Refinding Frances & so Much More

At some point in the past someone borrowed my The Mars Volta Frances the Mute CD.  I have a burned copy & the tracks archived on my external, but not the real deal. This previous Thursday I was perusing music & literature at a local thrift store as is often my wont & I found a nearly pristine copy for $2. That got me listening to all their material, as anyone who’s been around here enough will know, I’m a crazy TMV fan-man (no longer a boy).

The depth of their catalogue & progression of their story has for me made each release a jewel. I listen to the Tremulant EP & am still in awe. Don’t get me wrong here, I was a huge fan of ATDI before TMV, loving the punk-prog things that they did. I was saddened at their demise. But I was enthralled by the leap TMV made coming out of the gate. Then Deloused, which until Frances, was my favorite. With each successive offering, my appreciation grew. With each new release I would go back & listen to all the previous outings & still feel the same or greater love for their artistry & musicality.

When Cedric announced last year that he was no longer a part of TMV & that the band was no more, I was saddened but understanding. So much great music from the band. Everything is transmutable. When I saw Bosnian Rainbow later last year I felt the certainty close in even more.

After refinding Frances the Mute, after listening through their history, the power of Scabdates, the unified quartet that is Amputechture, Bedlam, Octahedron, & Noctourniquet, I couldn’t resist the overpowering urge to post up some Mars Volta here.

The Mars Volta – dEMOS 2001 – 2003.
all decryption codes in comments

Tracklist –

Roulette Dares (The Haunt of) [2001 demo]

Inertiatic ESP [2002 demo]

Roulette Dares (The Haunt of) [2002 demo]

Drunkship of Lanterns [2002 demo]

Eriatarka [2002 demo]

Cicatriz ESP [2002 demo]

This Apparatus Must be Unearthed [2002 demo]

Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt [2002 demo]

Eunuch Provocateur [2002 demo]

Televators [2003 demo]

Concertina [2003 demo]

The Mars Volta – New Year’s Eve 2007 Live Acoustic, Bill Graham Auditorium, S.F.

Tracklist –

Intro

Televators

CedTalk 1

The Widow

Ced Talk 2

Miranda, That Ghost Just Isn’t Holy

CedTalk 3

Asilos Magdalena

CedTalk 4

Vermicide

CedTalk 5

New Song

The Mars Volta – Live at Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, April 20, 2008.

Tracklist –

A Fistful of Dollars

Roulette Dares (The Haunt of)

Viscera Eyes

Wax Simulacra

Goliath

Ouroborous

Pre-Tetragrammaton

Tetragrammaton

Pre-Agadez

Agadez

Cygnus Intro

Cygnus

Pre-Aberinkula

Aberinkula

Drunkship of Lanterns

 

The Mars Volta – The Bedlam in Goliath bonus tracks

Tracklist –

Pulled to Bits (Siouxie & the Banshees cover)

Things Behind the Sun (Nick Drake cover)

Back up Against the Wall (Circle Jerks cover)

Memories (The Soft Machine cover)

Birthday (Sugarcubes cover)

Candy & a Currant Bun (Pink Floyd cover)

Mr. Muggs (Vinyl edition)

Goliath (El-P remix)

Enjoy,

NØ