Arrows Of Desire Led Me To Listening To Aob Again And...

[Outtahere]

Am I the only one who gets the impression that it's mostly an MG record except for Carmelina, The Fall of Man, Under The Influence and Antipop?

 

Really good record still. It's a shame Matt doesn't like it. I'd love to hear Man of Action with his current band or The Rat who Would Be King.

[joeposh]

He's never played Man of Action live before, correct? I'd hop on a plane to any show just to hear that.

[Outtahere]

Unfortunately no. Such a great song!

[juanpe]

Had the same impression!!! Actually the first time I heard "Mutineering" I thought of "Tripoli"!!

 

 

Am I the only one who gets the impression that it's mostly an MG record except for Carmelina, The Fall of Man, Under The Influence and Antipop?

 

Really good record still. It's a shame Matt doesn't like it. I'd love to hear Man of Action with his current band or The Rat who Would Be King.

[Outtahere]

When I heard the recording of Mutineering on Youtube I thought of The Fall of Man.

[finboy]

AoB is my favourite record of all time ever, if he released it on vinyl with all together as a hidden track, I could die happy

Edited October 11, 2013 by finboy

[Moonlight_Graham]

Am I the only one who gets the impression that it's mostly an MG record except for Carmelina, The Fall of Man, Under The Influence and Antipop?

 

Really good record still. It's a shame Matt doesn't like it. I'd love to hear Man of Action with his current band or The Rat who Would Be King.

 

Matt's admitted in a few recent interviews that he pretty did all the song-writing for MGB, and that Dave got too much credit.

 

So maybe it would be more accurate to say that for AoB, Carmelina, The Fall of Man, Under The Influence and Antipop sounds like the older hard alternative stuff on Beautiful Midnight & Underdogs, while a lot of the other tracks on AoB sound like Avalanche.

[Young Grasshopper]

I imagine the Audio of Being days didn't contain very good memories for Matt, as I'm sure the in band fighting had reached a fever pitch and may have tainted Matt's feelings toward the tracks.

Edited October 12, 2013 by Young Grasshopper

[Outtahere]

Matt's admitted in a few recent interviews that he pretty did all the song-writing for MGB, and that Dave got too much credit.

 

So maybe it would be more accurate to say that for AoB, Carmelina, The Fall of Man, Under The Influence and Antipop sounds like the older hard alternative stuff on Beautiful Midnight & Underdogs, while a lot of the other tracks on AoB sound like Avalanche.

 

Exactly! I knew for the writing credits thing but now that his solo career is so far I can actually hear the difference (which shows how much I listen to AOB :P).

[Jessafur]

Does anyone else think that Letters in Wartime sounds similar to Change of Season?

[RileyLewis]

Not really. Change of Season has a more "echoey" quality to it. Letters in Wartime sounds a bit more like a standard song, too, except for the extended bridge part.

[mackie1023]

Does anyone else think that Letters in Wartime sounds similar to Change of Season?

 

I thought of Change of Season the first time I lilstened to Letters. They're not really "the same", but I can hear it in there. I think it's more of a dynamic similarity.

[daniel_v]

Am I the only one who gets the impression that it's mostly an MG record except for Carmelina, The Fall of Man, Under The Influence and Antipop?

 

Really good record still. It's a shame Matt doesn't like it. I'd love to hear Man of Action with his current band or The Rat who Would Be King.

I think it depends what you mean by "MG record". As others have noted, as far the song structures and progressions go, it was very much an MG record, as most before that were as well. However, I've always thought of AOB as being close to LOTGA for being the most representative of the playing styles of each member. Don't get me wrong, I loved everything after else after LOTGA and before AOB, but those two records, for me anyways, were the most instrumentally "true" representations of what each member could bring to the table. I know Matt said he hated that because he felt like the songs suffered as a result (hence his "serve the song rather than yourself" comments that he has made in the past), but I've personally always felt that the most interesting songs from Matt were the ones where the Ian, Dave, Rich and Geoff were given the freedom to record what felt the most natural to them. Of course, not being a member of the band, I can't say that they were prevented from doing so, but with regards to the bass and the drums, I do remember Geoff commenting that Matt had asked him to do a lot of "straight 8" bass lines which he wasn't too happy with. Likewise, I have to admit, as much as I love Ian as a drummer, his drumming was highly dumbed down after LOTGA. So when it came to AOB, one of the things that I liked about it as a listener was that, aside from the song structures themselves, most of the instrumental workings were quite dynamic. Ian's drum fills, Rich's climbing bass lines, and especially Dave's lead licks in just about all of the songs (but especially Man of Action, Carmelina,The Workers Sing a Song, and A Sort of Protest Song) really brought the them to a higher level for me. In fact, if I could offer just one criticism of Matt's solo work in certain cases, it would be that the lead guitar is really lacking during what should be the climax points (see Last Parade, Great Whales, and Letters in Wartime for example). Anyways, in reference to the OP's question about it being an "MG record, I have respectfully disagree and argue that it was one of the few MGB albums that really felt like an "MGB album" in the sense of full member freedom (for better and worse). Edited October 27, 2013 by daniel_v

[RileyLewis]

I agree that regardless of what Matt feels, as a fan the instrumentation on AOB is very good, especially the guitar work. While the power chord-type sound on some songs is just a part of that era and forgettable, there are interesting hooks that you don't see as often any more. Even something like Under the Influence, where the lead guitar during the chorus is very different than what you'd expect for the singing. It almost doesn't quite match up (and maybe that's something Matt didn't like at the time, was that warring between people over their own parts), but I think it's quite interesting.

