THE MAN

Fantastic news! Does this mean a new album release is around the corner?

Because it's too good for vinyl!

Arrows of Desire is the overlooked gem of his entire discography.

Avalanche/WLRRR era shows were fuckin' bangers. Christian Valdson, Pat Stewart and Rich Priske were a phenomenal trio behind Matt and that is just tough to beat. He played a one off show with Pat back on drums and Jimmy on guitar (maybe his best lead guitarist) at Young and Dundas square in Toronto during the LOES era that I will always think was a great performance as well. That specific live take of Shallows Low I wish the world could've heard.

This album will go down as the Matthew Good equivalent of Neil Young's "Chrome Dreams" album. I didn't know he worked on it with a few other notable people as well, very interesting! I at least appreciated that it was a different sound and style but I haven't given it any real serious listen time, and I probably wont unless it gets a real release.

Here's hoping he finally puts out a version of "We Have Done This Before", god damn he needs to live long enough for THAT at least! Send MG some positive vibes I hope he's doing ok.

Radicals is one of my favourite songs from the last 3 records so I'm glad it is getting some love in the sets after the Moving walls tour got stopped dead in it's tracks. Hopefully a Toronto show comes up I can see it live again. He played it at an acoustic Toronto show just before Moving Walls came out and I thought it was great.

***off the rails debate warning*** I mean if that's what you want, that is cool and I can respect it. If you need answers regarding what is now essentially public knowledge I can kind of understand. But don't you think it seems far-fetched to insist the other party of a business exchange needs to fit an idea of personal progress or self-improvement in order to engage in said business transaction? That would really grind day-to-day life down holding everything to such a standard. Just because someone plays some chords on guitar and sings doesn't REALLY make them any better than the local cashier working at any store or the owner of the business you may give your money to for services. Tough crowd around here! I can't imagine we ever see Matt post again but jeez it will be a hornet's nest he'd be stepping into if he ever did haha. As a music related ending, I still think the Tribus album never sees the light of day... Perhaps it's a sign of near-retirement. Cherry-picked engagements to sustain a certain standard of living and not much more.

An inquiry has been sent for the cost of performances of rico and indestructible...

This is fantastic. From heaven above. Like a holy grail!

I have a feeling the new "Tribus" album will never see the light of day. Permanently shelved and something new put out in it's stead down the line. Given all that's gone on I can't imagine putting out an album that is so infused with what I'll simply call for now "bad press" is beneficial. I sort of imagine putting as much distance between MG and the controversy around him is the goal now, so I just can't see it coming out anymore. Maybe I'm wrong but I kinda think I'm not. Anyone else feel the same way?

I like it! Well it's alriiiiighhttt but I am happy for MG to change his sound up and do things differently. I like that he can still surprise me. "...Before I exposed you for the monster you are, of course" haha this line right here in that Instagram post sums it up for me. Ever feel like you're being sold a controversy in all of this? I think MG will be back just because he apparently has some significant life expenses to deal with at this point. Money talks! And assuming every live venue across the country hasn't gone out of business, been sold to a developer, demolished and turned into poorly made and over-priced apartments, there is going to be some serious demand for live entertainment in 2022. Hard to say no to that income I bet.

I can't believe anyone is shocked that someone could live 49 years without growing, learning or improving themselves. If you look at the vast majority of people, they never change their ways or habits in any meaningful way. Some people are just... kinda stupid in that way... We might listen to one! I know tons of people that fit that bill, I'm sure you all do. That's just humans for ya. Granted, blaming bi-polar on your personal dysfunction IS a pretty lame cop-out after so long. The real kicker is acting holier-than-thou about it. If my rage issues made me punch someone, it's still my fist which I threw and I'm just as responsible. But I still ask, why is examination of the artist's failed personal morals held as so vital in how you judge the music? Not to say you CAN'T go ahead and think what you want of the guy... but it's still what you think of him, not the songs. I personally find it hard to factor in details of someone's personal life that I shouldn't even realistically KNOW ABOUT, except we live in an online world and it's easy for someone to tell their story to a large audience. How many family/friends do you even know THIS MUCH about what their intimate relationships are like? It's creepy to me to be so involved with a strangers life. Relationships sometimes make people fuckin' lunatic psychos, it's true. Stay away from them, it's easy to spot. But how much of this is really, solely, between the people involved and how much is truly fitting for public debate? To me this as reasonable as digging through the personal lives of every forum member here, and making posts about what I've learned you've done. Imagine if someone here refused to communicate with anyone they deemed a moral failure after. It's kind of unfair seeing as how someone is just digging up your fuck ups because "people need to know". And NO I'm not excusing his behavior, I'm just saying that making the mental association between hearing Matthew Good and immediate anger/disappointment at his personal failings that you shouldn't REALLY be privy to is not entirely reasonable. This is still a private matter even if people are hurt. It is at least positive to reinforce to people that you shouldn't waste your efforts on someone you know is a manipulative exploiter. Friend, family OR intimate relationships! Of course, some people never learn THAT either and the cycle of abuse continues regardless of any abuser's status, standing or value. Do we all really want to live in a world where this is how we judge each other? Where your personal failings WILL BE public failings for you to be ostracized for in perpetuity by strangers? Everyone reading this has fucked up, caused harm, acted poorly or just been a shitty person at SOME point in life. But it doesn't mean your low points should be the topic of debate amongst complete strangers. It CAN be but i don't see it being a good thing for us all. But if you dislike MG now that's totally cool too. it's not entirely unreasonable. But just remember that there's basically something to really dislike about everyone if you look close enough. Some people just make it easier to spot.

