*SPOILER* New Album Discussion

[ratsprayer]

hey, so what wasn't on the leaked version thats on the album? is the sound quality better, too?

some of the more atmospheric weird noises are more noticeable.  i think overwall it sounds much better than the leaked version.  the keyboards shine through much more.

[doEVILslittle]

is it just me or do the little guitar twidlings before the explosion in don dante sound different in the album version?

[darkglow]

hey jellyfish, i think that our japanese promo cd is different than the actual cd.. i've noticed a big difference in the overall sound quality and noticed that there's an extra 3 seconds on the actual release.. or maybe it's just in my head.

[ratsprayer]

i think tommy's bass playing on 'it beat 4 u' shines out a lot more on the cd version as well.  

[aMD]

bump.  ;)

[getinthevan]

I was confused when I first saw this and quickly realized that its from Z.  I was actually wondering what the initial reactions to Z were so hopefully soon I'll be able to actually read through all of it.  Thanks for this.

That being said, Evil Urges anyone?  

I'm hoping it grows on me.  There's some great parts, some good parts, and some parts that I flat out don't like.  

[Andrushka]

I posted this on another forum, but here goes again.

So I've given this 4 listens, all the way through at various points between last night and today.

Here are my thoughts... Just to give you some perspective, I became a big MMJ fan when It Still Moves came out, and I have been a huge (rabid I'd even say) fan since then. Some of my other favorite contemporary bands are Wilco, Radiohead, M. Ward, Animal Collective, Wolf Parade, Band of Horses..

"Evil Urges" is incredibly flawed. While there are moments of brilliance, which I'll get to, many of the disastrous experimentations almost overshadow these triumphs. The title track really kicks things off into high gear and hints at the experimentation yet to come. It's a very nice medium of the new and the old. However, it's followed by two atrocious tracks that disrupt the entire flow of the album, and are laughable musical compositions in themselves. "Touch Me Part 1" in particular seems out of place. The synths that squiggle throughout sound like something from the fucking Thompson Twins, and the "I can tell by the sounds you make when you are pleased" robot-voice Jim James puts on is particularly egregious. From then on the "I need a human by my side, untied" treads on space-schmaltz. Moving on, "Highly Suspicious" continues the trainwreck. The deep background vocals make this track virtually unlistenable. In addition, the song feels anemic. It lacks all of the energy the live version had, and just feels flat and without any sense of dynamic. People compare this song to Prince, and that's an insult to "the artist."

Luckily, the record jumpstarts with "I'm Amazed." Although the lyrics aren't the most cerebral to come out of Jim James' mouth, they're sung with conviction (often absent on this entire record) and the band is right there making every note and snare-hit count. The production really shines on this song - Chiccareli does a fine job giving the track a live feel. The one-two punch of "Thank You Too" and "Sec Walkin'" showcases two well-written songs that border on complete adult-contemporary, albeit in an endearing way. The strings on "Thank You Too" turn it into a complete sap-fest; luckily, the melody and the band sound great here. "Sec Walkin'" sounds like something I'd here at a truckstop in West Texas circa 1978, but it provides a nice intersection of country and soul that I find appealing.

Then there is "Two Halves." This is the point where I just start to shake my head. The lyrics in this song are inane, the doo-wop background vocals are contrived, and Jim James seems to be phoning this one in. In other words, it's another one that should have been left on the cutting room floor. Luckily it's followed by the lovely and perfectly arranged "Librarian." "Look At You" rides on a beautiful melody; unfortunately, the lyrics border on Christian rock. From here on, the record seems to kick. "Aluminum Park" finally shows Jim James singing/screaming his heart out while the band kicks with him the entire way. "Remnants" is Pearl Jam-lite, but manages to throw in some good riffs. Thankfully the record ends with two of the best songs. "Smokin' From Shootin" has great lyrics, is masterfully produced (the kick drum sounds like it's blowing wind), and climaxes in a moment of beauty and vocal-centric beauty. The lead-in to the groovy and climactic "Touch Me Part 2" is also one of the only times this feels like a cohesive album.

