Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. 'Cause there is always time...

[Sacul]

Damn, I'm still digesting Terria, and just started AE a few days ago - you guys are fast

[ariich]

Returning to Infinity, damn this album is so good. I just LOVE the quirky stuff on this album - I think in terms of Devy's quirky side, this was his peak. Bad Devil is amazing, and I love the totally bizarre two-punch of Ants/Colonial Boy.

[ariich]

Returning to Physicist, and it really isn't nearly as bad as I remember. In fact, some parts of it are really good, and a lot of it is ok. I honestly don't know why I disliked it quite so much.

[Onno]

Returning to Physicist, and it really isn't nearly as bad as I remember. In fact, some parts of it are really good, and a lot of it is ok. I honestly don't know why I disliked it quite so much.

That is exactly what I felt after I revisited Physicist. It's a good album overall.

[Cruithne]

I'll certainly take Physicist over AE and Synchestra. I feel that his solo material in this period ended up being diluted by the amount of mental effort that went into pursuing SYL as a full time project (primarily at the behest of the other three guys, I understand).

There's good material on both AE and Synchestra, but it's notable that the songs I love on AE are the ones others dislike and vice versa, so one can't help but wonder if it suffers from a lack of an overarching vision (which Dev's albums do tend to have).

As for Synchestra, it has that overarching vision but the execution (or maybe the whole idea of heavy metal lullabies) is a little bland for my money. Except for Sunshine & Happiness, which is chuffing marvellous!

[ariich]

I'll certainly take Physicist over AE and Synchestra.

I definitely wouldn't go that far, it's still definitely my least favourite of his normal albums (i.e. excluding Devlab and The Hummer). But the margin is much smaller, and I might actually start listening to it again now. I hadn't touched it since a couple of listens when I first got it and the occasional song coming up on random shuffle.

[Buddyhunter1]

I'll certainly take Physicist over AE

Does.

Not.

Compute.

[hefdaddy42]

I'll certainly take Physicist over AE

Does.

Not.

Compute.

Same here.

Finished Synchestra today.  Wow, I really enjoyed this one. Might be my favorite thus far.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Returning to Physicist, and it really isn't nearly as bad as I remember. In fact, some parts of it are really good, and a lot of it is ok. I honestly don't know why I disliked it quite so much.

That is exactly what I felt after I revisited Physicist. It's a good album overall.

I think Physicist is a great example of an album that would be so much better with better production.

[Ultimetalhead]

Finished Synchestra today.  Wow, I really enjoyed this one. Might be my favorite thus far.

Good to hear! It's definitely the most accessible of his longer, conceptual works, and there's plenty of catchy moments to be had throughout.

[Scorpion]

Well, this was better than I remember it being. Still not too big on Judgement / A Simple Lullaby, but they work in the context of the album, so I don't mind them much. Babysong and Notes from Africa were the big surprises for me, I didn't remember them being that good, especially Notes from Africa. It's not my favourite song on the album (that honour goes to Pixillate), but it's #2 pretty comfortably - which is weird as I remembered nothing from it prior to this listen.

Also, Sunshine and Happiness is great. I love it death.

[Ultimetalhead]

Fun fact: Bits and pieces from Notes From Africa have been around since Terria.

[Scorpion]

Dude, you need to step up your fun facts... I knew that one already.

[The King in Crimson]

I'll certainly take Physicist over AE

Does.

Not.

Compute.

Yeah that's some kind of powerful drug talking right there.

Accelerated Evolution is a very consistent album, but it kind of lacks in the heights. The album kind of runs together a bit. "Deadhead" and "Suicide" are my clear, favorite standouts but even then, they're nowhere near my favorite Devin songs. The rest are all good, enjoyable songs and I wouldn't get rid of any of them even "Traveller" or "Away" which are the clunkers, but are still enjoyable. Not the most exciting album, but one I enjoy when I listen to it. I just don't feel like listening to it all that often.

Synchestra is like the polar opposite. It's quality is all over the place (I really don't care for "Babysong" or the run from "Judgement" to "Sunset"), but man does it have some absolutely awesome songs. "Triumph," "Vampira," "Gaia," "Notes From Africa," and "Sunshine and Happiness" are all stellar songs and "Gaia" is one of my favorite Devin songs. Despite it's more inconsistent quality, I'd put this above AE. It feels more like a journey to me whilst AE is just a collection of (rather good) songs. Maybe I'd even up near the top of his best albums. Maybe.

