| Lord Fickle 22.11.2005 11:55 |
Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, the Queen influences have been much proliferated in the hype surrounding this forthcoming release, but has this convinced any Queen fans to buy it on those grounds? Personally, as a lover of rock music in general, and particularly Queen, I am not a fan of the Dorkness, and comparisons between Justin Hawkins and our very own FM simply make me laugh. Do they *really* sound like Queen? I think, definitely, most positively, not, but would be interested to hear what others think. Indeed, there has been talk of Brian (and Roger?) wanting to collaborate with Justin Hawkins. God forbid, could there be a danger of JH stepping into Freddie's shoes, when Paul Rodgers realises the game is up? |
| MRfMERCURY 22.11.2005 12:11 |
Hey stop ragging on justin hawkins hes 3 times more talented than that bum paul rodgers, i think the darkness are the best out today, so kiss justin hawkins ass you little greebo |
| Benn 22.11.2005 12:29 |
I'll definately be buying it - the live shows I've been to of theirs have been some of the most entertaining I've ever been to. Musically, they are great, but lyrically, they struggle. |
| Dicky Heart 22.11.2005 12:54 |
Hmm... I will not buy it.. I downloaded it, and it surprised me.. There are a lot of vocal harmonies and stuff.. but this is not the thing i expected.. |
| Lord Fickle 22.11.2005 13:09 |
MRfMERCURY wrote: Hey stop ragging on justin hawkins hes 3 times more talented than that bum paul rodgers, i think the darkness are the best out today, so kiss justin hawkins ass you little greeboSuch an eloquent contribution to the discussion. Congratulations! Obviously a Darkness fan! |
| john bodega 22.11.2005 13:37 |
I can only think of Ibex when I hear the Darkness. I'll be honest with you. Freddie Mercury was (singing-wise anyway) not anything special in those '69 recordings. Give these guys time. My initial thought when hearing their first album was that they did some interesting things and that the 2nd album would convince me if they were shit or not. I appreciate their sense of humour (especially their videos) and when they played over the road at the Big Day Out (I heard it all for free in my front yard) they were expectionally good, far better than the rest of the crap I heard that day. I know they can get better, their main problems at the moment are; *They claimed at the start that rock was too serious, and that they're purely in it to take the piss. But, we are expected to take them seriously as an act over other people that put their heart and soul into it? I think not. They need to choose - be a 'funny' band, and not be taken seriously, or at least have tongue-in-cheek or whatever... I dunno. *The ego of Justin Hawkins gives me itchy balls I swear. If he were the best singer, or the best guitarist, I'd just say 'yeah, he can afford to be so cocky'. But... everything this band has done, other bands did 30 years ago - and they did it *better*. I know that these guys can give us music that is more individual, more their own thing, because I hear cool stuff in their recordings. But they're caught up in the stale idea that just parodying "Jump" by Van Halen and Brian May's orchestral guitar sound is going to turn people on. *His rock falsetto isn't as good as Roger's. :D They're a brilliant live act. They're pretty spiffy guitarists. But they're not interesting or original enough in my opinion to warrant the attitude they present. And I'm not a critic, I'm a guitarist. I will most certainly listen to the new album because I liked the first one. I am just hoping that my faith in them will be rewarded, and that this album will not be merely as good as the first one, but rather be as good as I know they should be. |
| MRfMERCURY 22.11.2005 13:46 |
Lord Fickle wrote:I suppose i over reacted there, but i feel that most bands today are finding it hard and are struggling, i mean you do 1 thing wrong and people lose there faith in them and think there crap, i mean look at queen and the whole america thing. sorry about the last postMRfMERCURY wrote: Hey stop ragging on justin hawkins hes 3 times more talented than that bum paul rodgers, i think the darkness are the best out today, so kiss justin hawkins ass you little greeboSuch an eloquent contribution to the discussion. Congratulations! Obviously a Darkness fan! |
| Ray D O'Gaga 22.11.2005 15:06 |
I'll be buying it. I don't think they're anything approaching brilliant, but they amuse me. They're not a bunch of sadsacks like a lot of contemporary bands. And they do rock. How hard is a matter of opinion. |
| dixie 22.11.2005 15:29 |
ill buy it. i like the darkness and i dont care what people think. ok i dont think one way ticket is thier best song. but its about 8x better than the other shit in todays music world. they are great live and i will see them again in february |
| Lord Fickle 22.11.2005 16:02 |
@MRfMERCURY - No problem. I just didn't want this to turn into a silly bitching contest!
