There has been plenty of commercial print coverage since MCR’s announcement of Conventional Weapons. So much anticipation also as they sold out (on Nov 6th) of the Box Sets now only available singly… I for one hope that they do a re issue!!
I have found that the diversity from the different articles and interviews surrounding My Chemical Romance and Conventional Weapons.. warranted writing a blog of this style. Plenty of links to interesting articles etc. I was going to wait until February to publish it, having re~thought that situation just earlier; better to update this post on a somewhat regular basis.
“Earlier this year My Chemical Romance‘s Frank Iero announced that they had completely shelved an album worth of songs before coming up with their critically acclaimed fourth studio album ‘Danger Days’…”
As buying their music at itunes or Amazon is the best option; or ordering on their online store (see below). I’ll just post a ‘tempter’ here, as I really love ‘Ambulance’, it’s opening chords hauntingly reminds me of many iconic 70’s or 80’s tunes.. Enjoy!!
See the end of this page for the lyrics!
“Conventional Weapons is a 10 song series of previously unheard My Chem material”
There has been plenty of commercial print coverage since MCR’s announcement of Conventional Weapons. So much anticipation also as they sold out (on Nov 6th) of the Box Sets now only available singly… I for one hope that they do a re issue!!
I have found that the diversity from the different articles and interviews surrounding My Chemical Romance and Conventional Weapons.. warranted writing a blog of this style. Plenty of links to interesting articles etc. I was going to wait until February to publish it, having re~thought that situation just earlier; better to update this post on a somewhat regular basis.
Frank Iero, Michael Way, Gerard Way and Ray Toro
My Chem and even Chem Rom.. are also becoming popular abbreviations for the band name, you have to admit not many bands have accomplished that feat! They’ve had their fans on tenterhooks for quite some time now, also with some of them still lamenting… ‘well, when is the next album coming out that they have been promising’!?! Even once the Conventional Weapons vinyl set had been announced, their fans grew ever restless.
Here are a few links to start, with many more to come:
Start with this one, at American Songwriter.. I really enjoyed it, as was back in November, 2010 it’s one of the most in depth interviews with Gerard. The following after the pic is a tiny excerpt or click the title for the full story:
“Something In The Way: A Q&A With My Chemical Romance“
“As the front man of My Chemical Romance and the author of the comic series The Umbrella Academy, Gerard Way is a busy man. He certainly knows what it’s like to have too much on his plate. Following their 2006 rock opera album The Black Parade, the alt-rockers toured relentlessly, leading to well-publicized fatigue problems. Overworked, the band–Way, his bassist brother Mikey, and guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero–recorded 28 songs for their follow-up, only to discard them and completely restart the process” ~ by Katie Chow at American Songwriter.
Ray Toro and Frank Iero on Guitar World
or a quick Magazine Image View at a news blog on MCR
My Chemical Romance talk about Danger Days to Guitar World
There’s quite a few pages to read at Guitar World, so have some time!
There are various other articles, eg: at Rock Sound, NME, Absolute Punk, Kill Your Stereo, Live the Scene, also there has been various Interviews with either Frank Iero or Gerard Way, leading up to / post the announcement. Many of which I will be adding to this post over time.
Spin Magazine> September 17 2012, 12:13 PM, by Marc Hogan 1st Link Then 2nd Link
Music Feeds Australia> 1st Link Then 2nd Link
Story on CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS:
From CBS Local ~ Los Angeles ~ (written by Jay Tilles)
“Today My Chemical Romance made good on last month’s promise to release the previously shelved album Conventional Weapons .
The 10-track album was conceived before Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys, but locked away before anyone could hear it.
According to guitarist Frank Iero, the reason for shelving the tracks was notbecause they weren’t up to par.
“To kill the misconception, I don’t think the songs we wrote before ‘Danger Days’ are bad songs by any means. In fact, I kinda think some of them are among my favorites we have ever written. A lot of them are kinda f—ing rad… they just so happened to have been created in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and we as their parents were not ready to raise them just yet… and so they sat and waited.”
The band will slowly release the scrapped 2009 Conventional Weapons album; two songs a month for five months as sets of 7″ singles.”
Black Parade and Helena were both played on Rage, abc tv 25 Nov at around 4 am!! It was part of their 25 years of Rage, from 2003 ~ 2006. It was great to see and hear those songs on a current show!
© 2006 WMG Directed by Samuel Bayer
I do get annoyed when it comes to airtime on our Australian Radio Stations / Music Channels, and how it’s distributed. although it is not unheard of for a band to organize ‘Radio Silence’.. prior to a new album being released, MCR have done this before.
