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The Mars Volta: Frances The Mute
This is the sort of album Jeff Buckley should have made, the sort of album Muse wish they could make and the sort of album Radiohead will never be able to make. You have the mesmerising rhythm section and long-form grooves of Can running tribally rampant like Jane's Addiction, overlaid with vocals that soar like Plant and Buckley, ridden with raw rage, passion and hectic punk rock chaos-energy. It is always dramatic, but never melodramatic, always art without ever being artful. It moves with the free experimentation and jamming feel of bands from the late sixties and seventies without seeming in any way retrogressive... apart from, perhaps, one unifying truth: You are listening to a truly classic band,a synergy of minds and talents. There are no weakest links, and nobody is merely 'solid'.Taken on their own, the parts and performances are exceptional and inspiring, but taken as a whole the music moves up to another level yet...extremely dynamic, eclectic and sophisticated but still raw and primal.
The Mars Volta have produced what I believe will turn out to be one of the alternative albums of the decade. It will inspire many bands, but there is so much energy and depth here that nobody will be able to emulate it. Many will try. In 1990 Jane's Addiction achieved a similar musical pinnacle with 'Ritual De Lo Habitual', though it's boundary breaking excellence became overshadowed by the mainstream pop success of the relatively simplistic 'Nevermind'. The former was the real milestone of 90s alternative rock, and I think 'Frances The Mute' will achieve the same near-legendary status fifteen years later.
It's practically a compulsory purchase.
Back in December, Mike Diver wrote a comprehensive track-by-track preview of this record after hearing an early promo. It can be found here.
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The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
Probably not as good as De-Loused but this is still likely to remain as my album of the year. -
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
maybe i'm crazy but... whilst good, i don't think this album is as good as its been made out. still... i guess maybe my mind will change as i listen to it more...-
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Dunno if its just me but this album seems too drawn out. Yeah its good but too much wanking about going on. In my opinion De-Loused was far better and still had the wankery.
That makes no sense what so ever.-
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
The album Jeff Buckley shomade?
How about the album Yes canned (Can-ned geddit?) after deciding they'd downed one too many tequila's? -
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
Wow, two 5/5 MV reviews on one day.
Why can't those people do a proper uk tour, not all of their fans can drop everything and swing over to London/Manchester for them. -
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
Pitchfork media hated this album. Pretentious twats. I love this, but I'm still undecided whether or not it tops De-loused.-
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made sense to me -
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Pitchfork are right. It's not all that good. I mean, it's still good, but album of the year? Best prog album ever? or whatever other superalitives that are being tossed at it (and off) are overstepping the mark somewhat.-
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It's a bit like jam nights down my small-town local. Very long and twiddly with no discernable tunes (or point). Do yourself a favour and go buy the new Abba greatest hits CD instead.-
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Or better still, have a wank whilst wearing a strawberry-flavoured condom.
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i LOVE the idea of someone calling someone else pretentious for not liking a band whose new album comes in 5 'suites' and has track names like 'Pisacis (Phra-men-ma)' and 'Umbilical Syllables'.
Seriously.
Amusing. -
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
5 stars! :o
you sure it's really that good? so that'd make a classic then, up there with all the greats from the past 50 years of music? really?-
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
I like the Can reference. I like Can. -
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I agree. Pitchfork are dead on with this one.-
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I quite liked ATDI, though they were a little too like Fugazi with Nu guitars. When MV came out I was away working for most of the summer so missed out on the press and radio play and didn't get it shoved down my neck by any mates. While it might seem heresy on this board, I've only really heard this band for the first time when this album was played to me and I did jump cartwheels, checked to see the DiS review and didn't find one so put one up sharpish.
While I know that those who don't like frenetic rock won't like the record (it probably isn't going to appeal to Keane/Coldplay/Athlete fans or the nu-folk acoustic brigade) For me it's an album to listen to over and over and over and become obsessed by. I'm no fan of wanky prog pomposity. I've been gradually going off Muse as they get progressively more melodramatic and less song based.
5 is because I rate the record up with Jane's 'Ritual...' which is one of my all time favourites. 5 is for the Cartwheels, for the desperation to play it to every single person who has set foot in my place and the desperation to get a review up. Sometimes listening to this album feels like being rolled down a hill in a barrel full of bricks....and I'm one of those who loves that feeling. -
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Nail on the head. -
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
I loved DLITC. At first I loved this album. But with time Iv come to realise that the mars volta take themselves way too seriously. They say they make music for themselves? So, they like to listen to 10minute interludes of incoherent noise between songs?
This album does av some great moments but towards the end it becomes hard to concentrate. The last track really spiols the album for me. Still better than most of the generic bollocks out there.-
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And what, pray, is wrong with incoherent noise?
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As I've said before, I think Pitchfork were right, but for completely the wrong reasons. I just find this album desperately boring.
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The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
Anybody see them at brixton on sunday? thoughts?
I absolutely love this album, its an album you only begin to appreciate by the 20th time you listen to it (same as grace by buckley, any Can record or DLITC for that matter).
However, I was sorely disappointed by the brixton show. I admire their audacity to write a song that lasts for half an hour and put it as the last track on their album, but they took it too far. drunkship of lanterns started out the set brilliantly but then just dissolved into 20 mins of mindless jamming - losing the audience along the way and never really winning them back. it was as if they were just fucking about in the rehearsal room, completely ignoring the thousands of people standing there falling asleep. Some great moments (cygnus vismund cygnus and take the veil being fantastic) but ruined by just wanking that little bit TOO much -
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
There is nothing ground-breaking about recycling Presence-era Led Zepp with Geddy Lee-style vocals. Technically, very clever I'm sure but way too derivative and a little bit dull. Deloused was much better. It may be new to younger ears than mine but I admire it like I would an accomplished tribute band.-
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
Theres a discussion of the Brixton gig on this site. I do agree that the wanking was too much though.
