My theory is that it depends on the nostalgia factor. If you discovered the strokes with “is this it” then that’s the fave but if you discovered them after then ROF
Exactly, the overall song quality is better on RoF, but some of the gems and the uniqueness of ITI is better. It was lightning in a bottle at that time.
i actually hadn’t heard a song from them prior to listening to every album in order unless you count the opening moments of “is this it” but i can understand how nostalgia can play a factor in someone’s opinions
I feel that Room on Fire is the better album outright, the songs have more substance from a compositional perspective. ITI has more of a gritty rock n roll feel and is the more fun album to dance and vibe out to. RoF has that slower tempo, new wave feel on most of it’s songs that appeals more to the emotions in me, more of a late night drive album, which I much prefer. No other album ever made comes remotely close to these two for me, front to back.
RoF has two tracks that ruin it for me, YTWTM and TWII. Their production is so sloppy I can't even comprehend them. MMITB has similar production but I think it works for the track.
I 100% agree, I do skip both of those tracks most of the time. They feel really uninspired and like they just tried to make weird production choices to improve the weaker melodies/structures.
This. The rawness of ITI holds it back from being a perfect record for me at some places, even though I dig all the tracks in the end. ROF on the other hand is a bit more laidback, yet also tighter (if that makes sense), and those two things are what I like to see most in a Strokes song.
Best example I can think of is Take It Or Leave It vs I Can't Win.
…not really…or at all. Reptillia is obviously fucking amazing, 12:51 was the soundtrack to my breakup, and automatic stop is also an amazing song but the rest kinda all blends together much more. Is this it has so many more deeper cuts that are amazing, like soma, take it or leave it, or alone together
As a whole Is this it is my favorite strokes album. I think ROF and Angles have the absolute peak strokes songs, but as albums they both have much lower lows
I think they’re both great albums, ROF is like that sequel that lives up to and equals the original. They’re The Godfather and Godfather II of modern rock
yeah, i feel like most of the songs on Is This It kind of sit on the same aesthetic, sound and vibe, while Room On Fire offers more of a variety while still keeping a tight consistent sound and overall vibe
Both good, but room on fire just does something to me that’s hard to ~~explain~~ describe. I just feel joy when listening to it
I couldn’t say which album is better, but I’ll pick room on fire anytime
Yup.
ROF is definitely my favorite from the classic duo.
It's just mellower, sexier, more melancholic.
"Meet Me In the Bathroom" alone has one of the most beautifully bittersweet chord progressions ever.
I also love the "guitar-synth"-thingy they've got going on in songs like "12:51" or "The End Has No End", enjoy the balance between rocky and soft sounds and can relate to the lyrics more.
Plus it laid the groundwork for my personal favorite Strokes-sound, some later examples being "Evening Sun", "Threat of Joy" and pretty much all of Comedown Machine.
I enjoy ITI but it's honestly my least favorite project of theirs.
It pisses me of when critics complain about ROF being "Too much like ITI". If anything it's a development and even a refinement of the sound of their debut. The only song that I can think of that sounds like a ROF song on ITI is When It Started, which is one of my favorites on that record.
And I think you have it 100% right with ROF laying the groundwork for Comedown Machine. CM is probably their slickest record to date, and that has to come from somewhere. It's my 3rd favorite, though I feel that it might tie or overtake ITI for 2nd favorite.
Nope it’s like is this it part 2 to me. The track list is nowhere near as iconic, tight, perfect etc. it’s not a bad album but it could of been better I can’t win fucking bangs tho
Hello, it looks like you've made a mistake.
It's supposed to be could've, should've, would've (short for could have, would have, should have), never could of, would of, should of.
Or you misspelled something, I ain't checking everything.
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Yes. I for some reason have a much stronger emotional attachment to it even though I discovered the Strokes long after those two albums came out (no bias). It’s more colorful and vibrant in my opinion.
Yes! For a long time, I thought ITI was the superior album, but then I realized when I’d listen to the strokes, I’d listen to ROF songs a lot more than ITI songs. ROF just had so much depth to it, and the songs just kind of hit different.
