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Underground > Radio & Music >

Muse: Absolution

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guy who got a headache and accidentally saves the world

15:27 / 22.09.03

Just got this home, and listening to it as I type. What does everyone think of it? Time is Running Out has to be one of the singles of the year.

Regrettable Juvenilia

18:16 / 23.09.03

No. They are worse than war, murder and Travis.

Tryphena Absent

19:27 / 23.09.03

As Flyboy knows, I don't mind Muse and if you want to listen to them I think you should smile and know that you're causing him pain that he, as a supreme music snob, deserves. Muse aren't terrible, I don't think they're great but they're not worse than war or murder. Hey! Or Travis! Shut the hell up!

19:53 / 23.09.03

It's the bit where their singer has to make horrible heaving sounds in-between each line in order to sustain the right notes that bothers me. Once it's been pointed out, it's all you can hear. I find them just like Radiohead but with added 'being sick' noises between the verses. Not my cup of tea.

Tryphena Absent

20:05 / 23.09.03

Thanks a bunch Gypsy. You're so on my hate list now.

20:15 / 23.09.03

I find Muse's entire approach to songwriting, singing etc. so inherently dreadful that it's extremely unlikely I'll ever listen to them voluntarily.

However I perchanced to hear about five minutes of them playing live on a car radio last week and am forced to admit that, despite their largely unchallenged position as kings of hideously OTT whiny indie bombast, they were really givin' it some energy and making a big noise - which is more than can be said for numerous more cool and critically accepted bands of the moment.

guy who got a headache and accidentally saves the world

14:46 / 24.09.03

So I take it your all big fans then. Hey, I used to be a music snob myself as a teenager. Which bands/albums are you into at the moment?

Tryphena Absent

15:00 / 24.09.03

At the moment I only listen to music that I bought a century ago or whatever I'm persuaded to listen to- so that's The Rapture, Peaches and Me and Juilianna in the School Yard (can't quite recall if I got that title right) on repeat about 5 times an hour while I'm driving. Best song in the world ever.

Oh and Justin obviously.

Regrettable Juvenilia

15:41 / 24.09.03

they were really givin' it some energy and making a big noise - which is more than can be said for numerous more cool and critically accepted bands of the moment

Riz, by this lofic Limp Bizkit are better than Low and Evanescene better than Cat Power. C'mon.

guy who saved the world - hey, wow, I was a music snob as a teenager too! I used to ONLY listen to angst-filled guitar rock made by whiny white guys. I would probably have had more time for Muse back then. Shit, I liked Placebo, and I bought the first Mansun album, and I'd even stand by several tracks by both... but I digress. What am into right now? Well, without wishing to repeat Anna de L, The Rapture's Echoes and Peaches' Fatherfucker have been on my discman a lot (although 'Guitar Anthem' by Chicks On Speed featuring Peaches is better than anything on the latter IMHO), also The Neptunes presents Clones, Justin Timberlake's Justified (take out three bad ballads and you'd have a classic), and the ever-returning-to-my-playlist Sign O' The Times by Prince. Oh, and 'Me & Giuliani Down By The Schoolyard (A True Story)' by !!!, which Anna also mentioned.

As for not being a big fan of Muse... Basically, prior to the release of Hail To The Thief I would have said that whenever anyone said anything bad about Radiohead, they were really thinking of Muse. The "like Dr Strangelove - Do You See?!?" video for 'Time Is Running Out' has not endeared me to them any further.

16:42 / 24.09.03

Riz, by this lofic Limp Bizkit are better than Low and Evanescene better than Cat Power. C'mon.

Oh, you know what I mean..

bloody logic.

I'll gladly join in the Muse dissing though;

They've always stuck me the kind of group that would result if some of those people you knew in college who wear big coats and consider themselves to be superior to "the common herd" and reckon the Matrix is rilly rilly deep developed an annoying level of musical proficiency and started a band..

16:53 / 24.09.03

Yesh, yesh. Proficiency. Thinking of Muse, I can't trust anyone that plays guitar that effortless, really. I'm all for spaz-rock here, friends. If possible I want to spot the lead singer muttering to himself what a big idiot he is for not even managing to change chord positions fast enough. And then I wanna see him slicing his finger on the strings and running from the stage sobbing. It doesn't take too much to make me happy, you see.

guy who got a headache and accidentally saves the world

18:10 / 24.09.03

Flyboy- Fair enough, you don't like them. I just didn't expect the over the top "worse than war, murder" etc. kind of reply. Haven't really heard The Rapture (apart from the single) or Peaches, they/she seem(s) to be getting hyped up in the NME (now incorporating 'Strokes News Weekly')at the moment, I'll investigate further. Myself, I've been listening to Spiritualized 'Amazing Grace', Goldfrapp 'Black Cherry' and Super Furry Animals 'Phantom Power' alot recently. 'Things We Lost in the Fire' by Low is on of my favourite albums of recent years.

