West Coast

Lana trashing her own damn lyrics live is getting so old now, what's the matter with her??

It's absolutely absurd to me how some fans here think it's redundant that three months-ish later some of us are still writing comments about how disappointed we are with how the album turned out to be. But at the same time they have no problem coming here and say things like"who else feel like CG grew on them??? It's one of my favourites now! <3" or like you mentioned have these arguments over which season suits the album best, or what astrological sign each songs are associated with. As if that is not any less redundant than us having arguments over technical aspects of this album. True, but at the same time Lust for Life was lyrically incredibly corny and faux-woke with its half assed message of "hope" and subtheme of "PoLiTiCaL cLiMaTe".

I can see where you are coming from with this, believe me I get it. We are very much aware that we are beating a dead horse... I mean it's been what almost three months since the album was released? I know we're talking ill of it, but we're basically keeping this record alive with this thread. I know we're being harsh here, but at the same time if it wasn't for us keeping the discussion alive about this record, I'd personally rather see us discuss the album's production/mastering and lyricism than coming here and seeing comments like "who thinks that Cinnamon Girl is the best song on NFR??!!1!". We can agree to disagree. So it's basic, unless it's not? Not sure I follow you here. By the way, I'm very much aware that what I write here isn't being written matter of factly. I've said it before, I'll say it again. What I write on this thread is my opinion.

I agree with everything that is written here, but especially what I have highlighted. I've been feeling the exact same way about Lana ever since the release of Lust for Life. Lana has definitely been tamed, or self tamed like you said. She no longer writes so called "shocking" lyrics, she was probably tired of having to explain why she went for such or such lyrics after the album was released. It's just kind of sad to me, she used to make something different, but now everything is so... beige? Her lyricism definitely changed trajectory and I'm not sure if I'm here for it. On some of her new songs she couldn't sound more basic if she tried... like seven years ago I would've never even imagined that Lana would once sing "the culture is lit". We're far from the days of her lyrical excellency. I've said it in the unpopular opinion thread, but to me unless she gets out of this faux-woke/basic Valley girl narrative, the Lana that I love peaked at Honeymoon. I believe that one of the reasons why Lana got rave reviews for this record (aside from critics obviously eating shit up for writing such terrible things about her all those years and finally realizing how great she is even at her most tamed and subdued), is how incredibly soft and not-Lana (comparatively to her first three albums) this album is. It's hilarious to me how she would think that she's breaking any rules with this record. It would be a lie to me not saying that part of why I fell for her, was the Del Rey persona aspect of her music. Which couldn't be more erased these days.

I totally get that this is probably a lot of negativity for some fans... but at the same time this is LanaBoards, and we are also on the Norman Fucking Rockwell! Post-Release discussion thread, like we're discussing the album... I don't think I, or other people on here, are spreading negativity. We're merely discussing an album from an artist that we love. It's not all rosy and pink ya know. I get that it's probably annoying for you to come here and see negative comments, or critiques towards an album that, I assume, you probably adore. But, last time I checked this is not the "Norman Fucking Rockwell! Post-Release praising/positive/good vibes" discussion (or something) thread? Well... you go. I'm not going anywhere.

The fact that she sings White Mustang, and is still singing that worn out medley, but obliterated MAC... yet this is the Norman Fucking Rockwell Tour. If I were Lana I would just go ahead and re-name this either the Not So Norman Fucking Rockwell Tour, or just The Tour at this particular point.

