Blue Banisters vs. Chemtrails Over the County Club

[RudraCNG 15,111]

Hi, everyone,

So, we have the two albums Lana released last year. A year has passed so I think we already let them rest and we can give a proper opinion aboyt them. I didn't give them a lot of listens bc, tbh, I was a bit disappointed after NFR since that one was basically perfect (top 5 in my all-time favourite albums). But I kinda agreed with the general consensus: Blue Banisters was better than COCC.

However, this week I've been revisiting all of her albums as I sometimes do, and I've changed my mind. And I know it's maybe an impopular opinion, but COCC is actually a pretty good album, and it contains one of my favourite Lana's songs ever: Wild at Heart. But also White Dress, Not all who wander are lost, Yosemite, For free... In fact, this time I loved almost all the songs on the album.

As for BB, this time no song captivated me  Don't get me wrong, they're all pretty decent and there are songs I liked a lot but there's no mesmerizing songs like the ones I mentioned before on COCC and like on all of her other albums, imo. Well, maybe Arcadia and Beautiful.

As I said, my opinion tends to change everytime I listen to her discography in full again, so maybe next time I'll say just the opposite 

So, what's your opinion? Which one of the two albums do you prefer?

 

[Crescent Bloom 1,083]

It's a bit difficult because to be honest, in my opinion, they both pale in comparison to Lana's previous albums.

I think Chemtrails has its strength in the sense that it has more memorable melodies than Blue Banisters. I think Blue Banisters has its strength in the songwriting.

To me, there are only about 3 big highs on BB (Black Bathing Suit, Dealer, and Thunder). Chemtrails has 5 (the first four tracks + Yosemite). Beyond those songs, both albums have tracks that are decent, but nothing that would make me want to go back and listen to them.

Spoiler

Ultraviolence and Honeymoon remain her best work 

 

[huttont 5,335]

I really love Chemtrails. It took a few listens but it is a solid album. BB on the other hand just seems like a bunch of random old demos that she threw together. I’ve listened twice and I’m not a huge fan. No strong melodies and weird production 

[JazzGa 14,621]

I think the songs on Chemtrails were poppier and catchier. Wild at Heart is also my highlight from the album  The whole album has this National Park-core feel that gives me that nostalgia rush that all the great Lana music gives. 

But I think the marketing/controversies around COTCC soured a lot of ppl's opinions on the album. The long social media posts about how she's "like, super not-racist, for sure!," the cheesy album cover with token brown women on it so Lana could say "YES i do have POC friends on this album!!" -- those were definitely misses.

Lana doubled down on her "authentico indie singer-songwriter just sangin' from the heart" angle for Blue Bannisters, and that's what the critics LOVE from her, it's the reason NFR! was so lauded. So ya, I agree with you that the songs on COTCC are great! But I see why BB ended up with the better reputation

[Blackout19 12,059]

Chemtrails Over The Country Club. Its even my favorite song from her. I bought the album some months ago to listen in the car, and I can tell you that I love every song. 

The other album is fine, some of the songs I like them, but I have some songs that I don't listen. 

I hope with the next album she come back with a Born To Die 2.0

[Bolkins 4,125]

I feel you in terms of changing opinions frequently. She has so much good material it’s so hard to rank her albums in terms of preference. Up until recently my go to has also been chemtrails, the first 7 songs are perfection. But now I’ve been revisiting L4L lately and I hadn’t paid enough attention to how good that was too so that’s become my new fave. Blue banisters is really her only album I’ve not jelled with (except Dealer) but maybe in a year I’ll listened to it and feel different.

[Noir 17,445]

Blue Bannisters has less skips and has higher highs though but I still enjoy most of COTCC.

[RudraCNG 15,111]

7 minutes ago, JazzGa said:

I think the songs on Chemtrails were poppier and catchier. Wild at Heart is also my highlight from the album  The whole album has this National Park-core feel that gives me that nostalgia rush that all the great Lana music gives. 

But I think the marketing/controversies around COTCC soured a lot of ppl's opinions on the album. The long social media posts about how she's "like, super not-racist, for sure!," the cheesy album cover with token brown women on it so Lana could say "YES i do have POC friends on this album!!" -- those were definitely misses.

Lana doubled down on her "authentico indie singer-songwriter just sangin' from the heart" angle for Blue Bannisters, and that's what the critics LOVE from her, it's the reason NFR! was so lauded. So ya, I agree with you that the songs on COTCC are great! But I see why BB ended up with the better reputation

Oh, definitely the controversies around COTCC era were the worst for her and ultimately had impact on its commercial performance. Even with COTCC MV she got a lot of hate bc of her mask, but she also didn't manage it well with those comments.

>Never thought about that maybe was the reason for BB to be the way it is. It's a nice point of view!

[Stone S 1,133]

I absolutely adore both records but I think COCC takes the cake for me. I love this album so much it really is one of my favs from Lana. Blue banisters was good but it felt more of a compilation of new and unreleased songs rather an actual album. But I love both, chemtrails is better to me

[holy scheisse 22,275]

Definitely my 2 least favorite lana albums, and I’ve loved all her previous ones. 
 

Id say chemtrails is better there are some gems on it. I couldn’t even finish listening to bannisters because I was so bored halfway through. 

[SS77 2,039]

COCC has more variation in sound. BB is like 90% spoken word poem piano demos. 

[Anderson123 38,497]

I liked both Chemtrails and Blue Banisters but rarely go back to them to be honest. Norman Rockwell was just pretty solid from start to finish and I still listen to it, a very strong album. I think I had huge expectations after that and Chemtrails just did not meet them. Blue Banisters is not bad but didn't really love the songs that much on either album.

[Versace 7,979]

BB because it’s nice background music for an aesthetic vid of a candle burning 

[chromatic puzea 10,536]

BB is my favourite but i think cocc is better

cocc flows better, is consistent, and all good quality songs

bb the only thing stringing it together is the simple piano and vocals combo

chemtrails has more compelling instrumentals (title track, dbjag, yoesmite) but i really enjoy the simplicity of bb tracks like arcadia and textbook

both have great writing (white dress, lmlylaw, textbook, wildflower wildfire, bb)

i think as a whole chemtrails is the only one i see as an album where as bb is practically quaratine journals x UV outtakes and i hardly listen to it start to finish but individually, the quality of and personal enjoyment of bb songs on average beats the quality of and personal enjoyment of cocc songs for me

album highlights for me are

white dress, cocc, tjf, lmlylaw, wild at heart, dance till we mf die, black bathing suit, lie down with me, beautiful, thunder, living legend, and sweet carolina

[RudraCNG 15,111]

Oh, I really thought everybody on this site prefered BB over COTCC (at least it's what I'm always reading) but it seems like the opposite on this thread.

26 minutes ago, SS77 said:

COCC has more variation in sound. BB is like 90% spoken word poem piano demos. 

I think this is exactly what I felt while listening to BB.