Daily Song Discussion #87 - If All Else Fails

Hello everyone, and happy Monday! Our last song was "Penny For Your Thoughts," which received an average rating of 7.02/10, placing it in the 63rd spot out of 86. We have just about three weeks of songs left from the official studio albums. I've been trying to balance out the frequency of songs from their respective albums so that we can have a pretty good mix from here on out.

NOTES

Previously discussed from The Tennessee Fire:

  1. The Bear - 8.65/10

  2. Nashville To Kentucky - 8.29/10

  3. Old September Blues - 7.72/10

  4. It's About Twilight Now - 8.32/10

  5. Evelyn Is Not Real - 7.82/10

  6. War Begun - 9.25/10

  7. Picture of You - 8.97/10

  8. I Will Be There When You Die - 9.31/10

  9. The Dark - 7.15/10

  10. By My Car - 8.42/10

  11. Butch Cassidy - 7.7/10

  12. I Think I'm Going to Hell - 8.62/10

Current top five songs:

  1. Mahgeetah - 9.95/10
  2. Phone Went West - 9.79/10
  3. Wordless Chorus - 9.76/10
  4. Lay Low - 9.76/10
  5. The Way That He Sings - 9.62/10

STILL THINKIN RECORDINGS:

Official studio version from their YT Channel: My Morning Jacket - If All Else Fails

Official live recording: My Morning Jacket: If All Else Fails - MMJ Live Vol 2, Live in Chicago, 11/5/21

Live recording: My Morning Jacket: If All Else Fails - The Tennessee Fire 20th Anniversary Concert live at the Capitol Theatre Port Chester - 8/9/19

SONG REVIEW

"If All Else Fails" is the 6th track off their debut album, The Tennessee Fire. It's a classic early MMJ love song with a full, yet empty sound from inside the abandoned grain silo where it was recorded. Live, I enjoy this song either way because it shines no matter how they perform it - whether at the slower original tempo with a more intimate performance from Jim, relying heavily on vocals, or the tuned-up live version they've been performing for a few years now, where the rest of the band can really shine alongside Jim. Does this song deserve anything less than a 9, IMO, no. 9

Here’s a suggested and totally optional rating scale:

1-4: Not for me. Either just not my cup of tea or straight up bad.

5-6: Not great, but decent. Worth listening to from time to time.

7-8: Good, maybe even great. May or may not be a standout track, but definitely not a skip.

9-10: Either a perfect song or getting close to it. Nearly everything is working.

Let me know what y’all think! Also, if you have any live version that you feel really stands out, please feel free to drop a link to it!