dixie wrote: i dont think one way ticket is thier best song. but its about 8x better than the other shit in todays music world.Yes, I agree. The Darkness are leagues above most of today's crap, simply because they write their own songs, play their own instruments, and I hope don't take themselves too seriously. Their Christmas single last year was excellent! This thread wasn't intended to be a "Do you or don't you like The Darkness" thread, although, as I have made apparent, I'm not that much of a fan. What I was talking about was the comparisons which have been made to Queen, especially prior to the release of the forthcoming album, and whether Queen fans think this is merited. As I said, personally, I don't think it is, and I don't think JH is *that* good a singer. His falsetto is more like a schoolboy's vocal, *in my opinion*, and isn't particularly suited to the rock vocalist genre, when compared to, say Roger Taylor, Ian Gillan, Glenn Hughes, etc. I think he overdoes it, by singing half a verse in falsetto, for seemingly no apparent reason, other than that he can. |
| sdferertg 22.11.2005 16:49 |
Yes, I'm going to buy it and it will be outstanding and it will rock me out of my pants. I hope. Hmm.. I think it's going to happen :p Yes, I am also a Darkness fan. They are currently the only rock band in the world that can really be called a rock band. They are different than any other band that's out there today. So they are going to make it. I think. I hope. Hmm... I think this is going to happen too :p Ok, serious now. I think The Darkness are just the best of what's out there today, except the stuff that Queen does these days of course. There new album will be great, and it will be influenced by Queen. Beautiful. Houdoe, GaLiLe0 |
| NJQueenFan 22.11.2005 17:26 |
Two points to make here 1) Are they good as Queen? No, no one ever will be. That's no reason to shit on them. 2) Are they better than most of the punk and emo crap that rock has become? Oh yea. The Darkness fucking rock, and I can't wait to hear their new album |
| Haystacks Calhoun 22.11.2005 17:51 |
I downloaded the new single, as well as the two b-sides, off of their website. I must tell you, that the difference between the first record, and these three songs is VAST. Permission to Land was a good record, but was very, very rough around the edges. The three tracks that I heard, The Single, Wanker, and Grief Hammer, are three completely different sounding songs, and all three sound great. Well performed, well produced, and pretty damn cool. Wanker, other that the multi tracked chorus, has NO falsetto in the verses at all, and HORNS!! Grief Hammer is just bizarre. Starts out like an 80's Great White song, then turns into late 70's Kiss, with full falsetto!!! Those who want to piss and moan simply need not buy the record. |
| its_a_hard_life 26994 22.11.2005 18:32 |
I'm buying there new album, woooooohoooooo!!! :P |
| 7Innuendo7 22.11.2005 18:53 |
I'll get it, saw them in '04 and wondered "shouldn't they be using more dry ice...?" |
| Haystacks Calhoun 22.11.2005 20:15 |
First Track, we have all heard... Knockers - Kind of a straight ahead rocker. Lots of slide guitar, Great Harmonies leading up to the chorus. Chorus takes the over the top high stuff to a new level...Single written all over it.... Is It Just Me? - Starts off a steady rocker. Turns Def-Leppard meets Tiny Tim for the Chorus. A dead Brian-May esque solo in this one. Again, great. On second listen I like it even more. The best song Def Leppard never did. Dinner Lady Arms - LOVE IT!!! Great beginning, but I feel that the insane harmonies in the chorus may well kill any single release. Very 80's Def Leppard-ish meets The Cure. The second best song Def Leppard never did. Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time - LOVE IT!! The strings take this one from the top. Think Love Is only a Feeling, only better. Killer Harmonies!!! |
| bleeding heart show 22.11.2005 23:07 |
"Bald" is fucking awesome im really not joking its a really COOL song ! over all i lvoe the album they really matured. im buying the album for sure !! |
| Mr.Jingles 22.11.2005 23:15 |
