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PostPosted: Fri Dec 30, 2005 6:46 am
by Atlantisian
platypusfool wrote:I can sort of (only sort of) see what the original poster is saying. I see AE on the same sort of level as Physicist... they are both incredible, amazing, emotionally involving records that show, in places, Devin's strengths just as much as any of his records. Compared to nearly any other artist they are mindblowing. However, neither compare favourably with anything else he's done (apart from the SYL records IMO, but these stand out on the grounds of sheer brutality, which is enough for them), and cannot reach the level of the transcendental trio of Terria, Ocean Machine and Infinity. Those three albums are just so unbelievably fantastic that of course any record Dev releases must be compared to them, and of course AE cannot stack up.

This is not to say that the 'magic' is gone though - listen to 'Storm' as you reach the top of a hill in gale force winds and you'll feel that magic - it's just that Dev's work will never be quite as astounding unless he matches, or exceeds, the achievements he's made before. We can but hope this happens.


Just about exactly what i think too, compared to other bands, physicist and AE are masterpieces, but they are nowhere near the "transcendental trio" as you like to call them, because... well, lets face it, how is it possible to come up to that standard again? I find that hard to believe... it feels more like Phycisist and AE are albums made by someone trying to make Devin Townsend music and doing it damn well, but you know that it isnt Devin himself who is playing or something.

PostPosted: Sat Dec 31, 2005 12:28 am
by Mudtrailer
Persuader wrote:I think AE is Devs most straight forward and "simple" album, if you catch my drift. It has some _very_ good moments (storm, suicide), some less good parts, but all in all it´s another fine snapshot of Devs life. The good, the bads...


I agree with you 100%
cheers.

PostPosted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 3:22 pm
by brimir
Well, AE is definetaly not his best work although I do find the album to be superb....But Devin has most certainly not lost his magic......Synchestra will convince you of that!!!!

PostPosted: Sun Jan 01, 2006 3:33 pm
by Atari
AE was my first solo Dev album. Still love it.

PostPosted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 2:08 am
by Naffis-kun
A magnificent album.
But it still surprised me for being so "simple". At least when compared to Terria.
And all the songs have the same sound.

PostPosted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 2:27 am
by The Dev
AE is awesome.

PostPosted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 4:23 am
by Persuader
It sure is...Storm is one of my top 5 favourite Devy songs.

PostPosted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 5:05 am
by sj_2150
The Dev wrote:AE is awesome.

HAHA!! YOU LIKE YOU OWN MUSIC!!

PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 7:39 am
by Atlantisian
sj_2150 wrote:
The Dev wrote:AE is awesome.

HAHA!! YOU LIKE YOU OWN MUSIC!!


Thats a definite plus when youre making music... ;)

STORM

PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 8:34 am
by rudidejong
Storm is my nr. 1 DTB-song for sure!
Very emotional.
I just wished the new album had more songs like that. And I mean songs with clearer mixed clean solo-vocals and not the more abstract choirs...

PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 10:42 am
by FUBAR
I love Storm, the most emotional Dev song?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:37 pm
by sj_2150
FUBAR wrote:I love Storm, the most emotional Dev song?

there are a fucking handful dude

PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:06 pm
by Atlantisian
it stands between that one and Unity in my book

PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2006 8:16 am
by chrisslight
The Dev wrote:AE is awesome.


I agree with that guy.

PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2006 5:34 pm
by Carpathian Psychonaut
Took me a little longer to "get" AE than some of the others but, to be honest, I kinda like an album that creeps on you over time.

It's not that the tracks aren't good - far from it. Storm, Suicide and the beeeeeeeaaaautiful Away come to mind without even a second thought. My top ever Dev moment was standing in the front row at Bristol with a certain Mr Townsend right in front of me playing the Away/Deep Peace run, bathed in a cycling deep blue light. How can that not get you ! In fact, I often find that if a random Dev or DTB riff floats through my head unannounced it's one from one of those tracks.

I think what took the time was taking all the individual tracks and kinda getting my head round them as an album.

If Devin was the sort of artist to knock out 3min pop tunes it wouldn't be so hard. You could dip in, listen to a couple and continue on with the shuffle button. I don't find his stuff to inspire that in me though. It's a case of start listening and digest the whole thing. Always has been with all his related stuff.

If you listen to other stuff, even Terria, it has a feel running right through. It's easier to hold the mood in your head and go with it. If you compare something like Suicide and Traveller they're great tracks in their own right but don't naturally sit side by side.

It works though, as you get the swing of each track and now I love it as the others. It's good to pace yourself with some albums though.

There's a guy that posted earlier, The Rev (or something similar) - he seems to have a good bead on the album's standing. :wink: