Hot. Circuital. Opinion.

[My Monkey Friend]

So I have listened to the new album in the woods, running, putting together baby furniture- just about everyway I can. I needed to see it live to form an honest opinion, and last night helped although I need to actually be at a show soon. Circuital is tied with ISM for their best album. I did not think ISM could be even tied with, but Circuital is one of the best albums I have heard. It literally has everything- ballads, pedal steel, rockers, yim's patented howl, etc. I dont even want to single out a favorite track yet, because I really like them all. I think once these songs get into a heavy live rotation like ISM has, it will become my favorite. I quit comparing MMJ to other bands a long time ago, but now I need to quit comparing MMJ to MMJ. They have taken layer upon new layer and made each album stand totally on its own. Thanks again fellas for creating yet another unique masterpiece.

[kotchishm]

 

[mahg33ta]

I agree completely.   It's injected new life into the setlists and fanbase and there's not a track on the album I consider skippable.   This will carry MMJ like a tidal wave for the next 3 years.

[BH]

I also agree.  Well put.   Better than I could have said it.   I think these songs will fit great with other stuff live.   I absolutely love the new infusion of soul throughout this album and the way so many of the songs BUILD as they go.   That, I guess is the only thing you can count on from an MMJ song.   

-A slow burn building into a wonderful explosion of sound and emotion.   
-Apply generously to all musical genres.
-Repeat

[Bigsky]

Especially after hearing the tracks live last night...holy shit! They are all so wonderful!

[blucas]

"I need to quit comparing MMJ to MMJ"

Love that statement and love this album! :)

[TheRoof]

I concur with everything written above. What a great album and performance last night!

[MMJ_fanatic]

I just today received my cd copy (complete with autographed booklet) and gave it a spin while I was driving around doin' errands on my way to work.  I was surprised that I made it through the whole disc before I got to work.  I have to say I COMPLETELY disagree with the Circuital/ISM comparison.  The mix of tunes on ISM are wholly more cohesive and diverse at the same time and I still love it as much as TTF and AD as the 1st time I listened to them.  I can honestly say that this is the first MMJ that has actually left me underwhelmed.  My track impressions:

Victory Dance--good slow burn and I love the fuzzy axe when it comes in tho' overall kinda slow for my wish for an opener.

Circuital--ok but not mind blowing (like Steam Engine)

The Day is coming:  so so

Outta My System:  kind of like Two Halves revisited

Holding On to Black Metal:  I don't get it--sorry :-\

First Light:  my favorite track--funky

You wanna freak out:  2nd favorite track

Slow slow tune:  feels like filler  :(

Movin Away:  very nice slow tune with lovely pedal steel drenched in reverb

So I guess my overall impression is this one is going to have to grow on me whereas ISM blew me away--track after track--on the 1st spin.  Warm up the tar and fluff the feathers (I'm sure its coming).

[patrickbateman]

I don't understand why everyone thinks they are going to immediately get lynched just because they have a different opinion, or an opinion that is not sucking the collective dick of the band. Different strokes for different folks.

For me, it took a bunch of listens to totally appreciate ISM. I thought it was a little boring at first, especially songs like Rollin Back and Steam Engine. Now those are probably my 2 favorite songs on what is (most of the time) my favorite Jacket album.

Circuital, on the other hand, spoke to me after 2 or 3. As much as I don't like to compare albums, it might be accurate to say it could climb up to the top spot. It's one of those albums I can't wait to listen to again when I'm not able to. I feel that it is a complete, circular journey that begs to be played over and over (I think the band nailed what they were going for in the whole concept of the album). Evil Urges, on the other hand, even though I love the shit out of that album, is pretty bipolar and doesn't have as much as a flow. Okay now I'm pretty much regurgitating what Jim has said but you get the point.

What I'm trying to say is that no one's opinion is right. Some say It Still Moves clicked for them far sooner than Circuital, but I completely disagree. That's the beauty of subjectivity. No one's going to jump down your throat as long as you're not an asshole about it (well I can't speak for everyone  ).

