The Mars Volta - La Realidad de los Suenos (18LP Boxset)

[Richie Sombrero]

Easily my favourite rock band of this century. Nice to see the expensive albums repressed although in limited very expensive boxset form doesn't really solve scalper prices unless they also reissue separately. In typical Mars Volta form it also isn't straight-forward, no Scab Dates and no Frances the Mute the song included for some reason. Only 'new' stuff seems to be De-Loused demos which are already floating about.

I own them all anyways but perhaps this will pave the way for new stuff. 

It's out in April.

Behold Goliath!

 

[Zephyr_Nova]

What are the chances that a Mars Volta fan who's into them enough to buy an 18lp box set doesn't already have all 18 lps?

But yeah, amazing band.

[Richie Sombrero]

I stupidly bought it and only album I don't have is Nocto.

Odd it doesn't have Scab Dates either. Nor the Bedlam B-Sides. 

Like, could have thrown in a live dvd even, they've loads of pro-shot concerts unreleased.

Volta gonna Volta. Still looks cool.

[gnarlybog]

Frances the Mute is a masterpiece. I wonder how new material would sound? I'm worried Cedric's voice is totally shot.

[Poimandres]

Amputechture is their best album. 

I'm getting the itch to go on another Volta/Omar binge. 

[Richie Sombrero]

14 hours ago, Poimandres said:

Amputechture is their best album. 

I'm getting the itch to go on another Volta/Omar binge. 

Agreed. Saw them on Goliath tour, mind-blowing.

[sidewinder]

Wouldn't mind hearing new material from them, who knows. Noctourniquet was certainly their weakest one, but still good. Probably just a result of their style running its course, so maybe we don't need anything new. 

Octahedron was underrated, a much-needed and very well-executed change of pace after the very intense but great Amputecture and The Bedlam in Goliath. 

Saw them on the Frances the Mute tour when I lived in Houston. So fucking good. 

[ignatius]

nuts. epic box set. 

Deloused in the Comatorium is one of my fav all time albums. just perfectly epic prog punk whatever the fuck you wanna call it. i think i listened to it and nothing else for like a month when it came out. some of the other stuff is pretty hit and miss for me but some excellent moments. deloused has the singing more in check with no falsetto annoyances and just jams. Amputechture is cool but deloused is king imo. it's the one. 

i should give the other albums another go. it's been a while. i listen to deloused once or twice a month though. 

 

[sidewinder]

Agreed that De-Loused is where it's at, I also listened to it non-stop when it came out. It's been a while since I've played any TMV album, to be honest. And the only one I have on vinyl is Octahedron, which I purchased just a couple years ago after finding it in a local shop for a reasonable price. Other albums I've come across in the last 5+ years were too spendy. Buuuuut I still haven't even played the damn record. I'd probably have them all on vinyl if I was buying vinyl when they were released. Had them all on CD, up to the last one, except for the live stuff.

[Zephyr_Nova]

Deloused is a fucking ridiculously strong debut album.  All of their albums are interesting and impressive for many reasons, but every single song on Deloused is a big winner for me.  Amputecture's also quite excellent, but the songwriting's still not quite on the same level.  They just started off way too good and didn't really leave any room for improvement... not to undermine everything else they've done, as it's great, but... like how the fuck do you top Deloused?

[Richie Sombrero]

I don't find Octahedron to have aged well. First 3 are unimpeachable and Bedlam is great fun with the drums. I don't mind Nocto but it's like a different band.

 

I'm unsure if they'll make new stuff under MV name, Omar has referred to this boxset as an ending but then he's about as reliable a narrator as Aphex.

 

 

[QQQ]

that's a thing of beauty. £380 though wooow.

[d-a-m-o]

Listening to Deloused once again and it's still so so good, what a fantastic album, Cedric is such a charismatic singer.

[beerwolf]

TMV passed me by first time around, I did have RoC but wasn’t enthralled by it and I think the reviews at the time for Deloused were either 9/10 or mostly 3/10. So I just never bothered.

