The Mars Volta
May 28th 2008 00:17
Screw it, I'll do 'The Bronx 2' and 'The Fall of Troy' some other time, I've discovered, probably over the last week, that The Mars Volta is one of my favourite bands. I've always enjoyed their stuff, but it wasn't until I saw that they were coming to Brisbane I realised it. Now I've seen them before, but it got me thinking. There is barely a song of theirs I don't enjoy.
Everytime they release an album I winge about it not being as good as their earlier ones, but now, with the power of hindsight, I don't think I have a favourite album, and if anything, their more recent stuff is what I listen to more often than not.
I don't get into them the way I do some of my other favourites, I know for months in advance when a new Radiohead, Tool, Bronx or Cog album is due, yet I didn't listen to their latest The Bedlam in Goliath until well after it was released.
I'm thinking it may be my growing love of 'prog' style music. God I hate that meaningless word, but it's all I've got. Stupid time signatures, random song structure, outlandish jam sessions, it's all so damn cool. While these guys are very different from other band I've already discussed my love of (read: Baroness and Mastodon) but I'm pretty sure its the same reason they all kick arse.
Although I do have to acknowledge the truth of how one of my mates summed the band up: 'Really, they're just a bit of a wank'. And as much as I love them, it's true. All of the above reasons of why they rock is essentially over the top musical wankery. It's not nessecary, and pretty self indulgent. Their live shows are the same, with extended jam sessions that go nowhere.
Regardless, this isn't really a testimony to any particular of The Mars Volta's albums as much as it's just a glowing love of all their stuff. Now if only Sparta could get their act together, then the whole line-up of At the Drive-In would be doing great things
Everytime they release an album I winge about it not being as good as their earlier ones, but now, with the power of hindsight, I don't think I have a favourite album, and if anything, their more recent stuff is what I listen to more often than not.
I don't get into them the way I do some of my other favourites, I know for months in advance when a new Radiohead, Tool, Bronx or Cog album is due, yet I didn't listen to their latest The Bedlam in Goliath until well after it was released.
I'm thinking it may be my growing love of 'prog' style music. God I hate that meaningless word, but it's all I've got. Stupid time signatures, random song structure, outlandish jam sessions, it's all so damn cool. While these guys are very different from other band I've already discussed my love of (read: Baroness and Mastodon) but I'm pretty sure its the same reason they all kick arse.
Although I do have to acknowledge the truth of how one of my mates summed the band up: 'Really, they're just a bit of a wank'. And as much as I love them, it's true. All of the above reasons of why they rock is essentially over the top musical wankery. It's not nessecary, and pretty self indulgent. Their live shows are the same, with extended jam sessions that go nowhere.
Regardless, this isn't really a testimony to any particular of The Mars Volta's albums as much as it's just a glowing love of all their stuff. Now if only Sparta could get their act together, then the whole line-up of At the Drive-In would be doing great things
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Comment by Timothy Powell
subjective determinist
Bad men
meditations while in genetics lectures