Author Topic: Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. 'Cause there is always time...  (Read 51428 times)

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Offline Shadow Ninja 2.0

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. Glory to the brave
« Reply #420 on: July 19, 2014, 01:08:00 PM »
Chad, or anyone else for that matter, I get the feeling that Townsend spends quite a bit of time on these albums jabbing his finger in the eye of his audience, just to see if they'll like it, and then having a bit of a laugh at their expense. It feels similar to the way Mike Judge was poking fun at his intended audience with "Beavis and Butt-head". I've yet to decide if I like that though...I sometimes get a kick out of that sort of thing (otherwise I couldn't be a Zappa fan) so I'm going to continue going through this thread and reading Ulti's excellent write-ups just to see if it finally clicks.

I've completed listening to AE enough times that I'm ready to move on to the next one. We'll see.

Not really sure what you're referring to here.

Offline Ultimetalhead

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. Glory to the brave
« Reply #421 on: July 19, 2014, 01:23:21 PM »
I loved Addicted, but as soon as I tried Deconstruction I was like nopenopenopenope

It's too much all over the place and unpleasant, and I know that I'm not gonna go back to it. Sorry.
Juular and Stand were great though, and I still want to listen to The Mighty Masturbator.

On second thought, I actually came back to it and now it's  :hefdaddy
Especially Planet Of The Apes, Stand and Mighty Masturbator.
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Offline PROGdrummer

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. Glory to the brave
« Reply #422 on: July 19, 2014, 04:52:28 PM »
I was so turned off by the entire first half of Deconstruction on my first few listens.
I really loved everything from Masturbator onward though. Now of course, I think the entire album is perfect.

Strangely enough, I had the opposite reaction upon my first listens of Ghost. Everything up to Blackberry was lovely, then I got really confused by the time Dark Matters came along and didnt really touch the second half of that album for awhile.

I don't know what my problem was, honestly. Some things are just growers I guess. :P

Offline Ultimetalhead

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. Glory to the brave
« Reply #423 on: July 20, 2014, 12:54:03 PM »
Ghost write-up coming tomorrow. Let's wrap up the discussion of the most beautifully chaotic album ever crafted before moving along to one of the most beautifully tranquil.   :)
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Offline Nel

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. Glory to the brave
« Reply #424 on: July 20, 2014, 10:19:03 PM »
Though Deconstruction isn't my favorite, I love the shit out of Praise The Lowered and Stand. The former for it's mellow atmosphere and the build up to the angry second half, the latter for just how intimidating it is.

And is Stand a callback to Disruptr? They sound kind of similar (Stand taking the aggressiveness further of course) and they both have these sections about being a man.

And I noticed the "I'm alright to go/fly." thing coming back during The Mighty Masturbator. And the first song of Ghost is...  ;D
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Offline WebRaider

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. Glory to the brave
« Reply #425 on: July 21, 2014, 01:57:04 AM »
Deconstruction is the Devin album that I'm still digesting (cheeseburrrrgerrrrr!)... I immediately was a big fan of the first half but the second half used to be just too much. I still listened to this a LOT but took a lot of time away before going back to it and slowly coming to like more of the second half. Very cool and notable all the guest artists on this album!

Offline Podaar

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. Glory to the brave
« Reply #426 on: July 21, 2014, 05:22:35 AM »
Chad, or anyone else for that matter, I get the feeling that Townsend spends quite a bit of time on these albums jabbing his finger in the eye of his audience, just to see if they'll like it, and then having a bit of a laugh at their expense. It feels similar to the way Mike Judge was poking fun at his intended audience with "Beavis and Butt-head". I've yet to decide if I like that though...I sometimes get a kick out of that sort of thing (otherwise I couldn't be a Zappa fan) so I'm going to continue going through this thread and reading Ulti's excellent write-ups just to see if it finally clicks.

I've completed listening to AE enough times that I'm ready to move on to the next one. We'll see.

Not really sure what you're referring to here.

You're kidding me, right?

This album has a song about Cheeseburger as a mystical reason for the cosmos! He farts into a fucking microphone! He comes up with a cool riff and then doubles the guitar over and over and over until all the edge is gone and it's just a big, soft, gooey mess. He screams out such angst riddled words like "RECYCLE!" And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

If you don't think there is an element of, "Hey, lets see how many people like this." I don't think you're paying attention.