That changed a few weeks ago when I decided to pick Deloused up and give it a spin. And got my instantly blown into smithereens. Wow. Super brilliant. And can’t stop playing it. Best guitar album I’ve discovered in a long, long time. Can’t wait to listen to the rest of their sonic maelstroms. But I won’t be buying this!

[Richie Sombrero]

Was interesting to learn that they recorded part of Amputechture at Clouds Hill. Didn't realise association was so long.

 

 

[Polytrix]

Won't be buying this but would love seperate released so I can finally get Deloused at a good price. Hope that happens. 

[Richie Sombrero]

Clouds Hill said would do individual ones if this sold well so probably will.

[BelacquaShuah]

i used to be on the umbi and the comatorium back in the day. Frances is my favorite followed by De-loused and Tremulant EP.

recently listened to Frances after a long time and damn it does hit hard. love Omar's style which could get pretty wild, like the end of L'Via.

[Hail Sagan]

I was sad when At The Drive-In came to an end. I remember picking up Frances the Mute and was not feeling it at the time for whatever reason. Didn’t know Deloused was actually their debut, had I grabbed that first that would have likely gotten me into them sooner. Anyways, really great band with a huge discography. That’s my riveting take on the situation really hope you guys enjoyed reading this bye.

[Zephyr_Nova]

On 3/10/2021 at 10:31 AM, sidewinder said:

Octahedron was underrated, a much-needed and very well-executed change of pace after the very intense but great Amputecture and The Bedlam in Goliath. 

I just gave it a listen for the first time in years... man I did not spend enough time with this album.  There's so much in there, rhythmically, melodically, lyrically... and the synth drone reminds me so much of Eliane Radigue, I so badly want to know if she was the inspiration behind that.  But, you know, a one note synth drone can come from a lot of places, most usually the equipment that happens to be on hand.  

The final stanza of the lyrics struck me as a particularly powerful/disturbing ode to the death penalty.  A lot of MV's lyrics come off as strange and poetic word salad, but occasionally a more profound meaning jumps through for me, and when it does... jesus.  They go some dark places.

Quote

Does your temperature ache?
Is your glass about to break?
Are you purple with current?
Will you now become the servant?
Gordian knots in the power lines
Saucer fills to empty with pesticide
Like the pharaohs of old
Bury me in gold
I'll make your son refuse to fight
In the Stockholm setting that we provide
If your heart does cease to speak
My fingernail choir will make your chalkboard sing

That wailing guitar solo that follows that last line, combined with that last line?  Fucking epic.

[Richie Sombrero]

Bedlam was one of the most instantly fun albums I've ever heard. Those Pridgen drums, damn.

[Richie Sombrero]

First of the De-Loused demos is up on Spotify, apparently it's fantastic. These were leaked originally at the time but have been remixed/remastered I believe.

I'm gonna wait for the vinyl though as it'll be huge for me to hear this.

[Zephyr_Nova]

On 3/24/2021 at 12:10 PM, Richie Sombrero said:

Bedlam was one of the most instantly fun albums I've ever heard. Those Pridgen drums, damn.

Yeah, that guy's on another level.  I like that his nickname is "Perpetual Solo", which is pretty apt.  For most projects that's not really what you want from a drummer, but in a Mars Volta context it... fulfills its destiny.

[splesh]

I used to absolutely love these guys' first three albums. Will need to relisten sometime in the near future. Saw them live during the Bedlam in Goliath tour but the venue sucked and I wasn't in a good place those days and seem to remember things declining sharply starting around that time for my own tastes.

This boxset seems way above and beyond what I can imagine ever wanting but to each their own. I think I'd still like them a bunch because they have such a rollicking, fun times sound, though I would no longer have teenage pretensions of their music being far superior to other rock or anything along those lines, y'know?

Edited March 29, 2021 by splesh

[Zephyr_Nova]

In terms of musical complexity it is superior to most rock music... but there's of course much more to appreciate in music than complexity, and so much rock music is great for being direct and simple in its execution.  But yeah, I listen to just about any Mars Volta track and feel ashamed at my comparative lack of proficiency on any instrument.