New KING'S X album & song "Let It Rain"

Now this is more like it (musically anyway) - much in the vein of the Dogman album, which some Led Zeppelin elements:

Did they listen to Physical Graffiti before writing that song.   I like it, I used to love this band so much through Ear Candy but after that it's been very hit and miss. Very interested in what they will sound like on the album.

^Lets face it, their more recent material has been rather dull for the most part (just my opinion). This is something that has finally piqued my interest....

Meh. Not bad, not good. I'll wait to see what the whole album looks like.

^At least it's got some meat to it. I had sorta given up on them.

I notice it doesn't have that distinctive Ty Tabor guitar tone which is too bad.

I'm not diggin it.

I've tried to become an uber King's X fan multiple times. I love many of their songs and learned quite a few on guitar 'cuz they're fun to play: Summerland, Pleiades, Black Flag, Lost in Germany, Cigarettes, Flies & Blue Skies, .

But, with the exception of maybe the first two albums, the releases have been too much hit and miss. It's like U2: their great songs are great, but there's only a few of them on each album and alot of the other songs aren't very good at all, or sound like they haven't been fully arranged or worked out.

That's why I say I want to hear the rest of the album before I make a judgement call; if the majority of songs are as strong as this, I'll go for it!

Pretty good!

First of all, thanks for bringing this to my attention. Mega King's X fan here! Their first four albums are like lord of the rings- it's one big book broken up into a collection and perfect from the details in the music down to the imagery of the band and right to the presentation of the art work. Absolute classics in every regard.

I believe Sam Taylor had a lot to do with the creation of King's x early sound and indeed, image and overall artistic look- kind of like the George martin to the Beatles. Don't know what they were doing image wise on the first two albums but looked pretty wack in a good way, and then they changed their image to something like the band- The Mission until Dogman came out. I get the impression the band really didn't dig it, which to me is a shame (could be wrong about that though). After Sam left things changed quite notably. The little details and odd instrumental parts, the brass, the flutes, the sitar, percussion, french horn, the cello and violin etc and strange sounds and interludes subtly infused within the harmony and sound of king's x- gone for the most part. What we are left with is the bare bones of the three musicians, Dug, Ty and Jerry.

Dogman was a shock to my system when it first came out, but it grew on me like fungus and I love it, essentially it is a heavy kind of blues album if you strip it down. Same with the more pop soft and mellow approach of ear candy. Post those albums things got even weirder, but those albums grew on me too. None of them hold a candle to the first four albums though. Ever since you never know what you're going to get next from King's X.

In this new song I hear Def Tones influence in the thick drone riffage sound of the guitar, The zepp Graffiti chords in the verses, Hendrix backward guitar solo reminiscent of are you experienced, all fused into the king's x sound. It's interesting combination, though it does sound more like an idea than a complete song. I'm going to wait until I hear the whole album. Look forward to that day it comes out!

I love everything through Dogman, but I haven’t checked out anything after.

Pethead wrote:I love everything through Dogman, but I haven’t checked out anything after.

The only album post-Dogman that I have is Please Come Home...Mr. Bulbous. I really enjoy about 1/2 of the album, especially the last two songs--Move Me and Move me Part 2. But yes, there are quite a few songs where they seem to be a collection of ideas and not well thought out. Pethead, the lyrics/melody of Move Me would probably really intrigue you, as they would be a part of Dug's spiritual journey.

I'm in the mega-King's X-fan crowd, up to Dogman.
After that, never really got into the others...

finally got Manic Moonlight and listened to it...
I think the music is excellent!

Maniic is decent but nothing on it really stands out
Been awhile, should give it another listen.

I like all King’s X albums up to Tapehead! 

They kinda lost me after that. But I’m open to rekindling my interest in them.

Listen to Ear Candy, some great songs on that album.

crucifyd wrote:I'm in the mega-King's X-fan crowd, up to Dogman.
After that, never really got into the others...

finally got Manic Moonlight and listened to it ..

Manic moonlight, the song, is pretty trippy in a dreamy wash over you sort of way. It's like a being in a melancholic dream of some sort, Love it. Though I would consider Manic to be their laziest album but still good. Think even they admitted that in an interview somewhere.

Let it rain is a creeper by the way. Come back and listen to it now and then and like most of new king's x stuff, the hooks show themselves.

Black like Sunday is very much like that. Even the song "You're the only one" sticks in your head after a while. It's like a sitcom Ramones pop punk tune- or friends theme song doing pop punk if you like. I quite like that poppy punk vibe (don't know why, it's just a happy vibe)  Can't wait till this comes out, and man think might even get that orange vinyl collection even though I don't have a record player. Hurry up Sep 2.

Sevenoneself wrote:

Pethead wrote:I love everything through Dogman, but I haven’t checked out anything after.

