Drones Album Discussion Thread

[Jobby]

It is, in a "oh well let's sing along while laughing so hard" way. I'm pretty sure Revolt will do the same - and I actually like Revolt, I like Matt's delivery and the tempo change.

 

Pfff that's how I listen to it normally. I would quite like to see it live though.

 

Also, Revolt's brilliant. Easily one of the best songs since BH&R for me. Looking forward to seeing it (assuming it's played), even if I end up being the only person around me going mad for it.

[LewisF]

Revolt is the dogs nuts. Brilliant

[forevermusic]

Well, that all went completely over my head... Feeling pretty old right now.

I could've offered more info on this had I been paying attention before the U2 gig in London I attended last week, given Vrse apparently had a bus parked outside the venue demonstrating this and I didn't notice. Perils of a hungry mind looking for food I guess.

 

Its basically a virtual reality music video, with this version being done by U2 on stage in soundcheck before their Toronto gigs this year, and mixed in with videos of their fans singing. Although by the sounds of it, you need some kind of headset or headwear to make it a full VR experience.

 

The reason for sharing is that it mentions Muse are making a virtual reality video that will be released by Apple Music. Thought it was worth noting.

Anyone else here hate Mercy??

 

I can't stand that song. IMO it's the worst song they have ever written. It's just so bad

How is Muse's worst song anything other than Guiding Light?

[jonisdead]

NSC remains their worst song to date.

 

Mercy is good and Aftermath is pretty decent. Aftermath has some great guitar work that I really like, despite the weak ending.

 

NSC live isn't anything to laugh at.

[jonisdead]

How is Muse's worst song anything other than Guiding Light?

 

Unnatural Selection exists

[forevermusic]

Unnatural Selection exists

 

Disagree - its not New Born or Stockholm, but its still good, and the mid-section is very good sounding live.

[odier]

Unnatural Selection exists

 

As the best on TR?

[jonisdead]

As the best on TR?

 

kek nice joke

 

Disagree - its not New Born or Stockholm, but its still good, and the mid-section is very good sounding live.

 

mid-section is piss break live, and the verses are very awkward both live and in studio; even Defector delivers more on the energy front

[Jobby]

Disagree - its not New Born or Stockholm, but its still good, and the mid-section is very good sounding live.

 

I'd say it's just as good, if not better than New Born. In fact, I can't think of many songs I've seen live that were better than US.

[serpentsatellite]

So I put this cardboard Viewmaster and my cell phone on my face and that's virtual reality?

Sci fi lies to me again.

[jonisdead]

I'd say it's just as good, if not better than New Born. In fact, I can't think of many songs I've seen live that were better than US.

 

and you were present during the Psycho UK Tour too, correct?

[forevermusic]

I'd say it's just as good, if not better than New Born. In fact, I can't think of many songs I've seen live that were better than US.

Wouldn't go that far.

 

New Born was meh at the O2 in 2012 (aside from a fucking monstrous Headup outro riff) but was good the other times I've seen it. Reading 2011 was the best though, by virtue of the fact its the only time I've seen Matt actually play the sodding piano intro... granted it was through a curtain, but still. Much as it was good then, I was really disappointed not to get Stockholm at the Emirates in 2013, and it sounded better in the soundcheck.

 

Only got US at the first 2 gigs, but the Wembley 2010 rendition was much better.

So I put this cardboard Viewmaster and my cell phone on my face and that's virtual reality?

Sci fi lies to me again.

Basically yes.

 

Presumably the idea is to see it through one of those Oculus things.

[Bohemian-Cygnus-Running-Out]

Question:

Has anyone else been having issues with their vinyl copies of Drones? The bass is barely audible during parts of some tracks on mine (though Mercy actually, finally sounds fairly decently mixed), especially on Reapers (which sucks cause that's one of Chris' best basslines in a long time), it came with skips right out of the sleeve, and new skips are appearing randomly without me scratching or messing with the record in any way (especially on Psycho). Why are these issues occurring, does anyone else have them, and can they be helped without buying another copy?

 

I can mostly live with the low bass levels since I have the digital version as well, but the appearance of new skips has me worried.

[Jobby]

and you were present during the Psycho UK Tour too, correct?

 

Yeah, but I don't really see the relevance? I've been to a fair few gigs.

 

If I was to compare US to some other songs I've seen that are typically hyped up by fans, I'd say it's better than: CE, Dead Star, Bliss, New Born, Fury, The Groove, Reapers, The Handler, Megalomania, Survival and Space Dementia, off the top of my head.

 

New Born was meh at the O2 in 2012 (aside from a fucking monstrous Headup outro riff) but was good the other times I've seen it. Reading 2011 was the best though, by virtue of the fact its the only time I've seen Matt actually play the sodding piano intro... granted it was through a curtain, but still.

 

Yeah, New Born was rough for most of TR Tour. Too slow and no piano. It was great at Leeds/Reading but I think that it was boosted up by the occasion and atmosphere, at least it was for me anyway. If we're cutting it down to just the song, I think US is better live.

Edited October 29, 2015 by Jobby

[Boogles.]

