What I do and do not like about BB Melvins

[Pelican]

Since seeing the Melvins as a three piece (and two piece) again on Friday night, I've been thinking a lot about the band and it's past few years. Specifically the bass player. Immediately after seeing the show at Webster Hall all I could think of was "why they hell didn't they hire Trevor Dunn after they fired Kevin?" It seemed like the obvious thing to do. That show was amazing, one of the top 3 Melvins shows I've seen, and I think I'm at about 16 or 17 Melvins shows at this point.

After a couple days I realized that going with Big Business made total sense. The Melvins are a band who have looked for new and different things to do. Big Business is a kick ass band. The first time I saw them, they opened for Pelican and I must say they blew Pelican off the stage. While I was watching them, all I could think was "wow, that drummer is as good as Dale." I couldn't believe my eyes or ears. They're damn good. Within a year of that show, Big Business melted into the Melvins, I never could have imagined it. The first tour they did was great. I'd go as far to say that the second time I saw them on the first tour was also one of my top 3 Melvins shows. Big Business opening, Dale coming out for a few songs on guitar, then getting behind the drums, then Buzz joining, and all seamlessly transitioning into a 4 piece band and opening the set with "Another 4th of July...Ruined". It was brutal, like the end of the world was coming. Just plain awesome. The last tour did not disappoint, but it did have a slight tinge of going through the motions to it.

I do not listen to the last two albums as much as others. Granted, I listen to NWB and ASA more than say Prick or Jelvins, but not nearly as much as almost all others. It's not that I don't like the new stuff, actually I do. I know they are good albums. I think A History of Bad Men is one of the Melvins best songs.

I feel like the current line up is a very different band than any line up in the past. Of course with each changing member, the band changes, but it seems much more drastic with this line up. And, the change is not in the direction that drew me to the band at the beginning. The first time I had heard the Melvins was in concert, it changed my life, I had never seen anything like that before and I haven't been able to get enough since. When they went from a three piece to a four piece, things tightened up a lot. A lot of the weirdness and noise went away. All of the atmosphere did as well. Dare I say it went from high art to commercial art. Warhol rules, but he can't hold a candle to Caravaggio. It's kind of hard to say without sounding like I'm complaining, because I do not mean to complain. This band is the best band on Earth, no matter what the line up. But, when I saw them last Friday, sans Big Business again for the first time in a few years, it was just better. The weird noises were back, they were heavier and scarier at times, they played looser when it was needed (BB Melvins does not really do loose) and it was just beautiful. I've always liked Hag Me. Liked. They opened the Houdini set with that song and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind since. It was totally fucking brutal. It really set the mood for the rest of the show, which was well, as Meatwad once said: "remove the chain, cause this is off it." It was incredible. I like Jared's vocals in The Melvins. His voice is a great compliment to Buzz's. But, I did not miss them Friday night. Trevor screaming his parts on Joan of Arc, along side Buzz couldn't have been more awesome.

Where am I going with this? I don't know. I feel like I'm a teenager with relationship issues trying to explain shit to my girlfriend and really having no idea what I'm trying to say.  Bottom line is, I think it's time to move on baby. We can still be friends.

[I am the Sun]

"why they hell didn't they hire Trevor Dunn after they fired Kevin?"

I think it has mostly to do with location. Dunn lives in New York whereas Big Business now live in LA. I could imagine there would be quite a bit of logistical problems if Dunn was the full time bassist. I like that they're starting to do these one-off shows with Dunn, Melvins '84 and as a duo in addition to the f0ur piece. It gives everyone the opportunity to hear different aspects of the band's sound.

As far as the current line-up goes, I really am enjoying this direction they've taken but I certainly wouldn't want them to churn out 10 more albums that sound like NWB and ASA, it would get boring. I think you should stick with this version of the Melvins until the next album. I remember an interview with Buzz where he said the next album is going to sound completely different. Maybe it'll be more suited to your tastes. I just hope that Toshi takes a different approach to his engineering if he does the next album. He's definitely a knowledgeable engineer but I think his sound is a bit flat.

[black stallion]

i prefer them as a trio too,especially for the drum,which in my opinion sounds a lot better as a single drum,with Dale only.anyway,i can't say i don't like the new line up,BB added their attitude which is absolutely far from the weirdness many fans would like to see.i think another album with BB would be the right thing before the return of Mark Deutrom .jokes apart,Trevor lives in New York and is involved in too many projects to be a permanent member,especially thinking how many shows they use to do.
and last thing,i agree 100% with Nick about Toshi,i always thought that,but we all know they are like a big family now

[sinuendo]

They should have hired Pinkus.

