Volume 56: The Grand Design

[Ben Warren]

It's a sick album dude! I just finished!

(Well, all but the last ep, but I saw the live show already)

Of course I have my own opinion, but I'm interested in what others thought of that last episode. Did you not like it because you already saw the live show, or because of the episode itself?

Ben

(Anyone who chooses to continue to read this should keep in mind that I talk about the plot of a few episodes in the new album. You may want to skip past it so it doesn't spoil anything.)

Actually, in all honesty, I really with they hadn't put the last episode on the album. It didn't fit at all. It was fun for a live show, and really gave the cast some great opportunities to show off their talent, but for an actual AIO episode... Meh... It was just too far out there.

As for the rest of the album, although there were a few that didn't really stand out as "great" or anything, there were enough episodes that I actually enjoyed a lot that I'm still content to call this "the best album since the re-launch".

One episode I really wished they had worked differently was the episode "For Three Dollars More". I really liked both of the concepts they were using for the episode, but the fact that they used them in the same episode just ruined it for me. I would have loved the whole "ROC adventure not working properly" if that were the theme of the episode itself, and I really liked the fact they they were doing an episode about tithing as well. What I didn't like was how they just kind of wrote ten minute episode about tithing, and then tacked on the whole both Matthew and Connie trying to program the ROC, but it not working quite right. I think both of these concepts would have worked really great on their own, but together, they pretty much made the whole episode fall apart and feel really directionless and disjointed.

But as for the episodes I did like, I REALLY enjoyed the episode "The Perfect Church". It was an issue that they haven't really dealt with in AIO before, and also a story they never really took the time to tell properly in the past. The feel of the episode, the humor, and the way they worked around both of the stories without making it feel like they were just reading something out of a history book. I love Matthew, and Axe is one of my favorite books in the Bible, so it was all really a good combination for me. The new features on the IS are cool too.

I also really enjoyed "Home Again". It felt really reminiscent of some of the episodes from Volume 32 at points. That and the usage of Joanne and Jack throughout the album made the album feel a little more familiar to me. I also feel like I'm finally getting to know some of these new characters enough that I can enjoy the episodes without feeling like I'm following some stranger around in their life without getting to know them as a person first.

Yeah, for the most part, my views seem to line up with yours. Highs and Lows, but overall good.

[ArnoldtheRubberDucky]

I considered downloading the album yesterday, but getting up early on Saturdays to listen to a new AIO has always been a treat for me, so I decided to be content with the three episodes I've heard. I can't wait for The Perfect Church! I love the IS when it's used properly, and the first three episodes will be like a refreshing dive back into time travel and history. And from your review, Aaron, it sounds like Home Again could be an album highlight as well! Joanne and Jason have always been favorites of mine, and I love it when they blend a bunch of well-known adult characters together to form a great storyline! (Examples: For Whom the Wedding Bells Toll, Malachi's Message) I honestly don't think I'll like this one as much as 55, but, based on the episodes I've heard, it has already surpassed 51 and 52 in quality, even if the other 9 episodes absolutely stink, which I don't believe they will. I probably heard the three worst episodes on the album, so I can't wait to hear the rest of it!