chris3
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I just ordered a slice of pumpkin pie...
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Post by chris3 on May 10, 2018 8:40:48 GMT
Any other fans of this band on the board? Just listened to their new album and it's gonna be divisive. As a die hard fan since 2007, I just wanted to state that I think it's EXCELLENT and easily their best since Humbug. This feels like that album's true successor. As someone who dislikes Alex's side project band, was sorely disappointed by Suck It And See, and loves AM but doesn't think it holds a candle to the first three albums, I am surprised and just THRILLED that they had the courage to ignore their newfound American superstardom and make a record so far left field from expectations.
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Post by pacinoyes on May 10, 2018 10:39:45 GMT
I think its a crucial record for them and for Rock in general - what is this a 4-5 year gap between releases - you can lose a lot of magic in that time but I haven't heard it. I love the first 2 - but think the debut is a tad overrated and the second album a tad underrated (and holds up spectacularly).
Humbug and Suck it and See were ok to me but not great. They won me back with AM .......
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chris3
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I just ordered a slice of pumpkin pie...
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Post by chris3 on May 10, 2018 20:23:06 GMT
I absolutely love Favourite Worst Nightmare and agree that it's quite underrated (and much better than the first album). This album to me sounds like a much more spare, slowed down, almost lounge-act version of Humbug. Fans are really going to be split on it. There are pretty much NONE of the rock elements they're typically known for. I personally think it's great, and Alex Turner's lyrics on this album are brilliant.
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Post by countjohn on May 10, 2018 22:26:42 GMT
Haven't heard it yet, thought it was out tomorrow.
Their first record is a huge part of my youth but it's aged so badly due to that mid 2000's loudness war production. I actually liked Suck it and See a lot and it kind of got me back into them, but all their other records have had 2 or three really good songs with the rest being meh. Didn't get the big deal about AM at all. The early buzz on this is really good so I'm looking forward to it.
As Pacinoeyes said, this does feel big for rock music generally, since they're one of the few real rock bands left where a new album from them is an "event".
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Post by bob-coppola on May 11, 2018 2:31:00 GMT
Listening for the second time and it's growing on me. I mean, it is indeed very well-produced and, as usual, the lyrics are great. It's just that it's the first Arctic Monkeys album that doesn't have a single song that feels like a hit, you know? The melodies aren't really catchy and I don't see those songs going viral like Arabella, Do I Wanna Know? or R U Mine? were for the last album. And that's not a bad thing, since it's obviously not what they're going for with this record, and I think it's very brave.
Also, it sounds very mature. The band took many years to write it, and it shows. The songs might not stand out individually, but at least they're cohese, they all make sense as round songs and as part of a record. It's refreshing, seeing how AM had some true Frankenstein songs that actually sounded like three different recordings mixed together (I'm talking to you, Arabella). I'd say Golden Trunks, Batphone and The Ultracheese are my favorites so far.
And: Humbug > Suck It and See > Favorite Worst Nightmare > Whatever People Say I Am > TBH&C > AM
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chris3
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I just ordered a slice of pumpkin pie...
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Post by chris3 on May 11, 2018 3:33:09 GMT
bob_coppola I totally agree that it sounds coherent, that it works better as the sum of its parts, and I definitely agree that AM didn't really flow together very naturally, despite many great standalone songs. I've listened to the new one straight through FOUR times now in two days (which is VERY unusual for me, I think it's the only time I've done this actually). It gets better on each listen.
And: Humbug > Favourite Worst Nightmare > Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino > Whatever People Say I Am > AM > Suck It And See
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Post by countjohn on May 12, 2018 23:22:22 GMT
The initial positive response appears to have cooled considerably and it's getting pretty mixed reviews, but I liked it a lot. Definitely preferred it to AM. I kind of get the Pet Sounds/Beatles comparisons, it's sort of like baroque pop with synths. But not as melodic, it's more about just building texture. Definitively one of those albums where the songs are a lot better together than individually.
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Post by pacinoyes on May 12, 2018 23:38:58 GMT
Their appearance on Fallon was a fascinating insight into them if you've followed their whole career - the song, 4 out of 5, is essentially a re-write thematically of Teddy Picker, but this time cool and detached as opposed to punk and p*ssed off. That is where bands consistently screw themselves up - the "mature" album, is always a bummer and "less Punk rock" to me equals "less good".
But ..........in the song and performance, Turner, ironically standing with arms spread for critical applause (quite funny) - he could have been Bono around the time of Pop or Achtung Baby.......or Bowie of the late 70s - and the song sounds like Bowie.
Now, Turner writes circles around Bono, and I'm not as big of a Bowie fan as most are, but what that shows you is, as Rock has run its course in general as a cultural movement, the real smart guys, know how to re-work it to their own purposes. The best song on AM, a re-working of John Cooper Clarke's "I Wanna Be Yours" - used irony and distance to convey genuine emotion - that's a tough trick to pull off, but what is best about it is that a Rock band.........ANY Rock band has ANY ideas at all from a writing/performance perspective. He's still got his brain, and his brain is still one of the most unique in Rock, at least in that song.
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avnermoriarti
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Friends say I’ve changed. They’re right.
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Post by avnermoriarti on May 13, 2018 18:28:55 GMT
What's up with the meltdown around this album ? hahah, idk but I'm loving it, not sure this is supposed to be their "mature" moment, there's a song about a taqueria, probably the only one I'm aware of.... It's an album that is looking back but suspended in limbo (?!!) don't know what to make of it yet overall but at least is one of the most impressive albums of the year , I like this direction, reminds me a lot of Bowie's Low and Donald Fagen' The Nightfly.
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Post by joephoenix on May 14, 2018 22:52:33 GMT
I love it. According to my lastfm Arctic Monkeys are by far my most listened to artist of the past few years so my expectations were pretty high and they were met. Going off of the recent Last Shadow Puppets album the more piano based stuff was kind of expected from Alex and I loved it. I get some of the criticisms but I love that they change their style with every album. I'd rank it fourth out of their albums right now (Suck It and See and AM being below it - love them all though) but I can definitely see it rising.
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