Waterfall Preorders - Pick Your Poison

[CTdeadhead]

probably just the standard vinyl. 

Would love the 45 but don't need/want the other stuff

Love the Avatar gardenparty!

[searchinbig]

Found this cool article at Amazon:

My Morning Jacket arrived at Northern California's Stinson Beach in late 2013 thinking only about making an album. The band was not prepared to be seduced.
But within a couple of days, Jim James, Tom Blankenship, Patrick Hallahan, Carl Broemel and Bo Koster were in love with Panoramic House, a studio perched on a hillside overlooking the ocean. The natural beauty of the surrounding landscape and almost mystical serenity flooded them with a charged sense of possibilities.
"For me, every record has the spirit of where we made it," said James, singer, guitarist and primary songwriter. "Stinson Beach was so psychedelic and focused. It was almost like we lived on our own little moon out there. It feels like you're up in the sky."
"The story of the record really starts there," said Blankenship, a founding member of the Louisville-based band.
Throughout its 16 years, My Morning Jacket has always had a healthy respect for living in the moment and the inherent mysteries of creativity. They gladly took the inspiration that Stinson Beach was offering and crafted a sparkling new album, "The Waterfall," that touches on aspects of the band's celebrated past while pushing forward with a giddy assurance.
There are moments that reach back to early albums such as 2001's "At Dawn" and 2003's "It Still Moves," the record that gave the band a much broader audience. But the experimentation that marked 2004's "Z," 2008's "Evil Urges" and James' 2013 solo album, "Regions of Light and Sound of God" is clearly in effect.
"The Waterfall" sounds like history and decades colliding, like a record made by fervent music fans in search of that tingle up the spine. Inveterate music geeks will hear echoes of vintage rock and pop as MMJ continues to honor its influences without aping any of them; "The Waterfall" sounds like nothing else but also warmly familiar.
Notions of change crop up throughout the album, as does James' longstanding exploration of spirituality. But there's a crucial difference: On "The Waterfall," there are fewer questions and more action. Spirituality has become grounded and made real. "I feel like I still don't know how to explain anything," James said, "but I feel like I've accepted that and I'm just trying to live."
James began the sessions with nearly 30 songs and kept writing. The elevating "Believe (Nobody Knows)" opens the album with a summating blast of faith and acceptance but was the last song written.
"We did a ton of songs, so at the beginning there was no intention or focus," James said. "It was like, let's just go play these songs and figure out which ones fit. Once we did 'Believe,' that kind of tied the record together.
"What fused this record is, I feel like it's a weird turning point for the universe. I feel like so many people I know are getting divorced or having kids. There's so much change going on and I feel like, for me, that one chapter has ended. And if you're looking at a book, there's a hand flipping the page up and it's in between the chapter you just finished and the one that's getting ready to start.
"That's kind of the sound of this record, and my life, the sound of the page turning and not being sure what's coming next."
My Morning Jacket arrived in California after an unusually long time apart. Following a lengthy tour behind 2011's acclaimed "Circuital," band members scattered. James recorded and toured behind his 2013 solo album, "Regions of Light and Sound of God," while Hallahan recorded "Sound of Nowhere" with Spanish Gold.
Blankenship got married and moved to Nashville, and there were dozens of other projects, recording sessions, and marathon record nights in the wilds of Louisville, where James and Hallahan still live. Always a group of friends first, the reunion at Stinson Beach was the ideal combination of intense work and potent fun.
"It's sort of the perfect situation for us to go to an isolated place, with some limitations and not many distractions," Broemel said. "That's how we work best. We kind of get on the same wavelength of happiness."
"The freedom we went into this record with took a lot of the pressure off, as far as what to do and how to do it," Hallahan added. "The mantra was anything goes, no stone unturned, it'll be done when it's done. And it's not easy to pull that off with other people's schedules. I mean, poor Tucker."
That would be Tucker Martine, the Seattle-based producer and engineer who also worked with My Morning Jacket on "Circuital." The band has never used the same producer twice since its first two self-produced albums, but Martine and assistant engineer Kevin Ratterman have become integral parts of the team.
Martine oversaw two sessions in California, one at his home studio and one at Ratterman's La La Land studio in Louisville. This all stretched out over 18 months, the longest period that the band has worked on an album.
But in the end, it all circled back to Stinson Beach
"Out of all the places we've recorded, I think that place might have informed the record on a spiritual level more than any other," Koster said. "If you listen to 'Like A River,' it just sounds like Stinson Beach."

