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@ Valderrama: Lots of interesting questions. Too many for me to answer now – I've had my shot above
.Just a few minor points:
Face masks – sheer pragmatism. Beards get in the way, wenn you cover mouth with cloth. No-one's yet found a solution for that. Same with long hair and plates of soup – they tend to correspond, when you lower your head
Scepticism (with vaccines and any other topic): basically a good idea. There's always a ? after any ! (parable of the hunchback and the soldier as told by RA Wilson in "Masks of the Illuminati"). Just keep on doubting the absolute skeptics as well.
Darwin: very problematic, easily misunderstood. Dangerous road to Social Darwinism (not an invention of Darwin's, btw.). There's more than sheer "survival of the fittest" to humankind. Just that makes us human.
Jeez – I'm tired of spreading absolute wisdom for all of you. Enough for today. Think for yourselves, but consider the help of others. No man is an island – we rely on each other, linked in complex constructions of ideas, relationships and institutions. All of these constantly changing. Amen. Om. Whatever…
@ suntripper: Fear of the absolute state, media manipulation and restrictions of freedom I consider principally sound, but I suspect they're turning into something else just now. I discover the same paranoid mindset in rabid vaccine sceptics, anti-corona-measure propagandists, Trumpists, right-wing conspiracists and populists. The issues may differ, but the overall structure appears similar to me.
Talk of "evil" mainstream media or institutions, that alledgedly "suppress" vital "truths" that we only have to "awake" to – or "come around" to. The messianic urge to constantly attack "sleepers", "dreamers", "sheep", i.e. non- or not so paranoid people. The inability to cope with other attidudes and opinions. Constantly merging facts and opinion. Rabid anti-scientific propaganda.
I could go on forever. My diagnosis: collective madness. A formerly "reasonable" society on the edge. Reasonable trust in "common" truths being destroyed – among others by ongoing capitalist conspiracies against common values, brutal egoism and constant struggle for self-enrichment and self-promotion in a neoliberal society. This has been building up since the 1980s at least, but is now being reflected in the mindsets of so-called "free thinkers" and "rebels". Who are in turn just puppets or at least being strategically exploited by shameless rulers – "Psychotzars" of the political and economic world ruthlessly destroying any regulations or remaining balances of power in their way. Considering this we're really fucked.
Instead of constantly bashing "mainstream media" you should for instance consider the real scandal going on just now in the UK – a populist leader and a once shining institution like the BBC under permanent political and financial attack close to collapse. Yes – the BBC has given its enemies lots of ammunition by its own faults, mistakes and scandals over the years. Yet still it is an institution that has the potential to stand in the way of sheer populism and ruthless government, that gives space for reflection and free expression. When we have smashed all our bedevilled institutions we shall only then realize that they were all that protected us from tyranny and collective madness. What some call "mainstream censorship" I call reflective thinking instead of impulsive action. Editors are essential!
The problem is that todays narcissistic egos want instant gratification. No more delays, no more reflection, no more considering opposite views – just cry out your urges here and now and smash everything in your way. "Four legs good! Two legs bad!" shout the sheep in Orwell's "Animal Farm" parable – thus being led on the path towards tyranny and oppression. "Mainstream bad! Alternative media good!"
From a psychoanalytical point of view you project onto your opponents just what you don't like and refuse to recognize in yourself. So who's the sheep now?
(this has turned into a polemic against the common or typical conspiracist, not a real person. No personal attacks on anyone here intended. Just think about it – I will consider your positions as well.)
Sorry I let myself go. Generally I would like to keep politics out of this forum – obviously I fail there quite a bit
. Fact is I cannot let stand some "opinions" regarding social developments that I consider as foolish or even malevolent stupidity. Let's discuss music here – there are as many opions as there are contributers, and that's good. As for political or social tendencies – everyone's entitled to their opinion, but if some people do constantly push their foolish views (my opinion), constantly nudging, never ready to let things go I consider this quite agressive and react likewise. Sorry folks…
@ the conscience: I may publish my verdicts on MP music quite prematurely sometimes and change my view next day, but considering politics and society I think I have an attitude that's basically quite firm, built up over the years including a long and sometimes painful learning process. Therefore I find it quite disrespectful if some people – here in this forum and in "real" life – push their views with a religious stance, calling other people to "wake up" in spite of at least reflecting their own positions sometimes. Strangely I think it is just those caught in their own mythologies and dream worlds that want all the others to "wake up". I could write books on that topic, but certainly not here.
