How has your opinion of Muse changed over time

[Spectrum IV]

My opinion of this band has changed quite a bit over time.

 

When I first discovered them in my mid-late teen years, I went through a few periods of obsession with them. I'd fall madly in love for a few months and listen to them exclusively, being consistently awe-struck and enchanted by their music, and then I'd get sick of them for a while and not even want to hear their name mentioned.

 

I've found that as I've gotten older, like my feelings towards a lot of things in life, my opinion of Muse has slowly stabilised. It dawned on me recently that I don't particularly "hate" anything they do anymore – even their worst moments (Guiding Light, Coma, Sober) have something unique and enjoyable to offer – and likewise, I'm not madly in love with them anymore either, but on occasion they can still manage to blow my mind (eg: I remembered how much I love Micro Cuts tonight).

 

So basically, Muse and I are in a long-term relationship, and while I sometimes long for the butterflies and excitement that they once gave me, I'm just happy I haven't gotten completely sick of them after so long.

[Peter.]

yeah, I guess everyone's got that obsession period. mine was when I started discovering all the songs in depth and I was like "that's it, it doesn't get better than this....hey look, a better song!"

 

I couldn't even see how shit the shit parts of The Resistance were because it was the first album I've heard and I was just drooling all over it. Now I just facepalm everytime I think back to how epic I thought US was...

 

Then T2L came and I slowly came back to earth, the whole thing was a disappointment, bar a few moments (animals, survival, isolated system). I tried persuading myself that "come one man, look how epic Supremacy is" but I had to realise that the whole thing somehow lost momentum. Then came drones, and it went from "meh" to shit. Like, seriously shit.

Other than The Handler, I can't name one song on that thing that doesn't make me cringe or frown. Not sure I even want to spend money on seeing them this year, I could afford 3 much better shows for that price.

[Hat]

I recognise much of what's in the OP. I saw them live in 2006, first time I ever heard of them. After a few songs I though "Hey, this sounds kinda good", but I didn't really pay that much attention. Barely even looked at them.

 

Then I began listening to them for real in...late 2007, possibly early 2008. I think BH&R and Hullabaloo were the first albums on my phone. I didn't fall in love straight away, but after about half a year I was in love, and spent soo much time watching youtube videos, listening to every song and buying all their stuff (Watched HAARP and Hullabaloo pretty much twice a week.

 

Then came The Resistance. And after the first months of "omg new Muse album", I started to realise just how disappointed I actually was. And it's been downhill from there. Now I'm at a place where I can listen to pretty much any Muse song and be at least somewhat enjoyed, but the number of songs that are simply okay to listen to have risen to worrying levels on the past two-three albums.

 

I'm not sick of Muse, but I also don't have that much of an interest in seeing them live, and I will no longer really pay for anything Muse related unless I'm sure I absolutely love the majority of it.

[Furygirl]

I pretty much feel the same as the OP. I've kind of lost interest in them, and many other bands have eclipsed them as favorites. But I can't imagine ever reaching the point of NOT liking them, period. I'm still a fan. I'd just really love it if they released an entire album of good songs, not just 3 or 4 and no b-sides. They're just a band now, as opposed to an obsession or way of life. The thing I miss though due to my waning interest is traveling to see them and meeting up with friends/fans. I just can't justify doing that anymore because I'd rather travel for other bands.

[Jobby]

2008-2010 (~12-14 y/o): The obsession years. Heard Plug In Baby for the first time and was instantly hooked. Everything they did (apart from TR) was genius, best band ever, "Matt u my hero", watched every interview, got in on all the cringey inside jokes etc. etc.

 

2011-2012 (15-16 y/o): The jadedness begins. Matt's a nob, pop is bad, only Showbiz-Abso is good, "fuk hits, dead star r de bes" etc.

 

2012-2013 (16-17 y/o): Obsession mini-renaissance. First time being involved with album build-up, thinking T2L was amazing, live shows going back up a notch all got me back to being excited again but pessimism/jadedness still kept me from showing it too much and still had a bit of a pretense towards hits. Love for Black Holes starts to grow.

