My Circuital Review

[Dillsnufus]

wonderful is the into the woods of this album

[walterfredo]

wonderful is the into the woods of this album

why you gotta be comparing everything to the old stuff  ;)

[e_wind]

wonderful is the into the woods of this album

disagree, I think Wonderful is the new golden, and the beginning of the Day is Coming reminds me of Into The Woods.

The intro of First Light reminds me of recent pearl jam.

[Jon T.]

so when is it time to start a thread about why this album is a return to their roots? is it in the production? the concept overall--of circuitalness/ality (whatever the noun form of the word is?) it was recorded in an old church...for what purpose? questions questions questions...


walt-think you're right about these songs evolving for people as they're played live


15 days i'll find out !

I think it has to be in concept and process of making the record.  I can't even say I think that the  production is a return. Maybe because the approach to recording was more organic?  Maybe because they returned "home" to record?  I don't know.  I wish that "returning to roots" wasn't thrown around so much.  I think that's going to cause a lot of disappointment.  People (including me) are/were expecting maybe an extension of AD or ISM and it isn't even close.  I think it's a good (potentially great) pop album in its own right but it's certainly not in the same direction as anything pre Z.

[FiddleCastro]

wonderful is the into the woods of this album

why you gotta be comparing everything to the old stuff  ;)

Though, it's obvious Wonderful is the Wonderful of this album!

[EasyRyder]

I caved hard yesterday. I'm Catholic, so I went to confession and the priest said it was okay as long as I burn him a copy.

In any case, I've listened to it on Bose home speakers, my car system, noise canceling headphones, and my computer speakers and it sounds different to me on every one of them. I like this, but I can't figure out why it happens....so far my car system is my favorite.

This album completes me in a weird way. I was skeptical at first, but if you haven't listened to it turned all the way up, you're not doing the album justice. I was converted the second I blared it.

The pit will be wild for these tunes. Primal wildness awaits. Sry ahead of time to those around me for losing control of my limbs the first time I hear Victory Dance/Out of My System. Also, I think Slow Slow Tune will be the real live space-tune from this album.   

[e_wind]

yes, everytime i listen to it I love it more. Just this morning I saw the light in First Light for the first time. Still the weakest on the record, imo, but thats like saying the worst of the best. Up until Black Metal its consistently brilliant. Then it strays but the last two tracks bring it back.

[mahgeetah]

IT's good to see that the songs do different things for different MMJ fans. Seems a lot of people like Victory Dance... I do...except the whole "duh duh doo duh duh doo duh duh doo duh duh doo duh duh doo!" vocal thing bugs me for some reason. Am I the only one? But I really like The Day is Coming. Lots of folks not into it.... lots of subjectivity here, and I enjoy it.

[Jon T.]

IT's good to see that the songs do different things for different MMJ fans. Seems a lot of people like Victory Dance... I do...except the whole "duh duh doo duh duh doo duh duh doo duh duh doo duh duh doo!" vocal thing bugs me for some reason. Am I the only one? But I really like The Day is Coming. Lots of folks not into it.... lots of subjectivity here, and I enjoy it.

You mean Jim using an onomatopoeia to make the horn sound?   Sorry, it's not everyday you get an opportunity to use that word - I had to take advantage.  ;D   
I know what you're saying and if it were any other band that I wasn't as familiar with, I'd probably think the same thing.  But it works for me in this song.  Maybe it's because I know at the heart of it all Jim's just a big goofball and it cracks me up to picture him sounding a trumpet.  I know I can't wait to actually see him doing it.  Whenver that may be...

[ryno11111]

IT's good to see that the songs do different things for different MMJ fans. Seems a lot of people like Victory Dance... I do...except the whole "duh duh doo duh duh doo duh duh doo duh duh doo duh duh doo!" vocal thing bugs me for some reason. Am I the only one? But I really like The Day is Coming. Lots of folks not into it.... lots of subjectivity here, and I enjoy it.

I agree on the bit about The Day is Coming.  I have seen several people say that it and First Light are the weakest of the album but I think they are my 2 favorites.  To each their own I guess.

