One more time deluxe thread

[Elite Takes - this is jan]

14 minutes ago, 23 years 3 months 4 days said:

You said it best, brother. 

When you said nothing at all.

[George R. Binks]

1 minute ago, Moldy Krampus Juice said:

When you said nothing at all.

Fuck, that’s a jam. Do you want to be Alison and I’ll be Keith?

[boxelder]

9 minutes ago, Ghent said:

There isn't much of a difference between California and OMT besides an upgrade/better fit at guitar/vocals. I'm sorry, there's just not.

(and that's a compliment coming from me, of course)

i completely agree, which is why i feel so muted about the whole thing. don't get me wrong: i love MTYK, dance with me, bad news... but there's a clear focus on the past rather than the present.

8 minutes ago, 23 years 3 months 4 days said:

I don’t understand this take. They are a 3 piece band with limited playing and singing capabilities. Do you expect them to evolve into Pink Floyd or Dream Theatre or something? They’re at their best when they are simple and catchy and fun. 

obviously not... but there was a freewheeling focus on the unorthodox across untitled, from its recording to subject matter, that is still visceral and fresh two decades on. that doesn't preclude simple or catchy, either -- there's hooks and handclaps all over aesthenia, or not now, but there's also deep songwriting with depth. +44 illustrated that mark was capable of the same artistic evolution. on neighborhoods and DED, tom's modernist delay-heavy guitar parts pushes the band into unexpected sonic territory (GOTDF, after midnight, pretty little girl, etc) and mark embraces the unusual (for better of worse: fighting the gravity is a swing and a miss, but i appreciate the spirit it evokes).

that's a lot different than where the band has been the last ten years. the songwriting by committee approach, inviting others into what was once a insular artistic relationship between mark and tom, or potentially matt. the bland and predictable feldmann factory techniques. the industry machine pushing the band to collaborate with miley cyrus and the chainsmokers in a clear bid for relevancy. and even on OMT, the regressive focus on the past remains, from the production (how they strove to digitally recreate the sound of the mesa-boogie), to the songwriting (the staccato "remember this?" opening of anthem pt. 3, the "i miss yous" in the chorus of OMT, etc etc etc.)

[George R. Binks]

7 minutes ago, boxelder said:

i completely agree, which is why i feel so muted about the whole thing. don't get me wrong: i love MTYK, dance with me, bad news... but there's a clear focus on the past rather than the present.

obviously not... but there was a freewheeling focus on the unorthodox across untitled, from its recording to subject matter, that is still visceral and fresh two decades on. that doesn't preclude simple or catchy, either -- there's hooks and handclaps all over aesthenia, or not now, but there's also deep songwriting with depth. +44 illustrated that mark was capable of the same artistic evolution. on neighborhoods and DED, tom's modernist delay-heavy guitar parts pushes the band into unexpected sonic territory (GOTDF, after midnight, pretty little girl, etc) and mark embraces the unusual (for better of worse: fighting the gravity is a swing and a miss, but i appreciate the spirit it evokes).

that's a lot different than where the band has been the last ten years. the songwriting by committee approach, inviting others into what was once a insular artistic relationship between mark and tom, or potentially matt. the bland and predictable feldmann factory techniques. the industry machine pushing the band to collaborate with miley cyrus and the chainsmokers in a clear bid for relevancy. and even on OMT, the regressive focus on the past remains, from the production (how they strove to digitally recreate the sound of the mesa-boogie), to the songwriting (the staccato "remember this?" opening of anthem pt. 3, the "i miss yous" in the chorus of OMT, etc etc etc.)

I appreciate your response and respect your opinion. For me, I never felt Untitled was as great as some fans make it out to be. I just don’t expect 3 insanely successful, good looking, rich, married men with love in their lives to try and be deep or more than what they are. If they came out with a dark record I wouldn’t think it’s genuine. Having fun seems more authentic to me. Just my opinion and take. 
 

That being said I completely agree with everything you said in the 2nd paragraph. Couldn’t agree more on those things 

[Elite Takes - this is jan]

2 minutes ago, 23 years 3 months 4 days said:

I appreciate your response and respect your opinion. For me, I never felt Untitled was as great as some fans make it out to be. I just don’t expect 3 insanely successful, good looking, rich, married men with love in their lives to try and be deep or more than what they are. If they came out with a dark record I wouldn’t think it’s genuine. Having fun seems more authentic to me. Just my opinion and take. 

