Grace Under Pressure

Why is it thaT the general consensus on here doesnt like GUP? I think its perhaps the most evocotive, epic, outstanding, uplifting, amazing song ever.

I think COT is a special album because they used the gospel choir exstensively.

great album,,, but what about GUP??

I love it, totaly original and beautiful, it blew me away the first time I heard it and still does.To me it is like a hymn with a jungle drum track, and the sentiments of the words are spot on I could go on for a long time

I think the weakest point of GUP is the melody, everything else is excellent. BUT the melody is the part that 'hooks', so I imagine that is why many people are not so keen on here.

i think the melody is fantastic. i love the fact that elbow know exactly when to hold back (by getting in a 50 piece gospel choir and 200 fans to sing on the record! haha ) no. the melody. keep it simple at times. its a truly beautiful melody. awe inspiring.

It is clearly a favourite of the band's as I have never witnessed them NOT play it. I think people that like it... love it.

I'm just really not into the whole "EVERYBODY SING ALONG!" thing, least of all from the guys that do the exact opposite of that better than anyone. Same reason One Day Like This is the only song on TSSK I can take or leave.

fair-doos. but the thing is.., elbow are a band that evoke lots of emotions...

whether it be great expectations making you cry, the fix making you laugh or forget myself become hyperactive, thats what they do.

GUP, ODLT, ribcage, station approach, the end of LOTFW, any day now... all have mantras. (repeated over and over...)

GUP and ODLT are power to the people songs. i understand if thats not everyones piece of cake, but it make people feel uplifted, and amazing. after ive listened to GUP i feel astonishing.

I think the thing that never fails to amaze me is, as you say they have these epic, rousing mantras, but they never loose sight of the personal real emotion behind it. This isn't sing along for sing along sake... I find the fact that Guy taught audiences the Hook to One Day Like This on the last tour, really, gah, words fail.. but its not the stand back, hold the mic out to the crowd and EXPECT them to sing attitude its, lets do this thing together... I'm sorry, i just watched Amelie and i'm a little over thinking things!!!

Sarah wrote:

I think the thing that never fails to amaze me is, as you say they have these epic, rousing mantras, but they never loose sight of the personal real emotion behind it. This isn't sing along for sing along sake... I find the fact that Guy taught audiences the Hook to One Day Like This on the last tour, really, gah, words fail.. but its not the stand back, hold the mic out to the crowd and EXPECT them to sing attitude its, lets do this thing together... I'm sorry, i just watched Amelie and i'm a little over thinking things!!!

no not to worry youre quite correct. thats exactly what i was trying to say. it is a "we're in this together" thing. like an elite club. its fantastic

A song should make you feel something, and if that something is that you want to sing out loud, I see nothing wrong in that! GUP is great live...so full of life and energy. I don't think a recording can ever capture that.

evilpixie wrote:

A song should make you feel something, and if that something is that you want to sing out loud, I see nothing wrong in that! GUP is great live...so full of life and energy. I don't think a recording can ever capture that.

ah but it does capture that. they recorded the glasto fans

ther only thing that spoils it for me is the annoying whistle from the crowd where they looped it

YES!

youre so right about the whistle!!

I wonder who the phantom whistler is and that his/her innocent whistle would be captured for all time

I've never noticed the whistle before now what have you done?!

that bloody whistle is annoying :/

but the freaky electronic noise at the end makes up for it!!

Funny I always heard it as a scream more than a whistle

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv-Ql7x5uBw

BRILLIANT!

oh, and not my response to the -7 comment (my username is 12345l6789)

You need to chill out, leo! Don't rise to people on YouTube, they only watch the videos they dislike

Jonny wrote:

Don't rise to people on YouTube, they only watch the videos they dislike

On topic... so, who's in the crowd on the recorded version?

haha

some kid i reckon, or someone with an actual whistle - it would be a bloody loud human whistle

Jonny wrote:

You need to chill out, leo! Don't rise to people on YouTube, they only watch the videos they dislike

oddly enough this borisjohnson character has added "One Day Like This" as one of his favourites. Just a troll, then.

Nice cartoon MisspeltYoof. I love xkcd

back on topic, having listened to the whistle/scream, I also think it's a scream, not a whistle. Nicely edited though, as it starts in the fourth bar of the chorus and carries on back through the first bar. And like jonny I didn't notice it until now - thanks a bunch!

I read somewhere too that it is a scream. And the writer of that seemed to like it, he compared it with a bird!
Anyway. I am not a huge fan of Grace under Pressure for the same reason I also don't like "One day like this" that much. Can't help the feeling, that Elbow isn't a "singalong"-band. Maybe more a "quietly-do-harmonyvocals during listening to them"...

Elbow didn't play this one at the Atlanta show, and I kinda missed it. Not that we didn't get a fantastic set, 'cause we certainly did! But, having heard it last year in Chicago, I know how thrilling and joyous it is to sing that ending along with a crowd, and I did miss it. It made me wonder - do you think the band might phase Grace out a bit more now that One Day Like This has become so popular? Maybe they will decide there's only room for one whopping great sing-along number per show, and ODLT seems to have won so many people over that perhaps Grace will get put out to pasture. I sure hope not - that's a great tune in a live setting and I do hope there's always room for it!