So I'm just getting into MMJ's music and I only have 4 songs (I'm Amazed, One Big Holiday, Wordless Chorus, and Off the Record) but I love what I hear and I want to buy a MMJ album before I go on vacation tomorrow? So I wanted to know what you guys think is the best MMJ album for a beginning listener like me? I was initially thinking Z, but from what I've previewed Evil Urges on itunes, I was really intruiged. Thanks for the input!!
At Dawn is 1 of my all time favorite albums of all time; right up there with the best of all time, IMO.
At Dawn, my final answer.
welcome
I second that, Tracy!
A tad different than Z or Evil Urges, but the essential, IMO.
My favourite is It Still Moves.
for a beginner I'd go with Tennesse Fire...start from the beginning.
How exciting!
Okonokos is the best way to get into their music, I have found.
Also, Z is an absolute classic and the reason I got into them.
okonokos...duh
my first album was it still moves. but, i think all their albums are great, so you can't really go wrong with any of them.
nice thread by the way!
go with Okonokos and branch off. It won't matter after long you will be lost and hooked
i would go with okonokos, you can hear songs from at dawn, ism, and z...plus live is where the magic happens
QuoteAt Dawn is 1 of my all time favorite albums of all time; right up there with the best of all time, IMO.
At Dawn, my final answer.
welcome
I say At Dawn, too!
I started with Z, I was a late bloomer, but really any place is a great start. Just dive right in, I always enjoy going chronological with bands but I definitely didn't with MMJ, I believe mine went:
Z-It Still Moves-Tennessee Fire-At Dawn-Okonokos-Various EP's-The Early Recordings Comp 1 & 2-Evil Urges
Z
you shouldn't rush this process--that's like chugging fine wine
buy Tennesee Fire first and then proceed to buy and listen to them in chronological order--very important...do NOT buy the live album first!!!
AT DAWN!!!! ;)
Based on the path you have started down, get Okonokos. It will give you a good introduction to many albums and you get the live experience. It is also the longest album (2 discs) for you to enjoy on vacation.
These threads are a pet peeve for me, because many people don't listen to the original poster and instead want them to get into the band the same way they did. You have started with and connected with the newer material. If you jump head first into At Dawn or Tennessee Fire, it could stunt your growth because it is way different than the MMJ you have grown to like so far. Okonokos will give you a heavy dose of the newer material that you like, but it will also give you an introduction to the first two albums. Some people don't have the time or the funds to gobble up all of the records and become a superfan overnight. Buy Okonokos and you won't be disappointed.
awesome. another thread where someone asks for an opinion, we give them, and they apparently aren't good enough for others.
and i agree with penny. i wouldn't recommend okonokos first, but it is a good "greatest hits" album. it might not be a bad idea to buy them in order to get the feel of progression the band has been through to get to the point they are in now, but regardless, they are all spectacular albums. you can't go wrong with any of them. i got it still moves first when it was released, then worked my way backwards (and forwards when Z came out). i really didn't listen to TTF until last summer/fall.
At Dawn is 1 of my all time favorite albums of all time; right up there with the best of all time, IMO.
At Dawn, my final answer.
welcome
I'd say Z or It Still Moves.
It all depends on where you're going for vacation.
Chronological order is not a bad idea, even though you're already familiar with some of their newer songs. For me, it started with It Still Moves. But if you're going to start with earlier material, I'm thinking At Dawn would be better than The Tennesse Fire, because it's a much better album, and I think it's when they really began to hit their stride.
At Dawn
I started off with It Still Moves but any choice you make will be the correct one! ;)
I began my journey by downloading One Big Holiday, I downloaded some more of It Still Moves, but not the whole thing. That week I went to buy some of their CD's, but the store I go to only had Okonokos. Nedless to say once I heard the live version of Run Thru and Dondante I was hooked. So Okonokos seems like a good choice for me. Some one starting at Tennessee Fire may be a little deceived about how the bands sound.
That said though I wish I would have never heard anything and just originally started at TF.