This biography was provided by the artist or their representative.

[gardenparty]

Lets go Whale!

and nice article find, searchinbig! 

[CHIMMJFAN]

Found this cool article at Amazon:

My Morning Jacket arrived at Northern California's Stinson Beach in late 2013 thinking only about making an album. The band was not prepared to be seduced.
But within a couple of days, Jim James, Tom Blankenship, Patrick Hallahan, Carl Broemel and Bo Koster were in love with Panoramic House, a studio perched on a hillside overlooking the ocean. The natural beauty of the surrounding landscape and almost mystical serenity flooded them with a charged sense of possibilities.
"For me, every record has the spirit of where we made it," said James, singer, guitarist and primary songwriter. "Stinson Beach was so psychedelic and focused. It was almost like we lived on our own little moon out there. It feels like you're up in the sky."
"The story of the record really starts there," said Blankenship, a founding member of the Louisville-based band.
Throughout its 16 years, My Morning Jacket has always had a healthy respect for living in the moment and the inherent mysteries of creativity. They gladly took the inspiration that Stinson Beach was offering and crafted a sparkling new album, "The Waterfall," that touches on aspects of the band's celebrated past while pushing forward with a giddy assurance.
There are moments that reach back to early albums such as 2001's "At Dawn" and 2003's "It Still Moves," the record that gave the band a much broader audience. But the experimentation that marked 2004's "Z," 2008's "Evil Urges" and James' 2013 solo album, "Regions of Light and Sound of God" is clearly in effect.
"The Waterfall" sounds like history and decades colliding, like a record made by fervent music fans in search of that tingle up the spine. Inveterate music geeks will hear echoes of vintage rock and pop as MMJ continues to honor its influences without aping any of them; "The Waterfall" sounds like nothing else but also warmly familiar.
Notions of change crop up throughout the album, as does James' longstanding exploration of spirituality. But there's a crucial difference: On "The Waterfall," there are fewer questions and more action. Spirituality has become grounded and made real. "I feel like I still don't know how to explain anything," James said, "but I feel like I've accepted that and I'm just trying to live."
James began the sessions with nearly 30 songs and kept writing. The elevating "Believe (Nobody Knows)" opens the album with a summating blast of faith and acceptance but was the last song written.
"We did a ton of songs, so at the beginning there was no intention or focus," James said. "It was like, let's just go play these songs and figure out which ones fit. Once we did 'Believe,' that kind of tied the record together.
"What fused this record is, I feel like it's a weird turning point for the universe. I feel like so many people I know are getting divorced or having kids. There's so much change going on and I feel like, for me, that one chapter has ended. And if you're looking at a book, there's a hand flipping the page up and it's in between the chapter you just finished and the one that's getting ready to start.
"That's kind of the sound of this record, and my life, the sound of the page turning and not being sure what's coming next."
My Morning Jacket arrived in California after an unusually long time apart. Following a lengthy tour behind 2011's acclaimed "Circuital," band members scattered. James recorded and toured behind his 2013 solo album, "Regions of Light and Sound of God," while Hallahan recorded "Sound of Nowhere" with Spanish Gold.
Blankenship got married and moved to Nashville, and there were dozens of other projects, recording sessions, and marathon record nights in the wilds of Louisville, where James and Hallahan still live. Always a group of friends first, the reunion at Stinson Beach was the ideal combination of intense work and potent fun.
"It's sort of the perfect situation for us to go to an isolated place, with some limitations and not many distractions," Broemel said. "That's how we work best. We kind of get on the same wavelength of happiness."
"The freedom we went into this record with took a lot of the pressure off, as far as what to do and how to do it," Hallahan added. "The mantra was anything goes, no stone unturned, it'll be done when it's done. And it's not easy to pull that off with other people's schedules. I mean, poor Tucker."
That would be Tucker Martine, the Seattle-based producer and engineer who also worked with My Morning Jacket on "Circuital." The band has never used the same producer twice since its first two self-produced albums, but Martine and assistant engineer Kevin Ratterman have become integral parts of the team.
Martine oversaw two sessions in California, one at his home studio and one at Ratterman's La La Land studio in Louisville. This all stretched out over 18 months, the longest period that the band has worked on an album.
But in the end, it all circled back to Stinson Beach
"Out of all the places we've recorded, I think that place might have informed the record on a spiritual level more than any other," Koster said. "If you listen to 'Like A River,' it just sounds like Stinson Beach."

