Muse: what am I missing here?

haroldo_psf

Senior Member
Since I've first heard Muse on the radio, I thought it was junk from the start. The first song I've hear was whatever that was "....we will be victorious....bla bla bla". It sounded like a lot of the cookie cutter alternative that plays all day long in the radio, which I just can't stand.

I later found out that Muse is called "progressive rock" by many, and I was shocked to my bones when I saw the promo for a Muse concert with a special appearance by Dream Theater. what the hell?

What am I missing? Is the drummer good? I don't understand how Muse and Dream Theater could possibly be in the same show together.

Or is there another band that is called Muse? maybe that's it? Are there two Muses, the one that plays in the radio, and some other muse band which is the progressive rock band people refer too?
 
Yup... that's how taste in music works :)

I feel the same way... But I also feel the same way (probably even more controversially) about Dream Theater and Messhuggah... Everyone raves about both, but as hard as I try I just can't get into either. I own 4-5 DT CDs, and they do have a few songs that i really like a lot, but overall they just don't do it for me. I have 3 Messhuggah CDs and nothing from them really stands out to me (technically sure, but not musically). In both cases there's just nothing interesting about them; sterile I guess is the best word.

But... that's MY opinion.
 
They seem insanely popular, so I've been wondering the same thing. They seem overwrought, overproduced, and underwhelming to me. Actually, they might well be my least favorite band ever, so whatever it is you're missing, I'm missing it too.
 
They seem insanely popular, so I've been wondering the same thing. They seem overwrought, overproduced, and underwhelming to me. Actually, they might well be my least favorite band ever, so whatever it is you're missing, I'm missing it too.

Ok, so I'm not crazy here. Thanks
 
You're right, great music should only have amazing technical drumming with crazy variations, odd time signatures, polyrhythms, etc. It's not about playing catchy music that speaks to a massive amount of people.

Oh wait, so why is Dream Theater opening for Muse then?

P.S. Muse boring you is analogous to Dream Theater giving me a headache trying to follow their songs.
 
You're right, great music should only have amazing technical drumming with crazy variations, odd time signatures, polyrhythms, etc. It's not about playing catchy music that speaks to a massive amount of people.

Oh wait, so why is Dream Theater opening for Muse then?

I'm with you. I don't believe that good music has to be hard to play. Not at all. All I was wondering is about the connection between Muse and DT, and also the label of "progressive rock" band that Muse has gotten. I don't understand it.

Of course, the fact that the music itself doesn't appeal to me at all is a different subject, and what do I know?

And, yes, you are right! Why the hell is DT opening for them????? Holy crap! where is the connection?
 
I think many people would agree that Dark Side Of The Moon is a classic prog rock album...but it's mostly made up of what are essentially pop songs. Perhaps this is a clue?
 
i suggest you lot listen to a bit more muse. their song writing abilities are unreal, and their is only 3 of them. bloody good live too
 
The problem is you've only heard what they play on the radio, if you actually sat down and listened to one of their albums, you'd change your mind about them quick.

Back in 2004 when Mike Portnoy was still in dream theater he wrote a list of his 10 favourite albums released in 2004 in which he included Muse's album "Absolution" as the first on the list. Next to it, he wrote "(technically this is a 2003 release - but it is hands down my favorite CD of the year and probably the decade as well!)". And according to him the songs "Panic Attack", "These walls" and "Never Enough" were influenced by Muse. and not to mention they played an intrumental cover of Muse's song "Stockholm Syndrome" in one of their concerts.

Obviously Muse are doing something right if the hundreds of awards and sold out stadium tours have anything to show for. And I think you might be wrong about that promo. I agree with you on one thing though, I can't possibly understand how they could play a show together, Muse would never lower themselves to tour with Dream Theater.


Thanks, man! I knew there had to be something there... I'm buying that album right now off Amanon mp3. Thanks for the tip. I will check it out.
 
I guess one thing that stands out for me is that the fact that the majority of pop music has cadances and tonality based in blues tradition, Muse stand out me for amongst "popular" bands as their sound is based in a more western-classical/european cadance and tonality not something you see much of.