[Outtahere]

daniel_v : I was referring to the influence the other band members may or may not have had on Matt music. By "MG record" vs "MGB record" what I meant is that most of AOB could have been released under the Matthew Good name with other musicians except the three songs I mentionned that fit more the MGB sound and style. But that's not saying I don't hear what the other band members did (like you mentionned Dave's lead guitar playing which was one thing I missed when I first heard Avalanche as Matt and Dave' styles are different).

 

But, by no means did I mean that in a bad way. It's more that now that we've heard what Matt does as a solo artist, I feel a lot of AOB (and Loser Anthems for that matter) is more or less a transition to his solo career in the sense that I hear less of the band member's influence on the music than before.

 

Of course, not being part of the band, what do I know really? This is merely an opinion! ;-)

[daniel_v]

daniel_v : I was referring to the influence the other band members may or may not have had on Matt music. By "MG record" vs "MGB record" what I meant is that most of AOB could have been released under the Matthew Good name with other musicians except the three songs I mentionned that fit more the MGB sound and style...I feel a lot of AOB...is more or less a transition to his solo career in the sense that I hear less of the band member's influence on the music than before.

 

Of course, not being part of the band, what do I know really? This is merely an opinion! ;-)

 

Oh, for sure, and you're completely entitled to it. Different people hear different things when they look at or listen to the same thing. That's the great thing about art.

 

I guess it just comes down to what you mean by "influence" though. To me, when you say "influence", I think of the flavour and style each member brought to each song, rather than who did the song structures. As I said, I very much hear every member's distinct style in just about every song (save for maybe I, The Throw Away). As we both apparently agree, Matt probably did do most of the song structure arrangements, but the texturing of the songs with each members flavour of playing still, for me anyways, makes it more of an "MGB record" than simply an "MG record". But again, that's just my opinion. I hear it; you don't hear it. There's nothing wrong with that. It's just a difference of opinion.

Edited October 28, 2013 by daniel_v

[AnOceanPearl]

I do remember Geoff commenting that Matt had asked him to do a lot of "straight 8" bass lines which he wasn't too happy with.

Funnily enough though, there are very few songs where Geoff is actually playing straight 8ths for even portions of the songs, let alone the whole thing. Some of the stuff might have been "reserved" as compared to what he could have played, but looking at stuff like Strangest One of All, Prime Time, Change of Season, there is a very unique style and feel to those basslines.

[daniel_v]

Funnily enough though, there are very few songs where Geoff is actually playing straight 8ths for even portions of the songs, let alone the whole thing. Some of the stuff might have been "reserved" as compared to what he could have played, but looking at stuff like Strangest One of All, Prime Time, Change of Season, there is a very unique style and feel to those basslines.

If I remember correctly, I believe the comment was made in reference to when they first started working on the songs for BM before he had left the band, which I'll agree makes more sense than it would in reference to Underdogs (I'll have to look since I believe it was made in the "Ask Geoff" thread). Underdogs still had a bit of his influence on it for sure (especially in the songs you mentioned). It would also make sense since in his eulogy to Geoff Matt admitted that when Geoff left he felt "uncomfortably relieved", so I would imagine there were some creative differences that had been clashing for a little while (unless he was referring to something else. The previous comment is of course nothing more than speculation). Edited October 29, 2013 by daniel_v

[daniel_v]

If I remember correctly, I believe the comment was made in reference to when they first started working on the songs for BM... (I'll have to look since I believe it was made in the "Ask Geoff" thread)....It would also make sense since in his eulogy to Geoff Matt admitted that when Geoff left he felt "uncomfortably relieved", so I would imagine there were some creative differences that had been clashing for a little while (unless he was referring to something else. The previous comment is of course nothing more than speculation).

Found it: http://www.nearfantastica.com/bored/topic/9148-ask-geoff-memorial-thread/page__st__520

Seriously. We all knew Matt was the talent and we were sidemen. Beautiful Midnight rubbed me the wrong way so I bailed.I was asked to play a certain way that wasn't natural for me and I left. Simple as that.

Thanx. That really means a lot to me!!!

I play like me or I don't play. Does that make sence???

I like to play melodically and I was asked to play straight 8ths...I'm not a robot.

In a cover band if it's the bass part yes by all means but new, fresh music...no.

I probably would have entertained the idea if I was asked but I was told.