 

2013-2014 (17-18 y/o): Love for T2L faded massively. Started to generally lose interest whilst also really getting into a few other artists more. Began considering Muse as a phase that I was probably past and would probably just pay passing attention to in the future.

 

2015: Cautiously let myself get more and more excited by the Drones build-up. Album came out and, for once, I didn't feel any extreme emotion about it. Enjoyed the good stuff on it and stopped seeing the bad stuff as the end of the world. Manchester Academy was a young-me's dream come true, made me feel like a kid and realise that the band'll probably always be special for how much they've meant to me in the past.

 

Now: Think I'm in a pretty healthy place as a fan tbh. I've loosened up a lot, lost pretty much all of my pretenses towards what songs I like (including live, which is a big help for enjoying the shows and not minding seeing the same things) and get less bogged down by the meh stuff. Still listen to and play Origin, Abso, Black Holes and Drones regularly and keep up to date with what the band are up to. Go to as many potentially special shows as I can to make sure I don't miss any faves that I might never see otherwise.

 

tl;dr: a long-term relationship, like other people have said

[kueller]

2008 I first heard them. Started with Absolution and got really into it. Spent about a year getting familiar with every song, from studio albums to b-sides to demos to the official live releases. It was real obsession, and for some reason I'm not ashamed of it. Saw them live for the first time in 2009. They weren't the first band I got into but they were the first to blow me away from the first listen. I really admired them.

 

Spent the first half of high school in that obsession mode. I'd download all the live bootlegs at my 70kb/s internet speed and got to know them all. I got a lot of people I knew into the band. I was even known as the big Muse fan once they started to actually become a recognizable name. I was already getting a little disappointed at the beginning of the differences in US vs. Europe concert qualities. It wasn't a big issue though.

 

Later high school I started to drift away from the band, not for dislking them but since I started to hear more music, that was more fresh to me. I started seeing Muse not as the peak of music anymore and finding more interest in other more experimental stuff and being kinda nostalgic towards Muse's older days. Disappointment with The Resistance helped that.

 

The 2nd Law I thought was fun even if I grew out of it quickly like most people. I loved the tour and the concert I attended. I embraced the cheesy side of Muse. By now I had gone deep into a lot of experimental fields of music and kind of wrapped around to where I really appreciate something that just entertains and is more immediate. Muse are admittedly really good at that, by my tastes. I also started growing the highly optimistic and subjective view of music I hold, and mostly stopped caring so much about whether or not I liked a song they released. This carried on into Drones.

 

I kinda settled also musically like many others. I can't even pick a distinct favorite band anymore, but Muse are still up there among my top. Their best work still connects with all my music preferences and they've been the base for all other music I found later which says a lot. I still find myself listening to them a ton despite the rest of my music library having grown drastically since I first heard them and I can go watch some of the great performances and be as awed as the first viewing.

 

Live this tour has been really disappointing to me, probably most disappointment I've had since I've been a fan, which should be no surprise since I've said that a lot. They've proved in recent years they can still have the power of the rock band I fell in love with, but I wish they'd actually do that more often so I could see it. I still enjoy their music very much so it hurts to know there's some personal conflict in there that's not existed before. To the former fact though, I'm glad.

 

On a side note, the community has become a big part of this. I started regularly posting here around 2011 when I had nothing better to do, and I still visit frequently despite not being as obsessed as I used to be. Same goes for things like videos which I've always tried to make from a neutral standpoint.

 

wew

[sventington]

the first song I heard was Newborn, which a girl in high school put on a mixed cd for me. I thought it was phenomenal, but didn't really look into the band any further for a year or so. At that point I started downloading the odd track here and there, and loved everything I came across. When a friend finally put Origin of Symmetry on during a car ride leading to a cottage, I was blown away. Shortly afterwards I bought Origin of Symmetry and Absolution and was so so pleased. I felt like they could do no wrong. They had this unique, frantic energy I couldn't get enough of. I even enjoyed much of Showbiz.

