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I’ve given it a few spins (well, streams) now. Maybe I shouldn’t scrutinize it too much since everything surrounding its releases tells us it’s not a “proper” Motorpsycho album but more of an odds and sods type of collection from the last few years, so it’s not that strange that it’s stylistically a bit all over the place.
The fact is, though, that in the 90s pretty much all of this would have been considered EP/B-side material and released as such. There’s a couple of exceptions – the single Psycholab I suppose could have been in contention for a proper album release given the right setting, maybe Return to Sanity as well. The latter is a nice little ditty with some CSN vibes but perhaps a bit too similar in vibe to the superior Lady May from Kingdom of Oblivion, and not that much happens beyond a lovely mood.
This Is Your Captain is an entertaining excursion with some cool space-kraut riffage, but more entertaining than profound, and very much an EP-worthy oddity.
All My Life is sort of cool in its lo-fi stop-start way…but a cover is a cover and this belongs on an EP IMHO.
Revenants is kind of meh in a Yay sort of way.
The closing two are really hitting the bottom of the barrel with scraping sounds…Crownee Says is barely EP filler material and The Condor is a lovely but very derivative instrumental (the name gives away its already obvious inspiration and roots….).However, there is one shiny jewel that hovers above all the rest. Elysium, Soon is a terrific 8-minute track with heavy Zeppelin vibes and barely contained excitement. This would have made any of the Tomas-era albums proud. Lots of Trust Us vibes in this one (reminds me of Evernine) and one that I would love to hear live. I really wonder when this was recorded. It’s one of two tracks to feature Tomas Järmyr on drums (unleashing his inner Bonham in fine fashion) but sorely serves to remind me how much I miss him. There were some similar Zeppelin hints in a couple of tracks on The All Is One so I wonder if it was recorded around that time? In any case, this track alone is enough to redeem and justify the album as a whole.
I will buy of course, but neither Psycholab nor All My Life have me excited. A shift in tone is fine, and sound wise they are fine, but as songs… let’s hope “Neigh” doesn’t translate to “meh…”..
I completely see both sides of this argument, but want to say that I would love to see them mix up the covers a bit more. Some of them get a bit predictable. How long have they been doing Rock Bottom or Pilgrim now? Black to Comm used to be the same. Now when they do one-offs, even on the spur of the moment, that’s when it gets REALLY special. I still get goosebumps thinking about how they transitioned seamlessly into Santana’ Jin-go-lo-ba during a transcendent jam in Bergen 23/10/99. I don’t think they did it before or since. That was pure magic.
@Fillmore; sounds like this was a much better show than Trondheim in every regard? I am looking forward to seeing them with Ingvald, and also to see them as a trio. As much as I loved Tomas’ playing it will be interesting to see them with (allegedly) a slightly less technically proficient drummer. It’s good to see them tackle some of the demanding Tomas-era tracks like Cosmoctopus, I’d hate to see them drop those altogether. Some of them bear a very heavy Tomas imprint though, and I wonder if any other drummer will be able to do justice to Ship of Fools or N.O.X.
Excited to see these enthusiastic reports.
This discussion has taken off on a tangent – my observations were strictly about the gig in Trondheim and the current status of the band, and not really a reflection on the past 20 years. Indeed I think there are opportunities and a shift away from the more technically proficient Kenneth/Tomas years could turn out very fruitful. But I didn’t really hear the seeds of that last Saturday. Too soon to tell, probably.
I fully understand those who drifted away after Geb left. There are all sorts of reasons for this, both changes in the band’s sound and approach, but probably just as much changes in one’s own preferences. I find that any band throughout history has a peak, an era to which I connect more strongly than others. You could say it’s the musicv they produce during that era, but it’s probably also timing; when do I discover the band vs my musical preferences at the time. Motorpsycho themselves are very aware of this; they are aware that they broke through in the 90s and that was the time when their musical relevance was at its highest. They are forever condemned to being compared with their own peak, both stylistically and qualitatively.
I have realized I have to temper my own stubbornness on this subject – personally I think the 90s albums are all at the top, and only at #5 or 6 I can consider something outside of the 93-99 peak. But then I speak to other fans who rate HMF as their #1 album (an album I don’t particularly like). So I might think I have it right (and I will certainly voice my opinion), but always have to consider the possibility that there’s something I’m missing.
All that said, I think it will be silly to argue against the notion that after Gebhardt’s departure, Motorpsycho has shifted more towards a technically proficient and more overtly “prog” approach. It’s right there in the side-long epics with silly names, the multiple Yes, Crimson(and Sabbath) references etc. OTOH, it’s easy to point out the Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr and Stooges references of the 90s. Some of it also comes down to age and maturing on the part of Bent and Snah as well. They made 90s music when they were in the 20s. Now they are in their 50s. It’s going to be different.
