Muse: what am I missing here?

Ok, I'm going to wade in on this one.

Muse used to be my favourite band, by quite a way. I was about 16 when I first started listening to them - I was hooked by one of their first singles, Unintended, and that was it. They released Origins of Symmetry a year later (2001), and I've never been more blown away by a record. The songs Bliss, New Born and Feeling Good have never since left my top 50 tracks, and are in my opinion some of the most beautiful pieces of music ever composed (yes, I know feeling good is a cover).

In 2011, Muse have become a stadium band. They've become a similar entity to U2, not in sound, but in the way they are shown in the media, and how they tour. I watched them live last year. I loved the gig, but all I could think all the way through was how I was 10 years too late. How I wish I'd watched them live when I was 17 or 18. I didn't need to see them at Wembley for them to be amazing, their music did that for me. In fact, the 90,000 seater stadium took some of the magic away.

I still love Muse. I still listen to their old music frequently. I just listen to their new music less frequently, which is a shame.

And musical genres are garbage. If you look at the list of musical genres on wikipedia, it is insanely long. Yes, you can say that Eminem writes hip hop, but what do Scroobius Pip and Dan Le Sac perform? Rap? Spoken word? And Massive Attack? Hang on, they don't fit in hip hop, let's call it trip hop... Music is an ever changing beast. Broad genres work better - rock, rap, jazz and country are four off the top of my head, but still there are so many overlaps where do Hayseed Dixie fit in, for example?) that trying to categorise is pointless.

Music is music, love the stuff you love and hate the stuff you hate. It's the music that inspires no emotion that sucks.
 
Ok, I'm going to wade in on this one.

Muse used to be my favourite band, by quite a way. I was about 16 when I first started listening to them - I was hooked by one of their first singles, Unintended, and that was it. They released Origins of Symmetry a year later (2001), and I've never been more blown away by a record. The songs Bliss, New Born and Feeling Good have never since left my top 50 tracks, and are in my opinion some of the most beautiful pieces of music ever composed (yes, I know feeling good is a cover).

In 2011, Muse have become a stadium band. They've become a similar entity to U2, not in sound, but in the way they are shown in the media, and how they tour. I watched them live last year. I loved the gig, but all I could think all the way through was how I was 10 years too late. How I wish I'd watched them live when I was 17 or 18. I didn't need to see them at Wembley for them to be amazing, their music did that for me. In fact, the 90,000 seater stadium took some of the magic away.

I still love Muse. I still listen to their old music frequently. I just listen to their new music less frequently, which is a shame.

And musical genres are garbage. If you look at the list of musical genres on wikipedia, it is insanely long. Yes, you can say that Eminem writes hip hop, but what do Scroobius Pip and Dan Le Sac perform? Rap? Spoken word? And Massive Attack? Hang on, they don't fit in hip hop, let's call it trip hop... Music is an ever changing beast. Broad genres work better - rock, rap, jazz and country are four off the top of my head, but still there are so many overlaps where do Hayseed Dixie fit in, for example?) that trying to categorise is pointless.

Music is music, love the stuff you love and hate the stuff you hate. It's the music that inspires no emotion that sucks.


I agree with everyone in this post so much it's ridiculous. Muse has definitely taken to the popularity thing very well, and as a result their live shows have become huge, expensive projects based around style and flair. To me, music doesn't need any style or flair, it should be able to speak for itself, which is kind of why I like jazz so much.

And on the genre thing, I feel like arguing over whether a band is "prog" or not is an incredibly worthless debate. I don't understand why some people feel offended by the label that is given a band. Personally, I couldn't care less about genres. I listen to what sounds good to me, which is why I think I have such a broad range of genres that I actively listen to.

Music is about emotion and feeling, and it is about an artists' ability to transfer those emotions on to their audience. I don't see where labeling a band as a specific genre becomes relevant.
 
Muse is great! Like said before, you should really listen to the full albums. Great song writers! Great musicians!
In my opinion music doesn't have to be complicated to be good. It's all good!
 
Thanks all! I bought Absolution yesterday, and haven't had a chance to listen to it yet... I listened to parts of every song while at my desk at work (end of the day :) ), and I have to admit, a few songs, which I can't remember the name yet, felt good!

Now I am curious to go back and really listen to it at home, and even get this other album Origins of Symmetry... I think I just discovered a "new" band. Thanks
 
Interesting debate!

Here are my two cents' worth.

Agree with all the comments about genres. Ignore the labels and enjoy the music. The range of Muse's stuff is pretty broad, and could easily be stuck in one of half a dozen 'genres'.

Two key points for me about Muse are:
1. They are great musician's, and Dom Howard is a particularly impressive drummer
2. The musical styles they have explored are really diverse.

Point 2. is one of the reasons I don't actually listen to Muse stuff that much as it is so variable. But, hey, that's probably a good thing and a mark of interesting music, isn't it?

I think the point was really well made that you really need to check out a range of stuff a band produces and how they perform live, before you can readily pass judgement on how good or bad they are.

Another thing about genres and Muse is that they are actually harder to pigeonhole than most bands - more unique than most - which again is a positive quality.

Now I think about it, maybe I should go back and listen to more of their music again....!
Thanks for reminding me!
 
Thanks all! I bought Absolution yesterday, and haven't had a chance to listen to it yet... I listened to parts of every song while at my desk at work (end of the day :) ), and I have to admit, a few songs, which I can't remember the name yet, felt good!

