The Mars Volta

A_Perfect_Sonnet · 03-10-2008, 09:00 AM

Frances the Mute is definitely my favorite album of theirs. If you listen to it from beginning to end, it's sheer brilliance.

The generally accepted story is that Frances was raped by some member(s) of the church and forced to get rid of Cygnus, her son. Cygnus grows up and becomes a male prostitute, and get's AIDS or whatever. He is in search of his mom, and finds her in the Widow without realizing it. He ends having sex with her and gives her AIDS. His whole life he's believed she's some amazing person, yet when he finds her sister, Miranda, she tells him that Frances wasn't as holy as Cygnus thinks she is. In Cassandra, Cygnus goes out and finds the priests who did that to his mother, and kills them. I believe he ends up dying himself at the end.

It was written when one of their sound guys, who used to work as a repo man, found an orphan's diary in an abandoned car.

Having an idea of the story and trying to figure out what's going on makes the longer "noise" parts so much more listenable. They fill in a lot of the story, almost cinemaesque.

adidasss · 11-15-2008, 03:33 AM

I finally gave Bedlam in Goliath a listen and after noticing that a lot of people were putting it in their best of 2008 I was wondering if this was just fanboyishness or I just seem to be unable to get in sync with their stuff after Frances. I think De-loused is a masterpiece, Frances is great, even if half of it is just atmospherics, but they completely lost their shit on Amputecture. Only one thing on that album struck me as memorable, the guitar riff on Viscera eyes.

Bedlam is a bit better, I actually liked an entire song (the rather funky Ilyena), there's an acceptable chorus on Metatron, Goliath had some cool jamming (the chorus is just lazy) but I started to lose my patience on Tourniquet man (sorry, it doesn't hold a candle to any of their previous slower songs, especially Televators and The widow). Is Cavalettas a good song by any standards, even if you are a fanboy? What about Agadez...do you know what that song sounds like? Anything memorable about it? Only Ouroborous stands out as a half decent song from the latter half of the album, but really, even that can't measure up to anything on De-loused.

Is it just that it's the kind of music you (or is it just me?) can't take much at one sitting? That can't be it, because De-loused is of similar length and there isn't a dull moment in it and a ton of memorable songs.

Is there anyone else out there who feels similarly or am I alone in my love/hate relationship with the Volta...?:|

FireInCairo · 11-15-2008, 03:41 AM

I agree with the notion that you can't really take that much in one sitting. It's pretty intense, but they do rock the ****.

adidasss · 11-15-2008, 03:57 AM

So you also think Bedlam is the shit? If so, can you explain how it compares to their other albums?

FireInCairo · 11-15-2008, 03:58 AM

I think its very good, but I just meant in general.
I think deloused is far superior.

adidasss · 11-15-2008, 04:01 AM

What are your favorite songs from Bedlam? Did you like Amputechture? What songs in particular?

FireInCairo · 11-15-2008, 04:04 AM

I actually havent heard amputachture...
I like aberinkula
metatron
and wax simulacra but it kinda flows into a whole for me.

adidasss · 11-15-2008, 04:12 AM

I c I c...

Fruitonica · 11-15-2008, 04:41 AM

I'm liking Bedlam a great deal. It doesn't stand up to De-loused but it's still a great album. Their music has lost none of its intensity and creativity.
Best songs I would reckon to be Wax Simulcra and Goliath, not sure why you think the chorus sounds lazy adidass.
I think my biggest problem with Bedlam is the vocals, half the time they sound filtered and this sucks the emotion and power out of them.

I really want to find out what a mellow album by them sounds like.

adidasss · 11-15-2008, 06:48 AM

So no one thinks it's too long and meandering without the payoff that Frances offers? Anything on this album strike you half as good as Cygmus or The widow or L'via L'viaquez?

