she/her
I'm predicting a Darkness vs. To The Moon And Back finale. And honestly? Totally deserved.
This Delicate Rate We've Made: The Darren Hayes / Savage Garden Rate - WINNER announced
- Thread starter jtm
- Start date
Cannot believe that the only album with more than one song in the top SEVEN is Secret Codes- and it has THREE!! Crazy times.
Black Out the Sun, Talk Talk Talk and Strange Relationship surely need to go next?! That would leave Bloodstained Heart, To The Moon and Back, Step Into The Light and Darkness which is an amazing top 4 for me.
I want Darkness to win please and thanks.
Black Out the Sun, Talk Talk Talk and Strange Relationship surely need to go next?! That would leave Bloodstained Heart, To The Moon and Back, Step Into The Light and Darkness which is an amazing top 4 for me.
I want Darkness to win please and thanks.
All this talking and thinking about Darren has had me listening to him a lot over the past week- it helps that there hasn't been a great deal else to do and I'm working from home. I just listened to This Delicate Thing We've Made right through twice, and my word there is one amazing album in there isn't there?! It's definitely one of my favourite albums ever, but if it had been trimmed down it would be, in my opinion, as close to perfect as possibly any album could be. Like, an album with this tracklist:
A Fear of Falling Under
Who Would Have Thought
Waking The Monster
How To Build A Time Machine
Casey
Step Into The Light
Sing To Me
Listen All You People
The Future Holds A Lion's Heart
On The Verge Of Something Wonderful
Maybe
Me Myself and (I)
Setting Sun
Words
The Tuning Of Violins
Would have been mind-blowing- I literally love every single one of those songs- and still a few songs longer than most others! And it would definitely , hands-down be my favourite Darren album. Probably in my top 3 albums, by anyone, ever. But then we got another 10 songs which aren't as incredible (no-where near, in some cases...), and that makes it incredibly difficult to rank as an album. Can we consider the 15 best songs as the strength of the album anyway, given that is an album-worthy amount of songs (more than, really)?! Or do the others drag down one's appreciation? It's really difficult... I have always ranked The Tension and the Spark alongside This Delicate Thing We've Made because even though there are more songs on Delicate that I adore than are even on Tension, Tension is definitely more consistent and as an overall body stronger- I could lose Light and that's about it, as opposed to losing 10 songs from This Delicate Thing We've Made.
I guess it doesn't really matter because either way we got two amazing albums that are- I think everyone can agree, even if they're not everyone's cup of tea exactly- artistic highs for Darren. And even if the 10 not-so-favourite songs from Delicate do impact it's overall esteem in my mind- I still got 15 incredible songs that I love and that mean a lot. It's just from the point of view of someone who likes things to be ranked and neat- it's difficult!
Am I overthinking this?!
A Fear of Falling Under
Who Would Have Thought
Waking The Monster
How To Build A Time Machine
Casey
Step Into The Light
Sing To Me
Listen All You People
The Future Holds A Lion's Heart
On The Verge Of Something Wonderful
Maybe
Me Myself and (I)
Setting Sun
Words
The Tuning Of Violins
Would have been mind-blowing- I literally love every single one of those songs- and still a few songs longer than most others! And it would definitely , hands-down be my favourite Darren album. Probably in my top 3 albums, by anyone, ever. But then we got another 10 songs which aren't as incredible (no-where near, in some cases...), and that makes it incredibly difficult to rank as an album. Can we consider the 15 best songs as the strength of the album anyway, given that is an album-worthy amount of songs (more than, really)?! Or do the others drag down one's appreciation? It's really difficult... I have always ranked The Tension and the Spark alongside This Delicate Thing We've Made because even though there are more songs on Delicate that I adore than are even on Tension, Tension is definitely more consistent and as an overall body stronger- I could lose Light and that's about it, as opposed to losing 10 songs from This Delicate Thing We've Made.
I guess it doesn't really matter because either way we got two amazing albums that are- I think everyone can agree, even if they're not everyone's cup of tea exactly- artistic highs for Darren. And even if the 10 not-so-favourite songs from Delicate do impact it's overall esteem in my mind- I still got 15 incredible songs that I love and that mean a lot. It's just from the point of view of someone who likes things to be ranked and neat- it's difficult!
Am I overthinking this?!
londonrain
Staff member
Bloodstained Heart is the weakest of the three Secret Codes singles, though.
(All of the top ten songs are amazing. They're just different levels of amazing.)