Conventional Weapons Track listing:
1. Boy Division
2. Tomorrow’s Money
3. Ambulance
4. Gun
5. The World Is Ugly
6. The Light Behind Your Eyes
7. Kiss The Ring
8. Make Room!
9. Surrender the Night
10. Burn Bright
Amazingly… there is already a Wikipedia page for Conventional Weapons
If you were wondering; I do have an interest in a particularly large selection of music genre’s, as an ex Radio DJ of a Blues Show also one devoted to legendary guitarists, I’m sure you can imagine.. There are simply for too many Bands / Solo Artists that I do like.. to add them all at any of my accounts such as you Tube.. << which is extremely eclectic, so don’t take it too seriously heaps of folders etc, but nowhere near the totality of what I like 🙂 There are also about 300+ pins on my Music Board on Pinterest, featuring both video’s and photo’s.
Perhaps the mere fact that I like too many different styles is why I like to follow MCR in great detail, because of their uniqueness…
I know that it was Welcome to the Black Parade, also known as WTTBP ‘s music video that literally stopped me in my tracks. I was actually 😀 busy at the time WTTBP came on; a Music Channel on the TV. Now I knew the song already via the radio, and liked a lot of bands at the time so, after that situation; I was hooked on MCR! 😀 Gerard’s Voice as well, I adore his pronunciation ~ enunciation, sharpness and clarity, you would have to listen to all the music to understand that one! Start with the DVD, (The Black Parade is Dead)
I will endeavor to make you a fan, if you are not already.. 😀
Sometimes feeling like their oldest fan / MCRmy lol.. Finding My Chemical Romance highly intriguing and perhaps miss my DJ days! I tend to get indignant and almost take it as a personal assault if a DJ gives them a hard time; albeit they are often misjudged.. lets face it most judgmental attitudes are already in the wrong for doing so!
They are here for a long time to come ( Listed at Kerrang Magazine’s; 101 Modern Classics ~ The Most Difinitive Albums you Must Own!) They have obviously already proved themselves with conquering such a wide / diverse music style / range : including their ‘Rock Operas’ ~ that is ever changing to keep up with the age we are living in.. fast paced to say the least. They are my Favorite ‘Chameleon’ Band.. lol, don’t forget with Madonna’s career throughout; everyone only had powerful comments as to her ‘re~inventing’ her style constantly; but that’s quite alright she’s female and that ‘change’ was very ‘revealing’ from time to time, with her erotica era etc.. and most DJ’s are male and ok, of late she has had a little bad press.. and I choose to stay out of the ‘Lady Gaga / Madonna issue.
If you think I’m getting a little sidetracked, well not really see I may be a little bit of a feminist at times (equal rights / wages etc..) There are just times like this that I am a bit of a Female chauvinist! At any rate, my point is the music industry is made up of a lot of guys who, if they choose to dislike a band such as MCR.. I think they are being ridiculous. Look, if Gerard wants and does use his sexuality on stage I don’t see a problem with it ~ a lot more guys should! Any way at least Maroon 5’s Adam Levine does sometimes and Brian Molko ~ Placebo.
Getting back to the other point; it could well be the problem with some people; If they give the Band a hard time with their ‘sound’ or ‘writing’ style.. it seems to me that they’re stuck on the idea of Bands that stay the same; punching out song after song, being on stage with greasy hair and not making any performance much at all! So very tired of women baring near all ~ and guys being so BORING on stage / video clips etc..! As ‘change and different’ in music is too much for some. They prefer to stick with the Bands album after album; that sounds the same… these people must be monotonous themselves.. seeking refuge in monotony in a somewhat messed up planet… wouldn’t you agree?
Rest assured, if you have read this far; I will be counting the links etc.. as best I can at any rate ~ lol ~ actually there is more to keep reading, so keep scrolling.. 😀 May go well past the 101 things you need to know about My Chemical Romance’s Conventional Weapons!!
My Chemical Romance Websites:
Related articles
- My Chemical Romance Release First Shelved “Conventional Weapons” Track (preprod.cbslocal.com) Excerpt 25 Oct 2012; “Today My Chemical Romance made good on last month’s promise to release the previously shelved album Conventional Weapons.
