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California (1 year later)


Scott.

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+44 easily edges out BCR for me. BCR is tom trying to progress, while imitating bands he'd only recently become enamored with. it's got some great moments (and i, there is, elevator) and some real poor ones (my first punk song). but it's mostly sorta fake to me; the beginnings of tom trying to be something he's not, and that was when he started taking himself more seriously in the press. it's a cute little document of when things began to fray for the band.

as for +44 and WYHSB, i'm open to admitting its got faults too... at times it seems undercooked to me (chapter 13) and confused (make you smile). but it's got some of mark's strongest, most honest lyrics he's ever written, and some of his darkest work. i'm not sure he could even make songs like baby come on, lillian, or weatherman anymore. it's a well-sequenced album too, with cliffdiving picking up at exactly the right moment and ending on an uplifting note. unlike BCR, it's not trying to be something it's not (for the most part... did i mention make you smile is an obvious postal service rip off?). either way, even with the few faults, it's a really solid record with great songwriting 

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I will always love the +44 record because of certain tracks (Make You Smile, Lillian, Chapter 13, Baby Come On) and I love the general sound and ideas they captured, and I agree it's some of Mark's best lyrical work (in places... other places, not so much) but BCR is just better in my opinion. It's more of what I go to these guys for, I suppose is the best way of putting it. if I want some moody electronic rock there are a lot of other artists who do it a lot better, but Tom was a great middle ground for punk with pop sensibility. it's a surprisingly dark and heavy record that is still clean and warm at the same time. It's anthemic and dynamic and just did what I needed it to do when I was 13. It was a great snapshot of adolescent rage, confusion and sorrow. There are other bands that do the genre better, obviously - but taking those ideas with mainstream production and Tom's ability for simple and addictive songwriting and you've essentially got a record of magic on your hands.

It would be my utmost favourite blink related record ever if the lyrics weren't so awkward. 

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On 9/24/2017 at 7:02 PM, Sebastián said:

Maybe we should talk about this in another thread, but I can recommend some Cure non-single songs you might be interested in listening to. You didn't mention any song from their last 4 albums, so I'm assuming you aren't familiar with them?

As for Pink Floyd, I can't recommend "One of these days" enough - it's so cool! Unfortunately, they didn't do much stuff like that after Meddle. What a shame.

I'll have to check them out, haven't really listened to any Cure albums that are after the early 90s. As for Pink Floyd, I just can't get into their music. Only have ever liked one song by them but it's a 3 minute instrumental that sounds electronic and probably could fit on an AVA album haha. Can't remember the name of it, but I'll look for it.

edit: On the Run

Just a weird electronic instrumental. Can see where Tom uses that vibe in the intro of Mercenaries but it's cool as hell that instrumental IMO. That One of these days song is pretty good too.

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I havent listened to blink in monthsss and i bought some various earphones for my phone. Time to revisit some gems.

Enema, Self-Titled, WYHSB never get old. Great staying power. TOJPAJ just felt a little bit forced and Boxcar really isn't for me.

I actually want to listen to California 2017 again. I quite like it actually.

 

About boxcar: The rawness, dynamic range in volume and instrumentation, new chord writing for tom...its all solid. But man did i grew out of that record.

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