Train: C or D?

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I like "Calling All Angels" enough to declare them my personal kings of AC schmaltz. They *pulverize* the Goo Goo Dolls!

Plus, I once saw a cheapo behind-the-scenes show on local cable, and was fascinated by the frontman's creepy, chutzpah-laden smarm. (Which I think comes through nicely in their music.)

All aboard!

― Sam J. (samjeff), Thursday, 19 June 2003 14:45 (10 years ago) Permalink

Goo Goo Dolls > Train. No contest.

The GGD have an amazing string of great radio songs, while Train have the awful "Meet Virginia" and a Black Crowes cover, er, *homage*, shall we say...

― Baked Bean Teeth (Baked Bean Teeth), Thursday, 19 June 2003 15:05 (10 years ago) Permalink

The Train formula:
1. Put all your effort (ie: not much) into one blandy-sounding unmemorable Counting Crows rip.
2. Put no effort into the rest of your songs, for they do not matter.
3. Release record, have one big hit, sustain career for another couple years.

The Goo Goo Dolls are better without question.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Thursday, 19 June 2003 15:58 (10 years ago) Permalink

jeez whats happened to radio rock. id pay to see huey lewis and the news back on the radio at this point.

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Thursday, 19 June 2003 16:10 (10 years ago) Permalink

Another great band from "'Cisco"!

― Sam J. (samjeff), Thursday, 19 June 2003 16:18 (10 years ago) Permalink

Adding to the Goo Goo Dolls praise here -- underappreciated brilliance. Train = major bleah.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 19 June 2003 16:47 (10 years ago) Permalink

But the Goo Goo Dolls play it so safe, hewing dutifully to the kind of bland jangle that has brought them success. (That "I just want you to know who I ammmmm" song is one of my least favorite of recent times.)

Train, on the other hand, are pleasantly, grotesquely over the top with their yuppie anthems. "Drops of Jupiter"!

― Sam J. (samjeff), Thursday, 19 June 2003 17:17 (10 years ago) Permalink

(I concede "Meet Virginia" sucks. But you gotta hear "Calling All Angels"!)

― Sam J. (samjeff), Thursday, 19 June 2003 17:19 (10 years ago) Permalink

The first time I ever became cognizant that there was a group in the world named Train, was a few years ago when they were the in-studio guest on CNBC's Power Lunch program.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Thursday, 19 June 2003 17:22 (10 years ago) Permalink

See?! They're craven! And that name: "Train."

― Sam J. (samjeff), Thursday, 19 June 2003 17:23 (10 years ago) Permalink

like counting crows and third eye blind, train are another band from san francisco that no-one ever heard about until they were signed to a major label. which makes me think that there is some other kind of hidden music scene of shit out here filled with bands who never play out in local clubs and spend loads of money and time kissing label reps asses in LA. which makes them a band from LA as far as I'm concerned.

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Thursday, 19 June 2003 18:15 (10 years ago) Permalink

She checks out Mozart while she does tae-bo
Reminds me that there's time to grow gabba gabba hey

― Kris (aqueduct), Friday, 20 June 2003 00:44 (9 years ago) Permalink

Boring band. Boring name. Boring music. Boring.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 20 June 2003 00:50 (9 years ago) Permalink

haven't heard anything off their new album but their best song beforehand, "Drops Of Jupiter," was a shitty love song to Jewel. The only good thing about them is that the singer dropped that ugly ass moustache between "Meet Virginia" (which is fucking EVIL) and the second album.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 20 June 2003 01:07 (9 years ago) Permalink

oh yeah, BIG MUTHERFUCKING DUD.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 20 June 2003 01:07 (9 years ago) Permalink

fucking mats ripoffs the lot of 'em.

