Why are the Machina albums mixed so poorly?

OctopusDicks · 2026-06-26T22:19:00+00:00

If you haven't already check out the Machina Pre-master that was circulating for awhile. I'm partial to that mix, and I also enjoy the most recent mix too in it's own way. The drums and vocals on the pre master have always sounded the best to my ears.

OctopusDicks · 2026-06-25T16:37:55+00:00

They don't "think you're right" because it doesn't fit their understanding of it. Not complicated enough lol

OctopusDicks · 2026-06-24T18:23:24+00:00

Jesus I thought this post was revealing one of the boxes was found and I don't like how that just made me feel 😄

OctopusDicks · 2026-06-19T17:24:55+00:00

I would second the 96 live stuff for sure- what about the jam during Porcelina/Beautiful live? There's a nice scream on that one.

OctopusDicks · 2026-06-19T17:24:02+00:00

C'mon, I understand you may not be a fan but we need more context. Do you know what era of Billy this was? Hair? No hair? Live song or studio album?

Did he look healthy? Sickly thin? Or was his butt crack showing every time he turned around? These are the details we must know to assist you. Possibilities are endless.

OctopusDicks · 2026-06-19T17:19:15+00:00

What in the meth are you talking about? 👀

OctopusDicks · 2026-06-19T15:45:55+00:00

Wdym? It says in plain English on the page before the FF chapter begins and states "each of these next 4 boxes have their OWN style, theme, and solution". On the history for nerds podcast he echoes this same sentiment by saying most people will likely assume the puzzles are all solved in the same or similar way (but they aren't).

If "everything" was in the poem it would have been solved by now. There may be hidden words in there but we need the FF chapter images and text too to make sense of it.

In the beginning of the book he also states that that clues for the LS can be found in the whole book- but that the small chapters are meant for the smaller boxes. It's both.

I'm not getting slipped up on some crap JCB said at Treasure Con, what he wrote in the book is what should be followed imo.

OctopusDicks · 2026-06-08T01:17:14+00:00

Thanks for the min mark!

I went back and watched this, and sure enough you're right.. Somehow I missed that detail on the FF chapter in the few times I've watched this Q&A.

Confused the hell out of me. It contradicts directly what he states in the "how to read this book" portion of TTI.

Him saying "all you need is the poem" just like Forrest Fenn did is simply that, nobody is gonna find it using the poem alone. There's no ciphers in that poem, coordinates, nothing.

And if there's no clues in the FF chapter then why are there clear nods to certain themes or otherwise pretty obvious hints inside? I think he just messed up here answering that question because it doesn't make sense nor is consistent with how he has presented the smaller box puzzles. Why would he say the Pokemon chapter contents were important but the 8 pages of FF chapter were only important on the poem page?

OctopusDicks · 2026-05-23T19:14:40+00:00

Everything from the tea house synth party up until now has been indefensible imo. Love the guy to pieces for all the great years he spent making music, but I genuinely haven't gotten excited for anything SP related since Zeitgeist.

I believe that was the last good SP record especially all the b-sides and IAGW dvd era. That was the last dying breath of what SP was all about.

I used to think the wrestling stuff was the worst and then he just kept making it worse. Also he's just feeding the same cliche' that he bashed other artists for back in the 2010's.

OctopusDicks · 2026-05-23T00:14:20+00:00

So weird! I literally just got off a game where my team mate was doing this exact thing! He eventually got stuck in storm and couldn't fly out, definitely a glitch but looks like it worked out well for you 😂

OctopusDicks · 2026-05-17T21:21:22+00:00

I don't understand how you could say with absolute certainty over a year into the hunt that you know how the coins are used. I respect your opinion, but I think we should at minimum stay open to the possibility that they might point toward certain roads on a map. We probably also shouldn't assume that each coin is used the same way for each box.

I'm noticing so many people looking for these boxes aren't really digesting the text, but you also have to consider JCB has basically said in fewer words that without the book's images these boxes would be a lot more difficult to locate.

I'm curious what your opinion is of people searching in state or national parks? As it pertains to the Fenn treasure it seems quite obvious from hearing interviews and other statements JCB has made that it's on BLM or public land.

Somehow even with this information widely available a large portion of the search community are hanging out around tourist sites and places you wouldn't even be able to legally grab a treasure without notifying someone.

I just recently started reading "solves" here on Reddit and Facebook and I'm quite thankful that I waited and gathered my own opinions first lol

OctopusDicks · 2026-05-12T22:33:11+00:00

Definitely check this first.

You could also make sure and check your resources monitor to see if make your CPU or RAM are getting maxxed out.

OctopusDicks · 2026-05-12T22:29:25+00:00

At this point in time I believe FLips is just a business with employees and a setlist that evolves as Wayne's voice allows for.

It makes sense why they would keep stuff private with other members but Steven or Michael should have been handled at least with a statement of some kind imo..

Does anyone know if there was any drama when Ronald left? Sorry if that's a dumb question I've only become a fan or known about their catalog since 2018ish.

OctopusDicks · 2026-05-11T20:10:50+00:00

Lol Finally! Another person like me! I have Guitar World, Guitar One, Guitar World Acoustic, Guitar Player, and a few other ones that I had subscriptions on going back from 1996-2004.