[Nikkogino]

I just today received my cd copy (complete with autographed booklet) and gave it a spin while I was driving around doin' errands on my way to work.  I was surprised that I made it through the whole disc before I got to work.  I have to say I COMPLETELY disagree with the Circuital/ISM comparison.  The mix of tunes on ISM are wholly more cohesive and diverse at the same time and I still love it as much as TTF and AD as the 1st time I listened to them.  I can honestly say that this is the first MMJ that has actually left me underwhelmed.  My track impressions:

Victory Dance--good slow burn and I love the fuzzy axe when it comes in tho' overall kinda slow for my wish for an opener.

Circuital--ok but not mind blowing (like Steam Engine)

The Day is coming:  so so

Outta My System:  kind of like Two Halves revisited

Holding On to Black Metal:  I don't get it--sorry :-\

First Light:  my favorite track--funky

You wanna freak out:  2nd favorite track

Slow slow tune:  feels like filler  :(

Movin Away:  very nice slow tune with lovely pedal steel drenched in reverb

So I guess my overall impression is this one is going to have to grow on me whereas ISM blew me away--track after track--on the 1st spin.  Warm up the tar and fluff the feathers (I'm sure its coming).

I disagree as well, but just because I like ISM more, doesn't mean its a bad album.  If I had to, I would rank the albums:  ISM>AD>Z>C>TTF>EU.  It isn't really fair to do so though, because sometimes I am in the mood for TTF and I don't want to listen to ISM at all.  I would say I like ISM the most and EU the least based on how "classic" I think the album is and how often I go back and listen to it.  I think the reason I like ISM so much is because it is so DEEP.  Every time I listen to it, I find new parts that I hadn't picked up on before.  Anyway, I love the shit out Circuital, but it is a completely different experience.  Here is my assessment (note that my scoring system is pretty picky...a 5/10 MMJ song is still an awesome ass song to me):

1) Victory Dance:  This one grew on me.  Such a great build-up and such an interesting song lyrically.  I love the way it ends.  Although I initially wished that the song would jam out a little more with some guitar soloing, I realized that it transitions into Circuital so well, that it is perfect the way it is.  Definitely a great opener to a great album.  8.5/10

2) Circuital:  I'll probably piss some people off, but I'm not a huge fan of the song.  I get a little bored from 2:30-4:30, waiting for something to happen.  Gladly, the song does redeem itself with Carl's solo.  I do understand that the song is designed the way it is....to kinda go full circle and make the listener feel like they are on a damn ferris wheel or something.  That is cool.  But I have not been able to force myself to love it.  I'm sure I will eat my words, but right now, I'm just not "in love" yet.  I do love the airy singing/moaning at the end of the song though.  Shaaa.  7/10

3)  The Day Is Coming:  This song is a great experiment and it is catchy as hell.  I love the guitar feedback at the beginning of the song.  I just wish there was more guitar in the song.  At first, I was a little disappointed that the song didn't go off and do something crazy in terms of structure.  It is basically verse, chorus, verse, chorus x 2.  Nothing crazy happens...the song just kinda chugs along.  Again though, it fits perfectly into the flow of the album, and leads perfectly into Wonderful.  7/10

4)  Wonderful:  I have never been a huge fan of a band releasing a song on an album long after they have played a song live many times.  The live version always seems to become "The Version" of the song.  I was extremely skeptical when I heard they were putting it on the album....I was also bummed because I would only get 8 songs that I hadn't heard live (the other being Circuital).  When I finally heard the album version of Wonderful, I was pleased that it wasn't completely restructured and redone in the studio.  The song is still a beautiful song that shows off Jim's great vocals.  Extremely glad that MMJ decided to put this song on the album.  8/10

5)  Outta My System:  This is the only track that I don't think fits perfectly into the album's flow.  The lyrics are a little too funny, and although I like to hear Jim sing about smokin' drugs and stealin' cars, the song is a little on the bland side.  I feel bad giving this song hate because I don't hate it at all.  I was driving today and skipped to it.  It is a fun little ditty, but it just doesn't stand up to the other songs.  It is also sandwiched in between two great tracks.  6.5/10

6)  Holdin On To Black Metal:  I love this track.  I love the girl gang vocals and the way Jim sings the verse.  It is so gritty and raw sounding.  It is unlike anything I have heard.  It is just madness.  And when the song stops and restarts with horn craziness and Jim crooning about Lucifer's beach, trees, and peach, the song is just taken to the next level.  I can't believe I'm doing it, but the song deserves this score:  9.5

7)  First Light:  Didn't like this song so much at first, but it has grown on me.  The song has a simple structure (chorus, verse, chorus, verse, bridge, chorus, short jam) but it is a good palette cleanser after "Black Metal."  This song isn't supposed to set the world on fire, but it does a good job of rocking its way toward the album's last few songs.  7/10

8)  You Wanna Freak Out:  I can't quite put my finger on this song.  I do like it a lot, but it is a strange little tune.  It is one of those songs where you can't tell whether it is awesome or just kinda good.  I'm still on the fence waiting to get pushed to one side or the other.  I do love the fuzz guitar part at the end, although I think the first of the two parts sounds a little crappy (although I'm sure that was done intentionally).  I also can't decide if I like the way Jim says "You wanna freak out" one or two too many times, making it seem kinda weird.  Regardless of if I like the song or not, it leads perfectly into the next track.  6.5/10

9)  Slow Slow Tune:  I love everything about this song.  The lyrics are excellent.  The vocals are excellent.  The guitars are excellent.   The point where the song stops and the guitars come in at 2:40 may be one of my favorite moments on an MMJ record.  I also love the way Jim enunciated "Daddy's singing just for you-oo-oo-oo" near the end.  Again, the lyrics are just perfect, as the song encourages the listener to go out move to their own tune.  Just perfect.  10/10

10)  Movin' Away:  Although I don't think this song is quite as good as Slow Slow Tune, I personally like it more.  The lyrics are emotional, and I love the way Jim's voice comes so slow to cracking through the verse.  Again, the lyrics and vocals are superb.  The emotion in Jim's voice makes the lyrics stand out so much more.  The music after Jim sings "I won't forget the one I left behind..." is pretty damn sad.  It is just a perfect, sad little song that seems to try to cheer the listener up at the end with "a new little life."  Great stuff.  This song is a great ending to a pretty darn good record.  9.5/10

Overall Score (not an average):  8.5 / 10     Great album!!!!!!

TTF: 8
AD: 9.5
ISM: 9.5
Z: 9
EU: 8
C:  8.5

[My Monkey Friend]

yep, everyone NEEDS to have their own opinion of what these records are. it keeps things fresh, and I am sure the band appreciates fan feedback (assuming they read what we say, who knows).

that said, i want to break down each track, thats a cool idea to get each persons take-

victory dance- first listen, meh. then, like many mmj tracks do, it grew on me alot. spooky, great song. love the tribal chants in it. 8/10

circuital- loved this since the day i heard it a year ago. great guitars, great beat. as with alot of songs on circuital, tommy just kills it.  9/10

TDIC- favorite so far. unreal beat, very fresh sound. love the drums. 10/10

Wonderful- perfect ballad. dont know what else to say. like hopefully but kicked up. 9/10

Outta my system- you arent supposed to use pedal steel in a rock song this perfectly. good jim wailing, to compare it to 2 halves is a disservice. 7/10

HOTBM- so catchy, so different. great song to have in its place on the album. 7/10

First light- Just a badass rock tune. carl's use of the sax is like another guitar, which gives this track great depth. 8/10

YWFO- just one thing redone. again, great pedal steel on a killer song. 9//10

Slow slow tune- perfect. great lyrics guitars, buildup. the guitar breaks sound like the one in steam engine. 10/10


