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Let's talk about Muse and how they fell

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I don't really think The Resistance was 'dumbed down' for the masses. I wouldn't consider it that anyway.

The album is just bad.
 
I'm struggling to think of many well-known musical acts that don't have a lot of people saying "well, they were great before such-and-such record, now they suck/are just ok/washed up/etc."

I dunno, I'm not much of a Muse fan, though. They'd be better if, after listening to 10 seconds of any Muse song, you hadn't already heard what the vocals of every other Muse song sounds like.
 
Kusagari said:
I don't really think The Resistance was 'dumbed down' for the masses. I wouldn't consider it that anyway.

The album is just bad.
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I'm inclined to agree to a certain extent. Of course, it's impossible to know what the band was thinking during the recording session. No falsetto screeching; no guitar solos; no slower extended choruses with synthesized arpeggios. It feels deliberate -- even if it wasn't.
Lost Fragment said:
I'm struggling to think of many well-known musical acts that don't have a lot of people saying "well, they were great before such-and-such record, now they suck/are just ok/washed up/etc."

I dunno, I'm not much of a Muse fan, though. They'd be better if, after listening to 10 seconds of any Muse song, you hadn't already heard what the vocals of every other Muse song sounds like.
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That's what every song of every band ever sounds like to outsiders. The whole "trained-ear" thing. Because -- if you didn't know -- it tends to be the same lead singer in every song.
 
Lost Fragment said:
I'm struggling to think of many well-known musical acts that don't have a lot of people saying "well, they were great before such-and-such record, now they suck/are just ok/washed up/etc."

I dunno, I'm not much of a Muse fan, though. They'd be better if, after listening to 10 seconds of any Muse song, you hadn't already heard what the vocals of every other Muse song sounds like.
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Most bands have vocalists that have a particular, defining sound. I mean, I can say that about 95% of bands. You really cant hold that against them. And he's actually more versatile than your average 'rock' singer.
 
Seanspeed said:
Most bands have vocalists that have a particular, defining sound. I mean, I can say that about 95% of bands. You really cant hold that against them. And he's actually more versatile than your average 'rock' singer.
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Having a "defining sound" is one thing. Sounding exactly the same all the time is something else entirely. Dude can't do anything but sound like Brian May singing like he's performing an opera where he has to drag out every other note.
 
Lost Fragment said:
Having a "defining sound" is one thing. Sounding exactly the same all the time is something else entirely. Dude can't do anything but sound like Brian May singing like he's performing an opera where he has to drag out every other note.
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How much singing did Brian May do?
Seanspeed said:
Most bands have vocalists that have a particular, defining sound. I mean, I can say that about 95% of bands. You really cant hold that against them. And he's actually more versatile than your average 'rock' singer.
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He is one of the few true vocalists of modern rock. He can actually hit notes and has range.
Puddles said:
Bellamy does use the same vocal inflections a lot. And a lot of Muse songs have similar chord changes at certain points in the song, or melodies that resolve in similar ways. So it does sound like he's repeating himself a lot.
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Yes -- especially during choruses -- but even that has limits. What he sounds like in Resistance is nothing like OoS or Showbiz. And considering the spectrum of songs from B&H to Microcuts...
 
Bellamy does use the same vocal inflections a lot. And a lot of Muse songs have similar chord changes at certain points in the song, or melodies that resolve in similar ways. So it does sound like he's repeating himself a lot.
 
MuseManMike said:
He is one of the few true vocalists of modern rock. He can actually hit notes and has range.
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He could cut down on the ridiculous vibrato everywhere, but yeah the guy knows how to sing and seems to be able to hit any note he damn well pleases. I've watched a few live performances and I'm impressed by how close he sounds to the studio recordings. That said, he has good range in the standard sense, but not so much texturally.
 
You've sold your soul to the devil if you can produce an entire discography that doesn't -- at some point or another -- piss off longtime fans.