[glen]

if it were any other drummer on the planet than dale crover I'd say adding another drummer is a great idea.  coady has all the cred in the world.  but dale is dale. no man can touch him.

[Schnabster]

Since seeing the Melvins as a three piece (and two piece) again on Friday night, I've been thinking a lot about the band and it's past few years. Specifically the bass player. Immediately after seeing the show at Webster Hall all I could think of was "why they hell didn't they hire Trevor Dunn after they fired Kevin?" It seemed like the obvious thing to do. That show was amazing, one of the top 3 Melvins shows I've seen, and I think I'm at about 16 or 17 Melvins shows at this point.

After a couple days I realized that going with Big Business made total sense. The Melvins are a band who have looked for new and different things to do. Big Business is a kick ass band. The first time I saw them, they opened for Pelican and I must say they blew Pelican off the stage. While I was watching them, all I could think was "wow, that drummer is as good as Dale." I couldn't believe my eyes or ears. They're damn good. Within a year of that show, Big Business melted into the Melvins, I never could have imagined it. The first tour they did was great. I'd go as far to say that the second time I saw them on the first tour was also one of my top 3 Melvins shows. Big Business opening, Dale coming out for a few songs on guitar, then getting behind the drums, then Buzz joining, and all seamlessly transitioning into a 4 piece band and opening the set with "Another 4th of July...Ruined". It was brutal, like the end of the world was coming. Just plain awesome. The last tour did not disappoint, but it did have a slight tinge of going through the motions to it.

I do not listen to the last two albums as much as others. Granted, I listen to NWB and ASA more than say Prick or Jelvins, but not nearly as much as almost all others. It's not that I don't like the new stuff, actually I do. I know they are good albums. I think A History of Bad Men is one of the Melvins best songs.

I feel like the current line up is a very different band than any line up in the past. Of course with each changing member, the band changes, but it seems much more drastic with this line up. And, the change is not in the direction that drew me to the band at the beginning. The first time I had heard the Melvins was in concert, it changed my life, I had never seen anything like that before and I haven't been able to get enough since. When they went from a three piece to a four piece, things tightened up a lot. A lot of the weirdness and noise went away. All of the atmosphere did as well. Dare I say it went from high art to commercial art. Warhol rules, but he can't hold a candle to Caravaggio. It's kind of hard to say without sounding like I'm complaining, because I do not mean to complain. This band is the best band on Earth, no matter what the line up. But, when I saw them last Friday, sans Big Business again for the first time in a few years, it was just better. The weird noises were back, they were heavier and scarier at times, they played looser when it was needed (BB Melvins does not really do loose) and it was just beautiful. I've always liked Hag Me. Liked. They opened the Houdini set with that song and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind since. It was totally fucking brutal. It really set the mood for the rest of the show, which was well, as Meatwad once said: "remove the chain, cause this is off it." It was incredible. I like Jared's vocals in The Melvins. His voice is a great compliment to Buzz's. But, I did not miss them Friday night. Trevor screaming his parts on Joan of Arc, along side Buzz couldn't have been more awesome.

Where am I going with this? I don't know. I feel like I'm a teenager with relationship issues trying to explain shit to my girlfriend and really having no idea what I'm trying to say.  Bottom line is, I think it's time to move on baby. We can still be friends.

I can totally understand what you`re saying, and I wholeheartedly agree.

[>>>JZS<<<]

Yeah, next time y'all see Buzz at a show, why don't you tell him that you think he's taking his band in the wrong direction.......please.

The last two albums & tour were some of the best I've seen or heard....and I've seen a dozen+  shows with the band as a three piece. Mark D was their best single bass player,but the new BB-Melvins is by far the best lineup.... & the vocals have never been better.

[Captain CoryCory]

I personally like what they've done with the new line-up, even if Nude With Boots isn't one of my favorites. Senile Animal IS, though!

Plus I personally think The Melvins are the only band who could pull this off and really make it work so well.

[Pelican]

Yeah, next time y'all see Buzz at a show, why don't you tell him that you think he's taking his band in the wrong direction.......please.

