Relationship of Command

[ben]

(a quick note: I am not trying to convince you that this should be your favorite album.  I am not stating that this album is should be concretely heralded in front of any of ATDI's other releases (Vaya) or their future bands' albums [Deloused, Frances, Wiretap Scars] so lets not get technical)

1. I discovered this album simultaneously with TMV's De-loused in the Comatorium during the fall/winter of 2003-4.  These albums were being played when I was beginning to become the person that I am today, helped me get into a different vein of music and music appreciation, and really became the soundtrack to 2004, what I consider the golden age of T.S. (my friends and I).  However, I always favored and still favor Relationship of Command because it just seemed to always be playing where the parties were at.  Just a wonderful feeling I get when I listen to it, brings back all awesome memories and creates good moments still to this day.

2. This was the first album in which I could listen to the whole album and enjoy every song.  There are some weaker songs (Mannequin is my least favorite) but the album has so many extremely strong songs (Pattern Against User, Quarantined, Cosmonaut, Enfilade, Invalid Letter Dpt.)  that every time I listen to it I never want to skip to any tracks, I just want to be stunned time and time again of the brief interlude from One-armed Scissor to Sleepwalk Capsules, the atmospheric storm brewing at Quarantine's start, and the final cathartic explosion at the end of Cosmonaut (not to mention a phone call from a certain cub-kidnapper).

3. People always complain about Cedric Bixler Zavala's lyrics, but seriously, they are at their height here.  Free to not focus on one universal concept like his future band would, Cedric focuses on politics using cryptic language that hmmm...ACTUALLY MAKES YOU THINK (LITERALLY).  You really have to try to figure out what he's saying and why he's saying it, and when it all comes together you get that "ahhhh" feeling in your brain.  Many accuse him of being "scientific" or "cold" because of the language he chooses to use but this is all bullshit.  Cedric's heart explodes every note he sings...

4. ....which brings me to vocals.  Cedric's vocals do not have a particularly great range (something he would soon fix later on), yet his combination of shrieking like a maniac and slow curling notes really combine to create a one-of-a-kind voice (Well until people like Geoff Bickley show up later on).  BUT a huge part of the success of vocals on this albums comes from the combination of Cedric and fellow bandmate Jim Ward.  I can't think of At the Drive-in without Jim's melodic shouts that echo throughout their discography, and it's no exception here.  Jim doesn't have a great range, but man can the dude sound good when he's singing/yelling up against those accompanying layers.

5. When critics are always citing problems with The Mars Volta, they always point at excessiveness.  That is, self-indulgent ambiance  and extended instrument parts that wraps each song in a dense blanket which may sometimes make the impatient listener cover his face and cry.  However, Relationship of Command is an excellent balance between melodic pop/punk songs and straight-up progressive rock.  The songs are catchy yet they never sacrifice integrity or originality. 

6. Iggy Pop is on the album.

7. The album really does a great job of bottling up At the Drive-in's creative rage.  They had on previous albums had some trouble converting music from the concert stage to the recorder.  They wanted to turn this...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kBUtkPrANRs
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0_lXPrCpSVE&feature=related
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KSSx15qm4A8

...into a comparable medium.  In my opinion, they succeeded.

Ok I can't think of 10 reasons like I thought I was going to...but seriously guys.  At The Drive-In rules, go listen to this album.

[neurotic]

I completly agree.
It's a must-buy album.

[spitfire]

I completly agree.
It's a must-buy album.

x2

[Corleone]

This is by far my favorite album after some Deftones albums.

[wither-I]

arcarsenal makes me wanna flail my arms clean out of their sockets!

[blondie]

someone gave this to me a long time ago. i threw it away after a couple of listens.

[White Wrist]

What a fucking album! I love it!

[theis]

someone gave this to me a long time ago. i threw it away after a couple of listens.

you're a hooker. no one cares. go suck a deceased cock.

anyways, awesome album.

[bright lights, big city]

to say least, yeah, i liked this cd

[Jacob]

someone gave this to me a long time ago. i threw it away after a couple of listens.

you are seriously pathetic. hanging around on a forum, acting like you hate the band the forum is about and pretty much everything anyone else here likes, no matter what it is... does that make you feel good? I don't even care if you like Deftones or anything else we discuss here, it's besides the point. because no matter if you like them or not, spending a lot of time on here (which you obviously do considering you reply to a lot of threads in pretty much all different categories of the boards) making the kinds of posts you do is simply laughable. and I guess you get a kick out of me spending the time to make this post, because it's the kind of reaction you're looking for, but it's really not because I'm upset about your posts. I just hope you somewhere deep inside see how fucking ridiculous it is to do what you're doing. seriously. no matter how I look at it, you come across as a really lonely guy with nothing better to do than hanging around on a board for a band you don't even like or hanging around on a board for a band you like but act like you don't. either way, it's just fucking sad.