― Evan (Evan), Friday, 20 June 2003 06:04 (9 years ago) Permalink

Hmmmm....the Goo Goo Dolls are definetely Replacements rip-offs, but I doubt Train have ever even heard of them.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 20 June 2003 06:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

the Goo Goo Dolls are definetely Replacements rip-offs

Personally I prefer the term 'improvements'...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 20 June 2003 14:27 (9 years ago) Permalink

You should be set on fire for that Ned.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 20 June 2003 15:24 (9 years ago) Permalink

I've heard similar.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 20 June 2003 15:45 (9 years ago) Permalink

BAD FORM, Ned! :)

Tom Erlewine gave the last Train thingamabob a glowing review on AMG. (I think it was him.) What the hell was he thinking?! :D

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Friday, 20 June 2003 16:02 (9 years ago) Permalink

BAD FORM, Ned! :)

Goddamn the Puerto Rican rough boys are after my ass! I'll never be able to visit San Juan now and talk about T. Rex. ;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 20 June 2003 16:11 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Train" is a nice, vanilla, very-slightly-groovy rocksong. I like it. The rest of their stuff simply recycled the formula, however, to very tepid results.

― Sean M (Sean M), Friday, 20 June 2003 16:11 (9 years ago) Permalink

Tom Erlewine gave the last Train thingamabob a glowing review on AMG.

Wow. That's, uh... quite a review. (By Thom Jurek, actually.)

Let it be known, I don't like 'em THAT much!

"My Private Nation is not an album about angst, but about transcending it and the paralyzing cynicism that goes with it. The question is, when was the last time listeners got a rock & roll album that could do that without cowering in fear of having its optimism shattered? Not in a long time. But that's because My Private Nation isn't about optimism; it's about the flickering glimmer in the darkness, in the heart, in the culture, in the world, and how it should — and can — be seized, right now."

― Sam J. (samjeff), Friday, 20 June 2003 16:43 (9 years ago) Permalink

(...or does this review make me like and fear them even MORE??!?)

― Sam J. (samjeff), Friday, 20 June 2003 16:44 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Goddamn the Puerto Rican rough boys are after my ass! I'll never be able to visit San Juan now and talk about T. Rex. ;-)"

Haha! Very nahz...;D

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Friday, 20 June 2003 20:12 (9 years ago) Permalink

One tries. ;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 20 June 2003 20:17 (9 years ago) Permalink

BTW, I must have a word or two with you! You are solely responsible for getting me and most of my friends into the Buzzcocks, among others. How dare you persuade us good Catholic boys into deviating from the path ordained!

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Friday, 20 June 2003 20:31 (9 years ago) Permalink

! What, those AMG reviews had an impact? Dang. Well hey then. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 20 June 2003 20:32 (9 years ago) Permalink

And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to the love you make, Ned!
(Whatever the hell that means!) :)

― Francis Watlington (Francis Watlington), Friday, 20 June 2003 20:44 (9 years ago) Permalink

Astounding! :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 20 June 2003 20:56 (9 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

WORST BAND EVER ARRRRRRGH

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Tuesday, 24 August 2004 00:54 (8 years ago) Permalink

― Gear! (Gear!), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 03:16 (8 years ago) Permalink

I'm surprised at myself for quite liking "Calling All Angels", especially considering how much I DESPISED "Drops Of Jupiter." (First coupla times I heard it, I vaguely thought it was a particularly bad '90s Aerosmith tune. I felt neither relief nor despair upon learning that I was mistaken.) Anyway, I've only heard those two songs, so:
"Calling All Angels" - C
"Drops Of Jupiter" - D
The Tie-breaker: "Train" (the bandname) Quite an impressive feat that such a stupid, trivial name can strike me as completely innocuous and unmemorable and simultaneously piss me off immensely for reasons I can't even say. So, in conclusion:

DUD

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 04:28 (8 years ago) Permalink

MY FATHER'S BAND PWNED TRAIN!!!
ihttp://www.pulsators.com/images/PDpoll.jpg

― AaronHz (AaronHz), Tuesday, 24 August 2004 04:33 (8 years ago) Permalink

TS: "wears high heels when she exercises" vs. "checks out Mozart while she does Tae-Bo"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 25 August 2004 18:24 (8 years ago) Permalink

my son likes 'em so I listen (and hold my tongue). whoever writes their lyrics comes up w/the dopiest rhymes ever, on every song. somebody introduce this guy to free verse.
D (whisper it).