 

This enthusiasm continued until I bought Black Holes and Revelations on the strength of hearing/seeing the Knights of Cydonia video. I think I joined the board around the same time.

 

Then I listened to the album.

 

It had a lot of awful tracks on it. I was really disappointed, but hopeful that it was just an aberration. I had hope for the future.

 

The future didn't really deliver. I became kind of bitter, as ridiculous as that is. Still, I enjoyed the board quite a bit through the decline nonetheless, so it isn't a total loss. I hear the new album isn't too shabby, so maybe one day I will listen to it. I don't know that I have the drive though. I kind of lost that old feeling. I think it is dead.

 

My opinion, I guess, is that they are no longer for me. Whatever I heard that struck a chord has become something else, and now I am older and less inclined to like anything. I may shit on them from time to time, but I am glad they bring other people happiness.

Edited May 19, 2016 by sventington

[Fish Luke]

Still obsessed with their good material. I have muse riffs playing in my head most of the time.

[BlueEyedFloozy]

I was mildly obsessed with them when Abso came out, and continued with it with BH&R. I listened to Showbiz a couple of times but didn't like it that much, and somehow OOS never got on my radar which is ridiculous because it's absolutely 100% completely the kind of thing I LOVED back then.

 

Then I went through some Very Bad Times and lost interest in music completely so The Resistance and T2L passed me by completely when they came out; then I listened to some things off T2L and was like OMG what happened to them they used to be so GOOD

 

Then Drones came out and I HATED it. Was really upset because I'd read reports that they were going back to their original hard rock roots and I'd got over my Very Bad Times and was really into my music again. I listened to one song, went dear god that's just dross what a shame all the good bands go shit. Then someone said whaaaaaat it's really good and I realised my mistake: I'd listened to it on shuffle by mistake and Aftermath was the first song I heard When I listened to it PROPERLY I loved (most of) it and for some reason have been really quite a lot obsessed with them ever since. The only bands I've ever got this enthused about before are Queen and Blur

[Gemsy]

2000 (age 19) - fell for dat BASS, bought Showbiz, played it to DEATH, searched for lyrics and obsessed over them and thought they were amazing lol, found Microcuts.net, read every interview ever, met other fans online, absolutely loved this fucking band omg, I was in a band myself at the time and they were everything I wanted us to be... bought OoS when it came out, played it to DEATH, I even liked Feeling Good

 

2002 my love became obsession, fucking Dead Star was pretty much all I listened to all day every damn day, watched Hullabaloo every night (and annoyed my friends with it) to DEATH

 

2003 I remember waiting for Zane Lowe to play Stockholm Syndrome for the first time, OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGG I actually jumped around my room, downloaded it, burned it onto CD, played it to DEATH

 

2003-2004 Absolution was amazing, Earls Court amazing, this band can do no wrong I don't even iqworiuvqwoidyvasg this fucking band <3

 

2006 "Black Holes and Revelations"?????? wtf, Supermassive Black Hole is so ridiculous I love it... but the rest of the album... um, I don't like it...

Well... there are some great songs I suppose...

But, but, where's MY Muse gone...

 

Gigs are still so much fun though :D :D

A bit boring sometimes

I'm bored at a Muse gig, that should never have happened... but it kept happening... I'd rather be there than not be there...?

 

2009 The Resistance - I think listening to that the first time can only be described as hilarious... I'd come to think of Muse as a bit of a parody of themselves, and that was fine? They are fantastic and I love these daft bastards.

 

Still a bit bored at times at their gigs though... Remember lolling immensely at a 'Two star' review of their performance at the O2 on the train to the second night... I went to both, one of the funniest fucking weekends of my life... because of the meet ups with people off the board more than anything... Loved every second even the boring bits because silly friends <3

 

2011 - All my obsession feels from 2002 came back because of the OoS anniversary stuff, lovely, lovely <3

 

UNSUSTAINABLE AAAAHHHH OMG EXCITE, THIS GIG IS EXCITE

 

Still... boring bits...

