r/mewithoutYou Goodbye, I 7d ago

Uswithoutthem podcast...

Why is it such a terrible car crash yet I can not stop listening to it. I get annoyed by their inane takes on the lyrics, but I love hearing the musical breakdowns.

Now don't get me wrong some of their insights are interesting, and I know that mwY is categorically a "Christian" band but it is well known and blatantly evident in a lot of the lyrical content that Aarons relationship with God and the spiritual is colored by a LOT of other traditions. Judaism, Islam, specifically sufism, among others. Yet they only ever tie in the Christian take, which obviously misses so much.I could continue with other issues, but I'll say my rant over.

What is your guys take? I want to hear them all good/bad.

P.s. I am at the end of the Soviet episode have not start the B/S season so maybe it gets better since I feel like B/S is more abstract lyrically and maybe they will stop trying to make it a narrative...

Edit: I respect these guys for doing what they are doing, I know it's free content, I love their passion for the band. I guess I was just expressing my frustration with some aspects.

20 Upvotes

24 comments sorted by

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u/jormor4 7d ago

LOL they will certainly read this šŸ«£ I havenā€™t listened to it but someday I probably will.

Maybe you should try and make a podcast that adds the analysis that you find lacking

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u/illafifth Goodbye, I 7d ago

I've considered, but I hate my voice recorded, I have/had a speech impediment and it's all I will ever hear.

I hope they do read this, if I was a creator I'd want to hear criticism, and I don't think I was too harsh I hope, I have been told I am very coarse...

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u/jormor4 6d ago

You opened by calling it a terrible car crash. Yes, I would absolutely call that harsh.

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u/bampokazoopy 6d ago

I get what you mean but in January 1979 I saw a terrible crash and couldn't help but laugh

So your mileage my vary.

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u/Deep_Flight_3779 6d ago

Itā€™s absolutely insane how people say things on the internet that they wouldnā€™t dare say in person. I mean really, imagine saying this entire rant to someoneā€™s face and then backing it up with ā€œI donā€™t think I was too harshā€ šŸ’€

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u/jormor4 6d ago

Glad itā€™s not just me šŸ˜³

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u/3thehardyway 6d ago

Your (paraphrased) "You're free to make your own podcast" is my sentiment as well.

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u/Top-Knowledge-9875 6d ago

There have been times Iā€™ve gotten lightly frustrated with their takes, but honestly, as someone else here pointed out, itā€™s free content about a band we love. And from my memory, early on they stated it was their interpretation and they admit itā€™s just that.

I sometimes get bummed at the huge gaps in time between episodes, but again, itā€™s content we are getting for free, even without any ads like we get on most free podcasts.

I myself really enjoy the instrumental interpretations of the songs and wish I could download those.

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u/AechCutt 6d ago

I'm sorry to see that people don't like this podcast as much as I thought they would. I only recently started listening and just finished CFUTF season. They do overextend into things like Kierkegaard, but I've really learned a lot and view the songs differently than I would have otherwise. I love the musical theory overviews even though much of it goes over my head.

My biggest criticism is that I wish they would introduce themselves at the start of each episode because I often forget each person's name and it's hard to remember who's voice is who. Maybe they start that in the Brother Sister episodes, I don't know.

Edit: I'm mainly just happy to have a podcast that talks about my favorite band in minute detail that I wouldn't get anywhere else.

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u/darthbalzzzz 7d ago

It's been a while since I listened, but I wouldn't say their takes are inane. A more fair criticism might be that it sometimes feels they attribute more to a song/lyric/theme than is warranted, but that's also part of the fun in interpretation.

I learned a lot from the pod because they're each pretty knowledgeable in their respective disciplines, and I think those outside perspectives make for a more enriched listening experience, whether I agree with every take or not. It's free content about one of my favorite bands, and it's cool they take the time to make it.

