Paul Barker *Appreciation Thread*

Discussion
66

Paul Barker can’t sing.

I reckon his voice sounds cool tho… pretty distinct. Love that geek chic. [:P]

. At least for me, anyway. I liked the pre-Barker just fine. LORAH was the first album with Barker but I don’t know how much that was influenced by him. As time went on it went from industrial to WTF? Was that Paul’s fault or mere coincidence? I don’t know. I understand that it was Paul who held Ministry together during the tough times when Al was goofing off but other than that I don’t know what he did.

I liked the WTF elements of Ministry! Paul contributed plenty to LORAH methinks, he was credited as a ‘member’ of Ministry. I always wondered why Paul had this status, rather than Bill and Chris… band politics, meh. I think Paul did plenty, nonetheless; check out Stolen on Animositisomina to dig what he brought to the table, and listen to post-Animositisomina to hear what it lacked without him.

dsots was probably drugs.

I don’t know why everyone sez this… after all, wasn’t Al meant to be the only one fucked up on drugs around this time? Unless what he sez about him ‘being Ministry’ and everyone else being ‘employees’ is true… [crazy] Nonetheless, someone said before that Al and Paul are like Lennon and McCartney… far better together. Same applies to those Mexicans in disguise from System of a Down (prepares to get flamed on account of people disliking this band…[blush])

Hey I like SOAD, seen them at the big day out twice (meh, so over BDO) first time was just after they got big and I had no idea who they were, loved them instantly.
I can’t listen to them all the time though or I do get a wee sick of them :slight_smile:

Actually I did know who they were, I had heard Sugar put to video footage of Trigun lol… don’t think I realised it was them until I saw them though.

Scars on Broadway and Solo Serj were ok I thought, Serj better than Scars… surprisingly as Daron wrote most of SOAD right?

Oh yeah… Paul Barker… wasn’t he just a fuckin’ bassist for Ministry years ago [cool]

67

Oh yeah… Paul Barker… wasn’t he just a fuckin’ bassist for Ministry years ago [cool]

No way a lot of the liner notes in my Ministry CDs say, “Ministry is: Al jourgensen and Paul Barker”
Late,
grmpysmrf

68

One thing about Paul leaving that really hurts, never again will there be a release that say " A Luxa/Pan Production" [:(]

I’ve said many times that Vex and Siolence is my favorite song off DSOTS, in fact it is in my top 5 Ministry songs. Love Paul’s vocals on that one.

Lead Into Gold is all gold imo. I can remember getting Idiot on 12" almost 20 years ago without knowing who exactly was on it (the plastic wrap had written in marker on it “members of Ministry”). I played that single over and over that night, simply amazing.

69

Paul Barker can’t sing.

Pink Anvil ruuuules!!!

Barker makes a great sidekick, but when it comes to singing he should call it quits. When I heard some Flowering Blight it was borderline embarrasing.

Still Paul owns all!

70

Barker’s vocals are fine. ‘singing’ is hardly ever really appreciated in the heavier realms anyway. one guys distorted vox vs others cookie monster growls. yawn

71

Oh yeah… Paul Barker… wasn’t he just a fuckin’ bassist for Ministry years ago

No way a lot of the liner notes in my Ministry CDs say, "Ministry is: Al jourgensen and Paul Barker

You do know he’s being sarcastic right?

72

Ministry without Paul is like Kiss without their make-up.

Or…

Comparing Barker era Ministry with post Barker era Ministry is like comparing Nirvana and The Foo Fighters.

…

…

Take your pic.

Either one.

They’re both just as clever.

And just as witty.

I think each observation works just as well in tandem or on it’s own. Both are equally as cutting and acerbic as the other in their own right. But …say, if i had to pick one I’d probably pick the Kiss comment. Only in light of the fact that Kiss without their make-up were a tour de force of embarrassment during that whole nauseating Bon Jovi pop metal period whilst The Foo Fighters are merely just bland appetisers - satisfactory mosh fodder for bored teens and people who don’t demand much from their music, other than the fact that it provide a catchy enough verse chorus verse type scenario for them to carry the tune around in their head for a few hours. And then forget about it. Which pretty much sums up The Foo Fighters if you ask me.

