The thing is, I consider WithSym to be one of the best synthpop albums EVER. I’ve heard a lot of synthpop and it seldom truly works over a full album.
I completely agree. Even if it was over-produced, it’s a great collection of songs. There’s more than enough evidence on this site (e.g., the interviews, old articles, etc.) that indicate that Al was totally into With Sympathy.
The thing I like about Ministry 1981-1983 is that it sounds and feels like a real band. I wish I had seen them live.
i like how in every al interview they make it sound like the bush trilogy and cover up are super-awesome new reborn ministry.
Yeah, almost as if Ministry were nobodies up til that point.
Then suddenly…BAM!!
Bush Trilogy!
And everybody cheered.
He’s delusional.
I don’t think it was ALL rehashed. He elaborated more on ‘Dark Side of the Spoon’ than I’ve ever seen in any interview, for instance. And also the story behind the “Lay Lady Lay” cover.
Agreed - silly bashing of Paul and With Sympathy aside, there’s some interesting stuff in there.
There’s more than enough evidence on this site (e.g., the interviews, old articles, etc.) that indicate that Al was totally into With Sympathy.
I wish someone would call him on that one day…
The thing I like about Ministry 1981-1983 is that it sounds and feels like a real band. I wish I had seen them live.
word. If only I wasn’t 5 at the time…
I don’t think it was ALL rehashed. He elaborated more on ‘Dark Side of the Spoon’ than I’ve ever seen in any interview, for instance…
He hardly ever speaks about that album.
A shame they didn’t continue in that vein. What I’m hearing now of this new High Confessions album is what all along I’d hoped that Ministry would sound like - dark, angular, experimental, post punk type stuff.
Instead we got anti George W lyrics, Slayer riffs and the drummer from Slipknot.
The drummer from Slipknot isn’t on the albums.
They’d sound better if he was. He’s quite good.
If the Bush trilogy had better lyrics/subject matter and real drums (save HotM, which does) I think people would regard them a lot more highly.
The drummer from Slipknot isn’t on the albums.
They’d sound better if he was. He’s quite good.
Joey Jordison = one of the most overrated drummers of all time. I’ve seen him live and he aint that impressive
Al is one of the craziest musicians out there, and a very funny guy.
What is very aggravating is how he writes off his own albums.
I’m glad that he thinks LORAH is his favorite, it is mine as well.
In recent interviews, he stated he only likes a couple of tracks from TMIATTTT, doesn’t recall making DSOTP b/c he was “gone” or “over the rainbow”, didn’t have anything to do with WS (other than singing on it, which is complete bullshit) and Filth Pig is just there.
So, that being said, he only like 50% of his own discography. He holds the Bush Trilogy in high esteem, but many feel those are the weakest.
Al can feed us his BS opinion about With Sympathy all he wants, but the fans know the truth and he doesn’t realize how idiotic he sounds when he writes it off.
We know 5 of the songs existed before any involvement with Arista (Effigy, Revenge, I Wanted to Tell Her, Work For Love, She’s Got A Cause) These were performed live with a lineup that EXISTED before the contract with Arista. The members of this live band even performed on the album. These musicians were not appointed by the label. They were part of the band at the time. Some of the songs were watered down for the release. We get that.
We know 4 new songs were written at the request of Arista. One of which seems like an attack at the label (Here We Go). Those four songs could have been Cold Life, I’m Falling, Same Old Madness and America. We know the label rejected them and wanted more songs like Work For Love. We get it Al.
We know a sentence or two was changed on Revenge and She’s got a cause. But to say executives wrote the lyrics to everything is just absurd. The lyrics to Here We Go are not something a record executive would write.
We know it sounds dated and cheesy, but that’s why we love Ministry. Even many of the metal albums are cheesy but it makes fun of itself with Ministry’s wicked sense of humor. That’s why we love it.
With Sympathy was a foot in the door. Landing the contract with Warner Bros may never of happened if the debut was never released on a major label. Many of the great Ministry albums to follow may have never existed. The career could have ended with a handful of releases on Wax Trax.
It’s natural for an artist to cringe at something that didn’t turn out 100% to their liking. We get that too. But many really like the album and consider to be one of the best from that genre of music.