And so on, for the next albums/tours.

 

2015 - £80??? FUCK OFF.

But I love Muse

But it's £80 and you KNOW you'll be bored

But Muse

But you don't have £80

But I MISS MY BAND

But

and this is the loop I'm still caught in

[Gemsy]

the first song I heard was Newborn, which a girl in high school put on a mixed cd for me. I thought it was phenomenal, but didn't really look into the band any further for a year or so. At that point I started downloading the odd track here and there, and loved everything I came across. When a friend finally put Origin of Symmetry on during a car ride leading to a cottage, I was blown away. Shortly afterwards I bought Origin of Symmetry and Absolution and was so so pleased. I felt like they could do no wrong. They had this unique, frantic energy I couldn't get enough of. I even enjoyed much of Showbiz.

 

This enthusiasm continued until I bought Black Holes and Revelations on the strength of hearing/seeing the Knights of Cydonia video. I think I joined the board around the same time.

 

Then I listened to the album.

 

It had a lot of awful tracks on it. I was really disappointed, but hopeful that it was just an aberration. I had hope for the future.

 

The future didn't really deliver. I became kind of bitter, as ridiculous as that is. Still, I enjoyed the board quite a bit through the decline nonetheless, so it isn't a total loss. I hear the new album isn't too shabby, so maybe one day I will listen to it. I don't know that I have the drive though. I kind of lost that old feeling. I think it is dead.

 

My opinion, I guess, is that they are no longer for me. Whatever I heard that struck a chord has become something else, and now I am older and less inclined to like anything. I may shit on them from time to time, but I am glad they bring other people happiness.

that's it, that's what's missing, since BHaR

[serpentsatellite]

Thought about this too long; probably still sucks.

 

2004 (25yo) I get into Muse after hearing TIRO on an ad and picking Absolution up on release day.

I have one of those embarrassing stories where the album really touches me, it's super emotional, and deals with subjects that I had been struggling with a lot. It was one of the first things I'd gotten really emotional about in a few years.

I'm completely obsessed with it, listen to it over and over and over.

 

The obsession runs into a bit of a snag as, very soon after release, I meet my soon to be boyfriend in the exact same spot I first heard TIRO. The combination of odd coincidence and emotional vulnerability leads me to take a chance on a very unlikely relationship, after being in a very bad place and being completely solitary for quite some time. We are still together to this day.

I did, however, decide that the last thing a tenuous, infant relationship needed was my blabbing about how I'm in my mid-twenties, and a band changed my life.

My love of Muse goes nearly unspoken about until '09, to the extent the music is never played except when I'm alone.

 

"Nearly" because a coworker saw me purchase the album, and bragged about he was a '99 fan, and how Absolution was a huge disappointment, where the band went commercial and "accessible." He plays some Showbiz for me; I distinctly remember HITALY and Unintended. I was unimpressed, and being told OoS was "nearly as good," I abstain from seeking it out, being told they're nothing like Abso and considering what I've heard seems "immature" and amateurish.

Sadly, it's a decently long time before I do get into OoS, which I find incredible. Showbiz I only care for a couple of songs off of now, same as before.

 

My obsessive levels are stunted, but after a rough start with BH&R (SMBH, and Twilight,) I do completely fall in love with that one, as well.

However, having already missed the Abso tour due to a douchey coworker, missing the BH&R tour due to having just been promoted at work, and being "on call" that night takes a big toll on me, and my interest in the band falls off substantially between albums. I go years without listening to them much.

 

When TR comes out, I really dislike it, but having drifted anyways it feels like a good place to just let things go naturally; it was a good run. No band is good forever.

TR lost everything that I loved about the band. The songs were no longer emotional and personal, but were mostly sterile, overly polished tracks with vague political "rise up" sort of propaganda. Even the vocals had completely lost the emotive quality from the previous releases.

The band seemed to have gotten a bit full of themselves, and a lot more commercial. I weathered Twilight, but this seemed more like a sell out.