So, I guess the Kiss comment holds more weight. It’s more weighty - more impact in terms of the reader there other than just provoking a slight raising of the eyebrows. It’s more like : Kiss…whoah yeah they sure did suck as soon as the ol’ make-up came off. Didn’t they just. Yes sir. You’re spot on there. Dead eye dick you are. That’s a witty observation if ever there was one. Gotta remember to write that one down for Saturday’s date. She’ll think I’m hip. This guy can spot crap band from a mile away, she’ll be thinkin’. Yeah I’m totally all set with that one under my belt.

73

Oh yeah… Paul Barker… wasn’t he just a fuckin’ bassist for Ministry years ago

No way a lot of the liner notes in my Ministry CDs say, "Ministry is: Al jourgensen and Paul Barker

You do know he’s being sarcastic right?

You know I was totally fucking around playing into it right? [rolleyes]
Late,
grmpysmrf

74

Oh. Oh it’s just that, it wasn’t funny.

As for Kiss, they suck with or without the makeup.

75

Oh. Oh it’s just that, it wasn’t funny.

As for Kiss, they suck with or without the makeup.

If you were able to hear the stupid fan boy voice I was thinking of, in my head, it woulda’ been.
Late,
grmpysmrf

76

Ok, apparently I may have downplayed the awesome factor of Lead into Gold, so I shall load them into my ipod to give them another whirl… and while I’m at it I’ll load USSA and Flowering Blight so I can have an all-out Barker smorgasbord!

Paul Barker… Fuck Yeee-ah!

78

Hey I like SOAD, seen them at the big day out twice (meh, so over BDO) first time was just after they got big and I had no idea who they were, loved them instantly.
I can’t listen to them all the time though or I do get a wee sick of them :slight_smile:

Actually I did know who they were, I had heard Sugar put to video footage of Trigun lol… don’t think I realised it was them until I saw them though.

Scars on Broadway and Solo Serj were ok I thought, Serj better than Scars… surprisingly as Daron wrote most of SOAD right?

Fuck yeah, great to see another SOAD fan here. Toxicity was a fucking great album. Not their most eclectic, but there’s just something great about the energy on it, and the production is pretty cool. All the other albums are great, but somehow for me… Toxicity’s got this weird X-factor I can’t quite put my finger on.

SOAD 2002 BDO shows were fucking smoking. In 2005… they were more polished… but the energy was lacking.

This was basically attributable, so I hear, to friction between Daron and Serj. Apparently Serj was sick of his ideas getting shafted on the final album cuts… apparently there’s a shitload of unreleased material they recorded that Serj was largely the brains behind that didn’t get released as it was deemed ‘not-SOAD-enough’…

I think it was Daron’s ego getting in the way, to be honest. Listen to the songs on the last two albums, and you can hear a definite inclination toward that straight out rock and roll sound purveyed by Daron with his ‘Scars on Broadway’ project, whereas Serj’s solo stuff was the most distinctly ‘SOAD’ sounding…

however, I think both of them are lacking without each other. Sorta like… oh dear, a certain two industrial musicians from Chicago…? [crazy]

If you want really eclectic, check out Serj’s SERART project, which I honestly preferred to his solo stuff. That shit was impressive. I recommend this Peligro, you may actually dig this.

Ministry without Paul is like Kiss without their make-up.

Or…

Comparing Barker era Ministry with post Barker era Ministry is like comparing Nirvana and The Foo Fighters.

Agreed, but remember RedVelv, KeepItSimple,Stupid… it’s so dumb, it’s good in the end.

79

I always thought Nirvana & Foo Fighters sucked…along with their pals Sound Garden, Alice In Chains and Pearl Jam. I guess it was because I was a fundamentalist Melvins fan back in the early 90s. Actually I still think those bands suck. But then again I’m still a fundamentalist Melvins fan.

