Customer Reviews

This Is a Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Did you ever buy one of those albums that, after owning it for a few weeks, you realize you haven't even heard 3/4 of the songs yet? Reason being, at least in the case of albums like "This Is A Long Drive...", you've gotton so much enjoyment out of just the first few songs you haven't felt a need to listen to the rest of the material yet. These are The Great Records, and I can count the number that I've listened to on one hand.

In all honesty, "Dramamine", "Breakthrough", and "Custom Concern" (tracks 1, 2, and 3) were on constant repeat in my car CD player for over a week before I even thought about listening to anything else, and even though I've moved on to the rest of the album since then, I think these three epitomize everything fascinating and wonderful about Modest Mouse. Moving from the trance-inducing "Dramamine" to the gleefully psychotic "Breakthrough" to the yearning country twang of "Custom Concern" is a disarmingly impressive flex of musical range, and these kids pull it off almost flawlessly.

Given the quality of "This Is A Long Drive...", it's suprising that Modest Mouse didn't find critical success until the release of it's follow-up "The Lonesome Crowded West". It's possible that because of this, "This Is A Long Drive..." has been excluded from indie-rock fans' "must buy" lists. Well put it on there mister, because you must buy this album.

Modest Mouse changed my life. Well, that may be a bit of a hyperbole, but I am truly grateful to have been introduced to this band. I have never been a fan of avant-garde/indie rock; my music taste has typically been one of hip-hop, electronic, trip-hop, classic rock, jazz, and classical. This band was introduced to me by a friend, and initially I couldn't stand them (Isaac Brock's whiny voice). However, a few songs would play on random mode in iTunes, and I slowly grew accustomed to them. Modest Mouse rocks.

This is probably one of the most appropriately titled albums I have encountered in a while. It really manages to give you the feeling that you're out on an open road without anything substantial to think about. And that's not a bad thing. It's a distant and wandering sound. Long Drive can sound incredibly neurotic, with their twangy and chaotic guitar rhythms along with Brock's unstable voice. But the genius of MM is that the neurotic sound all falls together and manages to make sense, beautiful sense. Long Drive isn't nearly as polished or accessible as The Moon and Antarctica or Good News for People Who Love Bad News, but in no way does that discount the greatness of Long Drive. I recommend this album without any real reservations. But as one should do with any music, listen to this album without projecting any preconceived notions about what good music should sound like.

Here is what I have to say: This is my favorite Modest Mouse album. This album captures to total perfection what it feels like to be sad and cold but at the same time filled with a sweet appreciation for your own existence. There is such a fantastic reality to be found here. This will always be at the top for me. There is a good section of my life in which this is the definitive soundtrack. The music can be so bare but masterfull it makes you want to scream. Like living in a sparse cold room that you still find beautiful. If you want good music then, here, take this.

Modest Mouse, for many years, was one of America's unknown treasures. Now with the huge MTV hit "Float On" they have grabbed the attention of many novice music fans. This Album is a valuble part of my catalogue and I highly recommend it. Although it is a lot more raw than more recent releases I think it have wide appeal to anyone looking for great offbeat music.

When I first listened to this CD, I have to admit I turned it right off. I was brand new to Modest Mouse; I had only heard their 'Good News' cd and this older, rougher, less popish Modest Mouse did not appeal to me. It sounded too 'screechy', too noisy, just not something I could deal with. This is because sometimes Isaac's voice just needs some getting used to. He can sing low, but he seems to enjoy singing very high, and some people just can't get used to that.

Thankfully I have adapted, and all of his words are sweet music to me.

This CD isn't for anyone who, like myself at once, have only heard the 'Good News' CD. Please go try 'Moon & Antarctica' first. In fact, it's really best to do all the CDs backwards. Doing this allows you to 'ease' into Modest Mouse's older music. And my god is it worth it.

Their lyrics are beautiful, the songs are great, and to be honest almost everything of their old songs are so much greater than their newest CD. This CD has some highly addictive songs with catchy lyrics and funky beats that just make you want to sing along, provided you can catch all the words your first listen-through.

