Share your controversial Muse opinions II - More Radiohead talk

[spark_]

I watched the DVD earlier and decided it's not as distracting when you're watching the performance itself. But just listening to it, while doing something else, it's distracting.

 

One example of this is Space Dementia, when Matt's playing the "intro" right before where the drums and then the vocals come in... It's ridiculously fast and you can hear the struggle between Dom and Matt, Matt rushing the crap out of it and Dom trying to pull it back in the eighth notes. It leaves the song feeling rushed and a little bit... empty? Agitated is also rushed, but that's a song that it actually works in, if you know what I mean. It's an angry song lol.

 

I think I'm distracted by it because I play some classical music and I'm in the marching band, so tempo is a focus. I'm not trying to really pick on it as much as I have been.

+1

[haze015]

I'm not that close-minded in music. I listen to alllll sorts of music, and I also play music. Tempo is a big deal to me personally, but you being in a band would have you thinking differently. But, the listener and the performer are going to feel differently, especially in a live recording after the fact.

 

No amount of arguing is going to make me think they had good tempo at Hullabaloo.

 

I'm not saying you're close minded, just making such a daft point especially when tempo/time is such a relative thing.

Listening to a recording afterwards and moaning it's too fast is completely missing the point, no one plays for a kid in their bedroom, they play for the people in front of them and got to remember, how you perceive time is different when adrenaline and all that is pumping to when it's not. So if you were there, dancing your arse off, if they played at the 'correct' tempo, it would actually seem like they were playing it slower.

 

While you might not enjoy listening to the recording, it's not a 'bad' thing.

 

Even DJs do it:

 

[Hopix]

Bliss is more interesting musically and much more up-tempo so you don't notice the lyrics.

 

Lol. That so isn't an excuse.

[Matty987]

It annoys me more that what it's worth to see matt not playing the intro to new born on piano.

 

I hate exo 1 live too. Such a let down to have the strings on play-back even with matt adding a little tremolo picking on top. They should just get rid of it until they can give all three parts justice with a live orchestra.

 

This cant really be justified though, if muse didn't use playback, they could play most of their songs. e.g. Time is running out, where Chris uses extra bass playback.

 

Are you saying they should stop playing Time Is Running Out until they get another bassist?

[haze015]

This cant really be justified though, if muse didn't use playback, they could play most of their songs. e.g. Time is running out, where Chris uses extra bass playback.

 

Are you saying they should stop playing Time Is Running Out until they get another bassist?

 

A lot of it is played by Morgan and for TIRO, another bassist won't get that sound as it's a synth, which can be played by Morgan (And possibly is, can't be bothered to sit down and work out everything that's going on, might not even bother with it these days).

 

With New Born, I personally think Morgan playing piano works a bit better because the transition is smoother, while it was fine in 2002 to have that awkward transition, these days with the slicker shows, it looks a bit "unprofessional".

New Born last week was possibly one of the best versions of it I've heard and it was the first time for me where Matt hasn't played the piano part himself.

Edited July 2, 2010 by haze015

[escapist]

I'm not saying you're close minded, just making such a daft point especially when tempo/time is such a relative thing.

Listening to a recording afterwards and moaning it's too fast is completely missing the point, no one plays for a kid in their bedroom, they play for the people in front of them and got to remember, how you perceive time is different when adrenaline and all that is pumping to when it's not. So if you were there, dancing your arse off, if they played at the 'correct' tempo, it would actually seem like they were playing it slower.

 

While you might not enjoy listening to the recording, it's not a 'bad' thing.

 

Even DJs do it:

 

 

Okay, listen, I'm not moaning over it because they're rushing. I'm just pointing out that "back in the day" Muse's sense of tempo sucked.

 

See post about Space Dementia.

[NoSurprisesPlease]

RE: the talk of them splitting up, I actually think the opposite. I think they're going to make album after album after album and run the whole thing into the ground long after the magic has disappeared.

[WutDaFucksy]

The difference also is that Bliss is a good song and Guiding Light isn't.

[Raiko]

Guiding Light is a good song, its just a lot of people on these forums aren't into power ballad-like stuff and so don't like it.

[spark_]

Okay, listen, I'm not moaning over it because they're rushing. I'm just pointing out that "back in the day" Muse's sense of tempo sucked.

 

See post about Space Dementia.

 

When did they get a click track?

[Museluvuh]

Guiding Light is a good song, its just a lot of people on these forums aren't into power ballad-like stuff and so don't like it.

 

Thank you.

[MattXXI]

Not sure if this constitutes as a controversial opinion, but I was listening to Muse radio on Pandora and it's humourous to me how a majority of the "related songs" sound NOTHING like Muse. I'll give them Coldplay and Franz, but The Strokes and Phoenix. No...not so much. Even Fuel and Aqualung? What?

[Mozza]

Not sure if this constitutes as a controversial opinion, but I was listening to Muse radio on Pandora and it's humourous to me how a majority of the "related songs" sound NOTHING like Muse. I'll give them Coldplay and Franz, but The Strokes and Phoenix. No...not so much. Even Fuel and Aqualung? What?

