I stated something similar a few pages back, but this album is copping the exact same amount of treatment as every new album. Some (I’ll include myself in this group), will like most the things the band has done and may not connect with everything, but will find things they enjoy on every DT release. Some will hail the new album as the holy grail, born from the mountaintops of Jerusalem after a day of listening. Some will flat out not enjoy it. Some won’t give it a “real” chance, because they really just aren’t into the band anymore. Some will still swear black and blue that MM just overplays everything and has sucked the life out of the band, etc, etc.
All I know is: I’ve been listening to the band for over 30 years (I cherished my Images and words cassette). And the band has given me some real joy and music to smile about over the years. I love every album to varying degrees. But EVERY album has tracks I skip too. I take the good with the not so good. I liked MP’s drumming, he needed to be replaced, and I like MM’s drumming just as much. Debate it all you want, but the truth is - they are drummers, and both of their work with the band is just fine. The average punter wouldn’t even know they changed drummers if you played them some random tracks.
Im not technical at all. So, it comes down to how the songs sound. And they have high quality tracks on every release from WDADU right to the latest in View. To suggest laziness, or so and so doesn’t sound great - it’s DT. Nothing is that different. They experiment. They time change. They do long. They do short. They do epic. They do metal. They do melody. And they still always bring quality after over 30 years…
Wow, what a great post. I can't say I agree with every word of it, but I pretty much agree with the overall sentiment of every point.
Cheers Bosky.
And if what you don’t agree with is cherishing cassette tapes - that’s fair. Because frankly, cassettes were a bit shit
I know this is "get off my lawn!" territory, but there was a neat ritual back in the day. New album came out - Tuesdays, if memory serves (I know it was always the same day) - and you'd take it home. Crack open the plastic and inspect the vinyl, putting it on your turntable and starting it up. While listening, immerse yourself in the liner notes, the jacket text (if any) and the gatefold artwork (if any). After the first listen through, get a Maxell 90 minute tape (the vast majority of single albums back then could fit on 45 minute sides; you may have had to cut or fade one song) and dub a copy. Then for the next week or so, live with that fucker in your car or walkman, because that was the only music you had. To this day, I can STILL give you album and song rundowns (sometimes with times) for those albums I was immersed in in high school. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap? DDDDC, Love At First Feel, Big Balls, Rocker, Problem Child, Ain't No Fun..., There's Gonna Be Some Rockin', Ride On, Squealer. Ozzy? I Don't Know, Crazy Train, Goodbye To Romance, Dee, Suicide Solution, Mr. Crowley, No Bone Movies, Revelation, Steal Away. Don't get me started on Kiss; I can do that from Strutter off the first album through Save Your Love on Dynasty. To this day, Somewhere In Time by Maiden goes from Heaven Can Wait to Stranger In A Strange Land, because I cut Loneliness off the tape because of time.
I miss that. I have an iPod that has all my music on it (I modded it), but it's not the same. I miss my little black canvas bag with the latest and greatest cassettes in there (I actually still have that, and have many of my tapes).