duet! Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oo!

Sad to say, but the way Lisa is mis-used throughout the album is my only real gripe with its production. On "O" her presence felt essential. She was the other side of the story. A co-narrator. Those were true duets. Now in maybe 4 of these tracks that is the case.

The remainder of the time it's like she's an arbitrary afterthought. She mostly seems like merely some backing vocalist. Half heartedly mumbling, coming in uncertainly as if she's missed her cue or something: a full few seconds behind and out of synch as though they've never practiced it with her before.

Seriously, does somebody know an audio trick for erasing her from the mix? Honestly, if I could just take her parts entirely out of "Elephant" and especially "Grey Room" and perhaps "Rootless Tree" I think they would all be just as good as the live versions for me. Never ever dreamed I'd want to request something like that.

Right now for me it's Sleep don't Weep.

Yeah, I think I know of something, it's called 'stop'. It's included in most of the modern music playback devices.

I voted for Elephant, but it's too early to tell. It could just as easily been accidental babies, 9 crimes, grey room or coconut skins.

Great album. I can't wait for him to come to Toronto.

i'm not sure i have a favorite track yet, but for some reason i'm not really liking 9 crimes--perhaps cuz it wasn't new to me.

on a side note, i was temepted to watch the video for "the blower's daughter" while i was streaming the album and i must say i was right in not having ever watched it before...i just didn't like it.

Me, My Yoke, and I

I'm surprised by the popularity of Animals since it's probably the only track i'm not all that keen on at the moment. I just don't really like the chorus or string melodies very much...

My early favourite is 9 Crimes because I've listened to it about 40 times (thanks to iTunes) and i'm not bored of it. I love the way Lisa sings "how'm I s'posed to hold it" and it still makes me want to cry when Damo sings "no".

Elephant and Rootless Tree come in close behind but to be honest, Animals aside (and perhaps Sleep Don't Weep which is growing on me slowly), I really love all the tracks and am really impressed with the album.

Dogs. by far.

spamlet....you no....some times you really piss me. i by no means want to start a fight, so let us all have our opinions...but..i don't like they way you speak about the songs...its like you have some sort of ownership over them...on and not to forget the lyrics. if the band wan to to put a moaning cat on the record...they can do so..and if they wanted to have lisa and vyv and cora howl like dogs..on dogs...so be it.

u are entitled to your opinions, as am i, but it just anoys me so much they way u go on. its frustrating and annoying. it makes me want to scream. ahem...agh.

i swear u remind me of Christopher Francis Boone

Id say Coconut Skins and Animals are the stand-out tracks. Im not really a big fan of Dogs or Rootless Tree. The chorus of rootless tree is completely incongruent with the verse, and i just think it doesnt work. It sounds like a poor Juniper song. But otherwise, what a fantastic album.

I'd have to agree with Miss Pink, there. I mean, I love when Lisa and Damien sing together - my favorite song so far is 9 Crimes, and it didn't used to be when it was not a duet (Accidental Babies was). But I love the way they sound together on the album's opening track.
But... so Lisa isn't so prominent on this album. It doesn't make it a lesser album, it makes it a different one from "O" that's all. The name on the album is Damien Rice, not Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan. You know?

So anyway, I voted for 9 Crimes, though I have to say, Animals has been playing in my head lately, and of course, Accidental Babies is a personal favorite.

my favs change depending on how i feel ya know ! over all something there for everyone . i have yet to hear any of the b side i cant wait to buy the cd and get the b side stuff as well


cheers :hello2:

Dogs
 

agree that song...cant get it out of my mind...

I voted for Grey Room...I've always adored that song! I still do...its just gets to me...

Also, lately I've been really warming up to Rootless Tree...

Of the new ones, Animals is my favourite but that could change!

Overall, love this album!!

Pinkster,

I'm a gut reaction type of guy. Very passionate in my beliefs so I state them as strongly as I feel them: to the depths my soul. Art consumes my entire life and work so, consequently, it's also my religion. Yes, I probably explain why in more specific detail than most because my fevered brain is also extremely over-analytical. Believe me: Myers-Briggs wise my personality type is the rarest one (INFJ) and this mixture of sensitivity and logic is a terrible curse but well suited to being an arts critic which I have training and background in (shocking, yes?).

I liked the album very much overall with the exception of ONE production aspect: I don't believe Lisa was used as effectively as she should have been. I'll live with it and in time I'll probably get so used to the studio version changes that they won't matter all that much. This is simply my honest, initial and still raw experience of my favorite singer/songwriter's newest opus. No way that can be casual. Most folks who disliked various things about it here have been far more critical than that.

Of course I own the songs! So do you. We all have a very unique and personal reaction to the experience of art. The moment we interact with it it becomes ours. It's our silent conversation with the artist. No one else will feel it in the exact same way. We won't either because we're ever shifting and growing and it will change right along with us.

My reaction is not really much different from you getting so pissed about my reaction. Don't know who this Boone dude is either since I doubt that's the full name of Shannon's brother from "Lost". :bom:

I'm tempted to start a 'what are your top 3 songs from 9?' poll to see what difference it would make... Dogs is the lowest in this poll, but is surely in lots of peoples top 3 :confused:

Here's Wheels' "not getting the eskimo distaste for good songs" face...
http://www.okpatents.com/phosita/images/angry.jpg

This boone chap has is a fictional character that wrote a book.

sean...if u dont mind keeping pictures of yourself to yourself. id much appreciate it. it upset the children.

It's hard to choose...right now I'd say Grey room, and this has been a surprise for me as I didn't really like the live version I have. I thought I would choose Rootless but I have to say that I've been rather disappointed, I mean it's great and I do like it but as many of you already said, the live version is just better

I can't help but agree. :crybaby2:

I voted for "Animals Were Gone", simply because I adore the lyrics and the end of the song. It's just amazing.

But I must say that I really love the first four tracks in general, even though I seem to find another brilliant song each time I listen to it again, so I'm pretty confident that in the end I will love the whole album. That's also why I decided to vote now, because in a couple of weeks I bet that I won't be able to choose just one.*g*

What to say i've been waiting for this album for what seems like forever and i didnt think it would be half as good as "O" how wrong was i!! I cant pick a favourite song the whole album makes me tingle!!

Thank You Mr Rice for another perfect album!!!

help!
 

is it just me or is anyone else having trouble listening to the album? it's right there and yet so far away! any help on how to get it to work??

on topic, i have heard 9 crimes and rootless tree, and if the rest of the album is half as good as them then i will be beyond happy.

elephant is kind of sentimental, so maybe finaly hearing it as a studio recording has something to do with it- but animals is also sticking on me. i guess we'll see? i have yet to be able to sit down and absorb the whole thing..

mucho amore to damo.

LMAO! you could be right there. He was performing that song in 2003 in Brooklyn..

The Animals Were Gone is AMAZING! God I wish the gig at the Hiro wasn't 21+

I prefer the old version of "rootles tree"... it was more exciting..

same here. though. i don't think it's that Jack Johnson-esque really