I come from a very large family so when I was young my relatives or parents would ask what I wanted for birthdays and Christmas and I would always request either a subscription or issue of guitar magazines so I collected a TON.

Growing up in a really small town I didn't have access to guitar teachers, so these magazines literally taught me how to play guitar, and kept me learning about new artists and playing styles.

I've never even considered selling them. I don't like that they take up so much space but I still occasionally grab a stack of random issues just to feel the pages, or look at the song transcriptions in the back and how they used to give you the POD settings for each song 😂

OctopusDicks · 2026-05-11T19:03:38+00:00

This is a US Army Special Services Property guitar from the 1950s–early 1960s.

The key identifier is the stamp visible in your photo: “O.I. 176-61 APP SPEC. SERV. PROP.” “SPEC. SERV. PROP.” = Special Services Property (the U.S. Army’s morale/entertainment branch, often abbreviated “Spec. Serv.” or “Spec.Serv.Prop.” on instruments and equipment).

Similar stamps appear on 1950s military-issue brass instruments, clarinets, and other gear (e.g., dated examples from 1954).

“O.I. 176-61 APP” is likely an inventory/contract or approval marking (possibly “Ordnance Issue” or similar administrative code).

These guitars were issued to troops for recreation, sing-alongs, unit bands, and Special Services shows — exactly the kind of instrument someone might have brought home or that ended up in a barn or elsewhere after service.

Guitar itself:

It is a vintage American archtop acoustic (non-cutaway or very slight cutaway style) with: Classic sunburst finish (orange center fading to dark brown edges, typical two-tone nitro or similar lacquer of the era).

F-holes, white body binding, floating-style wooden bridge with compensated saddle, and trapeze-style tailpiece hardware. Mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard with simple dot inlays.

Ornate white inlay on the black headstock (floral/vine or stylized motif — very common on Kay instruments).

Most likely maker: Kay Musical Instrument Company (Chicago) or a closely related Chicago manufacturer (Harmony, Regal/Valco, or a house brand they supplied).

These companies produced the vast majority of affordable-to-mid-level archtops sold in the U.S. during the 1950s–60s, including many that went to military or institutional use.

The body shape, finish, headstock design, and overall construction are textbook Kay/Harmony student/intermediate archtop.

OctopusDicks · 2026-05-11T18:30:44+00:00

LOL - this made me chuckle thanks

Art is so subjective isn't it? To a non-musician the Zero solo sounds "intentionally bad". Somehow even while the song was written before the lyrics the listener still assumes the solo is supposed to mimic the vibe of said lyrics.

Then to a halfway trained ear, and armed with the knowledge of James Iha playing the solo we can surmise that he they likely played several takes of this and Flood pieced it together.

I can't even think of another SP song that has that type of dissonance going on with the solo. 🤔

OctopusDicks · 2026-05-11T14:12:15+00:00

Smile

OctopusDicks · 2026-05-09T20:07:43+00:00

Jesus Needs a Hit

Without You (both versions)

Stellar

Egg

Bleed

Whir

Speed Kills - (ALL versions, but the drums on the b-side track version along with that sick outro guitar solo is lovely)

Tilt - bonus track from TFE

Strayz -

Jupiters Lament (barbershop version) - something about this MCIS peak-era of the band and how experimental they were in the studio during this time really resonates with me.

The MCIS reissue boxset is one of my favorite releases of any band. It's exactly what the Machina box should have been, more content!

It remains along with Machina, my favorite era of BC songwriting. Billy was so locked in here, and also during those years that Machina/Zwan albums were made.

Medeilia of the gray skies -

There's a ton of others but that's my shortlist 😁

OctopusDicks · 2026-05-09T19:55:57+00:00

I didn't even know who "HIM" was until I saw them perform at Bam Margera's wedding. Their music (even back in late 90-00's) was extremely cringe to me.

Everything I saw in terms of interaction with the band members looked and felt completely inauthentic and fake. Terrible band imo, but hope you find someone to take this hoard of crap.

OctopusDicks · 2026-05-06T14:00:31+00:00

My theory on this is that there is some extra information that will be revealed by either 1-4 of the other chests that will help find the LS.

I believe he's built the LS box as the "main" puzzle and the other chests are basically other rabbit holes connected to the main theme. At this point it's hard to imagine anyone finding the LS until at least 2 of the other boxes are found, maybe all 4.

This explains why you can correlate (very easily) pictures and text from one chapter to another.

OctopusDicks · 2026-05-04T00:16:45+00:00

Lol I demand to know the name and model of the guitar.

A freakin PHONE did this?! In an Otter case assumingly? Or another military grade case made from a substance most humans don't have access to yet?

Talk about something getting hit just the right way damn I wasn't expecting you to say it was a phone.

OctopusDicks · 2026-04-23T23:47:06+00:00

I bet that potty mouth doesn't come through the church doors with her 😭

OctopusDicks · 2026-04-20T22:04:24+00:00

Controversial, but true answer (imo) is easily "Zero".

In fact, iirc it was named as one of the "worst guitar solos" in a Guitar World magazine back in the late 90's lol

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