Tracklisting

1. Intro

2. Apocalypse Please

3. TIme is Running Out

4. Sing for Absolution

5. Stockholm Syndrome

6. Falling Away with You

7. Interlude

8. Hysteria

9. Blackout

10. Butterflies and Hurricanes

11. The Small Print

12. Endlessly

13. Thoughts of a Dying Atheist

14. Ruled by Secrecy

 

Singles

-Stockholm Syndrome (July 14, 2003; download-only single from official Muse website)

-Time is Running Out (September 8, 2003)

-Hysteria (December 1, 2003)

-Sing for Absolution (May 17, 2004)

-Apocalypse Please (August 23, 2004)

-Butterflies and Hurricanes (September 20, 2004)

 

About the Album

"Absolution" was initially released in the UK on September 21, 2003 (or the 29th, depending on whether you go to Wikipedia or MuseWiki :tongue:) by Taste Music Limited. This album was a huge turning point in Muse's career because it led to their first solid fan base in the United States. "Time is Running Out" and "Hysteria" served as the band's first American hits, and after its release in the US on March 23, 2004, it was eventually certified gold by the RIAA, making it the first Muse album to be certified in the US.

 

Here are some peak chart positions and other honorable mentions to show exactly how huge of an album this was for Muse:

-#1 Billboard Top Heatseekers, UK albums, and France Top 150

-#2 Dutch albums Top 100

-#3 Ireland Top 75, Swiss album Top 100, and Austria Top 75

-#4 Italy Top 50

-#5 Norway Top 40

-#7 Belgium Top 70

-2004: won Kerrang! award for Best Album

-2006: voted by NME as 21st best British album ever

-2008: voted by Q as 23rd best British album ever

-2009: voted by Kerrang! as 2nd best album of the 20th century thus far (OoS and BHAR also made the Top 50 list)

 

About the Songs

Intro/Apocalypse Please

I grouped the two together because they go together. The intro isn't much on its own; it's a marching army gradually getting louder, ending with a German command before segueing into "Apocalypse Please," which serves as a strong opener to the album. It begins with that marching, strong drum beats, and the piano, which alternates between the regular downbeats in the right hand and the syncopation in the left. This background music, combined with Matt Bellamy's lyrics ("Declare this an emergency. Come on and spread a sense of urgency") make this a very haunting number. With the exception of a soft section after the second and third chorus, the song is loud and foreboding, with may layers of piano, bass, and synthesizers. It ends with a loud chord progression played by Matt on the piano. It originally came with an orchestral setting, but Muse found it ultimately didn't work, as it "sounded weak."

 

Time is Running Out

This is arguably Muse's biggest hit from this album. "Time is Running Out" is haunting in its own right, beginning with a quiet bass riff and soft vocals from Matt. I remember being impressed with how Matt was able to fit the word "asphyxiated" into a song when I first heard it. Anyway, lyrically, the song is wonderful. ("You're something beautiful, a contradiction. I wanna play the game. I want the friction.") The song describes a person's emotions in their last moments of life, and Matt Bellamy was noted in saying that it could be applied to "society, a relationship, your religion or whatever". I like to think of it in terms of a relationship; I think it sounds super sexy that way. Anyway, the climax of the song would have to be the bridge after the chorus, where it goes, "How did it come to this. OOOH OOOH OOOH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH," etc, which shows off Matt's falsetto.

 

Here's a recording that includes Matt's infamous shuffle dance:

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Sing for Absolution

This song is where the album namesake originates. This is one of Muse's softer numbers on this album, and this song is particularly haunting, starting with a fade in and a simple piano ditty before Matt comes in with beautiful vocals, which eventually sing, "I only dream of you, my beautiful." It continues in this fashion for most of the song, but grows stronger at the end, where both the instruments and Matt's vocals become stronger and stronger, growing up to the final lyrics, "Our wrongs remain unrectified, and our souls won't be exhumed." It then diminishes and dies away in order to set up for the next track. Dom Howard says this song is about writing music, singing, and the finding of non-religous absolution through both.