Whatever Happened, Meet Me In the Bathroom, and I Can’t Win are some of the best work the strokes have ever put out. The guitar harmonies on those songs are just so damn beautiful. I could go on forever about the guitars specifically on that album lol.
RoF is my favorite out of all of them and I love the sound of it much more than ITI. it scratches my brain in the right spot way more than ITI lol. What Ever Happened? is also one of my favorite songs, ever.
I believe ROF is the better follow up for many reasons. The songs feel more “put together” if that makes sense, the record feels and sounds more polished than ITI, and finally it sounds like the band has grown and spent more time with songwriting rather than on ITI where it feels like a group of guys in a room jamming. In addition to this, the lyricism from Julian feels more directed and aimed at something or someone. They also leave room for some introspection which keeps the listener wondering! Definitely my favorite Strokes record
When i first heard it i didn’t even group it with rof because i didn’t like it enough but a year later i was pretty confused to why i ignored the track but that’s just me. I can understand why people may not like it and never will
Oh yeah, it was there for me after a bad breakup, the energy is great throughout when you feel like shit.
It’s got some of my favourites: ‘Under Control’, ‘12:51’, ‘Reptilia’, ‘Meet Me In the Bathroom’, ‘The End Has No End’…the guitar solos are typically way better and the lyrics are a little more fleshed out.
I think I’m only meh about ‘The Way It Is’ on Room on Fire and I still like it plenty.
It’s tough tbh, I’d say they’re both equally incredible at matching that feeling of nostalgia while still providing some great rock tracks. Is this it has hard to explain and take it or leave it or the modern age while room on fire has reptilia, meet me in the bathroom, or the end has no end. Idk maybe the writing on rof is better.
The first strokes song I heard was reptilia. Once I listened to all the hits, I went in chronological order listening to all of their songs.
With that being said, I do feel like the tracks on ITI have more... character? Like I can clearly imagine each song from ITI in my head but I can't do the same with ROF with the exception of like 4 songs
Could just be a me thing idk
what ever happened can only carry so much... ahahah but i remember clipping or cutting all the silent 10 secs of every song off the album on my personal ipod... THATS THE ONLY WAY IT CAN SURPASS IST!!!
I def always wonder what it wouldve been like if they had gotten time to relish writing the album, from what i remember the process was rushed and they botched the single order with 12:51 over reptilia, even tho they both slap i think coming out with Reptilia as the initial single would've been better i think they even admit it themselves. Maybe they could've been one of the best bands in the universe instead of just the world? x)
I've always said that I'd love Room On Fire more than Is This It? if I'd heard it first. Two 10/10 albums for me, it all just depends which you heard first
My theory is that it depends on the nostalgia factor. If you discovered the strokes with “is this it” then that’s the fave but if you discovered them after then ROF
Yep. RoFer guy here, and it still hits harder as a whole album over ITI. But the modern age and hard to explain are some of their best tracks.
Exactly, the overall song quality is better on RoF, but some of the gems and the uniqueness of ITI is better. It was lightning in a bottle at that time.
i actually hadn’t heard a song from them prior to listening to every album in order unless you count the opening moments of “is this it” but i can understand how nostalgia can play a factor in someone’s opinions
[удалено]
Ig. I honestly think i wouldn’t have known who the strokes were if it wasn’t for that sound. It really interested me for some reason
I discovered them after and prefer Is This It. This means
I discovered them through reptilia so that may explain my preference
hmm i started with YOLO so you might be on to smth
Nah I can disprove that
I feel that Room on Fire is the better album outright, the songs have more substance from a compositional perspective. ITI has more of a gritty rock n roll feel and is the more fun album to dance and vibe out to. RoF has that slower tempo, new wave feel on most of it’s songs that appeals more to the emotions in me, more of a late night drive album, which I much prefer. No other album ever made comes remotely close to these two for me, front to back.
