Did Matthew Good Stop Caring About Melodies?

[Manchalivin]

In the words of Wanda from Corner Gas: "Pow!" ;)

[Guest Bimbly]

Just wait until you hear the actual album before you make this thread. Boom.

 

Nah, I've been feeling this since Hospital Music. Perhaps a personal and poignant album lyrically, but musically it's his worst. The one exception is Born Losers.

[Manchalivin]

I think Hospital Music has some unique-ness for him. Last of the Ghetto Astronauts is easily his worst to me. Very dull compared to some of his other albums. But to each their own.

 

What about The Boy Come Home though, what do you think of that song? I think it has some great melody and is really nice musically.

Edited February 26, 2011 by Manchalivin

[Guest Bimbly]

I just relistened because I had no recollection of what it sounded like. Sounds like another late era Matt Good song to me. Not much in the way of distinct melody, rhythm, instrumentation. He has such a "distinct style" (being generous) many of these songs are hard to tell apart. The lead guitar is almost always the same, some repeating 4 bar figure that repeats over about as many chords. I think Dave Genn brought a lot of musicality to the table in the MGB records that seems to be lacking in his solo works.

 

That said, in reviewing his work again over the past few days, I'd say the Vancouver album came closest to repeating what I loved about the MGB.

[Manchalivin]

It's pretty clear to me you know more about music than I do. I figure though, the melody, rhythm, lead guitar, whatnot don't change much on his greats either I don't think so I'm not really sure what you're looking for.

 

Also, I doubt Dave Genn brought that much to the table since MG wrote almost all the music for MGB.

[Guest Bimbly]

Well, aren't all the MGB tunes credited to MG and Genn? I'd say while Matt brought in the core ideas, Genn finessed them quite a bit. For one, Genn was/is a way better guitar player. Matt is competent, but he doesn't bring the same quality to the table.

 

You're right that Genn did a lot of the repeating guitar figure stuff too, but they were often more interesting imo, and offered more variation. I know after Avalanche came out, or just prior, MG was posting here making a big deal out of recording taking so little time without people like Genn around to slow it down, but I dare say that's not from the latter's lack of talent- he was probably just way more particular.

 

There are certain arrangement ideas I don't see in any MG material post MGB, so I take it that was Genn's influence.

 

I just want a certain element of surprise in hearing his new songs. He's obviously incredibly talented, I just wish he'd push himself a little more to be honest. Someone like Genn probably pushed him, and that's why they fell out. There's an indulgence on records like HM and Vancouver, songs with excessive length and barely there melodies. Really, if people like it, that's great, because you're obviously hearing things I'm not. I for one don't understand how people don't like the new Radiohead record, King of Limbs. You could pretty easily argue a lack of songs on that one as well though, so go figure.

 

I'm listening to Advertising on Police Cars right now, and to me that song did the epic, slow burn thing better than most of his latter day works that attempt the same thing. Empty's Theme Park, Volcanos.

[Guest Bimbly]

Nevermind, I think White Light Rock & Roll Review is his best solo album. ;)

[Jarrod]

I think Hospital Music for me I can relate to the most. When it came out I was dealing with the same issues that he was sans divorce. So, to me that is probably my favourite album except for the 2 covers which I think could've been left off as I never liked the originals anyway.

 

But I can understand where you're coming from. I'm not really finding the "POP!" of prior releases. I don't think Dave Genn put too much to the table. I was under the understanding that Matt wrote the majority if not all the music. I'm probably wrong and I know that the song credits are credited to both Matt and Dave.

 

I still can't wait to hear the new album. I'm sure it's going to be good.

[Manchalivin]

I'm not sure but I think only some are credited to both of them and the odd ones with the whole band. I could be wrong but I think the majority are strictly Good. Whatever the case, I have little doubt Genn added a little something but I think MG is the far greater talent overall.

 

His latest records aren't my favourite from him either, that goes to BM and Avalanche and there's a certain something I haven't heard from him since then but I'm not bothered by it because there's something different that's also great at times with his more recent music. It will never be the same as before so might as well embrace the new, as long as it keeps my interest enough.

 

Honestly, on the whole, I'd argue Vancouver his most lacking album of his solo career. Don't get me wrong, I like it and songs like The Boy Who Could Explode, Great Whales of the Sea, Us Remains Impossible and Last Parade stand out but a fair bit of it is kind of dull. I'm not a big fan of Empty's Theme Park either. The chorus and strings are nice, as are the drums at parts, but overall it's too long for its own good and is kind of boring to me now. That kinda goes for VNA as well. I like On Nights Like Tonight and Volcanoes but sometimes they bore me. Vancouver is a unique album in ways, but at the same time there's a same-ness to it that dulls it. Sonically or something, there's hardly any variation. Perhaps the production also affects it as well.