 

Stockholm Symdrome

For those who don't know what it is, Stockholm Syndrome refers to a disorder in which captives in a kidnapping or hostage situation learn to empathize with their captors, often to the point of becoming loyal to them. This song exemplifies this by using heavy instrumentation and lyrics that showcase what a person suffering from this disorder might be thinking. The chorus best shows what is meant:

 

"This is the last time I'll forget you.

And this is the last time I'll abandon you."

 

Generally speaking, this metal inspired number is one of the blatantly dark numbers of the album, where the guitars take control, as opposed to numbers like "Apocalypse Please," which portray the piano as the dominant instrument.

 

Falling Away with You

Unfortunately for us, this is the only album track from Muse to not ever be played live. According to Chris Wolstenholme, "it never really seemed to work." I'm not sure why my beloved Wolsty would say this, because the song in itself is nice. Matt Bellamy states this song is about past relationships. This explains how the song fits, like with this first verse:

 

"I can't remember when it was good.

Moments of happiness elude.

Maybe I just misunderstood.

All of the love we left behind,

Watching the flashbacks intertwine,

Memories I will never find."

 

Despite the desparity of the lyrics, the song in itself is played in C major, and in the chorus, the guitars become more prevalent, perhaps helping express the anguish that might be felt when thinking about a past relationship that you're unfortunate to see not work for you.

 

Interlude

This is simply a transitional track between "Falling Away with You" and "Hysteria." It's an instrumental number consisting of guitars heavily distorted with fuzz effects. This samples a chord progression of "Adagio for Strings" by Samuel Barber, and it's the perfect set-up for the next track.

 

Hysteria

On this song, Matt Bellamy says, "Hysteria is a kinda fat bassline with a groovy straight beat on it. It's one of the tracks that has quite a heavy groove goin' on straight down the middle." This is a great way to put this. This song begins with arguably the most well-known bass riff in the Muse community. This is followed by Matt slowly sliding up the guitar neck before erupting into this massive block of sound. This intensity is portrayed throughout most of the song, particularly in Matt's guitar solo. The song in itself is about wanting something to the point of losing control because you're so obsessed with it. Muse executes this feeling perfectly in what they do, right up to the last bit when Chris and Matt play together between octaves while Dom beats on the drums.

 

Blackout

A slow waltz-like number, this song is a reflection on a person's life, reminding one to slow down and smell the roses, that sort of thing. It's a total opposite from "Hysteria," taking everything at a delayed pace and being much more acoustic in nature. Matt Bellamy says he wrote this with a mandolin in mind and was inspired by his stay in Italy. This explains the slightly Italian feel you get from the strumming bit throughout the song. The lyricism of both the lyrics and the music combine together into this lovely song.

 

Butterflies and Hurricanes

I'm going to try my best to explain this one objectively, but it's my favorite song ever in the history of mankind, so if it sounds like I'm glorifying it, well, at least you have an explanation. Matt Bellamy says, "It's about hope, about trying to find the strength to get through any given situation." This is exactly what I think of the song, and it's also a big reason why it's my favorite. I can feel like the lowest of the low, yet put this song on and get a huge sense of determination. It's my hype-up song, honestly. Anyway, the song in itself is hugely piano-driven, particuarly in the middle, which has this beautiful Rachmaninoff-inspired prelude in the middle. (It's my favorite part of the song, and it makes me mad that the single version cuts it out. ARGH.) Matt wanted to have a classical piano piece that works well with bass and drums. I think he exceeded his goal.

 

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The Small Print

This song was not originally planned to be placed on the album. However, after putting it to a vote between the three members, Matt got outvoted by Chris and Dom, and instead of getting "Fury" (which later appears as a B-side and is included on the Japanese version of the album), we get this one. It's a simple, guitar-driven song which alludes to the deal between the Devil and Faust. (Hence, the title, "The Small Print.") While the song in itself can be interpreted as a bit repetitive (particularly with that same guitar riff repeating itself over and over again), the content and how it's executed showcases a simple complexity, which is, as you'll see later in this post, how I view the album as a whole. It's great.

