The Killers new album "one of the best albums in the past 20 years"

The Seeker of Good Songs

Well-Known Member
from: http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=209930

After doing lots of overseas touring for the album Hot Fuss, Las Vegas band The Killers were happy to arrive back home in the fall and start reconnecting with America. In fact, singer Brandon Flowers says it was the music of Bruce Springsteen that helped fuel that reconnection, as well as inspire the band's new songwriting.

Flowers, who only recently discovered the music of Springsteen, told MTV.com, "I couldn't believe how happy his music made me and how good it was. He's a gift, and I didn't know. I mean, I knew 'Born in the USA' and 'Glory Days,' but I didn't know that he covered so much ground, and there was something in his music that touched what I was going through, the process of falling back in love with my America."

Flowers said that these feelings are really evident on the band's second album, which is due in September. "Springsteen touches on the American dream, and that's everybody's dream. And it's such a great idea — whether or not it's still happening today," he said. "Most of the songs are about getting to that place, of making it to the promised land. I don't think it's about getting rich; it's the idea of working hard and having your castle in the sky, and that idea runs through the record. It's very optimistic. And we're all from working-class families, and that's why our songs are good, because we don't do it half-assed. Nothing was handed to us, and so we don't settle. We're not afraid to throw a song away because it's not good enough. A lot of people won't do that."

The band is currently working on the new effort in a
Las Vegas studio with producers Flood and Alan Moulder. They are recording 16 songs, some of which feature horns and strings. Flowers enthusiastically told MTV that the work is "one of the best albums in the past 20 years" and said that "nothing that touches this album. And that sounds like I'm being cocky, but I'm just so excited. I hope that helps people. I hope people hear this album and realize that you don't need to worry about the second album."
 
Not sure about that, i hope it is good they had a couple of glimmers of goodness in the last album so who knows
 
I can't wait to hear the second one ever since I heard the first :) The first is a great album...I doubt this new will be the best in last 20 years , but I think it will be good...
 
Last edited:
Killers

dazzak said:
I severely doubt it. They're a good singles band and that's about it.
Certainly not a good live band from what I saw. Ditto Interpol. Editors, however, are brilliant live...

What a prick - 'best album of the last 20 years'. Maybe he's comparing it with Springsteen's output in the last 20 years - not much competition there...
 
dazzak said:
They're a good singles band and that's about it.

Hot Fuss was a good album, it just got over-played, it gets annoying when the songs get played on every documentary and reality show on the tele.
 
I dig the Killers. Not too sure about the Springsteen influence though.

Isn't Flood that producer that some people don't like? I remember a while back during a Smashing Pumpkins interview, James Iha stated his dislike for Flood - something having to do with him being English - then Billy shut him up. Anyone remember this or know of this Flood guy's rep?
 
The whole change over to american influenced music from The Killers seems a bit contrived to me... The hype last time around was how they were the most British American band influenced by Smiths, U2, New Order etc, and the Bruce Springsteen thing just seems like a new way for them to publicise themselves.

Hot Fuss was a decent album containing a few very good singles and a number of third rate fillers.
 
Jim Rome: I dunno about his personality, but Flood's done some great work with Nine Inch Nails, U2, and Depeche Mode. And Moulder's worked with My Bloody Valentine and Nine Inch Nails.

They're both good choices for The Killers. I only liked a handful of songs on Hot Fuss, but if they can get a better handle on their lyric-writing, then I think their new album has the potential to be great.
 
dazzak said:
I severely doubt it. They're a good singles band and that's about it.

Totaly agree, the singles from Hot Fuss were fab, but the rest of the album just didn't do it for me.
 
this charming man said:
Maybe he's comparing it with Springsteen's output in the last 20 years - not much competition there...


How much of Springsteen's output have you actually heard? Or are you another Morrissey fan who's instantly dismissive of any music artist outside the genres you're already comfy with?

Probably not wise for someone to declare his album the best in 20 years, if he wasn't being facetious. But someone ought to believe that privately about the album they're working on! I thought "Hot Fuss" was an excellent debut but now they've gotta take it to another level and surprise us. Cheers to Brandon Flowers for turning to Bruce for some inspiration. :)
 
Last edited:
Believe it or not, my ideal music would be some form of heavenly Bruce/Moz hybrid. Seriously... However, I don't think The Killers will be providing me with it.

The only thing staving off my post-Moz shows blues is the fact I have Springsteen tickets for the Manchester MEN this coming Sunday.

And, incidentally, Springsteen's last twenty years include the sublime Tunnel of Love and The Ghost of Tom Joad records. I also think that the title track of The Rising is one of the best things he's ever done.

Moz and Bruce have more in common than may at first be apparent; both lived with extreme isolation and outsider status, both deal in introspective examination of lives, if not downright navel-gazing. They just dealt with loneliness in different ways. Springsteen, eventually, reached out through music....whereas Moz used the music to remain, well, Moz....
 
Theo said:
How much of Springsteen's output have you actually heard? Or are you another Morrissey fan who's instantly dismissive of any music artist outside the genres you're already comfy with?

None - he lost me at the pile of crap that was Born in the USA... and no I'm not dismissive of ANY music genre...

Thanks
 
this charming man said:
None - he lost me at the pile of crap that was Born in the USA... and no I'm not dismissive of ANY music genre...

Thanks
Yeah, he's way too all American hero to have anything worthwhile to say. If I started listening to him I could predict saying shit like "Right on!" etc.
 
The Seeker of Good Songs said:
Brandon Flowers: 'Springsteen touches on the American dream, and that's everybody's dream...'

Tell that to... oh nevermind.

Brandon Flowers' press quotes are always a horrorshow and a half. I do love The Killers though.


love
math+
 
this charming man said:
None - he lost me at the pile of crap that was Born in the USA... and no I'm not dismissive of ANY music genre...

I love it. You're "not dismissive", but you have no problem dismissing the last 20 years of an artist's work without bothering to listen to any of it. And while I will admit "Born in the USA" is not Springsteen's best album, it still has some great songs and is hardly a "pile of crap"...
 
Oscar Wilde said:
I love it. You're "not dismissive", but you have no problem dismissing the last 20 years of an artist's work without bothering to listen to any of it. And while I will admit "Born in the USA" is not Springsteen's best album, it still has some great songs and is hardly a "pile of crap"...

The two statements are totally separate you buffoon. Let me explain again cos obviously you're a little slow:

Born in the USA = pile of crap
not dismissive of any music genre

I'm not dismissing his last 20 years of work, I just don't want to hear it thank you very much...

Oscar Wilde was a wit - you are a twit!
 
dazzak said:
I severely doubt it. They're a good singles band and that's about it.

I think its hard to judge a band after one album. One that Flowers admits they just threw together for the purpose of getting something out there so they could get the band off and running.
 
this charming man said:
None - he lost me at the pile of crap that was Born in the USA... and no I'm not dismissive of ANY music genre...

Thanks

Born in the USA came pretty late in his career. There is so much stuff prior to that album that is really good.
 
dazzak said:
I severely doubt it. They're a good singles band and that's about it.

i don't know about that! their last album has had the distinction of being one of the few that i've actually liked all the way through...minus "smile like you mean it", of course.
 
Back
Top Bottom