So while this CD is not for everyone, it is definitely something you should look into if you think you have gotten comfortable with Modest Mouse's older sound. If you can get past that, then this CD is a gem.

One band that no one has compared this album to is Sonic Youth, and in particular, Washing Machine to Thousand Leaves-era. It is also very simlar to the late great Slint (see their magnum opus "Spiderland" if you don't already know about it). THe dark, abstract, unorthodox, and from what sounds like detuned sound is strongly reminesecent of these infamous bands. It's really nothing like the slightly more normal yet still warped and deranged brand of pop music they are currently making with Good News. This sound is a more raw, hopeless, angry, melancholy sound that can be simultaneously transcendant and psychadelic, all in all a highly emotional and surreal sound that is anything but typical. It can even be scary at times, espescially with the meandering instrumental bits and Isacc's wild vocals. THe comparisons to the Pixies and Pavement are also right-on. So if you wanna get a glimpse of Modest before they became more 'accessible', give this a listen. Some will like them more, others will be turned away by the abrasiveness, but in any respect, it will probably make them say 'This is the same band?' (By the way, let the song 'Dramamine' be an inspiration to all you 'experimenters' out there....)

After searching countless record stores for this cd I finally found This is a Long Drive... a few nights ago at Borders...BORDERS! I thought that nothing could top Lonesome Crowded West, and I was proved wrong. This is truly a masterpiece, each track is its own little world you can listen to countless times and still be lost in the amazing riffs and beautiful lyrics. Even if you're not a Modest Mouse fan (and if you aren't, something is wrong with you man) this cd is a necessity.

Though I don't remember the day or year, I'll always remember how I felt the first time this played through my speakers. The way I thought the first song ("Dramamine") was unearthly beautiful...then the way every song after that blended into each other and I wasn't sure WHAT the hell that noise was.

During song #2 I remember thinking, "Wow...this guy has a really distinct way of screaming through his nose." By the time song #4 came on, I'd decided it was the dirtiest piece of music I'd ever listened to. Not dirty as in immoral, but dirty as in it literally felt like I was scrubbing my ears against a metal washboard. 70 minutes of "Long Drive" was too much at first. It was raw. Not just unpolished, but RAW - in a way I thought might crack the CD if I played it too fast.

My impression was how horrible it was. Yet I listened to it again. Then just once more. Then once more after that. Suddenly it didn't sound so dirty anymore, and I began questioning my judgement of it. If this is so bad, why am I liking it so much?

I was lucky enough to see Modest Mouse live in 2006 and they opened the show with "Dramamine" and I thought I might have been dreaming. Considering how bad I thought it was initially, this album has long since become one of the best things in my life. Lay on your back, turn the volume up, and watch how the whole world turns as navy blue as the album cover. I'd give this 10 out of 5.

This is a long drive for someone with nothing to think about but it sure is one hell of a ride. The album is 70+ minutes long and its not easy to listen to the whole thing in one sitting, so you might think that its a little too long, but there isn't one song that I would remove from this album. It's simply one of the most amazing things I've ever heard;the mood, the sound, the lyrics are all very gripping and very intense. But of course this album isn't for everyone, I really suggest that anyone interested in buying this album listen to the samples first. You have to listen to Dramamine; beautiful intoduction probably my favorite song in this album. Definetely a great album for anyone who's just a little 'out there.'

I unbelievably worked a graveyard shift for an entire year. Start at 10pm, veggie burrito from Benito's 24hr stand for "lunch", out at 6:30am. My internal clock was jacked, but the nights were peaceful, no traffic to deal with, and the office let me play music.

Played my share of Modest Mouse that year, and this was my favorite. The calm hop of Breakthrough's lyrics, "Open the curtain and let in the sky, it's almost half past 2am, you can tell by the light" take on better meaning when it's actually 2am and you're stuck pounding on a computer keyboard.

I appreciate the way Novacain Stain tackles bad land-use development and our short-term memory when corporate chains roll over the little guy. "No I don't like this change of pace."

Starbuck's may have bulldozed the great Daddy's Taco Stand, One Hour Oil and Lube may have killed the Big Tommy's on Santa Monica Blvd, but I won't forget. And Benito's rocks on.