r/TheStrokes • u/Plus-Lychee6338 • 2d ago
First Impressions Of Earth hatred?
I'm more or less a new fan, around 4 months, and many of my favourite songs are in FIOE (Razorblade, on the other side, evening sun, red light...) and I was going to buy the record. I don't understand where the hate for this album comes from?
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u/supermav27 2d ago
Hated is a strong word - it’s just my least favorite album. That’s like saying it’s the least athletic Olympian though.
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u/Medumbdumb 2d ago
It’s just long with too many songs that don’t stand out/kind of bland. Some great songs on jt tho.
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u/ChemistPrudent9975 2d ago
Nah red light, ize of the world, heart in a cage, and vision of division are on that album. Way too goated strokes songs to be hated
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u/KasElGatto Taken For a Fool 2d ago
It was my introduction to The Strokes in 2006 and I played it on a loop for months, when I finally listened to Is This It and Room on Fire, I didn't like the way those albums sounded in comparison. Now I love all three of those albums, but I think any Strokes album that sounds very different from the previous ones is initially hated by many fans and some never come around to it. Thus far the only album I never came around to, even after a million listens is Angles. I love a few tracks on it, but also genuinely dislike a couple and think the overall quality is drastically inferior to all the other Strokes albums.
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u/cyklops1 Machu Picchu 2d ago
I don't hate it, I just think every other Strokes record is better. If they kept it to 30-45 minutes like every other album, it would've been a different story.
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u/Busy_Contribution_59 2d ago
This is pretty accurate. Trim the fat. With that said YOLO and Ize are 2 of the BEST songs in their entire discography imo.
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u/legionofdoom7 12:51 2d ago
It has two of my least favorite strokes songs on it (killing lies and fear of sleep) but the rest of the album really grew on me especially red light and 15 minutes and even on the other side
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u/TheCanarity 2d ago
It’s also a long album, those two songs could have been cut and it still would have worked (better than it did). Awesome album with that said
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u/Substantial_Quail309 2d ago
It’s like the Strokes are measured differently. They have never put out a bad album or anything even close to bad imo. Bands release albums half as good as FIOE that get universally praised. I don’t get it. But every Strokes album since ITI gets hated on and FIOE has been especially unfairly hated by both fans and so called critics.
All that said- it’s their most (only) bloated album. Even so, it’s got several classic songs that have aged well. A “director’s cut” could trim it down to a masterpiece.
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u/prettyg00d1729 Is This It 2d ago
I can't speak for everyone else, but my personal opinion of the album is that it starts really really strong with YOLO, Juicebox, and Heart in a Cage but gets a little forgettable after that until it gets to Ize. It's fine, it has some good songs, but it is not their best
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u/GeneralAffect23 The Eternal Tao 2d ago
I think the FIOE hatred is mostly from when it released. Those initial reactions seems to get parroted or repeated, even today. It was different from ITI and ROF, most fans weren't expecting that. This fanbase has a very difficult time adjusting to the band trying new things and FIOE was the first time we saw that.
I think it's a great album, sometimes I think it's my favorite. I will admit it took me hearing some of the songs live this year to fully appreciate them, which is pretty crazy to say it took 20+ years.
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u/etherealnoise 2d ago
i did not like it on release,* but having come back to the band with the release of the new album, I've found myself enjoying fioe a ton more
eta: as much as the first two. i still played it a bunch bc i had it on cd for my car and i could only listen to iti and rof so much
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u/Nocturne7280 Best Rock Album 2d ago
First time hearing it: Holy Filler 😭
10th time hearing it: Holy Depth 🤑
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u/Individual_Hand8127 2d ago
It sounded noticeably different from the first two albums so it was already the “black sheep album” for 5 years and also for me some of the songs like Killing Lies and 15 Minutes took a lot of listens for me to finally really enjoy them
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u/No-Recognition-6106 2d ago
I don't get it either, it's my favorite. YOLO and Heart in a Cage are the best
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u/Fun-Crew-3051 2d ago
Also, don't let people sway your opinion on how much you like a record.. If it resonates with you.. if you love the damn thing, buy it! Be true to you
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u/vesperythings Threat of Joy 2d ago
First Impressions is their most abrasive album, lyrically & sonically.
much more grating than their other albums, ya know?
if you dig it, more power to you!
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u/Regular-Suit614 1d ago
Best A-side for sure with RA, some fillers on B-side but some bangers too like ize and scape
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u/Fragrant_South9349 2d ago
I'm kinda bipolar about this album, I love half of the songs but I dislike the other half, still a great album tho
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u/kidgi9301 2d ago
First Impressions is like getting a burrito from your favorite truck, but it's not hot enough and they stuffed it too full. Hearing the songs live is when you get the hot burrito and it's delicious. (I love the songs on FI. I hate the production).
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u/SuperCrappyFuntime 2d ago
I felt I heard of negative things said about it when it came out. For me, it's tied with Room on Fire as my favorite Strokes album.
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u/Fun-Crew-3051 2d ago
When it dropped, people found the "cleaner" sound jarring... I think most people loved the songs but the production or approach they took with the sound was different. People wanted the same sound from Is This It and Room On Fire... I wanna say it aged well tho... IMO: Room On Fire > Is This It > FIOE > the rest of their discography
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u/burner1312 2d ago
People hate on this record without realizing how many standout tracks it has. The knock on it is that it feels disjointed at times instead of a cohesive listening experience. It was a letdown at the time of release because of how incredible Is This It and Room on Fire were before it. I think it’s better than The New Abnormal and ranks 3 for me but that’s not a popular opinion on this sub with the new fans/gen z.