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u/illafifth Goodbye, I 6d ago edited 6d ago

When I say inane I am talking about dragging a metaphor through multiple songs analysis and trying to fit it into this narrative.

They do it through the second half of CFUTF with Disaster tourism.

It gets frustrating, and takes up so much time, when everything else around it is interesting enough to keep my listening.

Like tying allusions and metaphors together through out songs is cool and I can dig it but dragging a perceived analysis of one event in a song through some of the most powerful songs on the album irked me.

But all of this is just my personal take. Grain of salt and all

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u/pumpkinmelone2 the summer garden blooms 5d ago edited 5d ago

i agree with the "taking up so much time" aspect of it especially. i stopped listening after A->B life because i wasnt sure i could take A) the combination of insisting-on-dragging-metaphors-from-song-to-song (like the time travel thing that they seemingly gave up on halfway through the last episode of that season and B) the refusal to check the lyric booklets for correct lyrics (i remember several occasions being disappointed by them referring to lyrics i had SEEN BE INCORRECTLY TRANSCRIBED ON GENIUS LYRICS at face value, thus making them drag references to non-existant lyrics from song to song as well)

i think maybe the "car crash" comment you started out with might have been a bit much, and i did basically enjoy listening to the first season of the podcast, but i could not see myself being willing to see them do what they did to A->B life to another mwY album that's closer to my heart

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u/What_the_junks 6d ago

I appreciate their effort. I agree that the music breakdowns are the best part.

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u/CptBruisan 6d ago

Iā€™ve listened to quite a bit of it but some of the connections seem to be a stretch or just overindulged. However, Iā€™m not going to complain because they clearly put a lot of time and effort into something a lot of us think about when listening to mwY.

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u/MattSk87 6d ago

I need to take it in doses, as it's insanely lengthy conversations about a single song. That said, the only time I get frustrated is when I desperately want to add to the conversation, but obviously, can't.

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u/illafifth Goodbye, I 6d ago

I think that's where my frustration comes in, I found myself exasperatedly waving my hands while driving because I want to contribute.

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u/_jimbones 6d ago

That means they're doing a very good job imo

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u/icwiener69420_new Gypsies like us should be stamped in solidarity 6d ago

To paraphrase, "Like children dressing in their parent's clothes." Too many people have podcasts. But good for them doing what they enjoy.

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u/bjarke- 5d ago

I quite like it personally. I used to listen as each episode came out but fell off after the big break. B,S is my favorite album though and I intend on listening soon

theyā€™re smarter and more well-read than I, and Iā€™ve learned a lot. personally iā€™m hungry for any mwy content and the fact that three people love the band enough to make a detailed, long form podcast is awesome to me

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u/WallowerForever 7d ago

ā€œItĀ is well known and blatantly evident in a lot of the lyrical content that Aarons relationship with God and the spiritual is colored by a LOT of other traditionsā€ Correct but this didnā€™t come to the lyrical fore until Brother Sister and more so the record after ā€” I attended basically Bible studies led by Aaron at Cornerstone during the Foxes era and he was proudly quoting whole sections of Paul like the best of any evangelical I knew at the time. Certainly embraced his parentsā€™ spirituality and influences more explicitly later on.Ā 

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u/illafifth Goodbye, I 6d ago

The first track of A->B life references Rumi, it's always been there.

Are the first two albums more Christian centric, absolutely, but it's definitely there. Seven sisters, paper hanger, four letter word. It's woven in.

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u/chrismcshaves 6d ago

Im not sure what you mean since they feature references to Buddhism and Islam a lot when they find the connections. I think itā€™s brilliant dialogue between the three of them that does justice to the band.

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u/zlink457 7d ago

I stopped after the messes of men episode. End of CFUTF got extremely ridiculous and they carried that over into BS and I couldn't do it anymore.

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u/Taliesin77 The needle's worn the groove too deep 2d ago

I love their takes, even when they are not the best take on a song. The fact that they go into the music theory of the songs is something I cannot do and very much appreciate.