Okay, I will now post my thoughts on NHBTP too. People have asked me for my opinion on the new cd and if you can bear with the length of this post I hope you'll get a feeling for what the NHBTP experience was like for me. This will not be a review or song by song critique and I will not grade it or rank it or compare it to any other album. These are thoughts, feelings and reactions I had during my first and subsequent listenings of NHBTP. First off when Stefan posted the 3 song clips I listened to them once. I did not want to take away from the experience of listening to the whole album but I couldn't resist the new snippets and had to listen. I wasn't impressed and I had a fear growing inside me. Could it be that NHBTP wouldn't be any good? I don't even want to think about that and place blame on streaming audio quality and lousy laptop speakers. I am pleased that the album would come out before any singles are released because I hate being force fed a song that I'm to believe is going to be or should be the best song on the album. Stefan announces the cd can be preordered and will ship soon. I'm getting really excited and can't wait for it now. Stefan finally, after numerous delays, announces it's shipped. Oh I can taste it! Somebody in Germany receives their cd and I expect it any day. Another week goes by as I leave work early daily to check the mail or call my wife asking if the mail came and did I get a package from Canada. It was torture but then when I had just about given up and assumed my package was lost or mailed to the wrong address it arrived. Like a 5 year old at Christmas I tore the package open. The cd was buried in the 2 t-shirts. I felt around and pulled it out. It wasn't signed Okay, no problem I'll get over it. I carefully pulled off the shrinkwrap and poured over the beautiful artwork and presentation of the booklet. Very impressive. Ivan is a true artist. Unfortunately I had plans that afternoon and I would have to wait til later that night to listen. My wife had to watch some stupid basketball playoff game so the entertainment center was off limits. I wanted to blast it but couldn't. I had to settle for my first listening through a pair of headphones. I locked myself in the room and listened to it straight through with no interuptions while reading the lyrics from the booklet. The first song started. My first thought was that I can't tell that this is MWH, that is until the vocals kick in. Ivan's voice is amazing and it defines what MWH is. I had a huge grin on my face and watery eyes thinking wow, this is it, a new cd by my favorite band. Second thought was that it sounds timeless. If someone was to play this for me I would not be able to determine when the music was made. For me I can hear a song and instantly know the decade it came out in but this cd is timeless, it doesn't date itself or sound like anything else. I continue to listen to the whole album. I had read some of your reviews on the Cyboard and was looking forward to hearing California, Dancing in the Moonlight and Hey Superstar figuring these would be the standouts and Roses being one of the lowlights. After my first whole listen through I have to admit I felt slightly disappointed. It was good but nothing immediately caught me saying this is great warranting an immediate replay. My wife asked, "so how was it?" because she knows how I love MWH and how much I had been anticipating this cd and I said it was good and sat there blankly for a few minutes trying to sort my feelings. Was I lying to myself when I said it was good? How could NHBTP ever live up to 12 years of expectations? It reminded me of Star Wars Episode 1 in that being a huge Star Wars fan how could the prequel ever live up to the classic trilogy? It couldn't and I told myself my expectations were too high. But to be fair I needed to give it time and a few more listens. People on the board said NHBTP seeps into you. And by golly they are right. I listened to it in full the following day. It was better, much better. I wasn't concentrating so hard on hearing everything and just enjoyed the music without looking at the lyrics. I wanted to hear a few songs again and ended up playing the whole cd again. I went to work later on that day and actually found myself singing Dancing in the Moonlight. I had a few other songs stuck in my head and couldn't figure out what they were. I got home and played it again. These songs were going through my head all day. NHBTP really grows on you. I don't know what it is but I play the cd all the time now. NHBTP sits atop a very large stack of cds that I'm currently playing and let me tell you not many cds remain on the top of that stack for long. I seriously love this cd. I don't know if it means anything but I have caught myself humming or singing every song on the cd (even Roses Britt) except Telepathy so it must be my least favorite or least catchy to me. It is such a good feeling having new MWH songs stuck in my head. I know some of you share the same passion I have for MWH (that's why we're here right) but I hope I am able to convey the way I feel about the new cd. It truly is magic. I thought I was going to have to force myself to like it but the essence that is MWH took over and did it for me. I tried to force myself to like Sideways and it never worked. Thanks everyone for reading my ramble and Stefan and Ivan, I congratulate you on this masterpiece and only hope the rest of the world bestows upon you the accolades you rightfully deserve. Now all I need is to see MWH perform live one last time to feel totally fulfilled. You guys are pretty clever, you've got me wanting more and more and more and more and more. I think I really like this music for evolved humanoids in the new millenium

Richard Lock <milesandson@btconnect.com> wrote: