Finally....the Newbie reviews "At Dawn"

[Nikkogino]

Nice review. May I suggest revisiting this song a lot? It's one of my favourites, the vocals just sound amazing. Best listened to late at night.

will do.  Let me say this....I "LIKE" every song on the album.  But some are just taking longer to sink in then others.  But usually when a song takes a while to appreciate, it makes the song better....does that make sense???  Anyway, yeah- judging by how much everyone enjoys MMJ's live show, I think an official release needs to be made after Z (dvd or cd or both!).  

[Jellyfish]

I think the overall length of the album may take away from some of the songs to a new listener.I know when I first got AD ,I had a hard time getting through the whole CD because there was just too much to digest...I suggest listening to it the 1st 6 or 7 songs and then next time listen to the rest of it.After you start digging all the songs then you will appreciate the length...more is better.

[Gripe]

then you will appreciate the length...more is better.

I heard that it's not the length of your album that counts, it's what you do with it.

[TheLink]

hey newbie, i take it you did not get the bonus disc of demos?  if so, please give your thoughts.  one question though, now that you have heard 3 albums, do you have any favorite or are they all equally as good?  personally, i am not afraid to admit that At Dawn is my favorite.  I haven't heard Z yet, so can't be sure.  Pretty much every live recording I have heard and shows I have seen all were awesome, but I will never forget getting my cherry popped at the Bowery Ballroom August 2002.  

[Nikkogino]

hey newbie, i take it you did not get the bonus disc of demos?  if so, please give your thoughts.  one question though, now that you have heard 3 albums, do you have any favorite or are they all equally as good?  personally, i am not afraid to admit that At Dawn is my favorite.  I haven't heard Z yet, so can't be sure.  Pretty much every live recording I have heard and shows I have seen all were awesome, but I will never forget getting my cherry popped at the Bowery Ballroom August 2002.  

It's tough picking a favorite.  It all depends on mood.  In my opinion, ISM and At Dawn are VERY DIFFERENT.  I look at AD as having more good songs, whereas I appreciate the music of ISM a little more.  I don't know...its all about how I feel at the time.  And although I am not as into Z as the others, I find myself wanting to listen to Z more than the other too, so its fucked up, which I think is good.  I hate it when people expect a band to make the SAME album over and over again.  MMJ is a good band for changing their album style.  

No, I didn't get the demos.....can anyone send me the tracks???   Nikkogino@aol.com

[aMillionDreams]

Darla is going to be rereleasing the Demos soon, if you can wait for that.  I appreciate your review, Nikko.  It took me a long time to get into 'I Needed It Most' so I know what you're  saying.  I also know what you mean about 'Z'.  Not to rehash an old argument, but I think that it's cool that you downloaded the advanced copy of Z for free and proceeded to buy almost every other official release.  That's why mp3s work.  Glad to have you on the forum!

[Nikkogino]

Darla is going to be rereleasing the Demos soon, if you can wait for that.  I appreciate your review, Nikko.  It took me a long time to get into 'I Needed It Most' so I know what you're  saying.  I also know what you mean about 'Z'.  Not to rehash an old argument, but I think that it's cool that you downloaded the advanced copy of Z for free and proceeded to buy almost every other official release.  That's why mp3s work.  Glad to have you on the forum!

I actually bought "It Still Moves" about 5 months ago, then came on here a couple weeks ago and got "Z".  But yes, "Z" did provide a spark for my MMJ buying spree.  I now have "ISM", "At Dawn", "Chocolate and Ice", and "Acoustic".  Next week or so I will order "TTF" and review that on here as I listen to it for the first time.  Then I am going to give it about 2 weeks to sink in and review it again on the same thread.

[TheLink]

i don't know if everyone thinks i want MMJ to remake "at dawn" a million times because i admit that it is my favorite.  that certainly is not the case.  i like to use Radiohead as an example of experimenting and evolving very well.  i do not think that Radiohead really ever went "pop".  and, i do have a favorite Radiohead album as well, and Modest Mouse, and Low, and many others.  peace.

[dragonboy]

I think the thing here is where in the timeline you got into MMJ & the first LP that you listened too. At Dawn was my first release & I can honestly say it's one of my all time fav albums. I love If It Smashes Down & I Needed It Most but can see where you're coming from. I can imagine someone who owns ISM liking Dancefloors & One Big Holiday etc. going out & buying At Dawn & thinking "What the F**K?"
I guess this will happen with Z too for a lot of new fans.

[Nikkogino]

I think the thing here is where in the timeline you got into MMJ & the first LP that you listened too. At Dawn was my first release & I can honestly say it's one of my all time fav albums. I love If It Smashes Down & I Needed It Most but can see where you're coming from. I can imagine someone who owns ISM liking Dancefloors & One Big Holiday etc. going out & buying At Dawn & thinking "What the F**K?"
I guess this will happen with Z too for a lot of new fans.

I love "At Dawn."  I am also gaining appreciation for some of the 'slower' songs on the album....it is growing on me big time (although I liked it a lot to begin with).

[wellfleet]

Hey nikko... i've enjoyed reading your review. i went back and listened to the album after i read it and heard things i wasn't paying attention to. it's always nice to see things through others' POV. the first MMJ album i bought was ISM, because CDUniverse said other people did, so I ordered it for my store. i was blown away by how intense and soft it was at the same time. then i got Acoustic Citsuoca, then Chapters 1 and 2, then At Dawn, TF, and the rest of the EPs and singles. i wasn't at all surprised by how different they sounded. it still sounded very cohesive. jim's voice ties it all together. i think the earlier albums were less structured, but in a terrific way that allowed the band to stretch creatively.


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[Nikkogino]

true true.

okay, Tennessee Fire will be bought and reviewed soon.

[Jellyfish]

Actually,in many ways,I like TTF the best.It has a haunting quality to it that is best observed late at night while you are basking in the basil. ;D

Glad someone read my review on CDuniverse.

[wellfleet]

jellyfish... i guess i have you to thank, then. i was looking up the Shins when the "people who bought this album also bought..." came up and i fell in love with the cover of ISM because of the bear and the colours and good God! it was love at first listen. now, i can't imagine life without "golden"... MMJ makes me sublimely happy!

[Oz]

Hey Nikko, be aware: TTF has even more slow songs. It's even further away from ISM, therefore, but do take your time to let it grow on you, 'cause it will be rewarding. It's cool you're writing these reviews, but I usually think you have to hear an album at least 10 times before you can actually have a well-based opinion on it. I'm sure you will spin these albums that often, however, 'cause you being a MMJ-fan wouldn't want it otherwise, I expect. :)

[Nikkogino]

I agree.......I have listened to it well over 10 times now and I am loving it.  I hate to say it, but I MIGHT like it better than ISM