No one is somehow personally removing or cancelling anyone from anything on behalf of the masses. It's about a social climate that promotes this as individuals. That we should factor behavior that is harmful in some way to others caused by an artist INTO part of our personal preferences and tastes in regards to pieces of their art. This is what is happening, right now. And I don't believe this is rational whatsoever. This is political correctness taken to newer, more unnecessary heights. Because with it's idealistic promotion in mainstream culture, the natural human response is "what's next!?". Therefore the longer it goes on, the further it has to go to satisfy our natural impulses. It's called the overton window, dear lads. It's not pretty but it's just all human nature. ALL of this!

This IS cancel-culture in action. It's not some magical wave washing over us. Its a personal choice being made by individuals happening in real time.

C'mon now kids you ain't a star unless you've got a #metoo cancel culture campaign literally burning a hole in your social media inboxes... ... Anyway onto my blip blabbin' because, well, I can and I never get too serious on here... but I guess one time I'll be honest with my personal opinions because ABOVE ALL Matthew Good fans are a hardcore group the likes of which I rarely see for many other artist. All the most dedicated fans that I talk to here or at shows or just whenever day to day are always smart, friendly and respectable. I admire this greatly in all of you and I think because of that I'm willing to be more honest with you all this one time. I only state this preamble because I am what some might lazily paint as "extremely right-wing". I assure you the images of tiki-torch rally numb nuts and and "veins popping on skull as I yell at you" info outlets are just easy to sensationalize and not a real representation, though. With that in mind, personally speaking, PC culture absolutely sickens me. It's nothing but weakness exemplified. All I hear about these days are people's god damned HURT FEELINGS and why I need to assuage their terrified existence in a world that owes us all nothing. Yeah, shitty things happen. Thankfully for truly egregious acts of harm there IS repercussion in the form of law and order because for the most part we are indeed all very civil and want to be at peace so we agree to the social contract. The fire we currently have burning at our beloved Matthew Good's feet is, for us most hardcore of fans, not entirely shocking to hear about. People talk, rumors fly, whispers fall on attentive ears, blah blah blah. This shit is all nothing new. BUT I think both out of our adoration of the man's talent AND respect for his personal life (a long standing MG purist's unspoken vow) we don't pay much heed. Some might call it a sweeping under the carpet. Or a willful ignorance. Or at worse pure sycophantic worship. But this is really about a COMPLETE STRANGERS PERSONAL LIFE! I am neither interested in condoning OR commend his, or anyone's actions. I am only interested in judging my own life based on my personal morals and sensibilities. this "event" is no exception. I'm sorry to say that I do believe that our beloved MG probably did in fact really cause some discernible amount emotional harm to women he's been "involved" with in various capacities. That sucks for anyone to be abused in that sense, and if I could wave my magic armchair quarterback wand and make everyone happy I would (okay not really, suffering is the difficult part of growth and self-awareness). But it's the sudden "cancel culture" pile on that absolutely sickens me as a WEAK HUMAN FEELINGS RESPONSE because the world was literally exactly as you know it for the last X amount of years this has gone on quietly in the background. Hey, guess what... Phil Spector fuckin' KILLED SOMEONE! But to refuse to listen to "Be My Baby" or The Beatles "Let It Be" unless its the "Let It Be... Naked" alternate mixes "BECAUSE THE BAD MAN'S STRING ARRANGEMENTS ARE GONE AND I HAVE CANCELLED HIM!" is so disconnected from reality that it hurts. Why is it so hard for people to accept that a piece of art is no longer the artist? Somewhere in my large spectrum of musical tastes, I am POSITIVE, given the sheer amount of people involved, that I listen to the music of a violent serial rapist. I have no idea who. But I wouldn't be shocked to find out. Maybe I inadvertently even HELPED this person accomplish their nefarious deeds through my support! Not a pleasant thought at all... but it's so outside of my control and power that i can't realistically be concerned. If it turned out it was Freddie Mercury... I would still listen to Queen. It'd be more fucked up thinking of the artist now, sure, but the music didn't do anything in and of itself. "PUT YOUR EARMUFFS ON BILLY! GARY GLITTER IS ON AND HE'S GONNA RAPE YOU IF YOU HEAR A SINGLE 'HEY'!" Quite frankly the most off-putting thing to me has been the heavy handed PC libtarded drivel he's really championed in the last 4 years. god DAMN Trump (who I support, just an FYI, so you can feel justified to ignore me completely ?) did some weeeeeeiiirrrddd shit to people's brains... Granted, I really love the new album and going back to more political, socially observant lyrics. I don't have to completely agree with something to like it, you know... In summation, "cancelling" someone over being a shitty partner is pretty god damn stupid. I'm sick of hurt feelings and the empty heads that are going to jump down my throat for not being compassionate. I'm sorry but I really think he gets away with shit because he's a "rock star" and some people thought he was still worth pursuing despite obvious signs that you should dump the guy just like if he was average joe six-pack. It's ugly, but it's life. I'm not here to shit on anyone on either side, but clearly someone made a choice to air their dirty laundry in public. Matthew Good, if you ever read this, you might be a dick, but you're far from a horrible person and you deserve better than this nonsense to be a topic of public forum debate. (yes I know I'm part of the problem in this moment but the house is already on fire) Thank you everyone, I'll be here for the long haul!

