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Matt Skiba: The Problems Blink-182 Had While Making Latest Album 'California'


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Cool little interview. I'd definitely love to hear those demos someday.

I don't blame them for going with Feldmann after writing Bored To Death since that song fucking rules and totally sounds how I hoped Blink would sound in this era, I just wish the quality would have kept up! Haha

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At first I thought he meant problems with recording with Feldmann. I understand the mindset that he doesn't want to make a blink record that doesn't sound like blink, but I think chasing what made you popular in the first place isn't ideal either. The cool thing with blink is that they've never been any one thing. It's just whatever they feel like doing. When you get with someone as controlling as Feldmann, the music becomes forced and ingenuine, even if it can sound good.

I agree with what Matt said about having a guy who isn't afraid to hurt your feelings, but that's really all that it should've been: an extra set of ears.

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1 minute ago, ryan1125 said:

This confirms pretty much exactly what I assumed happened. Because Mark/Trav wanted to continue "blink-182" with a new member, this release had to be treated carefully, or it could've been an absolute nightmare and shit-stain on the legacy. Now I know some may still feel that way, but IMHO I don't see how it could've gone any better and I'd bet Mark/Matt/Trav would even admit to being surprised at how well the fans have handled it.

 

Yep.  I've said it before, but I really think people severely underestimate how risky making this album was and what a disaster it could've turned into.

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1 minute ago, ryan1125 said:

This confirms pretty much exactly what I assumed happened. Because Mark/Trav wanted to continue "blink-182" with a new member, this release had to be treated carefully, or it could've been an absolute nightmare and shit-stain on the legacy. Now I know some may still feel that way, but IMHO I don't see how it could've gone any better and I'd bet Mark/Matt/Trav would even admit to being surprised at how well the fans have handled it.

 

 

Yeah, when you think about it, it just wasn't the right time to "take risks"...the band needed to reestablish itself. They needed to remind people what made blink, blink, and prove that they could still do it. By those standards, they absolutely hit a home run.

And yeah, some will disagree because they got into blink after they had progressed their sound or just are over the pop punk stuff in general, but overall it was the correct move for the band and the fan base at large.

Now on the next album, it would be lame if they didn't push the boundaries and spend time on the details, rather than the concept at large.

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2 minutes ago, Ghent's Brother said:

Yep.  I've said it before, but I really think people severely underestimate how risky making this album was and what a disaster it could've turned into.

I think a terrible flop album would have been the last album they ever made. No way Mark and Travis would go crawling back to Tom after failing to be able to replace him. Would have been humiliating.

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Just now, Ghent said:

I think a terrible flop album would have been the last album they ever made. No way Mark and Travis would go crawling back to Tom after failing to be able to replace him. Would have been humiliating.

Agreed, the more I think about it the more Bored To Death seems like one of their most important songs ever. I really don't think the album does NEARLY as well commercially without having that song out there kicking ass. Such a perfect comeback/introduction single. I don't think any other song would have done that job nearly as well. 

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No matter your opinion on Feldmann, I think the fact of the matter is that they needed someone like him, someone that would get them focussed.  They probably gave him so much power for the first album due to the fact that they still didn't feel like they collectively were blink-182 yet.  And if they dwelled on trying to figure out how to be blink without someone to help guide them, then we might still be sitting here waiting to hear the first new music from blink-182 as it is with Mark, Matt, and Travis.  

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26 minutes ago, vic vinegar said:

So wait, in Travis and Mark's eyes Cali is the best blink album ever recorded...?

I'm sure it is in the novelty of it being fresh. I wonder how this record will age for them in their eyes. It got nominated for a Grammy so I am sure they will always be proud of it.

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44 minutes ago, The1821975 said:

I'm sure it is in the novelty of it being fresh. I wonder how this record will age for them in their eyes. It got nominated for a Grammy so I am sure they will always be proud of it.

It got nominated for a Grammy in a subgenre category that wasn't even shown on tv (so I hear). It's not like it was as well received as American Idiot was back in the day. But I get it. Whatever script I write or movie I film I usually think it's better than the one before it. Even if others tell me otherwise. With more distance, you can judge properly.

But even if Untitled was too far left field for Mark's idea of "what blink is" then I'd still argue Cali doesn't touch Dude Ranch, Enema or TOYPAJ, which most of the common people consider vintage blink.

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The whole "it was risky to be different" seems like such a bullshit idea to me. So what if the songs sounded Alkaline Trio-ish? If they were good songs then it wouldn't matter. Trying to force the whole "what is blink-182?" is, to me, not a good way to write. What are they trying to prove? They already have success.

Don't get me wrong, I like the current iteration of blink, but forcibly writing like another band to appease the masses seems kind of wrong.

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