The "where-do-we-go-from-here?" Thread

[Some Random]

i think of Filter everytime i go by this thread now in the list.

[oneeighty]

pernickety

ha ha! I like that.

 

 

I've listened to Matt since the very beginning. I think that music was right for it's time, and for the age he was then.

I can understand the idea that the dynamic between the band members may have brought some inspiration Matt wouldn't have had solo; but the SONGS were written by him. It doesn't matter who is around, if his style of writing (and taste in music) has completely changed.

 

You're right - the style and form of songs of the Beautiful Midnight era were fitting for the time of its release.

 

But, didn't Genn co-write a lot of the music?

[northshore]

Well I really don't know. He played keyboards a lot, especially in the beginning; whether he wrote that or Matt did I don't know.

 

When the band disintergrated and Matt was still bitter, he used to say a lot that Dave insisted on the 'big wanking guitar solos'. A couple of songs Matt named that he thought shouldn't have had a guitar solo at all, can't remember which ones.

I think when an album is done it's difficult to pull apart and determine who did what.

What about Ian? For sure he would have written the beats; that quirky, almost minimal, just-slightly-behind-the-rhythm style that I've never heard anyone else do in quite that way. There's more than a few MGB songs that are all about the drumming.

[sockcrotch]

Beautiful Midnight was what turned me onto Matt. But I was younger then and kind of didn't care for music as much. A couple years later, around the time that band broke up I took an active interest in music in general and rediscovered Matt's tunes. But of course by then there was no more band, no touring, etc.

 

So I went around and got my hands on all the albums I could, from LOTGA to Loser Anthems, and fell in love with all of them, some (Underdogs/BM) more than others. When Avalanche first came out I didn't think it was terrfic to be honest, but a few months later I listened to it one day to find new meaning in it, found parts of it amazing all of a sudden, and haven't stopped loving it since. As for WLRRR, that just rocks - that tour did nothing but increase my love of Matt's music, especailly his live performance.

 

I didn't think he could top his live shows in 2004 until this year's acoustic tour. And I can't wait to see what direction he takes his next album.

 

As for liking/not liking certain albums or periods of his career, I think it just goes to show that he possesses a great range in making albums, always keeping his sound new and different. And that's an impressive feat if you ask me.

[no yu begin wher i end]

pernickety

ha ha! I like that.

 

 

I've listened to Matt since the very beginning. I think that music was right for it's time, and for the age he was then.

I can understand the idea that the dynamic between the band members may have brought some inspiration Matt wouldn't have had solo; but the SONGS were written by him. It doesn't matter who is around, if his style of writing (and taste in music) has completely changed.

 

You're right - the style and form of songs of the Beautiful Midnight era were fitting for the time of its release.

 

But, didn't Genn co-write a lot of the music?

Yeah, he co-wrote most of it.

[Zoon]

Matt has mentioned that he had to often let Genn alter his songs to appease him, since he wanted to feel a part of the creative process. I believe Dave was also annoyed when he wasn't allowed to go to Europe to mix some of BM.

 

In the end I think Matt is a very insular artist who likes total control over his music, so he was destined to go solo.

[heyrabbit]

I feel like maybe Matt's finally getting around to opening up musically, into the person he really wanted to be.

his career broke out 10 years ago...

Matt's too much of an individual to not write what he wants to write. Don't kid yourself. Matt wanted to be the janitor in Apparitions. he wanted to wave to the camera in radioshack. That's what he wanted at the time. And when he got sick of it, Audio of Being was released...

 

Like any good piece of art,something has to compliment the piece. Matt is the master composer, there's no disputing that. but Genn complimented matt's music perfectly. there was a dynamic which was obviously missing when Avalanche was released. The album had brilliant material but it was lacking something to compliment it. As perfect as the song is, I believe Avalanche could have been better. Weapon could have been better. the filler songs could have been...not filler songs.

 

Infact, I'd say that Matt is the least "open" in WLRRR. it's so raw and different from his other work that it jsut sounds contrived. It sounded like he was bored with the style he'd been writing in, which he was. All of a sudden he's neil young, and this is negates the genuineness of all his previous work? I don't think so. Matt does whatever he wants and he always will.

 

The quality of his work has never changed, just the people and circumstances around it