SIS! There are literally two amazing albums here if you replace Me, Myself & I with Fallen Angel and add Ocean.
7.
…1x11…
Darkness
Second single from ‘The Tension and the Spark’
Average: 9,19
Highest score: 1x11 (@Eric), 5x10 (@phoenix123, @Untouchable Ace, @CorgiCorgiCorgi, @rawkey, @jtm)
Lowest score: 1x7,5 (@londonrain)
I also would have loved for this to go all the way to the top 3, but ‘Darkness’ at least makes it to number 7! This is, obviously, the first track of Darren’s second solo album, and also the second (and final) single of a shortened album campaign. The single only charted in Australia, at number 40.
Let’s start with @Eric:
“Few songs capture the essence of depression so effectively. I have to confess that I couldn't listen to Tension and the Spark for years as it was too raw but now I can fully appreciate it. We don't deserve this album or song - it's powerful, beautiful and ultimately carries a message of hope.”
Next let’s hand it off to Darren -
Darren: “Much of this new album began, quite literally, as an accident. I remember telling myself that I was not writing, that I was not in a creative head-space, because in some ways I knew deep down that the subject matter for my next project was going to come from a darker and much more personal space. And I was avoiding that. So around the same time that I was making excuses about not writing, my friends were staying in my house in San Francisco. Robert Conley my friend, engineer and keyboard player was working on tracks for his electronic project, 'Specificus', in the guest room every day. Whenever I passed by the room I'd hear what he was working on and find myself humming along. This track, I believe, was the first time we collaborated and I swear at the time I was just casually singing along to the track. I had no idea it would result in us writing together, forging a creative relationship or that this would become the signature sound of this album and the first track.
Looking back now it makes so much sense. I was kind of lulled into a sense of security because in my mind I wasn't working on a Darren Hayes record. It was something else. It allowed me to free up the subconscious.. to talk very honestly without thinking of the consequences and to leave the concept of direction up in the air. It's the introduction to the subject matter that is the central theme of the album.. here I am in Darkness.. at Zero, at my lowest point and yet still I'm searching for hope in the darkness. My favourite lyric ever is in this song... ' It's hard to take control when your enemy's old and afraid of you..You discover that the monster you've been running from is the monster in you...”
And now for the rest of the comments:
@londonrain: ‘A nice little preview of what we were about to get on the next album. I’m really glad he chose to explore this sound further.’ (7.5)
@berserkboi: ‘Beautiful song!’ (9)
@CorgiCorgiCorgi: ‘Some of his best lyrics ever here.’ (10)
@rawkey: ‘An unlikely second single (cancelled in the UK) that expertly sets up the tone of the album, excellent stuff.’ (10)
@Sprockrooster: ‘The drama of it all. I stan.’ (9)
@jtm: ‘Immediately this song sets the mood for the whole album. The lyrics, the video (!!!), the production that still holds up today.. Definitely a candidate for my 11.’ (10)
Music video:
…1x11…
Darkness
Second single from ‘The Tension and the Spark’
Average: 9,19
Highest score: 1x11 (@Eric), 5x10 (@phoenix123, @Untouchable Ace, @CorgiCorgiCorgi, @rawkey, @jtm)
Lowest score: 1x7,5 (@londonrain)
I also would have loved for this to go all the way to the top 3, but ‘Darkness’ at least makes it to number 7! This is, obviously, the first track of Darren’s second solo album, and also the second (and final) single of a shortened album campaign. The single only charted in Australia, at number 40.
Let’s start with @Eric:
“Few songs capture the essence of depression so effectively. I have to confess that I couldn't listen to Tension and the Spark for years as it was too raw but now I can fully appreciate it. We don't deserve this album or song - it's powerful, beautiful and ultimately carries a message of hope.”
Next let’s hand it off to Darren -
Darren: “Much of this new album began, quite literally, as an accident. I remember telling myself that I was not writing, that I was not in a creative head-space, because in some ways I knew deep down that the subject matter for my next project was going to come from a darker and much more personal space. And I was avoiding that. So around the same time that I was making excuses about not writing, my friends were staying in my house in San Francisco. Robert Conley my friend, engineer and keyboard player was working on tracks for his electronic project, 'Specificus', in the guest room every day. Whenever I passed by the room I'd hear what he was working on and find myself humming along. This track, I believe, was the first time we collaborated and I swear at the time I was just casually singing along to the track. I had no idea it would result in us writing together, forging a creative relationship or that this would become the signature sound of this album and the first track.