 

Because I'm a Wolsty fangirl, here's a live recording with him singing bits and pieces. :wacky:

 

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Endlessly

This is a softer song, and I think it's quite underrated. The lyrics are rather sparse, but what is there is poetry. The chorus goes:

 

"Hopelessly, I'll love you endlessly.

Hopelessly, I'll give you everything,

But I won't give you up.

I won't let you down.

And I won't leave you falling

If the moment ever comes."

 

This track is one of those songs that shows that you don't have to have a lot there for it to express a lot. Matt Bellamy says this is "...a basic love song. I think there is hope in there, even though I'm dealing with generally dark subjects." This statement is similar to how Bellamy views "Absolution" as a whole.

 

Thoughts of a Dying Atheist

The title is self-explanatory. The song covers a dying atheist's fears of what will happen to him after he dies. (e.g. "And I know you're in this room, and I'm sure I heard you sigh, floating in between where our worlds collide.") The frantic part of the song would be the chorus, where Matt repeats, "It scares the hell out of me, and the end is all I can see." The guitar is the strong rhythmic part of the song, and after the second chorus, it takes over in a solo which demonstrates the general anguish of the song. This is one of my personal favorites.

 

Ruled By Secrecy

The title of the song is taken from a book entitled Rule by Secrecy by Jim Mars, which is about conspiracy theories and how secret societies dictate how the world is run. As far as what the song is about, Matt Bellamy says, "It's about this man who's come back from work and he's just shot everyone and killed everyone, and he's come back to his wife with a load of blood all over his hands going 'I've just blown it ... I lost it ... I lost the plot,' the reason being because its slowly dawning on him that everything he is doing is out of his power." This in itself gives people a general idea of what the song sounds like. It's quiet for the most part, but after the second chorus, the song explodes into this immense sound domniated by piano and strong bass, with Matt's vocals being just as dominating. This track was one of Muse's favorites to play during the "Absolution" tour.

 

Personal Opinion

This album is more than just an album to me. It is a turning point in my music listening choices. After listening to this album for the first time, I was inspired to find out more, not only about Muse, but about music in itself. "Absolution" is simple complexity, which is really hard to come by. It has heavy songs and light songs. It has moments of power and moments of beauty. It carries influences from everything from Rage Against the Machine to Sergei Rachmaninoff. This is the one album I would take with me to a deserted island. I love this album more than any other album in the world, and I'm glad I get to take today to show Coldplaying its awesomeness and talk about it with the CPing Muse community.

 

Thanks to Wikipedia and MuseWiki for helping me with this thread in terms of content.

Fantastic post, Violet! :D By the way, thanks so much for organizing Muse week.

 

Absolution might not be my favorite album of theirs (super close, though!), but I can definitely say that this is Muse's best album. If that makes sense.

 

The thing I really like about Absolution is the range; it has a handful of great rock songs with amazing guitar riffs and solos (e.g., Hysteria), along with the more melodic, gorgeous songs (e.g., Blackout).

 

TIRO was the first Muse song I was obsessed with. After the first listen, I was hooked. It's ridiculously catchy, and I like the urgency and intensity of the lyrics.

 

Sing for Absolution is definitely in my top three Muse songs. The melody and instrumentation is quite breathtaking, and Matt's voice at the end when he starts singing "Our wounds remain unrectified" pretty much tears my heart in two. And yes, that was a cheesy way of describing it, but it's true.

 

Butterflies & Hurricanes. Gah, there are so many great things about it. The piano interlude, the strings (:heart:), the vocal harmonies, they all just makes this song work. I think it's one of their best songs, especially musically. I actually have the remixed version with the additional guitar on my iTunes; sadly, you can't hear the vocal harmonies that well, and the guitar overpowers the piano in the last ten seconds or so, but I still like it a lot.