11-15-2008, 03:33 AM	#432 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	I finally gave Bedlam in Goliath a listen and after noticing that a lot of people were putting it in their best of 2008 I was wondering if this was just fanboyishness or I just seem to be unable to get in sync with their stuff after Frances. I think De-loused is a masterpiece, Frances is great, even if half of it is just atmospherics, but they completely lost their shit on Amputecture. Only one thing on that album struck me as memorable, the guitar riff on Viscera eyes. Bedlam is a bit better, I actually liked an entire song (the rather funky Ilyena), there's an acceptable chorus on Metatron, Goliath had some cool jamming (the chorus is just lazy) but I started to lose my patience on Tourniquet man (sorry, it doesn't hold a candle to any of their previous slower songs, especially Televators and The widow). Is Cavalettas a good song by any standards, even if you are a fanboy? What about Agadez...do you know what that song sounds like? Anything memorable about it? Only Ouroborous stands out as a half decent song from the latter half of the album, but really, even that can't measure up to anything on De-loused. Is it just that it's the kind of music you (or is it just me?) can't take much at one sitting? That can't be it, because De-loused is of similar length and there isn't a dull moment in it and a ton of memorable songs. Is there anyone else out there who feels similarly or am I alone in my love/hate relationship with the Volta...?:\| __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm Last edited by adidasss; 11-15-2008 at 03:38 AM.

11-15-2008, 03:41 AM	#433 (permalink)
FireInCairo Later on... Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Melbourne Posts: 1,235	I agree with the notion that you can't really take that much in one sitting. It's pretty intense, but they do rock the **. __________________ O G MUDBONE: Only You can prevent forest fires.**

11-15-2008, 03:57 AM	#434 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	So you also think Bedlam is the shit? If so, can you explain how it compares to their other albums? __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

11-15-2008, 03:58 AM	#435 (permalink)
FireInCairo Later on... Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Melbourne Posts: 1,235	I think its very good, but I just meant in general. I think deloused is far superior. __________________ O G MUDBONE: Only You can prevent forest fires.

11-15-2008, 04:01 AM	#436 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	What are your favorite songs from Bedlam? Did you like Amputechture? What songs in particular? __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm Last edited by adidasss; 11-15-2008 at 06:46 AM.

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03-10-2008, 09:00 AM	#431 (permalink)
A_Perfect_Sonnet Dinosaurus Rex!!! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Winchester, VA Posts: 896	Frances the Mute is definitely my favorite album of theirs. If you listen to it from beginning to end, it's sheer brilliance. The generally accepted story is that Frances was raped by some member(s) of the church and forced to get rid of Cygnus, her son. Cygnus grows up and becomes a male prostitute, and get's AIDS or whatever. He is in search of his mom, and finds her in the Widow without realizing it. He ends having sex with her and gives her AIDS. His whole life he's believed she's some amazing person, yet when he finds her sister, Miranda, she tells him that Frances wasn't as holy as Cygnus thinks she is. In Cassandra, Cygnus goes out and finds the priests who did that to his mother, and kills them. I believe he ends up dying himself at the end. It was written when one of their sound guys, who used to work as a repo man, found an orphan's diary in an abandoned car. Having an idea of the story and trying to figure out what's going on makes the longer "noise" parts so much more listenable. They fill in a lot of the story, almost cinemaesque.

11-15-2008, 04:04 AM	#437 (permalink)
FireInCairo Later on... Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Melbourne Posts: 1,235	I actually havent heard amputachture... I like aberinkula metatron and wax simulacra but it kinda flows into a whole for me. __________________ O G MUDBONE: Only You can prevent forest fires.

11-15-2008, 04:12 AM	#438 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	I c I c... __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

11-15-2008, 04:41 AM	#439 (permalink)
Fruitonica Pale and Wan Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Aus Posts: 917	I'm liking Bedlam a great deal. It doesn't stand up to De-loused but it's still a great album. Their music has lost none of its intensity and creativity. Best songs I would reckon to be Wax Simulcra and Goliath, not sure why you think the chorus sounds lazy adidass. I think my biggest problem with Bedlam is the vocals, half the time they sound filtered and this sucks the emotion and power out of them. I really want to find out what a mellow album by them sounds like.

11-15-2008, 06:48 AM	#440 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	So no one thinks it's too long and meandering without the payoff that Frances offers? Anything on this album strike you half as good as Cygmus or The widow or L'via L'viaquez? __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm