The downside to Simple Plan

This entry was posted on February 25, 2008

I love Simple Plan. That’s no secret. I recently met them when they did their tour of Camden, and I’m going to see them again as part of their European tour in April. To say I’m excited would be an understatement. My nearest and dearest are fed up with me constantly talking about them. I can’t help it though!

However, much as I do love Simple Plan, they do have a slight flaw. And that flaw comes in the shape of their new third studio album. It’s their third album, it’s simply called “Simple Plan” and it was released over here in the UK on the 18th of February (why do we always get things last?).

This third album is a change from the sound of their previous two albums, and it has been almost two years in the making. I had high hopes for this album. What I love about Simple Plan’s music is that it’s relatable, and it’s as catchy as hell. As one reviewer put it, Simple Plan are “catchier than a case of the clap”.

Simple Plan may not be the most musically talented group in the world, but they are damn good at what they do. They sell millions of records and have millions of fans (and “haters”). They don’t always go down well with the critics, though, and with this third album I can kind of see why.

The songs are catchy, enthusiastic, fun, musical, inoffensive, radio-friendly, relatable, and… nice. And that’s where the problem lies. It’s almost as if they are trying too hard to make a good record. The songs are good and everything, but there’s just no evidence of the enthusiasm that you get when you go to a live Simple Plan show.

The whole album is far too technical. It’s good that there’s a slight hiphop influx to the record, but in some places it’s overpowering, and you get synthesized beats instead of a guitar solo. When certain songs from the album are played live, Chuck (the drummer) has to have his laptop with him. That’s not music.

I miss the live shows that Simple Plan put on. They play with so much enthusiasm and passion that even if you hate their music, you can still appreciate that they’re having a good time and so are their crowd. That passion doesn’t seem to translate to the album though. It sounds as though they’ve recorded everything a million times and pieced together the best-sounding parts in the hopes it’ll be the best-sounding record. But sometimes… sometimes perfection comes from imperfection.

This is a very technically correct album, but it lacks the oomph that you get with the live shows. For that reason, I fear it may sit lonely on my ipod for the times I need a dose of Simple Plan. Until then, though, I’m going to have to stick to my “Hard Rock Live” album, and my ripped copies of “AOL sessions”. And of course, the live shows!

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The Beast and the Harlot

This entry was posted on February 9, 2008

I can’t remember the last time I really obsessed over a song. I’ve obsessed over bands and I’ve obsessed over members of bands, but I can’t remember the last time I obsessed over a song.

“The Beast and the Harlot” is a song by a band called Avenged Sevenfold. Those of you who pay close attention to my blog will remember that I saw them live back in January. They played this particular song and it was one of the most insane things I’ve ever seen. Insane in a good way, though. Definitely a good way.

This is a very epic song that starts off big and just gets bigger. It’s… well, it’s pretty much mindblowing. It’s good for any situation where you need loud music, be it de-stressing in your bedroom, trying to make a train journey go by faster, or making driving more interesting. I listen to it on my way to work and back, and try and beat it. The song is about five and a half minutes long, and it takes me about five and a half minutes to get to work.

Those of you not familiar with this awesome track can see the accompanying music video on the band’s youtube channel. For those of you think you know this song from somewhere, it might be from Guitar Hero II. And for those of you who already know (and hopefully love as much as I do) this song, you might like to check out the Sims2 and the Lego-motion interpretations of the music video.

I don’t know any more words for how obsessed I am with this song. Have you ever been so obsessed with a song you could listen to it on repeat all day and not get bored of it?

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How Michael Buble could teach Gerard Way a thing or two

This entry was posted on December 7, 2007

In November I saw My Chemical Romance (MCR) at a show in London, and then on Tuesday I saw Michael Buble at a show, also in London (though at a different venue). I massively enjoyed both shows, but for two very different reasons. Michael Buble and MCR are about as different as you can get, but they do have the same goal: to entertain the audience to which they are performing.

MCR were two members (out of five) down when I saw them. The drummer was sick, and one of the guitarists had a family emergency. However, in true showman style, “the show must go on”, which it did. They belted through each of their songs with the same enthusiasm, barely stopping to take a breath. As Gerard Way (the lead singer and band frontman) described it, they played “fast and hard”, partly because they were two members down. Talking to the crowd was minimal, and the focus was all on performing the songs the best they could, given the circumstances.

The Michael Buble show was the last of his UK tour, and as he described it, “if you came to one of the earlier shows, you were ripped off. I wasn’t even trying. Tonight I’m gonna try really hard.” He belted the songs out in the inimitable style he has, and there was a much more relaxed feel to the show.

So what could Gerard Way learn from Michael Buble?

He could learn how to better interact with his audience. Michael jumped off stage and headed into the crowd, making time for hugs and kisses and pictures. However, there’s one very important reason why Gerard wouldn’t be able to do this : MCR crowds are crazy. If Gerard came into the crowd, there would be bloodshed.

However, just like there is more than one way to skin a cat, there is more than one way to work a crowd. Not only did Michael get up close and personal with his audience, he interacted with them a lot from his stage. He told jokes, and mocked himself (”oh that Michael’s such a good boy… no I’m not - I’m badass”), introduced each member of his 12-piece band and had banter with them, and much more.

That’s why, even though I’m a massive MCR fan, I preferred Michael’s live show. To me, a live show shouldn’t just be about the music. After all, I own the CD’s, I have them on my iPod, I’ve seen the music videos - I know the music! I go to live shows for a “complete experience”, and for me that involves more than just hearing / seeing the music played live. It’s about the complete package of the band, which involves banter as well as music.

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