IanadeIrey

Omg that is a spot-on description Similarly, I imagine very grainy, reddish-toned film frames with smoke blowing about. Such an evocative and overall, like, genuinely cool track.

I absolutely loved Dealer upon first listen, but it’s absolutely hitting now. I live for the smoky and gritty 70s casino vibe

I make a point to not hate on any artist and I respect the hustle of everyone, but I think the new wave of alternative women in music — that, in my opinion, inaccurately get lumped with Lana — just aren’t for me (Halsey, Billie Eilish, Clairo, Phoebe Bridgers, Melanie Martinez). I also don’t really like sparkly, shiny, glossy “pop” that is mainstream nowadays. The true beauty of popular music flourished in the early 2000s with Britney, Beyoncé, and their peers.

If You Lie Down With Me is so 70s lounge-chic (and then launches into a 30s saloon moment with that brassy postlude). I think it’s one of my absolute favourites. That song, Text Book, and Nectar of the Gods, in my opinion, carry the most apparent western influences that make me think in the vein of Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood’s original recordings together. There’s just something so hazy and glamorous, but thoughtful about those three tracks. The richness and warmth of Lana’s vocals when she first says, “put your red boots on..”

Me too for me, there’s always something to love about every Lana song (if not everything!)

Awwww! So do you, my friend! I’ve been loving all of your posts in this thread, they are such a breath of fresh air and your presence is full of light. Thank you and right back at you

So well-said! Beautiful words as always. Nectar of the Gods even reflects on that tug-of-war within herself that seems to have been won in WW (choosing to be a “wildflower” over a “wildfire,” or a conscious detachment from the qualities embodied by her mother), but she later realizes is somewhat visceral upon indulgence in all things, including inspiration that this record carries (“I get wild and fucking crazy like the colour blue” “once I found my way, but now I am lost”). It’s poignant that it comes after the climax and sudden epiphany of WW that marks a shift in the record’s narrative (and her life, in that way). Every track on the entire record serves such an important purpose. She really is the greatest.

I 100% agree! The almost mournful to hopeful depiction of herself and her surroundings derived from family-of-origin dynamics that runs from Wildflower Wildfire to Sweet Carolina is genius. It’s brilliant how lyrically, they all serve to share her personal history, but she goes ultra-meta and uses tracks that are actually artifacts of her personal history.

Omg same. The bit-crusher breakdown while the sun is blinding you…

I can’t tell you how lovely of a moment I had this afternoon when we had a brief appearance from the sun amidst the otherwise cloudiness lol. I was driving to a lunch during work and the sun flare hit the red trees and was reflecting off of the skyscrapers as I was listening to Thunder. A very surreal driving experience indeed

Nectar of the Gods is such an LDR staple, a classic, unreleased or not. So glad it found a home! I remember at the Violet signing at B&N last October, Lana mentioned how prophetic her own poetry can be and how even her own songs can speak to her years down the line (and just two weeks later, she would record Text Book and the title track, two tracks integral to BB). All the leaked songs that ended up on BB, I have certainly gathered new meanings from while listening to them within the context of the entire record. It’s quite amazing to witness part of her journey with those tracks.

I hope if this is for the next record, it builds upon Wildflower Wildfire. That song is perfect and does it all — abstractly-confessional lyricism with stunning, sultry, and emotive vocals that sit beautifully atop of piano, but with an explosive twist at the end. It’s mature and sophisticated but retains a bit of that dynamic rawness that makes it feel characteristically Lana.

The Living Legend—Cherry Blossom track run is just so 💛.

Living Legend is the one song that never fails to make my eyes watery such a special song 💛

I’ll make it happen!

I saw you!

Right here! https://www.listening-event.com/lana-del-rey#/

It’s actually mind-boggling to me how no critic has even bothered to look into the layers and layers of the lyrics. Like, I have read the reviews, and even in the positive ones (which I am not complaining about at all) each journalist offers such a shallow, surface level interpretation of the lyrics, with some critics making a laughing stock out of her. And when someone backhandedly and condescendingly mentions, “oh! This is Lana Del Rey telling her story,” it’s funny that they — someone with the privilege and esteemed-intellect worthy of a platform to write critically about music — still cannot get it. Somehow, Lana’s unrelated “controversies” can be woven into reviews, but context clues she’s littered graciously about the album to help piece its hidden narrative together are nowhere to be found. Tragic!

Her mention of Sean intrigued me too. It seems that he had a very profound impact on her, and I think the end of their relationship re-opened or magnified to Lana many things about her upbringing and genealogical grounding (that she explores on Text Book). She also said that their breakup unleashed that historical “hysteria” and panic that goes generations back, and I think that panic will be discussed a bit more on Behind the Iron Gates. I really felt and appreciated her vulnerability and openness about her personal life in that livestream, and I don’t know if it’s just me, but after tuning in to it and listening to the record, I felt a heaviness for a few days. There are always people who we are destined to meet, who almost leave us with a bit of a quest to look deeper into ourselves. Man…Lana really has touched some of our lives so much.

I think for me, NOTG + CB because I couldn’t believe CB was a recorded song. Both tracks were heavenly upon first listen. ITTJ and Living Legend are also up there, as they were mere titles for years and were instant classics upon first listen.

Thanks for explaining your perspective and hearing me out! I’m grateful as well and hope the record grows on you!

OK I need to get off LB before I launch into a Question for the Boards that nobody asked for

I don’t think anyone is challenging your opinion on the record (which you are absolutely entitled to). People are taking an issue with the fact that you invalidated people’s fan-ship based on THEIR personal opinion, that just so happens to be contrary to yours. Nobody has called you a “fake fan” because you dislike the record, so it’s seemingly fallible for you to suggest that people are “fake fans” because they do like it.

Aw, thank you! Man…I love Text Book so much. I haven’t posted any critical thoughts on the whole thing yet, just the fact that I love it LOL. I hope to soon! Same she is a true prophet, though! She knew the power of BB

Well…good morning in this thread! Blue Banisters truly is the best album of all time. No debate about it!