Basses Loaded

[zlbenson]

Overall I really dig this one. The ones with Pinkus and the '83 lineup feel extremely similar to their previous albums (fairly samey), but I was pleasantly surprised by the McDonald ones, the Dunn one made me want another Lite album, and the Jared track made me want another album from that lineup. Plus the Novoselic one was neat.

I get the folks who feel that Melvins have been a bit a "samey" lately, but I think there are moments on every album that are unique. For those folks take heart!  I believe Buzz and Dale will eventually tire of this particular strain of Melvins, and they'll go off on a different tangent. Then there will be people who pine for this era. 

[The Minneapolis Kid]

What would Fletcher think of Dale's Jazz drumming on Planet Destructo?

HA!
I don't think Dale would be dodging cymbals that's for sure!   

I get the folks who feel that Melvins have been a bit a "samey" lately, but I think there are moments on every album that are unique. For those folks take heart!  I believe Buzz and Dale will eventually tire of this particular strain of Melvins, and they'll go off on a different tangent. Then there will be people who pine for this era. 

Yup!
Melvin nerd, "Man I'm sick of Buzz doing all this acoustic folk stuff and Dale with his hobby train set up, UGH! I really wish they they would play electric with Steven!". Then the other nerd says, "Nah, bruh. It'll never happen because they do want ever they wanna do!"

[LuckMach3]

I get the folks who feel that Melvins have been a bit a "samey" lately

It seems like I've heard this about every album since Nude With Boots.  Do people think this album sounds like that one?  I don't get it personally.   

I've only had the chance to listen to this one a few times but I really like it so far and it doesn't really remind me of previous efforts.  The album feels like it's more about chilling out to the atmosphere with the occasional fast hard rocker thrown in.  If anything the vibe kind of reminds me of Honky although the two albums sound very different.

I suppose it can feel a little disjointed but I guess that's inevitable with 6 different bassists going for different styles.  In the future I'd probably prefer full albums with each bassist instead of a "compilation" album.

I've never really understood why people say pretentiousness in bands is a negative trait. I don't think it matters either way if a band takes what they do seriously and delve deeper into it. For me it's all about the outcome at the end, not how the musician's themselves relate to or communicate their craft.

Well by definition pretentious means, "attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed."  The average Joe at your local coffee house who is trying way too hard to impress girls by playing songs that sound like Oasis, closing his eyes when he doesn't really feel anything, and is a bit of a douche is pretentious.  The average writer for Pitchfork media is pretentious.

Some people have called Tool pretentious and I never understood that.  They've always had a lot of humor in their songs and I don't think someone who puts the lyrics, "I sold out long before you ever heard my name." is pretentious.  It's a bit subjective determining what is and isn't though.

[(the) Razor]

Let's look back at the last couple of Melvin's release and ask if they really do sound the same?

Basses Loaded
Three Men and a Baby
Hold it in
Tres Cabrones
Freak puke

All sound different to me than most bands in their career.

I do hear similarities between tres Cabrones and basses Loaded but then again basses Loaded is literally a bsides album. Most of these songs weren't on the final albums of previously mentioned ones

[Bigval]

If you take Three Men and a Baby out of there as that was really recorded in '99 and go with:

Basses Loaded
Hold It In
Tres Cabrones
Freak Puke
The Bride Screamed Murder

I think they have a pretty similar sound quality, tempo, tone and song structure for the most part.

I'm really liking The Decay of Lying though.

[DeeSonyaChin]

Just got an email saying my LP has shipped!

[Ghorn]

Just got an email saying my LP has shipped!

Me too. 

Let the compulsive tracking begin...

[))))((((]

I believe Buzz and Dale will eventually tire of this particular strain of Melvins, and they'll go off on a different tangent.

I don't think they will. I can imagine them continuing to work with Toshi because that's what's easy and they are familiar with it. Stylistically they may change things i guess but i think how they work is now pretty much set in stone.

I suppose it can feel a little disjointed but I guess that's inevitable with 6 different bassists going for different styles.

For myself, i don't think it's because of the different bassists. Other than when Dunn takes the stage with his upright bass, i can hardly tell (if at all) what changes in the songs on the album. It could all be one guy as far as i can hear! Personally im having a hard time telling if i feel this record is disjointed because i heard most of the songs separately to begin with. Im not sure if that is the reason and the record is fine or if it is the record itself that makes me feel this way.

[meezer]

Been listening to it a lot for 2 days, since it finally showed up.

I hadn't listened to the unreleased tracks yet.
Choco Plumbing - my favorite. Been 3 years since we heard a new track from Big Melvins (Black Betty, Attitude). Glad it's an original that we can sink our teeth into.
Planet Destructo - excellent, but challenging. The main chord progression and vocal melodies in the first verses of the song sound like some mid 60s folk pop. I love the free jazz break.
Maybe I'm Amused - it's weird. I'll give it that. It's a grower.

Now that the general population has heard the track War Pussy, anyone else agree?
The intro is totally Alice In Chains.

[blacksanta]

Listened to it with friends last night, i think its their best work since bride. From bulls to three men it seems the band has just been experimenting with their style like mad with the revolving door concept. Each of the releases from 2012 thru three men have moments that are wonderful, but were not consistently enjoyable to my ears. Basses sounds like a summation and the beginning of a new phase, and its the first long player since bride that i am playing straight through over and over.  Other than that hideous beatles cover, which i assume was purposely designed to make me slam shards of glass into my ears. So this one goes onto the post millennium highlights list for me. Hat,senile,bride,bulls,basses.

[))))((((]

Other than that hideous beatles cover

Yes, i think it's probably the worst track on there.

I had another listen to the record today on headphones and skipped the songs i don't like (Tell You, Shaving, Maybe, Take Me Out) and i have to admit my comment about the record being disjointed doesn't hold up at all without those tracks. It's a great album like that. So i'll blame those songs for making me feel this record doesn't work.


All 12 tracks = 7/10
Edited version = 8.7/10

[John Schuller]

Curious - I love the Beatles and I love this cover - (especially dig the bass playing and the chorus section) - is the dislike of the track the song, the performance or the Beatles?

[homeless_dad]

Curious - I love the Beatles and I love this cover - (especially dig the bass playing and the chorus section) - is the dislike of the track the song, the performance or the Beatles?

Listener error.
I still don't get the hate.  I found it one of their best covers of late.

[Captain CoryCory]

Curious - I love the Beatles and I love this cover - (especially dig the bass playing and the chorus section) - is the dislike of the track the song, the performance or the Beatles?

Listener error.
I still don't get the hate.  I found it one of their best covers of late.

I agree and I'm not even a rabid Beatles fan. I also think their cover of "Let Me Roll It" blows the original out of the water.

Ready to give this and the Kunka album some more listens.

[blacksanta]

It plods along with a squalling midrange tone without any asskick or point.