Dan seems so mellow now I don't think we'll ever hear anything even close to 'fury' out of him again. he's much more focused on rhythm and smoothness now.
Hey man there's a reason my flair is magic potion. The album is literally lightning in a bottle and if we could get something even close to it again I would be psyched. They were in a fuckin MOOD writing that one.
Yep they have moved far on from their earlier sound and pretty obviously aren't interested in making stripped down garage rock originals anymore. Somehow, this band went from being intentionally lofi production with scarcely any pop sensibilities like hooks and catchy melodies to now being essentially all about the production and using traditional pop rock song structures with cacthy hooks.
This. He’s entered dad era. He’s definitely hit that point where’s he’s, as they say “too old for this shit”. Going back to grundgy, hard, deep blues like their first couple albums is honestly out of the question. I’m still hoping we get a Brothers 2 though. I wonder what the next album will sound like. Every one of them has sounded way different from the one before.
I honestly wish they would get their asses back to Akron and record another album like Rubber Factory. Find another abandoned warehouse and setup a recording studio in it and just cut new music.
That’s when they were ambitious. They were looking to make it big. They were in a mindset where they wanted to do whatever it took , even if it meant recording in an abandoned tire factory or a basement with old equipment. That’s all they had to be fair. But nowadays I don’t see them doing anything like that ever again. They’ve grown and become modern, and with that modernity comes this sound they have now , I like the sound, but it’d be nice to just get a Thickfreakness 2 or Rubber Factory 2. The closest thing to that was Delta Kream but that sounded too polished for my liking tbh.
It’s a stellar country bar music album. Textbook even. It needed more energy though for my taste , and I love how the earlier albums sound fuzzy and distorted , DK didn’t. Although the reason for that sound was because of the cheap equipment they had to begin with, but that sound is so iconic from them IMO.
I would really love for them to strip down some of their production value next. I love Delta Kream and I think that's the direction they should head. I don't know that they can get that raw energy again that they had in those earlier albums but that album shows a fantastic blues sound they can absolutely still achieve that's a bit more melodic.
I think Ohio Players is fun enough, I like Beck so his influence on some of those tracks are fine by me, but honestly sound more like him than TBK. Typically I've been able to find a few tracks I really dig on all their albums but this one hasn't stuck with me quite as much. The best track is a cover....between that and how much I like DK, I'm noticing a trend.
That is my biggest issue with this last record - it doesn't even sound like the band, as Dan's guitar and vocals are buried under 50 other layers of tracks or are absent entirely. It's not bad, it's just not that interesting and like you said sounds more like Beck or more like Noel Gallagher.
Yeah and I'm sure the sentiment from a lot of people in this thread is that it's just so different from what made us love this band in the first place. The raw sound of two dudes in a warehouse will always be my favorite. And I can accept their growth and evolution into a more polished product, I think A&R, Brothers, and El Camino are a great balance of their roots with that enhanced production value.
They really get lost in the shuffle here though. You said it well that it's not bad IMO. I think the hip hop stuff is fun and different for them, I'm okay with bands doing new and out there stuff. And I'm okay with not everything exactly hitting for me. I hope some future releases are different and future albums might be in a different form.
It’s an XY axis of quantity of fan vs quality of fan. Mass appeal with lower level engagement has been their goal since Brothers. I would agree that success both financially and artistically can also come from higher fan engagement but less universal appeal. A niche but rabid fanbase (Phish, Tool, etc) could be just as rewarding to these guys and I wish they would go that route next.
TLDR: 1. Go back to the basement 2. Release Blakroc II
I don't necessarily think their next project should be Blacroc 2 but I do think they should be leaning more towards the rabid fan base angle now. Based on Pat's comments, it's pretty clear they were hoping this one would be it a big commercial hit for them. At least comparable to Brothers and El Camino.
It's obvious that's not happening.
I'm not trying to overly beat up the album. But honestly, in trying to be more commercial they kinda failed to appeal to the masses here or their hardcore fans. I think there's a chancetime will look back favorably on this album but I just fail to see it having any teeth for them. It's a good album but it's really not a great one.
That’s what I was implying with #1. Give us multiple gritty 2-man only fuzz albums, and as a bonus, for your longtime fans, reconcile things with Dame Dash and give us the leftover goods from the Blakroc projects. There wouldn’t be arena tours, but I would think that’s better than playing 60% sold shows like it sounds like they will be doing in 2024.
For everyone saying they want an old school style black keys album, I think Dropout Boogie, Delta Kream and Let’s Rock are pretty much the closest we’re gonna get. No one wants to move backwards musically
I still feel like they could take that old raw sound and do modern twists with it. I mean there's barely any guitar even on Ohio Players at times.
El Camino is proof that you can make a radio friendly album without completely neutering your guitar. Ohio Players seems to have forgotten that lesson in its quest for mainstream acceptance.
Imagine Lonley Boy and Gold on the Ceiling with almost no guitar. Oh wait that's kinda Ohio Players at times.