I already bought every single album by Queen. I don't think I need to buy them again, except this time with a crappy singer. |
| john bodega 22.11.2005 23:20 |
Mr.Jingles wrote: I already bought every single album by Queen. I don't think I need to buy them again, except this time with a crappy singer.That's nice. I must tell you I'm pissed off at these guys now... I've been using horns and strings in my music since I was 17... bastards! |
| Zander05 23.11.2005 00:52 |
I bought their first album so I shall indeed check out their new one. I can see some very small similarities between The Darkness and Queen in the track Friday Night but other than that, no. I'd actually like the idea of a collaboration between Queen+ and Justin. Maybe not a tour, but a few decent covers and maybe some original work. |
| Daburcor? 23.11.2005 02:37 |
I didn't like anything on the first album, but I have enjoyed their new single a good bit. I may end up buying it if there are other songs on it that I like. |
| Haystacks Calhoun 23.11.2005 09:39 |
Hazel Eyes - Begins like a 70's Steve Miller Band out-take. Turns into a great song, with a Thin Lizzy meets the National Lampoon Vacation theme song vibe. Cool.Would make a great single. Bald - A Metallica Black Album out-take? Mashed with AC/DC? Interesting to say the least. Girlfriend - Another T-Rex straight ahead rocker. Very 80's Great White/Cars/ELO sound. You can tell that RTB produced this whole album. English Country Garden - Is ELO still together? Good grief. Jeff Lynne would be proud of this one. Multiple layered vocals, upon layered vocals. Brian May himself could not have done a better solo!!! Blind Man - More Strings. The ballad. Very Jeff Lynne/ELO ish harmonies. Are we sure that Lynne didn't have a hand in parts of this record?? |
| john bodega 23.11.2005 09:43 |
"Brian May himself could not have done a better solo!!!" Ok I'm sure you like the album but let's not get ahead of ourselves. |
| Haystacks Calhoun 23.11.2005 10:14 |
Zebonka12 wrote: "Brian May himself could not have done a better solo!!!" Ok I'm sure you like the album but let's not get ahead of ourselves.The one in English Country Garden? Wait until you hear the song....you will then agree. |
| john bodega 23.11.2005 10:50 |
Meh. I like being proven wrong! :D I'll be getting it soon enough, I'll get back to you. |
| Haystacks Calhoun 23.11.2005 14:20 |
link Listen to the WHOLE ALBUM there... |
| kagezan1313 23.11.2005 15:07 |
I just can't believe Roy Thomas Baker is still alive. In Magic Years, he looked like a walrus in a bad silk shirt. Did he have an extra couple of hearts sewn into his chest to keep him alive and telling his god-awful "galileos" story year after year? |
| Lord Fickle 23.11.2005 15:18 |
kagezan1313 wrote: I just can't believe Roy Thomas Baker is still alive. In Magic Years, he looked like a walrus in a bad silk shirt. Did he have an extra couple of hearts sewn into his chest to keep him alive and telling his god-awful "galileos" story year after year?PMSL!! He's a right old darling isn't he? I have to admit, he looks better these days, than he did back in the mid-80s. |
| zaiga 25.11.2005 14:40 |
I like it. It's not Queen, The Darkness lack their finesse, but at least it's much more entertaining than a lot of other crap music these days. After listening it twice my favorites are "Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time", "Hazel Eyes", "English Country Garden" and "Blind Man". |
| zaiga 25.11.2005 14:40 |
Oh, but at 35 minutes, it's much too short!!! |
| Lord Fickle 25.11.2005 14:50 |
zaiga wrote: Oh, but at 35 minutes, it's much too short!!!Oh, that's a piss take! That's not much longer than some CD Singles. I note this is only £7.99 at play.com. Having read all your replies, I'm even tempted myself, as there's nothing much else out there to buy at the moment. |
| john bodega 25.11.2005 21:03 |
Er... what's only 35 minutes? You'd better not mean the album... that's just too freakin' short! |
| Lord Fickle 26.11.2005 06:33 |
