New to MMJ

[element22ag]

So I've heard good things about My Morning Jacket and I've decided to check them out, but with so many CD's, I don't know which to start with.  Could anyone point me in the right direction?  Or should I just randomly choose one?

[dragonboy]

Hey there Element22ag, boy that's a tough one!

Most of us here will tell you that MMJ haven't made a bad album (because they simply haven't!) so you can't go wrong with any of their releases. You should def start with one of the 4 studio albums (The Tennessee Fire, At Dawn, It Still Moves & Z)
The difficult thing is they're all very different.
You could start at the beginning & buy Tennesse Fire or you could work backwards & start with Z.

Although At Dawn is my fav album I would personally suggest starting with It Still Moves, if you like that then go one forward or back & buy Z or At Dawn.

What kind of music do you like? That might help us to pick a good starter for you  :)

[element22ag]

Well, I'm a musician, so naturally I'm a fan of just about every type of music :D.  My two staple favorites have been British Rock (such as Oasis, Radiohead) and Thrash/Death Metal (such as Slayer, Lamb of God).  However, lately I've been getting into Southern Rock and Country alot more too  :P.

[dragonboy]

Dude, that was no help what-so-ever!!! Haha
Well being a Radiohead fan you could go with Z (produced by John Leckie)
If you're currently getting into Southern Rock & Country then you should love At Dawn, not that MMJ are Southern Rock  ;)

[element22ag]

Hahaha sorry :P But thanks alot for the help, I appreciate it, and I'm looking forward to rocking out with MMJ!

(PS. I'll try "At Dawn" first :D)

[tomEisenbraun]

I would actually have to really contest your suggestions and just suggest It Still Moves through and through. i think this album really is hook, line, and sinker. you can really dig Z and not appreciate the back catalog, but if you fall in love with ISM, you're done for. You might as well give up...yer hooked for good.

So check that one out?

[dragonboy]

At Dawn -  my fav album of all time!!!
Pleased I could help out, hopefully some of the other regulars will add their thoughts  :)

[element22ag]

Alright yeah that sounds cool, It Still Moves.

You guys are really helpful around here, too bad more forums out there weren't like this   :-X

[tomEisenbraun]

haha, dude. we just wanna share the jacket to anyone who'll listen. that and to rope you into the forums, cuz this place is frickin awesome.

but yeah.

so have you heard anything thus far, or just heard that you need to check em out?

[dragonboy]

Alright yeah that sounds cool, It Still Moves.

Yer that was my original suggestion. Tom's quite right, I can imagine some people loving Z then hearing The Tennesse Fire & thinking WTF?!!  
Still, that would be their loss...

[element22ag]

I haven't heard a single second of them yet (yet being the keyword).  Basically, I've seen some buzz about them on the internet, and a friend said they're pretty good, so I figured I'd check 'em out.  I read the bio here on the site, and I really like what its got to say about them.  So I figured before I went and read reviews from some jerk-ass Rolling Stone editor or something, I would check out the forums and see what I could find out from real fans.

[SMc55]

Get At Dawn and It Still Moves. It doesn't matter which you listen to first, you'll want more. Welcome, by the way, and do let us know what you start on and how it goes for you.

[aMD]

i'd start with It Still Moves.  IT's gotta a lot of their essential hits on it.  Then buy everything else.

[ChiefOKONO]

It Still Moves

that's what got me into them big time!!!

[Angry Ewok]

The order that I did things is...

It Still Moves
Tennessee Fire
At Dawn
Z

Then I delved into the EP's...

X-Mas Fiasco
Chocolate and Ice EP / Sweatbees / Heartbreakin' Man
Acoustic Citsuoca

And finally the rough and rougher...

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
At Dawn Demos

Definately hit your core studio albums in the first list, then make your way into the EPs, before getting into the rough Demos and Early Recordings of the third list - you can't go from Kool-Aid to sophisticated wine.

And for the love of God, go see them Live as soon as possible.

[BH]

I would actually have to really contest your suggestions and just suggest It Still Moves through and through. i think this album really is hook, line, and sinker. you can really dig Z and not appreciate the back catalog, but if you fall in love with ISM, you're done for. You might as well give up...yer hooked for good.

So check that one out?

That's the way it happened to me! So I must agree.

[Ghosts_on_TV]

I personally think that ISM is the best album ever made ever, if that helps at all. But....I also personally think they have no bad music at all either so....

[loper]

It's great to hear the consensus regarding ISM as 'the'  MMJ album.

A while ago it appeared unfashionable on here to really dig this album. Many were recommending anything but ISM.

For me it's their pinnacle. I just pray that they can reach these heady heights again some day.

[Meddle]

Well maybe it was their pinnacle on songwriting, but in terms of musicianship--they are constantly getting better... Listen to Bonnaroo '06--they ACTUALLY jam some and it has a nice turn out...

[loper]

Well maybe it was their pinnacle on songwriting, but in terms of musicianship--they are constantly getting better... Listen to Bonnaroo '06--they ACTUALLY jam some and it has a nice turn out...

8)

Couldn't agree more.

Songs like Picture of You and War Begun, laid back and conservative on record, have become epics thanks to the guys jamming them up live.

There is no doubt that Carl and Bo have given the band an added dimension musically as well. I just hope they don't go further down the Z road of tightly produced stuff on record. The first 3 albums felt organic and loose, what ended up being laid down was how it felt on the day, rather  than months of studio mixing,  multi tracking and artificial tweeking leading to an overproduced sound.

I've got tickets for Edinburgh and London and can't wait to see them live again after 2 years of cancelled shows over here.

Counting down the days ::)