OFF: Monster Magnet question

[Stephen Swann]

Carl Edlund Anderson writes:
>
>      There are only four, and I like them all.  There is a
> definite progression in level of production and commercial
> appeal from earliest to latest.  _Spine of God_ is sludgely
> lo-budget stuff of undisputed class, hailed by many as a
> landmark album.  _Superjudge_ has perhaps more focused and
> riff-driven songs, with the more-HW-than-HW "Dinosaur Vacumn",
> a cover of "Brainstorm", and a cover of "Evil is Going On"
> (ripped off from the Cactus arrangement, I believe).  _Dopes
> to Infinity_ brought them to the edge of commercial success
> and as markedly slicker production.  I love it, a lot of
> old-timers felt they were selling out :)  This trend continues
> with _Powertrip_, which has definitely brought commericial
> success.

Ok, as one of the "old-timers" (having been into Monster Magnet for
probably a whole 3 years at the time that Dopes came out) ;-) let's
get one thing clear about _Dopes_.  I didn't dislike it because I felt
that they were selling out.  I disliked it because because the songs
didn't move me.  At all.  Cyclops Revolution, Pill Shovel, Dinosaur
Vacuum, Nod Scene, these songs all set my world on fire.  While
listening to any of these tunes, I am compelled by invisible forces to
turn my stereo up to life-treatening volumes.  I feel the urge to jump
around the room, and see how much of the furniture I can break.  I
play air-guitar like a 9-yr old.  _Dopes_ has none of this effect.
It's mid-tempo, got some a nice guitar flanging space-rock sound to
it, but overall it just bores me.

However, if the guy likes Space Lord, then he stands a pretty good
chance of liking Dopes, because Dopes and the current album were cut
from the same cloth.

Steve
swann at plutonia.com