My Morning Jacket thread

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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by olwiggum »

TC, I only gave Circuital a couple (maybe a few?) listens around the time that it came out and nothing really stuck with me. I went back to it about a month ago and had a completely different take on it. It was really like a completely different album than I remembered it being. I suggest you give that one another shot if you haven't in a while.

I still haven't gotten a chance to check out "The Waterfall" from top to bottom. Hoping to do that tonight.

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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Tequila Cowboy »

olwiggum wrote:TC, I only gave Circuital a couple (maybe a few?) listens around the time that it came out and nothing really stuck with me. I went back to it about a month ago and had a completely different take on it. It was really like a completely different album than I remembered it being. I suggest you give that one another shot if you haven't in a while.

I still haven't gotten a chance to check out "The Waterfall" from top to bottom. Hoping to do that tonight.
You're right Corey, I probably should.
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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Tequila Cowboy »

Zip City wrote:Wait, TC's opinion of Circuital is based on fewer than two complete listens?
Not much more than that. Sometimes the sound of a record just turns me off instantly and that one was one of those. To be fair I will try again. It's not like it happens all that often with me and musical listening. The last time was probably 1991 and U2 Achtung Baby. I was younger and angrier then and that one just plain pissed me off.
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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Zip City »

I'm still kinda "eh" on the first two tracks, but then this thing really gets going. I can see how some of these new songs are going to thrive in concert.

I know that the live versions shouldn't be a determining factor of liking a studio record, but some Circuital songs really clicked when I heard them live. Victory Dance is a whole other beast in concert, especially when that bass drops
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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by walthers »

Couldn't agree more about victory dance. That song really bugged me when I heard the record but every time I see them live and they play it, it is great. I've been holding off on weighing in on the album as I have not given it a full, propper, uninterrupted listen. With that said, I like what I'm hearing so far.

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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Zip City »

Like a River has a really strong Fleet Foxes vibe to it
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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Duke Silver »

Jury's still out on The Waterfall. Listened to it at a dangerously high volume while mowing last night and REALLY responded to it. Only Memories Remain finished up just as a I was putting the mower away, and I was ready to declare it #2 album of the year so far, behind only Alabama Shakes. <-- Something I did NOT expect to say this year.

But then I listened to it again and was kinda bored. So who knows.

I do really love "Get the Point," though. Kinda reminds me of John Prine.
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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Tequila Cowboy »

Duke Silver wrote:Jury's still out on The Waterfall. Listened to it at a dangerously high volume while mowing last night and REALLY responded to it. Only Memories Remain finished up just as a I was putting the mower away, and I was ready to declare it #2 album of the year so far, behind only Alabama Shakes. <-- Something I did NOT expect to say this year.

But then I listened to it again and was kinda bored. So who knows.

I do really love "Get the Point," though. Kinda reminds me of John Prine.
Interesting. I find both of those records, MMJ and AS, much better at high volumes. I have no idea what that means.
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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Duke Silver »

Tequila Cowboy wrote:
Duke Silver wrote:Jury's still out on The Waterfall. Listened to it at a dangerously high volume while mowing last night and REALLY responded to it. Only Memories Remain finished up just as a I was putting the mower away, and I was ready to declare it #2 album of the year so far, behind only Alabama Shakes. <-- Something I did NOT expect to say this year.

But then I listened to it again and was kinda bored. So who knows.

I do really love "Get the Point," though. Kinda reminds me of John Prine.
Interesting. I find both of those records, MMJ and AS, much better at high volumes. I have no idea what that means.
Both have a lot of interesting stuff happening in the low end, which doesn't really come through at low volumes or through shitty desktop speakers. Personally, I don't trust an album that can't be improved by being turned up to dangerous levels. :D
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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

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In my blood, there's gasoline..

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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by olwiggum »

Ooooh, I need to sit down and read that article about the recording. I'm very curious about it. I listened to The Waterfall twice this morning and thought that they probably had a lot of fun in the studio with the various noises and whatnot. It's pretty out there, sonically.

Also, there's a podcast called Song Exploder where Jim James breaks down "Spring: Among the Living" with isolated tracks of the different instruments and explains why they did things a certain way. Good stuff.


So, having given it two complete spins this morning, it grabbed me quicker than my initial impression of Circuital did. But as I mentioned in my last post, I revisited Circuital recently and had a whole new love for that album. I guess the time away from it and going into it with fresh ears helped or something. I'm not sure.

So this morning, I went The Waterfall, then Circuital, back into The Waterfall. It made for a great soundtrack on my way back to Alabama from Nashville.

TC, I mentioned it before, but maybe you should try that. Listen to Circuital straight into The Waterfall.

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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Bill in CT »

"My Morning Jacket Feature & Interview With Bassist Tom Blankenship"

http://elevenpdx.com/features/cover-fea ... blakenship
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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Duke Silver »

^^ Cool interview with Tom. Nice to hear from someone in the band other than Jim. When did he stop going by Two-Tone Tommy?

Happy to say I'm still enjoying The Waterfall. It's still a notch below the Tennessee Fire-Okonokos era for me, but definitely their strongest album since then. The songs are good, and the performances feel more natural...not as much of the "weirdness for the sake of weirdness" that turned me off of EU, most of Circuital, and the solo album.