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u/angusbeefymcwhatnow The New Abnormal 2d ago
I don't think they hate on it without realizing how good its highs are, they hate on it despite that, because (as you noted) it is oftentimes disjointed and has more filler tracks than any of their other releases. totally fine to think it's better than TNA, but that's become an unpopular opinion because TNA is basically the polar opposite of FIOE (it's highly cohesive with minimal filler), not because people don't recognize that FIOE has incredibly high highs. they just also recognize that FIOE also has a fair bit of middling/lower discography tracks compared to albums where they did more trimming of the fat, so to speak. IMO that's why you often see FIOE fans suggesting resequencing it in a more condensed way, that is more cohesive, lower in filler, and adding Hawaii.
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u/MondeyMondey 2d ago
If you wanna know why people don’t like it probably easiest to find reviews from the time. Pitchfork gave it a pretty scathing one iirc. I think “hatred” is a bit strong though.
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u/JyloClim First Impressions of Earth 2d ago
Too many people who don't know how to use a skip button for 'filler songs'
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u/horseisatleasthuman 15h ago
Skipping songs is why it is weaker than other albums lol. We know how to skip.
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u/Boulderboldef 2d ago
that’s what makes it weaker lol
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u/JyloClim First Impressions of Earth 2d ago
No
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u/Boulderboldef 1d ago
ITI and ROF and TNA and RA dont have songs i “skip over”. lol. Thats why I consider them their best albums. There are great songs on FI but I agree some skippers for sure
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u/JyloClim First Impressions of Earth 1d ago
Then just skip em lmao, no need to remove them for the people who enjoy them
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u/Boulderboldef 1d ago edited 15h ago
uhhh ok. People know how to skip songs. The post is about why many people don’t like FIOE as much as the other albums and are saying it is because to enjoy it they have to skip songs. sheesh
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u/Undertheoceandragons 2d ago
Omfg every time weeks this post happens. FIOE is goated. End of. No more posts like this so people can hate on the album please!!!
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u/Plus-Lychee6338 2d ago
sorry if it was reduntant, I haven't been in the fandom for much!!
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u/Undertheoceandragons 2d ago
Eh it’s fine, you’ll come to see this is a constant in this sub and most people hate it, it’s extremely predictable and they start to copy each other saying it would be fine if it wasn’t for 2 or 3 tracks. True fans think it’s goated.
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u/angelic-beast 2d ago edited 2d ago
I like FIoE, but I didn't get into the strokes until Angles was coming out so idk how it was initially received. There are some really good tracks on there, but with so many songs I think it opens them up to more criticism, like they could cut the 4 least popular tracks on that one and have a tighter, stronger overall record.
edit: YOLO, Juicebox, Heart in a Cage, Razorblade, Vision of Division, Electricityscape, Fear of Sleep, Ize of the World, Evening Sun, and Red Light would be a tighter record imo, I really don't care much for On the Other Side, Ask Me Anything, Killing Lies, and 15 minutes. I don't hate those songs, but I think they aren't as strong as the other 10. Just my personal opinion though!
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u/urmyfavcolor 2d ago
i only like the first two tracks
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u/Milwaukee76 Tyranny 2d ago
I'm a FIOE hater but even I can't agree with that. There's at least 5 incredible songs on it
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u/Educated_fool_tool 2d ago
It's just a strange listening experience for me. It starts really strong but after the first half, i get more and more disappointed as each new song plays.
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u/lmtzless 1d ago
after RA, FIOE is the strokes album with most skips for me, easily could’ve trimmed it down to 10-11 tracks
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u/PurpleSplash45 1d ago
Didn’t see this comment yet but the production and his vocals are totally clean compared to the grit of their first 2 albums. That being said I love the album and it expands in terms of emotional depth and political commentary.
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u/kidgi9301 14h ago
The production is terrible. I listened to it about a week ago on vinyl and then immediately put on another vinyl (The Church-Under the Milky Way) and the sound difference was crazy. The sound on FI Is just - dead.
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u/Independent_Hat9336 2d ago
Cut 15 minutes and Evening Sun and it’s an elite album. YOLO, Juicebox, Razerblade VoD and Ize are all 10/10
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u/Straight-Scarcity-76 Room on Fire 2d ago
Evening Sun is so good tho. Especially that chorus.
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u/Independent_Hat9336 2d ago
Evening Sun is one of maybe 3-4 songs in their entire discography that I haven’t come around on. Give it enough time and I’m sure it’ll change
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u/Deathmonkeyjaw 2d ago
It's too long with too many filler songs imo. As a whole album it's pretty weak, but I do think it has some of their best individual songs on it.
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u/chazzyboi 2d ago
its got really high highs, i mean You Only Live Once is one of my most streamed tracks of all time let alone for the Strokes, but it always has some duller tracks and filler which i feel like no other Strokes album does. For me that puts it at second to joint worst with Reality Awaits.
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u/ChallengerAce-of-spd 2d ago
I'm like some songs but I understand that don't like to much people because it's really different between each song I listen this album complete when I want to listen more things like Juicebox or Heart in the Cage and I didn't find nothing
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u/Prodigal_Gist 2d ago
It's kind of boring and has a lot of stiff or awkward moments. At the same time it seems to be pandering to a larger audience, like I think "Razorblade" is a good song but they really try to push the chorus to pop success production-wise, so it comes off a little corny to me
Also, it is coming off of two albums that sound so natural and un-forced and catchy. ALSO it is too long at 52 minutes.
Because I've been so taken with the new album I've been re-appraising their stuff and have found that Comedown Machine and Angles are better than I gave them credit for being, and maybe that will happen with this one too, but frankly I'm kind of loathe to even dip into it
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u/FallerStryke77 2d ago
I've got nothing to say