Moving away- another classic mmj ballad. i love bo's piano at the end 8/10

[Bigsky]

I just today received my cd copy (complete with autographed booklet) and gave it a spin while I was driving around doin' errands on my way to work.  I was surprised that I made it through the whole disc before I got to work.  I have to say I COMPLETELY disagree with the Circuital/ISM comparison.  The mix of tunes on ISM are wholly more cohesive and diverse at the same time and I still love it as much as TTF and AD as the 1st time I listened to them.  I can honestly say that this is the first MMJ that has actually left me underwhelmed.  My track impressions:

Victory Dance--good slow burn and I love the fuzzy axe when it comes in tho' overall kinda slow for my wish for an opener.

Circuital--ok but not mind blowing (like Steam Engine)

The Day is coming:  so so

Outta My System:  kind of like Two Halves revisited

Holding On to Black Metal:  I don't get it--sorry :-\

First Light:  my favorite track--funky

You wanna freak out:  2nd favorite track

Slow slow tune:  feels like filler  :(

Movin Away:  very nice slow tune with lovely pedal steel drenched in reverb

So I guess my overall impression is this one is going to have to grow on me whereas ISM blew me away--track after track--on the 1st spin.  Warm up the tar and fluff the feathers (I'm sure its coming).

Did you see/hear the new songs played on the 31st?...as usual, they are very different live...some of the tracks that where OK on the CD were fucking insane live

[grizzy]

9)  Slow Slow Tune:   The point where the song stops and the guitars come in at 2:40 may be one of my favorite moments on an MMJ record.

Agree. That part gives me chills. When listening with headphones I envision or it feels like the boys are up on stage with Clapton and The Band (Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, etc.). Love it!

Also love the 2:53 mark on Wonderful when everyone joins in.

[youreveningcoat]

Also love the 2:53 mark on Wonderful when everyone joins in.

That parts awesome, it reminds me of some hillbilly people making music blowing in a moonshine bottle and scraping a washboard type thing. Not being racist but you know what I mean.

[MMJ_fanatic]

I just today received my cd copy (complete with autographed booklet) and gave it a spin while I was driving around doin' errands on my way to work.  I was surprised that I made it through the whole disc before I got to work.  I have to say I COMPLETELY disagree with the Circuital/ISM comparison.  The mix of tunes on ISM are wholly more cohesive and diverse at the same time and I still love it as much as TTF and AD as the 1st time I listened to them.  I can honestly say that this is the first MMJ that has actually left me underwhelmed.  My track impressions:

Victory Dance--good slow burn and I love the fuzzy axe when it comes in tho' overall kinda slow for my wish for an opener.

Circuital--ok but not mind blowing (like Steam Engine)

The Day is coming:  so so

Outta My System:  kind of like Two Halves revisited

Holding On to Black Metal:  I don't get it--sorry :-\

First Light:  my favorite track--funky

You wanna freak out:  2nd favorite track

Slow slow tune:  feels like filler  :(

Movin Away:  very nice slow tune with lovely pedal steel drenched in reverb

So I guess my overall impression is this one is going to have to grow on me whereas ISM blew me away--track after track--on the 1st spin.  Warm up the tar and fluff the feathers (I'm sure its coming).

OK so some more spins have made things grow on me:
Victory Dance kills
Circuital has wondrous layers and is way more enjoyable now
I've warmed some more to The Day is Coming, Slow Slow Tune, and Out of My System (though that one still reminds me of Two Halves).  Black Metal is going to take more time I'm afraid.

[lucylew]

Overall, I like this album a lot but after repeated listenings, I must admit, I now skip past the last two songs.  LOVE Black Metal and am surprised to find Wonderful is my fave.

[Dillsnufus]

just noticed this . lol when you click to listen to this it starts the whole album. a window pops up in the bottom right that says mmj wants your opinion