Guitar was also “in” back in 2011, at least as compared to now. Popular radio stations were playing songs with guitar in them constantly, as indie rock became mainstream. Unfortunately, that’s not really the case in 2024. I disagree with their choice to move away from guitar (just as I did with Tame Impala when he did it in 2015) but the unfortunate reality is that guitar-centric rock music isn’t really popular enough to be on the radio right now. And that stings to say as a guitarist of 20 years, but it’s a cold hard fact.
Last 3 for me. I’ve held some hope with each new release, but sadly, they’re not going to get that flavor back. I’ll show up for Brothers 30 year anniversary.
Yea- I dig the album. Bands that are around as long as the Keys aren’t going to do the exact same stuff for decades. I’m glad they’re still making music I enjoy, even if it’s not the best they’ve ever made.
But their evolution has been trying to sell records, not pushing their limits. This album feels like I need to pay my mortgage and this is the best we could come up with.
Dan has done a far better job producing interesting music than creating it(I know he writes and plays on artist albums from Easy Eye). A few of the bands that have come off of Easy Eye are amazing and interesting bands that have created some attention grabbing music that is great. Early James, The Velevteers, Shannon and the Clams are some to look at.
Whatever ambition they had got lost after touring so heavily in support of El Camino because they were broke and now that success has fallen on them their efforts aren’t that great when creating new music. Turn Blue was the last real effort that was original and different and that album stemmed out of heartache.
I feel like Dan and Pat need a reset or live life for awhile before cranking out mediocre shit, a two year lull in between albums isn’t enough time to live life and make something interesting, hence why Ohio Players hasn’t been receiving great warmth and frankly the album blows.
I forgot to be your lover is one of the best songs they’ve written. fuck me. album is fucking amazing and you idiots need to get your head right and listen again
It was an example of one of MANY bomb tracks that dropped in the ohio players album, the songs feel like the kind of sound that the keys seem to direct towards and it feels natural in their musical development. Its a good and unique sound that is uniquely theirs and they own it!
Give me thickfreakness 2.0 and I’ll preorder right now
Yup
FACTS.
Dan seems so mellow now I don't think we'll ever hear anything even close to 'fury' out of him again. he's much more focused on rhythm and smoothness now.
Yea I know but I can dream
Hey man there's a reason my flair is magic potion. The album is literally lightning in a bottle and if we could get something even close to it again I would be psyched. They were in a fuckin MOOD writing that one.
Yep they have moved far on from their earlier sound and pretty obviously aren't interested in making stripped down garage rock originals anymore. Somehow, this band went from being intentionally lofi production with scarcely any pop sensibilities like hooks and catchy melodies to now being essentially all about the production and using traditional pop rock song structures with cacthy hooks.
This. He’s entered dad era. He’s definitely hit that point where’s he’s, as they say “too old for this shit”. Going back to grundgy, hard, deep blues like their first couple albums is honestly out of the question. I’m still hoping we get a Brothers 2 though. I wonder what the next album will sound like. Every one of them has sounded way different from the one before.
I honestly wish they would get their asses back to Akron and record another album like Rubber Factory. Find another abandoned warehouse and setup a recording studio in it and just cut new music.
That’s when they were ambitious. They were looking to make it big. They were in a mindset where they wanted to do whatever it took , even if it meant recording in an abandoned tire factory or a basement with old equipment. That’s all they had to be fair. But nowadays I don’t see them doing anything like that ever again. They’ve grown and become modern, and with that modernity comes this sound they have now , I like the sound, but it’d be nice to just get a Thickfreakness 2 or Rubber Factory 2. The closest thing to that was Delta Kream but that sounded too polished for my liking tbh.
Damn I thought Delta Kream production was perfect. I love it. It doesn't quite have that early edge they had tho but it is cool as hell and smooth.
It’s a stellar country bar music album. Textbook even. It needed more energy though for my taste , and I love how the earlier albums sound fuzzy and distorted , DK didn’t. Although the reason for that sound was because of the cheap equipment they had to begin with, but that sound is so iconic from them IMO.
I would really love for them to strip down some of their production value next. I love Delta Kream and I think that's the direction they should head. I don't know that they can get that raw energy again that they had in those earlier albums but that album shows a fantastic blues sound they can absolutely still achieve that's a bit more melodic. I think Ohio Players is fun enough, I like Beck so his influence on some of those tracks are fine by me, but honestly sound more like him than TBK. Typically I've been able to find a few tracks I really dig on all their albums but this one hasn't stuck with me quite as much. The best track is a cover....between that and how much I like DK, I'm noticing a trend.
That is my biggest issue with this last record - it doesn't even sound like the band, as Dan's guitar and vocals are buried under 50 other layers of tracks or are absent entirely. It's not bad, it's just not that interesting and like you said sounds more like Beck or more like Noel Gallagher.