18:21 / 24.09.03

Rilo Kiley, Science Vs. Romance.

SSsshhhh.

08:02 / 25.09.03

I want to spot the lead singer muttering to himself what a big idiot he is for not even managing to change chord positions fast enough. And then I wanna see him slicing his finger on the strings and running from the stage sobbing.

When I get a band together, you are soo gonna be our biggest fan..

nedrichards is confused

11:24 / 25.09.03

"'Me & Giuliani Down By The Schoolyard (A True Story)' by !!!"

Is that in any way other than the title related to 'Me & Julio Down By The School Yard' by the rock god that is Paul Simon. Because if so that would be mad, in a good way.

As for Muse have to agree with all above, they play their instruments annoyingly well don't they.

23:20 / 26.09.03

Muse are bad. How to people in their early 20s onwards listen to it? It's the ultimate in emotional cake mix. Too much!

If anyone remembers my more whiney-assed threads, they pretty much all sounded like Muse. So yes, they are a horrible guilty pleasure, far too over-the-top and stupid and PAINFUL. I still have my copy of Showbiz, I still like Plug In Baby and fucking mock me if you like, but The Smiths?? Fuck that shit.

At least Muse aren't REALLY boring, like they don't make me want to fuck walls with my face to do something, ANYTHING, other then pay any more attention to the dull dull man with the dull dull voice being dull dull FUCKING DULL.

Ultimately, a prediliction to Muse in early teenhood must surely set you in better stead for later life then a prediliction for The Smiths. NOISE vs. FUCKING NAMBY WHINEY-FACED DILLWEEDFACES WHO FUCKING WANT MY FUCKING FISTS IN THEIR FUCKING FACES- FIGHT!!

See?

16:17 / 28.09.03

The Smiths are much, much funnier though.

Suedey! SHOT FOR MEAT!

19:57 / 28.09.03

And also: better.

09:24 / 29.09.03

Smiths vs. Muse is just so one-sided it's not even funny..

And I'm not even much of a Smiths fan.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

14:41 / 03.10.03

Takes a while to stop hating Muse and start loving them but when you do you'll see the world in a whole new way.

You don't have to look though! Not if you wear the Baconfoil smock the argonauts gave you!

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

14:45 / 03.10.03

Also it's a little know fact that listening to meritless, souless, horrible repugnant overhyped fashon pap like Peaches* makes you a bad person.

*Last year's Moldy Peaches unfortunately making her comeback complete with unbelievably embarrasing Iggy Pop duet

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

14:47 / 03.10.03

Nothing personal of course chaps, you're all groovy star children really

16:48 / 27.11.03

But the whole thing with Muse is that they are too much, much too much. Too much emotion, too much (male teenage) angst, with too little talent really. He obviously sings very well, but the songs are really just one song over and over (which was on their first album). But I just love it... It's so much untalented pain.

All Acting Regiment

20:22 / 27.11.03

The thing is, I don't have a problem with stick-thin whiteboy whiney angst if it's **the real thing**- if the music bears some kind of relation to what the people making it **feel**.

The thing with muse is that when they're out and about they always seem really, um, social, friendly, white teeth, fashionable clothes-ish, in quite a fake way.

And, if you look at the lyrics they aren't actually that insightful or clever, really- in fact they seem like bad teenage poetry with little self awareness (in my opinion, sorry if they're important to you).

And- the way this "angst" or whatever it is has been packaged up and sold. Hmm. Not nice.

Regrettable Juvenilia

07:19 / 28.11.03

The thing is, I don't have a problem with stick-thin whiteboy whiney angst if it's **the real thing**- if the music bears some kind of relation to what the people making it **feel**.

The thing with muse is that when they're out and about they always seem really, um, social, friendly, white teeth, fashionable clothes-ish, in quite a fake way.

Congratulations: you've found a way to make me want to defend Muse. I didn't think it could be done, but there you go.

Chris, do you seriously demand that people only ever sing about what they "really feel"? And if so, how on earth do you go about verifying this - I mean, how do you find the time? You obviously either know Muse or have been stalking them for some time, but you can't do that for all bands, can you?

