Red Mosquito

Chris_H_2 wrote:I WANT A NEW MMJ ALBUM DAMMIT!!

Please calm down

I used a gift card to snag the remastered It Still Moves on vinyl. Can’t wait to spin this. I have been listening to the album otherwise just getting stuff done around the house. It’s so good. Every chord just hits you like a ton of bricks.

I first saw these guys back in 2006, but really knew nothing about them. I thought they put on a helluva show, but still didn't really get into them until like a year-ish ago? I think I have a few post here a few pages back...Anyway, I think 'It Still Moves' has been my favorite of what I have so far. My current collection is:
At Dawn
It Still Moves
Z
Okonokos
Evil Urges

From the little I have read about MMJ, it seems 'Evil Urges' is a polarizing album, especially for the fans that got into them with the first 3 albums. Maybe it's because I hopped on the bandwagon later, but I really like the album. Some of the songs I go back and listen to the most are either on Evil Urges or It Still Moves.

So, with that little bit of background, two questions for RM...
1. What album should I get next? (Tennessee Fire, Circuital, or The Waterfall)
2. What does RM think of Evil Urges?

darth_vedder wrote:I first saw these guys back in 2006, but really knew nothing about them. I thought they put on a helluva show, but still didn't really get into them until like a year-ish ago? I think I have a few post here a few pages back...Anyway, I think 'It Still Moves' has been my favorite of what I have so far. My current collection is:
At Dawn
It Still Moves
Z
Okonokos
Evil Urges

From the little I have read about MMJ, it seems 'Evil Urges' is a polarizing album, especially for the fans that got into them with the first 3 albums. Maybe it's because I hopped on the bandwagon later, but I really like the album. Some of the songs I go back and listen to the most are either on Evil Urges or It Still Moves.

So, with that little bit of background, two questions for RM...
1. What album should I get next? (Tennessee Fire, Circuital, or The Waterfall)
2. What does RM think of Evil Urges?

Evil Urges was my introduction to the band and I love it's weirdness. Same for Circuital. Though I think Evil Urges is the stronger album of the two.
Album to get next would be Waterfalls. It took a while for it to click with me but once it clicked all was good in my MMJ world.

I would go for Circuital. It’s a bit more rock focused than Evil Urges, and in a way bridges the two eras. The first half in particular is really great.

Plus there’s nothing like a funk rock song called Holding on to Black Metal.

Not sure if I posted it before but my preference would be Z and It Still Moves ties for first, At Dawn, Circuital, Evil Urges, The Tennessee Fire, The Waterfall - with all of them being great albums after repeat listens.

Motivated and going for an expanded My Morning Jacket journey...stay tuned for what’s included...

The Tennessee Fire (20th Anniversary Edition) - there’s a lot of ground to cover here, at the beginning. The sound and feel of the main album is that of a rough sketch of this band in a recording that seems almost untouched. The mixes are raw and some songs you can sense had a greater life to come outside the studio. And for that purpose here, I will intersperse thoughts on where some songs went on the 20th anniversary concert at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY a few days after the expanded edition was released. For those not familiar, that show was a full recreation of The Tennessee Fire that stretched this 55 minute album into 2 hours, followed by an encore that featured a couple of b-sides and covers from the time period.

Heartbreakin’ Man kicks off the album in full swing, which is a great song that the drum beat finds its way up front in parts. On repeat listens, this is one of the highlights of the album off the bat as an addicting track, much like The Bear. Speaking of which, The Bear is probably my favorite song on the album (I know a bunch of others feel similarly or otherwise at one point felt this way), and its brilliance is in that bridge that pushes the song to the finish. But even before then that clobbering drum beat pulls you in and keeps you so that you don’t want the song to really ever end. Old Sept Blues is also fantastic in a totally different way, and I can never get enough of that acoustic riff (of which they built and built off of at the Cap - one of the more incredible live moments I can remember was being sucked into that for something like 9 minutes - purely in another place from that). It’s About Twilight Now has a great swing to it, starting off kind of like Heartbreakin’ Man countrified and electrified building into an epic Jim howl and just well loud. Evelyn Is Not Real takes it down a notch but still plays the boundary on country, folk and rock to near perfection. War Begun is a great sketch that is an absolute monster live in the way it builds. I Will Be There When You Die is great folk that showcases a bit of vulnerability that suits the song so well and makes it a highlight of the album. The Dark is one of the greats in this album and shows a place where the band goes a bit further in future albums. To my ears, if Evil Urges feels so out of character, come back to The Dark and awesome there were visions of that sound way back when. By My Car is a very nice ballad-like tune but perhaps without the sap you’d get from other artists (the sparse production helps). I Think I’m Going to Hell is quintessential early My Morning Jacket and builds to an epic conclusion. Now, you would think that instrumental keyboard(?) track at the end was some sort of throwaway to end the album but it ends but being a perfect segue into the expanded tracks to come on the expanded edition...

