Count me in as another disgruntled fan who’s very interested in hearing this project. I still think Al has the capability of crafting some memorable pop hooks and choruses so I can’t wait to hear what he’ll do with that outside the industrial thrash metal context.
If he’s really got his heart invested in writing these songs, it will be easy to hear. To the posted who said that this could revitalize Al’s career and give him some much needed critical respect, you couldn’t be more right. All I want to hear is the sound of some actual thought, craft and if it’s not asking too much, emotion. That’s not too unreasonable, right?
When has Al ever really showed emotion? Other than angst. Excluding With Sympathy, his albums were all pretty angry, with the serious “Fuck You” laced in there. Only “emotional” one would be The Fall imo.
And on a side-note. The “band” called The The was brought up, and I decided to check it. I ended up buying the Dusk album. Not sure what I think of it. It’s grown on me a little more than the first listen, but I dunno…
When has Al ever really showed emotion? Other than angst. Excluding With Sympathy, his albums were all pretty angry, with the serious “Fuck You” laced in there. Only “emotional” one would be The Fall imo.
And on a side-note. The “band” called The The was brought up, and I decided to check it. I ended up buying the Dusk album. Not sure what I think of it. It’s grown on me a little more than the first listen, but I dunno…
I forget which cd it was, but i think "the the’ was on nothing records for an album or 2.
When has Al ever really showed emotion? Other than angst. Excluding With Sympathy, his albums were all pretty angry, with the serious “Fuck You” laced in there. Only “emotional” one would be The Fall imo.
And on a side-note. The “band” called The The was brought up, and I decided to check it. I ended up buying the Dusk album. Not sure what I think of it. It’s grown on me a little more than the first listen, but I dunno…
For The The pick up “Soul Mining” and “Infected”, those are the albums I’d imagine that Al is most directly referencing (as they’re the two “synth pop” albums). They’re amazing and create a doorway into really digging on the later material. “BrokenSelf” was the Nothing Records album, probably my least favorite but still good.
As for emotion, of the top of my head I think “Apathy/Better Ways” both have a wistful feel to them as do “World” and “Kaif”. There are probably others but that’s off the top of my head.
Yes, Infected is highly recommended, my personal favorite, he even made a full ‘video album’ back when it came out. If I had to rank them:
Infected
Soul Mining
Mind Bomb
Dusk
NakedSelf
Burning Blue Soul (originally a Matt Johnson solo album)
Infected has guest vocals on one track by Neneh Cherry, and features some programming/production by Roli Mossiman, some brass arrangements by Andrew Poppy, a song arrangements by Anne Dudley and Warren Livesey, and even some piano by Marillion’s Steve Hogarth (not a big Marillion fan, but Dry Land is a cool song). It’s a brilliant album in terms of arrangements, themes, lyrics, and practically no filler. It’s nothing like the bluesy Dusk, though on every The The album you can hear Matt’s trademark progressive bass lines (usally a C-D-F-G thing). Anyway, it’s his strongest album, in my opinion, definitely give it a chance.
Mark just left today. He went to LA because he has to go on tour with Peter Murphy. He’ll be back in November and then we start on it again. We have one song done that’s a Christmas song. It’s really uplifting, Merry Christmas to everyone, you fuckers. It’s good. As a matter of fact, that’s going to be released on iTunes on December 1. Ministry’s first Christmas song. We already did a Halloween song, so I’m doing Christmas song and maybe in a couple of years, I’ll do an Easter song.
When you mentioned the Halloween song, you mean “Everyday is Halloween,” right?
Yeah, exactly.
This one you’ll like even better than that. This one is really poppy and uplifting. There’s no metal. There’s no politics. There’s no hatred. There’s no anger. There’s nothing. It’s just straight, wow, this is really good stuff. Like, let’s chew bubblegum and do these songs. It’s good.
maybe Al is just bullshitting, and it’s going to be straight thrash metal again. I find it hard to believe that came out of his mouth "It’s just straight, wow, this is really good stuff. Like, let’s chew bubblegum and do these songs. It’s good. "
king smurf. the book is swimmingly nearly done.
thanks for asking.
connelly gets the first copy, of course.
the tet a tet .
stinkin’ french. and stinkin’ scotsmen.
NakedSelf is towards the bottom of my list, but it’s a very good album, it’s actually hard to compare/rank against albums like Dusk and Mind Bomb. NS is a bit of a sonic cousin to Infected, just a little more on the raw side. “Voidy Numbness” is a kick-ass track, as is “The Whisperers”, “Boiling Point” and “Swine Fever”. Good shit.
I’m away from the boards for a fucking week and I get THIS.
I’m cautiously aroused.
That’s the single most sketchy thing I’ve ever typed, but there I am.
If this turns out to be the biggest dissapointment of my life, I’m not gonna be surprised. If this turns Al into the next Chris Cornell, I’m gonna be PISSED. And if this leads to something like a “Twitch 2.0,” I think I might just pass out due to my entire bloodstream flowing to my groin.
No love for “Burning Blue Soul”? I love that album, it scared the living shit out of me back in 6th Grade and I still find it caustic and creepy and a very solid first release by Matt Johnson. I don’t know any other album that sounds like it either.
Back in my video gaming days I used to listen to that album on repeat over and over and over as I banged away on my Sega Genesis.
Why all of this 3rd place and below love for “Dusk”?
Dusk is bad Ass! Haterz!
BTW: anybody else catch this?
[u]Ministry’s first Christmas song[/u]. We already did a Halloween song, so I’m doing Christmas song and maybe in a couple of years, I’ll do an Easter song.
“No way. I go in there completely shitface drunk and what happens, happens. There is no plan. That’s the best part about it. That’s what makes it fun. It’s pretty much spontaneous combustion and there is absolutely no plan, like “Hey, we’re going to do this band that sounds like this.” None of us know what we’re doing. It’s not just me that’s shitface drunk and clueless, we all are. That’s the best part of it.”
yeah, that’s amazing. spectacular.
see, at least he could get away with it, back in the day, and make some interesting, decent shit.
why? well, it helps to be surrounded by at least some sober parties with their shit together (eg; rieflin) who can at least fashion something from the madness.
and this isn’t a bad thing. not at all.
but it all runs to shit.
when you surround yourself.
with a pack of acolytes and yes-men moonlighting as musicians who grew up idolising every fart you let off.
who are happy to be ‘led’ around by a barely sober captain bligh. and everything starts to sound the same. and it gets simplified. and dumbed down. and the quality, suffers, as a whole.
getting shitfaced drunk and whatever? ‘cleaned up’ my arse. yeah, so he dropped the smack. and picked up the bottle. congratulations.
this album had better deliver. al’s still capable, he’s still got the smarts. hopefully he lets everyone see past the facade… [mad]
Why all of this 3rd place and below love for “Dusk”?
Dusk is bad Ass! Haterz!
BTW: anybody else catch this?
[u]Ministry’s first Christmas song[/u]. We already did a Halloween song, so I’m doing Christmas song and maybe in a couple of years, I’ll do an Easter song.
thought Ministry was “retired”?
Late,
grmpysmrf
Yeah I didn’t quite get that either, I guess he’s used to referring to his work as Ministry