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MillsLayne View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: The Mars Volta dilemma...
    Posted: July 14 2012 at 21:38
Okay, so I have a question that I was hoping could be answered, although, it's all opinions.  What I was curious about with TMV was, I have their first two albums, and quite honestly, I can't get into them.  I'm all for chaotic music, but those two albums are just a little much for me.  Now, I've heard snippets of their other four albums and I like what I hear.  Strange, slowed down, kinda surreal.  Is their sound pretty much different in their first two albums compared to the last four? 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 14 2012 at 21:48
The Bedlam is Goliath is their fourth album and also their most chaotic. Much more so than the first two.

Octohedron, their fifth, is quite mellow. I would recommend checking it out.

Noctourniquet features a good combination of mellow and heavy moments.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 14 2012 at 21:48
Their most recent I think would be the most accessible, while still having the trademark weirdness, but they're normally hit or miss.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 14 2012 at 22:17
The first 4 albums are more similar to each other, with the chaos and insanity peaking at Bedlam In Goliath. You might be interested in checking out their 2 most recent albums.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 14 2012 at 22:20
Yep, check out the new one.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 14 2012 at 22:24
Noctourniquet is the best album of their that isn't really hectic. The accessibility is warm and the songs' quality are much higher than the ones found on Octahedron. If you ease up on Noct. i'd advise returning to Deloused in the Comatorium honestly. If you still can't get into it then Octahedron and Frances are your next two stops. 
Crushed like a rose in the riverflow.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 14 2012 at 23:18
I liked the first 2. Then their sound started rubbing me the wrong way.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 15 2012 at 12:33
De-loused was fine, then Frances and the next 2 really put me off, way too much info crammed into the mix till i got a headache hahah
 
i didnt hear Octahedron, but i do like Noctruniquet, just the right balance bet chaos and melody
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 15 2012 at 13:19
I am the only person on this forum who likes The Bedlam In Goliath.

Then again, I'm a bit of a weirdo.


"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." -- H.L. Mencken
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 15 2012 at 13:21
Bedlam is great, just the complete opposite of what he wants. LOL
Crushed like a rose in the riverflow.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 15 2012 at 13:25
I like Bedlam too. I listened to it a lot when it came out.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 15 2012 at 14:39
Just listen to Frances the Mute until it's burned into your brain. Trust me, it's worth it
I'm so mad that you enjoy a certain combination of noises that I don't
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 19 2012 at 13:03
First 3 are great but after that I can take them or leave them and I can't get away with the new one at all. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 19 2012 at 15:19
I'm in the same situation as yourself, I have only their first 2 and although I find them interesting (for lack of a better word...) they did not excite me enough as to make me spend more money on their other albums.
 
I like Deloused slightly better than Frances but I like them both, it's just that when it comes to choosing music to spend my money in, other TMV albums are not high enough in the wishlist.
 
For the comments I don't think i will be thrilled by Bedlam but I might like Octohedron and Noctourniquet. Maybe some day...
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 19 2012 at 15:49
Originally posted by Nightfly Nightfly wrote:

First 3 are great but after that I can take them or leave them and I can't get away with the new one at all. 

Get away with the new one? You mean you keep listening to it? Or you're trying to escape it? 
Crushed like a rose in the riverflow.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2012 at 02:04

Based on Frances The Mute I would probably define TMV as brilliant musicians that give me a headache. That said I did rate it 5 stars (maybe because I didn't want to feel left outEmbarrassed) . One of those bands I will just file under 'I wish I could like them a lot more than I actually do'.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2012 at 03:42
Originally posted by zappaholic zappaholic wrote:

I am the only person on this forum who likes The Bedlam In Goliath.

Then again, I'm a bit of a weirdo.
 
You are not the only one, I like everything they did, Bedlam is a split no.1, with the debut. 
 
NB: For me, if an album is easy to get into, as in I love it at first sight, 80% says its forgetable, and im not comming back to it much, after a few months. 


Edited by tamijo - July 20 2012 at 03:46
Prog is whatevey you want it to be. So dont diss other peoples prog, and they wont diss yours
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2012 at 04:02
My favorite album is Amputechture which was not mentioned here, but by what you're looking for I agree with the rest, go for Noctourniquet which is really superb or Octahedron which IMO is their weakest. They are worth getting into, that's for sure.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2012 at 04:11
Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

I would probably define TMV as brilliant musicians that give me a headache.
LOL  quite--   all I know is I didn't care for that live album

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 20 2012 at 04:42
Originally posted by tamijo tamijo wrote:

Originally posted by zappaholic zappaholic wrote:

I am the only person on this forum who likes The Bedlam In Goliath.

Then again, I'm a bit of a weirdo.
 
You are not the only one, I like everything they did, Bedlam is a split no.1, with the debut. 
 
NB: For me, if an album is easy to get into, as in I love it at first sight, 80% says its forgetable, and im not comming back to it much, after a few months. 

The first half of Bedlam is the best 40min of music I think I have ever heard. The second half is good but not great. Frances The Mute embodies everything I love about music. I know ever second of that album. Pure genius.

Rest of the albums vary from 'good' (Amputechture, Deloused) to 'great' (Octahedron, Noctourniquet).
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