Which isn't in and of itself, bad. Like I said, I'm still trying to decide if I like that element of his music. I've already ordered 2 of his albums based on this thread and I'm leaning toward another.
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Offline ariich

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. Glory to the brave
« Reply #427 on: July 21, 2014, 05:55:34 AM »
If you think that stuff is about having a laugh at the listeners' expense, then I think you haven't really understood him.

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Offline Podaar

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. Glory to the brave
« Reply #428 on: July 21, 2014, 06:32:58 AM »
If you think that stuff is about having a laugh at the listeners' expense, then I think you haven't really understood him.

Granted. I'm willing to admit that. I'm still trying to digest his message and hopefully I'll get it.
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Offline ZKX-2099

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. Glory to the brave
« Reply #429 on: July 21, 2014, 06:48:19 AM »
If you think that stuff is about having a laugh at the listeners' expense, then I think you haven't really understood him.

Granted. I'm willing to admit that. I'm still trying to digest his message and hopefully I'll get it.

The message is: There is no message.

Offline Podaar

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. Glory to the brave
« Reply #430 on: July 21, 2014, 06:53:43 AM »
Okay.
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Offline Nel

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. Glory to the brave
« Reply #431 on: July 21, 2014, 07:24:58 AM »
Though I do kind of want a cheeseburger.  :corn
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Offline Ultimetalhead

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. Glory to the brave
« Reply #432 on: July 21, 2014, 08:14:00 AM »
Though Deconstruction isn't my favorite, I love the shit out of Praise The Lowered and Stand. The former for it's mellow atmosphere and the build up to the angry second half, the latter for just how intimidating it is.

And is Stand a callback to Disruptr? They sound kind of similar (Stand taking the aggressiveness further of course) and they both have these sections about being a man.

And I noticed the "I'm alright to go/fly." thing coming back during The Mighty Masturbator. And the first song of Ghost is...  ;D
Indeed. Stand is a spiritual successor to Disruptr. They even both end with the words "Shut it." "Shut it." is also stated during Hyperdrive!.
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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. Glory to the brave
« Reply #433 on: July 21, 2014, 12:08:58 PM »
I'm listening to Deconstruction for the first time... wat. I'm. listening. to.? It's weird as shit, but curiously in an awesome way :lol.

Offline TioJorge

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. Glory to the brave
« Reply #434 on: July 21, 2014, 12:24:40 PM »
Sumeria is the epitome of what a metal opera should be to me. It's absolutely perfect in that regard. That said, I have to be in a specific mood for that kind of music, when it's good, it's perfect, but otherwise, Decon is way too much for my ears a lot of times. But in those moments when I want a bombardment of heavy, operatic, melodic destruction, it's sex for the ears.

But yeah I'm ready to hear the next one. They've been great.

Oh and Ulti, have you heard Thing from the CoC bonus tracks? I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

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Offline Ultimetalhead

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #435 on: July 21, 2014, 01:03:54 PM »
Oh and Ulti, have you heard Thing from the CoC bonus tracks? I would love to hear your thoughts on it.
I have not heard it, and this makes me very very sad.



I’ll be honest. We’re going to have a bit of a shorter write-up for Ghost. There’s not quite as much going on, musically or lyrically, to obsessively analyze like the previous three albums. Furthermore, I don’t listen to this one quite as much, because I need to be in the mood for it to really be effective. But when I’m in the right mood, it’s fantastic. Anyway.

Ghost is beautiful. That’s honestly all I need to say about it. It’s a great album to put on in the background (and absolutely perfect for sleeping). The ambient keyboard pads throughout provide a very cohesive backdrop for Devin’s ethereal vocals and pan-flute from Kat Epple. It’s a hell of a statement, especially after Deconstruction. But really, there isn’t a single other album in Devin’s discography to this point that was even hinting at music like this. This isn’t quite as stripped down or exposed as Ki, but it has the same basic level of “depth” if that makes any sense. There’s plenty of layers. After all, it’s still a Devin album. But, the layers are more singular keyboard patches rather than multiple moving parts of horns/keyboards/guitars/whatever.