 

Of course, my boyfriend decides to independently discover Muse at this time, and very excitedly "introduces" me to them. A few days before tickets go on sale for a gig in our city. Of course we go.

Obsession rekindled while introducing him to all of the other albums and my favorite songs. I even start to like a few songs on TR. But just a few.

 

Super, SUPER excited for T2L. Hopes crushed after hearing Survival and Madness. End up liking the album just fine; it's got the same sterile, emotionless delivery as TR, but at least the songs were a lot more fun. Everyone grows up, I guess.

 

Probably the height of my obsession, or at least equal to Abso's release, but is utterly derailed by yet another old coworker, and the band's attitude towards its fans. At least the US ones. Had to really face all the attachments I'd put into a band, and how super immature I now felt about it.

Boyfriend drags me off six months later to another gig, and I am suddenly right back to as obsessed as I ever was.

T2L was one hell of a tour.

 

Obsessed all the way through the Drones pre-release. Try really hard not to talk about Muse so much in front of my boyfriend. Still don't want him to know how mental I am.

The Drones release ends up being really weird for me, like some sort of full circle deal.

The album doesn't let me down, though (other than some questionable lyrics,) and I'm completely blown away that they've recaptured what I loved about Abso in terms of themes, quality, and emotive vocals, while not feeling like they regressed or copied it. And Matt's voice has just developed into something really wonderful.

The US tour on the other hand, is a colossal disappointment; the US stuff rears its head again; not being able to get tickets to the Mayan emotionally crippled me for way too long.

 

So, where I am now? Bizarrely, confusingly divided.

I LOVE this album. Even when I could not have been angrier at the band, or when I was bawling my eyes out over the Psycho Tour, I loved this album, and it's not changed this whole time.

But, I can't help but think the band has gotten a bit too into their fame. The stage shows are way out of control, the setlists are bloated with filler and playback, highly choreographed and the band feels like it stopped caring about their fans long ago in favor of the trappings of fame, and the associated sycophants.

I'm absolutely worried, after Matt pointed out that Mutt did a great job at producing emotive vocals, that that was one good thing attributed to the producer, and Matt is not going to be able to replicate it again on his own, meaning they really have lost it.

Watching a band go through the motions on stage as much as this one did all too often this tour is crushing.

 

It's a weird place to be, because I know if I continue to like their output, the likelihood of my ever seeing them live again is pretty nil. I couldn't possibly justify paying and travelling to see them play in the US ever again, and unless I win the lotto without buying a ticket, I'll never be able to afford a trip to Europe (nor would I spend that much to see a band that can't be bothered to play a decent set in my homeland.)

 

I love the music as much as I ever did. Love chatting about the songs and themes of them still.

Wish I could feel better about the actual band who makes them.

 

Holy shit that was long...

[Picko]

Pre-2006: My cousins were very much into Muse, and probably even have accounts on here without me knowing they introduced me to Plug In Baby, and I couldn't get over the guitar riff, but I was still slowly getting into music itself - I'd never been that musical when I was young. We then got music channels on TV and I saw the video for Time Is Running Out on The Hits' Kerrang! Takeover. I thought it was insanely catchy so I downloaded it along with Plug In Baby.

 

06-08: BH&R is released, and I'm indifferent to Supermassive Black Hole at first but still very excited to hear more. I then heard Starlight and it became my favourite song purely because of the piano melody. I went and bought BH&R and then bought tickets to my first Muse gig and had a brilliant night even though I wasn't familiar with half of the tracks (I kick myself that I wasn't able to appreciate songs like Muscle Museum and Butterflies & Hurricanes that night). I went to the first night of Wembley, and it was the best night of my life as I had bought all of their albums by then - Stockholm Syndrome was, and still is, my number one favourite song. The boys were unstoppable and could do no wrong.

 

09-11: Then they dropped The Resistance. I was happy to hear new stuff, but after the honeymoon period was over I kind of fell out of love with it. I went to a few more gigs as usual and loved all of them, and I remember watching Glastonbury and Reading on TV like an excitable child (apart from having the majority of the Origin set taken away from the BBC Three coverage).