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Wednesday, 25 August 2004 20:59 (8 years ago) Permalink

5 years pass...

"My heart is bound to beat right out my untrimmed chest"

Wha???

― Kevin John Bozelka, Saturday, 27 March 2010 16:04 (3 years ago) Permalink

gross

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Saturday, 27 March 2010 16:34 (3 years ago) Permalink

the new single is one of the worst things i've ever heard

― ksh, Saturday, 27 March 2010 17:04 (3 years ago) Permalink

4 months pass...

what

― markers, Friday, 30 July 2010 06:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

"Hey Soul Sister" is the worst single of the decade.

― balls and adieu (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 30 July 2010 11:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

otm

― ballerrr (The Reverend), Friday, 30 July 2010 11:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

i always knew ilx was a bit out of touch but after that "i gotta feelin" thread and now this. you guys gotta carve out fifteen minutes of assigned forkcast listening turn on radio or something because this song has been inescapable for months

or maybe i'm the only one here who hears 8 hours of the local soft-rock radio station at work like every day of my life

― gold bullion logic (samosa gibreel), Friday, 30 July 2010 11:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

this is my ~6 month old baby cousin's favourite song, she sways & claps every time it comes on in the car. it's super adorable obv and is kind of an otm metaphor for the song's appeal

― gold bullion logic (samosa gibreel), Friday, 30 July 2010 11:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

the thread was revived by "markers," who is the same person as "ksh," who posted about disliking the song in March. i don't know why he revived the thread with that particular vid of the song, but i'm just saying.

― The chickbad from the ludicrous 'ludacris' song (some dude), Friday, 30 July 2010 11:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

― gold bullion logic (samosa gibreel), Friday, 30 July 2010 11:51 (2 years ago) Permalink

You're not going to find many people on ILM who listen to the radio as much as the people who've posted since the thread revival.

― balls and adieu (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 30 July 2010 11:56 (2 years ago) Permalink

Also...

― balls and adieu (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 30 July 2010 11:57 (2 years ago) Permalink

igi, i was being a crank. i usually don't like it when people yack about who lives under a rock, just kind of funny that two enormous ubiquitous singles got revives/threads in the past day

― gold bullion logic (samosa gibreel), Friday, 30 July 2010 11:59 (2 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 59 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 10 April 2012 21:00 (1 year ago) Permalink

How apt:

https://twitter.com/shittrainsings

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 10 April 2012 21:10 (1 year ago) Permalink

"Life is good but love is better/Even Bieber ain't forever"

sung to the tune of "Sometimes a Fantasy"

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 10 April 2012 21:16 (1 year ago) Permalink

Listening to the track - went to check if either the SR-71 guy or the Bowling For Soup guy had a hand in this. Looks like the blame can be shared by producer Butch Walker and a team known as S*A*M* and Sluggo who cut their team on the Gym Class Heroes and other Modern Rock radio faves like the All Time Low.

― da croupier, Tuesday, 10 April 2012 23:03 (1 year ago) Permalink

I hate the chorus a LOT more than the verses

― da croupier, Tuesday, 10 April 2012 23:04 (1 year ago) Permalink

i was just getting over the two-ply lyric in "drive by"

― teledyldonix, Tuesday, 10 April 2012 23:05 (1 year ago) Permalink

i was thinking the chorus sounded like third wave emo

thank you for decoding that

― Whiney vs. (BradNelson), Tuesday, 10 April 2012 23:09 (1 year ago) Permalink

"Drive-By" and most of the album is apparently courtesy of a Norwegian duo named "Espionage" who also hooked them up with "Hey Soul Sister"

― da croupier, Tuesday, 10 April 2012 23:15 (1 year ago) Permalink

wth i have been transported to the alternate universe where Train exists and is a thing

― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Tuesday, 10 April 2012 23:47 (1 year ago) Permalink

Hey, YOU live in the Bay Area, therefore I blame you for not seeing to their demise.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 00:18 (1 year ago) Permalink

i feel sort of warmly toward this band now; i blame some dude.