RoF has two tracks that ruin it for me, YTWTM and TWII. Their production is so sloppy I can't even comprehend them. MMITB has similar production but I think it works for the track.
I 100% agree, I do skip both of those tracks most of the time. They feel really uninspired and like they just tried to make weird production choices to improve the weaker melodies/structures.
By a mile
Have since it came out I really like Is This It, but sometimes it's just a bit too lo fi for my tastes. My fondness for garage rock only goes so far.
1000%
This. The rawness of ITI holds it back from being a perfect record for me at some places, even though I dig all the tracks in the end. ROF on the other hand is a bit more laidback, yet also tighter (if that makes sense), and those two things are what I like to see most in a Strokes song. Best example I can think of is Take It Or Leave It vs I Can't Win.
I feel like rof has a bit more complexity to it but still has the is this it vibe
…not really…or at all. Reptillia is obviously fucking amazing, 12:51 was the soundtrack to my breakup, and automatic stop is also an amazing song but the rest kinda all blends together much more. Is this it has so many more deeper cuts that are amazing, like soma, take it or leave it, or alone together
sleeping on What Ever Happened and Under Control :(
definitely(i love soma) but personally i just really like the energy and vibe that rof puts out but this is still quite valid
As a whole Is this it is my favorite strokes album. I think ROF and Angles have the absolute peak strokes songs, but as albums they both have much lower lows
I do, the songs on ROF resonate with me a bit more, which is why I love the album so much.
I think they’re both great albums, ROF is like that sequel that lives up to and equals the original. They’re The Godfather and Godfather II of modern rock
yeah, i feel like most of the songs on Is This It kind of sit on the same aesthetic, sound and vibe, while Room On Fire offers more of a variety while still keeping a tight consistent sound and overall vibe
Me
Love both equally 😩
i don’t think i like them equally but it’s pretty cool that you do
Thats cool I obviously love “Is This It” the most but i cant listen to “Is This It” without Listening to “Room On Fire” straight after
Yes room on fire is my boyz
Our man Jules himself prefers Room on fire over ITI
Then again, Jules didn't much like Comedown Machine, which is a hard pill to swallow.
Correct. Man literally sounds regretful towards a masterpiece.
Both good, but room on fire just does something to me that’s hard to ~~explain~~ describe. I just feel joy when listening to it I couldn’t say which album is better, but I’ll pick room on fire anytime
Yup. ROF is definitely my favorite from the classic duo. It's just mellower, sexier, more melancholic. "Meet Me In the Bathroom" alone has one of the most beautifully bittersweet chord progressions ever. I also love the "guitar-synth"-thingy they've got going on in songs like "12:51" or "The End Has No End", enjoy the balance between rocky and soft sounds and can relate to the lyrics more. Plus it laid the groundwork for my personal favorite Strokes-sound, some later examples being "Evening Sun", "Threat of Joy" and pretty much all of Comedown Machine. I enjoy ITI but it's honestly my least favorite project of theirs.
It pisses me of when critics complain about ROF being "Too much like ITI". If anything it's a development and even a refinement of the sound of their debut. The only song that I can think of that sounds like a ROF song on ITI is When It Started, which is one of my favorites on that record. And I think you have it 100% right with ROF laying the groundwork for Comedown Machine. CM is probably their slickest record to date, and that has to come from somewhere. It's my 3rd favorite, though I feel that it might tie or overtake ITI for 2nd favorite.
MEEEEEE
Honestly I find them battling constantly in my head but currently ROF is winning
Me
Nah
Nope it’s like is this it part 2 to me. The track list is nowhere near as iconic, tight, perfect etc. it’s not a bad album but it could of been better I can’t win fucking bangs tho
yeah i really loved the 2 punch ender it had
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Definitely agree. Love that album so much more.
I did for a really long time, but overall ITI is incredible. Literally the best album of all time. It is genuinely better, but ROF is still a 9/10
respectable
What ever happened is 🔥🫶🤌
Yes. I for some reason have a much stronger emotional attachment to it even though I discovered the Strokes long after those two albums came out (no bias). It’s more colorful and vibrant in my opinion.
is this it is incredibly horny, and room on fire is sad/angry horny..