 

Don't know much about Phoenix but The Strokes are a good match for Muse, Starlight sounds so much like 12:51 and the driving bassline in Reptilia and the solo work is like pretty similar to stuff like Hyper Music and Hysteria.

[MattXXI]

Don't know much about Phoenix but The Strokes are a good match for Muse, Starlight sounds so much like 12:51 and the driving bassline in Reptilia and the solo work is like pretty similar to stuff like Hyper Music and Hysteria.

 

I guess, The Strokes seem a bit too poppy even for Muse standards though. Thats just me I guess. I get a lot of random songs on Muse Radio, like Ressurection by PPK. Just....what?

[FearAndPanic]

Don't know much about Phoenix but The Strokes are a good match for Muse, Starlight sounds so much like 12:51 and the driving bassline in Reptilia and the solo work is like pretty similar to stuff like Hyper Music and Hysteria.

 

Muse matching or not, Phoenix are a great band,

 

just to throw that in there.

[Mozza]

Muse matching or not, Phoenix are a great band,

 

just to throw that in there.

 

They were at Glasto but were on at the same time as someone else I wanted to watch. Apparently they're good

[Super Sammy!]

For a moment, I thought there was a glimmer of hope that Muse's live performances were getting better. Three gigs later, I realised they were simply back to their old dull gigs.

The band can perform at 150%; Matt, Dom and Chris could have discussions with the crowd; if the songs they're playing are slow and crap though, you cannot have a great gig.

 

You also cannot get a crowd going by playing GL and NSC before Bliss, and follow Bliss with USoE, FG and UD. Sure, it makes Bliss seem even more brilliant, but for God's sake, Muse need some fucking lessons on creating proper order in their setlists. Putting a song one after the other because the keys are the songs are in slightly correspond is a pathetic reason.

[futurophu]

Guiding Light is a good song, its just a lot of people on these forums aren't into power ballad-like stuff and so don't like it.

 

it's true, power ballads are like the music i like least i think the only time they're remotely good is when you're drunk and everything else seems too complex

[spark_]

For a moment, I thought there was a glimmer of hope that Muse's live performances were getting better. Three gigs later, I realised they were simply back to their old dull gigs.

The band can perform at 150%; Matt, Dom and Chris could have discussions with the crowd; if the songs they're playing are slow and crap though, you cannot have a great gig.

 

You also cannot get a crowd going by playing GL and NSC before Bliss, and follow Bliss with USoE, FG and UD. Sure, it makes Bliss seem even more brilliant, but for God's sake, Muse need some fucking lessons on creating proper order in their setlists. Putting a song one after the other because the keys are the songs are in slightly correspond is a pathetic reason.

 

Isn't that what they've always done, though?

[Minimal]

it's true, power ballads are like the music i like least i think the only time they're remotely good is when you're drunk and everything else seems too complex

 

The only power ballad I really like is Queen's We Are The Champions.

 

That song is a power ballad... right? (Apologize in advance if I get it wrong)

 

-------------------------

 

Also, I noticed Muse has lost some of that grit, rawness and energy in their songs (E.g. New Born). Sure, they sound more in-sync right now. But if just feels like something is missing.

Edited July 4, 2010 by Minimal

[Super Sammy!]

Isn't that what they've always done, though?

 

Perform 150% but have crap setlists, or make setlists according to the keys of songs?

They used to perform 200% and have good, climatic setlists with a good balance of slow and , now they've kind of made slow > ...

As for the making a setlist from the key it's in, nah, they used to be quite rotational on what songs they used to open with, where the piano section was and what songs were in the encore... Now Muse keep the same basic setlist structure

[Mozza]

Perform 150% but have crap setlists, or make setlists according to the keys of songs?

They used to perform 200% and have good, climatic setlists with a good balance of slow and , now they've kind of made slow > ...

As for the making a setlist from the key it's in, nah, they used to be quite rotational on what songs they used to open with, where the piano section was and what songs were in the encore... Now Muse keep the same basic setlist structure

 

Pretty much. If a band make songs you don't like then you don't go see them live, no matter how good live the band are supposed to be, it won't make the crappy songs good in 99% of cases. Makes Muse a strange case, genuinely dislike a lot of the songs they play live now, but some of the songs they have in their back catalogue (and even on The Resistance) are amongst my favourite songs by any band.

 

But they're just so inflexible now, what they were doing 3-4 years ago as the standard is considered 'Muse going mental' when they even hint at doing it now

[Pop Tarts]

Can someone explain the whole similar key thing please, like give a setlist with keys. I don't really understand it all

[haze015]

Can someone explain the whole similar key thing please, like give a setlist with keys. I don't really understand it all

 

If you have a bunch of songs in say, E minor, then play all those around the same time, then move onto something else.

 

So like the first three songs at Glasto last week were in E minor I think.

 

 

But Muse don't use many different keys, so it's bit of a daft thing to conclude.

[Mozza]

If you have a bunch of songs in say, E minor, then play all those around the same time, then move onto something else.

 

So like the first three songs at Glasto last week were in E minor I think.

 

 

But Muse don't use many different keys, so it's bit of a daft thing to conclude.

 

It's also down to which guitar Matt needs for each song, what effects Chris needs on his bass, what keys Morgan has to play and whether Dom's arms can take anymore pounding