 

 

EDIT: Oh, and there's something about the Intro and Apocalypse Please that really gets me. It just gives me shivers when the marching leads straight into the pounding piano chords. Great album opening.

Awww, thanks so much! :nice: I put quite a bit of time into that post with my research and whatnot, and I still don't think I covered everything I wanted to say. I think if I did that, though, it'd take weeks to get finished. :laugh4:

 

As for the concept of Muse Week itself, I merely introduced the idea and took on organizing it. If it weren't for the group of people in support of it all, this would've never happened, and I want to thank all of them for supporting me and allowing me to do this. You know who you are. :heart:

This is the only Muse album on my iPod, and I play it like crazy. :freak:

Wonderful post Violet! :D

 

 

Absolution is so amazing :freak::wacky:

 

And Butterflies and Hurricanes is easily one of the best songs ever written. (In my opinion anyway)

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDsLKEado_o&ob=av2e]YouTube - Butterflies and Hurricanes [Live From Wembley Stadium][/ame]

 

(Sorry, I couldn't resist posting that, I love HAARP sooooooo much)

 

:heart:

That's my favorite one, Marisa. Gah, it's awesome. :wacky:!

It's my favorite Muse album (well, is in 1st place with OoS :P)

I just love all the songs, my favorites are Stockholm Syndrome, Hysteria, Time Is Running Out, Apocalypse Please and recently I've been a lot into Butterflies and Hurricanes :awesome:

 

I have a magazine that describes this album as the soundtrack for the apocalypse :surprised:

Ah, my favourite Muse album (and possible favourite album. Ever.). It's perfect. :heart:

 

Butterflies and Hurricanes is no doubt my favourite. But other highlights for me are Apocalypse Please, Hysteria, Time is Running Out and FAWY. (I would love to include Stockholm Syndrome, but I don't like the album version, live however, it is amazing)

What a great first post!!! :awesome:

 

Thank you for all the work you invested and a big thanks to everyone who's a part of Muse Week. :kiss:

 

I agree with many things you're saying about the songs and the album as a whole.

It's simply awesome.

I'm not so good at finding words and describing my impressions... but I love that you found nice words for "Endlessly".

It reminds me of Portishead and I like it a lot.

Absolution is great from start to finish! :heart:

:dance:!

The Small Print

This song was not originally planned to be placed on the album. However, after putting it to a vote between the three members, Matt got outvoted by Chris and Dom, and instead of getting "Fury" (which later appears as a B-side and is included on the Japanese version of the album), we get this one.

 

I did not know that! I think I like Fury a tad bit more than The Small Print. I wonder if replacing The Small Print with Fury would have changed the flow of the album in any way . . . even if it's just one song. :thinking:

 

Actually, I don't know which song works better. At least we have both. :tongue:

^ :| Absolution without "The Small Print" wouldn't be the same... :awesome: Such a GREAT song :D

Awesome job Violet! :awesome:

 

 

This is my favorite Muse album. :heart: It's just so epic, and even the not as popular songs, like Endlessly and Blackout are still epic. I love every song on this album. :heart:

 

 

 

Sing for Absolution makes me want to cry, it's so pretty. :bigcry:

^ Sing for Absolution makes me remember a little bit Coldplay :)

I discovered Muse with this album.... it was a great summer that summer! :nice:

 

 

Butterflies & Hurricanes is amazing... he's a rebel on those keys! But my favorite song on the album is Hysteria. That bassline is bananas..

 

I think this is a good starting point for anyone just getting into them.... then I would go back and listen to the earlier stuff... fully appreciate the evolvement of the band up until the latest release...

 

:cool:

I love love love love love love love love love love love love love love Absolution.

 

Absolution is Muse's masterpiece. Say what you want about Origin of Symmetry, but Absolution is Muse firing on all cylinders. Not only was it a vital breakthrough for them (Hysteria, TIRO, and Stockholm Syndrome solidified their popularity), but pretty much every track is phenomenal.

