Songs that were never really fully realised, or could/should have been better. The main ones that leap out at me...

Army Reserve - Great verse, decent enough chorus, and then waaa? the song just disappears? It's always sounded unfinished to me.
Come Back - Waaay too safe. Is it a production/mixing issue? It could have done with a few more subtleties and layers a la No Code/Binaural, or maybe just a reworking with the drums.
Green Disease - This one I'm not so sure about...maybe it's just not that good? Part of me thinks there's a good song inside it somewhere though. Maybe it needed a little more time and guidance.

It's interesting to consider if these are a result of the producers at the time. Through looking at the Brendan and Tchad Blake albums, all of the songs seem fully developed, and well thought out. This is even the case with Ten, although these songs are a little more straightforward in their arrangements. But maybe part of the role of a good producer is to deceive you into thinking the songs have reached their full potential.

Anywho, thoughts...?

I don't see much more potential in this one. I like it plenty actually, but I don't see anywhere else it really could've gone

Eh, it's okay...it's just always seemed like the marker for an 'average' PJ song. There are parts of it I really like - Jeff's bass is smart, and there's some pretty good guitar layering on the verses.

song never seems to work as well live though... something about the sound doesn't tranfer over

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks Army Reserve sounds less than it could have. Also, i hate that nu-metal sounding guitar riff on that song.

you know, of all the times i've ever listened to army reserve, i've never thought, man, this sounds like nu metal

but i'll listen in a minute and see if i catch it

It's the only thing I can think of to describe that annoying as shit riff that begins at 0.06 seconds. It's that liquidy, "intense" sounding tone that I have come to associate with Nickelback and Staind.

I wrote the SOTMs on both ARMY RESERVE and GREEN DISEASE. I think that both fell short of their potential.

ARMY RESERVE has great lyrics, and I actually love the chorus, but the instrumental work is only half done. What happened?

GREEN DISEASE on the other hand has, in my opinion, horrible lyrics. Are these the worst that Eddie's every written? The instrumental arrangement is theoretically interesting, and the vocal melocy is catchy, but the execution is unsteady even on the studio version. How did that happen?

Inside Job could have been something awesome but ended up being quite embarrassing because of the lyrics. A good producer wouldn't have let this happen

i'll say, i do not hear it at all... i know what part you're talking about, i just don't see the staind...

Actually, I said Staind but I meant Incubus and probably Hoobastank. Same ballpark as far as I'm concerned. It makes sense in my head, and unfortunately it's enough to turn me off of that song forever.

hm. I enjoy these lyrics a fair amount. i guess if i can get by misuse of aforementioned, i can get by anything

ah, Incubus and Hoobastank, that actually does make sense. Although I enjoy Incubus and a couple Hoobastank songs.

Wish You Were Here by Incubus is a pretty clear use of that style... I like that song though; although I like Army Reserve and a number of Incubus songs better

God I hate that guitar tone.

MFC = awesome verse, HORRIBLE chorus

we'll always have the x-files

I don't see the guitar tone on Army Reserve as being all that different from some 90's U2 work.

Agreed.


Songs that fell short...inside job..big time....big big big big time....For some reason the music structure begs for more...yea the lyrics suck..but all around that song has way more potential....

also...All those yesterdays.....the fade out....i think that song could have even built to a higher crescendo....but the fade out is anti rock anthem so i get that...

I really like Army Reserve but it definitely could have been better, the music ends up going nowhere. The lyrics are what make me like that song; Ed's storytelling is in top form IMO. I guess it isn't technically correct but from the beginning I always viewed Army Reserve and Come Back as two parts to the same story which made each of them more powerful. Sadly, both suffer from because the music doesn't us anywhere on the outro. While these are two of my favorite tracks on S/T I'd agree that both absolutely fall into the category of coming up short of what they could have/should have been.

Well, Come Back is kinda a rip off cliché of Elvis romantic songs. So i've never felt any real potential there. Green Disease is quite good and fun. Army Reserve is...clumsy.