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about two years on
6 replies
Burke said on April 7, 2003 20:52:
What do you think of Roomservice, about two years after it has been released?
My impression is that unlike HAND this recording has not really stood the test of time. And that goes especially for the *songs*, far less so for the production.
Which leads me to another point: After quite some time I’ve listened to Roomservice through headphones yesterday and it seemed to me that this album is heavily influenced by the whole electronica-idea, that it is *at least* as electronical as Have a nice day is - only that on HAND there are fewer guitar parts (but that does not make it any more electronical [or so I think at least]). Roomservice seems to be slightly better produced - HAND seems to have songs that are much stronger, but then again these songs are all too often spoiled by the production (Salvation).
Any comments?
rox-kuryliw said on April 7, 2003 21:36:
RS overall is weak, with about 4 great strongs songs. thats what i think.
Roxwriter said on April 7, 2003 22:16:
Room Service is overall a very poor and weak album.
It’s almost as if Roxette tried to be bold & daring and then halfway through got scared and made Clarence re-patch the album to a Roxette sound, and now the album is so middle of the road and uninterestng it is just plain bad.
Not to mention PG’s lyrics! Awful!
I personally love HAND, I know it recieved a lot of backlash from fans, but I ask you this. Almost every song on HAND is so strong that it has the potential to be a single. Can the same be said for Room Service??? Indeed we know the answer to be NO.
People comment on the guitars used on Room Serivce and how refreshing it is? Where are these guitars? Hidden amidst the synths and the over produced sounds?
The album has some potential, I think had someone else produced it, it might have been better.
But for me this album, with its weak songs and confused sounds, is by far the weakest roxette album ever.
It’s neither here, nor there. It’s not pop, nor rock. Just crap.
Burke said on April 7, 2003 22:29:
Actually, I think the production is fairly okay (though not really brilliant either - personally I don’t like it that much, but ’clicks and cuts’ [which I like] does not fit Rox, so anyway...) - but the *songs* are so weak - funnily enough, I think with HAND it’s just vice versa. Have to agree though, Per’s lyrics aren’t that inspired on this recording...
Mfan28179-Jason said on April 8, 2003 02:12:
’Room Service’ would probably rank 2nd on my favorite Roxette studio album. In terms of production, I think it could have been a bit stronger on certain songs, however. When I compare it to the production on HAND, it could be better.
But the album has some of my most favorite Roxette songs on there, namely Real Sugar, Milk And Toast And Honey, and Looking For Jane. I think ’Looking For Jane’ is one of the best songs Per has writtten - not to forget Marie’s fantastic vocal performance. ’Real Sugar’ was my favorite song of 2001.
As for others...’Make My Head Go Pop’ is very cheesy, but it’s catchy as hell. Then we have ’Fool.’ Good song, but I think the production could have been a bit better. It sounds a bit dull. I think ’Try’ could have been saved for a b-side. Perhaps something like ’Makin’ Love To You’ could have taken it’s place. ’The Centre Of The Heart’ - it was a grower for me initially, but now I’m quite fond of it when I hear it. ’Jefferson’ - good power pop song. ’Little Girl’ is a very sweet song. I actually loved this one from the first few listens. I haven’t listened in a while though. Okay...well, I’m rambling.
Basically, I think besides the production being a bit weak in a few areas, it’s a fantastic album on a whole. I might just have to pop it in tonight.
powerpoplarry said on April 8, 2003 04:53:
I’m in the minority here when I say it’s possibly my fave or second fave Rox album EVER!! The other, CBB, with HAND a distant third.
Why is it my fave?? It’s the closest thing to a perfect straight powerpop album Per has ever written, aside from TWATG, and RS follows this pattern. Sorry you guys don’t “get” it, I guess you don’t understand a great, perfect, powerpop album and production. To me, lyrics are secondary, tunes come first, and Per’s tunes here are first-rate, espesh RS, MMHGP, LFJ, Jef, Fool, MWMLML (perfect powerpop ballad), TCOTH, M+T+H, all, or most, of the songs are dead-on perfect gems. Even the ones I thought were just OK at first have grown on me: LG, Try, ITYNTTGH.
Honestly, I wish ALL of Roxette’s albums sounded like this!! And it seems to follow the model of TWATG, and ON follows in RS’s pattern too. Sorry you all disagree, but to me, Roxette has not crafted a perfect powerpop album until RS, although they’ve gotten close. And if it was up to me, nothing against Marie, wonderful singer she is, I wish Roxette albums were ALL Per, his writing (which they are), but all a variety of bright, colourful powerpop, and him singing all the songs, with Marie harmonizing, like on SDLHA or ON...just my opinion, Per is the genius behind Roxette, not Marie, sorry...
geytenbeek said on April 7, 2003 21:04:
I think RS is a one mood album, compare to the other Roxette albums that is “multi mood” albums. This is not my choice of Roxette album when I’m in a happy mood. I will only listen to it that stage before I hit sad..., therefore it is not my favorite Roxette album... cos I always associate it with sad events.