"Thunder And Consolation" Made Me Stop Buying NMA Records For Six Years!

[Space]

Being a huge NMA fan I bought all their singles, and lps when they were released. Then came "Thunder and Consolation." I bought it, played it...and didn't buy another NMA record for six long years.

Things did not get off to a good start right off the bat with that album.  The opening track "I Love The World" with its endlessly repeating "I love the world, I love the world" as its chorus I found to be bad, very bad. But then came the real knife in my back: "Green and Grey." The first time that song came on my turntable my jaw dropped. The opening was "Roundabout" by Yes! I HATE Yes! With "The Acoustic E.P." I realized that New Model Army were hippies, but now with the intro to "Green and Grey" I learned that New Model Army were prog rockers! Copping licks from Yes's "Roundabout." Prog rockers....I need a break from this band.

So the next NMA record I bought was six years later "The Love Of Hopeless Causes."

(I admit that I now highly rate "Thunder and Consolation." Masterpiece of an album. But the opening to "Green and Grey" is still "Roundabout.")

[Shush]

"Thunder and Consolation." certainly is a masterpiece. It is always nice when the band pay tribute to it and the other 1980's albums when playing live. But, "Thunder and Consolation." was a quarter of a century ago.

The band in recent years have made several equally fine albums. The band is not a retro band that need to rely on past glories and have consistently followed on with work of equal merit. I have always got the impression from NMA that the most important album is always the latest one. The best album ever will always be the next one.

Such an attitude gives the band freedom to continue to write and perform excellent music and perform as one of the best live acts around.

"Thunder and Consolation." was indeed an excellent chapter, but the NMA book is long and just keeps getting better 

[Space]

The thing about "Thunder and Consolation" was that upon initial listenings I did not like it at all. But something about it kept drawing me back to it. It took a long while but eventually it all clicked with me and I now do see it as the band's finest album.

I am having a similar experience with "Dog and Wolf." Man, first listenings were tough. There was nothing there that was opening up and letting me in. It actually took the live stuff on "Wine and Blood" to get me into "Dog and Wolf" and now I am seeing that "Dog and Wolf" really is a very strong album. 

[Willard]

I had the same reaction to Thunder and Consolation, in that it made me wary of buying further albums of NMA.  However, my worry was that they would not be able to make another album of that quality, and I would end up disappointed with the group. 

Well, that sure didn't happen!

[Amandistan]

But then came the real knife in my back: "Green and Grey." The first time that song came on my turntable my jaw dropped. The opening was "Roundabout" by Yes! I HATE Yes! With "The Acoustic E.P." I realized that New Model Army were hippies, but now with the intro to "Green and Grey" I learned that New Model Army were prog rockers! Copping licks from Yes's "Roundabout." Prog rockers....I need a break from this band.

Actually it sounded nothing like progressive rock. It's more of a folk song. I also know the song round-about and it sounds nothing like Green and Grey. The guitar part may have some similar chords but it does not sound like that. The roundabout track is keyboard and electric guitar if i remember.

From what I gather, you have mostly criticized the band's music. The early stuff was good but NMA has now developed into a more in-depth band, both lyrically and musically. I like every album but the ones after Strange Brotherhood have done the most for me emotionally.   

I seem to get the impression that you have no desire to give some of the newer albums a chance.

[Master Ray]

I think Space is talking about how much he likes BDAW...

Personally, if I was going to give a 'newbie' an NMA CD to get to grips with, it'd be Impurity... I've said before that I like it more than T+C.  Be interested to hear what Space thinks about that one.

This is an unpopular opinion for many NMA fans, but I was rather disappointed by 'The Love Of Hopeless Causes', as I think I've said before... some great tracks but, quite frankly, the various b-sides blew many of the proper album tracks away, IMO.  Mind you, I utterly love 'Strange Brotherhood', which even Justin has said that he isn't that fond of...

It's all in the ears and the mind.

[Heno]

i like all the early albums

and i love the green and the grey

and why anyone would want to compare it to other music and then say they didn't like it because of that association is beyond me. everyone knows the nma strive to bring something new each and every time. and they tend to deliver.

i guess the disappointment for me is that space knew a song by yes and decided to share that fact here.

[Guillaume]

Weird opinions here because it seems that for many, the overall consensus is that NMA's Masterpiece is "Thunder and consolation" , and their biggest selling album ever too.
I loved the album when i first listened to it in the early 90's, in high school and i still love it today...the songs, the moods, the lyrics, the sound, the cover,the booklet, everything!

[Space]

Guillaume, yes, I would agree that "Thunder and Consolation" may be NMA's high point. Very strong songs, mature, different styles...a great album. Just saying when I first played it, it sure didn't reach out to me. I had to work hard to get into that album. There are some weak songs on the album ("Archway Towers," "I Love The World" with its incessant "I love the world, I love the world" chorus) and "Inheritance" was way too odd for me to grasp at first. A song with just drums? Never heard anything like that before. (Years later I actually took my guitar and laid guitar chords over it. Made it a better tune.) But, overall, I and most others would say that "Thunder and Consolation" is probably NMA's strongest album.

As for the follow-up album "Impurity," well, that album has two of NMA's greatest songs: "Space" and "Lurhstaap." The other ten songs on the album could be crap and the album would still be great simply because of those two masterpieces. But the other ten songs aren't crap. Some good stuff on "Impurity." It does weaken in the middle with "Marrakesh," "Lust For Power," and "Bury The Hatchet;" but the rest of the album is a blast to listen to. Probably their last great album until 2014's "Dog and Wolf." That's 24 years of just blah albums. Man, the first ten years of NMA's career were just one top album, one top single after another. Those were the days.

[jackroadkill]

A song with just drums? Never heard anything like that before. (Years later I actually took my guitar and laid guitar chords over it. Made it a better tune.)

I'll still be chuckling about that this time next week.

[Red]

I did when I first read it but resisted the temptation to comment just in case we wanted to chat about red or brown sauce again

Got to laugh though

[Master Ray]

I have to say that I don't listen to TandC much nowadays... mainly because I've listened to it a thousand times and can play it back in my head, note perfect, anytime I want!  It is a truly great album and such a fan favourite...

Those same songs LIVE... that's a different story...

[Shush]

Maybe Space can post a Youtube performance of this "better" version of  Inheritance.

That I would love to see 

[Master Ray]

To be fair to Space... this is ******* awesome...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ch-SZkfd-E

 

[Amandistan]

Marrakesh is one of the most beautiful and emotionally moving songs on the album. Bury the Hatchet is also good.

Sorry but i find it difficult to not argue with claiming this track is weak. It's luckily not a hard-rock track and more often than not the softer songs are the best NMA tracks.

I don't even want to read your opinions on Navigating by the Stars as It's one of my top albums ever and not rock.