I agree that "Bleed Out" is one of the Mountain Goats most enjoyable albums. Which is amazing 20 albums into their career. "Sunset Tree" is the other one I go back to a lot. And they have great songs scattered throughout their catalogue. Darnielle, also a novelist, is one of the best lyricists out there.
Get Lonely is my fave. Theres just too much MG and most of it sounds very similar. Can there be too much by an artist? I feel the same way about Dylan. At a certain point he became a pastiche of himself.
You see, Bowie kept moving, kept reinventing. You may hate some albums, but you could rarely complain of listening to the same shit over and over again. I think most modern bands have this issue. They get told to repeat what made them a success. Same sound. Appeal to the same audience, hoping lightning strikes twice. And then you have The Strokes...always reaching but failing as they lose what made them great...simple tunes and simple melodies...keeping it simple. I think bands should break up after 5 albums (possibly even 3). The zeitgeist would have moved on, youthful exuberance and taking chances would have gone, and cynicism would have set in.
I've tried to get into Mountain Goats on several occasions, and I could for sure assemble a "best of" album that I'd really love, but like Reuben Salsa said, I find them musically very samy. That said, I love Darnielle's lyrics and his fiction and, most recently, his acting! Loved his murderous heavy metal guitar player role in an episode of Poker Face!
Finally got some time to soak in this album and I’m obsessing a little over the song, Bleed Out. 😬
Also, some of these songs take on an interesting tone if you imagine the narrator being God. Like, yikes. I don’t know why I considered this while listening, but it’s unsettling.
First time listening to The Mountain Goats. I’m checking them out because this post!
Enjoying so far, thank you!
Right on! You're in for a great time.
I agree that "Bleed Out" is one of the Mountain Goats most enjoyable albums. Which is amazing 20 albums into their career. "Sunset Tree" is the other one I go back to a lot. And they have great songs scattered throughout their catalogue. Darnielle, also a novelist, is one of the best lyricists out there.
Agreed. I find some new twist or bending of language every time I read them.
I saw The Mountain Goats open for The New Pornographers, a great double header. I think both bands left everything they had on the stage that night.
Wow! What a pairing. That's sounds amazing. Would love to hear more about it.
Mountain Goats! "Damn These Vampires" is in constant rotation for me. Darnielle is one of the few lyricists who is a full-on poet.
Indeed!
Get Lonely is my fave. Theres just too much MG and most of it sounds very similar. Can there be too much by an artist? I feel the same way about Dylan. At a certain point he became a pastiche of himself.
It's certainly possible. The only exception is New Order. There can never be enough.
You see, Bowie kept moving, kept reinventing. You may hate some albums, but you could rarely complain of listening to the same shit over and over again. I think most modern bands have this issue. They get told to repeat what made them a success. Same sound. Appeal to the same audience, hoping lightning strikes twice. And then you have The Strokes...always reaching but failing as they lose what made them great...simple tunes and simple melodies...keeping it simple. I think bands should break up after 5 albums (possibly even 3). The zeitgeist would have moved on, youthful exuberance and taking chances would have gone, and cynicism would have set in.
I've tried to get into Mountain Goats on several occasions, and I could for sure assemble a "best of" album that I'd really love, but like Reuben Salsa said, I find them musically very samy. That said, I love Darnielle's lyrics and his fiction and, most recently, his acting! Loved his murderous heavy metal guitar player role in an episode of Poker Face!
Ha! I had no idea he'd done any acting.
We’re fans of The Mountain Goats and have seen them live in Seattle several times! Have not listened to this album yet, but will get to it soon!
Let me know what you think once you do!
Finally got some time to soak in this album and I’m obsessing a little over the song, Bleed Out. 😬
Also, some of these songs take on an interesting tone if you imagine the narrator being God. Like, yikes. I don’t know why I considered this while listening, but it’s unsettling.
I hadn't thought of that! It definitely takes the record in a different direction. Bleed Out is a great track.