This biography was provided by the artist or their representative.

Well damn that was exciting..........real cool to see the bond these guys have and I love the ability to go off and do their own things and when they get back together it's like they never left.

CHIMMJFAN

[headhunter]

I plan to support my local record store.

Me too!

[oistheone]

That writeup was awesome, thanks for posting searchingbig!

I definitely am going with the standard vinyl. I am not paying over $60 more for a puzzle, a chunky box and a 7" of two tracks that are included via download anyway. Not knockin' anyone who does order the deluxe by any means, I'd just rather use those savings on some shows.

Also, when I ordered the Circuital deluxe box (which came with a DVD that was awesome and I would have ordered Waterfall deluxe if some video content was included) the colored records came seriously warped and I had to get them replaced. Not saying that's gonna happen again, but I'm in a "keep it simple" phase of record collecting right now. HAVING SAID THAT, the functional 45rpm cut of Circuital that was eventually provided to me sounds SO FUCKING KICK ASS and next to Okonokos and an original ISM, it's the best sounding MMJ record I have.

Another highly informative post brought to you by oistheone.

[buymycar]

My Morning Jacket arrived in California after an unusually long time apart. Following a lengthy tour behind 2011's acclaimed "Circuital," band members scattered. James recorded and toured behind his 2013 solo album, "Regions of Light and Sound of God," while Hallahan recorded "Sound of Nowhere" with Spanish Gold.
Blankenship got married and moved to Nashville, and there were dozens of other projects, recording sessions, and marathon record nights in the wilds of Louisville, where James and Hallahan still live. Always a group of friends first, the reunion at Stinson Beach was the ideal combination of intense work and potent fun.

Well damn that was exciting..........real cool to see the bond these guys have and I love the ability to go off and do their own things and when they get back together it's like they never left.

CHIMMJFAN

I don't really understand why it says they "arrived in California after an unusually long time apart." Didn't they spend the summer together doing the Americanarama tour?

[CutTheString]

That writeup was awesome, thanks for posting searchingbig!

I definitely am going with the standard vinyl. I am not paying over $60 more for a puzzle, a chunky box and a 7" of two tracks that are included via download anyway. Not knockin' anyone who does order the deluxe by any means, I'd just rather use those savings on some shows.

This. I love this band but I can't help but feel like the cost of the deluxe package is a tad exploitative. I can't justify the $65 up charge for a puzzle, a 7 inch and some fancy corrugate. This sort of thing is a disturbing trend of late for a lot of bands with dedicated fan bases, put out a standard edition and then a cash grab deluxe for the fans who can't bear to not have it. 

[itrainmonkeys]

I was pretty excited for the limited package but now you guys have me questioning it.

The 7" is definitely the main thing that's drawing me to it. I also love the puzzle idea and like having little keepsakes like that for a souvenir/memory but I'd probably only put it together once and then pack it up somewhere with other album mementos.

But yea, the high price + shipping (something I always forget to factor in) makes me less excited. I think the fancy jacket is neat but I was assuming it would be a "box" like the Circuital one. Seeing it as just a jacket like that is still cool but has me more hesitant.

I'll decide soon. I really want the 7" vinyl for my collection though....so that will likely sway me haha.