I do genuinely like Mars Volta but their existence cant help make me pity the demise of ATDI. I really wish they had stayed together for another couple of albums as so much potential was still unfulfilled.
That is why I prefer Deloused as it was a bit more focused and song-based. For the "prog" stuff Id rather listen to King Crimson or Henry Cow or someone who is better at it. -
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
You know it is possible for a prog album not to be a self-indulgent piece of shit or the greatest album of the year. It can be just OK -
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
I just can't get into it like I got into De-Loused....but I'm going to carry on trying. -
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
haven't heard much of their first, mostly 'cos the few bits i did here did absolutely nothing for me, but trusting Diver's judgement (possibly not the wisest thing to do), i went out and got 'Frances..' and honestly, it's not really sunk in yet - the actual song bits are cracking, in fact, they're more than cracking, they're smashing. just not sure about the static breakdowns between the movements - just seems a bit lazy
[cue moose-bashing from Diver]-
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
diverse and interesting, boring and ambient i just find it hard to define and get sumfin out of this album -
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The only Zep thing about this is the vocals, but they have at least as much in common with Jeff Buckley. The rhythm section of the band is nothing like Zep. They were never hectic.
I don't think a band has to sonically move the goalposts to be considered new. Fact is there is almost nothing that hasn't been done before, so all a band can do is set out to express themselves as fully as possible. Since every bunch of human beings sounds different, every band who really express themselves as comprehensively as MV will be 'new'. Many bands tend to stick to formulas, like many of the new wave-ish indie lot at the moment, and I'd be the first to stand up and shout about ripping off old things (at the moment practically every UK band has 'Robert Smith', 'Terry Hall' or 'Ian Curtis' as their lead singer).
While I can hear the vocal influences, for instance, I wouldn't label Bixler as a copyist. That's just the way he sounds when he sustains notes... if it's Plant-y or Buckley-ey then lucky him, he could have sounded like Gary Barlow
Reading all of the comments... see I LIKE the fact that the songs are drawn out into long long jams and instrumentals (I LOVE Can). Perhaps the Can part is the key... THe Krautrock bands were probably the most out-and-out experimental genre around. Every subsequent bunch of mad scientists, from Sonic Youth up, has worked with ideas pioneered by those bands... but Can, Faust, Kraftwerk, Einsturzende Neubauten...even Yello.... they're nothing like Yes, King Crimson, Rush, Floyd... who were a lot more academic and deliberate and far too ridden with long solos for my liking.-
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
The first track is amazing, a party in my pants, they play with so many styles, mixing it all into a funky pie. Then track 2.......a Gary Moore cover.......well not really but it could be.
Funk/blues/rock/prog/jazz/soul.........MV are just a little bit good really. Trying to fit their collective talents into 1 album wasn't going to be an easy listen, and i for 1 thank them for this.
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That's spot on. I suppose it says more about what music you like in general, but I prefer De-Loused. Yet, the songs on Frances are superb, but they just don't last long enough before you hear 4 minutes of what sounds like a bird chirping. If I wanted to hear that I'd move to the country and open a window.
In saying that, in Birmingham they were brilliant. -
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Oh my God - I've just put it on and tried to imagine Gary Barlow singing over the top!! That's a truly horrible concept....HAHAHA -
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I find it difficult to trust someone who cites Janes addiction as making one of the albums of the last decade.
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The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
good stuff....yer a bit too much drifting. depends whether you sit down and just listen to it or have it on in background with mates i guess. i think theres times id love this album times id just rly not be bothered by it at all. deloused was more focused and accessible. i like both, still passing judgement on this one... -
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
whoooo do you truust?? -
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
terrible terrible shame about at the drive in. they were awesome. as for this album, the word average springs to mind. their last album (like this one) should have been incredible if it wasn't for the 20+ minutes of "needless time" on both albums. -
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
was anyone at the manchester gig? that was amazing. i think someone fainted at the front - imagine waiting for ages to see TMV play and then just passing out. -
The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
anyone that has slagged this album must have heard some earth shattering stuff to call this boring or dull. The mars volta are the most imaginitive, interesting and exciting band i've heard in years. People need to stop nit-picking at little things about them and just appreciate the true genius of them. I went to both Brixton dates this year and was completly blown away, if anyone gets the chance to see this band then you'd do well to take it.-
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True, this album is excellent but I believe that compared to de-loused in the comatorium it dosen't stand a chance. Frusicante's solo's are over worked, and out of place on a Volta album! The first album was fresher and had more of a kick to it.
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The Mars Volta - Frances The Mute
Im trully fucked on this LP. bought in July during my UK visit. I've never really listen to the band before-hand just relied on the video-clips or press clippings i'd accidently fall into.I read a review on this site comparing them to lamented efforts of J.buckley and bleak ambitions of both muse and radiohead.Fuck it, they're Mars Volta and the abovementioned bands are pontent in their own right. I've trully started listening to Francis only now and im screwed on its chemistry.The kind that makes a bedroom muso like myself wanna go back to his drawing-board and start reconstructing his own music identity again. The last time i felt like this was in '99 afta listening to Mos Def's "black on both sides".
Ksoul
(south africa)
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