First impression of The Bedlam In Goliath

So far...good, but not great. Although, it's still growing on me and like most TMV, will need a while to digest.

Honestly, watch any youtube videos of Theodore and compare him to Pridgen.  Pridgen's an actual musician/player who gives it his all: HOLDS THINGS DOWN, LISTENS, improvs polyrhythmically, likes the material, etc. whereas you can actually SEE the points where Theodore stops trying/gets lazy and is more or less an amateur in comparison.  The Mars Volta sounded like an accentuated goddamn mess because JT couldn't hold sh*t down, be enthused, or try anything exciting live...you can tell he was being hard-pressed to improv/jam with them/care.  You might also infer that TMV with JT was more a mess because no one in the band gave a sh*t due to personal tensions, but this is entirely different albeit not totally besides the point.  

Time will tell in the long run with his implementation in the band (I'm more interested in seeing his laid back playing; if you don't know, their next album is supposed to be a sort of antithesis to Bedlam) but if you ask me Pridgen plays CIRCLES, CIRCLES around Theodore.  His background is far more impressive too.  JT likes Cobham, Chambers, etc.  TP comes from a completely different world (his background is in R&B and Gospel!) and has TOURED with Chambers in clinics...I just look at the two under the lens of  the professional viz. the amateur.

Like the post I made before: either cling to the past or move on.

kibble_alex wrote: laplace wrote: I've heard this now and I miss all the noise. I don't like the new drummer - he seems to have professional muso disorder and doesn't seem to be serving the songs all the time. I also wonder why they've stopped writing songs they way they did on De-loused; how much has the line-up changed since then? I agree with you on the drummer point. No doubt about it, he is excellent; he is more of a solo drummer though, like Billy Cobham and Mike Portnoy, as opposed to drummers like Alan White and Guy Evans, who play more for the music than themselves. In other words, Thomas Pridgen would be much more as a solist, not an accompanist.

He's a good drummer, but I think Jon Theodore was much better. He was simultaniously bombastic whilst being simpathetic to the music, with great chops.

laplace wrote: I've heard this now and I miss all the noise. I don't like the new drummer - he seems to have professional muso disorder and doesn't seem to be serving the songs all the time. I also wonder why they've stopped writing songs they way they did on De-loused; how much has the line-up changed since then?

I agree with you on the drummer point. No doubt about it, he is excellent; he is more of a solo drummer though, like Billy Cobham and Mike Portnoy, as opposed to drummers like Alan White and Guy Evans, who play more for the music than themselves. In other words, Thomas Pridgen would be much more as a solist, not an accompanist.

I don't like to vote or compare an album after only a few listenings, but it will probably be one of my favorite 2008 albums. I feel something corresponding to what I felt when I discovered Deloused, which is pretty rare!

Only 15 hours left and I'll be on my house listening to it. *fingers crossed*

BTW Stonebeard, I like your sig.

First impression is that this could be an outstanding masterpiece, one of my favourites. Its certainly better than Amputechture and Frances the Mute, but I may have trouble deciding between this and De-Loused....

laplace wrote: I've heard this now and I miss all the noise. I don't like the new drummer - he seems to have professional muso disorder and doesn't seem to be serving the songs all the time. I also wonder why they've stopped writing songs they way they did on De-loused; how much has the line-up changed since then?

The noise on De-Loused was balanced, and some of it on Frances as well, but that latter had it in slight abundance.
I really think the drummer is the only big change where personel is concerned, but he sure was good, wasn't he..
I think they may never again write a song as good as "Take the veil", it is such a masterpiece. With perfect drumming, as well.

I've heard this now and I miss all the noise. I don't like the new drummer - he seems to have professional muso disorder and doesn't seem to be serving the songs all the time. I also wonder why they've stopped writing songs they way they did on De-loused; how much has the line-up changed since then?

Bought the album earlier this afternoon.... Listening to it now, and the first impression so far is very positive. However, I suppose I will need more than one listen to fully appreciate it.