Dance Gavin Dance Band • Page 49

prob would've been 'dbm2' with Kurt on vocals. no?

 

Hopefully not. I'd imagine they would've catered it more to his vox. All the talk after Happiness was that he was gonna sing in a higher voice.

 

Pretty sure Happiness was almost the end of the band, and DBM2 was the concept that kept them going. Jonny messing up again and Tilian coming in to breathe new life was circumstance.

 

I thought I saw them say dbm2 was gonna be a one last thing deal before they broke up

they had already written some of it before they dropped Kurt and Zac but then they decided to go into it with that mindset

 

I've definitely heard that after Kurt left they nearly broke up... the original lineup reunion was basically what they saw as the "last chance" at keeping the band together. Thankfully they decided to keep going after that didn't pan out for long.

 

I think they have given multiple explanations for that timeframe. I know that I have been under the impression that they were ready to break up after happiness because they were really unhappy internally and they felt that they weren't getting anywhere, but actually regressing.
They essentially said around the DBM2 timeframe that the album was their last attempt to take a step forward, and if things don't get better they'd be done. I would imagine bringing Jon Mess back in that timeframe was huge, too. People always go to the JCraig portion of the story, but Mess was absent for that entire Kurt era other than the Deathstar recording.

 

Definitely agreed with this. Jon is a key part of the band.

 

Another note, I wish Kurt got to do another album with Mess. I think Happiness could have been way better if Jon had vocals rather than Will. I think the album would have been different because Jon would command more vocal parts, but I think I would go back to it a lot more. At this point, the only DGD album I really *love* to listen to is Deathstar, and the new stuff with Tilian is really hit or miss with me. It's so weird how Kurt had the least talent as a vocalist of the three, but those songs just sounded so good.

 

^yep. and Kurt managed to bring the most vocal diversity esp on deathstar. he's got oohs and ahhs, shouts, talking, whatever he did on uneasy hearts chorua. the songs were more fun because of that stuff.

 

Imo the only way Kurt is the "least" talented as a vocalist is if we're purely talking about range... I think he has arguably the most creativity of the three when it comes to vocal melodies, etc., which is just as important to me as range.

 

That's a good way to look at it. I did mean in terms of range and just the overall sound of a voice. Especially live, I think it was always very clear that he struggled to perform DGD songs live, while Jonny could just kill most of his songs. Before 2015, the only times I had ever seen DGD live were the Kurt era, and he truly was really hit or miss live. But I think you could be onto something with the melody thought, because I think he did a really good job with that. We can see with just about any Jonny Craig non-DGD venture how much his lack of creativity hurts the songs.

 

I am going to continue to stand by this firmly; Will Swan's uncleans on Happiness are better than Jon Mess's on the albums prior. Jon sounded genuinely just bad on the first two releases. I'd love to hear Kurt on a release with current Jon, but I am glad Will did uncleans on Happiness. I think Jon's early scream style would have ruined the album, honestly.

 

Matter of opinion really. I personally can't stand Will's unclean vocals on Happiness and they are my least favorite parts of that album.

 

Jon's uncleans are my least favorite part of DBM and Deathstar. haha I basically feel the same way about Jon's early uncleans as you do Will's Happiness uncleans.

 

I actually love Jon's uncleans on Deathstar, but I can't stand them on DBM2.

 

I think Jon sounds better on DBM2 than the first two releases. That album was kind the first release after Jon learned how to not sound like shit. haha But, I think Jon didn't really know how to use his new found vocal ability, so it sounds a bit sloppy and off. Acceptance Speech and forward Jon has sounded great though.

 

Agreed on this. Jon has been at the top of his game in recent years.

 

Yeah, no question Jon made a massive improvement from Acceptance Speech onward.

 

I mean he sounds more conventional now. and thats better for most people I suppose

he sucked bad on DBM1 that's for sure

 

i prefer jon's screams on DBM1 over deathstar.... i think its just the production though. DBM1 had him more distorted, and deathstar was more clear but.... grating. he sounds incredible in recent years though! and, happiness was the album that made me fall in love with the band, i thought the screams were much improved. didn't know it was will at first.

 

His screams were terrible on DBM1, yet that album is the only one of DGD's that's a true classic of the genre (general consensus, and one I can get behind despite it not being my personal fav). In that way it it kinda sucks that their defining work has the poorest performance from their defining member!

 

I wouldn't consider Jon DGD's defining member. I think Will is definitely that, and Matt Mingus is not far behind. The guitar and drum work are for more interesting than anything Mess does.

 

Swear we've had this debate a couple times on here/AP haha! Jon is the most obviously unique member IMO, he's the longest-serving frontman of the band and it's his screams + weird lyrics that people who aren't fans of the band would point out. He is as much of the DGD 'sound' as anyone else, and is at the forefront of the band (vocalists always are!)

 

I'd definitely consider Will the defining member.

 

I think we've had it about whether Jon is good as a whole. I do think he's unique, maybe the most unique even. But, I'd consider Will the defining member still. He started the band, is the only member other than Mingus who has been on every release, and seems to kind of call a lot of the shots for the band too. I'd consider Will the backbone of the band. Like, we know the band can function fine without Mess, but I don't think the band could continue if Swan left.