Evil Urges a curve ball?

[billybuckner]

It seems the majority of folks on this board feel that EU is great. That's great that the bands "forum frequents" enjoy the album,with that being said I wouldn't expect any different from individuals whom spend countless hours of their time on their fav bands message board. Evil Urges a curveball? Actually not at all, the record is a perfect offspring of "Z" the thing is "Z" is where the band "sold out" so to speak. Not commercially but criticly, around the time MMJ started to get pub from major music zines like rolling stone and such they decided to please the ever hungry critics whom love unique if not downright maverickesque music and there's no problem with that direction they in fact pulled it off rather well with "Z" but then came the "americas radiohead" label and in my opinion that caused the band to reallly shoot for the moon with the whole "we're gonna sound like no other band" theme. All I have read is the ever-popular line "do you expect the band to keep making at dawn every album?" Well no not at all but you don't expect a band you have spent time collecting to all the sudden change what got them were they were either. It's called roots and their are many musicians out there today who can play their little bottoms off but have no lyrical voice to showcase the band. MMJ's "lyrical voice" was James's reverb soaked voice and his ability to turn Southern Rock admiration into a hippiefied jam band. In no way shape or form does "princeesque vocals" and "tongue in cheek" lyrics accomplish any of the above. I however will say that this album is better than 75% of whats being played on rock radio today but I chose to listen to MMJ due to rock music not R&B. However I expected this due to songs like "into the woods" and "wonderful man" on "z" and anyone else disappointed should have seen this coming as well. A band has every right to experiment with their sound and most bands do but in the end they always come back to what was there bread and butter and that's exactly what this band will do on their next album. History taught me that most bands' experimental albums that totally frayed from their original sound ends up being a footnote to their career and will be looked back upon as a huge mistake. I am sure many will disagree with my view (and thats all it is - an opinion) But I'd be willing to make a bet that the band will rebound from this album and get back to basics by expanding their sound yet not alienating their true original core fan base,and if not they may have picked up some new fans whom enjoy the new sound, but in the same process they may lose some OG's due to the progression of tongue in cheek songs and lack of reverb vocals. (to each his own and happy evil urges to you if you liek the new material but I think it's lackluster for MMJ standards)  

[mymonkeyfriend]

your right, i have heard jim say in several interviews he want to sound "like noone" and how great radiohead is because you cant peg them. to me, this album sounds like a little ISM/Z bastard. what i mean by that is the guitars can be grand, and so can the synths which are both highlights of the aformentioned albums. seeing this live again will help. i do totally agree, the next album will be back to the roots. EU is MMJ's Houses of the Holy.

[BH]

What do you know, you can't even catch a ground ball.

[cmccubbin25]

What do you know, you can't even catch a ground ball.

What's with this oley bullshit?

[1derfulman]

Yes even you, Dorn.

Opinions are like assholes and now we know what yours looks like.  Nothing wrong with what Billy Buck is saying...

Let's not forget, not as many people say "these guys put out some of the greatest records" as they say "these guys rock so hard live and may be the best band I've ever seen".  Nothing wrong with that opinion either...

[cmccubbin25]

Yes even you, Dorn.

Opinions are like assholes and now we know what yours looks like.  Nothing wrong with what Billy Buck is saying...

Let's not forget, not as many people say "these guys put out some of the greatest records" as they say "these guys rock so hard live and may be the best band I've ever seen".  Nothing wrong with that opinion either...

who said there was something wrong with what he said?

[BH]

I was just joking about the bill buckner thing.  No offense.   I could care less if anyone doesn't like it.  Really.  It just seems strange that so many people sign up to the board just so they can diss on the album.   It's like if my friend walked up to me at a bar and said he thought my shirt was ugly I would laugh it off, but if some stranger walked up to me in a bar and said my shirt was ugly, I would tell him he can't even catch a ground ball.  Or something like that.   Wait, where am I?  

[1derfulman]

Yes even you, Dorn.

