The Mars Volta appreciation thread

I have to give the new album a few more listens but so far I've really enjoyed it - in some other thread I posted that it's their best effort since the debut.

Ehg. The Mars Volta were, once, my favorite band.

They've been wearing off, and I blame this on myself more than on them...their music is still original and all of that, but my ears are so..trained. It's sad really...

Hell, they're even part of my name here: "King VOLTA"...but what can one do?

I overlistened, and now they are quickly falling down the list, now residing somewhere around number 20 or so my current favorite bands. I like them fine, but no longer love them :(

I guess this doesn't really belong in an appreciation thread...but eh, i used to appreciate them at least...lots.

Anyway, hope you all continue to enjoy them longer than I did: and a word to the wise--don't overlisten!! (this refers to ANY band, as this has happened before with me).

-Radioswim- wrote: One thing I've always noticed about TMV's music is, you have to listen to it OVER and OVER and OVER again before it starts to take any form. I remember way back when, trying to listen to Deloused, I still can't remember why or HOW I was able to keep listening, but at first it just sounded like children barely in their teens banging randomly on instruments and screaming. It's getting harder for me to get into their albums with each release, im still trying to get into all of Frances, though, i believe i have completely mastered Deloused, yes MASTERED. TMV's music requires much patience, deterance, and dedication. It was quite an experiance when I finally realized that I really enjoyed Deloused, I was dancing to every tune. :D I believe deloused will go down as one of the greatest albums of our time. Damned them for releaseing such challenging music.

For me, De-loused hit right from the start. True, it was due to some parts/songs grabbing my attention. But there was something there that got me to come back to it. It didn't hurt that I liked a lot of At The Drive-In's music. I still think, however, that most "new" music (new in the sense that I haven't heard or listened to it before) that requires multiple listens to "get" turns out to be less than worth the while. I took some time with VDGG, and World Record is the album that got me hooked. But most of their other classics still don't elicit more than a good rating from me. I still listen to them every now & then, but I no longer expect to be struck by lightning & get them. I can see the reason why VDGG are highly regarded, but I don't feel the same way. As for TMV, well I feel Bedlam is a nice return to the form AND    quality shown on De-loused. Frances had way too many parts that made King Crimson's Moonchild sound like a hyper-kinetic composition. Maybe they should have waited for the drugs to wear off before proceeding to the editing, eh. Amputechture still hasn't burrowed its' way into my head, but I still keep finding more reasons to re-listen to it each time I give it a spin.
Come to think of it, my Nero CD burning suite could allow me to edit out (eliminate) the ambient soundscape interludes that take up too much of Frances. I stripped KC's Moonchild to 2 minutes & since then, ITCOTCK plays a whole lot more often in my CD players

Here's a band that I should listen to a lot more.

The Mars Volta has just been getting better to listen to each time.
I still think Bedlam is their strongest effort.

I was a big fan of De-Loused when it came out, but nothing since then has hit me with the same force.  It's a shame, I had high hopes.