In terms of what’s added here, the through line I see is psychedelic sounds. Everything is an even more rough sketch and these tracks large seem like blank canvasses to be finished later, but taken as a whole is reminiscent of a More-era Pink Floyd series of soundscapes that largely don’t fit on the Tennessee Fire in its final version. The best examples of this are John Dyes Her Hair Red, Yellow and Strobe, All This Joy Brings Different Feelings, The Gift, Plasma Ball, and Breathin’ Afterbirth. Each sounds totally different but explores sounds and textures not even remotely touched on the main album. Other than that, there are a few more b-sides that vary in quality, including a alternate version of Weeks Go By Like Days where the focus on that opening riff sounds more and more like an intro to a Dave Matthews Band song (the final version on the b-sides album blows this away) and alternate takes of songs that made the album, including an If All Else Fails that I actually enjoyed about as much as the original in its rawest form. Two alternate takes of The Bear demonstrates how perfect they got it in the album.

Final note I would make relative to the 20th anniversary performance is that there were songs so powerful elevated during the show that they dwarfed the album version. Get your hands on the audience recording of this show, if not for stunning versions of They Ran, Nashville to Kentucky (the sax solo is worth the whole price of admission), Old Sept Blues, War Begun, The Dark, and I Think I’m Going to Hell. I mean this is not close to my favorite album of theirs but hearing it live the way they presented it was a top 10 to top 5 concert I’ve ever attended.

Heartbreakin’ Man (EP) - essentially this is an extended single, but worth noting. The lead track is the album version I covered above so no need to repeat other than to say I didn’t mind hearing this song for the third time today. A live and slowed down Old Sept Blues (Ga-Ed out version) comes complete with an instrumental intro that is a cover I can’t quite place at the moment. An acoustic version of They Ran is pretty strong - Jim James only here and it’s good. Evelyn Is Not Real remixed is weird as it pulls a thumping drum part up front with the lead and pulls the vocals and acoustic guitar into the background. The original is much better. R.I.P.V.G. Is a quick acoustic b-side that features an excellent acoustic interplay that is reminiscent at its jam of a Led Zeppelin III vibe. The Ep closes with Tonite I Want to Celebrate With You that I always think is a throwaway until the last minute and a half or so where it builds into something pretty nice. A good once listen all around but not much essential here.

Does Xmas Fiasco Style (EP) - what is an EP for My Morning Jacket is about as long as the modern album. That notwithstanding, if you never knew you needed a psychedelic country folk Christmas album, here’s your moment. Truth is it ain’t too bad an effort, though up until Santa Claus is Back in Town, the feel is very melancholic. Santa Claus is Back in Town is more of an electric blues stomp in the style of the forthcoming An Honest Man, though a bit more upbeat. The instrumental track to finish this off just really seems like a repeated guitar part for 7 mins. Again, the most essential piece of this is on At Dawn (Xmas Curtain). Otherwise, this is a pretty good shot at a Christmas single. Nothing any casual fans needs in their life though.

i'm enjoying these posts.

At Dawn - to my ears this is the dawn of My Morning Jacket’s greatest succession of albums, and this album in particular the true arrival of Jim James as a vocalist. This album sounds like it was recorded from the other end of the Lincoln Tunnel, and the natural reverb on James and the band adds a ton of atmosphere to many already atmospheric tunes. Nowhere is the stunning upfront vocals felt more powerfully than at the very outset of the album where At Dawn transitions from a low volume collection of sounds straight into James declaring “at dawn we ride again...” - just perfect delivery. And song builds into an epic conclusion, serving as a near perfect table setter for the album. Lowdown and The Way That He Sings keep things moving in perfect order, Lowdown seeming more country pop soaked in that natural reverb while The Way That He Sings oddly a showcase for the band, particularly in that big final jam.

Things slow down a bit as we see the more deliberate side of the band with Death is My Sleezy Play. Hopefully segues perfectly into Bermuda Highway, which is such a stunning track I can see Neil Young kicking himself wishing he thought of it first. This song seems to push straight into An Honest Man, a sludgy blues rock track in slow motion that just slays for 8 plus minutes.

From there, it seems we go into a more measured side 2. A stronger version of Xmas Curtain recorded here, with much more echo and it works with the psychedelic country going on in this tune. If It Smashes Down was a real highlight for me on this listen as James alone with a banjo is perfection especially the use of negative space, meaning the notes he does not play that accentuates his voice. It’s so sparse that you can hear floor board creaking while he’s playing. It’s really great. I Needed It Most has the same effect with the band joining him on the second half of the track.

