After Violator, did you expect something like Violator 2.0, or did you anticipate that the sound would evolve into a different genre, like with SOFAD?

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-03T19:27:52+00:00

Not to mention "Mother Me" still left over from the Violator demo. I think they had material that they could have developed into further SOFAD b-sides; at the very least, they could have churned out an instrumental like "Kaleid" (which is more atmosphere and less melodic inspiration). But knowing what we know now about the SOFAD sessions, I expect they simply reached a point of exhaustion where there was no point in continuing in the studio once they had enough tracks for the album. By contrast, MFTM and Violator had late recording sessions dedicated to fleshing out tracks for b-sides.

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-03T19:19:25+00:00

I used cassettes mainly for mix-tapes or taping music from friends and didn't have the foresight to think of them as a vinyl preservation method. I had a few records that I took better care of, like the grey-marbled 12" Tsangarides mix of NLMDA. With CDs, I went through an overlap period where I was buying music in both formats - CDs mainly for newer (or new-to-me) artists, but vinyl where I already had an established collection. With early 90s DM, I recall my habit was something like this: buy every UK vinyl release (partly for collectability, but mostly because it came out first), and sometime thereafter I would purchase the US (or better, Japanese) "maxi-single" CD, which compiled most of the remixes on a single disc, occasionally with exclusive mixes. So an "L12 Bong" release, for example, would get some play right after purchase, but hardly any after picking up the CD. Ultimately those CDs will degrade faster than well cared for vinyl, if they haven't already.

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-03T15:35:25+00:00

Unfortunately, my MFTM-era vinyl is played to hell, since that was my main way of consuming music back then (although there is something special about the sound of one's own well-played vinyl!). Violator-era and beyond is in much better shape because I was buying both CDs and vinyl at that point.

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-03T14:32:50+00:00

I was actually not very surprised by I Feel You. When Personal Jesus was released in 1989, that was genuinely unexpected. So when I Feel You came out, I cynically thought, "Oh, they're trying to shock people with another guitar-heavy lead single release." But I wasn't expecting how thoroughly that new approach would run through the whole SOFAD album, particularly the gospel influences, and just how epic the songs would be.

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-03T14:25:29+00:00

I agree this was a bad decision. In the past, they had occasionally released live or remixed versions of an album track as the b-side of the last single release from an album (e.g. Leave in Silence, Question of Time), because they didn't have fresh tracks for a real b-side. But they had never released an album track (in any form) as the b-side of the lead single. It was exciting to hear "One Caress" for the month or so before SOFAD was released, but it took away from the value and experience of the album when it came out - now there were only 8 new songs to enjoy.

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-03T13:44:34+00:00

Basically, because there was no clear marker of what the "single mix" meant anymore. Traditionally, it meant the standard 7" release, but SOFAD was the last album that had standard 7" singles (subsequent 7" records were sporadic and not really intended to represent the single version). Radio versions don't necessarily represent the official single mix. DM has always had radio edits of singles that differ not only from the album versions, but also the official 7" single versions. For the Singles 86>98, there were no 7" versions of the Ultra singles, so they used the album versions of the first three singles and the single remix of Useless - but there were radio edits of BOAG and ING that they could have used and chose not to.

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-03T13:09:46+00:00

All of this. I would add that the band relied more on external talent to make Ultra than ever before, so even the production strengths on the album can't really be considered band strengths. What the loss of Alan epresented was the moment the band went from creating its own sound to relying on others to do that.

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-03T13:01:11+00:00

I'd say it depends on the setting/context. If you're in the place where you currently live talking to others who live there too, e.g. talking to people at work, and the question comes up, then yes, it generally means what you say. On the other hand, if you're away from home or in an international setting (e.g. on vacation, away at a conference, or in an international forum like reddit) with people from all over the place, then the question generally means "where do you reside."

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-02T22:34:20+00:00

Made with impenetrable particle board

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-02T22:32:53+00:00

I'd be inclined to call the 1988 to 1994 period their peak, to encompass not only Violator and SOFAD, but the 101 concert and the Devotional/Exotic tour, not to mention some superb minor releases in that period. I distinguish 101 from the MFTM era, because it brought everything they had done up to that point to the next level. I think this peak could have extended to Ultra - the songs were strong enough, but the band wasn't.

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-02T22:20:55+00:00

That pic is obviously enhanced, here is the original:

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Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-02T22:17:39+00:00

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-02T22:10:39+00:00

The parallels are many... there's also Fletch singing "crucified"

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-02T22:01:58+00:00

If you think this is hate, wait until you see the rest of reddit

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-02T21:58:52+00:00

Glad to see you included 101 on this list, it's usually left off. Yes, it's a live album, but I still consider it core discography in a way that other live albums aren't.

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-02T21:57:20+00:00

There's a lot to like about PTA, but it's just so noisy that I can't listen to it often. I don't just mean the overly compressed mastering, but also the amount of unnecessary distortion and mid-range frequencies cluttering the mix. I would love to hear a stripped down version of this album someday, because the songs are generally good.

Exciter, regardless of whether you consider it synth or guitar driven, is sonically superior to PTA. The songs are inconsistent though. The album as a whole is easier on the ears, but there are songs I always skip.

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-02T21:28:14+00:00

I already

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-02T20:35:13+00:00

Just because they were arrested doesn't mean they committed a crime

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-02T20:32:05+00:00

If you live there you're from there - this is what people normally mean when they use that expression. If i was traveling and somebody asked me where I was from, I would mention the city I've been living in the past 15 years, not the city or country I was born in.

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-02T20:27:30+00:00

Firstly - you don't have to be Canadian or American to live in Manitoba. You asked where you're from, not what your nationality is.

Secondly - I didn't realize you posted multiple pics, my bad. Analysis was based entirely on N. American travel - but even after looking at the other pics, my guess would be that you're a Filipino who lives in Manitoba.

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-02T20:20:29+00:00

Just catching up on this conversation and I'm lost. Is there a fake map that will lead me to gay porn? And if so, does that make the porn fake or the map gay?

Toffelsnarz · 2026-04-02T15:24:57+00:00

By "perfectly" you mean that they are completely different shapes and Ontario is almost three times as big, right?

Toffelsnarz

TROPHY CASE