Excuse me but he, at least, writes something. God knows I'm not the biggest JMan fan, but I'm even less a fan of people coming here, posting an album cover, and leaving without saying anything. I don't read these posts. I read those which have more things to say than just a cover. So yes, literally cool story. Also don't take it personally, I'm pretty sure you always write a little sentence when posting here, I was just talking in general, and saying that I think your post was not appropriate. But hey, I like Muse, so we're OK, right? 😜
Generally I don't post a lot because 90% of the time I'll post in here when it's a first listen, and I'll usually say something like "I like it so far" if I'm enjoying it.
For me, this is what kick-started my passion for music. It was Christmas 2009 when I got Black Holes & Revelations as a present, and I completely played the fuck out of it. I loved it, so I went on to listen to all the other albums. Origin of Symmetry was the forth Muse album I listened to (I had heard Resistance and Absolution, but not Showbiz), and until then, nothing had displaced BH&R from my favourite Muse album. I listened to OoS, and enjoyed it, but didn't fully love it. I mean, it didn't have the pop anthems like BH&R, and was very dark. And then there was Screenager, Micro Cuts and Megalomania, and I was, like WTF. It was September 2010 when I saw Muse for the first time, at the Manchester cricket ground, but, as it was two days after we got back from holiday, and I ate a rather dodgy burger at the airport, I got salmonella and had chronic diarrhoea! But I couldn't back down on seeing Muse so, and after playing football in the morning to "prove my health", I decided I wanted to go to the gig. The problem was, we had no idea where the cricket ground was, so parked at the first signs for concert parking. Big mistake, this was a 45 minute walk from the ground. So, after trudging there half-dead, I confessed my illness, so we took seats instead of standing (although they were fucking awesome seats). My memories of the connects are minimal, I remember Uprising and Starlight, but I had to sit for most of the gig, due to tiredness. However, there was one song that stays with me even now. Citizen Erased You see, Matt made an announcement before that, jokingly, they would change their website from "muse.mu to Citizen Erased.com", after it won a fan's choice poll over what should be played. However, no one expected it, and there were some very happy people immediately around me. But I didn't think it was anything special, like with OoS as a whole, so didn't see what the fuss was about. Anyway, that performance completely changed my mind. The song was played with such energy, and then the outro was so beautiful, it completely blew me away. After I recovered from the illness, I began listening to the album at least once a day for a couple of months. I completely fell in love with it, and I began to appreciate some of the less underrated songs on the album. Since then, Citizen Erased has been my favourite song, and OoS my favourite album.
Onto the actual album then. It's completely crazy and over-the-top. It has incredibly diverse songs that don't fit with each other at all. Matt gasps too much. Blah blah blah. All the reasons I love the album for. The over-the-topness completely works for me, it's such a huge album, sound wise, and this only works with the diversity of songs you've got. This was the time when Muse were insane- smashing equipment at gigs, doing shrooms then recording stuff- and some of the songs show it. The ending of Hyper Music, for one, or them sneaking into a church to record Megalomania. And Matt's voice. <3 It always feels so emotional to me, so heart-felt, and like he's singing for his life. And then the actual songs. Now I can safely say that the first seven songs are as perfect a stretch as I'll probably ever hear. There's New Born's epic build-up, before the heavy distortion of the first chorus, which brilliantly sets the tone for the album. The solo's also incredible. Then Bliss, probably the best use of arpeggios I've heard. A great up-beat pop song. Live, though, it's fucking mental. I experienced it last year, and the extended outré is brilliant (check it out if you're curious). Although, possibly the best live performances Muse ever did were this in 2001/2002, with the video in Hullabaloo being a good example (and the Hullaballoons <3). Space Dementia is probably the song that's grown on me the most, mainly due to it's outro. Which is fucking epic. And then there's Hyper Music, which has one of my favourite bass-lines of all time. And, again, the outro is fucking epic. Probably the number one choice I would have if I could choose a live song to see- that I haven't already (although Showbiz and Hyper Chondriac Music wouldn't be far behind). The there's Plug In Baby, which is a great pop songs, and one of Muse's most popular songs. My least favourite of the seven, but still really very, very good.
Then there's Citizen Erased (which is so good it gets its own paragraph). Where to start? Well, the number one reason why I love this song is the outro. The brilliant way the sound shifts from ear to ear (if you're using headphones), the emotive beauty and the huge shift in style from previous sections of the song is completely stunning, and seeing it live exaggerated this even more. Then there's the main guitar solo, which is incredible. Also props the other solo (well, not really a solo) in the second verse. The chorus as well, it's massive. It's the song that goes from the heaviest of sounds to the softest, and that contrast I adore. Best song ever.
Micro Cuts is the next song and is one that is completely underrated. The solo is possibly the best part of the album, behind Citizen Erased's outro, and is the most epic thing in the world (I know I'm overusing epic, but it is the one word I would use to the album). And the vocals are incredible. Like, how the fuck does he do that? So that caps of the best song streak I've heard, but that does not even slightly end the album. Screenager is a song that is quiet and dark, and does the same heavy then soft contrast as Citizen Erased (but as two different songs this time). It's not a song that you expect great guitar from, but I think it's guitar is stunning. It hangs around in the background, but if you listen out for it, it completely changes the song. Especially in the final chorus. Oh my God is that final chorus beautiful. And you've got to love the animal bones! Darkshines is a sort of catchy rock song, with a fantastic chorus- especially in the up-tempo live version from Hullabaloo. I love the piano in the chorus, especially, in this song and especially in the final chorus. And the lyrics there so, well, paedoish: "So be mine and your innocence I will consume." .... Oh Matt, you sly dog. Then comes Feeling Good, which is my least favourite song on the album (not to say I don't love it). It's the only moment when I feel the album is too overblown. I do love how the drums sneak back into the song at the end, though. The best thing about this song is the live version that they played on Radio 3. Here's a clue, Matt was drunk and Radio 3 to him not to swear... Then comes Megalomania, the perfect song to end a perfect album. Dark and moody, yet beautiful at the same time. The organ completely makes this song; it provides a sort of dark and eerie backdrop to the album. And then the outro is fantastic, before the noise stops fairly abruptly. Leaves me breathless every time.
Excuse me but he, at least, writes something. God knows I'm not the biggest JMan fan, but I'm even less a fan of people coming here, posting an album cover, and leaving without saying anything. I don't read these posts. I read those which have more things to say than just a cover. So yes, literally cool story. Also don't take it personally, I'm pretty sure you always write a little sentence when posting here, I was just talking in general, and saying that I think your post was not appropriate. But hey, I like Muse, so we're OK, right? :P
Thanks for the defense, dude! He was only giving me a hard time, but thanks! Anyway, I'm done with Humanity Hour 1. It was hard to follow along with the story since most of it was based on love songs. And Desmond Child's style is secreted through every little crack and crevace with his love of alternative metal also found in Meat Loaf's Bat 3. The overall vibe is darn cool, though. And although there were hardly any hits, the album was consistent as all get out. But at the same time, I'm glad Scorpions didn't stay with this style in Sting in the Tail, because no matter how cool the album was... it wasn't Scorpions. Still, good album.
83/100. Average rating: 77.5
Now, I can get to Sting in the Tail and end this great playthrough.
Definitely in a delta blues mood. I have to give a talk at a conference tomorrow. So not looking forward to it, and really nobody's gonna care anyway... so, you know, whatever.
ButterThumbzI always used to wonder if she wore false earsProfile O'er the hills and far away
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