So... classic or dud? Emergency & I is a flat-out classic, and it's because of the band's (and Travis') maturing songwriting skills; they became far more consistent at writing good pop (whatever that means) songs, instead of only writing noisy, thrashy indie rock. Their earlier records have their moments, but I wouldn't recommend them to people who didn't already love Emergency and were used to more indie rock.
The comments about the Plan being emo are misguided, I think. Don't be fooled by them. The Plan are one of the most open-minded bands, musically speaking, that I can think of, and it shows in their music. I can't really say the same for any of the emo I've heard; there are very different things at work in the genre.
― Josh, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
And Scott -- I love the lyrics on "You Are Invited"! I would defintely consider them the best on that album by far. Maybe we're just reading it differently. I've heard zero emo, so I can't comment there, but I think those words are brilliant.
― Mark, Tuesday, 1 May 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― joey buttajerkco, Saturday, 2 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Kent Randell, Wednesday, 13 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― , Wednesday, 11 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
Anyway, Emergency and I is great, though I can't speak for the rest of their catalog as I haven't heard it.
― palpable, Friday, 13 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― doug mckenna, Friday, 7 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Jack Redelfs, Sunday, 23 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
As for the tunes, I didn't like them at first (E & I). They were too frantic and garbled to digest immediately, but after a few spins my brain locked onto the oddball sigs and blaring... everything, and the rest is bliss. Then I found the slower paced stuff (Ice Of Boston, parts of ....Is Terrified) and realized Travis' voice was indeed not dorky or emo or whatnot but rather wrought from the heavens of the fantabulous kingdom of Allah. Yeah I said Allah. You got a problem, talk to Prince Naseem Hamed. One Love.
― Darren K., Monday, 24 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
as for the 'classic' issue, that's a thorny word to throw around, but i can only speak for myself that I already know that these are some records and shows that i'll look back on fondly in the years to come. as for "Change", i already love most of the songs from hearing them live, but have my dooubts as to whether it'll continue to step up their hype momentum. it's kind of one of those records that's too low-key (by their standards) to really maintain the excitement they've been generating lately, but it'll probably still be their biggest yet, although i think E&I will remain the most effective (and most flattering) introduct
― al, Thursday, 4 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Daren, Monday, 8 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Friday, 12 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― matt, Tuesday, 23 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― alex, Monday, 12 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Josh, Saturday, 12 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
We can? Good.
Emboldened by my success with Gravity's Rainbow I now feel ready to try out another one of Josh's obsessions. HOWEVER the only Dismemberment Plan album I can find is "Is Terrified". The question therefore is: should I pick this up before it disappears into the void with their other albums, or wait for a "safer" choice to turn up? Feel free to factor in any ideas you have about my tastes into the issue.
― Tim, Saturday, 12 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Andy K., Saturday, 12 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― scott p., Saturday, 12 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 12 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
Despite what I wrote on my blog last night, Is Terrified still has a LOTTA guitars and post-hardcore music writing on it. That makes me think it would be the album of theirs (well except for ! the debut) least likely to appeal to you. Can't you order one of the next two albums or something?
And ahem. Obsessions are bad. What I have is VERY SPECIAL, not bad.
Thanks for all your help - luckily though I just discovered that the Dismemberment Plan website offers me the chance to listen to the whole album in realaudio. I'm enjoying the first track at least, though obviously not in an OBSESSIVE way... not like the CRAZY people you see in the posts above mine.
I am a professional, Ned. I have "interests" and "specializations".
And I'm not? *cries*
― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Saturday, 12 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― alex in mainhattan, Tuesday, 29 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
Look, I was ready to forget about "Heroin" but you're pushing it now.
― sundar subramanian, Tuesday, 29 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
On a side note, I think this "angry and young" idea is a little strange. It's fine as a personal preference, I guess, but it seems to me like lots of rock music is at the very least not both of those things. (I'd consider 'young', but only for a couple seconds before I thought of exceptions.)
― Josh, Wednesday, 30 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Tim, Wednesday, 30 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
ehhhhhhhh...not really. or, explain how.
the dis plan has an amazing rhythm section. they're also one of the few bands i expect to get even better with their next album.
― jess, Wednesday, 30 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
PS. I really like "Timebomb" *and* have noted its half- submerged rhythmic brilliance. See forthcoming blog post.
