So, today I’m going to tell you about my first impression of this song.
It is the first new song the band officially released to the public. By singing it live.
Incidentally they did the same thing with Your Love is a Lie back in 2007 – released it live before the studio version. [Though When I’m Gone had already been released.]
Someone posted a live version of YSAL from the Bamboozle tour 2010 on YouTube and I came across it on the SP Crew forums. My initial response to it was that I didn’t like it. It just didn’t grab my attention. Granted the recording was not good quality [it was quite horrible, actually] however, it just didn’t sound like top 10 material to me.
I voiced my opinion and I remember several people getting bent out of shape that I would ever criticise anything created by the boys. You can imagine how that ended.
It took me probably around two weeks, and a few different video recordings of it live, to win me over. I think it really clicked when the band posted a short video of them singing it live in good quality. And my thoughts after that included:
‘Wow, this hearkens back to the Still Not Getting Any… era.’ And then I was almost sold. I at least figured that the band was going as strong as ever, and that even if it weren’t spectacularly amazing, at least they weren’t going to disappoint the ‘hard core’ fans.
On a side note, SNGA is my favourite album, and the one that made me a fan of this band.
Of course, I decided to wait until I heard the studio version…but when I did hear a 30 second snippet of the song, I decided I preferred the live version. [Can’t win, eh?]
Now having heard the full studio version, I really like it. Pierre’s vocals have improved; they still have the ‘live’ qualities that the band ‘perfected’ on the Self-titled album, but has the energy and personality of No Pads and SNGA. I feel that there is something missing on the studio version though, I’m not sure what it is but, there it is.
I don’t love it [still prefer the way the live version sounds] but, I would put it in my top 10 Simple Plan songs.
Marly's World 