Essentially, MMJ threw a bunch of ideas at a wall, and unfortunately, many of them did not stick. Although I applaud the band's willingness to experiment and shed its skin, it has had some alienating consequences. Much of this exploration seems poorly thought out. This band has ventured into uncharted territory at risk of losing so much of what made them great in the first place. It's one thing to let the essence of your sound remain intact while trying new things, but this is not the case with "Evil Urges." While they may be the best live band in the world, their stake at claiming the title of best American band is in vain because of this new LP.

Although my views of this record are mostly negative, I allow room for this album to be a grower. When "Houses of the Holy" came out it got a lot of shit for the James Brown-aping "Crunge" and the reggae-tinged "D'yer Maker," but in retrospect those were bold choices and a lot of the Zeppelin's audience wasn't ready for it. The same could happen with MMJ. Evil Urges might be remembered as a classic in the years to come. Time will tell.

Rating: 6.2/10

[aMD]

Could someone point me in the right direction with a pm?

no, you're going to get this thread shut down.  please down posts pm requests in this thread.  it is for discussion only.

[blainesanders]

This album ain't bad at all.

i think it sounds like they just wanted to write some songs, and MOST of them are great.

it's definitely not "it still moves" but what is??

i just can't complain about a good band releasing an album of 12 to 14 good songs.  

and honestly, it does feel like the next step from Z if you listened to them like this:

ttf > at dawn > it still moves > Z > evilurges

anyways, do you guys like how i double space??

[AllyDee]

I love every second of this record so far.



Not what I was expecting from them, but it's really really great.

[Nikkogino]

"Look At You" rides on a beautiful melody; unfortunately, the lyrics border on Christian rock.

I disagree with this statement....the song could be about anything.  God or a strong, great girl.  

I think the album is great and a natural progression from Z.  I don't know if it will get the critical acclaim of Z, but who gives a shit....the album is a grab bag of awesome songs.  Perfect for one listen, or perfect for picking out one song.

"Highly Suspicious" is a fun track too....its not supposed to be Steam Engine.

[jrod00]

I posted this on another forum, but here goes again.

So I've given this 4 listens, all the way through at various points between last night and today.

Here are my thoughts... Just to give you some perspective, I became a big MMJ fan when It Still Moves came out, and I have been a huge (rabid I'd even say) fan since then. Some of my other favorite contemporary bands are Wilco, Radiohead, M. Ward, Animal Collective, Wolf Parade, Band of Horses..

"Evil Urges" is incredibly flawed. While there are moments of brilliance, which I'll get to, many of the disastrous experimentations almost overshadow these triumphs. The title track really kicks things off into high gear and hints at the experimentation yet to come. It's a very nice medium of the new and the old. However, it's followed by two atrocious tracks that disrupt the entire flow of the album, and are laughable musical compositions in themselves. "Touch Me Part 1" in particular seems out of place. The synths that squiggle throughout sound like something from the fucking Thompson Twins, and the "I can tell by the sounds you make when you are pleased" robot-voice Jim James puts on is particularly egregious. From then on the "I need a human by my side, untied" treads on space-schmaltz. Moving on, "Highly Suspicious" continues the trainwreck. The deep background vocals make this track virtually unlistenable. In addition, the song feels anemic. It lacks all of the energy the live version had, and just feels flat and without any sense of dynamic. People compare this song to Prince, and that's an insult to "the artist."

Luckily, the record jumpstarts with "I'm Amazed." Although the lyrics aren't the most cerebral to come out of Jim James' mouth, they're sung with conviction (often absent on this entire record) and the band is right there making every note and snare-hit count. The production really shines on this song - Chiccareli does a fine job giving the track a live feel. The one-two punch of "Thank You Too" and "Sec Walkin'" showcases two well-written songs that border on complete adult-contemporary, albeit in an endearing way. The strings on "Thank You Too" turn it into a complete sap-fest; luckily, the melody and the band sound great here. "Sec Walkin'" sounds like something I'd here at a truckstop in West Texas circa 1978, but it provides a nice intersection of country and soul that I find appealing.