[CutTheString]

I was pretty excited for the limited package but now you guys have me questioning it.

The 7" is definitely the main thing that's drawing me to it. I also love the puzzle idea and like having little keepsakes like that for a souvenir/memory but I'd probably only put it together once and then pack it up somewhere with other album mementos.

But yea, the high price + shipping (something I always forget to factor in) makes me less excited. I think the fancy jacket is neat but I was assuming it would be a "box" like the Circuital one. Seeing it as just a jacket like that is still cool but has me more hesitant.

I'll decide soon. I really want the 7" vinyl for my collection though....so that will likely sway me haha.

Oh want it. I really want it too. It's a crisis of conscience for me, I want this and I want it bad but I can't shake the feeling that's it's a bit of extortion. If we all say "you know what that puzzle and that flag and those coasters, that's totally worth an incremental $60" where does it end?
I'm emboldened by my hold out on the Thom Yorke "Tomorrow's Modern Boxes" $50 single LP in a plastic bag release. I love Radiohead even more than MMJ but $50 for a single LP is price gouging plain and simple. This deluxe edition may be a bit more nuanced but it's a gouge none the less.

[itrainmonkeys]

I was pretty excited for the limited package but now you guys have me questioning it.

The 7" is definitely the main thing that's drawing me to it. I also love the puzzle idea and like having little keepsakes like that for a souvenir/memory but I'd probably only put it together once and then pack it up somewhere with other album mementos.

But yea, the high price + shipping (something I always forget to factor in) makes me less excited. I think the fancy jacket is neat but I was assuming it would be a "box" like the Circuital one. Seeing it as just a jacket like that is still cool but has me more hesitant.

I'll decide soon. I really want the 7" vinyl for my collection though....so that will likely sway me haha.

Oh want it. I really want it too. It's a crisis of conscience for me, I want this and I want it bad but I can't shake the feeling that's it's a bit of extortion. If we all say "you know what that puzzle and that flag and those coasters, that's totally worth an incremental $60" where does it end?
I'm emboldened by my hold out on the Thom Yorke "Tomorrow's Modern Boxes" $50 single LP in a plastic bag release. I love Radiohead even more than MMJ but $50 for a single LP is price gouging plain and simple. This deluxe edition may be a bit more nuanced but it's a gouge none the less.

Oh for sure. I definitely feel you on the "crisis of conscience" thing. I would hope there would be something a little more unique or special included. One of my favorite purchases that cost a pretty penny but didn't necessarily feel like gouging was when I pre-ordered a Delta Spirit album and the deluxe package came with a piano key from the piano they used to record/write the songs on. The key was signed by all members of the band and I love having this unique little artifact. But that was something that felt worth the money.

Another one that seemed awesome (but I couldn't afford at the time) was when Deer Tick had disposable cameras in the deluxe package of an album. Each disposable camera was loaded with photos that the band took while on tour and nobody would know exactly what photos you would get until you took it in and had the film developed.


A puzzle, fancy packaging, and 7" vinyl isn't super creative (though I do still love the inclusion of a puzzle) but definitely pulls on my fandom strings to want it. I am such a sucker for "limited" and unique releases even though it won't really help me enjoy the album any more than I do haha.

If only they had a Vinyl + 7" option. Or sold the 7" separately. That's the big draw for me.

[CHIMMJFAN]

My Morning Jacket arrived in California after an unusually long time apart. Following a lengthy tour behind 2011's acclaimed "Circuital," band members scattered. James recorded and toured behind his 2013 solo album, "Regions of Light and Sound of God," while Hallahan recorded "Sound of Nowhere" with Spanish Gold.
Blankenship got married and moved to Nashville, and there were dozens of other projects, recording sessions, and marathon record nights in the wilds of Louisville, where James and Hallahan still live. Always a group of friends first, the reunion at Stinson Beach was the ideal combination of intense work and potent fun.

Well damn that was exciting..........real cool to see the bond these guys have and I love the ability to go off and do their own things and when they get back together it's like they never left.

