Blink-182 [ARCHIVED] Band • Page 364

It's funny that I believe all three members (I know Mark for sure) said they thought they played their best live during the Untitled period. Now who knows if they're telling the truth or it's just PC talk but yeah.

I think the only thing that hurt during the Untitled tours was the lack of banter between the two. If someone only listened to The Mark, Tom and Travis Show album on the way to an Untitled concert and had no other knowledge of blink they probably wouldn't think they were the same band. And I wouldn't even say the animosity between Mark and Tom was obvious. I have I believe 14 bootlegs of the 2003-2004 period and you wouldn't be able to tell there were issues going on behind the scenes, it just seemed like they wanted to put out their mature new look for people and distance themselves from the joke band label.

 

So glad you brought this up for further discussion. Thats what the forums are for!

From my perspective it feels like both +44 and AVA were attempts to mature.

I would say it would be maybe not unauthentic but silly for a group of mid-30 year old guys to keep up the toilet humor (I’m looking at you Adam Sandler!)

I absolutely love BCR, Untitled and the +44 record.

To me if they could incorporate those sounds cohesively they could’ve made a really stellar album.

Untitled should’ve been the re-birth of Blink. In my opinion its a huge bummer we never got a “proper” follow up.

There’s definitely a lot to unpack about the timeline from Untitled to now. It’s sad to see a group of friends fall apart and for Tom to be the wreck of a man he is.

But again good on you for bringing real discussion to the table. We may not totally agree but its always fun to get different perspectives!

 

Yeah the biggest missed opportunity for them was not having a follow up to the Untitled album. I think we got hints of the possible sounds and direction with the first AVA album and the +44 album as Tom and Mark even said some of the early ideas they had on the follow up to the Untitled album ended up on the first AVA album. While I love the BCR and +44 album and like the first two AVA albums (although I feel like each year I like them less and less), Mark and Tom are at their best when they're in the same room working together on music.

And I agree it is sad to see the friendship of Mark and Tom end and it's hard and weird to go back and watch the 2 DVDs they put out or listen to any of their shows from before the Untitled album. They just seemed like the best of friends that unfortunately grew up and grew apart. I really wish the 2nd break up was handled better by all 3 members. I wish they could have all sat down in a room together alone without any lawyers or managers or whatever and just talked about the direct of the band and what everyone really wanted. I think there could have been a better way for Tom to exit the band again but none of the members looking bad but I guess that's easier to say without being in Mark or Travis' shoes and having to deal with Tom.

 

Mark and especially Tom werent as funny onstage as they gained a reputation for. The banter had moments but was a lot of general bullshit that didn’t really provide much at best and could get pretty gross at worst. Though I did enjoy the times when they’d point out how bad their banter was and Tom or Mark would be like “okay they’re sick of us let’s actually play a song”.

Untitled era had some pretty great live performances and some pretty horrendous ones. At their best during that era it was the best they’d ever sounded live (pre-Skiba), at worst it was about as bad as they’d ever been but at least it felt energetic.

Skiba helps a lot because his voice is so much stronger than Tom’s and his guitar playing is mostly competent, which is huge improvement over Tom. He really shines live on untitled songs, Violence and I Miss You sound so huge and I really loved their performance of Down when I saw them. It’s honestly Mark that holds them back and leaves me hesitant towards their playing certain songs. I love Sober but every instance I’ve seen of them playing it live, it just doesn’t really work, so I’d rather they play a song more in his live wheelhouse, even if it’s one I don’t love as much. Like, I know some people want to hear Stockholm Syndrome live, but I have trouble picturing Mark singing that bridge right now, and a huge appeal of that song is Tom’s voice contrasted with Mark’s, so it’s not at the top of my dream setlist.

 

I saw Stockholm Syndrome live in 2013 and there was no passion at all during Mark’s part. I really don’t think he could hit those notes in 2018

 

these songs (in no particular order) would have made a pretty awesome blink album

time to break up
don't tell me that it's over
not now
up all night
wishing well
after midnight
baby come on
lycanthrope
all systems go
i feel so
and i
letters to god
there is
elevator

 

Yeah, Stockholm was dreadful on the reunion tour. Mark took the bridge way down, which makes total sense, but it just didn't work. Felt lifeless.

 

its literally the same set every time they tour. why don't they ever break out some different songs and why
do they only play for 90 minutes.

 

meh

 

Ha.

Whatever. I'm truly down for whatever.

 

Rule #1 of liking a band: Never listen to anything they say about how their own music sounds.

 

Yep, that's 100% true.

 

If we're picking songs by Tom and Mark done outside of blink, my album of 14 songs in no order would be:

I Feel So
Watch The World
And I
Letters To God
There Is
Lycanthrope
Baby Come On
Lillian
155
No It Isn't
Chapter 13
The War

 

I think this is probably exactly what it takes to ever make it work again, if it even ever happens. When you consider what blink has done in the past, with what Tom has done with the most recent AVA stuff, I don't see a huge difference. He's just gotta give up control a bit.

 

what exactly went down between mark and tom? mark wants to play punk music and tom wanted to experiment ?

 

Timmy found aliens and Mark said no thank u

 

This

 

Tom didn’t want to make music and mark did

 

I love TOYPAJ but if the lyrical content is closer to "Online Songs" or "Give Me One Good Reason" than "Stay Together for the Kids" and "Everytime I Look For You", that'll be a bummer.

But yeah there's not really a reason to buy into what a band or artist says their new work sounds like. I'm basically expecting California Pt. II so the bar is pretty low. I like blink, I hope they surpass it.

 

It's exactly what needs to happen, just block out all the outside noise and just sit in a room together man to man and talk from the heart and not hold back. Yeah the whole control thing, and recording/touring schedule are the biggest issues. Tom just doesn't want to tour anymore and wants to record whenever he feels like it not have a strict schedule. He basically wants to things his way or no way.

 

Sweet, TOYPAJ is my favorite record so i’m excited.

 

Reddit is having a field day with this

 

Listening Untitled at work now...still gives me chills

 

soooo still throwback kinda songs, but maybe with heavier guitars? something similar to "6/8" maybe and not actually anything like TOYPAJ? haha

 

Anthem Part 3/4