Vancouver Megathread

[Who]

(faceplant)

 

you sound like an asshole

 

if only you'd been there in the recording process to tell Matthew yourself this whole thing could've been prevented!

 

Oh of course me saying what I think about the album, if it's negative, makes me an asshole.

 

Alright, let's do it your way: Oh it's soooooo awesome and I love every part of it!

 

The only difference is, in my case, it's not true and I still stand my completely constructive and subjective comment.

[jnak00]

On my first listen, I was enjoying it but didn't really get blown away. Then Empty's Theme Park came on and kicked my ass. Best song since Near Fantastica.

[c0micb0y]

Hah same here, Empty's Theme Park handed me my shit. I'm not busting a nut over this album, but then I haven't immediately wet myself during the first few listens of a MG album since Avalanche. I know Vancouver is going to worm its way into my skull, just a matter of time. Us Remains Impossible is the strangest track... sounds like a mashup of elements from very different eras (early 90's alt rock/sunshine pop harmonies (???)). I can sense there's a lot underlying this work, it'll come to the surface and I will greet it with a handshake, not a handjob.

MGBFC! No? No? Okay. Someone rip/cut/upload this album already...

[c0micb0y]

You know what, I just listened to half of Avalanche, and HOSAM just made me lose my shit all over again. Unbelievable vocal inflection, sounds so effortless and so goddamn resigned to the piece itself... Matt needs to quit smoking.

[Crusader]

No rips or bootlegs of this album will be posted on the forums.

 

As always pre-orders are up on our site: http://www.nearfantastica.com/albums/vancouver-album-demos/

[ToadMan]

Also if everybody can just cool their jets a bit it would be nice. I don't really care what your opinion is of the album, but be civil in presenting it. No need to get personal (we're edging on it a little bit here).

 

Thanks all.

[Audio of Being]

I do feel that the album does slip off towards the middle a little bit.

[Gomo]

I don't really care what your opinion is of the album

 

Yup! It's all subjective. We will all come to our own conclusions.

 

For instance. I love Styx. Some people hate Styx.

 

;)

[Who]

Also if everybody can just cool their jets a bit it would be nice. I don't really care what your opinion is of the album, but be civil in presenting it. No need to get personal (we're edging on it a little bit here).

 

Thanks all.

 

Hey dude I was the nice one ;)

[Audio of Being]

For instance. I love Styx. Some people hate Styx.

 

;)

I hate Styx.

[Who]

Isn't Styx a river? ;)

[Gomo]

New observation

 

I like the flutey thing in empty's theme park.

[instro2]

Personally I find the first part of the record the weakest and the middle part pretty damned good (unlike some of the comments).

 

The first 3 songs are alright, but you can predict exactly how the whole song will sound within 30 seconds. I find those 3 tracks kind of blend into eachother because they have a similar vibe going, there isn't one that stands out from the other. I didn't actually tune in until Us Remains Impossible started playing.

[~VIN~]

this is likely my favourite mg album yet. i love every song

[Longroad]

I'm liking this album alot, heard most of the demos however these versions best those quite easily. As for Empty's Theme Park this song just blows me away, my favorite off the album.

[Gomo]

I only had a few of the demos and while I listened to them, I didn't run them into the ground; especially after Matt said to try and avoid demoitis.

[here is no why]

still didn't listen to any of the demo's... though, i'm sure you can find them on youtube?

 

still won't listen to anything till the album is in my hands though, that's the best way.

 

can't wait either.

[Mojo]

Oh of course me saying what I think about the album, if it's negative, makes me an asshole.

 

Alright, let's do it your way: Oh it's soooooo awesome and I love every part of it!

 

The only difference is, in my case, it's not true and I still stand my completely constructive and subjective comment.

 

 

My apologies for taking your comment more personally than I should have. More than anything, I wanted to highlight the process of writing and recording music as being one that is deeply involving and personal. Matthew Good's been pretty open about the process and his approach for doing so, sharing his demos etc., and this is something we should not take for granted. If you don't like the product that's fine! That wasn't what bothered me. Your insistence that you somehow would be able to rework it into a better product came off as a bit insulting.

 

I do think a great deal about the process, as I said, because I have been involved with music for some time. Not to any great extent, but enough to know just how much you really put yourself in to it. Music, because of its personal, intimate nature, unfortunately seems to percolate a sense of entitlement that sometimes drives people to be dismissive or others work and less objective.

 

Anyways. Hope that makes sense! Try not to take what I said personally.

Edited September 7, 2009 by Mojo

[Gomo]

still didn't listen to any of the demo's... though, i'm sure you can find them on youtube?

 

still won't listen to anything till the album is in my hands though, that's the best way.

 

can't wait either.

 

I kept saying that, but I LACK DISCIPLINE.