Then there is "Two Halves." This is the point where I just start to shake my head. The lyrics in this song are inane, the doo-wop background vocals are contrived, and Jim James seems to be phoning this one in. In other words, it's another one that should have been left on the cutting room floor. Luckily it's followed by the lovely and perfectly arranged "Librarian." "Look At You" rides on a beautiful melody; unfortunately, the lyrics border on Christian rock. From here on, the record seems to kick. "Aluminum Park" finally shows Jim James singing/screaming his heart out while the band kicks with him the entire way. "Remnants" is Pearl Jam-lite, but manages to throw in some good riffs. Thankfully the record ends with two of the best songs. "Smokin' From Shootin" has great lyrics, is masterfully produced (the kick drum sounds like it's blowing wind), and climaxes in a moment of beauty and vocal-centric beauty. The lead-in to the groovy and climactic "Touch Me Part 2" is also one of the only times this feels like a cohesive album.

Essentially, MMJ threw a bunch of ideas at a wall, and unfortunately, many of them did not stick. Although I applaud the band's willingness to experiment and shed its skin, it has had some alienating consequences. Much of this exploration seems poorly thought out. This band has ventured into uncharted territory at risk of losing so much of what made them great in the first place. It's one thing to let the essence of your sound remain intact while trying new things, but this is not the case with "Evil Urges." While they may be the best live band in the world, their stake at claiming the title of best American band is in vain because of this new LP.

Although my views of this record are mostly negative, I allow room for this album to be a grower. When "Houses of the Holy" came out it got a lot of shit for the James Brown-aping "Crunge" and the reggae-tinged "D'yer Maker," but in retrospect those were bold choices and a lot of the Zeppelin's audience wasn't ready for it. The same could happen with MMJ. Evil Urges might be remembered as a classic in the years to come. Time will tell.

Rating: 6.2/10

Did the Pitchfork review leak in addition to the album?

[Angry Ewok]

I posted this on another forum, but here goes again.

So I've given this 4 listens, all the way through at various points between last night and today.

Here are my thoughts... Just to give you some perspective, I became a big MMJ fan when It Still Moves came out, and I have been a huge (rabid I'd even say) fan since then. Some of my other favorite contemporary bands are Wilco, Radiohead, M. Ward, Animal Collective, Wolf Parade, Band of Horses..

"Evil Urges" is incredibly flawed. While there are moments of brilliance, which I'll get to, many of the disastrous experimentations almost overshadow these triumphs. The title track really kicks things off into high gear and hints at the experimentation yet to come. It's a very nice medium of the new and the old. However, it's followed by two atrocious tracks that disrupt the entire flow of the album, and are laughable musical compositions in themselves. "Touch Me Part 1" in particular seems out of place. The synths that squiggle throughout sound like something from the fucking Thompson Twins, and the "I can tell by the sounds you make when you are pleased" robot-voice Jim James puts on is particularly egregious. From then on the "I need a human by my side, untied" treads on space-schmaltz. Moving on, "Highly Suspicious" continues the trainwreck. The deep background vocals make this track virtually unlistenable. In addition, the song feels anemic. It lacks all of the energy the live version had, and just feels flat and without any sense of dynamic. People compare this song to Prince, and that's an insult to "the artist."

Luckily, the record jumpstarts with "I'm Amazed." Although the lyrics aren't the most cerebral to come out of Jim James' mouth, they're sung with conviction (often absent on this entire record) and the band is right there making every note and snare-hit count. The production really shines on this song - Chiccareli does a fine job giving the track a live feel. The one-two punch of "Thank You Too" and "Sec Walkin'" showcases two well-written songs that border on complete adult-contemporary, albeit in an endearing way. The strings on "Thank You Too" turn it into a complete sap-fest; luckily, the melody and the band sound great here. "Sec Walkin'" sounds like something I'd here at a truckstop in West Texas circa 1978, but it provides a nice intersection of country and soul that I find appealing.