It might be fair to say Muse's sound has become more "commercial" sounding over time, but when you listen to some of the stuff they've put out recently it's a lot more involved than it first appears musically. Their first two albums "Showbiz" (1999) and "Origin of Symmetry" (2001), and even "Absolution" (2003) are less direct than the last two albums have been, but then you could take a song like "I Belong to You" of their latest album "The Resistance" and it's not exactly a simple pop song.

As has been said, I don't think technicality has anything to do with writing good music or songs, and in my own opinion I don't think it has a lot to do with progressive music either...certainly it's a trait that crops up but then Fusion is very technical music but it's not labelled prog. It all comes down to what you define as progressive music which is a hard one to pin down, but I think it's to do with having a unique and fresh approach, doing something that hasn't been done before. A lot of the music you hear under the prog umbrella is actually counter-intuitive to what many think of as a progressive approach, it's just technical playing with extended song structures and when you think that was being done in the ninteen-seventies then it's not really progress at all, it's just a different timbre and sound. But hey that's what labels do in music, they're never gonna be universal to all people, it's all about your interpretation and more power to you.

With my own interpretation; albums like "Amensiac" by Radiohead to me are what a progressive approach is all about, there wasn't really anything before that had that sound, it's essentially a fusion of jazz and electronic music but not in a "smash 'em together" sort of a way it's a seamless combination that produced something that was unique and of their own idenity and sound.

At the end of it all though, you dig what you dig so it's totally up to you what opinion you hold of a band/music and whether you likethem/ it or not.

Hope everyone is well,

Kev
 
Once you buy the album i think you'll change your mind. I too thought of Muse a slightly "cookie cutter" and pretty standard with a decided lack in musical talent from just listening to the song uprising (thats the one you described in the first post) but i borrowed a friend's ipod who owned the whole album and after i listened to the whole thing i was blown away. if you're looking for something a little less cookie cutter, i'd recommend the songs United states of Eurasia and Unnatural selection.
P.s., if your a George Orwell fan you'll love this album, most of the lyrics to the songs are inspired by 1984 and Animal Farm.
 
I don't like their newer albums, Origin of Symmetry and Absolution is better (or the best!).
Some good songs...
Thoughts Of A Dying Atheist
Stockholm Syndrome
Butterflies & Hurricanes
Bliss
Plug In Baby
Starlight
Showbiz
 
They seem insanely popular, so I've been wondering the same thing. They seem overwrought, overproduced, and underwhelming to me. Actually, they might well be my least favorite band ever, so whatever it is you're missing, I'm missing it too.

Mike, your post got me curious. After everyone recommended Absolution I thought I'd check it out and try to work out where you're coming from.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyLlZmHU_8A

Yep, I can go with overwrought and overproduced lol. Still, a great band sound and buildups, and the melodies and arrangement are strong. I like the the singer; he reminds me a bit of Jeff Buckley at times.Also there was a cool chord change that kept reminding me of Paranoid Android, which can't be a bad thing :)
 
I'd hardly call Muse "commercial" music wise... Unit-Sellers maybe but not commercial with their sound.
 
Mike, your post got me curious. After everyone recommended Absolution I thought I'd check it out and try to work out where you're coming from.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyLlZmHU_8A

Yep, I can go with overwrought and overproduced lol. Still, a great band sound and buildups, and the melodies and arrangement are strong. I like the the singer; he reminds me a bit of Jeff Buckley at times.Also there was a cool chord change that kept reminding me of Paranoid Android, which can't be a bad thing :)

This is the original video, Polly! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_OBHwed62c&feature=related
 
I'm with you. I don't believe that good music has to be hard to play. Not at all. All I was wondering is about the connection between Muse and DT, and also the label of "progressive rock" band that Muse has gotten. I don't understand it.

There are a lot of labels for kinds of music thrown around, labels don't do any justice - labels are simple and music is complex.

I don't listen to Muse but from the few songs that I have heard I say that they are a high-selling band that makes music that I think sounds much better than a lot of "commercial" music heard on mainstream.
 
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