Looking back now it makes so much sense. I was kind of lulled into a sense of security because in my mind I wasn't working on a Darren Hayes record. It was something else. It allowed me to free up the subconscious.. to talk very honestly without thinking of the consequences and to leave the concept of direction up in the air. It's the introduction to the subject matter that is the central theme of the album.. here I am in Darkness.. at Zero, at my lowest point and yet still I'm searching for hope in the darkness. My favourite lyric ever is in this song... ' It's hard to take control when your enemy's old and afraid of you..You discover that the monster you've been running from is the monster in you...”
And now for the rest of the comments:
@londonrain: ‘A nice little preview of what we were about to get on the next album. I’m really glad he chose to explore this sound further.’ (7.5)
@berserkboi: ‘Beautiful song!’ (9)
@CorgiCorgiCorgi: ‘Some of his best lyrics ever here.’ (10)
@rawkey: ‘An unlikely second single (cancelled in the UK) that expertly sets up the tone of the album, excellent stuff.’ (10)
@Sprockrooster: ‘The drama of it all. I stan.’ (9)
@jtm: ‘Immediately this song sets the mood for the whole album. The lyrics, the video (!!!), the production that still holds up today.. Definitely a candidate for my 11.’ (10)
Music video:
THE TENSION AND THE SPARK
Total average: 7,41
Main album: 7,73
Bonus track / b-sides: 6,52
7. Darkness 9,19
10. I Like The Way 8,86
29. Void 7,9
33. Hero 7,81
35. Love and Attraction 7,77
41. Pop!ular 7,65
46. Ego 7,592
48. Unlovable 7,581
50. Light 7,558
53. Dublin Sky 7,53
81. I Forgive You 7,081
82. Sense Of Humor 7,06
92. Feel 6,91
127. Boy 6,09
65. Touch 7,288
73. Random Blinking Light 7,165
107. Zero 6,54
147. Strange Magic 4,875
Total average: 7,41
Main album: 7,73
Bonus track / b-sides: 6,52
7. Darkness 9,19
10. I Like The Way 8,86
29. Void 7,9
33. Hero 7,81
35. Love and Attraction 7,77
41. Pop!ular 7,65
46. Ego 7,592
48. Unlovable 7,581
50. Light 7,558
53. Dublin Sky 7,53
81. I Forgive You 7,081
82. Sense Of Humor 7,06
92. Feel 6,91
127. Boy 6,09
65. Touch 7,288
73. Random Blinking Light 7,165
107. Zero 6,54
147. Strange Magic 4,875
10 Black Out The Sun
9 Bloodstained Heart
8 Strange Relationship
7 Affirmation
6 Talk Talk Talk
5 Darkness
4 To The Moon and Back
3 I Like The Way
2 Who Would Have Thought
1 Step Into The Light
Well, tis is not going great at all.
I can't believe there are 2 Secret Codes tracks in the top 5.
9 Bloodstained Heart
8 Strange Relationship
6 Talk Talk Talk
4 To The Moon and Back
2 Who Would Have Thought
1 Step Into The Light
Well, tis is not going great at all.
I can't believe there are 2 Secret Codes tracks in the top 5.
londonrain
Staff member
The fact that you think Black Out The Sun, Strange Relationship and Talk Talk Talk don't deserve to be in the top five... sis.
So glad Darkness made it this far. It would definitely feature in my top 20 song list (if the top 40 rate gets repeated). Tension and the Spark came out as I was starting my second year of university and not in a good space. I think overplaying the album, in particular Dublin Sky, during that semester meant I put it in a box (metaphorically and literally as I didn't start to do MP3s and Spotify until the late 00s) so it was lovely to have this rate to rediscover it and what an album it is.
6.
…1x11…
Strange Relationship
Second single from ‘Spin’
Average: 9,23
Highest score: 1x11 (@berserkboi), 5x10 (@Remorque, @londonrain, @Untouchable Ace, @rawkey, @marie_05)
Lowest score: 4x8 (@phoenix123, @Robert, @CorgiCorgiCorgi, @Sprockrooster)
Released as the second single from Spin, this was another top 20 in the UK and Australia. The single was apparently still heavily pushed by the record company but at this point it seems like everyone realized that the solo effort was not going to be quite the same success story as Savage Garden. I wonder how things would have gone if this had been the lead.
Let’s hand over to @berserkboi to comment on the 11:
“I don’t think I ever doubted my 11 would go here but boy does this discography have other opportunities to take it away!”
