Is Devin Townsend a Knob?

Trollheart · 08-28-2017, 05:29 AM

Look, I like some of the guy's music, but he comes across more often than not as unutterably smug. He releases so much music at a time that much of the time it's on "special edition" compilations with titles like Stuff That Used To Be Stuff or whatever, which to me just seems to be saying "Look what I can do! Even when I don't try I'm still great!" Maybe I'm wrong here, but it seems to be like we're dealing with a massive, supermassive ego. Sure the guy has talent, buckets of it, but does he have to keep rubbing it in everyone's face every five minutes? Most of the unofficial stuff is usually pretty bad anyway, to me at least.

Am I on the wrong track here? Have I not listened to the right albums - Ghost, Ki, Epicloud, a few others so far, and bits from this or that on playlists - and if the latter, what should I be listening to in order to "get" this man?

Or is he just a massive knob?

Zhanteimi · 08-28-2017, 05:36 AM

.

~~MicShazam~~ · 08-28-2017, 06:19 AM

He's not a bit cheesy but enormously cheesy. Epicloud is distilled and compressed cheese, first and foremost.

But I don't think he's a pretentious or self-satisfied person. From various interviews and this video where he composed an entire song live on cam, I got the impression that he's just somewhat mentally unstable and a very creative individual. The sort that ****s out new music because he'll go crazy if he stops. I do think he's calmed down a lot over the last decade or so.

I like a bit of his music, but not a lot.

**Frownland** · 08-28-2017, 06:33 AM

I don't even want to know what his personality is like. The kind of person who thinks it's fine to do what he does is not somebody I need in my life.

Ol’ Qwerty Bastard · 08-28-2017, 08:08 AM

his solo stuff is definitely cheese but the SYL discography still kicks major ass

Chula Vista · 08-28-2017, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

The kind of person who thinks it's fine to do what he does is not somebody I need in my life.

I have Ocean Machine and dig it.

Can't hate on someone just because they are prolific. He reminds me of Stephen King. Dude wakes up everyday with the need to write something. Does he put out some stuff that's crap? Sure. But plenty of diamonds in the rough.

**Frownland** · 08-28-2017, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chula Vista

Keep reinventing the face of comedy my dude.

Quote:

Can't hate on someone just because they are prolific. He reminds me of Stephen King. Dude wakes up everyday with the need to write something. Does he put out some stuff that's crap? Sure. But plenty of diamonds in the rough.

It's not how prolific he is, it's how dull and absolutely unengaging his music is. I suppose having more of it to dislike is not a good thing, but I'd still dislike him if he only released two albums.

Chula Vista · 08-28-2017, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

It's how dull and absolutely unengaging his music is.

Same could be said of your stuff.

Trollheart · 08-28-2017, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chula Vista

Same could be said of your stuff.

Whether you think that or not, at least Frown doesn't release all his ****ing demos, ideas, half-thought-out songs and noodlings on special edition albums. Do you? I can't believe I'm defending you. What kind of crazy mixed-up dimension have I stumbled into THIS time, Professor?

Trollheart · 08-28-2017, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chula Vista

I have Ocean Machine and dig it.

Second time I listened to that (recently) I was not quite as impressed as I was the first time.

Quote:

Can't hate on someone just because they are prolific. He reminds me of Stephen King. Dude wakes up everyday with the need to write something. Does he put out some stuff that's crap? Sure. But plenty of diamonds in the rough.

Yeah but does King release his scribbled notes, character sketches, plot ideas every time he has them?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

It's not how prolific he is, it's how dull and absolutely unengaging his music is. I suppose having more of it to dislike is not a good thing, but I'd still dislike him if he only released two albums.

This I'd probably agree with. If all of his music was of the quality of Epicloud (yeah yeah I know: didn't I ask you to go play on the runway? Why are you still here?) I wouldn't mind. It's just that the stuff I've heard (literally called Stuff) has been pretty low quality and a lot of it sounds like rough demo, which is probably is. I really don't want to be listening to that. I sure wouldn't pay for it. I don't know anyone else who does this?

View Poll Results: Is Devin Townsend a Knob?
Yes he's a knob	1	4.55%
No he's a genius	7	31.82%
I don't care	8	36.36%
Devin who?	6	27.27%
Voters: 22. You may not vote on this poll

08-28-2017, 05:29 AM	#1 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,996	Is Devin Townsend a Knob? Look, I like some of the guy's music, but he comes across more often than not as unutterably smug. He releases so much music at a time that much of the time it's on "special edition" compilations with titles like Stuff That Used To Be Stuff or whatever, which to me just seems to be saying "Look what I can do! Even when I don't try I'm still great!" Maybe I'm wrong here, but it seems to be like we're dealing with a massive, supermassive ego. Sure the guy has talent, buckets of it, but does he have to keep rubbing it in everyone's face every five minutes? Most of the unofficial stuff is usually pretty bad anyway, to me at least. Am I on the wrong track here? Have I not listened to the right albums - Ghost, Ki, Epicloud, a few others so far, and bits from this or that on playlists - and if the latter, what should I be listening to in order to "get" this man? Or is he just a massive knob? __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

08-28-2017, 05:36 AM	#2 (permalink)
Zhanteimi Mord Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Tokyo Posts: 4,873	. __________________ Zhanteimi LetsTalkMusic Last edited by Zhanteimi; 05-01-2018 at 04:08 PM.

08-28-2017, 06:33 AM	#4 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	I don't even want to know what his personality is like. The kind of person who thinks it's fine to do what he does is not somebody I need in my life. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

08-28-2017, 06:19 AM	#3 (permalink)
~~MicShazam~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Aalborg Posts: 7,634	He's not a bit cheesy but enormously cheesy. Epicloud is distilled and compressed cheese, first and foremost. But I don't think he's a pretentious or self-satisfied person. From various interviews and this video where he composed an entire song live on cam, I got the impression that he's just somewhat mentally unstable and a very creative individual. The sort that ****s out new music because he'll go crazy if he stops. I do think he's calmed down a lot over the last decade or so. I like a bit of his music, but not a lot.