I think the potency and urgency of their records were at a peak from 93-99, and they were most consistently weird and unpredictable then, but I have been knocked out and surprised enough times since then that I know to never, ever, ever count them out and consider them “done”. The knock-out rate for me, was at its lowest with Kenneth, I’m afraid (Child of the Future gig at Slottsfjell being one exception), but for me the flame was rekindled big-time with Tomas. So much wonderful and different stuff during those years (Ship of Fools, Bartok, NOX), even though I agree the epic count was a bit too much (how many side-long epics does one band need?).
I never bothered to comment on Ancient Astronauts when it came out. I liked it, but felt they didn’t quite do justice to some extremely promising songs. That razor-sharp focus they had in the 90s has given way to some bloat over the years, I do agree with that, at least on record.
Live, it was a different story. With Tomas, I felt they could tap into everything that made them great in the past, as well as unleash a barrage of technically proficient wankery. I was first in line to be jizzed on when it felt that good…
So there you have it, my confused ramblings just to say; they were great before, I’m sure they will be great again. Bring on Ingvald and we’ll see.
What I think is funny is that some people praise the return to a lighter and more song-friendly vibe with Yay! and equate Tomas with only “reference heavy technically proficient wankery” (great term BTW!).
I kind of, sort of understand what you guys are getting at, but the fact remains that the Tomas era brought us all sorts of different things:
– Yay!
– The Ole Paus collaboration
– some quite oddball tracks on KOO including some acoustic gems
– half of The All Is One is really very melodic, classic MP. Not quite a 90s sound, but it’s no longer the 90s.
– The Tower is possibly their most varied album since AADAP or at least BH/BC.So I just can’t agree that the 2017-22 period was all heavy wankery. There were some songs that seemed to go missing and some of those were brought back on this tour, but as much as I pine for 90s Motorpsycho (it’s what made me a fan after all) I would rather have them as a searching, probing “relevant” band and not a nostalgia act. IMO that’s what we got with Tomas. They didn’t always hit bullseye, but with him in the drummer’s chair I didn’t see a single sub-par show.
Yes, I don’t see a contradiction here. I try to feel, but when I can’t I try to analyse why. I can assure you I went in with the best of intentions and enjoyed myself along the way. Pretty sure I sang/screamed louder than anyone else during Kill Some Day.
But there were problems (objectively!) that were just too obvious, hence my analysis which you can agree or disagree with.
When Jacco came along I was just elated that the band still existed and had a new album out. Since then we have learnt to live through drummer changes, so now it’s all about finding the right person.
Though I also agree that Yay!-ifying tge whole set would, in retrospect, have worked better overall.
I don’t want to give the impression that I didn’t enjoy it – I thoroughly enjoyed myself up to a certain point. But they never quite grabbed me this time, for whatever reasons which I tried to outline. No chemical enhancement for me, alas, beyond yer old beer. A below average (IMO) Motorpsycho show is still pretty good. But I think it’s important, not least as a big fan, to take off the fanboy glasses and try to scrutinise what they are doing and where they are headed. Or you can just take it at face value and enjoy what you get out of it, either way is fine.
At this junction I find the former approach is the most interesting.
So, how was it you ask? I see very few real reviews around here or on FB, just the usual self-congratulatory “awesome show last night guys!» on FB. Devotional’s write-up on The Oslo show is the one exception- finally some real critique of the band with their “new” lineup. I really respect Devotional’s opinions and I usually agree with him.
All that said, I attended last night’s gig with very low expectations, but I’m sad to say even those weren’t met. Altogether, this was one of the worst shows out of 35 or so over the years since 1997. That’s not to say all was terrible, but there were moments last night where I cringed and thought about leaving, and that hasn’t happened since I walked out 2+ hrs into a Tussler show in 2004.
The good things first;
– acoustic opening set was a first for me. Relaxed and comfy mood, maybe too much so. It was a fumbling start, but a real boon to hear the underrated Maypole. Sunchild in a non-Tussler acoustic arrangement was fun. Lady May is a lovely excuse to do Dark-Star style excursions but was much better in electric version at Blitz in 2021.– the return of some songs that haven’t been played in a long time. Some of those I love (KSD) some I haven’t missed (Go to C).
Now the bad things:
– the sound: God, no WHY?? The last few years the sound has been great at almost all shows I’ve attended. The Blitz stand had the best sound I’ve ever hear at a Motorpsycho gig, but Asker last December was also very good. But this was a return to the worst aspects of the past; drums that were simultaneously too loud yet not powerful, cymbals hissing and washing out all detail, unattractive bass drum and snare, bass muddy and owerpowering, guitar details lost. It wasn’t so bad in the start but got worse the louder it got. Moving back in the hall didn’t help; it was less loud but just as muddy. It wasn’t that it was too loud overall either, it just sucked. This probably hampered my overall appreciation, so bear that in mind.