This all sets up a grand finale with two just amazing songs in Phone Went West and Strangulation. The former almost a ballad that hangs on for a bit on the strength of James’ delivery and the latter an art rock masterpiece. It’s at the outset that the harried minute gives you almost the feeling of asphyxiation which suddenly turns to a nice acoustic tune then closes back out with that same chaotic and panicked outtro that makes you feel like you can’t breathe. There’s a whole lot of range in what they play here, but it is all tied together with that other end of the tunnel reverb. Just an excellent album that really grows the more you hear it, especially with a sense of patience in knowing the songs track on slower paces.

Chocolate and Ice (EP) - I have heard that this was mostly a release to showcase Cobra, a 24 minute monster of a track that is really great for probably the first 8-10 minutes and then kind of gets lost in nothing most of the rest of the way out...but that first movement and maybe the second are top notch MMJ experimenting with some interesting ideas around a nice guitar and bass line and drum machine loop.

Lost in that though is that the opening two tracks are very strong yet very different. Can You See the Hard Helmet on my Head has an infectious drum beat and drives the song while Sooner is an excellent slower tune. The last three songs are mostly not essential. It’s Been A Good 3 or 4 Years is a recording on an answering machine of his cousin leaving James a voicemail message, and the last 2 tracks are fine but nothing that needs repeat listens.

Split (EP) - a split EP consisting of 4 MMJ songs and 1 10 minute song from Songs: Ohia. The My Morning Jacket contributions are largely great, especially the first three tracks. O is the One That Is Real is phenomenal here (I previously only heard the live version off Okonokos), with the drums leading the way and plenty of fuzz going on. How Do You Know and Come Closer are both excellent songs - all of which I thought could have or should have found their way into proper albums. The Year in Review is very weird and sounds like a written song that that sped up in a tape recorder or record player - complete with it sounding that cartoonish high pitch from the speed up. That’s not really worth it.

Translation is a nice track from Songs: Ohia that builds nicely and seems to naturally fit among the My Morning Jacket tunes. Certainly something to check out. On the whole, this release is stronger than the Chocolate and Ice EP released around the same time. Each of those first three songs could be in your MMJ playlist.

At Dawn & The Tennessee Fire Demos Package - this appears to have been released around 2007 but I thought it more appropriate to tackle here and now with its relation back to the early stages of MMJ’s recording career. Really, this is mostly divided between the album, as the demo recordings of the At Dawn time period are largely acoustic versions with primarily James, and the Tennessee Fire demos full band rough and live recordings of songs with a few rarities tossed in.

The At Dawn acoustic recordings are 100% worth it for fans of that album because they offer a more intimate and wonderful sketches of these songs, particularly the run of The Way That He Sings through Just Because I Do. Lowdown, At Dawn, and Phone Went West are even tougher recordings with some sort of interference but you still get a sense of the early thoughts that went into the creative process. B-side Chills is absolutely great here. It appears otherwise as a bonus track on the vinyl for Z, but it’s shorter and kind of off putting in the scheme of that album’s vibe - but this version is as close to essential as any of the unreleased tracks are on this release.

Conversely, the Tennessee Fire demos are largely the completed tracks, and the run of demos from Heartbreakin’ Man through Butch Cassidy is non-essential - not because they aren’t great songs on their own - but because they are so close to the album versions that had minimal production to begin with. War Begun and It’s About Twilight Now are awesome in these live recordings and not nearly as expanded as more recent liver iterations of these songs are. Lil Billy is fully realized here, but a rough live recording so it takes some attention and patience to get through it despite being a nice rocking song.

Overall, I think this actually one of the better demo releases I have heard. Most of the time, these sorts of releases are mostly either unnecessary or unlistenable - but they picked through and mostly did well with this. Worth a listen, especially for someone going beyond casual listening to this band.

I love The Way That He Sings, but more the faster and more electric versions of Okonokos and onward. Did they alter the song because of the guitarist change, or just natural evolution?

Captain Termite wrote:I love The Way That He Sings, but more the faster and more electric versions of Okonokos and onward. Did they alter the song because of the guitarist change, or just natural evolution?

Not sure about the latter, but I lean towards the Okonokos version as well, same with Lowdown. I like the oomph that the electric guitars bring. Didn't they get a different drummer too between At Dawn and It Still Moves or am I making that up?

darth_vedder wrote:

Captain Termite wrote:I love The Way That He Sings, but more the faster and more electric versions of Okonokos and onward. Did they alter the song because of the guitarist change, or just natural evolution?