The only album post-Dogman that I have is Please Come Home...Mr. Bulbous. I really enjoy about 1/2 of the album, especially the last two songs--Move Me and Move me Part 2. But yes, there are quite a few songs where they seem to be a collection of ideas and not well thought out. Pethead, the lyrics/melody of Move Me would probably really intrigue you, as they would be a part of Dug's spiritual journey.

Dug's parts on Move me were kind of where he was at at the time and Ty added his parts which was were he was at at the time. Dug explained it in an interview somewhere. They put the two parts together and kind of resembles a spoken thought or pondering with another answering those questioning thoughts and ponderings. Or if you wanna see it like Dug questioning life and god and then god sort of answering, one could see it that way too. They never let fully go of the god thing, it's always present on one form or another. Cool Song- prt one and two.

Dustofyears wrote:

Sevenoneself wrote:

Pethead wrote:I love everything through Dogman, but I haven’t checked out anything after.

The only album post-Dogman that I have is Please Come Home...Mr. Bulbous. I really enjoy about 1/2 of the album, especially the last two songs--Move Me and Move me Part 2. But yes, there are quite a few songs where they seem to be a collection of ideas and not well thought out. Pethead, the lyrics/melody of Move Me would probably really intrigue you, as they would be a part of Dug's spiritual journey.

Dug's parts on Move me were kind of where he was at at the time and Ty added his parts which was were he was at at the time. Dug explained it in an interview somewhere. They put the two parts together and kind of resembles a spoken thought or pondering with another answering those questioning thoughts and ponderings. Or if you wanna see it like Dug questioning life and god and then god sort of answering, one could see it that way too. They never let fully go of the god thing, it's always present on one form or another. Cool Song- prt one and two.

Thanks, Dust. I love hearing what band members say about their own stuff, and I had not heard this myself.

On a Christian note, thanks for sharing that as well; it was really encouraging. I'm moving farther and farther away from judging whether people are Christians or not at specific points in their lives. That's God's job, and He loves people and has way more patience than me. If you add onto that my own struggles and how I'm so glad people and God didn't judge me at my lowest points, I'm going to leave King's X's spiritual lives in God's hands and hope for the best.

Sevenoneself wrote:I've tried to become an uber King's X fan multiple times. I love many of their songs and learned quite a few on guitar 'cuz they're fun to play: Summerland, Pleiades, Black Flag, Lost in Germany, Cigarettes, Flies & Blue Skies,

Hey if you ever want to teach me how to play "Flies & Blue Skies," I'm all ears...er, fingers!

Dustofyears wrote:Dogman was a shock to my system when it first came out, but it grew on me like fungus and I love it, essentially it is a heavy kind of blues album if you strip it down. 

Dogman has always been my favorite King's X album.   Unlike the others, they recorded it live and that's why it sounds more raw and immediate.  Plus I suppose it is sort of heavy blues and I'm a blues fan so there you go...

OotSP and GGtN vie for my top spot. Dogman would be right behind them.

Pethead wrote:OotSP and GGtN vie for my top spot. Dogman would be right behind them.

Out Of The Silent Planet is definitely under-appreciated and would certainly be somewhere in my Top 5.  
I remember when I first heard "King" and "What Is This?" and I was blown away.  Nothing else sounded like that, especially at the time.

Constantine wrote:

Pethead wrote:OotSP and GGtN vie for my top spot. Dogman would be right behind them.

Out Of The Silent Planet is definitely under-appreciated and would certainly be somewhere in my Top 5.  
I remember when I first heard "King" and "What Is This?" and I was blown away.  Nothing else sounded like that, especially at the time.

The early album that doesn’t grab me as much is FHL. I like it, but not nearly as much as the ones I mentioned.

^I was in a record store in Long Island City when I first heard Faith Hope Love.  
I liked what I heard, but on more careful listening, it had some gems but also some skippable songs.  
Tough one to really have as a favorite, but it has it's great moments for sure.

Constantine wrote:

Sevenoneself wrote:I've tried to become an uber King's X fan multiple times. I love many of their songs and learned quite a few on guitar 'cuz they're fun to play: Summerland, Pleiades, Black Flag, Lost in Germany, Cigarettes, Flies & Blue Skies,

Hey if you ever want to teach me how to play "Flies & Blue Skies," I'm all ears...er, fingers!

Flies & Blue Skies: I did never learn the solos, just the rhythm guitars; it's easier to play b/c the tempo is so slow! I definitely would need a refresher now; it would have been about '97 or '98 that I learned it.

Could still play Cigarettes and Black Flag, I'm sure, those were my favourites to play. Lost in Germany is also alot of fun. That's one reason I kept listening to King's X, b/c the guitar parts were fun to play.