 

12-14: The coverage and build-up to T2L was exciting as I'd gotten a lot more involved on the messageboard and I had a more in-depth look thanks to everyone here. The shock of Unsustainable, the craziness of Survival, and the divisiveness of Madness were all hot topics. Being at university at the time, the album will always have a special place in my heart as it reminds me of those times. I also remember refusing to leave the house to go out until the War Child gig coverage had ended - the excitement of seeing everyone react to Dead Star both at the gig and on the board was brilliant. The Etihad Stadium gig was also incredible.

 

15-present: Same with the build up to Drones, but add in the Psycho tour and it just made it all the more special. I love this album, it didn't let me down (mostly), but I do struggle to listen to it at times due to going through a tough break up not long after its release, and memories of my ex are attached to the songs. In time that will pass, but I still come here every so often when I can, and I'll still keep up to speed with setlists and other discussions. However, seeing my tenth Muse gig last month, the show was great as always, but it felt a bit stale in the midsection - I just hope it's not my subconscious telling me that I've been to enough Muse gigs and they don't excite me as much any more. If they shake up the setlist like they did for Download and Manchester Academy, then I will be among the first in the queue for those types of shows.

Edited May 23, 2016 by Picko

[wriinkly feet]

Used to absolutely adore them pre-resistance era, would watch every interview, every live performance, no band even came close.

 

Now with each album release and tour my excitement has diminished a fair amount. When I really think about it they simply don't excite me the way they used to, their albums are just bland and their live shows (with exceptions) are just boring and lack any sort of emotion.

 

I can't really see my opinion changing much in the future because I simply cannot see them changing their style or attitude towards their music.

 

The only way I'd see my love truly rekindled is if they just disregarded the casual fanbase and just went pure mental on the next album/tour.... but being real this is muse and it won't happen.

 

Sad times.

[Gemsy]

Thought about this too long; probably still sucks.

 

2004 (25yo) I get into Muse after hearing TIRO on an ad and picking Absolution up on release day.

I have one of those embarrassing stories where the album really touches me, it's super emotional, and deals with subjects that I had been struggling with a lot. It was one of the first things I'd gotten really emotional about in a few years.

I'm completely obsessed with it, listen to it over and over and over.

 

The obsession runs into a bit of a snag as, very soon after release, I meet my soon to be boyfriend in the exact same spot I first heard TIRO. The combination of odd coincidence and emotional vulnerability leads me to take a chance on a very unlikely relationship, after being in a very bad place and being completely solitary for quite some time. We are still together to this day.

I did, however, decide that the last thing a tenuous, infant relationship needed was my blabbing about how I'm in my mid-twenties, and a band changed my life.

My love of Muse goes nearly unspoken about until '09, to the extent the music is never played except when I'm alone.

 

"Nearly" because a coworker saw me purchase the album, and bragged about he was a '99 fan, and how Absolution was a huge disappointment, where the band went commercial and "accessible." He plays some Showbiz for me; I distinctly remember HITALY and Unintended. I was unimpressed, and being told OoS was "nearly as good," I abstain from seeking it out, being told they're nothing like Abso and considering what I've heard seems "immature" and amateurish.

Sadly, it's a decently long time before I do get into OoS, which I find incredible. Showbiz I only care for a couple of songs off of now, same as before.

 

My obsessive levels are stunted, but after a rough start with BH&R (SMBH, and Twilight,) I do completely fall in love with that one, as well.

However, having already missed the Abso tour due to a douchey coworker, missing the BH&R tour due to having just been promoted at work, and being "on call" that night takes a big toll on me, and my interest in the band falls off substantially between albums. I go years without listening to them much.

 

When TR comes out, I really dislike it, but having drifted anyways it feels like a good place to just let things go naturally; it was a good run. No band is good forever.

