The Devin Townsend Shuffler
 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...F2012-5415.jpg
I have no interest in John Zorn, but I like the idea of Mondo’s John Zorn Shuffler, and never shy of robbing another’s idea, I’m going to do something similar, but with the T-Man. Originally what I heard of Devin Townsend I liked (mostly Epicloud and Biomech) but as I shuffled his music into my playlists I’ve come across some really great music, some not so great and some downright awful. This has not encouraged me to check out any full albums, so this thread will be a way for me to explore his music without diving fully into albums I may not appreciate.

In contrast to Mondo’s thing though, I won’t be reviewing albums. What I’ll be doing is shuffling the content and taking random tracks from random albums. I’ll write a little bit about each track and the album it comes from, and rate it on a scale of 1 to 10. Sure. ol’ Dev doesn’t have anything approaching the sixty thousand albums that Zorn has, nor will his music be as varied or genre-crossing as the Big Z, but then I’m not trying to compete with Mondo’s thread, just snatch the idea and run away giggling like a maniac, hoping he’s too stoned to give chase. Townsend is no slouch in the releases department though, with a good thirty or so albums plus compilations and live efforts, so there’s plenty there to get my teeth into. It may be of interest to some (I expect Key will follow it, maybe Anteater) and at worst it should engender some discussion, probably mostly around the theme of “Townsend is a knob/overrated/all over the place etc etc” but it’s all good.

Note: I’m considering doing this with Buckethead too, as I’m interested in getting into his music. I haven’t decided, but any comments on that are welcome, positive or negative.

So, what have we for our first foray into the wild and often not that wonderful world of Devin Townsend? This, actually. Hey that’s weird: one of the few albums I have listened to all the way through…
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...26/Biomech.jpg
Title: “Hide Nowhere”
Released as: Devin Townsend
Taken from: Ocean Machine: Biomech
Year: 1997
Running time: 5.00
Comments: Powerful, punchy opening and it rattles along on a real metal-style riff, good bouncy rhythm, quite catchy with Devin kind of roaring the vocal a little hoarsely. Ocean Machine: Biomech is the second album to be released under his own name, and seems to suffer/benefit from the overproduction issue that a lot of people seem to aim at his music. I personally don’t mind overproduction, but some people hate it. This is a decent song, but I couldn’t say it’s top level or anything.
Rating: 6/10

/thread

Good luck on your journey though. Buckethead would be crazy arduous since he releases every arpeggio he plays. I think you're better off getting recs from Plankton or something. For another prolific artist, how about Fela Kuti?

LOVE Ocean Machine!

INCOMING TROLLHEART PUN ABOUT THIS FELLA.

Welcome back, TH. =)

sees thread title. closes tab.

This'll be a fun thread. I have my own favs too. ^_^

Dude was only 20 when I first heard of him.

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cackle

Townsend is Steve Vai's second biggest fan, only to be outdone by the fan that Vai uses during his photoshoots and videos to blow his hair back.

Yet posts anyway.


Come on: at worst it's car-crash thread par excellence! You know you're bored, just admit it.

And put down that Bible! Don't you have any comic books to read???

I guess I might as well just go **** my own face

I'll copy that too! ;)

Trollheart: stealing your ideas since 2015...

Seriously, no messing: your Zorn shuffler is not only a great idea, you're doing a great job on it. If I had the slightest interest in Zorn I'd be there. But I don't. So I'm robbing your idea. Guess we'll see each other in court. Better buy a suit I guess.

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well you oughtta hear me out and check it from time to time. There will be much jazzy progressive easy listening that I will argue cannot be disliked

https://e.snmc.io/i/300/w/7b1fea26b4...38b330/7361913
Title: “Start”
Released as: Devin Townsend
Taken from: Iceland
Year: 2016
Running time: 2.36
Comments: Well this is an odd little one. Apparently an album of acoustic covers (so far as I can see) of previous material, this disc was released with copies of his autobiography. Hmm. Original title for a song that begins an album, but let’s see what it’s like. Picked acoustic guitar, sort of in a classical guitar virtuoso style. Guess it’s an instrumental. Well, I suppose an an intro (presumably) to the album it’s all right, but there’s not much there to get excited about really.
Rating: 4/10
(no video available; contain your disappointment please!)

have you listened to Deconstruction

I dunno if you'd be about it due to it's extreme chaotic mania and heaviness but I think it's really a superb album.

I don't think so, but no doubt it'll come up at some point. Yeah some of his stuff is definitely wild and chaotic, and probably not for me. There's a lot of annoying dialogue/acting on, is it, Ziltoid the Omniscient? Don't think a lot of that either.

the other one I think is cool

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...m%29_cover.jpg
Title: “Texada”
Released as: Devin Townsend Project
Taken from: Ghost
Year: 2011
Running time: 9.30
Comments: I think I may have heard this album once before. Maybe not. Randomly selected, this happens to be the longest track on it. Nice bubbly keyboard opening, almost new-wave in a way, could put you in mind of Yazoo until the guitar slides in. Devin sings in that kind of soft croon which he uses on much of Epicloud, and is how I prefer to hear him sing, rather than the manic yell or screech he often employs. I don’t think I’d necessarily call this a ballad, though it’s a downtempo song with a kind of seeming upbeat feel. Elements of prog rock in here too. I imagine it’s one of those that certain people will complain is overproduced, but as I said already, I don’t mind that.

Sounds like flute there in the mix, some yelling in the background as backing vocals perhaps, quite subsumed though. Nice little guitar break, and we’re only a third of the way through. Enjoying this one immensely I must say. This is the kind of Devin I like, and it amazes and also annoys me that he can be so diametrically different on other songs, often growling or roaring - I guess that’s more his time in SYL than anything else - but I’d be happy if he stuck to the one style of singing. It means that over the course of an album you’re often not sure what you’re going to get. Some people like that, like to be surprised, challenged, tested. Not me. Good old boring predictability for me please, as long as it’s good.

Extended flute solo here in the sixth minute, gives the track a very ethereal feel, and the sound effects - wind, birds, surf, that kind of thing - all add to that impression. Not sure if it’s just going to fade out now on that, given that there’s about a minute left at this stage. Wouldn’t be disappointed if it did. And it does, to the accompaniment of a voice speaking something very quietly, perhaps a prayer.

Rating: 10/10

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Title: “The Way Home!”
Released as: Devin Townsend Project
Taken from: Addicted
Year: 2009
Running time: 3.14
Comments: Oddly enough, every track on this album is suffixed with an exclamation mark, or as you Americans would say, exclamation point. Not sure why. This is a short one, compared to the last selection, and sounds almost Prefab Sproutish to me. Good chugging guitar while another hammers on keeping the rhythm (or the other way round: don’t ask me, I’m not a guitarist) with again that softer, crooning voice he used on “Texada”. Very catchy. He goes almost operatic in the vocal as we hit the second minute, a decent solo before it all picks up again. Sort of thing I could have seen appearing on Epicloud certainly. Good backing vocals. Sudden abrupt feedback ending. Liked that.

Rating: 10/10