can't fuddy the duddy

 Nah

Quote from: The Lord Tape Measure on November 14, 2015, 11:02:03 PM

How is it possible you actually like one of my favorite albums ever

Why

How

I can only imagine we interpret the record in very different ways.

I'm actually very interested to hear how you interpret it

I'm actually very interested to hear how you interpret it

I tend to agree with what I believe is the common perception of what the album is about--the beginning and end of the world.

"Storm" is very joyous and beautiful at first. The first two movements (the title movement and "Gathering Storm") make me think of a child discovering the world for the first time, enjoying the splendor of nature, meeting other people who are just as happy and as excited as you are, and just having fun.

Then things take a dark turn, of course, at the end of the second movement (Clatters Like Worry)--this is where humanity's bad side gets introduced, and I view it as the antagonist of the record. This part makes me think of just rape and murder and pillaging and all sorts of unpleasant shit. So now we have our whole world and everyone in it musically illustrated in less than twenty minutes, which I think is amazing.

"Static" makes me think of adolescence, and the angst that comes with it. At this point, a lot of people start becoming upset at all the world's atrocities, and they want to start doing something about it--even if destruction is inevitable (which I think the movement "Atomic Clock" implies). "Chart #3" (the incredibly sad movement with the violins and the distorted preachings of a woman in a church) is the realization of this inevitability, and the hopelessness that comes out of it.

"World Police and Friendly Fire," however, is probably the most important--and musically, it's my favorite movement o the record. This part is the manifestation of anger--at the world, at society, and everything else--something that adolescence tend to go through as well. This part could also be interpreted as the process of finally acting upon your anger in some way--at least, that's what the end makes me think. The song just keeps boiling and boiling, and it takes forever to reach its climax, and when it does, it's almost nightmarish--I love it.

"Sleep" is my favorite movement on the record. We've sort of delved into adulthood/old age here. Musically, this is probably the most depressing on the album, for obvious reasons. Murray Ostril's reminiscing of how Coney Island used to be gets me every time. "Monheim" is a wonderful piece, and even though it's also incredibly sad, I don't really think it sounds hopeless like "Chart #3"--especially because, towards the end, the music starts picking up a little bit, as if there's still a little hope left to be had for the world and the people in it. Or perhaps, more depressingly, old age is going to finally lead to your death--and therefore, you'll be closer to heaven.

Heaven's in the title, after all--it's probably not far out there to claim that heaven is the final destination of the album. "Antennas to Heaven," the last track, is kinda bizarre, and I'm not sure what to think of it. It's my least favorite just because of how weird it is, but there's still a few cool moments, like on "She Dreamt She Was a Bulldozer". Thematically, however, I think this part is about either having become so old, all you have left is to reminisce about stuff you did in the past, like Murray Ostril (hence all those lo-fi recordings at the beginning of the song). Alternatively, it could be about having died, and these are the sorts of things you hear when you're going to heaven. I dunno, it's a tough one to pick apart.

TL;DR
The world's creation, childhood, adolescence, humanity's purpose, adulthood, old age, death, and the apocalypse.

The album has an incredibly pessimistic outlook on humanity, so I'm naturally drawn to it.
The apocalyptic vibes are almost undeniable.

This and NIN's The Fragile are the only two records I'd ever give a 10/10 to.

Quote from: The Lord Tape Measure on November 14, 2015, 11:04:46 PM

I'm actually very interested to hear how you interpret it

I tend to agree with what I believe is the common perception of what the album is about--the beginning and end of the world.

"Storm" is very joyous and beautiful at first. The first two movements (the title movement and "Gathering Storm") make me think of a child discovering the world for the first time, enjoying the splendor of nature, meeting other people who are just as happy and as excited as you are, and just having fun.

Then things take a dark turn, of course, at the end of the second movement (Clatters Like Worry)--this is where humanity's bad side gets introduced, and I view it as the antagonist of the record. This part makes me think of just rape and murder and pillaging and all sorts of unpleasant shit. So now we have our whole world and everyone in it musically illustrated in less than twenty minutes, which I think is amazing.

"Static" makes me think of adolescence, and the angst that comes with it. At this point, a lot of people start becoming upset at all the world's atrocities, and they want to start doing something about it--even if destruction is inevitable (which I think the movement "Atomic Clock" implies). "Chart #3" (the incredibly sad movement with the violins and the distorted preachings of a woman in a church) is the realization of this inevitability, and the hopelessness that comes out of it.

"World Police and Friendly Fire," however, is probably the most important--and musically, it's my favorite movement o the record. This part is the manifestation of anger--at the world, at society, and everything else--something that adolescence tend to go through as well. This part could also be interpreted as the process of finally acting upon your anger in some way--at least, that's what the end makes me think. The song just keeps boiling and boiling, and it takes forever to reach its climax, and when it does, it's almost nightmarish--I love it.

"Sleep" is my favorite movement on the record. We've sort of delved into adulthood/old age here. Musically, this is probably the most depressing on the album, for obvious reasons. Murray Ostril's reminiscing of how Coney Island used to be gets me every time. "Monheim" is a wonderful piece, and even though it's also incredibly sad, I don't really think it sounds hopeless like "Chart #3"--especially because, towards the end, the music starts picking up a little bit, as if there's still a little hope left to be had for the world and the people in it. Or perhaps, more depressingly, old age is going to finally lead to your death--and therefore, you'll be closer to heaven.

Heaven's in the title, after all--it's probably not far out there to claim that heaven is the final destination of the album. "Antennas to Heaven," the last track, is kinda bizarre, and I'm not sure what to think of it. It's my least favorite just because of how weird it is, but there's still a few cool moments, like on "She Dreamt She Was a Bulldozer". Thematically, however, I think this part is about either having become so old, all you have left is to reminisce about stuff you did in the past, like Murray Ostril (hence all those lo-fi recordings at the beginning of the song). Alternatively, it could be about having died, and these are the sorts of things you hear when you're going to heaven. I dunno, it's a tough one to pick apart.

TL;DR
The world's creation, childhood, adolescence, humanity's purpose, adulthood, old age, death, and the apocalypse.

The album has an incredibly pessimistic outlook on humanity, so I'm naturally drawn to it.
The apocalyptic vibes are almost undeniable.

This and NIN's The Fragile are the only two records I'd ever give a 10/10 to.

My interpretation is the same in the sense that it's about the birth and death of something, but rather than the world as a whole, the life of an individual. This would make the end make more sense with the ambient music - growing old, and reminiscing about the life you lead and coming to peace with it all. The last two parts more or less seem to me like a peaceful passing and the journey of the soul from the body. "She Dreamt She was a Bulldozer" is one of my favorite parts, actually. Basically seems like we hold a close interpretation of the album with exception to particulars in the end.

Overall, one of my favorites that I would recommend anyone to listen to. I listen to parts of it when I can on the way to and from work.