I suppose you could argue that if they only had 35 minutes of decent material, and filled the rest of the CD up with crap (as so many atrists do), there's a point to putting out a short album. In fact, I suppose one could even argue that most Queen albums probably had at least one or two 'fillers' on them, leaving around 35 minutes of strong material. That said, it's still a bit of a let-down these days, when you can get 79 minutes on a CD! |
| john bodega 26.11.2005 06:38 |
Well... the shortness says something about how much music they have in them :P |
| The Fonz 27.11.2005 22:22 |
It's the best Queen album in the last 10 years. |
| Cwazy little thing 28.11.2005 13:10 |
Got it, love it. The shortness is basically because they were, in their words, making a vinyl album, and the length represents this. The first album was similar in length. I think they intend to get back into the studio much faster after this one - probably a good thing! |
| bitesthedust 28.11.2005 15:29 |
I've listened to it twice... aside from One Way Ticket, my favourites are Is It Just Me, Dinner Lady Arms & Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time... |
| NOTWMEDDLE 02.12.2005 01:25 |
The Darkness should have a second singer. Many great bands had multiple singers in the band for variety. The Eagles had Don Henley(dominant voice from 1975 on), Glenn Frey(dominant voice in early days), Joe Walsh and Timothy B Schmit(each only two vocals in Eagles tenure), Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon(both key singers in early days) Triumph had two singers. Rik Emmett had the high-pitched nasal voice and then Gil Moore had a more rocking voice. Styx had THREE SINGERS in its hey-day of Dennis DeYoung majestic voice, the rocking voice of Tommy Shaw and screaming of James Young. Supertramp were great as you had the nasal tenor of Roger Hodgson and the raspy baritone of Rick Davies. Pink Floyd let's not forget with the heavenly voice of David Gilmour(from 1968 onward), the laid back quiet voice from Rick Wright, the quiet croon and angry snarls of Roger Waters and whimiscal delivery from a pre-crazy Syd Barrett. |
| Benn 02.12.2005 07:47 |
Lyrically, the album is an absolute shocker. There's absolutely NOTHING of substance in there. I could forgive them for Permission To Land, but I would have thought that they would have grown up a bit and tried a bit harder to write challenging lyrics instead of "Oh crumbs, I'm all thumbs" etc. Musically though, it's great - reliant a bit too heavily on the harmonised / layerd vocals / guitars, but they still rock. 6/10 from a Darkness fan. |
| Ray D O'Gaga 02.12.2005 11:27 |
Its a fun brainless rock album. I enjoyed it, much more than I thought I would. |
| PieterMC 02.12.2005 12:12 |
I really like "Is It Just Me?" and "Knockers". "Girlfriend" has really grown on me. I did not like it the first time I heard it. |
| Erin 02.12.2005 12:19 |
I WAS going to listen to it today, but SOMEBODY took the CD to work with him....:-P |
| PieterMC 02.12.2005 12:20 |
:-(((((((((( |
| tollund man 19.06.2006 20:50 |
THIS GOES TO LORD FUCKIE who dares talk shit about the darkness,let me tell u just a couple of things, QUEEN is really one of the best bands of all time , but you got to admit that THE DARKNESS REALLY ROCKS and is the best there is as far as actual rock goes |
| Donna13 21.06.2006 12:01 |
I thought there was a new album (based on the topic heading)! |
| PieterMC 21.06.2006 13:24 |
Umm yeah but this topic was started last November. |
| john bodega 22.06.2006 02:07 |
tollund man wrote: THIS GOES TO LORD FUCKIE who dares talk shit about the darkness,let me tell u just a couple of things, QUEEN is really one of the best bands of all time , but you got to admit that THE DARKNESS REALLY ROCKS and is the best there is as far as actual rock goesCurse of the Tollund Man was a good song. But they aren't that good. If they want to impress, they've got to diversify and do something different. They're just too "samey" at the moment - different from everything else, fair enough, but sticking to the formula of their own devising. I'd like to hear more from them but I hope it's better. |
| Donna13 22.06.2006 11:06 |
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| Donna13 22.06.2006 11:23 |