[blondie]

someone gave this to me a long time ago. i threw it away after a couple of listens.

you are seriously pathetic. hanging around on a forum, acting like you hate the band the forum is about and pretty much everything anyone else here likes, no matter what it is... does that make you feel good? I don't even care if you like Deftones or anything else we discuss here, it's besides the point. because no matter if you like them or not, spending a lot of time on here (which you obviously do considering you reply to a lot of threads in pretty much all different categories of the boards) making the kinds of posts you do is simply laughable. and I guess you get a kick out of me spending the time to make this post, because it's the kind of reaction you're looking for, but it's really not because I'm upset about your posts. I just hope you somewhere deep inside see how fucking ridiculous it is to do what you're doing. seriously. no matter how I look at it, you come across as a really lonely guy with nothing better to do than hanging around on a board for a band you don't even like or hanging around on a board for a band you like but act like you don't. either way, it's just fucking sad.

that just made me lolz big time.

notice how i didn't bash the band at all. i simply didn't like the album and disposed of it.

thanks for the psycho analysis though. i feel like a new person now.

[Fireal1222]

(at blondie)you are a penis head. but i must admit. you didnt say anything that bad in your post





as far as ATDI


i love relationship of command... to say that it is the best album ever is a good laugh for me.. but its definitely one of my all time favorites. from beginning to end every song is good. and they all stand out..

i love this album a lot. holds a deep place in my soul.. its certainly not the best album ever. but its by far the best thing that omar and cedric will ever be involved in..



oh and one more thing.


not to shatter you ben.

but they arent getting back together.


and even if ATDI did get back together they wouldnt be all shooting heroin like they were in the good old days.. thats where all that crazy music came from. their drug addictions

[ignore the fashion]

not to shatter you ben.

but they arent getting back together.


and even if ATDI did get back together they wouldnt be all shooting heroin like they were in the good old days.. thats where all that crazy music came from. their drug addictions

i read in an interview with cedric a few months ago that if ATDI were ever to get back together, he'd be doing it simply for the money and would be putting it all back into TMV

it was in this magazine, its called Geek



i was able to find the article online, here is a quote

Geek: There's a lot of pressure on you and Omar to reunite At The Drive-In. Do you grow frustrated with that, or do you feel honored?

Cedric: I can't really say I feel honored. It's great to have the attention, but I really feel that was a band that pulled the wool over a lot of people's eyes. We got credit for a sound that we were pretty much the 20th generation of. I would have no problem with reuniting and doing a show personally just because I would honestly do it for the money. If I got money from it I could put it back into The Mars Volta. I could get better production without the use of the label. How could that benefit TMV or me artistically? It wouldn't be about the performance or the nostalgia. To me, it would just be getting into bed with someone who wanted to lend me money, pretty much. I'm not interested in the music really and all the kids who are really into that band, if they would just do the math, they would realize that people like Drive Like Jehu, The Jesus Lizard and even Fugazi, who everyone does know, did it first and they did it better.

http://marsvoltasweden.wordpress.com/2008/01/18/cedric-i-geek-magazine/

[Zevaka]

I completly agree.
It's a must-buy album.

it is
must-buy, must-download, must-listen-no-way-to-dislike

[whodunit?]

I completly agree.
It's a must-buy album.

x2

x3

[Starz]

I remember being at school when this album came out, and me being naive I simply put off listening to it simply because of the band name, At The Drive-In lol. Then I was in my local record store and it was on special offer so I brought it to see what all the fuss was about... Put it on my stereo and boom!! Never had I heard anything like it, never had an album before this one left me speechless upon the first song! This is an album that ALL people should own regardless of your musical taste as I can guarantee that there are only a handful of albums out there that are as good and as powerful as this one...

[Corleone]

enfilade to the end is just nutz

[Fireal1222]

the album from beginning to end is like one dark acid trip.. especially the last song.. non-zero possibility...

it seems like i only listen to relationship of command on a gloomy day. or if its raining

its the perfect fit

[whodunit?]

Never had I heard anything like it, never had an album before this one left me speechless upon the first song!.

Never heard a man speak like this man before 

[Starz]

oh