"OK Computer" vs. "Mechanical Animals"

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or wishbone ash

― mark s, Sunday, 14 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Well, I wouldn't say that BB failed - I still like it a lot, I just don't think it's as powerful as the later ones. It sounds tentative, like it's just getting its footing - which, for some groups and styles, makes for the most interesting music, but not for Miles' 70s stuff. The later stuff has this weird swagger - I guess you could say it's more rock (which means you might hate it even more!), but it's totally not. I love the three-guitar line-up, much more than McLaughlin (he's a great player, just not my absolute favorite). (That said, A Tribute to Jack Johnson is ridiculously good.) Pangaea (a live one from '75) to me is like the godhead of this 70s fusion stuff. The first half of the first track is some of the most psychedelic music I've ever heard. Somebody else needs to back me up here!

― Clarke B., Sunday, 14 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Bitches Brew is from 1970, hardly a "mid-1970s" Miles Davis record. As for mid-70's Miles studio* albums, there is only one, Get Up With It (he "retired" in early 1975). Yr arguement involving Miles Davis's albums from that time period is pretty flimsy at best. You should've just said when he went electric.

As for the topic at hand, I had an advance copy of OK Computer which I thought was little more than aural wallpaper, and didn't understand why by year end it was so highly praised, but I've had "Dope Show" stuck in my head quite a few times (pretty good, considering I don't think I've ever heard the whole song), so Mr. Warner gets the nod. But as asked in the final part of this thread's question, I certainly care aboot neither of these albums in 2002.

*Agharta the only other album to come out in the mid-1970's like most of Miles' other albums in the 1970's, was a live album.

― Vic Funk, Sunday, 14 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

...keep your day job Clueless Clarke.

Kisses,

Bob

― , Sunday, 14 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

And I'm sorry, but the anti-Radiohead backlash is lamely predictable. I'm not a Radiohead fanboy *at all*, and I think Kid A is their best album, but Marilyn Manson? Maybe I just need to hear more.

― Clarke B., Sunday, 14 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

What the fuck are you talking about, Bob? Vic was talking to Julio, who referred to Bitches Brew as a mid-70s album - I only mentioned "Miles 70s albums." Again, what the fuck are you talking about?

― Clarke B., Sunday, 14 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Are you a McLaughlin fanboy who googled his name and found this thread?

― Clarke B., Sunday, 14 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

i agree (with Ned) that "mechanical animals" is way better than their earlier albums, which came off as kinda dopey, especially antichrist. used to love Portrait, but i dont think the whole fun, Wonka demented aspect of the band came off like they probably wanted it to. who knows...but i love the glamier feel of animals, and the songs are just really damn catchy

― matt, Sunday, 14 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

i don't really see a connection with ok computer...but i like em both a lot

― matt, Sunday, 14 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Dag. This thread mutated like a Ninja Turtle.

― adam, Sunday, 14 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

someone who's trying to be funny but isn't vs someone who is trying to be serious but is laughable. hell, i can't pick.

― di, Sunday, 14 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

The second one i.e. Enrique!

― bnw, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

''Bitches Brew is from 1970, hardly a "mid-1970s" Miles Davis record. As for mid-70's Miles studio* albums, there is only one, Get Up With It (he "retired" in early 1975). Yr arguement involving Miles Davis's albums from that time period is pretty flimsy at best.''

Oh, who fucking cares abt dates. 'Sometime in the 70s it is' then.

You state my argument is flimsy= but where's the reasoning.

I won't back down on the point that BB is a dud and I equate it to what radiohead are doing (not that they've made a jazz album) in that they are both artists on major labels who have 'experimented' and failed to come up with the goods. And on Mclaughin, I just don't see what's so good abt his guitar playing, really.

― Julio Desouza, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

'BB' is a dud with about 3 listenable minutes (the trumpet entering in 'Spanish Key', and - ha ha ha - "John McLaughlin"), 'Silent Way' is Coffee Republic music, 'Pangaea' sounds like a dripping tap. Even "Rated X" sounds like music for a local (i.e. lo-budget) sports program. I've nothing against electric jazz-funk, but it's got to have some funk, or some jazz in it, or rock even. 'Miles in the Sky' (actually ALL the Shorter/Williams/Hancock stuff) is where it stops for me and the Dark Magus.

― dave q, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

dark magus - there is so much shit rhythm guitar played on here - on the corner - i slow it down to main-like mush b4 listening - GIMME iasw AND taktaks S.O.E. anyday. i have never heard OKC or MA apart from the singles - PA has the ambition but TDS wins by it's execution - neither have owt to do with me.

