I learnt my lesson last year, when I held off getting the Target only Deluxe version of Fearless, waited out nearly a year, only to discover the additional tracks were pretty fabulous and I was a jerk. Especially "Ours", the equal of nearly anything on the album and better than most of it.
So this time I went online since the nearest Target is in Jersey City, and it was sold out but I handed my credit card number anyway. In effect, twenty bucks for six songs. And if you are as big a fan as I am, it should be a no brainer.
Anyway, I got it in the mail after a two week wait . One of the three new ones is great, the other two aren't bad, and one of the demos is good, one isn't much, and the acoustic version is excellent. I hope she plays it like that live. Quite why she chose to roll out the demos of the first songs on the album, you'll have to ask her.
The Moment I Knew – would fit snugly on either of her last two albums, all party dress, red lipstick and nobody to caress and doctored strings and what sounds like haunted bassoon. The time is Christmas and TS is waiting for some bloke to arrive at a party and he is a no show, the moment she knew it was over, I think? Not bad, a little overweaned but it does the job – Grade: B+
Come Back… Be Here – This is why Taylor is Taylor, the song is a little on the slight sight, normal sweeping aching wanting, "this is falling in love in a foolish way" she songs on the break, but it suffers from many of the little deficits you might expect after listening to Red for the past coupla weeks. But the chorus is magic (Taylor ends with it as well) and the hook so powerful, resistance is futile – Grade: A-
Girl At Home – TS would recycle the verse for "Red" to better but not as good effect. The difference is, "Red" is a very big song for Taylor, and "Girl At Home" is on the minor side, it isn't really going to be any more than a song on the Target Deluxe version. But "Red" topples over and "Girl At Home" makes it to the finish line. No it isn't a masterpiece, yeah, she'd tackle the verses and getting them righter later on, but the song doesn't try to be a statement of intent so it exists a little outside the Taylor universe as just a 100 Miles An Hour down a deadend street – Grade: A
Treacherous – Demo? I guess, this has 36 tracks instead of 36 Million. And the beat sounds like a metronome so OK. Taylor under sings it a little, she doesn't hit the gas and pound it in so you get to savor an "I'll do anything you say if you say it with your hands". But it isn't really what I consider a demo. I would think you'd just hear Taylor straight with no gook on the track. That you don't get – Grade: B
Red – This sounds less like a different mix rather than any kind of demo. In the original, the second verse pounds you hard inside, but here the track isn't around and the drums are cleaner and you can em move the track along. But big whoop – Grade: B
State Of Grace (Acoustic Version) – I've been as unkind as anyone has about Taylor's voice, but the vocal here is the best I''ve ever heard from her.Just an acoustic guitar and a bass and Taylor concentrates hard on her voice, slows everything down till it's floating in space, she hits every note and she holds a word through three bars and enunciates every word, getting every feeling from it – Grade: A
Overall Grade: A-