Nothinggod said:
Are you sure you're laughing and not crying?
I'm not claiming to be a musicologist or a prodigy, but I know I've a decent ear. I've a high standard in music, thats just my
personal taste. While accusing me of being elitist, you've achieved nothing in your post but admitting you are exactly what you accuse me of being: elitist.
Not only that, but my post was very short. How you've managed to conjure up the conclusions you've come up with is just a mystery.
Let me expand with some glorious examples in your pathetic outburst:
Nothinggod said:
The fundamental problem with 90% of metalheads is that they either don't understand music from a creative perspective or if they do try to be creative they know so little about what they are doing that they are complete shit at it.
Your comment here implies you know something of the creative process in recording an album or writing music. Is this correct? If so, great. If not, then shut up.
I don't classify myself as anything other than a lover of MUSIC. I'm well aware of the complexities involved with composition, but I am not about to claim I know "everything" or that I can explain things on a technical level. This doesnt, however, make me any less able to have an opinion on Ghost Reveries than someone who IS a musician, or someone who knows more. I may not write music, but I've been listening to metal for a good 19 years now, I think I've heard enough to be able to form an opinion.
Nothinggod said:
Still it doesn't seem to stop them from commenting on things as if they are authoritive.
This one is fantastic, your *entire post* was written in an authoritive tone! I hope you wrote this in your clown suit! Every sentence you wrote is condemning and reflects how little you have an ability to take in what someone else says. God you'd be a horrible student to deal with.
Nothinggod said:
Who really gives a shit if Opeth are metal or not anyway. I love the comment 'simplistic nature' especially though. What I want to see is Hubster's synopsis of song form, chord progression, voice leading, rythm, counterpoint, and so on, of Ghost Reveries. I think the obvious conclusion is that we shouldn't hold our breath.
I'm not a musician, dont claim to be, thus can't explain on that level of detail. But considering that your comment implies YOU ARE, perhaps you should honour us all with your superior level of intellect, and share your years of experience in writing albums with us. After all, you know everything, right?
Opeth's music, despite my opinion that GR is simplistic, is complicated as well all know. That's half the reason I love the band. But from the technical perspective, throwing in more timechanges, solos, vocal changes and so on doesnt necessarily create brilliance. BWP, while not my favourite Opeth album, is far more complex and complete than GR is. The riffwork doesnt rely on chugging or sudden stopping to create drama in the music. I found these practices on GR to be a cheap trick, when the band are capable of so much more. In summary I feel GR *is* simplistic, IN COMPARISON TO THE REST OF THE OPETH DISCOGRAPHY, not in comparison to all other music.
Nothinggod said:
As for the "Pro-Tooled to death" comment, this is a typical comment from anyone trying to look like they are puristic about music, and we all know that Opeth need protools because they can't really play in time or sing in pitch.
Really? Well that's fantastic news, maybe you should have filled them in when they Recorded Orchid! You can clearly hear singing out of tune on that album as well as Morningrise, yet these "mistakes" are what helps to make those albums so magical. It's like listening to an album on record vs CD - the "faults created", that is, the texturisation of the playing media itself enhances an album in many ways. These and many other faults (within reason of course) can help to make an album truly magical. I felt that that quality was lost once Opeth's production reached a truly professional standard (BWP).
I know what I hear. You dont have to be schooled in music to know that the production on "Hemispheres" is nowhere near as polished as it is on "Presto" (I love both of those albums equally, even though "Presto" doesn't harken back to what Rush sounded like orginally which is a reason why many Rush fans didnt like it. The same goes here with GR, except that I dont find GR to be a good album).
Nothinggod said:
Opinions are one thing but being a complete idiot is something else. Try listening to the music rather than looking at the lable they are signed to. Elistist crap.
Again, this is what you've achieved with your own post, word for word infact. Obviously, you can handle opinion... but not if it differs from your own. The label doesnt (in general terms) dictate the music. However there ARE exceptions to that rule, and the fact is that we the fans might never know if GR *was* effected by RR or not. We only assume not, but we cannot know for sure.
Nevertheless, I am more than open to changes of direction (Enslaved, for example, both sides to their history are simply brilliant). It is only natural that a band may want to try this, as everyone needs to grow and mature. There is NOTHING wrong with this... but when the change isnt a good one (imo, GR), there *is* something wrong.
I find GR is a lifeless album. Everytime I hear it, I dont hear music which breathes, which is written so beautifully that it takes on a life of it's own. While I do prefer everything up to SL, I will say that even up to D1 & D2, the music was beautifully envisioned, executed and written. GR relies on (among other things) aesthetics to attempt to achieve the milestones of their past, and quite simply, the only song which even comes close to doing this is GoP, and only just I might add. Otherwise, I keep feeling like I'm listening to outtakes of jams, with an "acoustic part cut and pasted here", "another drum fill moved to there". The transitions of moods on GR just dont exist, they are not there. Yet, when we go back to The Moor, we can hear the drama in every moment, and again later down the line on The Drapery Falls - the transitions from acoustic to heavy are more gradual, a journey in itself. No bar of music is spared, everything breathes and is alive! Perfection.
Music like Metal (in general) shouldnt have to rely too much on ProTools or perfect production. Im not saying Im totally against this practice, I'm saying that it should be used more subtly. On GR, I found it to be blatant, and this is highlit by the fact that the style of the album is a simple one for Opeth.
Anyhow - these are just some of my thoughts. I feel I've gone over it enough to explain how I feel about it - if everyone else feels the album is great, then good. I on the other just cant see what the fuss is about in light of what Opeth are really capable of.
I'm also a big fan of OPETH but i think they haven't made a better album than MORNINGRISE.....