I hate to start just making demands on people who got the VIP buuuut I can't help myself..... Would anyone ask if he would do a "Rooms part 2" recording, reworking some other songs acoustically again?

Not a bad album, but in my fanboy opinion it could have been more. It exposes a notable weakness. While a snare on 2 & 4 is easy and always works... Just way too much of either: Kick drum on " & 1... 3 & " or " 1 ... & 3 " The songs that don't rely on these bits as much tend to be the ones I like more on this album and most albums lately. I fully admit though, it is a tough habit to break out of if you aren't a consummate drummer, though... Which Blake is! ...But so is Ian Browne...except in the band Matt obviously gave him the space to fuck around. Giant is a fine example of it. (and on the Live At Massey Hall recording Blake rips it up because he easily could seeing as how he's a beast) Listen, and the aforementioned kick drum patterns aren't as prevalent. As a matter of fact ALL of live takes of the songs from Hospital Music (in my opinion, of course) on said live album benefit GREATLY from just a lil' extra scoop of kick drum, snare hits and ghost notes, etc... Just put up a playlist of the hospital music tracks done on the Massey Hall recording. That's the Hospital Music I personally listen to. Give it a try... Speaking of Blake though...His vocals on this album are truly top notch. For the first time in Matt's career I would say that he has a clutch backup vocalist I would miss if he couldn't be on tour or on an album. His vocals might be my favourite part of the album, overall. I do declare that if you take the best couple of songs from this album with a few of the best songs off Chaotic Neutral it fights for his best solo album. I think that brings up interesting questions in regards to the benefit of doing more "specialty tours" such as Beautiful Midnight or acoustic tours to play uncommon songs. More time to cherry pick the best songs over time vs. more albums with all songs over said time will always be an endless debate. Regardless, Matt still puts out great albums no matter how I want to nitpick it. He proves with every release that I knew there was something special about this guy ever since I heard Everything Is Automatic on the radio back in grade school on a drive home from a leafs game. Still stands as one of the first times I heard a song and went "this is what a great song should be" and he still does it to this day. Inspirational! That's all for my blabbin'!

DID YOU JUST ASSUME MY GENDER!?!?!?

For ages, in Windows Media Player when Beautiful Midnight loaded up and got track info, the credits for "Load Me Up" composers would always say Christie Priske instead of Rich Priske. The guy playing pedal steel guitar on Blue Skies and Hopeless on WLRRR is actually the guy who plays guitar with Neko Case, Paul Rigby. The song Long Way Down started off from the drums on the (fantastic) Comfortable Criminals song but I think most people knew that. I heard the song "Dusk" was just something that Matt did on the spot in the studio while sitting around mixing the newer In A Coma tracks The first notable studio appearance of Stu on any album I can find is on the first solo album of the Crash Test Dummies singer. Blake plays the drums on the first Edwin solo album with all those massive hits. I don't think Matt has released a song with a 7/4 time signature at any point ever. On the song House Of Smoke And Mirrors you hear Matt say at 3:26 "ah that was good" I think in response to a bass run but who knows. The cool drum sound on the song Near Fantastica when they first come in and do the cool abrupt tom hit fills can be re-created with heavy compression followed by a gate if anyone cares to try. That's all I can think of.

I just want to hear Tiger By The Tail at the first Toronto show.

I got tickets for the 1st Toronto show in a groupon deal. I didn't even know you could get concert tickets with a groupon..I got a burger and a poutine for $5 the day before, haha.

Cool video, and full of classic downtown 'shwa! I think it's not the first time he's at least attempted a video here in Oshawa. I remember hearing he was doing a video for Near Fantastica way back when at Camp Samac right by where I am.

What you don't understand is that with Warne Livesey, he only needed 30 seconds to finish the song. He is just THAT good...

Awesome, I bet that it is excellent. I think it'll help break up the recording/touring new material cycle he has been going at for a while. Kind of like how the greatest hits/acoustic disc to me at least kicked things off in a new direction. Could even be some cool guests. Get Jonny Greenwood on it, spare no expense!