 

But anyways, this new album seems much more interesting to me and you might just come around when you hear it. And bonus, Warne is back to make it sound tops.

[OriginalSpecies]

Manchalivin - you're getting me too damn excited. While I do love Vancouver now (it took me a while to fully appreciate it), I might have to confess that it's also probably my least favorite MG album (a smidge below WLR&RR)... so reading your thoughts and how they sort of echo my initial impressions of the record, and how you're quite impressed with his new material... I'm happy to read that.

[Moonlight_Graham]

Just wait until you hear the actual album before you make this thread. Boom.

 

word. I don't remember being impressed by the Vancouver demos, but i loved the album.

 

I haven't listened to many of the demos for this new album on purpose. I'll hunt them down after the album comes out.

[Manchalivin]

Original Species: Sorry for that, I'll try to stop talking so much about the new record. ;)

 

And while I'm glad my comments are getting you excited, I hope you don't read too much into them as my opinion on this could be a lot different than yours. I really hope you enjoy his new stuff but I don't want you to be let down by too much hype.

[OriginalSpecies]

I don't think I have to worry too much about being caught up in the hype with Bimbly around :angry:

 

 

 

 

...and just so we're all clear, I know that kinda reads like a slight on Bimbly, but by no means is that my intention. I appreciate his counter points to temper all the suffocating approbation that some fanatics tend to impose (no one in particular, just generally speaking). Also, the forum is a lot busier when he's around ;)

[Manchalivin]

I appreciate Bimbly's counter points and criticism as well. It can't all be praise.

[Emu]

MG said melody was overused?! And the guy's a songwriter?! It's not surprising considering his recent output, but man... talk about shocking. What do you find challenging, or interesting about his new music? The addition of horns, or additional orchestration? That in itself might be novel, but the arrangements (at least in the demos) are tired and uninteresting. Zero Orchestra reminds me of Alert Status Red and something else... Black Helicopter? (because it's all like F-Am /Am-F stuff, or whatever key it's in) I don't know Hospital Music very well. All of the songs just sound like rehashes of things he has done before. All of the new songs sound interchangeable with anything on Hospital Music or Vancouver.

 

I'm still curious to hear the final product. haha

 

Yeah he really needs to learn some new strumming patterns & chord progressions, I was the biggest MG nerd up until Vancouver. First album of his I refused to purchase. Blech. So stale, so overused. If I hear the Apparitions strumming pattern or that G/F#/E walkdown one more time I swear.

 

For me Mother Mother is currently the ingenious rock band that MG was 10 years ago.

[ToadMan]

Anton will understand my reasoning better, but I hate all of you so much right now.

[Manchalivin]

What are you on about

[Guest Bimbly]

New song is a step in the right direction imo ;)

[Guest jjazz]

Bimbly, I truly think you're going to be impressed with this new record. Since I haven't heard the finished product I couldn't say for sure, but I have a feeling Lights (the actual track) is going to blow you away in the same fashion Man Of Action did, Dare I say? I think Set Me On Fire is the most traditional MG sounding song on this record, but I still love it. I will agree with you, recent releases of his haven't resonated with me the same that a lot of the MGB or early MG solo stuff did. What that says about me, or Matt even, I don't know.

 

It is without question that Dave Genn brought a distinct amount o influence into the MGB records. It's undeniable. But whether that is positive or negative is really up to the individual listening to it. I suppose to Matt, it was a negative. When really thinking about it, I think that a lot of Matt's anguish and struggle in the studio had to do with Genn. When you make a record with all that present, it's going to be visible in the finished product. So an interesting question would be is was it what Dave brought to the recordings, or is it Dave's influence on Matt's state of mind that is portrayed on MGB material?

 

Of course there is more to factor in than just one person proving to be unhealthy to the process, but the fact of the matter is that Matt says it was unhealthy for him, and that's why the band is no longer together. Either way, you're listening to Matt's struggle on MGB records, and maybe that's what makes the difference.

 

A fan that I met at the free show in Toronto last year mentioned something very simple that I never had thought about: Anyone can throw on Vancouver or Hospital Music and think it's a good record, nothing more, nothing less. It's when you listen to his work from the beginning, do you really start to make a connection with him. When you follow the records in order, you don't really notice any trends, and it's harder to nit pick at it. Matt's story is documented very heavily in what he is creating at the time, so it starts to evolve into something much more interesting when listening to it in order, instead of for the sake of making comparisons and holding out for something reminiscent of previous records.