TR lost everything that I loved about the band. The songs were no longer emotional and personal, but were mostly sterile, overly polished tracks with vague political "rise up" sort of propaganda. Even the vocals had completely lost the emotive quality from the previous releases.

The band seemed to have gotten a bit full of themselves, and a lot more commercial. I weathered Twilight, but this seemed more like a sell out.

 

Of course, my boyfriend decides to independently discover Muse at this time, and very excitedly "introduces" me to them. A few days before tickets go on sale for a gig in our city. Of course we go.

Obsession rekindled while introducing him to all of the other albums and my favorite songs. I even start to like a few songs on TR. But just a few.

 

Super, SUPER excited for T2L. Hopes crushed after hearing Survival and Madness. End up liking the album just fine; it's got the same sterile, emotionless delivery as TR, but at least the songs were a lot more fun. Everyone grows up, I guess.

 

Probably the height of my obsession, or at least equal to Abso's release, but is utterly derailed by yet another old coworker, and the band's attitude towards its fans. At least the US ones. Had to really face all the attachments I'd put into a band, and how super immature I now felt about it.

Boyfriend drags me off six months later to another gig, and I am suddenly right back to as obsessed as I ever was.

T2L was one hell of a tour.

 

Obsessed all the way through the Drones pre-release. Try really hard not to talk about Muse so much in front of my boyfriend. Still don't want him to know how mental I am.

The Drones release ends up being really weird for me, like some sort of full circle deal.

The album doesn't let me down, though (other than some questionable lyrics,) and I'm completely blown away that they've recaptured what I loved about Abso in terms of themes, quality, and emotive vocals, while not feeling like they regressed or copied it. And Matt's voice has just developed into something really wonderful.

The US tour on the other hand, is a colossal disappointment; the US stuff rears its head again; not being able to get tickets to the Mayan emotionally crippled me for way too long.

 

So, where I am now? Bizarrely, confusingly divided.

I LOVE this album. Even when I could not have been angrier at the band, or when I was bawling my eyes out over the Psycho Tour, I loved this album, and it's not changed this whole time.

But, I can't help but think the band has gotten a bit too into their fame. The stage shows are way out of control, the setlists are bloated with filler and playback, highly choreographed and the band feels like it stopped caring about their fans long ago in favor of the trappings of fame, and the associated sycophants.

I'm absolutely worried, after Matt pointed out that Mutt did a great job at producing emotive vocals, that that was one good thing attributed to the producer, and Matt is not going to be able to replicate it again on his own, meaning they really have lost it.

Watching a band go through the motions on stage as much as this one did all too often this tour is crushing.

 

It's a weird place to be, because I know if I continue to like their output, the likelihood of my ever seeing them live again is pretty nil. I couldn't possibly justify paying and travelling to see them play in the US ever again, and unless I win the lotto without buying a ticket, I'll never be able to afford a trip to Europe (nor would I spend that much to see a band that can't be bothered to play a decent set in my homeland.)

 

I love the music as much as I ever did. Love chatting about the songs and themes of them still.

Wish I could feel better about the actual band who makes them.

 

Holy shit that was long...

 

THE HIGHEST OF FIVES. I think we feel quite similar but you wrote it better Oh and isn't it THE WORST when someone introduces you to a band you knew first

Ultimately I think Starlight was the one where it all changed, the one where I actually felt really sad and ranted about 'why did they want to be U2' on here... Then the mainstream success, and people going, 'huh yeah this new rock band are kinda cool' and we're all like THESE ARE SOMEHOW THE SAME GUYS WHO DID DARKSHINES, HOW DOES THAT EVEN HAPPEN

But on the other hand, I did love the sense of fun they developed, because before they started going STADIUM ROCK BAND I think a lot of people had the wrong impression of the band, that they took themselves too seriously (although of course we fans knew better, haha) and Panic Station was just so great for sorting that one out

Edited May 23, 2016 by Gemsy

[haze015]

THESE ARE SOMEHOW THE SAME GUYS WHO DID DARKSHINES, HOW DOES THAT EVEN HAPPEN

 

Its so odd meeting younger people, as a lot have no idea about Muse doing stuff like that. Just this cheesy dated rock band to them.