The greatest would've been better if the instrumentals were more intense and balanced, it sounds like a high school band at some point I swear. Also, the vocal mixing (much like the rest of the record) is atrociously flat. I would honestly like to have a talk with the people that were responsible for the engineering and mastering of this album, they can't possibly be serious. To me HIAB could've been a better song had it been more lyrically consistent. I've been saying this for months, but it feels like she mish-mashed three different songs together. I still can't get over her sticking to the "babies on the tour lyfe lyrics", it's incredibly dreary and cheesy on her part. I don't mind the serial killer part as it's the best part of the song I think, I wish the whole song was about that, would've been more cohesive lyrically. The thing about VB is that I feel like the long hazy musical outro basically beefs up what is in fact a pretty simple and, sorry, weak song. I feel like just because it's almost ten minutes long, people act like it's somewhat of a masterpiece and it's a revolutionary song. I personally like the song, but the outro is quite weak to me and has that flat/dry tone that a lot of song on this record have. Sounds more like Jack fucking with his guitar than something sonically cohesive or interesting to listen to. I know it might sound silly, but I feel like it was Lana and Jack's attempt at recreating a longer song à la Pink Floyd's Shine On You Crazy Diamond, long instrumental intro/outro with a short lyrical bit. But the Pink Floyd track is actually well executed and very atmospheric, which VB is not in my humble opinion. I feel like Lana is trying to get away from what actually made her different and more interesting than her contemporaries. She used to have such a strong and clear vision, very dramatic/melodramatic like you said before. But now I feel like she wants to bland in. She has the right to do what she wants. But as a listener and a fan, I also have the right to feel like her changing lanes and going into this "wannabe vagabond poet/Valley girl folk singer" road, is much less interesting.

This is exactly how I feel about the album, I think Lana would probably not like me using this term, but to me NFR is uncooked. I cannot stand hot flat and lifeless the production and mastering are on this record. We could argue that this was an artistic decision on her part, to make the record sound more "rough to the touch", and I think that it may be it, but it's just not the type of sound that I actually like, it just sounds lackluster to me. I'm still not over how unbelievably tinny the piano sound on this record... and also how dry the guitar come off. I think you've mentioned it in a previous comment, but like The greatest, one of the great songs on this record, it just lacks that climax moment. I very much feel that. Also, I don't like how the vocals sound just super muffled and flat all at once (and also Lana's enunciation here too). To me, after the first chorus, the instrumentation should've pop off and climax, but it just lacks intensity... and that's not just on this particular song, most songs on the record suffer from that in my opinion. I fully agree with your views on Looking for America, I've personally listened to the song just a few times... it's one of those songs on which I really appreciate the message, but it doesn't make me appreciate the song for a song, if that make sense. Same thing goes for Hope. Love the lyricism, but the song itself is quite dull to me (sorry). There used to be a distinct vision on her records, but NFR it feels quite unfinished I find. The last great Lana songs that I've really enjoyed was Get Free if I'm being completely honest. I honestly try to listen to NFR in its entirety from time to time, but I just cannot get into it. I never thought I would use this word to describe Lana's music with this word, but it's quite boring. I didn't like Lust for Life, and still very much consider it to be my least favourite album, but looking back I can definitely pin points aspects that she did better on it, than on NFR.

Exactly. Do tell, please Yup, it's not like there's much to talk about, like the album is no longer charting (or up there anyway) and like people outside of this fandom have already forgotten about it. Besides this and Lana seemingly recycling her setlist, showing up late and dating the c*p... there's not much going on

You don't even have to be an audiophile to find the production/mastering of this record to be questionable, like from the first listen I already spotted details that sounded hella off and cheap, the further I listen to it, the more I find it cheap and lackluster. Thank god I don't have to pretend to like this album just because it's Lana's, can't relate to that.

I totally get what you mean. Though I can see how and why some fans really appreciate this record. It just doesn't bring out much out of me. I still very much revere Lana's first three records as her best. They all have a very distinctive soundscape and that depth of sound that NFR is completely lacking, most songs on it don't have that climax moment or intricacy in the instrumentals to make them sound great and varied. I've said this on several other posts, but the production and mastering on here is quite lackluster, it sounds flat and lifeless. Edit: That R.E.M. song is great... it's weirdly very NFR-ish, but like in a world where NFR actually sounds like a fully finished and properly produced and mastered record.

I'm curious as to how many LanaBoards users are actually listening to Tame Impala? Kevin Parker and Lana are my top two artists, I wish this thread was more active! So what are your guys favourite song/album? Expectations for The Slow Rush? Ever seen them live? Let's discuss!

that's unlikely for White Hot Forever/LDR7, but that would actually be amazing I think! Fun fact Lana actually worked with Giorgio Moroder, apparently she left him hang in there and never got back in the studio with him

ughhh her mind

there's a whole thread just for that , but apparently it was canceled.

