Hm. His last album was probably the worst thing he's ever made. The shouting between songs. Bad album titles. He might be losing it.



It's an interesting debate. Do you want a document or a pleasing listen? Obviously both are ideal--like that SY 1996 German "Hallucinogenic Preserve" show, which has the even further thrill of looking good.

I like Playland! Worst thing he's ever done is covering Depeche Mode.

Don't think I've heard the DM cover. Don't think I'll ask for a link. The evidence piles higher.

I appreciated his attempt on Playland: make a relatively guitarless new wave record. Still thought it sucked. "Easy Money" is probably the best track. I can't help but think of Cave's song of the same name, and the comparison isn't flattering to Johnny.

....

One thing led to another, and now I'm listening to SISTER for the first time in awhile. When's the last time you heard it? I don't want to ruffle any feathers, but I am of the opinion that it is good. I sometimes forget these fundamental things and need a reminder.

Is Johnny Marr still involved in whatever the hell Modest Mouse is these days?

When I first learned of that pairing, after Good News for People Who Like Bad News ruined my perception of what I believe was once one of the most singular and interesting bands in the world, I thought it was going to be a good thing... Thought it was going to give the band a shot in the arm, and maybe end up being kind of like SY and Jim O'Rourke, which of course lead to two of the best SY records ever. But alas, this was not the case.

Nope. A Modest best-of is a grand thing, but the last good thing they made was LONESOME. You might say MOON but you'd be wrong. Pity. The released an album this year, didn't they? It sucked, didn't it?

--

(I'm now on "Pacific Coast Highway." This album is unquestionably the best thing I've heard in a long, long time. Weird how I forgot just how good. Weird how I don't listen to SY at least once a day.)

No, Lonesome was definitely the best. But I have a lot of love for Moon & Antarctica. It ALMOST felt like some kind of paradigm shift was on the horizon when that album came out. I remember hearing "The Stars Are Projectors" for the first time, and thinking there wasn't a single band in the region, or even in MM's general "class" that was doing anything like that. It lacked the speedball intensity of Lonesome Crowded West, but it had some freaky new shit going on, and I still think "Stars.." is one of their best songs.

Of course, Unwound was doing better things. But they were coming to the end of their career, and Modest Mouse felt like they might be turning into something big.

I was rooting for them big time, and probably saw them eight or ten times between Moon and Good News.... and then I never saw them again.

This is a Long Drive... just turned Fucking 20 years old. That's such a mindfuck for me. I'm just old enough for that to make me feel really, really old. And the long term failure of the band just makes that entire period of my life feel like a complete waste of Fucking time. But for a while, they were the best thing around for west coast kids.

It was in 2015. I didn't hear all of it. Just bits and pieces. And yes, sadly, it sounded like shit. No surprise there though. That blue album about the ship or whatever sucked and so did Good News.

The Traveling Wilburys Vol 1.

can't tell me this isn't the best album of all time. you get the lame 80's Dylan, mid 70's bullshit Harrison, mid-eighties MTV Petty, and the 60's smooth cool white country soul of Orbison.

what more you need? Al Kooper's organ? Steve Winwood's blue eye soul? it would perfect if backed up by Crazy Horse.

you might say, gee.... pepper_green, your a drunk.

I say i drifted on that flame turned to smoke and made atmospheric by chemistry then breathe out breathe in exhaled on that 80's cloud that's within you. grease and tune that Harley. the ride has just begun. the 2010's is the future. we'll be there soon.

I hope that's hyperbole. I mean, you did things with your time other than enjoying MM?


They changed too. Thing is, I like the new Pixies. Indie Cindy>Trompe. Yep. Ain't no typo. But then, I have a fondness for albums almost universally disliked.

Scary...

Gross.

Hm, I was thinking of Cure's THE TOP, R.E.M.'s AROUND THE SUN, stuff like that.

But while I'm not exactly fond of SQUEEZE I can easily defend it. Squint your ears, as it were, and it sounds like an especially boring Grateful Dead album or something. It's not utter shit by any means. It's just bland classic rock, and there's too much of that to waste time mustering ire for this particular specimen.

I have this playing in two different windows, set a few seconds apart. Try it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Miu1...&nohtml5=False

EDIT: Three windows. Much better.

Indy Cindy > Trompe? Really? If that's how you feel then we probably shouldn't waste each other's time talking about this.

And yeah that MM stuff was hyperbole. Still, it blows when you watch a band grow and evolve into something great, and then devolve into something much worse than you ever thought would be possible.

Ah yes, the third Reich...

Alright, even your worst enemy must give you props for that.

I've been doing this with other pieces. 18 musicians? Fuck off. I got 54. Interestingly, it doesn't really work with multiple pieces. Different Trains and City Life simply don't go well together at all, for example. But I hope someone can prove me wrong and discover something cool.

This thing SHREDS!