I like how much variety Ghost has despite all being relaxed, ambient music. The title track and Blackberry have a sort of country twang to them (one that will be explored in MUCH greater detail later). Other songs, like Heart Baby and Monsoon, focus exclusively on the interplay between Devin’s guitar and Kat’s flute. By far the most unique pair of songs on the disc, and a personal highlight, are Dark Matters and Texada. They’re the only moments on the album where things escalate to anything above a relaxing, tranquil experience. Texada features a pulsing bass-line alongside gentle arpeggios and a more pronounced drum part. If you cranked up the guitars of Texada to be more distorted and threw down some screams, it wouldn’t be out of place on something like Terria. I’ve heard some complaints that Texada feels out of place on Ghost because of how different it is to everything else, but I think it really helps give the rest of the songs more context, and it’s fantastic in its own right.

That’s really all I have to say about this one. It’s very beautiful, relaxing, and a worthwhile “chill-out” companion.
« Last Edit: July 21, 2014, 01:14:10 PM by Ultimetalhead »
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Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #436 on: July 21, 2014, 02:43:59 PM »
Looking forward to it.
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Offline mikemangioy

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #437 on: July 21, 2014, 04:52:29 PM »
Yay! Can't wait to listen to it tomorrow. It's 1 AM here, soI'll wake up relaxed and listen to this on the proch with a nice cup of coffee.
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Offline Ultimetalhead

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #438 on: July 21, 2014, 05:16:48 PM »
Yay! Can't wait to listen to it tomorrow. It's 1 AM here, soI'll wake up relaxed and listen to this on the proch with a nice cup of coffee.
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Offline jingle.boy

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #439 on: July 21, 2014, 06:24:25 PM »
Well, I'll be honest.  With references to Ki (which was probably my most disliked album through this journey), my expectations are lying on the floor with this one - which may turn out to be a good thing.

Will report back tomorrow.
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Offline Nel

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #440 on: July 21, 2014, 07:31:21 PM »
Have not been able to get into Ghost. There's bits I like, but overall I can't really remember much of it on the fly and I need to be in a sleepy or chill mood to really listen to it. Also thanks to the way the discs are packaged in the Contain Us box set, my copy is kinda donked and the last two tracks always come out clipping and skipping when I rip it.

Ulti, will you cover the bonus tracks of Contain Us? I'm not sure how those tracks were when they were originally in special editions and/or were iTunes bonus tracks, but on the disc in the set (called "Stuff That Was Almost Stuff"), the tracks actually segue into each other, nearly forming an album of its own. Like, the end of Traestorz continues into the beginning of Sticks And Stones, for example.
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Offline Ultimetalhead

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #441 on: July 21, 2014, 09:21:32 PM »
As much as I'd like to go into more detail with the bonus materials, this thread's already been going on quite a while. I would have loved to do all the SYL albums, Punky Bruster, both the Ass-Sordid Demos, Sex & Religion, EKO, Devlab, The Hummer, Epiclouder, and every other song Devin's ever farted near. Unfortunately, there's a rather impressive backlog for the discography discussions, so we're going to leave it to official albums only.  :sadpanda:
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Offline seasonsinthesky

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #442 on: July 21, 2014, 09:27:40 PM »
it's all about "Fly" and "Feather." oh man, talk about highlights of the discography.

otherwise the whole thing meanders quite a bit. if it's too much, maybe try the By a Thread version, since it makes "Heart Baby" more interesting, and cuts down the extra ambience like "Monsoon," "Dark Matters," and "Infinite Ocean" (though i really like them, they certainly drag on quite long) to more reasonable lengths.

honestly, i love Ghost² material so much that i'd rather listen to it, but sometimes i wonder if that's really because its length is around 40 minutes rather than 73. i get why Ghost had to be a full statement like Decon — every track has its place for a reason with Dev — but i'd rather have a "to the point" version put together for vinyl or something. of course, that's not Ghost's identity, though...