Revenge, Work For Love and Here We Go were all played live on the 84 tour, along with All Day, Everyday Is Halloween and The Nature of Love. If you despise anything from that record, and they are “not your songs” why play them at shows after your contract with Arista had expired? Come on Al.
Your fanbase isn’t just idiotic metal heads. You took many genres of music and KICKED ASS at it. New Wave and Pop included. One of the reasons why Ministry is one of my all time favorite bands is that it covers a lot of ground. The final 4 albums were good, but were just rehash. But the 80s and 90s Ministry was the real deal.
Enough said.
Why is it so hard to believe that someone would do something just for money? you know dress a certain way write certain types of lyrics just cause that is what was popular at the time. 1. He was broke
2. He got a deal made a lil’ money
Broke ties with that sound by intialy saying he forced to make it then, admitting he just sold out early (for money)
Now, that he has a lil’ money (and a deal) play’s the type of music he actually enjoy’s and feel’s expresses his personality
Its not hard to believe. As soon as Psalm 69 went platinum, that became the prominent Ministry style. He stuck with that style because that is what sold. Sure, he probably enjoyed making music in that style, but if he didn’t enjoy new wave, he wouldn’t have started the band that way.
With Sympathy wasn’t just “for the money” If you listen to the Cold Life 12" and even the material in between With Sympathy and Twitch, they are quite similar.
With Sympathy is more polished and pop, but he was already writing/playing that style of music WAY before the contract.
Listen to these songs: Cold Life, Primental, Revenge, Effigy, She’s Got A Cause, America and Same Old Madness.
They all existed BEFORE signing to Arista.
Dude, why are you so passionate about this? Who gives a rat’s ass whether he really wanted to make that stuff or not? If you like it, cool. But Al obviously doesnt’ take the same pride in it now that you think he should and whining about it isn’t going to change his position on it.
I actually get why he dislikes it, but many of the things he throws out there are either false or just completely stupid.
Al rarely addresses anything directly anyways. Even when he does, he either over dramatizes it or turns it into a joke. I do love him for that. He is one of less serious musicians out there.
Yeah i agree about the fact that he likes/liked that style but, it just does’nt change the fact that 25years or so worth of records he never repeated it. I like twitch and wish there was more in that style (though i guess rape and honey is an evolved version) but even when he was willing to do something now with a nod to new wave, though i’m excited to hear something different, it just did not seem right go buck satan!
I agree. I think he should embrace his entire body of work. Being able to produce so many different types of music (side projects included) is why a lot of people love Ministry.
While I love all the records, Psalm 69 is almost The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste 2.0 and Animositisomina is a Mind/Filth Hybrid. Rio Grande Blood and The Last Sucker are companions to Houses of the Mole’. So for a band that managed to pull off a killer discography of 11 albums with only 4 albums of rehash is pretty damn good. Most metal/industrial bands can’t really pull that off.
Psalm 69 was the breakthrough, so I’ll give that one a break. I would have preferred something other than 2 more Bush related albums.
^
Four albums of rehash?
Houses of the Mole
Rio Grande Blood
The Last Sucker
Mixxxes of the Mole
Rio Grande Dub
The Last Dubber
Cover up
Undercover
Everyday is Halloween - The Anthology
Cocktail Mixxx
SExxxo Mixxxo
I can’t even name all the crap he’s rehashed lately. All he does now is rehash.
Very true.
I actually liked the remix versions of the last 3 Ministry albums better.
His solo record is supposed to be Pop, so I’d be interested in checking that one out.
Is he even still doing that solo album? I’m under the impression that he probably scrapped it.
I’m pretty sure that the solo thing never progressed past just the one Christmas song.
Always Christmas Time (not bad), Voices In My Head (terrible.) are so far the only songs released. I saw an interview from August 2010 were he mentioned he was “WORKING ON HIS SOLO ALBUM” at the time.
That’s right! I forgot about that “Voices” song. Holy crap, that was awful. And I liked “It’s Always Christmas Time” better the first time, when it was called “Space Age Love Song” by Flock of Seagulls.