Now I am curious to go back and really listen to it at home, and even get this other album Origins of Symmetry... I think I just discovered a "new" band. Thanks

I think a lot of these kind of things are dependant on when you get into a band, I remember when I first heard 'The Smashing Pumpkins' it was just after they released "Zeitgeist" and I didn't feel it at all despite everyone's insitance of how good they were. I eventually picked up a copy of "Siamese Dream" and was blown away!

It's fascinating how bands an artists are perceived when they get further into their careers and I guess shows that musical evolution is still occuring within bands.

Hope you're well mate,

Kev
 
I like their second album and parts of the third. Since then, they've completely and utterly left me cold. They have tried to move on and change, but only for the worse. I also hate the Radiohead comparisons - they are completely and utterly different and anybody who thinks otherwise is just not listening.
 
I also hate the Radiohead comparisons - they are completely and utterly different and anybody who thinks otherwise is just not listening.

So true! I'm not a fan of Radiohead but Muse is great!
 
I like their second album and parts of the third. Since then, they've completely and utterly left me cold. They have tried to move on and change, but only for the worse. I also hate the Radiohead comparisons - they are completely and utterly different and anybody who thinks otherwise is just not listening.

There are certain harmonic similarities, yes? I would say that they represent absolute opposite ends of the same sort of idea. Poles apart in execution, but somehow drawing on the same essence.
 
So true! I'm not a fan of Radiohead but Muse is great!

I am totally the other way around on that issue. Utterly.

PQleyR said:
There are certain harmonic similarities, yes? I would say that they represent absolute opposite ends of the same sort of idea. Poles apart in execution, but somehow drawing on the same essence.

Maybe to an extent on 'The Bends' and 'OK Computer'. Maybe. But I think other than that, they are totally different. Muse would never make 'Amnesiac' - it's just far too much of an anti-commercial album. They certainly would never open an album the way Radiohead opened their most recent album (recent, as in, a week ago) with a glitchy, anti-beat, anti-digitalist song.

I know I'm guilty of it here, but I just want to say how stupid the Muse/Radiohead debate is. It really gets to me. They are nothing like each other and they are certainly not at all alike aesthetically.
 
this thread should prove to be aMusing

lolololollmaorofl!
Great stuff!
(Laughed for like 5 mins no joke...)

As for muse, I never really liked them, but I don't hate them or anything. We all have our tastes and distastes... (Is that a word?????)

I like Howard's Signature Pro Mark sticks though :p
 
I know I'm guilty of it here, but I just want to say how stupid the Muse/Radiohead debate is. It really gets to me. They are nothing like each other and they are certainly not at all alike aesthetically.

AGREED. ive like some stuff from muse... (knights of cydonia has one nasty f'ing riff in it.) but radiohead has depth and seems like a band full of adults in comparison.
 
There are certain harmonic similarities, yes?

I can only speak for one song, but there was that one chord change ...

There's always been tons of crossover with prog and pop .... 10CC, Queen ... then you have bands like The Tubes and Genesis who started out as fully blown prog and ended up as sophisticated pop after the bills (roadshow/babies/wives) start piling up.

How about The Beatles? They were prog before the label was born, a label that at first meant "progressive" but now just means rocklike music with roots other than blues and some time and/or key changes.

And what do you get when you pull out some of the time and/or key changes? :)
 
To be honest I guess I never gave Raiohead a chance. I think i'll dig in deeper, what album would you suggest to start with?
 
I can only speak for one song, but there was that one chord change ...

There's always been tons of crossover with prog and pop .... 10CC, Queen ... then you have bands like The Tubes and Genesis who started out as fully blown prog and ended up as sophisticated pop after the bills (roadshow/babies/wives) start piling up.

How about The Beatles? They were prog before the label was born, a label that at first meant "progressive" but now just means rocklike music with roots other than blues and some time and/or key changes.

And what do you get when you pull out some of the time and/or key changes? :)

frick! the beattles were prog rock?

This thread led me to grow some appreciation for muse... On the other hand, I now am more confused than ever as to what the hell progressive rock means... I'm an electrical engineer by trade, and there are few things out there related to my profession and general day to day life than I can't understand, at least superficially... But you musicians drive me crazy. I remember while growning up, while I was ace'ing math and physics classes, I was almost failing history and political science classes because there wasn't one definite answer for things. Everything had different views, and questions could be argued from several angles. I could never deal with that. Music reminds me of history and political science classes.

In my world, 2+2 is always 4.

In a musician/drummer’s world 2+2 depends on the drummer.

What's best, heel up or down? No answer: preference
traditional vs matched? No answer: preference
Which shoes are best for playing bass drum? Or should I be bare foot? No answer: preference
Is this technique better than the other? No answer: preference
How should I hold the stick? 1/3 down or more towards the butt? No answer: preference
Why was this song written this way? No answer: preference
Why is this band labeled prog rock band? No answer: preference
What is prog rock? Who knows.

My head hurts.
 
The nice thing there is that you can fill in whatever answer you like and it's never wrong. That might ease the headache a little, eh?
 
To be honest I guess I never gave Raiohead a chance. I think i'll dig in deeper, what album would you suggest to start with?

That's a loaded question right there. Every album could be by a totally different band. I like the later stuff (Kid A to now) more than the first three albums, but that is generally more niche appeal.

To be honest, 'The Bends' or 'OK Computer' is probably the easiest place to start. 'In Rainbows' is fairly accessible - but other than Thom Yorke's voice, it's sometimes really hard to believe they're the same band between the different albums. 'Kid A' is probably my favourite, but it's claustrophobic and really, really dark.
 
I think OK Computer best bridges the gap between the early and later periods of Radiohead.
 
Cool thanks! Kid A sounds like a nice place to start. I like really dark. lol
 
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