 

When I thought about that, I thought it to be extremely true. And I think that's the reason he is such an underrated artist in the music world today. I know that it doesn't matter, because he doesn't measure his success by the number of albums sold, or number of YouTube hits he gets, but it's something to think about.

[Shortcut To Moncton]

listening to the two new songs featured on his site.

 

In A Place Of Lesser Men was meh to me. It's been done before.

 

Non Populus is a much better track. It's solid. Very solid.

 

Matthew Good is capable of delivering solid tracks one after another, album after album. He has no problem doing that whatsoever. I just feel he doesn't take enough risks with his sound--he keeps it safe and doesn't steer away from what he's comfortable at.

[Guest Bimbly]

Bimbly, I truly think you're going to be impressed with this new record. Since I haven't heard the finished product I couldn't say for sure, but I have a feeling Lights (the actual track) is going to blow you away in the same fashion Man Of Action did, Dare I say? I think Set Me On Fire is the most traditional MG sounding song on this record, but I still love it. I will agree with you, recent releases of his haven't resonated with me the same that a lot of the MGB or early MG solo stuff did. What that says about me, or Matt even, I don't know.

 

It is without question that Dave Genn brought a distinct amount o influence into the MGB records. It's undeniable. But whether that is positive or negative is really up to the individual listening to it. I suppose to Matt, it was a negative. When really thinking about it, I think that a lot of Matt's anguish and struggle in the studio had to do with Genn. When you make a record with all that present, it's going to be visible in the finished product. So an interesting question would be is was it what Dave brought to the recordings, or is it Dave's influence on Matt's state of mind that is portrayed on MGB material?

 

I will say that I quite enjoy In Place Of Lesser Men (great structure) and How It Goes. Non-Populus is cool, but I need to hear it a few more times. Set Me On Fire is OK I guess, but I can't see myself listening to it often. I have heard a snippet of Lights-- was it previously called "I Saw A Magician Cut You In Half" or something? I'm not into Zero Orchestra at all. Despite sounding somewhat curmudgeonly, I am looking forward to hearing the record as a whole. If anything has me psyched for it, it's How It Goes.

 

I feel like I can hear specific moments or ideas Genn brought in... His influence is felt pretty strongly on Underdogs through Beautiful Midnight, but tappers off a bit on Audio Of Being I think. To get slightly specific, it's stuff like that weird turn around before the 2nd verse of Everything Is Automatic that I feel was contributed by Genn.

[ccf23]

listening to the two new songs featured on his site.

 

In A Place Of Lesser Men was meh to me. It's been done before.

 

Non Populus is a much better track. It's solid. Very solid.

 

Matthew Good is capable of delivering solid tracks one after another, album after album. He has no problem doing that whatsoever. I just feel he doesn't take enough risks with his sound--he keeps it safe and doesn't steer away from what he's comfortable at.

 

Or maybe he's in a place to be able to write the kind of records he wants to write? I get the sense that creatively Matt feels more fulfilled now than ever, hopefully not having to worry about radio play or awards or anything like that. At the end of the day I'd rather hear the music he wants to make then have him make Avalanche or Beautiful Midnight over and over.

Edited March 28, 2011 by ccf23

[Manchalivin]

listening to the two new songs featured on his site.

 

In A Place Of Lesser Men was meh to me. It's been done before.

 

Non Populus is a much better track. It's solid. Very solid.

 

Matthew Good is capable of delivering solid tracks one after another, album after album. He has no problem doing that whatsoever. I just feel he doesn't take enough risks with his sound--he keeps it safe and doesn't steer away from what he's comfortable at.

How much risk do you want him to take? Some musicians overstep their bounds and end up taking far too great of risks that make them sound either totally different or ridiculous and forced. I feel MG has changed it up a fair bit throughout his career and he challenged himself a lot making this album and I am pretty sure you'll hear that in at least a few of the new songs. Some of it may even be to the point where you think he went too far so be careful what you wish for regarding taking risks. I mean, do you want his music to not sound like himself?

[RileyLewis]

The only thing I have to say to Bimbly is: Sometimes a song is just a song.

 

Sometimes reading into things too much ruins them for you.

[Crusader]

Sometimes a song is just a song.

 

Sometimes reading into things too much ruins them for you.