It does, but this is a very good choice! I think everyone agrees:
@londonrain: ‘Strings? Check. Counterpoint? Check. I love this.’ (10)
@rawkey: ‘The strongest single from Spin. Feisty.’ (10)
@Eric: ‘I love the video, the fashion transports me straight back to 2002. I know Spin doesn't have a high rating amongst fans (or possibly Darren himself) but I have a huge soft spot for the album’ (9)
@jtm: ‘A highlight from the first album for me and the most obvious choice for single there I think. Love the video! I once sang this at a Karaoke bar. Let's say I don't have the same range as Darren.’ (9)
Music video:
…1x11…
Strange Relationship
Second single from ‘Spin’
Average: 9,23
Highest score: 1x11 (@berserkboi), 5x10 (@Remorque, @londonrain, @Untouchable Ace, @rawkey, @marie_05)
Lowest score: 4x8 (@phoenix123, @Robert, @CorgiCorgiCorgi, @Sprockrooster)
Released as the second single from Spin, this was another top 20 in the UK and Australia. The single was apparently still heavily pushed by the record company but at this point it seems like everyone realized that the solo effort was not going to be quite the same success story as Savage Garden. I wonder how things would have gone if this had been the lead.
Let’s hand over to @berserkboi to comment on the 11:
“I don’t think I ever doubted my 11 would go here but boy does this discography have other opportunities to take it away!”
It does, but this is a very good choice! I think everyone agrees:
@londonrain: ‘Strings? Check. Counterpoint? Check. I love this.’ (10)
@rawkey: ‘The strongest single from Spin. Feisty.’ (10)
@Eric: ‘I love the video, the fashion transports me straight back to 2002. I know Spin doesn't have a high rating amongst fans (or possibly Darren himself) but I have a huge soft spot for the album’ (9)
@jtm: ‘A highlight from the first album for me and the most obvious choice for single there I think. Love the video! I once sang this at a Karaoke bar. Let's say I don't have the same range as Darren.’ (9)
Music video:
SPIN
Total average: 7,05
Main album: 7,52
B-sides: 6,22
6. Strange Relationship 9,23
14. Insatiable 8,654
21. Crush (1980 Me) 8,29
37. Spin 7,71
44. Heart Attack 7,627
55. Like It Or Not 7,49
60. I Miss You 7,36
74. Dirty 7,15
85. Creepin Up On You 7,03
98. What You Like 6,835
104. I Can't Ever Get Enough Of You 6,61
120. Good Enough 6,27
31. So Bad 7,84
75. Where You Want To Be 7,125
79. Ride 7,094
109. The Heart Wants What It Wants 6,531
111. In Your Eyes 6,47
112. Falling At You Feet 6,46
128. When You Say You Love Me 6,04
139. Lift Me Up 5,625
140. Right Dead Back On It 5,61
148. I Wish U Heaven 4,86
149. Can't Help Falling In Love 4,72
Total average: 7,05
Main album: 7,52
B-sides: 6,22
6. Strange Relationship 9,23
14. Insatiable 8,654
21. Crush (1980 Me) 8,29
37. Spin 7,71
44. Heart Attack 7,627
55. Like It Or Not 7,49
60. I Miss You 7,36
74. Dirty 7,15
85. Creepin Up On You 7,03
98. What You Like 6,835
104. I Can't Ever Get Enough Of You 6,61
120. Good Enough 6,27
31. So Bad 7,84
75. Where You Want To Be 7,125
79. Ride 7,094
109. The Heart Wants What It Wants 6,531
111. In Your Eyes 6,47
112. Falling At You Feet 6,46
128. When You Say You Love Me 6,04
139. Lift Me Up 5,625
140. Right Dead Back On It 5,61
148. I Wish U Heaven 4,86
149. Can't Help Falling In Love 4,72
londonrain
Staff member
I keep expecting my 11 to go with each elimination so I’m thrilled to see it in the top five!
Bloodstained Heart really needs to go now. It is not a better song than Strange Relationship.
Bloodstained Heart really needs to go now. It is not a better song than Strange Relationship.
she/her
This is a great top 5! I'm gonna be happy with the winner no matter what, I think.
5. Bloodstained Heart
4. Step Into The Light
3. Black Out The Sun
2. To The Moon & Back
1. Talk Talk Talk
5. Bloodstained Heart
4. Step Into The Light
3. Black Out The Sun
2. To The Moon & Back
1. Talk Talk Talk