― horseshoe, Tuesday, April 10, 2012 4:57 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark

― some dude, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 00:33 (1 year ago) Permalink

― da croupier, Tuesday, April 10, 2012 7:03 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

i haven't heard the Train song yet but i stan for Butch Walker so it's a shame he's involved in something that's apparently this bad. All Time Low have never really gotten any rock radio play, though, they're a haircut emo band (from the Baltimore suburb i lived in in college!) that would've been on TRL if TRL still existed by the time they got semi-big.

― some dude, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 00:36 (1 year ago) Permalink

haven't heard this new song yet but i have a message 4 the train haters

....................../´¯/)
....................,/¯../
.................../..../
............./´¯/'...'/´¯¯`·¸
........../'/.../..../......./¨¯\
........('(...´...´.... ¯~/'...')
.........\.................'...../
..........''...\.......... _.·´
............\..............(
..............\.............\...

― recent thug (k3vin k.), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 00:48 (1 year ago) Permalink

hey soul brother

― some dude, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 00:49 (1 year ago) Permalink

Hey, YOU live in the Bay Area, therefore I blame you for not seeing to their demise.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, April 10, 2012

in the world i come from they mostly play, like, Macy's openings so this is all very new and confusing

― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 01:02 (1 year ago) Permalink

I can't wait to find out that the lead singer has knocked up Stevie Nicks and forced her to have an abortion.

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 01:07 (1 year ago) Permalink

i like the part in the song where they leave san fran in a thousand dollar van. to go where? LA? seems kinda expensive, actually.

― scott seward, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 01:08 (1 year ago) Permalink

they had their first radio hits and started touring nationally around that time

― some dude, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 01:10 (1 year ago) Permalink

Come now, Rogermexico, he's an artist whose heart lies in Cafe du Nord, not the Shoreline. He has TEH PASSION.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 01:10 (1 year ago) Permalink

i've managed to avoid this band pretty good i think.

― scott seward, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 01:12 (1 year ago) Permalink

xpost "I'm just that guy. I'll always be that guy."

admire the candor tbh

― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 01:15 (1 year ago) Permalink

they really do look like every rock club/bar owner ever.

― scott seward, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 01:16 (1 year ago) Permalink

drops of jupiter i don't mind! i always forget who does these kinda interchangeable songs i hear on the radio. i like that one better than any black crowes song i've ever heard. and i've heard at least 3 black crowes songs.

― scott seward, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 01:22 (1 year ago) Permalink

c'mn, the Black Crowes shit from high above onto Train, as do the Spin Doctors.

― Raymond Dubious Davies (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 01:30 (1 year ago) Permalink

well i definitely like at least 2 spin doctors songs more than the train song or any black crowes song.

― scott seward, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 01:31 (1 year ago) Permalink

what kind of terrible concert festival does that happen at? (xpost)

― some dude, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 01:32 (1 year ago) Permalink

"Hard to Handle" > Spin Doctors >>>>>>> "Drops of Jupiter"

― crüt, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 01:33 (1 year ago) Permalink

i just think the drops of jupiter vocals always reminded me of black crowes dude. but i actually do like the train song more than any black crowes song that i've heard. i also like georgia satellites keep your hands to yourself more than the two spin doctors songs i like and the train song and any black crowes song. but that's neither here nor there.

― scott seward, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 01:34 (1 year ago) Permalink

hard to handle is a good song but it was better before the crowes got their crowe feet on it!

― scott seward, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 01:35 (1 year ago) Permalink

forget otis even. patti makes crowemeat pie

― scott seward, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 01:39 (1 year ago) Permalink

never needed "hard to handle" but that leaves at least 4-5 Crowes tracks that are legit grebt if u dig Sticky Fingers

― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 01:40 (1 year ago) Permalink

yeah i just never listened to the crowes much. this is cool too by the way:

― scott seward, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 01:46 (1 year ago) Permalink

All Time Low have never really gotten any rock radio play, though

really? woulda sworn this is one of those bands i see on the Modern Rock Top 20 chart that I've never actually heard. Maybe I've just seen them on the albums chart enough to assume.

Butch Walker put his fingerprints on some decent stuff about a decade ago, but I've never understood his esteem with other ex-idolator folk.