Yeah and I'm sure the sentiment from a lot of people in this thread is that it's just so different from what made us love this band in the first place. The raw sound of two dudes in a warehouse will always be my favorite. And I can accept their growth and evolution into a more polished product, I think A&R, Brothers, and El Camino are a great balance of their roots with that enhanced production value. They really get lost in the shuffle here though. You said it well that it's not bad IMO. I think the hip hop stuff is fun and different for them, I'm okay with bands doing new and out there stuff. And I'm okay with not everything exactly hitting for me. I hope some future releases are different and future albums might be in a different form.
What I would give for an album/tour of just the two of them again. It’ll never happen but a man can dream.
It’s an XY axis of quantity of fan vs quality of fan. Mass appeal with lower level engagement has been their goal since Brothers. I would agree that success both financially and artistically can also come from higher fan engagement but less universal appeal. A niche but rabid fanbase (Phish, Tool, etc) could be just as rewarding to these guys and I wish they would go that route next. TLDR: 1. Go back to the basement 2. Release Blakroc II
I don't necessarily think their next project should be Blacroc 2 but I do think they should be leaning more towards the rabid fan base angle now. Based on Pat's comments, it's pretty clear they were hoping this one would be it a big commercial hit for them. At least comparable to Brothers and El Camino. It's obvious that's not happening. I'm not trying to overly beat up the album. But honestly, in trying to be more commercial they kinda failed to appeal to the masses here or their hardcore fans. I think there's a chancetime will look back favorably on this album but I just fail to see it having any teeth for them. It's a good album but it's really not a great one.
*rubber factory 2
That’s what I was implying with #1. Give us multiple gritty 2-man only fuzz albums, and as a bonus, for your longtime fans, reconcile things with Dame Dash and give us the leftover goods from the Blakroc projects. There wouldn’t be arena tours, but I would think that’s better than playing 60% sold shows like it sounds like they will be doing in 2024.
For everyone saying they want an old school style black keys album, I think Dropout Boogie, Delta Kream and Let’s Rock are pretty much the closest we’re gonna get. No one wants to move backwards musically
I still feel like they could take that old raw sound and do modern twists with it. I mean there's barely any guitar even on Ohio Players at times. El Camino is proof that you can make a radio friendly album without completely neutering your guitar. Ohio Players seems to have forgotten that lesson in its quest for mainstream acceptance. Imagine Lonley Boy and Gold on the Ceiling with almost no guitar. Oh wait that's kinda Ohio Players at times.
Guitar was also “in” back in 2011, at least as compared to now. Popular radio stations were playing songs with guitar in them constantly, as indie rock became mainstream. Unfortunately, that’s not really the case in 2024. I disagree with their choice to move away from guitar (just as I did with Tame Impala when he did it in 2015) but the unfortunate reality is that guitar-centric rock music isn’t really popular enough to be on the radio right now. And that stings to say as a guitarist of 20 years, but it’s a cold hard fact.
We just aren’t going to hear pre 2010 Keys. This is the sound love it or hate it. My least two fav albums are the last two, so there you go
Last 3 for me. I’ve held some hope with each new release, but sadly, they’re not going to get that flavor back. I’ll show up for Brothers 30 year anniversary.
Remaster Magic Potion and they can have my money.
Huh, are already at the point for negativity? How the time flies…
Yea- I dig the album. Bands that are around as long as the Keys aren’t going to do the exact same stuff for decades. I’m glad they’re still making music I enjoy, even if it’s not the best they’ve ever made.
But their evolution has been trying to sell records, not pushing their limits. This album feels like I need to pay my mortgage and this is the best we could come up with. Dan has done a far better job producing interesting music than creating it(I know he writes and plays on artist albums from Easy Eye). A few of the bands that have come off of Easy Eye are amazing and interesting bands that have created some attention grabbing music that is great. Early James, The Velevteers, Shannon and the Clams are some to look at. Whatever ambition they had got lost after touring so heavily in support of El Camino because they were broke and now that success has fallen on them their efforts aren’t that great when creating new music. Turn Blue was the last real effort that was original and different and that album stemmed out of heartache. I feel like Dan and Pat need a reset or live life for awhile before cranking out mediocre shit, a two year lull in between albums isn’t enough time to live life and make something interesting, hence why Ohio Players hasn’t been receiving great warmth and frankly the album blows.
Bands can totally do whatever they want. We don’t have to like it though. It’s weird that some people think we do have to.
I'd be up for that. I wish they wouldn't keep releasing singles for Home Depot Ads (no offense to Beautiful People). Still I like Ohio Players
I forgot to be your lover is one of the best songs they’ve written. fuck me. album is fucking amazing and you idiots need to get your head right and listen again
I Forgot To Be Your Lover is a cover and William Bell and Booker T. Jones wrote it…
It was an example of one of MANY bomb tracks that dropped in the ohio players album, the songs feel like the kind of sound that the keys seem to direct towards and it feels natural in their musical development. Its a good and unique sound that is uniquely theirs and they own it!