Happens to so many bands and that's okay. It's just another excuse to broaden your horizons and discover new bands.
 
demon said:
He could cut down on the ridiculous vibrato everywhere, but yeah the guy knows how to sing and seems to be able to hit any note he damn well pleases. I've watched a few live performances and I'm impressed by how close he sounds to the studio recordings. That said, he has good range in the standard sense, but not so much texturally.
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I think that's a fair point. I personally enjoy it because it provides such a sharp contrast against typical radio-friendly rock. And about 90% of the singers I enjoy sing in the higher registers.
 
I had not listened to them since early 2001 when I saw them live at a music festival and they were relegated to a small stage where Feeder had played less than an hour prior. I really enjoyed Showbiz due to my girlfriend at the time throwing them on my lap. She was the Muse fan, I was the Radiohead fan - swallow that bitter pill! Unfortunately the breakup was so nasty in the middle of the year that any association with Muse left me with a bitter taste that, outside of listening to New Born and Bliss, I skipped the rest of Origin of Symmetry and consequently the entire discography because Muse = ex.

Took me until 18 months ago or so where I started listening to them again. I liked all of their albums but even I can notice the marked decline compared to the earlier output. Is it because it's different? I don't know, but I can still state that I enjoyed The Resistance.
 
Guerrillas in the Mist said:
Hell, I consider Black Holes to be a pretty good album, it's only really with The Resistance that they've fallen hard and fast, in my opinion. One of the most disappointing albums I've ever bought.

Absolution is my favourite album of theirs, although Origin of Symmetry comes pretty close.
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Those words you speak. It's like you stole them from my brain.

Yeah, hoping the new album is a reversal from the incredibly disappointing The Resistance.
 
origin is their only good record in my eyes — showbiz was distinctly average barring a couple of tunes and they already went too far in the queen direction with absolution. they'd already managed mainstream radio play with stuff like plug in baby and new born so i don't really think that's why it all went to shit (unless US radio is really that different), i think they just got ideas above their station.
 
345triangle said:
origin is their only good record in my eyes — showbiz was distinctly average barring a couple of tunes and they already went too far in the queen direction with absolution. they'd already managed mainstream radio play with stuff like plug in baby and new born so i don't really think that's why it all went to shit (unless US radio is really that different), i think they just got ideas above their station.
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Origin of Symmetry was rejected by the bands original American record label because the songs weren't radio friendly enough for US audiences.

It took like 4+ years for OoS to get an official US release
 
I absolutely love BH&R, and The Resistance tour is the best gig I've ever been to.

They've still got it if you ask me.
 
Absolution and Origins of Symmetry are two of my favorite alternative albums of all time.

Hate their recent stuff all you want, but they are incredible live. Their Resistance tour was absolutely insane.
 
Lets remember some of the amazingly "chill" LIVE MUSE:

1999 - Uno @ NPA

2000 - Sunburn @ Bizarre Festival

2001 - Citizen Erased @ Düsseldorf Philipshalle

2002 - Cant Take My Eyes Off You @ BBC Choice's "Re:Covered"

2003 - Blackout @ MTV Supersonic

2004 - Muscle Museum @ Glastonbury

2005 - Hysteria @ Live 8

2006 - Invincible @ London

2007 - Unintended @ Wembley

tumblr_m1t56lrgKD1qfcwju.gif
 
Lost Fragment said:
You're exactly right.

But that's not what I said about Muse.
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I dont get what your point is then. :/

You apparently want him to switch up how he sounds, but why? The way he sounds is a major part of what makes Muse 'Muse'.

I get the impression that you just dont particularly like his style, which is cool, but you dont normally hear people hating on Aerosmith cuz Steven Tyler always sounds like Steven Tyler or hating on the Rolling Stones cuz Jagger always sounds like Jagger or hating on Tool cuz Maynard always sounds like Maynard or hating on Alice in Chains cuz Layne always sounds like Layne, etc etc.

Matt has a very unique style and it complements the music perfectly, not to mention he's largely the main songwriting force in the band and has his hands involved with the guitar/keyboard/piano and other instrumentation involved. You dont have to like what he does, but I think its very hard for me to understand if somebody cant at least appreciate what how his voice is a major part of their style.
 
pitcairn55 said:
I'm a long time Muse fan, and I was also at Reading last year, and I thought they were utterly bloody magnificent. They played all of Origin of Symmetry ffs! I can't believe you left to go and see someone else. Who else was playing at the time? Tell me you didn't walk away from a Muse performance to go and watch Pete bloody Doherty...
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I was at that concert too and it was phenomenal. WTF is this dude talking about?

