@jackl said:

@Philbombs77 said:

This is quite the rollout for a mere studio album. Well...maybe this studio album is worthy of an 11-day countdown, but historically, what other album besides Rift (or maybe Story) would merit such an illustrious call to commerce?

The Siket Disk, definitely.

Agreed on the Siket disc, though it was an outgrowth of The Story sessions. It would be great if they could make a cohesive album like Rift or Story that had a compositional, tonal, and narrative flow, but I don't know if they're even seeking to do that anymore. The only reason I listen to any album (authored by a band known for it's live music) is for it's structural cohesion - live renditions of the vast majority of songs will be more captivating than their studio counterparts.
I've always thought it strange that masterpieces like Sgt. Pepper's, Dark Side of the Moon, and Lark's Tongue were called "concept albums" when the only real underlying concept was their fluidity and continuity. I much prefer reading 10 chapters of a novel rather than 10 short stories that have no tangential connection apart from the spine that binds them together. It's not to say I don't own Lawn Boy or Hoist or Farmhouse - it's just that they've collected so much dust, I don't even recall what the studio version of Melt, Gin, DWD, or Twist even sound like anymore. Why bother?