[KevShmev]

As much as I enjoy Sunshine and Happiness, the "Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh yeeeeah!" part of the 2nd verse always makes me cringe a little.  Yeah, that kind of wacky silliness is often injected into his music, but that is one case where it came across as a bit too corny, IMO. 

[Cruithne]

Yeah that's some kind of powerful drug talking right there.

I call it the wisdom of age 

(Probably whisky. Drunk a lot of whisky over the years...)

Accelerated Evolution is a very consistent album, but it kind of lacks in the heights. The album kind of runs together a bit. "Deadhead" and "Suicide" are my clear, favorite standouts but even then, they're nowhere near my favorite Devin songs. The rest are all good, enjoyable songs and I wouldn't get rid of any of them even "Traveller" or "Away" which are the clunkers, but are still enjoyable.

See, I don't ever listen to Deadhead or Suicide because I find them rather dull and the same goes for Storm, Away and Sunday Afternoon. Traveller, Random Analysis and Slow Me Down are pretty much the only songs that I ever do bother to listen to that're on AE, with the occasional Depth Charge thrown in. It may comes as little surprise, then, that Addicted! is one of my favourites of his, but more of that later I'm sure

As for Synchestra, Sunshine & Happiness aside, I'll occasionally listen to Triumph for the section around the 2:50 mark and that's really it. Once the Vai solo kicks in I switch off.

Funnily enough, despite it easily being my least favourite DT album, I actually have two copies of Synchestra I can't remember exactly why, but it had something to do with working on-site in the US for a couple of months around the time it was released and buying it off the shelves over there so I could hear it immediately, despite having a pre-order from Amazon to come back home to!

[ZKX-2099]

As much as I enjoy Sunshine and Happiness, the "Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh yeeeeah!" part of the 2nd verse always makes me cringe a little.  Yeah, that kind of wacky silliness is often injected into his music, but that is one case where it came across as a bit too corny, IMO.

Pretty sure that's the point...

[Ultimetalhead]

As for Synchestra, Sunshine & Happiness aside, I'll occasionally listen to Triumph for the section around the 2:50 mark and that's really it. Once the Vai solo kicks in I switch off.

How are you...How? Triumph is one of the most gorgeous songs ever.

[KevShmev]

As much as I enjoy Sunshine and Happiness, the "Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh yeah! Oh yeeeeah!" part of the 2nd verse always makes me cringe a little.  Yeah, that kind of wacky silliness is often injected into his music, but that is one case where it came across as a bit too corny, IMO.

Pretty sure that's the point...

Well, duh, but it comes off as more cringeworthy to me than anything else.  However, when you throw humor into music as much as Devin does, some of it is gonna miss the mark.

[Sacul]

Listened to Synchestra. Boring. I thought I was through the third song, a really long one it seemed, and actually it was the fifth . I am a bit disappointed with Devin's discography, as no album has been better to Ocean Machine for me. He has some really badass songs, specially the openers - but I didn't even feel Terria was that good. Thus I'm not sure if I should keep following this thread, guys.

[TioJorge]

Some people are just broken.  

I can totally see that though, OM is a really special album. I've just made connections with others though that make them just as special. But if you're not feeling it, what can ya do? To each their own.

[jingle.boy]

Listened to Synchestra. Boring. I thought I was through the third song, a really long one it seemed, and actually it was the fifth . I am a bit disappointed with Devin's discography, as no album has been better to Ocean Machine for me. He has some really badass songs, specially the openers - but I didn't even feel Terria was that good. Thus I'm not sure if I should keep following this thread, guys.

Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.        I'm actually the opposite of you... O:M - while excellent - is probably one of the one's that impressed me the least.

Tastes:  wouldn't it be easier if we all just had the same?   

[ariich]

I don't find Ocean Machine to be that great really, certainly not one his strongest. It has a few absolute gems, but chunks of it I don't find especially interesting.

[Phoenix87x]

I love Ocean Machine.