― alex in mainhattan, Thursday, 31 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Tim, Thursday, 31 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Mark, Thursday, 31 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
I think the most interesting idea in Tim's piece is the thing about giving up to the groove. It's probably just my lesser familiarity with groove-based music, but I don't think I bring hopes like that to music that's reaching out to dance. It does make me wonder what reasons we might have for preferring dance/nondance fusions to cross farther in one direction than in the other. My intuition is that it's more helpful and interesting for them to hold back from giving in to the groove, barely, because once they cross the line they seem more like whatever-inflected dance music, which is made a lot; but music that stays behind in, say, post-hardcore, is doing a lot more to its core music. This also makes me wonder what Tim would make of their two previous albums, which to different degrees also dip into other kinds of music, but in less obvious ways, I think (given the number of songs on Change that chug along over a hot rhythm section). I think they make the monogroove character (cyclicalish structure rather than linearish-Pixiesque) of Change a lot more striking.
― Josh, Thursday, 31 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― zebedee, Monday, 29 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
*massive fart noise*
It's the voice, really. The music I always thought was decent. The dealbreaker was the look on his face as he sang onstage, combined with the tone of his voice and his words. I just couldn't stand it.
Normally, if I think an artist is a dickhead in real life, it doesn't really bother me. It just makes Lou Reed even cooler, for example. But for some reason, Travis Morrison's personality just ruins Dismemberment Plan.
― Zachary Scott (Zach S), Saturday, 23 September 2006 22:09 (eighteen years ago) link
― Emily Bjurnhjam, Friday, 2 March 2007 21:32 (seventeen years ago) link
― jaymc, Friday, 2 March 2007 21:55 (seventeen years ago) link
― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Friday, 2 March 2007 21:59 (seventeen years ago) link
― bernard snowy, Friday, 2 March 2007 22:11 (seventeen years ago) link
― bernard snowy, Friday, 2 March 2007 22:14 (seventeen years ago) link
― Alex in Baltimore, Friday, 2 March 2007 22:20 (seventeen years ago) link
― duestown, Friday, 2 March 2007 22:21 (seventeen years ago) link
― Scik Mouthy, Monday, 5 March 2007 16:57 (seventeen years ago) link
― duestown, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 04:07 (seventeen years ago) link
― Drooone, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 04:14 (seventeen years ago) link
x-posting and annoying like hell, but yeah, travis morrison disses the clash today: http://www.whatwasitanyway.com
and my two cents is that emergency & i is a fantastic record but not as far and away from anything else he's done as most people act. "as we proceed" and "you make me feel like a freak" could've gone on the plan's fifth album, and it would've been a totally natural progression from change.
― kiss out the jams, Friday, 21 March 2008 14:29 (sixteen years ago) link
They were just teeing it up with 'Change' and then they broke.
Sorry, but just been listening to that last album. They were on to something.
Maritime are/were OK btw. Morrison solo was pretty poor and he's now 'retired'
I was seeking recommendations similar to the D Plan, on here about five years ago and now I'm back again after 24 more failed relationships.
Should I take up caravanning?
― Fer Jessie the Drunk Dutch Mountain Ark (Mobbed Up Ping Pong Psychos), Friday, 20 August 2010 19:31 (fourteen years ago) link
WHen I first joined ILX, it seemed like EVERYONE was all about this band.
― money (admrl), Sunday, 15 April 2012 17:46 (twelve years ago) link
http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2012/07/travis_morrison_and_the_dismemberment_plan_what_it_s_like_to_marry_a_rock_star_.single.html
― fauxmarc, Wednesday, 25 July 2012 14:26 (twelve years ago) link
He worked at the Washington Post and then the Huffington Post, where I met him. I asked him about his albums, and he told me that I should just listen to the one he considered the best, Emergency & I. When I asked about the others, he said he didn’t have any copies, and that I would have to buy them on iTunes. So I downloaded and listened. I enjoyed them, although I didn’t memorize any lyrics or listen to them on repeat. But that chapter of his biography didn’t play much part in our lovely blossoming romance. At the time, Travis got his singing joy largely from an Episcopal church choir.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 25 July 2012 14:28 (twelve years ago) link
Aw, that's kind of a sweet piece.
― Trewster Dare (jaymc), Wednesday, 25 July 2012 15:15 (twelve years ago) link
ya totally. she seems nice, & both of them v.levelheaded about the whole thing, hope their marriage is a happy one :)
― visions of kreayshawn with joanna newsom (bernard snowy), Wednesday, 25 July 2012 15:24 (twelve years ago) link
I kinda like the fact he didn't have copies of the other ones around.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 25 July 2012 15:25 (twelve years ago) link
lol the dc-board of old school indie-crowd types i post on are SO OFFENDED by this article and think she's the worst person ever, like they can't even past her referring to him as a rock star
― fauxmarc, Wednesday, 25 July 2012 15:49 (twelve years ago) link
it's a cute article but i def would not have told her "yeah sure publishing that is a good idea, go for it" if i was him
― nakhchi little van (some dude), Wednesday, 25 July 2012 15:51 (twelve years ago) link
B/c it reflects badly on him, or?