― da croupier, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 03:17 (1 year ago) Permalink

ok listening to this song...it's pretty bad, but not any worse than "If It's Love" tbh

Butch Walker's last couple solo albums are great and he was all over the last Fall Out Boy and Pink albums i loved, did prob the best later Weezer single, etc. so that stuff outshines whatever crap he's been involved with.

― some dude, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 03:23 (1 year ago) Permalink

i liked "if it's love" too \o/

― recent thug (k3vin k.), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 03:25 (1 year ago) Permalink

the whole wordy staccato verses/big melodic chorus thing is really grating to me as a pop/rock formula

oh my god i just looked up Train on Spotify and the deluxe edition of their last album has a cover of "Umbrella"

― some dude, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 03:33 (1 year ago) Permalink

nb: also love third eye blind

― recent thug (k3vin k.), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 03:36 (1 year ago) Permalink

threeeb is better than train, though, obv

― some dude, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 03:37 (1 year ago) Permalink

yeah agreed - i was just saying why the whole wordy staccato verses/big melodic chorus thing might not bother me

― recent thug (k3vin k.), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 03:41 (1 year ago) Permalink

yeah i guess that's where you were coming from with that -- "semi charmed life" still has fairly melodic verses, though -- "if it's love" is like a bad standup act where the closest thing to a punchine is "remember winger?"

― some dude, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 03:43 (1 year ago) Permalink

Now that this song is here, I know exactly when to set the time machine for so that I can get to their van before they do, slash the tires, and keep them from reaching their major label showcase and getting signed to Aware records or whatever.

― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 12:06 (1 year ago) Permalink

oh my god i just looked up Train on Spotify and the deluxe edition of their last album has a cover of "Umbrella"

how can a band so terrible be simultaneously so entertaining

― God, Music and Romeo and Juliet (DJP), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 13:50 (1 year ago) Permalink

happens all the time, doesn't it?

― some dude, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 13:55 (1 year ago) Permalink

I don't know about "all the time"; for me anyway, terrible bands/artists rarely give me any enjoyment (although when they do, it's a fuckton of enjoyment; see: ICP, Spice Girls).

― God, Music and Romeo and Juliet (DJP), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 13:59 (1 year ago) Permalink

http://open.spotify.com/track/5GCgC77m6EaAqu7ZlukMu2

okay everyone has to listen this now btw

― God, Music and Romeo and Juliet (DJP), Wednesday, 11 April 2012 14:01 (1 year ago) Permalink

I REFUSE

― crüt, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 14:02 (1 year ago) Permalink

6 people like this. Be the first of your friends.

― some dude, Wednesday, 11 April 2012 14:03 (1 year ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

this band has two songs in the UK top 40!! wth

― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Sunday, 6 May 2012 12:16 (1 year ago) Permalink

They know talent when they hear it over there.

― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 6 May 2012 12:32 (1 year ago) Permalink

9 months pass...

Train Won't Play At Boy Scouts Jamboree Unless BSA Lifts Ban On Gay Scouts, Band Says

Train has taken a very public stand against the Boy Scouts of America's longstanding ban on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community by boycotting an upcoming performance.

In November, Scouting Magazine announced that the Grammy-winning band would be headlining the closing stadium show at the 2013 National Scout Jamboree in July along with "Call Me Maybe" sensation Carly Rae Jepsen.

But a campaign to get both performers to denounce the Boy Scouts' anti-gay policies picked up steam on March 1, when GLAAD announced it had signed on to support gay Eagle Scout Derek Nance's Change.org petition.

A few hours after GLAAD signed the petition, Train posted a statement on their website saying the band will not perform at the Jamboree if the Boy Scouts do not change its policies before the summer.

When we booked this show for the Boy Scouts of America we were not aware of any policy barring openly gay people from participation within the organization. Train strongly opposes any kind of policy that questions the equality of any American citizen. We have always seen the BSA as a great and noble organization. We look forward to participating in the Jamboree this summer, as long as they make the right decision before then.

Huffington Post

― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Tuesday, 5 March 2013 08:37 (3 months ago) Permalink

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