Not sure about the latter, but I lean towards the Okonokos version as well, same with Lowdown. I like the oomph that the electric guitars bring. Didn't they get a different drummer too between At Dawn and It Still Moves or am I making that up?

Yes they changed drummers too.

The Way That He Sings (Okonokos) is a great jukebox song. It scratches the same itch for me as 'Sway' by the Stones.

It Still Moves (Deluxe Reissue) - this was the first time I heard the remastered version of the album. It is incredible to finally be able to hear everything they were doing on this album and instantly elevates it past everything else they have done. In general, there are just so many amazing songs on here, and really hearing them this way, just wow.

The opening duo of Mahgeetah and Dancefloors is perfection. The new mix gives proper oomph to their big moments and really being able to catch each chord makes you hang on them even more than the original soaked in that natural echo. Golden is so superb here, and one of a handful that were most helped my the remaster. Master plan is so big sounding and awesome.

Separate space is needed though for One Big Holiday. Like many, this was essentially my entry point for MMJ, really from the Okonokos version. Here, remastered it is once again a revelation. I mean, if you have one song to show someone how good they are, I am not sure there’s a better and more readily listenable song than this.

I Will Song You Songs and Easy Morning Rebel were the other two songs I felt greatly improved with the remaster. The latter is in my top 5 songs by MMJ. Hearing the horns at the intro helps contextualize the jam at the end that would make The Rolling Stones blush. The seamless transition here is brilliant from country swagger to rock gods.

This brings us to Run Thru. It’s almost as if I really don’t need to say anything except go listen to this now if for some reason you are reading this and haven’t heard a note of it. I can’t explain how that dragging guitar lick pulls you in and won’t let go, but that along with some big rock and epic jamming makes this yet another top 5 or 10 songs from this band. You almost can’t walk away from that and not think this band is incredible.

Just One Thing sort of reminds me of a fusion of rock and some oldies song. It’s got a loose vibe that just sort of speaks almost to a Beach Boys like quality. Steam Engine I know is a fan favorite and I am right there with you on that. Just a great sprawling track doing what quiet MMJ does best.

There are 3 b-sides with this Deluxe Reissue and all of them are fantastic. En La Ceremony is the winner for me with a loose arrangement that breaks into some great playing from the band. Grab a Body is instrumental and I think I heard quite a bit of Cobra in it. That’s Too Bad is the rare quick rock track on here since everything else is very stretched out and that is welcome.

After this, it is almost a complete replay of the album in demo form, except there’s no One Big Holiday or Just One Thing. The demos are primarily acoustic and quicker versions and are mostly all quality stuff. Run Thru is done at twice the speed and I wonder what got James to slow the tempo in the final version. Mahgeetah is great in this format with the interchanging acoustic guitars.

Overall, this remaster sent It Still Moves for me from a top 25 favorite album to a top 5. I can’t think of an album I readily to prefer to this one at all right now. It might be too long by two songs but I can forgive that one the absolute unbelievable quality here.

Chapter 1: The Sandworm Cometh - a collection of b-sides, rarities and covers focused on The Tennessee Fire period. Most of it is fine but really not essential save for the acoustic They Ran that is excellent, Weeks Go By Like Days, which a top notch b-side, and a stunning cover of Rocket Man that Jim James just owns. The cover of White Rabbit is interesting but can be cloying in its poor recording quality. Worth the listen for a fan looking to dig deeper.

Chapter 2: Learning - I found this to be a much more listenable collection, with some real fun gems in here and interesting takes. The covers are actually good and represent their own takes on these songs. Here they end up covering Take My Breath Away, West End Girls, Dream A Little Dream O’ Me, and Tyrone. Dream A Little Dream... is really actually quite good and stronger than covers I have heard by Eddie Vedder and Bruce Springsteen - it’s something about the rough recording and Jim just giving that epic howl over top of it that really makes it work. Tyrone is just an awesome band covering Erika Badu to perfection. The demo of Just One Thing is really good also, different from the album track. The live Bermuda Highway is so good with just James and his guitar. The b-sides are solid, particularly I Won’t Cry and Why Don’t U Love Me. There’s a fair amount to mine through here making it the stronger of the b-side collections to release at this point.

As a general point, though I am not quite yet to Z yet, I think MMJ deserves a lot of credit for leaving no stone unturned from their early recording career. Tons of demos, unreleased tracks and other stuff is just released seemingly without a major filter, and while there are some points where the stuff is so rough that you have to listen hard, they’ve mostly released quality stuff from their history that sheds a lot of light on their extensive creativity.