― Trewster Dare (jaymc), Wednesday, 25 July 2012 15:59 (twelve years ago) link
i think travis has given up on pleasing old school indie-crowd types except in a "give me money, i give you hits" capacity
― da croupier, Wednesday, 25 July 2012 16:09 (twelve years ago) link
i don't think referring to him as a rock star is like a we-r-so-indie sticking point, it's just that she sort of structures the article around that thought ('omg, a rock star?!') in a way that is kind of out of touch with the inappropriateness of referring to a moderate turn-of-millennium indie rock success as a 'rock star'. the response is like, guh? what are you talking about?
― j., Wednesday, 25 July 2012 23:27 (twelve years ago) link
she does admit up front that she knows nothing about music and doesn't care. she also uses an analogy to a leather mini-skirt wearing fangirl from Almost Famous not once, but twice.
― you're all going to hello (Z S), Wednesday, 25 July 2012 23:41 (twelve years ago) link
right. it's almost in no way about music, being a musician, a rock star.
'omg, my fiance used to be a porn star', 'omg, my fiance used to be a stripper!', 'omg, my fiancee used to play arena football!'
― j., Wednesday, 25 July 2012 23:44 (twelve years ago) link
haha I go to bed at 10 o'clock too
― gygax! II: pornograffitti (admrl), Wednesday, 25 July 2012 23:45 (twelve years ago) link
― Trewster Dare (jaymc), Wednesday, July 25, 2012 11:59 AM (7 hours ago) Bookmark
not at all. i'm just like, i COULD write an essay about my wife's cool job, or encourage her to write one about mine, but i wouldn't.
― nakhchi little van (some dude), Wednesday, 25 July 2012 23:55 (twelve years ago) link
wonder if Zooey is gonna write one of these when she realizes Ben Gibbard used to be an indie-rocker too
― william carlbros williams (bernard snowy), Thursday, 26 July 2012 00:00 (twelve years ago) link
...wait fuck ABANDON JOKE
Ira and Georgia writing endless recursive songs about discovering one another's dark musical pasts
― william carlbros williams (bernard snowy), Thursday, 26 July 2012 00:03 (twelve years ago) link
what level of actual (indie) rock celebrity would the fiancee have to have achieved before this would be an article to write? like, obviously it couldn't be 'omg my fiancee was in slint'. but 'omg my fiancee was in pavement'? or?
― j., Thursday, 26 July 2012 00:05 (twelve years ago) link
well i mean this kind of article could be written about pretty much anyone who's not a household name and might plausibly work a day job outside the music business but could sell out clubs and bring out fanatical fans if they got the old band band together. and that represents a really wide spectrum of different levels of success.
― nakhchi little van (some dude), Thursday, 26 July 2012 00:52 (twelve years ago) link
travis morrison was such a babe
― horseshoe, Thursday, 26 July 2012 00:55 (twelve years ago) link
i remember being crushed when he went all neo-con post-9/11
I like the idea of Trav Morrison singing in an Episcopal Church choir!
― Crabbits, Thursday, 26 July 2012 01:23 (twelve years ago) link
I have tickets to see them on/in a boat in Bristol. Excellent.
― they all are afflicted with a sickness of existence (Scik Mouthy), Wednesday, 18 September 2013 12:44 (eleven years ago) link
Wait, this was a thing?
― Walter Galt, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 14:16 (eleven years ago) link
yeah i remember at least one long idiotic blog post advocating war in iraq etc.
― adam, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 15:47 (eleven years ago) link
this appears to be some morons discussing it but the meat of morrison's argument is roughly (and as abuard) as i remember it.
― adam, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 15:49 (eleven years ago) link
to be fair, i knew a lot of previously intelligent people who turned into chest-beating morons on September 12.
― Poliopolice, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 16:21 (eleven years ago) link
http://devonrecordclub.com/2013/10/28/the-dismemberment-plan-emergency-i-round-56-nicks-choice/
― I can still taste the Taboo in my mouth when I hear those songs (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 28 October 2013 20:35 (ten years ago) link
They are so awesome and dorky live.
― I can still taste the Taboo in my mouth when I hear those songs (Scik Mouthy), Saturday, 30 November 2013 12:19 (ten years ago) link
yup
― Roberto Spiralli, Saturday, 30 November 2013 13:18 (ten years ago) link
aren't they shitty at this stage?
― nostormo, Saturday, 30 November 2013 13:38 (ten years ago) link
they're basically as good a live band now as they ever were. even if you hate the new songs, they sound better live and aren't the whole show.
― some dude, Saturday, 30 November 2013 13:40 (ten years ago) link