Calm down there chief. I was just expressing my thoughts on a band's fan board, that's all. Like I said in the initial post, I'm not complaining, just thinking out loud, and I never said the band was going in the wrong direction. I think I was more than complimentary about BB. btw, I've never hesitated to tell anyone what was on my mind, in person. This however does not bother me enough to mention it to anyone other than a bunch of other Melvins fans and I think it is a worthy topic of discussion/debate, on a Melvins fan board. That is why I brought it up.

Also, the title is "What I do and do not like about BB Melvins" in case you missed it.

[brian]

if i ever find out jared and coady are no longer a part of the melvins, that will be a very sad day for me. although when I found out mark and then kevin were no longer in the bad, that was also a bummer. that being said, buzz/dale/jared/coady are all incredible musicians with great capacity for writing excellent material and the notion of them getting stagnant seems highly unlikely, and I'd like to think that they'd be the first to notice it. buzz and dale mixing it up as much as they have over their lengthy existence has been unquantifiably integral to their ability to maintain/grow their audience.

This consistent evolution of the band, not only in lineup but also in sound, has in my opinion fostered a general 'antsiness' in the bands fans, who have begun to expect drastic change every so often.

[glen]

Yeah, next time y'all see Buzz at a show, why don't you tell him that you think he's taking his band in the wrong direction.......please.

take it easy jonathon.  no one wants to hurt you here.

[Smellis]

BB added their attitude which is absolutely far from the weirdness many fans would like to see.

I think Jared and Coady have a really great sense of humor that fits in well with the band. Buzz and Dale are always joking around (Buzz laughs like he's totally mental) and the BB guys are pretty good at clowning. I guess I know what you mean about the weirdness but the music is kicking ass, they work out really well with Buzz and Dale, and I like those guys. I think Buzz has always done right with the direction of the band and the next album will be different than NWB and ASA I am sure. Shit it's all great to me, I am still blown away every time I see them play. Can't wait to see them play with Trevor, I am also in the camp that listens to the older heavier weirder stuff more often than ASA and NWB, but I am with Pelican, I love both of those albums so what the hell. I am a sucker for Dale's weird time changes and such and Buzz's  guitar tone on the older stuff.

[glen]

agreed,  to various extents.

big biz brought a youthful/mischeivous sense of humor to MELVINS that didn't show through before.  plus I think adding another drummer was an attempt by MELVINS to continue their experimental/trailblazing ways.  its worked... to some extent. 

the probs I have are:  the MELVINS/Big Business combo is still feeling each other out.  seems like they are just now getting that spontaneous feel.  tje last 3 years has had (live show at least) a very predetermined and mechanical feel.    also, I'm thinking if Big Biz had joined immediately after mark D it would have jived a whole lot better.  trying to live in a post-kevin world leaves you with a somewhat hollow feeling.  kevin brought something to the table. something special.   too bad he fucked it up.

in summary:  The Trilogy and HAT are better albums than (A)SA or Nude With Boots.

[black stallion]

BB added their attitude which is absolutely far from the weirdness many fans would like to see.

Shit it's all great to me, I am still blown away every time I see them play.

oh,same here buddy!i've never been disappointed with this band,what i meant before was if people actually are expecting something in the line of their weirdest and noisy stuff,i think that's a bit hard to get with those guys.personally i'm not a dreamer and we all know how their songwriting works with this line up,they rock in the  simple and best sense of the word.i'm sure the next album will be different,but i wouldn't be surprised if it will be even more pop than NWB,especially listening to the last BB,which i'm pretty sure Buzz considers as a fantastic album.

[Pelican]

Everybody is making great points, I especially like what Smellis just posted, and I agree 100%.

You know, the more I think about this, the more I don't think I even have an opinion one way or the other.   I think what it is, is that I was just so blown away by Friday night's show. I mean, it totally blew my mind. I have never seen a bad Melvins show, not even a mediocre one. But, when something happens like it did Friday night, it was just magic, and I want more, more, more! Being the first time seeing the band as a three piece in a quite a while, going back to the weirder, heavier, looser stuff they can do in a live setting that I kind of forgot about.

I just remembered something I know I mentioned in the past, as far as what would be the ultimate Melvins show, at least in my head. Big Business opens. Big Melvins plays a set. Then, Melvins 3 piece plays a set. That would be my wildest dream come true.