Also cool to hear little things pop in and out that evoke those early records... The guitars on Believe that wouldn't feel out of place on The Way That He Sings... The intro to Big Decisions that sounds straight out of the TTF/AD era... The "vocal solo" at the end of Like a River that sounds like something off Z... good stuff. Hopefully they deliver part 2 next year like they've hinted!
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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Bill in CT »

Last night's show at the Georgia Theatre in Athens is up on Archive.

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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by walthers »

Thanks for posting the link bill. I have been giving the new album a lot of listens in this last week and it has grown on me for sure. I like Believe, Tropics and oddly enough Big Decisions. I think that the alternate take on Compound Fracture that is on the deluxe album is better than the original.

Also, I find it interesting that Believe, the opening track of the album, is the opener of the show. Makes me think that we will be seeing another Victory Dance of sorts for this tour. Meaning they will probably open with it damn near every night.

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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by njMark »

I've never really given MMJ much of a listen before. Not sure why but I just never did. Then The Futurebirds put out a playlist on Spotify with a Jim James/Calexico cover of Goin To Acapulco by Dylan. I've never heard the original but this song just hits the right spot for me. I know I may have a preference for gloomy songs about things never really getting better but I can't hear this song enough. Looking forward to finally seeing MMJ at XPoNential in July. The song is off of a movie soundtrack for "I'm Not There". A Dylan movie.

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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Zip City »

Thin Line isn't mentioned much, but just might be my favorite song on The Waterfall
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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Duke Silver »

Zip City wrote:Thin Line isn't mentioned much, but just might be my favorite song on The Waterfall
It's my least fav by far. Next least would be the title track.
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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Erdlivz »

Note to self. Don't post when drinking and in bad moods. I think at one point I unfairly called this album a polished turd. It's not bad at all and has grown on me to a favorable point. Glass is now back to half full with optimism returned. ;)

Mr. Hallahan, you may smoke me in the head with your clock arm drum stick thing ya got going on Run Thru.

For a while Compound Fracture and Like a River really killed me. Not so much anymore. The first four songs have really stuck out and carry me through the album.

Somehow. Someway. This album has jumped in my veins like a ship guided by Dennis Quaid.

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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Zip City »

Duke Silver wrote:
Zip City wrote:Thin Line isn't mentioned much, but just might be my favorite song on The Waterfall
It's my least fav by far. Next least would be the title track.
The guitar line is very "Steam Engine".
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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Erdlivz »

Zip City wrote:
Duke Silver wrote:
Zip City wrote:Thin Line isn't mentioned much, but just might be my favorite song on The Waterfall
It's my least fav by far. Next least would be the title track.
The guitar line is very "Steam Engine".
I just can't get behind Thin Line. It's my least favorite on the album but going to spin this album through a few times again tonight. Thin Line starts out and grabs me and then loses me rapidly at the chorus.

The Waterfall is my favorite. Yep. It has flavor from their entire catalog and is repetitive a bit. Can't wait to see this in Chicago.

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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Duke Silver »

I think MMJ have reached a place in their career similar to where Pearl Jam are now, and The Waterfall is their Lightning Bolt. A thoroughly enjoyable album that has moments that remind you of why you fell in love with them in the first place, despite missing that *something* that made the early stuff so good. Most bands get here eventually if they stay together long enough...Wilco and DBT are the only two I can think of who have avoided it.
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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Erdlivz »

I'll tell you what. Last week in Chicago was badass as expected. Drifter and I posted up night 2 in the balcony and blew shit up. Dondante was furious. The encore was ridiculous. I felt like Beavis & Butthead to a jammin video during Cobra. We had the whole upper balcony to our sorry asses. Just a funky setlist.

Night 3 was stellar. Strangulation, O, Black Metal, TM2, Steam Engine, At Dawn, Gideon were obvious highlights.

Night 2 was bonkers for us. Everything went right and shit was funky as hell.

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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Zip City »

I'm seeing them on Tuesday and Wednesday
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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Erdlivz »

Zip City wrote:I'm seeing them on Tuesday and Wednesday
I'm jealous. I'm trying to find a way to slip into Milwaukee or Columbus from South Bend.

I think August in Atlanta is possible. Locked tickets down just need to figure out the logistics in the heart of my busy season.

Enjoy the shows and I'll bust out a solo on my omnichord if we cross paths. :x

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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Zip City »

1. It Still Moves


2. Z
3. The Waterfall
4. At Dawn

5. Evil Urges
6. Circuital


Strangely, I've spent almost no time with Tennessee Fire. Must remedy this
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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Duke Silver »

Tennessee Fire is good, kinda like At Dawn's scrawny, underdeveloped little brother. But the songs are good.

1. At Dawn
2. It Still Moves
3. Z
4. The Tennessee Fire





5. The Waterfall


6. Circuital











7. Never hearing music again










8. Evil Urges
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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Zip City »

Your hate for Evil Urges amuses me. I just heard about half the songs from that record live (again), and they all hold up as good to very good. Title track, touch 1 & 2, Aluminum Park, I'm Amazed.....there are many bands with many worse songs than these (and Touch Pt 2 is in my MMJ top 3)

At Dawn is my toughest to rank. It has amazing highs, but some of the tracks are total momentum killers for me
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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Zip City »

Ok, switch At Dawn and The Waterfall on my list. I've out a lot of time into the former this week, and I think i was letting two mediocre songs (If It Smashes Down and I Needed It Most) to cloud my liking it. So many great songs


Tennessee Fire is still a struggle though. So damn weird
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Re: My Morning Jacket thread

Post by Zip City »

And I knew when I woke up Rock N Roll would be here forever

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