Opinions are like assholes and now we know what yours looks like.  Nothing wrong with what Billy Buck is saying...

Let's not forget, not as many people say "these guys put out some of the greatest records" as they say "these guys rock so hard live and may be the best band I've ever seen".  Nothing wrong with that opinion either...

Nobody did but i was just waiting for someone to start crying...

[cmccubbin25]

Yes even you, Dorn.

Opinions are like assholes and now we know what yours looks like.  Nothing wrong with what Billy Buck is saying...

Let's not forget, not as many people say "these guys put out some of the greatest records" as they say "these guys rock so hard live and may be the best band I've ever seen".  Nothing wrong with that opinion either...

Nobody did but i was just waiting for someone to start crying...

sorry...i thought you were calling me an a**hole for making a Major League joke!

[1derfulman]

Yes even you, Dorn.

Opinions are like assholes and now we know what yours looks like.  Nothing wrong with what Billy Buck is saying...

Let's not forget, not as many people say "these guys put out some of the greatest records" as they say "these guys rock so hard live and may be the best band I've ever seen".  Nothing wrong with that opinion either...

Nobody did but i was just waiting for someone to start crying...

sorry...i thought you were calling me an a**hole for making a Major League joke!

Have you ever heard anyone say "opinions are like assholes...everyone's got one"?  That's what i was getting at but i can see i wasn't too clear.

And for the record... I could go through a whole day saying nothing but Major League quotes and be happy...  

[cmccubbin25]

ha ha...yeah...i've heard that saying a few times!

Hat for bats!

[mymonkeyfriend]

nice catch hayes, dont ever fucking do it again.

[ycartrob]

but if some stranger walked up to me in a bar and said my shirt was ugly, I would tell him he can't even catch a ground ball.

score

that's funny as shit

[Coltrane]

Seriously, though....




a little leaguer could've made that play!!!!

[evilPaauwe]

get rid of evil urges, highly suspicious, and touch me pt.2.      
and that is a as classic of an mmj album as i gets

[lazybones]

Crisco, Bardahl, Vagisil. Any one of 'em will give you another 2-3 inches drop on your curve ball.

[ycartrob]

[mymonkeyfriend]

next time i pitch against you, i am going to stick up your fuckin, ass!

I like your enthusiasm, but i didnt cut you.

what?

sounds like someone has been having a little fun with you

[mjkoehler]

You may run like Hayes but you hit like shit.

[billybuckner]

I actually feel as if there are a few good tracks on this album. Notably "smokin from shootin" "tmigts pt 2" "aluminum park" but again the reality is these tracks would be B-Sides at best on any other MMJ release. I downloaded Jim James with Conor Oberst and M. Ward doing willie nelson's "always on my mind" today and today also was the 1st time I heard the track...and it gave me that feel I was expecting EU to give me and it was all due to the "reverb" Jim James is a mediocre singer at best without the reverb. Also folks keep asking why people join this forum to bash Evil Urges - my intentions were for 2 results 1. hear others opinions 2. hopefully the band themselves get word that this album was a miss. Again overall any MMJ album is better than none but you cant be a "serious" rock band for 4 consecutive albums then release an album half full of goofball lyrics. This would be similar to Modest Mouse's next release having unhumorous unquirky lyrics. Again I really believe alot of fans out there are holding back their true feelings of the album. I was there once. I was so pumped to hear Pearl Jam's Riot Act and when it dropped I hated it only to continuosly tell myself it was great....To this day I see Riot Act as Pearl Jams worst album. Also whats with all these five star reviews from fans for the EU album? I understand that just cause I don't like it doesn't mean others aren't amazed but I can't seem to fathom the idea of any album with the songs "Highly Suspicious" "Librarian" "Two Halves" & "Sec Walkin" to be considered 5 star worthy....that would just make "the tennessee fire" "at dawn" "it still moves" & "Z" more than 5 stars and there isn't such a thing when it comes to music reviews.