― a-33, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

They both suck. Proof: this thread has turned into a discussion of Miles Davis' 70s records. Nuffsaid.

― Ben Butler, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Anyway...Radiohead make me want to piss myself they are so laughable, but their hardcore fans make me want to murder people.

― Ally, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

"Mechanical Animals" - an example of a (ultimately one-man) band who mean it about not meaning it, but end up meaning it anyway? IOW, it's as artificial and deliberate as all hell, but I still find it to be quite an emotionally affecting album. (inspired by recent discussions re The Streets and Daft Punk).

― Tim, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

If forced to pick one, I'd probably go with _MA_ because, like Ned, I was completely shock and amazed that Marylin Manson had finally come up with an album that lived up to his image; I desperately wanted to like him, but his music was so horrible that I couldn't do more than chuckle at his imagery. Except, I hated Radiohead before _OK Computer_ made me realize that not everything they did sounded like "Creep". Shoot, I can't pick.

― Dan Perry, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

''They both suck. Proof: this thread has turned into a discussion of Miles Davis' 70s records. Nuffsaid.''

And I started it. isn't it wonderful?

― Julio Desouza, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Well, Dave Q, you should remember your Shakespeare. Art holds a mirror up to the soul, and if a monkey looks into it, it sure as hell won't see a philosopher staring out.

― Chris Sallis, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

like monkeys which escaped from radiohead message boards, etc?

― jess, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Unless its a very philosophical monkey of course.

― Chris Sallis, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Christ that was quick Jess! Are you following me?

― Chris Sallis, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

All right then, it's a fair cop guvnor. I admit before the entire web community that I have visited, of my own free will, websites dedicated to the british pop band radiohead. How any of you will be able to find it in your hearts to forgive me I cannot fathom, but the fact remains.

Radiohead piss on MM from a very, very great height.

― Chris Sallis, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

yes yes but are they better?

― mark s, Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

They both suck. Proof: this thread has turned into a discussion of Miles Davis' 70s records.

Where?

― matthew m., Monday, 15 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Matthew- go down the road from your house (we know where you live), turn left, and you will find ILM-ers chewing the fat over Miles 70s albums.

― Julio Desouza, Tuesday, 16 April 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

seven years pass...

Wow, this was a weird thread.

Relistening to Mechanical for the first time in a bit. Still fantastic. This might have been Michael Beinhorn's year as a producer (see also Celebrity Skin).

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 27 May 2009 19:46 (fourteen years ago) link

Mechanical may not be the best record but its by far more enjoyable to listen to. still love it.

― Jamie_ATP, Wednesday, 27 May 2009 20:14 (fourteen years ago) link

NEW
NEW
NEW MODEL!

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 27 May 2009 20:18 (fourteen years ago) link

nine years pass...

It's Mechanical Animals.

― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Friday, 11 January 2019 11:02 (five years ago) link

reminded today that this year also had Mansun - Six / Pulp - This Is Hardcore / Smashing Pumpkins - Adore / Eels - Electro-Shock Blues

it was a good music year for me to be a moody 14 year old in.

― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Friday, 18 January 2019 15:08 (five years ago) link

What a thread.

― pomenitul, Friday, 18 January 2019 15:14 (five years ago) link

I was a moody 13 year old when Mechanical Animals came out and I remember liking it less than Antichrist Superstar.

― pomenitul, Friday, 18 January 2019 15:15 (five years ago) link

^^ Same, was very disappointed by it.

― Uptown VONC (Le Bateau Ivre), Friday, 18 January 2019 15:17 (five years ago) link

'The Dope Show' was cool and all but it didn't send a transgressive teenage shiver down my spine like 'The Beautiful People' when I first heard it a year prior or the rumour according to which he'd removed one of his ribs to suck his own dick.

― pomenitul, Friday, 18 January 2019 15:22 (five years ago) link

I was a moody 13 year old when Mechanical Animals came out and I remember liking it less than Antichrist Superstar.

― pomenitul, Friday, January 18, 2019 8:15 AM (six minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

pretty sure time reveals that mechanical animals is just better all around from a songwriting standpoint

which, ofc, i haven't really been able to listen to any of his records since the jeordie white stuff came out

― jolene club remix (BradNelson), Friday, 18 January 2019 15:27 (five years ago) link

xp it's true, nothing says 'transgression'' to a teenager like triplets

― j., Friday, 18 January 2019 16:11 (five years ago) link

That and the diabolus in musica.

― pomenitul, Friday, 18 January 2019 16:17 (five years ago) link

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