Blink-182 [ARCHIVED] Band • Page 971

Neighborhoods is still nothing short of a mess..

 

Neighborhoods gets way more hate than it deserves. Kaleidoscope is an insanely good song, and Wishing Well and Even if She Falls are top-notch Tom

 

I wouldn't even put "Kaleidoscope" in the top 5 songs from that album. Neighborhoods has something for every one but not everybody, if that makes sense...

 

Speaking of Neighborhoods, would anyone be surprised if they found out that Tom had nothing to do with recording Hearts, MH or Fighting the Gravity? I talking about not even recording the guitar parts for those tracks? It just doesn't seem like his type of guitar style.

I actually wouldn't even be surprised if he ever listened to MH or Gravity.

 

I am actually pretty sure they said that was the case.

 

I'd have to say, I like the Tom written songs off neighborhoods more than Marks. I always find it odd how people say Tom didn't Put any effort post hiatus, yet complain that post-hiatus songs were too Tom sounding. Seems like he wrote 80% of the songs, Mark seemed pretty much non-existent to me which I found weird cause I thought for sure he'd have a lot more ideas from his 5 years of not releasing music and working on either a second +44 album or solo.

 

I've always preferred Tom to Mark, if we're being honest. If the tables were turned and Mark went weird and ended up leaving the band, and Tom was still pre-AVA version of Tom, and he and Travis kept going with Blink with someone else on bass, I'd most likely have been super stoked on it.

 

Agreeeeeeeeed and I still get stoked over super weird Tom projects lol

 

I'll always listen to whatever he puts out, but the last few things have been extremely hit or miss. Mostly miss. I like a few songs off of Dreamwalker though, which surprised me. "Mercenaries" is an A+ Tom song.

 

Yeah the strength of Tom's songs had me very worried for California actually. I don't love the new album but Mark definitely outshined himself there (even though I preffered his lyrics on stuff like Natives)

 

Tom is obviously the more talented song-writer but the only issue is the style he chooses to play now is just not for me. If Tom gave more of a shit and got mark more involved with his writing process on neighborhoods would have been a great continuation of self-titled. Mark and Toms voices just compliment each other perfectly.

 

I was listening to Chasing Shadows EP last night In my car and I enjoyed it a lot more than I remember with the exception of the title track.

 

Oh I definitely agree that the Tom only songs are much better than the Mark only songs.

I think people complain about Tom not putting in any effort because Mark and Travis said that Tom didn't care enough to listen to the mastered tracks, it was hard to get him into the studio to work, him continuously putting off recording new music, consist complaining, didn't want to rehearse, etc. It was also clear that Tom was using blink to promote his other projects which annoyed people.

 

I think Mark was the much better song writer until TOYPAJ which was when the switch to the blink albums being more Tom heavy instead of evenly split. I really have a hard time listening to most of the Tom only songs before TOYPAJ.

 

I think Tom's problem is that he needs someone to help him work out all his ideas and be able to tell him no or maybe this way is better. He definitely needs guidance and an outside voice to give him feedback and help craft his songs.

 

I mean nobody ever accused him of not actually putting in effort with the recording of Neighborhoods and DED. Ya know, aside from the fact with Neighborhoods he could've made a little effort to actually drag his butt into the same room with Mark and Travis for more than a few songs. And not caring about the final mixing was pretty lame.

 

Tom was always my favorite for more reasons than just his songwriting. Tom was my inspiration for just about everything I did in junior high and high school, haha. But looking back now, I do agree that Tom really got great in 2001-2003, thanks to Box Car Racer. In the TOYPAJ days, Tom was just writing Enema part 2, basically. So there wasn't much growth on that album, except more maybe some, like "Anthem part 2" and "Reckless Abandon." Songs like "First Date", "Story of a Lonely Guy", and "Give Me One Good Reason" were just completely phoned in though.

 

I was a Mark guy until TOYPAJ came out and I started to like Tom a little more, I don't know why maybe because he just seemed different compared to Mark and I started to play guitar but I just found myself to liking him more. And once Box Car came out Tom was definitely my favorite. All 3 members were inspirations to me though. I even used the chorus to Please Take Me Home as my senior high school yearbook quote.

Yeah looking back I completely underrated Mark's songs in TOYPAJ when growing up and overrated Tom's. I agree outside of Anthem Part 2, Reckless and STFTK, Tom's songs don't compare to Mark's on that album.

Damn I wish we had the old Tom back.

 

I've been a fan for years, and I must admit: "This Is Getting Over You" is probably the best Trio's song. It's so strange in a good way, so emotional... something completely different... Also, "Song for Julie" is the best acoustic Trio's song. Sorry, I know it's blink thread :)

 

Yeah it's one of my favorites along with My Friend Peter, I Lied My Face Off, Goodbye Forever, 97. Now I need to listen to that disc today haha.

 

Thing is, of all the post first break-up releases, with all that Tom released, imo nothing holds up as well as WYHSB does today. when wdntw and i empire came out, I was soooo much more stoked than I was with wyhsb. but since a few years I only go back to the great wyhsb.

 

+44's record has a couple strong songs but honestly the entire thing is very middle of the road imo

 

Will never understand where all of the love for WYHSB comes from

 

I still listen to select songs on Neighborhoods. I don't find it to be completely bad.

 

Its not bad, it just seems like it was unfocused. I said it before in the thread but Neighborhoods sounds like a well made demo album waiting for a producer to get his hands on it and touch it up with the band in the studio together.