For the record I think all the stuff Paul has done without Al has sucked too. That being said I do love the one Blackouts 12" I have…although Al did produce that![cool]

Regardless Paul Barker is a nice guy and is totally awesome!

80

[reply]As for Kiss, they suck with or without the makeup.

Are you insane? How can you not like a band that wants to rock all night and party everyday?[/reply]

I used to rock and roll all night and party everyday.
Then it was every other day.
Now I’m lucky if I can find half an hour a week in which to get funky.

81

Are you insane? How can you not like a band that wants to rock all night and party everyday?

Yawn They are as hardcore to me as a white wine spritzer.

In every aspect KISS = EPIC fail.

82

In every aspect KISS = EPIC fail.

No no no…Kiss may have had kind of lame music but they did put on amazing live shows. I can’t imagine anyone walking away from a live 70s-early 80’s Kiss show without a beaming smile on their face.

Also they are the godfathers of Black Metal.

83

Nah, this guy is the Godfather of Black Metal.

84

While generally being underrated on a broader level, I think Barker is actually overrated on these boards.

When I hear Lead Into Gold or Flowering Blight, I hear a side man who just doesn’t have the charisma to front a group. Lead Into Gold is especially monotonous, repetitive and simplistic. Flowering Blight is great musically, but mostly killed by the vocals, which have zero variation. I think if he had used different effects it might have been better, but he just doesn’t have the charisma.

USSA was just awful. I think the only reason people like them or gave them a chance around here is because Paul was involved. But really…

The one thing he did outside of Ministry that I think really shines is that Pink Anvil record ‘Halloween Party’. What a mind fuck. Totally captures the spirit of the holiday and it’s just an amazing psychedelic journey. Really underrated album IMO. The production could have been better (I really enjoyed the Pink Anvil songs that were revamped as Flowering Blight songs) but otherwise it’s just fantastic.

Paul was best as the perfect side man and foil for Al Jourgensen. I think Paul really kept the music weirder and less straight forward than it would have been otherwise. I’ve said time and again that I feel ‘Filth Pig’ - ‘Animositisomina’ was Ministry’s best period, and I think Paul had a lot to do with that sound. He really kept Ministry from being generic thrash metal with samples. More intellectual and less brutish.

85

Wow Void, you just posted the exact opposite of my opinion. Other than the last paragraph, I think the exact opposite of everything above. Lead Into Gold has a maturity and depth that didn’t really fit into Ministry, but was perfect as a standalone project. Flowering Blight has all musical elements that Barker put into Dark Side and Animosity, but instead of clashing with Al’s elements, they’re brought to full fruition and complemented with intelligent lyrics. I hated Halloween Party. Found it to be a jumple of elements that might have worked as songs, but overall wasn’t very interesting. USSA was great, as long as you were willing to accept it as smething a little more conventional.

But you know, that’s just me. :slight_smile:

86

My golden period for Ministry is “Twitch-Mind” and includes all the great side projects from that time.

I know I’m in the minority but “Filth Pig” is not a favorite for me, I probably like “Houses” better than it, though I totally recognize that from a production standpoint “FP” steps all over “Houses” lunch. I’m just not a big fan of Godflesh and “FP” sounds to me like Ministry trying to do Godflesh.

I think Barker’s solo stuff is pretty variable. A few tracks on Lead Into Gold blow my freakin’ mind but a lot don’t hold up 20 years later in the way that many of the side projects do. Pink Anvil has some good moments but also falls into sounding like an ambient “Spooky Sounds of Halloween” at times and Flowering Blight has an amazing first 3 minutes but the rest never quite lives up to that brilliance. Nor did it live up to his Pucifer remix, which was awesome!

Paul seems like a super nice guy and I’m totally down for buying him chili but at the end of the day I’m more interested in what Al has to offer musically. There’s a really good album’s worth of material in the last three Ministry records and I stand by “Cocked & Loaded”. I think the intro to “Radar Love” and “Viagra Culture” show that Al’s still got the knack for programming when he gets his drunk ass off the couch so here’s hoping the solo album redeems him.