I honestly listen to just a handful of unreleased songs.

1. Ultraviolence 2. Honeymoon 3. Born To Die 4. Norman Fucking Rockwell! 5. AKA 99. Lust for Life

How about these young kids get educated by their parents and not Lana Del Rey? I mean I was 17 years old when I first started listening to Lana and I'm now 24, granted I'm not a woman, but still I knew they were just that lyrics? Lana's way of expressing her thoughts, recall events or tell her fantasies? Might as well make it sound romantic and beautiful, yet tragic?

I remember seeing a lot of tweets and tumblr posts back in 2014... this particular show was batshit, almost discouraged me from attending my first show a month or so later. Let's say that the crowd was pretty tamed at my show comparatively, still witnessed people being pushy (and the other two shows as well) but it's not that bad when you're leaning onto the front row fence, still annoying being pushed, but yeah. Lana shows are quite something, I don't even know if I want to be front row again.

are you referencing the 2014 show in San Francisco??? That show is iconic for all the wrong reasons, I remember hearing a lot of stories and that one girl that did this show recap back in the days, it was wild! I've personally seen Lana three times, but each time in Montreal, so I've seen the same crowd at front row pretty much, don't really interact with people there tbh, most of them annoy me a little lol.

That's some great wishful thinking! I agree the album as a much more organic sound than its predecessor, but this is not the type of sound that I like personally speaking. I don't actually think that the album as that top notch quality like you said, it for sure sounds more "natural" or organic like we both said, but as it turns out it sounds quite flat to my taste. There's a lack in depth I think. It just sounds flat to me, it lacks bass or percussions, also the vocal tracks on a lot of songs suffer from that too. The vocals on most track feel like they were poorly recorded and it does sound to me like they were compressed as well (cue to Lana's high note when she sings the "you" in the second pre-verse of the title track, as matter of fact the whole track was poorly recorded). To me Honeymoon has a better sound, I've listened to all her albums on FLAC, CDs, Streaming and Vinyl, and Honeymoon has just the best sound out of all her albums, it sounds clear, it's balanced and extremely lush (maybe to the exception of High By The Beach and Freak), but as for the rest, it's crystal clear. I just don't hear that on NFR, but to each their own I suppose.

Very curious what your experiences are like, seeing Lana several times for the same tour, but also seeing a lot of familiar faces in the audience. Do you interact a lot with people waiting in line, are people rude/nice/annoying?

Agree, looking back now, I feel like Lust for Life never existed, like Love came on shuffle the other day and I was confused for a moment, then I remembered what song it was, this entire album fell into complete oblivion to me. I honestly expect NFR to follow this path too. Like it's been what two months since its release? The only song I actually listen to every other day is the title track, and sometimes once every blue moon I'll listen to The greatest, but that's about it. Such a forgettable record. The accolades on NFR are the cherry on top to me, like imagine being this interesting and polarizing artist and for years you get little to no media coverage, but when you do it's because you said something "controversial" or that people are out to bash your newly released album (because yOu ArE nOt AuThEnTiC !!1!). Now all of a sudden you get this weird round of applause from the very same people that "hated" you all along, basically praising you for releasing what is your most subdued and least "controversial" album thus far. NFR is the joke that keeps on giving for me.

The first time ever I listened to NFR was on FLAC files, can't get any "better" than that, and it sounded unfinished and tinny. To each their own, but to me, NFR lacks depth, it sounds like I'm listening to Demos or like the unfinished version of an album. Some of fans here like the "organic"/unfinished approach on NFR. But personally, I don't. I don't mean to sound pretentious, but it sounds hella iffy to the audiophile that I am.

at 2:02 "cause we do a two hour soundcheck before each show" Sorry but I have to laugh, this bitch barely stays on stage for an hour and fifteen minutes. Her fucking mind.