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #443 on: July 21, 2014, 09:31:28 PM »
Totally agreed on Fly and Feather. Those songs are absolutely wonderful. I also quite like Heart Baby, but I'm with you on Monsoon and Infinite Ocean being a little bit much. I like them as mood pieces for sure, and they actually do rather well to set up their next songs. Monsoon calms everything back down after the bouncy Blackberry, before giving way to the synths and whatnot for Dark Matters, and Infinite Ocean feels like a sort of bridge from the rest of the project to As You Were, like a quiet meditation over the whole experience.
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Offline TioJorge

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #444 on: July 21, 2014, 11:03:10 PM »
Love me some Heart Baby and Fly, probably my favorites, followed by Monsoon and Blackberry. Great sleepy time music and all around relaxation.

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Offline KevShmev

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #445 on: July 21, 2014, 11:14:37 PM »
Ghost is, IMO, the 2nd best album from the DTP and quite possibly one of his three or four best records ever; it's that awesome.  Granted, it is one of those "has to be listened to in full to grasp the overall greatness of it" albums, and I rarely have time to do so with it, but when I do, it is always an amazing experience.  :coolio


Well, I'll be honest.  With references to Ki (which was probably my most disliked album through this journey), my expectations are lying on the floor with this one - which may turn out to be a good thing.

 

Fear not.  Ki and Ghost are very different, despite both being fairly laid back, albeit in their own ways. 


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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #446 on: July 22, 2014, 06:15:46 AM »
Well, I'll be honest.  With references to Ki (which was probably my most disliked album through this journey), my expectations are lying on the floor with this one - which may turn out to be a good thing.

Fear not.  Ki and Ghost are very different, despite both being fairly laid back, albeit in their own ways.

Right you were.  This was definitely more palatable to my ears.  Some (kinda) upbeat/country moments on the front half, and decent background music for the latter half.  Not sure I'd come back to it, but I certainly enjoyed it more than Ki.  This is the kind of album you listen to baked, or to fall asleep to.  I don't do the former anymore, and doubt I'd buy this just so I pass out while listening to it.
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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #447 on: July 22, 2014, 09:14:16 AM »
Love this album to pieces but it does meander near the end, yeah. Texada's the only track in the second half that I really enjoy, though every song in the first half is wonderful. Feather and Blackberry hnng <3

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #448 on: July 22, 2014, 10:00:09 AM »
Seams is such an underrated track. So peaceful...
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Offline mikemangioy

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #449 on: July 23, 2014, 01:44:30 AM »
So, I listened to Ghost and I almost fell asleep  :lol but, that apart, it's beautiful. I enjoyed Ghost (the title-track), Feather and Blackberry the most. But let's take a moment to appreciate that cover art, it's gorgeous  :heart
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Offline Onno

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #450 on: July 23, 2014, 04:02:03 AM »
Ghost is amazing, one of the most soothing records ever made. I absolutely love it.

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #451 on: July 23, 2014, 09:13:39 AM »
I remember listening to Ghost some months ago, but it bored me. Now I think it's amazing :hefdaddy. I hope it may help my insomnia problems :biggrin:

Offline Onno

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #452 on: July 23, 2014, 03:54:05 PM »
I remember listening to Ghost some months ago, but it bored me. Now I think it's amazing :hefdaddy. I hope it may help my insomnia problems :biggrin:
I've never suffered from insomnia, but last year when I was on fieldwork for my study in Spain, this was the album I listened to almost every night before I went to sleep. It's so beautiful and calming; I sometimes even fell asleep only to wake up in the middle of the night again with my earphones wrapped around my head. I even listened to it during the day sometimes just to relieve some of the pressure.

Offline PolarizeMe

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #453 on: July 23, 2014, 07:06:13 PM »
Ghost is one of my all time favorite songs under the DTP moniker (and Dev himself agrees!). I need to be in the right mindset/mood to listen to it, but apart from that it's one of the most beautiful sounding records I've ever heard. Gives me a summertime feeling that album, and I love the cover art.

Offline Nel

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Re: Devin Townsend Discography v. So it goes around
« Reply #454 on: July 24, 2014, 01:22:56 AM »
I love the cover art. You see a lot of these kinds of pictures on sites like DeviantArt, but this one's very soothing, and the way the title looks on it (specifically the O being a bunch of sparks) is great too.

Speaking of which, I just saw the cover art for what was going to be Ghost 2. The one with the naked, distorted Barbie dolls? That gives me the fuckin' creeps.  :lol
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