QuoteI began my journey by downloading One Big Holiday, I downloaded some more of It Still Moves, but not the whole thing. That week I went to buy some of their CD's, but the store I go to only had Okonokos. Nedless to say once I heard the live version of Run Thru and Dondante I was hooked. So Okonokos seems like a good choice for me. Some one starting at Tennessee Fire may be a little deceived about how the bands sound.
That said though I wish I would have never heard anything and just originally started at TF.
I started with It Still Moves. I wish I had started with TF also, but honestly I don't think I would have gotten hooked on the band had I done that. Even with ISM, it took me several weeks before it clicked.
The cool thing about Okonokos is it's kind of like getting the sampler at a new brewpub. Everyone has different tastes, so I don't take the bartender's recommendation. If I just tried the one recommended to me and I didn't like it, I may never come back and miss out on one of the beers I would actually enjoy. I sample the beers for myself and then pick the one that I like the most. Okonokos allows you to do that, and as an added bonus it gives you the flavor of their live show, where they are strongest.
I started with AD and I didnt get to TTF until the darla vinyl re-release. I am glad that I did not start with TTF...i wouldn't have 'got it'. TTF is a fans record not a record to start with.
QuoteI started with AD and I didnt get to TTF until the darla vinyl re-release. I am glad that I did not start with TTF...i wouldn't have 'got it'. TTF is a fans record not a record to start with.
TRUE DAT!
I started with Chocolate & Ice and was hooked as soon as I heard Cobra, (and Sooner is still a family fav). Then moved to Acoustic Citsuoca, then It Still Moves, At Dawn & The Tennessee Fire (I said I was hooked didn't I?). I hear the arguments for and against Okonokos, but it will have to be my suggestion, as you get both the flavor of them live and the essence of multiple albums.
the best way to hear them live (absolutely not taking anything away from oko, because it blew my freakin' mind) is to go SEE them live. whew! what an experience that is. WATERFRONT!!!!!!!
Chronological order....no, Tennessee Fire isn't their best album, but it is really amazing to discover a band and follow them album by album and see the different directions they take their material.
I'd vote for Z, hands down.
I feel like the sound is a little more polished than their earlier albums, and the album's appeal seems obvious to me. I think that even a casual fan can appreciate Z on some level.
If you want to go another route, I actually got my wife hooked through Acoustic Citsuoca. It might be a good option if the first-time listener enjoys a more mellow sound.
QuoteI'd vote for Z, hands down.
I feel like the sound is a little more polished than their earlier albums, and the album's appeal seems obvious to me. I think that even a casual fan can appreciate Z on some level.
If you want to go another route, I actually got my wife hooked through Acoustic Citsuoca. It might be a good option if the first-time listener enjoys a more mellow sound.
Two very good points. I've found that AC really turns people on, unless they are heartless, soul-less metal heads.
Two paths...
Either start with Okonokos, and then find the albums with your favorite songs... or start with Evil Urges and work backwards from Z to It Still Moves! and so forth.
I believe It Still Moves may be my favorite album, and I guess I'd recommend starting with that or Z.
I all depends on your friend's taste in music and what else they're listening to at the time. For my alt-country acoustic-loving friend, I'd throw them anything from It Still Moves or before, especially AC. For someone who listens to more "normal" music, or who is a more casual music fan, I'd give them Z.
However, so far I've found that more people like Evil Urges right off the bat than anything else. I have no idea why, but they do. I guess it's more accessible.
Edit: Either way, the trick is to get them to want to see mmj live. That's when the real conversion happens.
The first one I got was OKONOKOS, but I was already an established fan through downloads and streams.
For a beginner, I'd probably recommend AT DAWN.
beginner schbeginner
At Dawn is one of the best albums ever made. Accept no substitutes.
This isn't rocket science, it's rockenroll ;)
At Dawn
TTF and AD have a similar acoustic feel to them. Then with ISM (the "bridge" album) the other genres start to emerge and become more prevalent with Z and EU. Therefore, I'd start with ISM as the album with the broadest spectrum of MMJ's music.