Definitely doesn’t support the bro tank mantra listening to dark blink.

[George R. Binks]

1 minute ago, Moldy Krampus Juice said:

Definitely doesn’t support the bro tank mantra listening to dark blink.

Go sit in a dark room and cry about it while you paint your fingernails 

[boxelder]

2 minutes ago, 23 years 3 months 4 days said:

I appreciate your response and respect your opinion. For me, I never felt Untitled was as great as some fans make it out to be. I just don’t expect 3 insanely successful, good looking, rich, married men with love in their lives to try and be deep or more than what they are. If they came out with a dark record I wouldn’t think it’s genuine. Having fun seems more authentic to me. Just my opinion and take. 

and clearly we just appreciate the different eras of the band. but i feel like the rich and successful should also be able to write about things that matter to them, which has happened in the post-fame era of the band. for me, the best songs the band has made come from a place that's real and genuine, and sometimes dark -- from family matters (generational divide, HISALP), broken marriages (here's your letter), forgotten friendships (no it isn't, san diego), snapshot, aspect-to-aspect autobiography (kaleidoscope), feeling washed-up (cynical), and depression (weatherman). hell, mark even wrote a song about typical rich-guy problems -- disagreeing with an HOA president by name on +44's lillian -- and imbued it into a meditation on feeling like you don't belong.

hearing a 50 year old sing about "cum stains on the couch" just doesn't hit the same.

[boxelder]

so what i'm saying is i'm waiting for the dark, depth-filled song about mark suing his neighbors for planting a tree too tall.

[George R. Binks]

2 minutes ago, boxelder said:

and clearly we just appreciate the different eras of the band. but i feel like the rich and successful should also be able to write about things that matter to them, which has happened in the post-fame era of the band. for me, the best songs the band has made come from a place that's real and genuine, and sometimes dark -- from family matters (generational divide, HISALP), broken marriages (here's your letter), forgotten friendships (no it isn't, san diego), snapshot, aspect-to-aspect autobiography (kaleidoscope), feeling washed-up (cynical), and depression (weatherman). hell, mark even wrote a song about typical rich-guy problems -- disagreeing with an HOA president by name on +44's lillian -- and imbued it into a meditation on feeling like you don't belong.

hearing a 50 year old sing about "cum stains on the couch" just doesn't hit the same.

lol the HOA thing reminded me of when Mark was on TMZ because of a dispute with his neighbor over a tree.

i don’t know if you saw but I edited my comment. I totally agree with your 2nd paragraph you made about how they write and record. 

[Elite Takes - this is jan]

Travis is worse than Feldman because he tries to do all these extra special effects and stuff that sound like fried diaper.

[Russel Coight]

Still loving these songs this morning. Blink is a damn good time.

[thongrider]

I prefer Travis's production to Feldy. I think I prefer Feldy's songs.

[Frank Woods]

1 hour ago, boxelder said:

many of my posts over the years have expressed disappointment at the band regressing back to the standard pop-punk sound, one i thought the trappings of which they'd moved beyond. it started with some stuff on neighborhoods -- even if she falls, or wishing well even -- that i felt wasn't pushing the band to a progressive place i'd come to expect. california cranked that dial way past 11 with the most formulaic, botoxed songs i didn't even think they were capable of, and NINE was consequently confused with the way things turned out. cynical more or less outright admits mark felt washed: "you've said everything you'll ever say."

but what i'm beginning to realize is that window of time that mark and tom were churning out more mature, arguably deeper songwriting -- BCR i guess, untitled, +44, hell, even some AVA -- came during like a 3-4 year period in the mid-00s. what if that maturation wasn't truly who they were, or what they felt comfortable with? as a fan then it excited me to see blink pushing into different sonic directions ... it felt representative of their development as musicians and people. but maybe they felt it was forced, or like a grown-up suit that fit too big. maybe stupid sing-song shtick is where they feel happiest. more power to 'em i guess.