[PROGdrummer]

Listened to Synchestra. Boring. I thought I was through the third song, a really long one it seemed, and actually it was the fifth . I am a bit disappointed with Devin's discography, as no album has been better to Ocean Machine for me. He has some really badass songs, specially the openers - but I didn't even feel Terria was that good. Thus I'm not sure if I should keep following this thread, guys.

Good things come to those who wait.

Starting with Ki, every album from then on is god-tier. Every single one of them. His best work comes from his sober-era.

[Scorpion]

While I wouldn't quite say that, as I think his two best albums are Ocean Machine and Terria, but his work after going sober is definitely ridiculously consistent. Not a bad album in the Project albums, and most people know by now that I love Casualties of Cool.

[Buddyhunter1]

Yeah, the DTP onward is the best.

Ki / Addicted / Deconstruction is his best run of albums, no contest.

[Scorpion]

If I liked Deconstruction nearly as much as most people seem to do, then I'd probably agree with that. Shame that it's smack-bang in the middle of his newer stuff.

[PROGdrummer]

Yeah, the DTP onward is the best.

Ki / Addicted / Deconstruction is his best run of albums, no contest.

Don't forget Ghost! I think its my absolute favorite album of his

[jingle.boy]

If his stuff just keeps getting better, my wallet's gonna take a beating.

[WebRaider]

Damn getting so busy with life lately... just wanted to drop in my thoughts on AE before I dig into Synchestra.

AE really helped get me into Dev's work overall. I had started to LOVE Addicted!, was slowly being amazed by OM when some here recommended Accelerated Evolution. It's catchiness and less growls (which were an issue for me at the time) really just pulled it all together for me. I had tried Terria before it and it just was too different than the previously mentioned work to sell me but this was a really good blend.

I'll say over time it has kind of lost a little steam for me though. As noted I think some of the songs are a little too long and slightly bland compared to what we can judge against the rest of his catalog.

Having said that much, "Deadhead" is and will likely remain one of my favorite songs. It has many of the qualities I love catchy wailing guitar, riffs, building epicness, creepy undercurrent before exploding and his vocals.... ahhhhhh.. 

It's a good album and I recommend it to those just getting into Devy for sure.

[WebRaider]

I'll start off talking about Synchestra by proclaiming that I'm probably the biggest fan of the album here.

For a long time this album really didn't get the credit I felt it deserved and it seems several of you are coming around to it on a level I maybe didn't expect when this started. I understand that the album as a whole can be for some quite an undertaking but the quality and depth of the music is there guys. I think the sound on this album is fantastic. The melodies throughout Synchestra and Devin's singing for me is some of his most impressive work (he does however have a lot of that). I was never even aware until this thread, that there was a true concept involved and that only further adds to it for me.

I have to admit I am a patient album listener in general and I usually have to listen to a whole album when I sit down to listen to music and maybe somehow that has something to do with my particular interest in this one? Regardless seeing some come around to it or some new fans definitely makes me happy. It's not my favorite but it's among them with no doubts.

[Cruithne]

Starting with Ki, every album from then on is god-tier. Every single one of them. His best work comes from his sober-era.

I'm not sure I'd quite go that far (I'm not a fan of Ghost and Epicloud is a little patchy), but I definitely agree that his sober-era material is his best work.

Once he ditched the substances (not that I think he was a heavy abuser, but even a small amount doesn't appear to agree with him*), fully embraced his inner nerd, stopped trying to second guess what people wanted him to produce and allowed his muse to take full control he became a substantially more interesting, and much more consistent artist.

* The difference in his demeanour in interviews between pre and post-2006(ish) is really quite interesting.

[WebRaider]

I did find there was a certain lull with Judgment and Lullaby, but otherwise I really, REALLY enjoyed this one.  Great intro, nice melodies throughout, and the theme works just fine.  I really like Babysong and Vampolka/pira segment.  Notes from Africa is about 2 minutes too long, but that's fine... it's all part of the theme.  Lots of concept albums have segments that could go away.  Sunshine and Happiness is right up my alley - it's Devy doing hair metal!  Love it.

Overall,

[Sacul]

Yeah, the DTP onward is the best.

If you say so, I'll stay here till the end. I'll still listen to the other albums - they may grow on me, who knows