Then there is "Two Halves." This is the point where I just start to shake my head. The lyrics in this song are inane, the doo-wop background vocals are contrived, and Jim James seems to be phoning this one in. In other words, it's another one that should have been left on the cutting room floor. Luckily it's followed by the lovely and perfectly arranged "Librarian." "Look At You" rides on a beautiful melody; unfortunately, the lyrics border on Christian rock. From here on, the record seems to kick. "Aluminum Park" finally shows Jim James singing/screaming his heart out while the band kicks with him the entire way. "Remnants" is Pearl Jam-lite, but manages to throw in some good riffs. Thankfully the record ends with two of the best songs. "Smokin' From Shootin" has great lyrics, is masterfully produced (the kick drum sounds like it's blowing wind), and climaxes in a moment of beauty and vocal-centric beauty. The lead-in to the groovy and climactic "Touch Me Part 2" is also one of the only times this feels like a cohesive album.

Essentially, MMJ threw a bunch of ideas at a wall, and unfortunately, many of them did not stick. Although I applaud the band's willingness to experiment and shed its skin, it has had some alienating consequences. Much of this exploration seems poorly thought out. This band has ventured into uncharted territory at risk of losing so much of what made them great in the first place. It's one thing to let the essence of your sound remain intact while trying new things, but this is not the case with "Evil Urges." While they may be the best live band in the world, their stake at claiming the title of best American band is in vain because of this new LP.

Although my views of this record are mostly negative, I allow room for this album to be a grower. When "Houses of the Holy" came out it got a lot of shit for the James Brown-aping "Crunge" and the reggae-tinged "D'yer Maker," but in retrospect those were bold choices and a lot of the Zeppelin's audience wasn't ready for it. The same could happen with MMJ. Evil Urges might be remembered as a classic in the years to come. Time will tell.

Rating: 6.2/10

Did the Pitchfork review leak in addition to the album?

WOAH! THE NEW GUY WITH A BURN!

YES!!!

[Dillsnufus]

so hearing the whole album now what do you think they'll play at snl? (remnants and evil urges)

[sweatboard]

Yep, that was raaazzzzor sharp.  With as much pub as MMJ is getting you just know Pitchfork is going to slam them with a 5.7

[aMD]

Yep, that was raaazzzzor sharp.  With as much pub as MMJ is getting you just know Pitchfork is going to slam them with a 5.7

yeah it was a good one, indeed.  you're right though.  pitchfork has never been kind to the jacket, i don't see why they would start now.

[sweatboard]

Yep, that was raaazzzzor sharp.  With as much pub as MMJ is getting you just know Pitchfork is going to slam them with a 5.7

yeah it was a good one, indeed.  you're right though.  pitchfork has never been kind to the jacket, i don't see why they would start now.

Nope, well not in their reviews of the albums anyway.  They started to give them quite a bit of attention after Z caught on, just posting news about the band and diffrent links, tour dates and stuff.  

[ycartrob]

Did the Pitchfork review leak in addition to the album?

wow, I wish I had said that.

raaaaazor sharp indeed!

plus 2 Wilford Brimleys!

[biles1234]

Although my views of this record are mostly negative, I allow room for this album to be a grower. When "Houses of the Holy" came out it got a lot of shit for the James Brown-aping "Crunge" and the reggae-tinged "D'yer Maker," but in retrospect those were bold choices and a lot of the Zeppelin's audience wasn't ready for it. The same could happen with MMJ. Evil Urges might be remembered as a classic in the years to come. Time will tell.

Rating: 6.2/10

Pretty much on point here. Well said.

[jrod00]

I posted this on another forum, but here goes again.

So I've given this 4 listens, all the way through at various points between last night and today.

