Joined: Tue May 04, 2010 9:02 pm Posts: 45146 Location: Béal Átha na Slua
Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? Vol. VIII
opaline wrote:
I've never subscribed to the concept of "Countdown To Extinction" being the classic that so many people seem to. Perhaps I'm just much more into the thrashier side of Megadeth & to me the only Megadeth albums that are essential are the trio from 1986 through to 1990.
This. It was such a blatant cash-in on the commercial metal success of Metallica that it left a bad taste in the mouth and they never regained my respect after that. They have no decent albums outside those three you mentioned. Some good songs, definitely (which I've compiled and listen to a lot) - and yes, a handful of those are from Countdown... - but nothing worth shelling out for. A shadow of the band they were, and could have been.
Tue Jan 08, 2019 10:26 pm
doomrider
Space Ranger
Joined: Mon May 13, 2013 7:31 pm Posts: 1416
Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? Vol. VIII
Solaris wrote:
opaline wrote:
I've never subscribed to the concept of "Countdown To Extinction" being the classic that so many people seem to. Perhaps I'm just much more into the thrashier side of Megadeth & to me the only Megadeth albums that are essential are the trio from 1986 through to 1990.
This. It was such a blatant cash-in on the commercial metal success of Metallica that it left a bad taste in the mouth and they never regained my respect after that. They have no decent albums outside those three you mentioned. Some good songs, definitely (which I've compiled and listen to a lot) - and yes, a handful of those are from Countdown... - but nothing worth shelling out for. A shadow of the band they were, and could have been.
I'd agree with that, although let us remember Megadeth weren't the only ones: Testament did it with The Ritual as well.
For me, CtE was the end of my 'deth interest: not only were the songs pretty dull but we also saw Mustaine transform into a right-wing religious loon, which means I have no interest in giving him my money.
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Tue Jan 08, 2019 10:42 pm
Triggmartyr
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Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2011 12:51 pm Posts: 4601
Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? Vol. VIII
Biggest sell-out attempt ever made by Megadeth was Risk. Endgame was a collection of riffs which weren't used to their full potential. Dystopia is the first decent Megadeth album since Countdown, which despite having a dated production and being an attempt to get the Metallica money, it still had some corking songs on it.
NP:
Tongue Party - Looking For A Painful Death.
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Tue Jan 08, 2019 11:33 pm
Stat_Rad
Storm Trooper
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 1:23 pm Posts: 22067
Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? Vol. VIII
Triggmartyr wrote:
Biggest sell-out attempt ever made by Megadeth was Risk. Endgame was a collection of riffs which weren't used to their full potential. Dystopia is the first decent Megadeth album since Countdown, which despite having a dated production and being an attempt to get the Metallica money, it still had some corking songs on it.
Youthanasia is damn good imo. Probably sounds better now than it did then.
What's strange though is how Mustaine kept misreading market signals. When Countdown did really well he thought 'we'll simplify the songs even more and sell more albums'. That was logical from the point of view of increasing popularity, but when Youthanasia sold less than half of Countdown, he just kept going further along that route, as if the real problem was that they hadn't gone commercial enough, so they put out Cryptic Writings then Risk. Each album was more watered down than the last.
Say what you want about Youthanasia, but they still retained their musical identity on that album. Cryptic Writings sounded quite fractured but still kind of like them, even if the essence was fading, but Risk was the sound of a band who were completely lost.
Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? Vol. VIII
It looks like I may be one of the few who really enjoy Countdown To Extinction (and Youthanasia) around here. I think I do separate them from the albums preceding. It would be foolish to argue that they weren't angling towards wider appeal, but for mine it's no more commercially conscious than, say, Holy Diver.
I find it to be well-written, concise metal songs. I can definitely see people taking umbrage with Mustaine's voice and his various vocal tics, but I think the songs are there. And despite it's commercial bent, you didn't see them go the 'Nothing Else Matters' route here, so I'm not too cynical about the 'selling out'.
From what I've read, it appears that Mustaine became a bit maniacal about hitting #1 on Billboard, and I think that explains them devolving toward Risk, which is one thing, but the strangest part about that album is how gloriously out of touch it is with what was popular contemporary rock of the time. It's like a long lost Bon Jovi record with Mustaine guesting as vocalist.
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Wed Jan 09, 2019 4:45 am
opaline
Super Trooper
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2012 12:09 am Posts: 6498 Location: Sydney, Australia
Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? Vol. VIII
Warlock - "Hellbound" (1985)
Wed Jan 09, 2019 8:19 am
Stat_Rad
Storm Trooper
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 1:23 pm Posts: 22067
Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? Vol. VIII
Chinese Whispers wrote:
I find it to be well-written, concise metal songs. I can definitely see people taking umbrage with Mustaine's voice and his various vocal tics, but I think the songs are there. And despite it's commercial bent, you didn't see them go the 'Nothing Else Matters' route here, so I'm not too cynical about the 'selling out'.
Yep. Tons of great riffs and melodies, and Mustaine really pushed his vocals on both of those albums, especially Youthanasia.
Chinese Whispers wrote:
From what I've read, it appears that Mustaine became a bit maniacal about hitting #1 on Billboard, and I think that explains them devolving toward Risk, which is one thing, but the strangest part about that album is how gloriously out of touch it is with what was popular contemporary rock of the time. It's like a long lost Bon Jovi record with Mustaine guesting as vocalist.
That's part of what I meant by them being lost. They had no idea where they are going.
Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? Vol. VIII
Stat_Rad wrote:
^^Great performance.
I did see this the other day. I know Corgan has done some solo acoustic tours of late (I think prior to the "original line-up" reunion). The production of '1979' on the album plays such a pivotal role, so it was always going to be interesting how it translated so stripped down. I agree, this was a great interpretation.
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Thu Jan 10, 2019 2:27 pm
Colin040
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Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2014 6:41 pm Posts: 3423
Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? Vol. VIII
Thu Jan 10, 2019 2:32 pm
Stat_Rad
Storm Trooper
Joined: Thu Apr 29, 2010 1:23 pm Posts: 22067
Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? Vol. VIII
Chinese Whispers wrote:
I did see this the other day. I know Corgan has done some solo acoustic tours of late (I think prior to the "original line-up" reunion). The production of '1979' on the album plays such a pivotal role, so it was always going to be interesting how it translated so stripped down. I agree, this was a great interpretation.
I'd go further and say that if you don't like that version then you don't really understand the song at all. That version cuts right to the 'heart', so to speak. Right to the feeling. Corgan has become better at acoustic stuff since his last solo album, which was surprisingly good, if a bit long.
N.P TIAMAT The Scarred People
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Thu Jan 10, 2019 2:34 pm
Colin040
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Joined: Sat Nov 15, 2014 6:41 pm Posts: 3423
Re: What Are You Listening To Right Now? Vol. VIII
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