Tunavi said:
Their live shows, which used to be fucking insane, now consist of safe performances of their popular American singles.
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Aside from the size I have been to several Muse concerts in the last couple of years where Matthew went nuts and had a good amount of SS songs throughout the show.

bob page said:
Absolution and Origins of Symmetry are two of my favorite alternative albums of all time.

Hate their recent stuff all you want, but they are incredible live. Their Resistance tour was absolutely insane.
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Yup.
 
The Resistance is an amazing song.

and i saw them live, they're pretty good.
 
A friend pointed out to me that the verses to "Our Time Is Running Out" sound like they are from some forgotten Korn song. After I heard it, I could never unhear it.

but for me, it's more simple. To really get into a band, I have to like the lyrics. Homeboy can't write.
 
Sadsic said:
secret: muse was never especially great

just good if you dont expand yr tastes past modern rock
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Tell me, oh wise one, what should I be listening to?

My tastes extend well beyond modern rock, and I still really enjoy some Muse. Resistance was garbage though.
 
I like The Resistance a bit less than their previous albums, but I think my main disappointment is that their last two albums have been textbook cases of the loudness war.
 
Loved the hell out of their first 3 albums but yeah, the latest album didn't move me enough to warrant another listen. In actual fact I may have even just got sick of them, as I even find myself skipping their older stuff if one of their tracks comes up in iTunes/(music player of choice) now.
 
I don't really listen to them any more, but one thing is for damned sure. Uno is their best song. I still remember the first time Steve Lamacq played it, and I was obsessed for months. Showbiz is generally astonishing.
 
Gouty said:
As a huge fan of rock music, its getting harder and harder to take these kinds of discussions seriously.

The reason being everyone is suddenly a critic when a band makes a huge record.

Every

single

time.
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Will answer those questions.

What's everyone's opinion of U2 after the Joshua Tree?
Always a terrible band.

What's everyone's opinion of Coldplay after A Rush of Blood To The Head?
Always a terrible band.

What's everyone's opinion of Metallica after the Black Album?
Got interesting after the black album.

What's everyone's opinion of The Kings of Leon after Only By The Night?
Always a terrible band.

What's everyone's opinion of Red Hot Chili Peppers after Californication?
Got worse and too samey.

What's everyone's opinion of Smashing Pumpkins after Mellon Collie?
Always boring.

What's everyone's opinion of Green Day after American Idiot?
Dookie is the only good record.
 
Chopper said:
I don't really listen to them any more, but one thing is for damned sure. Uno is their best song. I still remember the first time Steve Lamacq played it, and I was obsessed for months. Showbiz is generally astonishing.
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Showbiz (the song) is still the greatest vocal performance Bellamy has put out. I wonder if he can still go that high considering the wear and tear all that touring can have...
 
This thread worked for me.

Muse seemed to have passed me by till I heard Starlight on the Crazy, Stupid, Love movie trailer at the cinema last year. I picked up Black Holes and Revelations from iTunes and loved it.

I gave it a listen this morning after seeing this thread, yep what a great album.

I never really gave any thought to getting anything else by them.

Anyway, downloaded Absolution straight after the Black Holes listen.

Wow, this album is even better. I've been listening to it all day.
 
I love Showbiz, still remember the first time I saw Muscle Museum's video and after fell in love with the song I immediatly bought the album. I wasn't sure about their music direction since the first album, but I still liked them, a lot of people hate on Black Hole, but I think it was a great work.

Then Resistance came out and damn if it wasn't disappointing. They sounded like a parody of themselves. The same thing happened to Coldplay.
 
Prax said:
I think my favourite song is Map of the Problematique.
It's the song that most conjures starships and space fights to me.
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This is the song that made me a Muse fan, and is still my fav by them.

I will agree with many in this thread, I didn't like Resistance as well as Black Holes.
 
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