Mind you, it's good to have strict and not in any way arbitrary guidelines for what bands need to do outside of their music in order not to be "fake". Stop brushing your teeth, going out, or even talking to people, would-be angsty new bands of today! And make sure you never wear any nice clothes! Keep it real!

Jesus wept.

09:49 / 28.11.03

whenever i hear or think of muse i just feel sorry for the parents - what would you do if your kid was into that shit as they hit the pissy cusp of seventeen?

'won't let you smaaaaaawther mmeeee, are time iiiis ruuuuuuuning oooooouut' they screech

while they look at you with earnest eyes and hate you when you giggle.

i think i'd invite all the neighbours round to stand outside the bedroom window, charge fifty pee a time to have a look at the living stereotype angsting itself off in its supposed indie privacy, and put polaroids in the college common room next day - that'd learn em fast

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

13:34 / 28.11.03

I think you're all missing the distinction between "overblown drama" and "angst". He's writting all these crazy mad overblow space-metal ballard epics, not telling his mum to go fuck herself then saying "shit" a lot.

14:51 / 28.11.03

naaaaw! shutupshutup shut up nooooo!!!!!

deep breath
'i woooont leeet yooooooo smaaaaawther meeeeee, are tiiiime is ruuuuuning ooooowwt'

it's bollocks. i know

kiddie clearly hasn't got the balls to tell his mum to fuck off. even the frailest mum could backhand that bitchbaby's gareth-gates cut off his head, so no way is he making that fucking racket out of rebellion. it's not his mum i feel sorry for as she's clearly been treating the kid to nothing but the purest mental cruelty since he could walk, hence the urinal cacophony he feels entitled to make now

it's the fans' parents i feel sorry for: ah1234

'i woooont leeet yooooooo smaaaaawther meeeeee, are tiiiime is ruuuuuning ooooowwt'
yeah right

16:14 / 28.11.03

It's exactly the overblown drama that I like.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

19:37 / 28.11.03

I love the overblow drama too, harry.

"Our Time is Running Out" sounds to these ears to be the sort of doomy love song that would and should prelude an epic Bonnie and Clyde/Gun Crazy style gunporn infused last stand with two doomed lovers vs everyone else with a gun ever (like Max Payne 2, for all these kids who have no idea what I'm talking about). And in that capacity it's sublimely, stupidly brilliant.

16:29 / 08.01.06

Man I can't believe how so-so a lot of you are about this band. Admitedly, only listened to this album, and first saw them in Glasto in 2004 (whence they blew the combined 100,000 peeps CLEAN away) and love 'em, love 'em, LOVE 'em!!! Rocking, epic-electric power-ballads (ballads?) about the end of the world and all that. I like how they're so finely-tuned, professional, and powerful. And their lyrics too.

So, yeah, love this album, and the sound. Can any other fans recommend any of their earlier stuff?

Love the cover too, by Thorngren Storm (Of Pink Floyd fame):

18:00 / 08.01.06

There's some really good stuff on Origin of Symmetry, tho on the whole Absolution is better. "Citizen Erased" and "Newborn" are highlights.

Personally, I don't really mind that every Muse song I've ever heard sounds like an old Radiohead b-side cause frankly, Radiohead's b-sides lately are shit.

12:19 / 09.01.06

[rant]I wish people would shut the fuck up about Muse sounding like Radiohead. They sound much much much more like Jeff Buckley (plus his live band) and the constant (often derrogatory) comparisons both here and elsewhere in the media make me want to find the people saying this, sit them down and play them some fucking Buckley! (I'd agree very slightly about the RH B-side comment, but still, the vocal tone is much more Buckley's yelp than Yorke's drawl)[/rant]

That's better. I needed that off my chest. I used to really like Muse, but to be honest, they are a little rich, and best taken in small doses. That said though, they are amazing live. For all of you people intent on slagging the band off, show me another mainstream rock band with a more impressive, compelling and rocking live show. You won't, 'cause you can't.

Regrettable Juvenilia

12:31 / 09.01.06

Maybe the people who don't like Muse don't like any current mainstream rock bands?

12:58 / 09.01.06

Exactly. it'd be like me mocking your taste in Girls Aloud and Rachel Stevens etc. I won't, don't worry, but I don't dig that type of music. Doesn't mean I have to clog up their respective threads slagging them off does it? If you no likey, leave it alone. Some people are perhaps too motivated by negativity, especically when it comes to talking about the music they do/do not like.

One last thing about Muse - I remember falling out with theem (as a fan/record buyer) because of their singles. Double A-Sides, shitty live tracks, album tracks as B-sides... man it wound me up, so I though "No more. They get no more of my money until they put out proper singles with real b-sides".

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