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MMJ "evil urges" vs. Iron and wine "shepherds dog"

newwetkojaknewwetkojak Posts: 62
edited June 2008 in Other Music
evil urges sure is getting alot of high praise from fans and from critics... a classic album with an amazing flow from beginning to end with beautiful musicianship and stunning lyrics. the thing is, those are the very things that blew me away with iron and wine's "the shepherd's dog" and i just am not feeling that these words really describe "evil urges".

if you love evil urges, or even if you hate it, make goddamn sure you own "the shepherd's dog," imo the best album of the last decade. it's more intelligent and soulful and spiritual and inventive and unique than anything else out there. high praise indeed.
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Comments

  • brainofPjBbrainofPjB Posts: 57
    'evil urges' is suspect at best...no where close to the hype it was/is getting...and if anyone disagrees, then you're fooling yourself. Lyrics are garbage, music is too cheesy at times. Sounds like a bad Who concept album with Prince cameos. A couple tracks stand out but overall it lacks the usual punch of an MMJ records...probably because the reverb is missing....and Jim James' normal singing voice...and the great intros/build up to every other song in their catalog.

    "shepard's dog" is a great album, not the best in the last decade though...no where close. 'S.D.' is like mmj's 'Z' though really. A little more of an experiment, but great following Woman King....lets hope Sam Beam does better to follow it up though than Jim James did after 'Z'.

    in short, the reason you're not having the same feeling with "Evil Urges" is because it is in fact lackluster.
    What?!? No, We can't stop here, this is bat country.
  • digsterdigster Posts: 1,293
    brainofPjB wrote:
    'evil urges' is suspect at best...no where close to the hype it was/is getting...and if anyone disagrees, then you're fooling yourself. Lyrics are garbage, music is too cheesy at times.

    I love posts that make blanket statements like this without any way of backing them up. I happen to like Evil Urges; tell me exactly how it is I'm going about fooling myself.
  • JellyrollsJellyrolls Posts: 523
    Because I like 'Evil Urges,' I am a fool? That statement actually makes you the fool. I would love to know what it really is about Evil Urges that people do not like. I guess people don't like to allow a band to go a different direction.
  • gleemonexgleemonex Posts: 848
    The only connection I see between Evil Urges and The Shepherd's Dog is that both bands tried to do grow and do something new. The Shepherd's Dog is a very positive step for Iron & Wine, and Evil Urges is quite a step backwards for My Morning Jacket.
    “Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies — ‘God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.’” - Kurt Vonnegut
  • brainofPjBbrainofPjB Posts: 57
    first, take out It Still Moves and Z. Listen to them and then listen to Evil Urges. If you still think Evil Urges is good then take out the lyric book and read the lyrics: particularly, "Highly Supiscious" "sec Walkin", "Two Halves", "Look at YOu" "Aluminum Park" and even "Librarian" particularly in the lines "Simple little bookworm-buried underneath...is the sexiest librarian...take off those glasses and let down your hair for me." that just makes me cringe reading it letting alone listening to Jim James sing it. Then actually listen to the cd..."Evil Urges" is a good tune, especially the breakdown in the middle..."I'm Amazed" is real good and "Shootin' from Smokin'" isn't bad. The rest is suspect MMJ work and you are fooling yourself.
    What?!? No, We can't stop here, this is bat country.
  • JellyrollsJellyrolls Posts: 523
    brainofPjB wrote:
    first, take out It Still Moves and Z. Listen to them and then listen to Evil Urges. If you still think Evil Urges is good then take out the lyric book and read the lyrics: particularly, "Highly Supiscious" "sec Walkin", "Two Halves", "Look at YOu" "Aluminum Park" and even "Librarian" particularly in the lines "Simple little bookworm-buried underneath...is the sexiest librarian...take off those glasses and let down your hair for me." that just makes me cringe reading it letting alone listening to Jim James sing it. Then actually listen to the cd..."Evil Urges" is a good tune, especially the breakdown in the middle..."I'm Amazed" is real good and "Shootin' from Smokin'" isn't bad. The rest is suspect MMJ work and you are fooling yourself.
    Haha. You, my friend, are a fucking idiot.
  • brainofPjBbrainofPjB Posts: 57
    well then enlighten me as to how this is a good record
    What?!? No, We can't stop here, this is bat country.
  • JellyrollsJellyrolls Posts: 523
    brainofPjB wrote:
    well then enlighten me as to how this is a good record
    Listen to the album instead of reading pitchfork magazine.
  • brainofPjBbrainofPjB Posts: 57
    First, I do own the cd...thus having access to the lyric book. Second, sorry if my man from Pitchfork speaks the truth. Third, I was taking you seriously until I read that you thought Sigur Ros was boring...sorry, you're credibility is lost. Fourth, why don't you actually listen to the album and tell me why its good.
    What?!? No, We can't stop here, this is bat country.
  • xSmackSoundxxSmackSoundx Posts: 479
    I like both but Evil Urges doesn't even come CLOSE... I mean The Shepherds dog is leaps and bounds above anything MMJ has EVER done.
  • JellyrollsJellyrolls Posts: 523
    I tend to like a band that changes and tries different things from previous albums. If you like a band to stay the exact same, that is up to you. Btw, did pitchfork also tell you to like the new sigur ros album?
  • brainofPjBbrainofPjB Posts: 57
    Five, I just read the Pitchfork review and aside from mentioning Prince and not liking the album our reviews aren't that similar.
    What?!? No, We can't stop here, this is bat country.
  • brainofPjBbrainofPjB Posts: 57
    I'm still waiting for the reasons you like the cd....I'm actually off to buy Sigur Ros' new album...I'll let you know if Pitchfork was right.
    What?!? No, We can't stop here, this is bat country.
  • digsterdigster Posts: 1,293
    brainofPjB wrote:
    well then enlighten me as to how this is a good record

    Why? I don't really need to justify it; besides, your reasons for disliking the album don't really suffice. The music is very good, and far better than you're giving them credit for. In fact, I'd say you're just fooling yourself when you say you don't like it.
  • 1STmammal2wearPants1STmammal2wearPants Worcester, MA Posts: 2,948
    both are awesome albums, but both are completely different albums.......like comparin apples to oranges. and mmj live blows many bands right out of the water with their sheer energy and jim's stage presence. touch me pt. 2, evil urges, librarian, i'm amazed are all mmj classics.

    by far the best band I saw at bonnaroo, and the new live stuff sounded amazing. sorry ya don't like the album, but it's fucking awesome in my opinion.
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  • intodeepintodeep Posts: 7,240
    We all have opinions on what we like and what is good, but i tend to agree. Evil Urges is way overblown like most MMJ albums are.

    I like songs off all their albums but the only whole album i enjoy is Z. Evil Urges is the same as the others some great songs and some i coudl care less about.

    shepards dog by iron and wine on the other hands is a really good ablum from start to finish.

    MMJ lyrics have always been bad but as some have pointed out this record they stand out even worse then before. For me the lyrics are what keep MMJ from climbing my list of favorite bands and this record is loaded with things that just grind on me.
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  • South of SeattleSouth of Seattle West Seattle Posts: 10,724
    For me MMJ is just not a studio type band. I often find myself never listening to their albums. However when they come around, I will always go see the live show. The songs have so much more life live.

    Half the new album sounds like Christopher Cross to me.

    Tell me this doesn't sound like this
    NERDS!
  • LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSunLikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun Posts: 6,097
    yeah i agree. MMJ is a live band. their albums dont do much for me, but a few songs are good. But live they are incredible.


    and Sec Walkin is he worst song i've heard since 1979. surely it has to be a parody.
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