Question:

Has anyone else been having issues with their vinyl copies of Drones? The bass is barely audible during parts of some tracks on mine (though Mercy actually, finally sounds fairly decently mixed), especially on Reapers (which sucks cause that's one of Chris' best basslines in a long time), it came with skips right out of the sleeve, and new skips are appearing randomly without me scratching or messing with the record in any way (especially on Psycho). Why are these issues occurring, does anyone else have them, and can they be helped without buying another copy?

 

I can mostly live with the low bass levels since I have the digital version as well, but the appearance of new skips has me worried.

 

The only issue I had with my Drones vinyl (first play upon getting home from HMV) was that there was a bit in The Globalist that skipped. Other than that, everything's fine, although my dads stereo system may have something to do with it sounding as good as it does.

[jonisdead]

Yeah, but I don't really see the relevance? I've been to a fair few gigs.

 

If I was to compare US to some other songs I've seen that are typically hyped up by fans, I'd say it's better than: CE, Dead Star, Bliss, New Born, Fury, The Groove, Reapers, The Handler, Megalomania, Survival and Space Dementia, off the top of my head.

 

perplexing. Hearing the Dead Star riff alone was far more exciting for me than having to listen to a very meh rendition of a meh song like US when I saw them during TR tour. I highly doubt US is more exciting than any of the rest, since I've seen Bliss and New Born live too and those delivered on the excitement front far more effectively IMO.

[lurkinglurkerlurksagain]

Jonisdead is actually alive!

[Jobby]

perplexing. Hearing the Dead Star riff alone was far more exciting for me than having to listen to a very meh rendition of a meh song like US when I saw them during TR tour. I highly doubt US is more exciting than any of the rest, since I've seen Bliss and New Born live too and those delivered on the excitement front far more effectively IMO.

 

Maybe you saw a meh performance, I dunno. When I saw it, it was meaty as fuck.

[deandra3inez]

I hated it at first but I've come round to it a bit tbh. I always thought the verses were quite catchy but the boring chorus always put me off. I still think that but it just bothers me less now. It's not bad live either.

 

Aftermath might be in with a 'worst ever' shout though imo.

 

I would always skip it at first.. or the monks chanting or whatever that is.. I'd always skip both of those but now I actually have got into mercy more it's slower for sure but not horrible

[serpentsatellite]

Saw one of the T2L performances of US, and I didn't hate it as much live due to Matt not singing the "ocean" lines as terribly as on album, but it wasn't terribly exciting, tbh. I enjoyed the bridge, but the rest of it was just 'meh.'

 

Haven't seen any of those other awesome songs Jobby listed other than Survival, which I pretty much mentally tuned out right when it started.

[jonisdead]

Jonisdead is actually alive!

 

The hype for Muse gigs in December resuscitated me

[Bumpypotato]

Saw one of the T2L performances of US, and I didn't hate it as much live due to Matt not singing the "ocean" lines as terribly as on album, but it wasn't terribly exciting, tbh. I enjoyed the bridge, but the rest of it was just 'meh.'

 

I dunno, I've always really liked US. It's campy, but not in that uncomfortable, love letter to Bono way we've been exposed to in recent years. The ending was massive live.

[Mozza]

I dunno, I've always really liked US. It's campy, but not in that uncomfortable, love letter to Bono way we've been exposed to in recent years. The ending was massive live.

 

It was ok to hear it again in Belfast. If they were going to pick a rockier one from the last two albums I would have preferred MK Ultra, but US is decent enough live.

[serpentsatellite]

I really love a lot of what people consider more of the campy Muse songs. Along those lines I really liked what Matt said about Queen in that Deezer interview, and putting stuff or emotion into songs that people might find a bit embarrassing.

 

US is just stale on album, imo. It's the most flat and lifeless thing I think they've done, and it's also derivative of their other work.

Other than the bridge, I thought that translated live, too. Doesn't matter to me if something is "heavy" or "beefy" if it feels that way.

Unfortunately, most of the T2L tracks also felt that way live, which made for a long stretch of songs that came across overly neutral to me live.

 

That's a big reason I've wanted to see the Drones stuff live, because they seemingly figured out how to put some emotion back into their material, and I was big on seeing if that translated live this time.

 

Oh, and the lyrics to US are insufferable to me.

[forevermusic]

Yeah, but I don't really see the relevance? I've been to a fair few gigs.

 

If I was to compare US to some other songs I've seen that are typically hyped up by fans, I'd say it's better than: CE, Dead Star, Bliss, New Born, Fury, The Groove, Reapers, The Handler, Megalomania, Survival and Space Dementia, off the top of my head.

 

 

 

Yeah, New Born was rough for most of TR Tour. Too slow and no piano. It was great at Leeds/Reading but I think that it was boosted up by the occasion and atmosphere, at least it was for me anyway. If we're cutting it down to just the song, I think US is better live.

 

Not quite so sure about saying its better than Space Dementia or Bliss at least. On a par with New Born, yes. I've not seen Fury or The Handler.

 

I do agree the version on the Resistance tour didn't really work. Morgan on piano kinda kills the track tbh.