CHIMMJFAN

I don't really understand why it says they "arrived in California after an unusually long time apart." Didn't they spend the summer together doing the Americanarama tour?

Not this past summer....Americanarama tour was in the summer of 2013, Patrick was off with Spanish Gold and Jim was doing his solo album recently.

CHIMMJFAN

[jaye]

My Morning Jacket arrived in California after an unusually long time apart. Following a lengthy tour behind 2011's acclaimed "Circuital," band members scattered. James recorded and toured behind his 2013 solo album, "Regions of Light and Sound of God," while Hallahan recorded "Sound of Nowhere" with Spanish Gold.
Blankenship got married and moved to Nashville, and there were dozens of other projects, recording sessions, and marathon record nights in the wilds of Louisville, where James and Hallahan still live. Always a group of friends first, the reunion at Stinson Beach was the ideal combination of intense work and potent fun.

Well damn that was exciting..........real cool to see the bond these guys have and I love the ability to go off and do their own things and when they get back together it's like they never left.

CHIMMJFAN

I don't really understand why it says they "arrived in California after an unusually long time apart." Didn't they spend the summer together doing the Americanarama tour?

Not this past summer....Americanarama tour was in the summer of 2013, Patrick was off with Spanish Gold and Jim was doing his solo album recently.

CHIMMJFAN

  Jim's solo tour was mostly in Spring 2013, Americanarama was in Summer, they arrived in Calif in October 2013.  Doesn't seem unusually long.  I guess they mean long since being in the studio together? 

And Patrick's record is South of Nowhere - but the bottom of article says "This biography was provided by the artist or their representative."   

[MMJCOBRA]

I can understand some fans being hesitant about the deluxe version.  That being said, it was an automatic buy for me, and toss in the shrit and flag. 

I have become more scrupulous with limited editions lately, but prudence and thriftiness can take a hike when it comes to my monetary decision for MMJ.

Can not wait for this thing to DROP!!!!! 

[Stevie]

"There are moments that reach back to early albums such as 2001's "At Dawn" and 2003's "It Still Moves," the record that gave the band a much broader audience. But the experimentation that marked 2004's "Z," 2008's "Evil Urges" and James' 2013 solo album, "Regions of Light and Sound of God" is clearly in effect.
"The Waterfall" sounds like history and decades colliding, like a record made by fervent music fans in search of that tingle up the spine."

This part of the write-up/review sounds fantastic and gives me hope that I will absolutely love this new album. I think I'll be getting the Deluxe Edition like I did for Circuital...no regrets on that purchase.

That quote is music to my ears.  Also, love the quote about the band "getting on the same wavelength of happiness" from Carl. 

For me this has always felt like it would be a huge turning point for the band, simply because it felt like they had left everything "out on the field" with their last chapter of toours.  How could they possibly improve upon what they had been doing?  Their only choice was to start anew.  Well.. I mean there are probably lots of bands out there that would call it a day creatively and live off their early efforts for the next twenty years until they found themselves on the county fair circuit.  But i dont think Jim will ever be satisfied resting on his laurels for too long. 

As Jacket fans, i feel as though we are on the verge of the new good ol' days.  Actually, we are one step past the verge. The wheels have already been put in motion, we're moving, we just cant fully appreciate it all quite yet. 

[BH]

All I really want is that gosh darn 7" and it's going to cost me $65.   

[Crispy]

All I really want is that gosh darn 7" and it's going to cost me $65.   

Same here, brother. But that sweet jigsaw puzzle!

[BH]

All I really want is that gosh darn 7" and it's going to cost me $65.   

Same here, brother. But that sweet jigsaw puzzle!

I guess if I eat some peanut butter and do the puzzle it's all going to be worth it.....

[searchinbig]

All I really want is that gosh darn 7" and it's going to cost me $65.   

Hey.....what kind of special deal did you get??

[BH]

All I really want is that gosh darn 7" and it's going to cost me $65.   

Hey.....what kind of special deal did you get??

Well that's the difference between the plain vinyl and the vinyl puzzle extravaganza.