Z B-sides

[kevinjanes]

I've heard a few long-time MMJ fans complain about the lack of reverb on a lot of the new material. While I love it all the same and applaud the band's new direction and organic evolution, I couldn't help but notice that all these Z B-sides are more charactaristically older MMJ.How Could I Know, Chills and Where to Begin just strike me as classic MMJ, spacy, dreamy, haunting, reverb-soaked songs that inspire October drives through the country or somehting. It's almost as if the band knew some fans would be shocked by the new stuff, so they'd better record some of the classic sound too. That, or else they just seek a healthy balance. I like the balance...

[realkentuckydude]

I have been a fan since mid 2000 and all i have to say is a band needs to grow and that is exactly what MMJ did on "Z".  The B-Sides you mention are indeed some of the best MMJ songs I have heard and the only question I have is why not put them on the album?  I guess a band needs some songs floating around out there to keep fans payinga attention.

[kevinjanes]

That, or they're trying to rival Radiohead or The White Stripes with having a big catalog of rare singles and EPs  ;)

And they know fans like us will go buy them all up and use them for bragging rights that WE have 1 of only 1000 copies worldwide! I've tried explaining the importance of being a completist with my friends, but none were impressed  :-/

[realkentuckydude]

I am surely a completist (term new to me but it fits) if The Mars Volta recorded it I have to have it and I am sure I will be that way with any rarity that MMJ puts out in months to come.

[tbone]

ummm...

please share where said "b-sides" can be found!!!

I bought the Elizabethtown soundtrack... but the other 2 i have not heard...

where can i buy them?

[tbone]

ummm... sorry...

just found it!

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000BC8SFG/qid=1130033140/sr=1-11/ref=sr_1_11/002-4114614-5381647?v=glance&s=music

[shulu]

ordered 5

[tomEisenbraun]

any idea of how it is "Enhanced"?

[realkentuckydude]

any idea of how it is "Enhanced"?

The video for Off the Record perhaps?

[Oz]

I haven't heard 'Chills' and 'How can I know' yet, I have ordered the single but it hasn't arrived yet, but I think I can understand why they would leave the more old-school MMJ songs off Z, for I think it wouldn't fit. They clearly wanted a new direction for Z and to add some songs in the previous style would damage the flow and the feel the album has now. Personally I think 'Lay low' is a good example of that. It's a song that would fit perfectly on ISM, but on Z it's out of place. But I know I'm more or less the only one who thinks that, so...

[sivalc]

just got uk single today does not appear to be enhanced in anyway cant wait to get home and hear the b-sides [smiley=rock.gif]  

[Danko71]

Personally I think 'Lay low' is a good example of that. It's a song that would fit perfectly on ISM, but on Z it's out of place. But I know I'm more or less the only one who thinks that, so...

I kinda agree, with a few qualifications. When I first heard this live, it sounded an awful lot like 'Dancefloors'; vocal melodies are very similar, as is the main chord progression. It clearly sounds more like something off ISM, but despite the similarity to the aforementioned song, I think it works okay on Z.
The drum machine still bugs me, and it's almost as if they added that to make it in keeping with the electro/keyboard-oriented sound of the album. It would sound a lot better without the drum machine; to me there's no difference when the real drums kick in.
Finally, this one has the best guitar solo on the album...