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Too many glaringly obvious influences in one album?


Gareeh

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Me and my old man were rhyming off artists the 2nd Law mimics or has similarities too today and we got one for every song, and as we all know they aren't exactly subtle.

 

So my question is: does it take anything away from the album as a whole in your opinion, are Muse losing or still finding their sound, and is it all becoming a bit too much?

 

Discuss

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Personally, it doesn't interfere with my enjoyment of the album. It might distract me a bit on the initial listen, and sometimes it's fun to point out or play "spot the influence" but I don't care about it as much in the long run. And it might say something about Muse as an artist, but I do come to expect some obvious influences from their releases. Maybe that's why it doesn't bother me as much.

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Initially I agree with the comments made but it does bother me there is no New Born or Stockholm Syndrome or Knights of Cydonia or Uprising or Showbiz to this album - and by that I mean a song that has Muse written all over it, without a Queen, U2, Prince etc... imitation hanging over it.

 

Just a thought.

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Me and my old man were rhyming off artists the 2nd Law mimics or has similarities too today and we got one for every song, and as we all know they aren't exactly subtle.

 

So my question is: does it take anything away from the album as a whole in your opinion, are Muse losing or still finding their sound, and is it all becoming a bit too much?

 

Discuss

 

Let's complete the list, just for fun. Feel free to add:

 

Supremacy

 

- Andrew Lloyd Webber

- Whoever composed the main Bond theme

- Led Zeppelin

- The Wings

 

Madness

 

- Queen

- U2

- George Michael

 

Panic Station

 

- Stevie Wonder

- INXS

- Michael Jackson

- Queen

- Wild Cherry

- Red Hot Chili Peppers

- Primus

- George Michael

- Prince

- Franz Ferdinand

 

Prelude

 

- Eric Carmen

 

Survival

 

- Queen

 

Follow Me

 

- Gloria Gaynor

- Nero (Well... you know)

- U2

- Johnny Cash' cover of Bridge of Trouble Water

 

Animals

 

- Radiohead

- QOTSA (I don't hear it, but that's what Matt said)

- Dire Straits

- Muse

 

Explorers

 

- Queen

- The Beatles

- Keane

 

Big Freeze

 

- U2

- Beatles

 

Save Me

 

- Beach Boys

- Porcupine Tree (Steve Wilson)

 

Liquid State

 

- Foo Fighters

- QOTSA

- Tool

 

Unsustainable

 

- Hans Zimmer

- Skrillex

 

Isolated System

 

- Philip Glass

- John Carpenter

- Mike Oldfield

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You could disassemble every track on most albums by most bands and decide a load of influences, you just do it more with Muse because we're all so into this band (I assume, since you're all here)

 

Whatever influences each song has they all sound like Muse.

 

I hate it when people complain songs aren't 'Muse' enough when muse have changed pretty much constantly with every album. People seem to equate Absolution or OOS as some level of 'true Muse' when in reality Showbiz-Absolution on equate to half of their 6 studio albums.

 

Bit early to tell but I think my placing of T2L is currently Abso>OOS>BHAR>T2L>Resistance/Showbiz

 

(Having said that, the most notable influences are U2 on Big Freeze and QOTSA on Liquid State)

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Initially I agree with the comments made but it does bother me there is no New Born or Stockholm Syndrome or Knights of Cydonia or Uprising or Showbiz to this album - and by that I mean a song that has Muse written all over it, without a Queen, U2, Prince etc... imitation hanging over it.

 

Just a thought.

 

Uprising, really? http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=10&title=seven_tracks_the_new_muse_single_reminds&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 :chuckle:

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Initially I agree with the comments made but it does bother me there is no New Born or Stockholm Syndrome or Knights of Cydonia or Uprising or Showbiz to this album - and by that I mean a song that has Muse written all over it, without a Queen, U2, Prince etc... imitation hanging over it.

 

Just a thought.

 

I'd call Supremacy that song.

 

And without a doubt Animals.

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I meant Unnatural Selection and wrote Uprising for some reason. But Uprising too actually, minus Dr Who (which doesn't really count) the comparisons aren't that clear-cut.

 

Yeah US is more musey, and MK Ultra too. But still, I can find many muse-sounding songs on The 2nd Law.

 

And Dr. Who's comparison with Uprising is totally legit imo :LOL:

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Initially I agree with the comments made but it does bother me there is no New Born or Stockholm Syndrome or Knights of Cydonia or Uprising or Showbiz to this album - and by that I mean a song that has Muse written all over it, without a Queen, U2, Prince etc... imitation hanging over it.

 

Just a thought.

 

I always thought the harmonies in Knights of Cydonia was very Queen-ish. That's what made feel devoted to the band, when I was just a casual fan beforehand. The harmonies were so reminiscent of it, and I got hooked with their Queen inspiration. Although now, I'd like them to take a slight step back from it every so often. :LOL:

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I'll add a few

 

Supremacy

 

- The Wings

 

Panic Station

 

- Prince

- George Michael

 

Follow Me

 

- Johnny Cash's cover of Bridge Over Troubled Water

 

Save Me

 

- Porcupine Tree (Steve Wilson)

 

Liquid State

 

- Tool

 

Isolated System

 

- Mike Oldfield

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Yeah US is more musey, and MK Ultra too. But still, I can find many muse-sounding songs on The 2nd Law.

 

And Dr. Who's comparison with Uprising is totally legit imo :LOL:

 

Yeah Dr Who is really obvious but it's more of an ode than an inspiration. They even take the piss out of it in the 'making of' video.

 

I'm not denying the 2nd Law is less Muse-y, but it pays far more tributes to other artists than any other album does.

 

Radiohead and RATM have always been there. Queen and Prince come into play at BHAR. Now a flood of influences. (ignoring classical artists at the moment)

 

I always thought the harmonies in Knights of Cydonia was very Queen-ish. That's what made feel devoted to the band, when I was just a casual fan beforehand. The harmonies were so reminiscent of it, and I got hooked with their Queen inspiration. Although now, I'd like them to take a slight step back from it every so often. :LOL:

 

I don't see it?

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Got to agree with this thread. It's definitely my main problem with Muse at the moment, they have been almost entirely consumed by their influences. Take Madness: I can just imagine them thinking "we need a guitar solo here...just stick on one of our classic, trademark solos" then bust out what is essentially I Want To Break Free.

 

Influences are obviously a positive thing and it is of course up to the bands discretion, but they've had too many songs influenced by the same bands - it's always Queen, U2 or maybe (if we're lucky) RATM. They're not Queen, U2 or RATM so I think they should just calm it down a bit.

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I meant Unnatural Selection and wrote Uprising for some reason. But Uprising too actually, minus Dr Who (which doesn't really count) the comparisons aren't that clear-cut.

 

What the hell man that riff is a pure Billy Idol rip-off. And the song also has some Blondie in it , but that is not even the deal, go hear White Wedding...

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