Here are my thoughts... Just to give you some perspective, I became a big MMJ fan when It Still Moves came out, and I have been a huge (rabid I'd even say) fan since then. Some of my other favorite contemporary bands are Wilco, Radiohead, M. Ward, Animal Collective, Wolf Parade, Band of Horses..

"Evil Urges" is incredibly flawed. While there are moments of brilliance, which I'll get to, many of the disastrous experimentations almost overshadow these triumphs. The title track really kicks things off into high gear and hints at the experimentation yet to come. It's a very nice medium of the new and the old. However, it's followed by two atrocious tracks that disrupt the entire flow of the album, and are laughable musical compositions in themselves. "Touch Me Part 1" in particular seems out of place. The synths that squiggle throughout sound like something from the fucking Thompson Twins, and the "I can tell by the sounds you make when you are pleased" robot-voice Jim James puts on is particularly egregious. From then on the "I need a human by my side, untied" treads on space-schmaltz. Moving on, "Highly Suspicious" continues the trainwreck. The deep background vocals make this track virtually unlistenable. In addition, the song feels anemic. It lacks all of the energy the live version had, and just feels flat and without any sense of dynamic. People compare this song to Prince, and that's an insult to "the artist."

Luckily, the record jumpstarts with "I'm Amazed." Although the lyrics aren't the most cerebral to come out of Jim James' mouth, they're sung with conviction (often absent on this entire record) and the band is right there making every note and snare-hit count. The production really shines on this song - Chiccareli does a fine job giving the track a live feel. The one-two punch of "Thank You Too" and "Sec Walkin'" showcases two well-written songs that border on complete adult-contemporary, albeit in an endearing way. The strings on "Thank You Too" turn it into a complete sap-fest; luckily, the melody and the band sound great here. "Sec Walkin'" sounds like something I'd here at a truckstop in West Texas circa 1978, but it provides a nice intersection of country and soul that I find appealing.

Then there is "Two Halves." This is the point where I just start to shake my head. The lyrics in this song are inane, the doo-wop background vocals are contrived, and Jim James seems to be phoning this one in. In other words, it's another one that should have been left on the cutting room floor. Luckily it's followed by the lovely and perfectly arranged "Librarian." "Look At You" rides on a beautiful melody; unfortunately, the lyrics border on Christian rock. From here on, the record seems to kick. "Aluminum Park" finally shows Jim James singing/screaming his heart out while the band kicks with him the entire way. "Remnants" is Pearl Jam-lite, but manages to throw in some good riffs. Thankfully the record ends with two of the best songs. "Smokin' From Shootin" has great lyrics, is masterfully produced (the kick drum sounds like it's blowing wind), and climaxes in a moment of beauty and vocal-centric beauty. The lead-in to the groovy and climactic "Touch Me Part 2" is also one of the only times this feels like a cohesive album.

Essentially, MMJ threw a bunch of ideas at a wall, and unfortunately, many of them did not stick. Although I applaud the band's willingness to experiment and shed its skin, it has had some alienating consequences. Much of this exploration seems poorly thought out. This band has ventured into uncharted territory at risk of losing so much of what made them great in the first place. It's one thing to let the essence of your sound remain intact while trying new things, but this is not the case with "Evil Urges." While they may be the best live band in the world, their stake at claiming the title of best American band is in vain because of this new LP.

Although my views of this record are mostly negative, I allow room for this album to be a grower. When "Houses of the Holy" came out it got a lot of shit for the James Brown-aping "Crunge" and the reggae-tinged "D'yer Maker," but in retrospect those were bold choices and a lot of the Zeppelin's audience wasn't ready for it. The same could happen with MMJ. Evil Urges might be remembered as a classic in the years to come. Time will tell.

Rating: 6.2/10

Did the Pitchfork review leak in addition to the album?

WOAH! THE NEW GUY WITH A BURN!

YES!!!

Ha, glad you enjoyed that.  I sure don't post here too much, but I lurk quite often, especially lately with all the excitement and tumult going on as we approach Evil Urges' [official] release.