The Mars Volta

[Durden Singer]

Are there many The Mars Volta fans around? They're about my favourite band (well, next to Radiohead, of course).
www.themarsvolta.com
They are ex-members of At The Drive-In, which I know slightly less about...

 

[The Theory]

Their first album was decent. While I wouldn't call it great, it had some hypnotic quality that made me put it in occationally. I could tell they had potential.

Then I bought 'Francis the Mute' based on the cheap price and the potential (and Pitchfork's bad review)... unfortunately it's not even listenable. Which drives me crazy because it's obvious they have exceptional talent on their instruments... they just don't write interesting music. It sounds like they sat down, took a couple of bong hits, and said "lets write an experiemental album" and then did every single cliche in the book.

 

[philN]

I tend to agree. I found De-Loused to be somewhat enjoyable and thought it showed promise, but Francis the Mute was basically an unlistenable experimental album. Pitchfork was pretty harsh, but I think they were accurate for the most part on this one. I downloaded Francis the Mute and while parts of it show the talent of the musicians, the overall effect was somewhat boring.

That said, At-The-Drive-In was awesome. I'd rather listen to Mars Volta than Sparta, but they both pale in comparison to ATDI.

 

[theFijian]

I'm not a fan of prog so the direction Mars Volta have gone in doesn't find too much favour with me. De-Loused was listeniable but ATDI were superior in my opinion. Relationship of Command is in my top 5 albums ever.

 

[Gaston]

I think if you're not into heavy experimental progressive rock you won't like Frances, that's for sure (save perhaps, the widow). I've tried to get into the heavy stuff, Pain of Salvation, even the latest King Crimson was a little much for me so technically I don't really like the Volta as much.

But it's a brilliant album for anyone who knows anything about progressive rock. And btw, Theory saying it's filled with "cliches" is pretty much dead wrong. It's non listenable to you because you don't understand it or you can't handle it. I mean, I don't like it the same as others but that's not putting the concept down at all or insulting the music. I just personally don't like it.

Me, I listen to 20 minute songs all the time. Floyd does 'em alot. Is that what you mean by "cliche"?

If so you must be pretty hard to impress because those "cliches" are the good stuff. I played an E major chord the other day. Was that a "cliche"?

Sheesh.


Gaston


Gaston

 

[philN]

I think it's cliche in that it is self-important. They made the album to sound as if it was something new and innovative and ground breaking, but it really is just the culmination of every cliche of experimental music. In other words: it's style over substance. I think Mars Volta has a lot of appeal, not because of the music itself, but because people who don't know better mistake their music for something groundbreaking because they don't know better. These people usually tell those who see through the facade that they just don't understand the music, when really it's quite the opposite: there is nothing to understand. Like I said, De-Loused showed promise, but Francis the Mute was just a boring waste of time.

 

[drew.dominguez]

I love Volta. My favorite Band right now. I wuv zem so much.

Huzzah for VOLTA! Surrealist Avant Garde Hard Rock forever!

 

[drew.dominguez]

Hold on...

Fancis the Mute is the most ground breaking, beautiful, stylistically important and culturally relivant album of the past 5 years.

 

[Roo6339]

yeah, i really like them. i haven't heard anything of their new album yet...

 

[blackwasp]

I'm only borderline into prog, but the new album bored me. I do like ATDI better though.

 

[Mal2]

i love mars volta, de-loused has been in listening rotaing since it was released, and even their ep tremulant is good. for me the release of frances the mute could not come soon enough. while their latest release does sound different from de-loused, it still is a beautiful album, and now they are both in listening rotation.

also, those of you that complain about it being an experiemental album: it is not experimental, it is called a concept album, many bands do them

 

[theFijian]

the most ... culturally relivant (sic) album of the past 5 years.

Pray tell, how is Frances the Mute the most culturally relevant album of the last 5 years?

 

[philN]

Hold on...

Fancis the Mute is the most ground breaking, beautiful, stylistically important and culturally relivant album of the past 5 years.

False.

 

[philN]

For a concept album, Mars Volta doesn't do a great job at getting that concept across. The lyrics are so ambiguous and cryptic that they take away from the concept and the relevance.

And it's not that I just "don't get it". It's that Mars Volta is overly-pretentious.