Those freedoms were hard won, that's true – by the people who sticked to the – sometimes harsh, sometimes quite illogical, but still necessary – rules, by the people who inventend and produced the vaccines in very short time, by the medical staff that worked 24 hrs a day to save people and to prevent others getting sick. And by those who willingly undertook the risk to get vaccined with rather unknown medication. Those just protesting and refusing did nothing for the freedom they claim to defend.
As for Brexit: sadly only a small number of people understood that the whole Brexit campaign was an effort by a rich minority to free themselves from EU regulations – a class struggle against the poor that deluded the nostalgic, the old, the jobless and the economically depraved to vote against their interest, led by a populist and sometimes fascist, xenophobic political mob – UKIP scum and worse.
What might be of interest: RW II consists of live material recorded at Kongsberg Jazz Festival 1995 already – a joint gig by Motorpsycho, Deathprod and free jazz band The Source
I have to adjust my harsh verdict on "Gullible" from above – just heard it once again – first time in years. this one has lots of great moments, entire passages that are absolutely great. It just doesn't all come together in the overall composition imho. Probably I only remember the Heidelberg concert from 2010 when they closed with Gullible, me already being rather tired and overwhelmed by what came before and a little annoyed by the long drawn-out end passage that I always considered not the best part of the song. Much too long for a fadeout, but with a fadeout feeling surely.
@ Ratmaus: Yes, I know! Just have to convince myself occasionally that I'm still able to get up from my knees when I talk about Motorpsycho
This time definitely song.
For me the "Lurker" is rather lukewarm compositionwise. Just like "Gullible's Travails" ten years ago. Neither fish nor flesh. Good riffs, but not strong enough to carry the whole thing. Or just the other way round – the composers didn't entirely trust the riffs and added lots of chords that rather lead nowhere. Just my personal impression.
@ Tomcat: Just keep the new songs motorpsychedelic. That is exactly what I missed in KoO: for me it is neither really motor nor psycho enough("weird" in Bent's own explanation), though not a bad one all in all.
Probably Kenneth K. is therefore practising them live a bit more? Got the impression his playing is much more cymbal orientated. Am I wrong? Or is Thomas just disguising his cymbal skills with his massive powerful drumming? His cymbal line-up is definitely impressive!
Motorpsycho has surely been lucky with their drummers…
@ shakti: Thought so myself lately. But only if you consider Gebhardt the best banjo player and Kenneth the best cymbal player in Motorpsycho
Thanks Frode, whoever you are! Great stuff! Second track begins in a floydian "churchyard by the river" (Cirrus Minor), but then…
This is just the music I've been missing for so long!
Had to edit this post several times – just fucking unbelievable! Just when I started to get only very slightly disappointed by the last album they come up with this! MP at their best!!!
@ supernaut: Listened to Side 2,3 and 4 the other day once again and realized it's not all as bad as I thought the first time. Some songs sound just as they should – I probably was just a little overwhelmed by the new "straight" heavy/symphonic rock" concept. Still not entirely satisfied with the "Lurker" though…
Great compilation! Great radio show! Makes you think over all the petty discussions on the latest album sound or the best MP album of all times. In this context some of the old and new jewels shine on. As the best MP song is always the one you're listening to it can happen that you rate "Serpentine" much better than all the new MP stuff you have listend to recently. And vice versa, of course
Obviously we have quite different ideas of sound. I like the warm instrumental sound in the mix on HBM, especially Side 1. Big Black Dog propably suffered in the mix from volume/intensity overkill…
Clarity for my is not a value in itself – it can sometimes also lead to sterility, while the most murky sound mix can nonetheless sound warm and comforting.
The philosophy of sound can certainly lead to endless debates, some of them quite futile.