Its even weirder when they're like emo kids (or at least were), happy to rave about Relationship Of Command or whatever iconic early 00's albums and have never OOSed.

 

LIKE WHAT THE SHIT GEMSY

[Gemsy]

Yeah man they were the coolest back then, so much energy, so much sparkle. I preferred them when they didn't have a Thing, even their own tour programmes couldn't describe their music, they were just like, scrappy young fools trying everything and smashing it...

 

I was talking about this with Dave this morning - I watched their Manchester show the other day and MAN was I bored, skipped so much of it. They hardly move anymore (I know Matt's got a dodgy foot and that, but...) And he still sounds knackered too, imo. I was like, 'We were saying online about how they don't have any energy anymore...' and Dave was like, 'Well, they are getting older.' I was all, 'They're only like, our age! When we're onstage we fucking have it every time. And we are more jaded, fatter than them and have dayjobs.'

 

but i still love muse, the end

Edited May 23, 2016 by Gemsy

[haze015]

(I know Matt's got a dodgy foot and that, but...)

 

I played a gig on fucking crutches! And I hate playing them

Edited May 23, 2016 by haze015

[Gemsy]

LOL how do you play the crutches

[MartianSpaghettiRider]

It didn't really seem to me they were standing still as statues during festivals or club gigs last year...

Just because they don't smash amps, throw around guitars and basses, or savagely break through bass drums, it doesn't mean they aren't rocking anymore. It's just the arena gigs that seem stiffly scripted and don't allow them to "be themselves".

 

LOL how do you play the crutches

 

That is an interesting question.

[Gemsy]

Yeah no I don't so much mean the smashing things up stuff, that hasn't happened fully for many a tour... I don't even necessarily just mean 'moving about' either... there was just an energy that they used to have that isn't there anymore, which may indeed just be down to me personally knowing how scripted it is? I felt a little of that free Musey vibe when I saw them on the Psycho tour, moar of that please

[MartianSpaghettiRider]

Yeah no I don't so much mean the smashing things up stuff, that hasn't happened fully for many a tour... I don't even necessarily just mean 'moving about' either... there was just an energy that they used to have that isn't there anymore, which may indeed just be down to me personally knowing how scripted it is? I felt a little of that free Musey vibe when I saw them on the Psycho tour, moar of that please

 

I feel they somewhat still have energy, but it's unfortunately brought down by Matt's not-really-excellent vocal performances lately.

If anything, it proves how Matt's voice is the fondamental icing on the cake regarding Muse' live sound.

[Gemsy]

Yeah I think you're on to something there... definitely not about riffs because they're still great... it was when he started controlling his voice more, maybe. when he used to just go for it, it was messy and imperfect but omg it used to soar <3

I'm having massive dead star feels this morning haha

I was going to change some songs on my work playlist but 14 years after I first heard it I'd be happy with dead star on repeat for 5 hours a day.

Maybe that's one for a 'opinions of muse that haven't changed' thread

[MartianSpaghettiRider]

Yeah I think you're on to something there... definitely not about riffs because they're still great... it was when he started controlling his voice more, maybe. when he used to just go for it, it was messy and imperfect but omg it used to soar <3

I'm having massive dead star feels this morning haha

I was going to change some songs on my work playlist but 14 years after I first heard it I'd be happy with dead star on repeat for 5 hours a day.

Maybe that's one for a 'opinions of muse that haven't changed' thread

 

His voice used to be wilder and more loose, yes, but he has gradually developped a wonderful tenor voice over the years in live performances, reaching his aphex during T2L era.

I hope what has happened to his voice in Drones era until now it's just a temporary phase and that he could fully recover from whatever he has. At least, it's still conveying good emotions through his voice.

[Gemsy]

Oh definitely, I still love it <3

I can't put my finger on what it really is. Just the polishedness.

 

I'm also really aware that there's not many people talking about muse here rn and I'm being negative