[johnnYYac]

I remember hearing Jim say, in an interview here or a Storytellers clip there, that he considers Circuital to feel like water or milk in your mouth, smooth and pure.  He considers Evil Urges to be like ginger ale, kinda spiky and sharp.  That would make the other albums perhaps a good whiskey, a hearty burgundy, or a cup of coffee perhaps?  Each beverage serves a function, a purpose, meets a need, sometimes a need we don't know we have.  Maybe the next album will be like cough syrup or the nectar of the gods.  Either way, drink up!

[EasyRyder]

  Each beverage serves a function, a purpose, meets a need, sometimes a need we don't know we have.  Maybe the next album will be like cough syrup or the nectar of the gods.  Either way, drink up!

I like how you put that, because I definitely feel like this one has filled a musical space in my mind that A) I didn't know existed and B) feels incredible to now be occupied.

For them to create something that sounds so familiar yet so alien all at the same time just defines mastery in my opinion. This is why I love this band. I also have enjoyed the process of working to settle the album in my head... mmm milk.

[patrickbateman]

First Light is going to be fucking nasty live.

By the way, this album is amazing. Didn't really feel it at first, but it REALLY does grow on you. I ask anyone who is skeptical, like I was, to truly try to base it on its own terms (I know I'm beating a dead horse) and just determine whether it SOUNDS good to YOU. Once it hit me, I got it, and my life is now better for it.

[Ghosts_on_TV]

First Light is going to be fucking nasty live.

By the way, this album is amazing. Didn't really feel it at first, but it REALLY does grow on you. I ask anyone who is skeptical, like I was, to truly try to base it on its own terms (I know I'm beating a dead horse) and just determine whether it SOUNDS good to YOU. Once it hit me, I got it, and my life is now better for it.

And yes, First Light is going to rule live.

[MarkW]

Have just caved and listened to Victory Dance on YouTube.  Has to be the set opener for the forthcoming tour...

[jones]

Have just caved and listened to Victory Dance on YouTube.  Has to be the set opener for the forthcoming tour...

Definitely.

[EasyRyder]

Have just caved and listened to Victory Dance on YouTube.  Has to be the set opener for the forthcoming tour...

Definitely.

I wish they would start opening with it at Hangout in a couple weeks, but I suppose the palace theater will steal our thunder  :P and our new tunes  :'(

[jones]

Have just caved and listened to Victory Dance on YouTube.  Has to be the set opener for the forthcoming tour...

Definitely.

I wish they would start opening with it at Hangout in a couple weeks, but I suppose the palace theater will steal our thunder  :P and our new tunes  :'(

:P :-*

[Robbman]

Don't want to retread too much of what has been said, but here's my take after about 3 listens.

First 2 songs are incredible. Long and epic. After that, there's some good stuff, but nothing earth shattering, upon the first few listens.

Production is very good, as I expected.

This album is very subdued in tone. Comparing it to Evil Urges doesn't really seem fair, because its clearly meant to be very different. I loved Evil Urges from the get go. This one, I do not. It's going to have to grow on me, and I think it will.

Going in a different direction from EU may benefit this record. Very curious to see how these songs evolve live.

I really think they screwed up with the Track order.. It's front loaded and top heavy that way.

So we'll see. Not wowed, but not disappointed.

[1978SGJ]

I think people are disappointed since they expected an At Dawn, It Still Moves mix and it isn't. My only beef is it is really all over the place with the recording. Outta My System is the only song I skip over but I don't think it is their worst album. I think some of these songs are going to translate good live. We'll see....

I'm glad you know what the people expected.  You must be able to read minds.

I didn't expect that AT ALL for the record.

Wow dude it is just a forum with an opinion. The attitude really isn't necessary and yes a lot of people were expecting it from articles that were out there stating they were "returning to their roots".

well maybe he was speaking Off the Record.. ever think about that smart guy??

i not only agree w/ honest man on the level of expectations leading up to this new album, but even if i disagreed, he's just stating his opinion.

in MY opinion - the album is less cohesive (song to song, structure wise), more focused on creating something NEW,  (rather than retread the same old sound over and over again - remember metallica?); but that don't make it a let down either.
the way I hear it.. seems like they're tryin to infuse their rawness into more of a modern sound.

wait'll i put up the hunter mountain vids, we'll see who's complaining then.
change is a good thing.. it shows the band's still alive, not dead inside like all the other sellout-grammy-winning-douchers who pump out the same album for 20 years straight (eric clapton).