I love the rock band Muse. They cause me what I call eargasms quite regularly. In light of their releasing an upcoming album in less than a week - The 2nd Law - I've been on a Muse kick of late and have even tuned into their homepage and read some members' comments in the forum.
Thanks to the band and iTunes, I was able to listen to a free stream of the new album in its entirety as of yesterday morning and have heard it twice all the way through now. I will refrain from providing a review until after I purchase the CD next Tuesday and turn it up full blast on my stereo. For the time being, though, I'll provide it a four-word description: Diverse, crazy and awesome.
Excited about the new album, I was curious to read fellow fans' thoughts, feelings and reviews of it, so I went to the band's homepage and forum to read such commentary. I became a semi-regular on the site between one and two years ago (reading, not as much when it came to posting), when I saw the band perform twice in concert - both in Detroit and Columbus. I took a break from the site after those two shows, largely due to a few annoying regulars.
The thing about Muse is, as lead singer Matt Bellamy stated, "We are defined by the fact that we can't be defined by anybody."
He's right. One thing I love so much about the band is I never know what to expect with each coming album, because they continually experiment with different sounds and expand their musical horizons. Unlike if I were to buy a Nickelback album, I've learned to listen to a new Muse album with an open mind. I've learned not to expect anything in particular, not to hope that they sound like the band from 2001 (Origin of Symmetry), from 2003 (Absolution), from 1999 (Showbiz), from 2006 (Black Holes and Revelations) or even the band from 2009 (The Resistance). From punk to funk to classical to R&B to classic rock to '80s rock to epic rock to orchestral to pop to hard rock to electronica and beyond, the band makes every album and every song a new adventure.
What I find fascinating, yet frustrating about some Muse fans is that they're stuck liking one sound of the band over all others and tend to whine and complain when the band doesn't reproduce that one particular sound they like. It's fascinating, because I find some Muse fans wish the band would make a 60-minute orchestral CD, others who want a hard rock CD and yet others that wish the band would focus more on electronica for a full-length album. On the down side of that is all of the whining and all of the complaints if the band doesn't come out with an album that focuses its attention on the one particular genre a certain fan or group of fans like most. There weren't any "hard rock" songs on the band's 2009 album, The Resistance, which mainly consisted of space/epic rock with some electronica and orchestral songs in the mix. This infuriated some fans, whom only enjoyed songs such as the hard-rocking "Stockholm Syndrome" and the like. I, for one, love the song "Stockholm Syndrome" and if Muse was a band which had always focused its attention on that one particular genre, I too might be let down upon listening to a new album which didn't showcase any such tunes. However, as I mentioned earlier, I've learned not to expect anything in particular when I pop in a new Muse CD. I never know what to expect and always wind up enjoying 95.92% of what I hear. It's a musical adventure unlike any other for me, as I hear a mix of Mozart, Queen, Rage Against the Machine and beyond in conjunction with the consistent foundation that is Muse.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/inside-muses-wild-new-album-the-2nd-law-20120815
Thanks to the band and iTunes, I was able to listen to a free stream of the new album in its entirety as of yesterday morning and have heard it twice all the way through now. I will refrain from providing a review until after I purchase the CD next Tuesday and turn it up full blast on my stereo. For the time being, though, I'll provide it a four-word description: Diverse, crazy and awesome.
Excited about the new album, I was curious to read fellow fans' thoughts, feelings and reviews of it, so I went to the band's homepage and forum to read such commentary. I became a semi-regular on the site between one and two years ago (reading, not as much when it came to posting), when I saw the band perform twice in concert - both in Detroit and Columbus. I took a break from the site after those two shows, largely due to a few annoying regulars.
The thing about Muse is, as lead singer Matt Bellamy stated, "We are defined by the fact that we can't be defined by anybody."
He's right. One thing I love so much about the band is I never know what to expect with each coming album, because they continually experiment with different sounds and expand their musical horizons. Unlike if I were to buy a Nickelback album, I've learned to listen to a new Muse album with an open mind. I've learned not to expect anything in particular, not to hope that they sound like the band from 2001 (Origin of Symmetry), from 2003 (Absolution), from 1999 (Showbiz), from 2006 (Black Holes and Revelations) or even the band from 2009 (The Resistance). From punk to funk to classical to R&B to classic rock to '80s rock to epic rock to orchestral to pop to hard rock to electronica and beyond, the band makes every album and every song a new adventure.
What I find fascinating, yet frustrating about some Muse fans is that they're stuck liking one sound of the band over all others and tend to whine and complain when the band doesn't reproduce that one particular sound they like. It's fascinating, because I find some Muse fans wish the band would make a 60-minute orchestral CD, others who want a hard rock CD and yet others that wish the band would focus more on electronica for a full-length album. On the down side of that is all of the whining and all of the complaints if the band doesn't come out with an album that focuses its attention on the one particular genre a certain fan or group of fans like most. There weren't any "hard rock" songs on the band's 2009 album, The Resistance, which mainly consisted of space/epic rock with some electronica and orchestral songs in the mix. This infuriated some fans, whom only enjoyed songs such as the hard-rocking "Stockholm Syndrome" and the like. I, for one, love the song "Stockholm Syndrome" and if Muse was a band which had always focused its attention on that one particular genre, I too might be let down upon listening to a new album which didn't showcase any such tunes. However, as I mentioned earlier, I've learned not to expect anything in particular when I pop in a new Muse CD. I never know what to expect and always wind up enjoying 95.92% of what I hear. It's a musical adventure unlike any other for me, as I hear a mix of Mozart, Queen, Rage Against the Machine and beyond in conjunction with the consistent foundation that is Muse.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/inside-muses-wild-new-album-the-2nd-law-20120815
R they any good? I'm always looking to hear something new. I mean, I've heard some of their stuff, but not enough to decide if they are good or not :D
ReplyDeleteWell, that depends on what you're into, I guess. Personally, from the combination of a musical/lyrical perspective, I'd say they're my favorite band at the time, however everyone has different musical tastes. What kind of music are you into exactly? I'd say that their two most well-known/popular songs in the U.S. are "Uprising" and "Supermassive Black Hole," although, I have to say that while I like both those songs, they're far from my favorites of the band.
ReplyDeleteIf you like hard rock, I'd recommend checking out "Stockholm Syndrome" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPYLIy3FWpk
If you like hard rock, but with a poppier edge to it, I'd probably recommend "Plug In Baby" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsapab5LwcY
If you like electronica, I'd check out "Map of the Problematique" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvhfjmGfKPw
If you like symphonies, I'd check out "Exogenesis" (all three parts) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEH98_Ha2aA
If you like songs with a darker edge to them, I'd recommend listening to "Showbiz" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRQfUmL8uis
If you like funk, I'd check out "Panic Station" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66wvIKfvUlw
Above, I listed one song off every album, which together, should provide a decent feel and reflection of the band's sound(s). If you like some of those, I'd probably recommend listening to some of the following songs: "Hysteria," "Citizen Erased," "MK Ultra," "New Born," "Hoodoo," "Butterflies and Hurricanes," "Knights of Cydonia," "Supremacy," "Ruled By Secrecy" and several others. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask. I hope you enjoy the songs I've selected and others, if you choose to give them a listen.