The Mars Volta due a reappraisal?

Going through a big TMV phase at the moment and realised it’s been almost five years since their ‘final’ show at the forum in kentish town. I’m probably a superfan/apologist for their worst excesses but still feel like they got a bad rap for being ‘self-indulgent’ or ‘unlisteneable’.

What says you in 2017?

  • Deloused good, rest shit
  • Deloused and Frances good, rest shit
  • All or most of their records are decent tbh
  • Shit band, shit fans
  • Other

0 voters

Otherwise, feel free to post some good Mars Volta songs (preferably not off the first two records coz everyone’s heard those to death)

(Please don’t reform, TMV)

choon

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Mariachi el Lez Zeppelin

don’t think anyone’s made this comparison before!

Don’t even know enough about them to tell if you’re joking!

Seems alright though, is that record a good place to start?

I find the very idea that they’d even need a reappraisal baffling. Apart from the first track on their last album it’s all good.

Hope they reform. Just cannot be bothered with At The Drive In.

EDIT - I originally said “the first track on their first album”, which obviously isn’t a bad track. The first track on their last album, though, is hideous. I AM A LANDMINE.

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i really don’t tbh. cedric ruins everything he touches nowadays. the way they booted jon theodore out so unceremoniously means he’ll never likely return. i like things about all of their later drummers but no one drummer can do the whole discog properly.

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They had a number of tunes across the rest of their albums, but too much waffle everywhere. Deloused is a classic though.

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which one?

Amputechture

not a popular opinion but i find deloused a bit overproduced and too short/edited, tbh

I just really like watching and hearing bands jam. And my god, did they ever jam.

Better starting with one of their first two.

well it’s the one that put a lot people off tbh. it’s them at peak noodling so depends how you feel about that!

Huuuuge fan. I did a lot of drum clinics absolutely rinsing various MV tracks.

My favourite Mars Volta moment will always be this. Around 4:23 Jon does a nice little syncopated bit on the snare, and the next time you see him he’s grinning his tits off. Lovely:

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oh i totally forgot this collection existed, don’t think i ever listened to it properly. is it good?

I absolutely adore De-loused. Still in my top 5 of all time. 2003 gig at the Wedgewood Rooms still my favourite gig of all time.

Enjoyed Frances the Mute when it came out but haven’t really listened since. Not very familiar with anything else apart from bits of the third. Someone make a Spotify playlist of their best stuff (not off the first 2)?

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find it a bit sad when people say they only like deloused tbh

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