They are exactly why it is top 3 imo.
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Respect.
I can be an internet asshole (audio-snob, etc…). No real offense intended.
And i don’t totally disagree about sound quality…
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It depends on your musical tastes as well as what you value in an era vs others. For m, more improv doesn’t automatically make a year better than another. For example I prefer 08 stylistically over 07 pretty significantly. But while 2019 certainly has a lot of jamming, that’s not particularly why I like it so much. It’s the style of jamming that IMO is both tight and loose in the right places for my tastes, and the sets flow better overall.
For me old UM is not quite as tight musically (you could say that’s a result of taking more risks although I don’t necessarily agree with that) and not quite as loose stylistically (often feeling robotically attached to a motif or bounce back and rigidly glued to a medium intensity for a long time just to stretch things out). I get that you could make the exact opposite argument depending on what you like in your improv. The creativity seems to have somewhat shifted from structure in the 06-08 era to more moment to moment creativity in the more recent years.
What is less subjective is that the members of the band other than maybe Jake are just much better at their instruments now and that shines through in the jams IMO.
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I would say that while “classic era” UM is definitely a little less polished sounding, they played a little faster and there was a more effortless feeling to the way they played through their more complex songs.
I would also say that Jake’s playing back then was a little more pleasing to the ears and the ferocity with which they brought home big peaks is definitely unmatched by current UM.
It kind of also depends on what you are in the mood for. 07-08 UM jams are more relaxed and patient and are very enjoyable to work or walk to, while 2019 UM is a bit more three-dimensional and textured and musically interesting, and definitely heavier if you are looking for that vibe.
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Listening to old Jake is significantly more appealing than listening to modern Jake
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Conversely, modern Bayliss, Joel, Jake and Andy are all way way better to listen to. And Kris has kinda just always been Kris but I’d say he’s a little better now.
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Also everybody but Jake has hugely benefited from the clarity of Chris Mitchell’s mixes compared to KB. I love Kris’ drum tone on old tapes (and just generally love the sound of the analog desk KB used pre-09), but it’s crystal clear and powerful as hell now.
On topic:
I love the 4/10/09 Wappy. Locks into a pretty great groove and just slowly builds without a real peak
Disagree. Outside of the sound quality, nothing about modern UM is as appealing (to me) as “Classic” UM. The style, the jams, the segues. Really everything. That said, I am just a wook who likes to party and dance, so I would not trust me over someone who just like to stand with a stick up their ass and arms folded thinking about how Joel sounds better than he did in 07.
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I wish Jake would ditch his Oldfield amp and get something that still chugs but is less grating.
The Marshall sounds so much better than the Oldfield.
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BB is way too quiet in a lot of Chris’s mixes compared to pre-2011.
I actually think Brendan’s playing used to be much more fluid.
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Marshall, Friedman, Verellen…there are so many amp makers with high gain options that don’t sound like @ass.
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Ha that wasnt supposed to sound as sassy as it does. But yea, just saying I dont care if its “better” musically, i just care about how it makes me move.
7/15/11 PtP is just…wow!
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8/22/03 N2F > Stew > N2F
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You sounded fucking SASSSY tho.
Also do keep in mind the following:
Shows I attended > Shows I didn’t attend
My least favorite um is overly serious UM. “Musicianship for the Masses” (as they put it) is not my trip at all. If I prioritized musicianship, there are plenty of more mastered artists I could see or listen to. Nobody in UM strikes me as particularly virtuoso besides maybe Kris, and idk enough about drums to know if that’s even true. Someone like Tony Rice plays circles around someone like Jake, but I find a lot of tony rice stuff kind of boring tbh. I’d rather listen to Jake play mullet (over) lol.
I see UM as a group of hardworking and competent musicians, who absolutely crush (IMO) when they relax. I live for bounceback stews and standalone fancy’s. Give me the fuzz, mail package, front porch, reso, and FF every show.
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