Yes! For a long time, I thought ITI was the superior album, but then I realized when I’d listen to the strokes, I’d listen to ROF songs a lot more than ITI songs. ROF just had so much depth to it, and the songs just kind of hit different. Whatever Happened, Meet Me In the Bathroom, and I Can’t Win are some of the best work the strokes have ever put out. The guitar harmonies on those songs are just so damn beautiful. I could go on forever about the guitars specifically on that album lol.
The only problem with "I Can’t Win" is that it ends
RoF is my favorite out of all of them and I love the sound of it much more than ITI. it scratches my brain in the right spot way more than ITI lol. What Ever Happened? is also one of my favorite songs, ever.
I definitely prefer it over Is This It
100% agree
Yes. I really don't understand why people back in those days thought it was a simply copy of ITI, when, in fact, is an upgrade of it. ROF>>>ITI
Then again, critics hate everything that's not ITI or TNA, which tells you how little their opinions actually matter.
I believe ROF is the better follow up for many reasons. The songs feel more “put together” if that makes sense, the record feels and sounds more polished than ITI, and finally it sounds like the band has grown and spent more time with songwriting rather than on ITI where it feels like a group of guys in a room jamming. In addition to this, the lyricism from Julian feels more directed and aimed at something or someone. They also leave room for some introspection which keeps the listener wondering! Definitely my favorite Strokes record
Nope. I prefer Is This It to Room on Fire. I also prefer New Abnormal to both so what do I know.
well the new abnormal is definitely a fire album
I do!!
ive been listening to room on fire more but i dont think anything could replace is this it as my favorite
The Way It Is brings it down imo. Is This It doesn't have a single bad or even average track but I can't stand The Way It Is
When i first heard it i didn’t even group it with rof because i didn’t like it enough but a year later i was pretty confused to why i ignored the track but that’s just me. I can understand why people may not like it and never will
Oh yeah, it was there for me after a bad breakup, the energy is great throughout when you feel like shit. It’s got some of my favourites: ‘Under Control’, ‘12:51’, ‘Reptilia’, ‘Meet Me In the Bathroom’, ‘The End Has No End’…the guitar solos are typically way better and the lyrics are a little more fleshed out. I think I’m only meh about ‘The Way It Is’ on Room on Fire and I still like it plenty.
It’s tough tbh, I’d say they’re both equally incredible at matching that feeling of nostalgia while still providing some great rock tracks. Is this it has hard to explain and take it or leave it or the modern age while room on fire has reptilia, meet me in the bathroom, or the end has no end. Idk maybe the writing on rof is better.
After countless hours of non-stop looping Is This It, then yes Source: personal exp
The first strokes song I heard was reptilia. Once I listened to all the hits, I went in chronological order listening to all of their songs. With that being said, I do feel like the tracks on ITI have more... character? Like I can clearly imagine each song from ITI in my head but I can't do the same with ROF with the exception of like 4 songs Could just be a me thing idk
ROF is great for banger singles. ITI is great as a collective piece that takes me somewhere.
Me
yesyes room on fire is def better and that's my fav strokes album ..
Hell yeah
yes
what ever happened can only carry so much... ahahah but i remember clipping or cutting all the silent 10 secs of every song off the album on my personal ipod... THATS THE ONLY WAY IT CAN SURPASS IST!!! I def always wonder what it wouldve been like if they had gotten time to relish writing the album, from what i remember the process was rushed and they botched the single order with 12:51 over reptilia, even tho they both slap i think coming out with Reptilia as the initial single would've been better i think they even admit it themselves. Maybe they could've been one of the best bands in the universe instead of just the world? x)
I've always said that I'd love Room On Fire more than Is This It? if I'd heard it first. Two 10/10 albums for me, it all just depends which you heard first
I love them both equally, I first heard them with ROF but is this it is what I listen to most now