- Review: My Chemical Romance – ‘Boy Division’ and ‘Tomorrow’s Money’ [Single(s)] (hangout.altsounds.com)
- My Chemical Romance Release First Two Tracks From Shelved “Conventional Weapons” Album (kroq.cbslocal.com)
- My Chemical Romance Getting Back to Basics (vividseats.com)
- Fans of the alternative rock stalwarts are shopping for 2012 My Chemical Romance tickets as the band tours in support of their new album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. The album was intended to get the band back to their rock roots. Gone is the pageantry of The Black Parade. MCR is focused on songwriting now, and the quality of their latest offering proves that it was the correct direction to go in. Following their headlining gig on the Honda Civic Tour, Gerard Way and the boys will be heading down under for a winter tour of Australia and New Zealand. (from vividseats)
- Music Review: My Chemical Romance – Conventional Weapons: Number 1 (thesweetuniverse.wordpress.com)
- Frankanweenie Album featuring Frank Iero’s tune /track
Now a full excerpt: for the ‘die hards’ 😀 still reading 🙂
From Australia’s Leading Music News and Interviews:
My Chemical Romance Build Studio For Album Number Five
by Tim Cashmere on February 1, 2012
My Chemical Romance are in the process of building a studio in Los Angeles where they’re going to begin working on their fifth album.
Speaking to Noise11, the band outlined plans for their impending fifth album and how they’re going to approach it.
“Back in L.A. we just got a studio so we’re kind of building that out and basically trying to make a compound where we can be creative and be there whenever we want to be,” guitarist Ray Toro told Noise11.com. “That’s the tough thing doing records in a cycle and you have three or four months where you have to write and record a record and sometimes that’s tough. You can take longer, but you always feel like there’s something over your head like a time constraint and now we’ll have our own place where we can go and make music 24 hours a day. It’s gonna be great!”
The band won’t be doing the production on their own though. They have the help of engineer Doug McKean who has worked on both Welcome to the Black Parade and Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys.
“Doug McKean, we’ve done our past two records with him,” Toro continued. “He’s an awesome engineer, so he’s going to be working with us. He knows everything. He’s a genius. He definitely, while we’re in the studio with us, helps shape the sound of songs. He does funny stuff like play back stuff in a different way or change arrangements and trick our ears and we’ll be like “That was awesome! Look at what we did!”
With their last two records being bombastic concept albums designed to be listened to in their entirety, does that leave them room for creativity in the future? What is it about the concept album that attracts them? Will the next record be another concept album? So many questions!
“It can’t just be a collection of songs,” the band’s other guitarist Frank Iero explains. “It’s never going to be ‘Oh, we had these twelve songs so record it real quick and we’ll put them out!’. I don’t think anyone can really do that these days anymore without some sort of thought or vision behind it. I think the days of just filling the time and putting out a disc is over, and I’m glad, because those are some of my least favourite records.
“I think [iTunes] is cool. Write a song and then just put it out, I like the immediacy of that, but I’m talking about full albums, it’s no longer a mixtape mentality. There needs to be a reason why there’s twelve songs, or thirteen songs. It’s not like ‘Oh, we have a single so we need ten more fillers to put it out there,’ but for us, we’re fans of the album. We grew up listening to full records and having an A-side and a B-side. There’s something magical about taking that record and flipping it over, or a tape. Remember when you had to hit the two buttons to flip the tape? I like that. I like hearing what a band is up to when it’s not just writing a single. That’s when you get to really know what a band is all about. That’s when you love a band and not just music.
“There’s a big difference between being just a music fan or a popular music fan and you’re a fan of a band. When you’re a fan of a band you don’t have to like everything, but you have to follow them because they know better than you do what their band is supposed to be doing and when you do follow and you do give it as many listens as it needs to like it or to appreciate it, then that band has opened your mind a little bit and you’re a better person because of that band and that’s why you’re a fan of that band.”
Stay tuned to Noise11 to see the full video interview with Frank Iero and Ray Toro of My Chemical Romance, due online later this week.”
Everything Listed at Kerrang Magazine, For My Chemical Romance… so go wild!!!
AMBULANCE
You don’t know a thing about this life
And we are up for everything it takes
To prove we’re not the same as them
And we will wear our masks again out after dark
‘cause we are up for everything it takes
And we are not the same
‘cause we are not afraid
And we are not ashamed
And if you save my life
I’ll be the one who drives you home tonight
And if I ever let you down
I’ll be the one who drives you home tonight
Remember, once you walk this kind of life
QuietlyIi’ll sleep behind the wheel
And passing every face you see the first time
Singing every piece as you walk by
Proving that with all of my mistakes
That we are not the same
‘cause we are not the same
And we are all to blame
And if you save my life
I’ll be the one who drives you home tonight
And if they ever let you down
I’ll be the one who drives you home tonight
You home tonight
They’re tryin’ to bring you down
You don’t know a thing about this life
And you don’t know a thing about this lies
And you don’t know a thing about this life
‘cause you don’t know a thing about me
You don’t know a thing
And if you save my life
I’ll be the one who drives you home tonight
If they ever let you down
I’ll be the one who drives you home tonight
You home tonight
Well you home tonight
‘cause they’re tryin’ to tear you down
That’s all for the post today… 28 November 2012… will change this date whenever I update it.
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Apanache 
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