F.e. skate punk bands like NOFX or Ten Foot Pole never truly evolved/grew up. blink had their dark phases but I think that they have always been the same guys back from the Dude Ranch era. Life could give you some hard moments (back pain for Tom -> Box Car; end of blink -> Plus 44 for Mark) but when they end you still remain the same guy you was before (maybe a bit "battered and bruised" or "lost and disillusioned"). And I'm pretty sure that Mark wasn't that convinced about the Untitled phase, but preferred to follow the dark Box Car tone to keep blink together and acquiesce Tom's will to explore other musical Styles; or maybe he just embraced the dark tones after feeling deceived with the Box Car thing (the band itself talked about the "unexpected hardships of life" as the inspiration of the record), as it happened after with the +44 record. Tom, on the other hand, even in his "serious" phase with AvA gave me the impression of having forced a change in himself, of being someone he really wasn't, or at least wanting to evolve as an artist by rejecting his personality... but sometimes (f.e. in tour) the old same funny and goofy guy reappeared. Only after a long time did he re-embrace his identity and make peace with himself and with music. 

I therefore wouldn't rule out that Untitled was actually an anomaly for blink in their career rather than a natural evolution, and that today - also due to greater maturity - they prefer to face the same "unexpected hardships" by no longer depressing themselves and playing emo music, but simply laughing about it and not taking themselves seriously, because that's how they've always actually been.

[Speedo]

9 minutes ago, Frank Woods said:

F.e. skate punk bands like NOFX or Ten Foot Pole never truly evolved/grew up. blink had their dark phases but I think that they have always been the same guys back from the Dude Ranch era. Life could give you some hard moments (back pain for Tom -> Box Car; end of blink -> Plus 44 for Mark) but when they end you still remain the same guy you was before (maybe a bit "battered and bruised" or "lost and disillusioned"). And I'm pretty sure that Mark wasn't that convinced about the Untitled phase, but preferred to follow the dark Box Car tone to keep blink together and acquiesce Tom's will to explore other musical Styles; or maybe he just embraced the dark tones after feeling deceived with the Box Car thing (the band itself talked about the "unexpected hardships of life" as the inspiration of the record), as it happened after with the +44 record. Tom, on the other hand, even in his "serious" phase with AvA gave me the impression of having forced a change in himself, of being someone he really wasn't, or at least wanting to evolve as an artist by rejecting his personality... but sometimes (f.e. in tour) the old same funny and goofy guy reappeared. Only after a long time did he re-embrace his identity and make peace with himself and with music. 

I therefore wouldn't rule out that Untitled was actually an anomaly for blink in their career rather than a natural evolution, and that today - also due to greater maturity - they prefer to face the same "unexpected hardships" by no longer depressing themselves and playing emo music, but simply laughing about it and not taking themselves seriously, because that's how they've always actually been.

NoFX changed quite a bit, multiple times.

[Nosferatu]

As someone who wanted blink to keep progressing into darker territory, I can't lie about loving some of the recent more fun songs. Songs like Anthem Part 3, Dance With Me and Bad News are brilliant. Blink are still capable of writing the fun upbeat catchy music with honest lyrics.

I can't get into No Fun & All In My Head though. They're not even close to the quality of the 3 songs I just mentioned. The TOYPAJ styled riff on No Fun and the chorus of All In My Head are great though. I just wish i could like the other parts of these songs

[thongrider]

I definitely think there's something genuine about their lyrics from Flyswatter to Enema. Not saying they're "from the heart" or honest, but they felt genuine. The entire toypaj album feels sorta forced to me and I think self titled was trying to break away from that. I don't think they ever really could.

[George R. Binks]

18 minutes ago, Speedo said:

NoFX changed quite a bit, multiple times.

Man, I just missed them in Detroit last night. My buddy went and said it was amazing and he got all teared up because that will be the last time. I def missed out. 

[thongrider]

11 minutes ago, 23 years 3 months 4 days said:

Man, I just missed them in Detroit last night. My buddy went and said it was amazing and he got all teared up because that will be the last time. I def missed out. 

I missed them this tour too. Total bummer.

[goodChats_GodBlessGhent]

12 hours ago, Russel Coight said:

very nice macbook, only ppl will taste n style have macbooks other ppl get the lower tier stuff lol

i always tought that dynamic bar (screen thing) at top of keybaord was a kool looking thing but

i dont think its too practicle and is why apple killed it

 

[goodChats_GodBlessGhent]

those songs r realy good, a powerfull bland of all of their past and the newness of today