Paralysis sounds like an outtake spliced up for mass consumption. Rosebud was more immediately up for it. Hopefully in the context of the record it makes more sense.

You can't polish a turd.

But at least it's one of those honeycomb ones you can't believe actually managed to get through.

Couldn't have put it more succinctly myself.

Reminds me in bits of the Dandy Warhols for some reason, think it must be the fuzzy guitar sound. Interesting enough song, but can see why it has been hidden away in the archives for twenty years.

Studies in Paralysis is a great little rocker, quintessentially KYE. Locust Valley, Dead Martyrs type of thing. I wouldn't say it sounds like a demo or a b-side even, it's a compact but complete song -- with an ending guitar solo, a bridge, post-chorus a capellas. All Alone Here and Quarantine are incomplete songs, this isn't. It'll sound great in the tracklist. (Solidarity will be such a beast!)

JDB sounds amazing. Love him singing low during the KYE era. The small room reverb on his vocals is super nice and nostalgic, very well produced. A miracle to get more of that in 2022! And the addition of Nicky on the chorus will make his appearance on the verses of Watsville Blues more coherent later on. The mix is also excellent and bodes well for the whole project. Sounds like the US mix of THB, in that it adds muscle, crunch and reverb compared to the dry (but stylish) original. Rosebud has similar elements, the guitar is a bit Red Hot Chili Peppers -- juicier and more reverb than the KYE standard.

I wasn't expecting anything as single-worthy as Rosebud. That's track 5 on a double album, comes after a stripped down title track -- so it clearly has to be a big moment on Door to the River. Near the ending half of Solidarity, Studies just has to keep the momentum and feeling going. If anything, it's a little better than I expected. Thought it was going to be rougher.

Btw, I wonder how Door to the River / Solidarity will appear in fans' top manics albums. Will it replace KYE? Will we chart the two albums separately? This has a chance to totally upset my top 10. Either by charting much higher than original KYE as a double album, or totally messing things up with two separate new releases.

If I could say one thing about this song it’s that I think Royal Correspondent was a better album track. It really belongs on the demo disc.

I hear that too. It’s not even all that subtle. Bohemian Like You came out in 2000 and I think JDB just said ‘we’ll have some of that’.

Very SATT b-side sounding.

Great to hear this finally but it’s one of the weakest KYE-era songs. However it was probably their strongest b-side era tbh so some tough competition.

I'm glad it's included on the new album. It's a nice sound, the footage and lyrics are interesting and detail say it's Miloco studio London, so not the recording studio.

Does anyone know why the vinyl version is missing Royal Correspondent? Guess it wouldn't fit on perhaps, but then there's a b-side on there so you'd think an original album track would take preference over a b-side...

Lyrics?
 

Who’s got the lyrics figured out?

It seems there are 3 verses on Studies in Paralysis video lyrics but they only play 2 of them.

It's something like:

"Helpless and laughed upon by people
who hate/?s me
It's time to get along
Drained by my own routine

Hanging now
I'm hanging on now
I'm hanging on now
Hanging on now
I'm hanging on now
I'm hanging on now
I'm hanging on

And nothing to lose
but my sanity
And nothing to lose
but my sanity
Nothing to lose
but my sanity
Nothing to looo~oooo ~oooose

Hope springs eternal that I will learn some lessons
but we'll stick together
Collapse and fall apart

Hanging on now
I'm hanging on now
I'm hanging on now
Hanging on now
I'm hanging on now
Im hanging on now
I'm hanging on

And nothing to lose
but my sanity
And nothing to lose
but my sanity
And nothing to lose
but my sanity
Nothing to Loooooooose woo oooo"
(Manic ?a bit dandy warholsy)

The verse they don't sing seems something like :

"It's getting harder to trust you
While? I'm ... away
But it's getting better
... what I say"

I wonder if they recordered in studio with the original album?

The bridge is Hanging on now I'm hanging on now I'm hanging on now... x2 I'm hanging on.

I think the lyrics are really poignant of the time and I'm glad this song is on the new album.

Because the vinyl version is (ALLEGEDLY) the original plan/tracklist for KYE - two records with different vibes. And it seems that Royal Correspondent wouldn't have made it back in 2001 (again, ALLEGEDLY).