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Technically, the second album is certainly superior. But to my ears it lacks (lacked) soul. I haven't heard it in years though, and should probably give it another try. And of course, the live gigs in 2003-4 were also technically superior to first outing(s), but again, for my taste the whole thing got stale very fast. Maybe it was just me and my mood at the time.
There was a Tussler gig at So What in 2003, IIRC it was part of Øya Natt. Damn fine gig it was too, with a loose and fun and spontaneous atmosphere. It felt like the right thing for them to do after having lost steam and direction over the 2-3 years before that (IMO). Of course, little did we know at the time that it was also a kind of reaching out to Geb.
The next year, after the second Tussler album, I saw them at Kvarteret in Bergen, and it is the only time I have walked out on a Motorpsycho(-related) gig. It had become formulaic and was a quasi-Dead yawn-fest from start to finish…(actually I wouldn't know about that since I didn't stay until the end).
I agree with Tomcat that the second Tussler album is part of the downward spiral in the early 2000s. In fact, I view it as the absolute nadir…Everything that was fun and interesting about the original concept was gone by then, IMHO. I have no desire for them to return to the concept either.
Soo…how about that upcoming humdinger of an album, eh? I hope we get to hear some new tunes at the upcoming fall gigs.
Very nice write-up indeed, Anders!
I would like to add that 1999/10/23 is, to date, my #1 Motorpsycho show. Insane. The X factor was just through the roof. To be honest,l I've hardly ever listened to the recording, for fear of being disappointed. The friday show was great, so I went to the Saturday show fully satisfied and didn't really expect to be so thoroughly knocked out. But they just took it to the loftiest level they are capable of. Truly outstanding. I remember people talking to Pidah (sound guy) after the show, and he was literally in tears over how good it was.
And this is all coming from someone who eventually turned rather sour on the whole Baard Slagsvold period. I still maintain they hit their absolute peak during the 98 spring tour, but the best shows from this period were most excellent.
I beg to differ. IMHO they were on a different plane by 1998. Everything they did was sublime and touched by the hand of God (Snah?).
I revisited Reutlingen 1998/05/21 and I was wrong about a couple of things.
First of all, they did play K9/Un Chien, and a great version it was too. Not a bad one in the bunch in 1998 though. Apart from that though, it was a more hard rocking/jammy set without a lot of the spacier/mellower/psychedelic songs from that tour like Rad Freq, Manmower and The Wheel.
Secondly, I remembered it as being a very good show. It's not. It's a *stunning* show with definitive versions of Ocean in Her Eye, Heartattack Mac and STG (to my ears anyway). The energy in Heartattack Mac is unbelievable, and the breakdown section of STG goes deep into skronk territory before they bring it back with devastating power and a spaced out outro section. Superb stuff.
The recording is also excellent – when it gets super loud it's saturated and distorting, but in a pleasant way which adds to the visceral impact. It has a very "you are there" feeling, with excellent bass and excellent sense of space. Snah's reverbed guitar sounds huge!
If anything lets the show down it's a slightly anti-climactic ending with "hit" songs before Vortex Surfer, but I guess the boys needed to chill out after a massively loud and hard show. Probably in my top 3 of all time recorded MP shows.
My favourite tour, and alas, like Anders I didn't see any shows until the short Norwegian tour in October.
There really isn't a bad show in 1998, but they definitely got better and better through the tour, so that March gig in Stavanger is pretty average by comparison.
My favourite might be Reutlingen May 21. It was apparently recorded on cassette tape, and when the volume peaks there is distortion, but there isn't that annoying digital clipping and limiting, so I really like the sound. It's not the spaciest gig (no K9 suite), but the energy is insane. Ocean in Her Eye is a revelation in its live form, and STG is probably the best ever version.
No hate from me. Bloated, self-conscious and self-important are words that come to mind. Same goes for the shapeless HBM track (the "song" HBM).
The best stuff on HBM was Spin x 3 and Lacuna, even if they didn' bother to write a middle section for the latter. I hereby nominate HBM as the most monstrously overrated MP record ever (some people even pronounced it best ever). The Tower is such a huge step up in absolutely every department.
Jeez, lighten up folks. I will sing the praises loud and clear about the stuff I love about Motorpsycho, and indeed, one of the things I love is how they go all in and all out and all over the place. The very intention behind it all. But sometimes they fail. At least in my ears. And in someone else's ear that same failure will be a favourite track. It's all in good fun. I will go over the top in my praise of what I reckon to be their best stuff (Rad Freq is indeed a lost masterpiece!), please indulge me and allow me to go over the top in my damnation of what I consider their worst moments! I love the band just as much all the same, and every single release is an auto-buy.
So most people couldn't abide by the rules already…and Whole Lotta Diana on a worst of list?? But I'll try to play…
Going chronologically:
1) Beautiful Sister – not a truly bad track, but in the company of almost consistently genius songs on TM, this sticks out like a sore thumb.
2) Star Star Star – white boy funk horns meet uninspired, generic Stones-ey cock rock and feast on their mutual suckiness.
3) Never Let You Out – oh, how I dread all those minutes lost during *every single* 2000-2001 gig where this had to be played. Cute, Geb…real cute.
4) Landslide – I'll give them some credit for apt song title. This from the album that also spawned the abomination that is Go to California, the most ridiculous pastiche song ever written. See, I managed to sneak in my contempt for that song without actually nominating it!
5) What If – someone beat me to the punchline "What If this song was never written". You know that when Neverland is not the chosen weak link on an album, the chosen song is REALLY REALLY WEAK!
6) Year Zero – oh, how I dread all those minutes lost during *every single* 2008-2016 gig where this had to be played. Cute, Snah…real cute.
7) Ratcatcher – please lead this interminable jam over the edge of the cliff and let it fall off into the abyss.
Fantastic work!
Mantrick Muffin Stomp was played in 2017? Did I miss this in the setlists??
Also…no performances of Rad.Req. or Evernine since 1998 is such a shame.
Anders – you're right, it hasn't disappeared completely. I had not paid enough attention. I do like it a lot live though. Much more so than, for instance, Lacuna Sunrise, which is a nice theme but a lame jam.
I wonder why they seem to have dropped Intrepid Explorer entirely? It was one of the highlights in Larvik, I thought it worked extremely well live.
In Larvik they had the AADAP and Timothy's Monster deluxe CD boxes, as well as The Tower and Supersonic Scientists 2CD ("Best of"). As for vinyl, IIRC they had Heavy Metal Fruit, TDDU, Eggplant, Behind the Sun, Here Be Monsters and maybe a few more. None of the older stuff.
I got the yellow vinyl California EP. Unfortunately they were sold of The Tower on vinyl, which I still haven't had time to pick up. Didn't looke very closely at the t-shirts and whatnot.