– the drummer: before I say anything more; I love Olaf’s drumming with Needlepoint. He’s the perfect drummer for them, sensitive and creative with just enough skills to make it interesting. But he is not the right drummer for Motorpsycho, and I suspect Bent and Snah have already discovered as much. Some songs worked quite well; the acoustic set, most of the Yay! material, and, strangely enough, the encore… But anything that called for something with punch, precision and authority fell through in a big way. Sinful, Wind-borne was feeble and Plan #1 was just a travesty. By that stage Bent and Snah were also struggling big-time, with extremely poor vocal performances and coupled with the muddy sound I think all confidence was gone. The stretch from Gullible through the end of the main set was painful.
All was not bad, though. There were moments where someone stepped up to the plate and offered an interesting twist, I particularly remember a great skronky section during the kraut part of Gullible by Snah.
However, altogether I have to say that this lineup of the band just doesn’t gel and it was just too obvious at times. You could say I should give Olaf more time to settle in, but I think he is just not the right fit and that’s not his fault. Coming in after Tomas Järmyr is of course akin to the proverbial “jumping after Wirkola”, so anyone who makes an attempt is taking on a daunting task. I was sad but not very surprised when I heard that Tomas was leaving, but now I’m sadder than before. I think the band as a unit hit new peaks with him that I couldn’t have imagined. There were good-time vibes last night that may have been missing during the Tomas era, but I didn’t hear anything last night that made me think there could be new avenues to explore in the same way I heard that with Tomas. I’ve never heard that Kanaan drummer (Ingvald?), but I have hopes that a very young guy eager to explore is the thing they need. If he has the skill to play with authority and decisiveness as well as across different styles, then I have hopes for a future. Last night’s lineup was a dead end for me, unfortunately.
Finally got some statistics tallied up..a quick reply;
30 gigs attended over the years 1997-2022. A whopping 174 different songs played! Song most often played is Walking on the Water (13), S.T.G. (12) and Hey Jane (11).
My five favourite gigs in chronological order;
Bergen 1998/10/14; first show as a fan, remember being slightly disappointed mostly because there were sooo many songs I wanted to hear. In retrospect, hearing the recording, there were moments of magic and they were just white hot in 1998.
Bergen 1999/10/23; one of those magical nights, I remember the soundguy nearly wept after the gig because it was so good
Tønsberg 2015/07/18; Demon Box gig, special atmosphere with a lot of pre-gig tension and near cancellation due to strong winds, but amazingly good gig especially for a retro type gig
Blitz 2021/11/24-25; shouldn’t have to say much, the Blitz run was astoundingly good, atmosphere and sound were off the chart, already the stuff of legend,
Song most anticipates: Radiance Freq. For the love of God, bring it back at least once!
Tried to register several days ago but no confirmatory email. Username shakti. Would be great to join!
Surprised to hear that about the audience. I found it to be exemplary on both Wed and Thur. you could hear a pin drop during the quiet parts, yet the enthusiasm was high all the time.
I have a hard time deciding which night of the two shows I saw was the best. I think Thursday was the most magical. N.O.X was unreal on Thursday, Lady May was even better than the day before, and the surprise songs like Bonney Lee and Step Inside were gems. But I was, quite frankly, a bit exhausted from the night before so as the show progressed I couldn’t really keep up. Little Lucid Moments was great, but I didn’t have the energy to take it in. I almost left before Fool’s Gold, but so glad I didn’t! I had a two hour drive home after the gig and early work on Friday, so that put a damper on things for me as well. If I had been able to go “all in†on Thursday I think that could have been a top 3 ever Motorpsycho gig for me.
Wednesday had some sizzling energy though, and the jamming was fantastic that night even if there were a few too many stoner prog type songs for my taste. Even if I was hoping for many other songs than what was played, they are on such tremendous form at this stage that it doesn’t really matter what they play. Bent is clearly the “conductor†of the band, but Tomas brings so much energy and innovation. He was smiling and grinning and clearly seems to love playing in this band. I’ve raved about him before and will gladly repeat my praise. He is just shockingly good, I love every aspect of his playing, from his technique to his sound to his groove and to his intuitive musicality and understanding of when to play it simple and when to unleash it all. He is a joy to both watch and listen to. I truly feel we are witnessing the second golden age of the band. They’ve always been great, but I hold the ‘93-99 period as the peak. However from 2017 and until now they’ve hit new peaks that can (almost) match that transcendent 90s period IMHO.