[Who]

My apologies for taking your comment more personally than I should have. More than anything, I wanted to highlight the process of writing and recording music as being one that is deeply involving and personal. Matthew Good's been pretty open about the process and his approach for doing so, sharing his demos etc., and this is something we should not take for granted. If you don't like the product that's fine! That wasn't what bothered me. Your insistence that you somehow would be able to rework into a better product came off as a bit insulting.

 

I do think a great deal about the process, as I said, because I have been involved with music for some time. Not to any great extent, but enough to know just how much you really put yourself in to it. Music, because of its personal, intimate nature, unfortunately seems to percolate a sense of entitlement that sometimes drives people to be dismissive or others work and less objective.

 

Anyways. Hope that makes sense! Try not to take what I said personally.

 

Well first, saying someone sounds like an asshole may result in that person taking it personally.

 

Second, look at a painting. It's possible you love the painting itself but dislike say the way the painter did a particular shape. If you read my post, you can make this parallel. I said I liked the album but not some of the lead guitar parts that I deem useless. I then proceeded in saying that I think not having a producer limits what could be considered as bad ideas. That doesn't mean that a producer would have had the same dislikes as me because I am knowledge itself. But artists, just like website creators, electricians, can have bad ideas and it's a good idea to have someone to give an outside opinion.

 

I in no way dismiss anything about his work. But I emitted an opinion which is the point of this thread.

 

And I too know how the process work as I am a songwritter myself. And after I recorded my demo CD's my wife and family gave me their opinions and I took what I thought were valid points and dismissed what I disagreed with. That's how art works in my own honest opinion. That doesn't mean an artist should make their art to the liking of people.

 

Anyhow, no hard feelings really. ;)

[Champion Of Nothing]

Ok, I've been asked this question countless times

Believe me, it does not bug me but it has become more and more noticeable

What's with the vibrato?

[thenobody]

Heh, I don't have a favorite album by Matt or any artist for that matter. There ones that have touched me in different ways. That's one thing I wonder about. People talk about how "album b" was alright but not as good as "album a" was. If Album A didn't come first, would one have the same views. In the question that needs to be asked is about whether or not the artist was able to successfully get the message to you. Matt does a pretty good job of that.

[Who]

Thanks for your comments Matthew.

 

I always think it's interesting to have your point of view on our points of view especially when you include musical knowledge. Because yes, most of us here are not professional musicians.

 

First, concerning my comments, I didn't mean it in the "you shouldn't have done those" or "I would have done it differently" way but simply that I didn't like those bits. On records or any other piece of art, there are things one will like and others one will not like. That does not mean that this person is saying he would have done better and that was not my intention at all.

 

Reading my comments I know I used the word "useless" but that's a mistake on my part and I apologize because clearly I didn't express myself properly (I can see that Mojo was right)

 

You compared to a painting like I did so let me go on with the comparison. I think you can like or dislike the way the artist painted a shape or even a whole era. I'm not fond of Picasso's blue era. That doesn't mean I'm saying he shouldn't have gone through it nor does it diminish the techniques he used in that period, the talent he had and it's absolutely not me saying I would have done it differently or me saying I know the right techniques. It's only me saying, from my non-painter point of view that, personally, I don't like that period.

 

As for your producer comment, I would like to add that it was merely a theory. Given that I'm not a professionnal musician nor a producer, it's absolutely obvious that those comments are going to be based on my ignorance and probably wrong. You've been doing this for years and I haven't. So the fact that you come here to explain how and why things are like they are is very interesting like I said before.

 

That being said, please don't take any of my comments in the wrong way. You can't expect fans to say what they think about a record from a 15 plus years experience recording artist point of view because we're not. The fact that I would venture in theories about the work being made in the studio is of course not going to be from a professionnal point of view. But people can give opinions without it being a lesson for the artist to take. So in no way were my comments meant as "Matt should have done this".

 

So in a way the armchair quaterback comment I think is not relevant. Because, like I said, I'm not saying you should have done things differently (and that's the point I've been trying to strech since Mojo told me I sounded like an asshole). That was not my intention.

[instro2]

Hi Matt,

 

Just my opinion; I find the first 3 songs sound the most alike, so having them in a row right off the bat is an odd choice. I know it was clearly intentional, I just think if they were spread out on the track order it would make the album more 'level'.

 

As for the guitar stuff some others were commenting on, I don't know what theyre talking about.

 

The string arrangement sounds great, as always.

 

I'm a fan of music, not an armchair music producer. (However if I knew anything about producing music I'd probably sit behind my monitor and bitch for fun anyway.)

 

Oh, and one more thing. Are you planning another 'create a video' contest?

[Gomo]

People need to let the music sink in a bit before reacting too quickly. It's very rare for me to come to a distinct conclusion about a song or album on the first listen. It took me a couple of listens to realize that Signals by Rush was one of the most amazing fucking things I ever heard.

 

That said, a lot of people may have listened to the Vancouver stream one or two times and I don't think that's nearly enough to make a very good assessment.

 

*listens again*

Edited September 7, 2009 by Gomo