 

Butterflies & Hurricanes often rotates with Bliss in my books as my favorite Muse song. It's the peak of a fantastic album.

 

BTW Violet, your write-up is fantastic and I think I'm actually gonna do a full song-by-song write-up later (not now...I have night class in a few).

 

Watch this space...(and I'm going all the way...and be my slave to the grave... :P)

I love love love love love love love love love love love love love love Absolution.

 

Absolution is Muse's masterpiece. Say what you want about Origin of Symmetry, but Absolution is Muse firing on all cylinders. Not only was it a vital breakthrough for them (Hysteria, TIRO, and Stockholm Syndrome solidified their popularity), but pretty much every track is phenomenal.

 

Butterflies & Hurricanes often rotates with Bliss in my books as my favorite Muse song. It's the peak of a fantastic album.

 

BTW Violet, your write-up is fantastic and I think I'm actually gonna do a full song-by-song write-up later (not now...I have night class in a few).

 

Watch this space...(and I'm going all the way...and be my slave to the grave... :P)

 

THIS. :wideeyed:

 

Bliss is freakin amazing. :heart:

Alright, here we go, and just in time before class! (only doing a song-by-song discussion for Abso since it's my favorite Muse album):

 

Apocalypse Please - On an album filled with piano gems, this song really kicks off Absolution with a bang, and may be my favorite overall album opener from Muse. It's actually a very simple song lyrically, but it hits all the major themes of the album. One of the biggest reasons why Muse needs to extend their live piano sequence beyond just 2 songs, as that just shuts out too much of their library.

 

Time is Running Out - As far as Muse's "hits" go, TIRO is at the top for me. It's a great rocker and gets a crowd in a frenzy. The chorus is immense and the bass is killer. There was actually a time when I tried to perfect the "Ooh ooh oh yah yah yah yah yah" part, but I gave up on that long ago. Now I just yell it without attempting the falsetto.

 

Sing for Absolution - An absolutely beautiful song, and one of the very first Muse songs I was able to get into (their heavier rockers took a little longer for me). In terms of Muse's softer songs, this is most certainly among the best, with some of its only real competition coming from this very album.

 

Stockholm Syndrome - If you don't like this song, you don't like Muse and should probably listen to a different band instead. Another one of the songs that put Muse on the map, Stockholm Syndrome is one of Muse's heaviest rockers and one of their biggest crowd pleasers. Awesome song.

 

Falling Away With You - It's a real shame that Muse could never get FAWY to work well live. For all we know, it could be gorgeous, but that's just not a risk the band is willing to take (though honestly, I'd take it over quite a few songs played today). Alas, in its studio form, FAWY is still a very lovely song.

 

Hysteria - The downside (or upside?) of writing a song like Hysteria is that you're basically stuck playing it at every single gig for the rest of your life. Muse is totally gonna be doing that (along with Plug In Baby and a few others). Hysteria is one of the definitive Muse songs with instantly-recognizable guitar and bass. One of the band's crowning achievements.

 

Blackout - I really like the heavy-soft-heavy-soft track pattern that Absolution has going on, as if signifying some imbalance or unrest. Blackout is a drop-dead stunning track that uses its quiet nature to captivate. And holy hell does the HAARP DVD version rule. Would killed to have seen it in person.

 

Butterflies & Hurricanes - Beautiful. Powerful. Flawless. Butterflies & Hurricanes is - depending on the day - my favorite Muse song. I could say a lot of good things about this song, but instead, I must direct you to the heavenly, jaw-dropping piano bridge and have that speak for itself. Meshed between the angrier piano and the fierce vocals, the bridge is the definitive peak of Muse's definitive track on Muse's definitive album.

 

The Small Print - All in all, TSP is a pretty standard rocker, but it's an effective and awesome one all the same. I really enjoy the footage of performances with Chris's vocals, which is part of what pushes this song over the top for me. Oh, and we had a fun sing-along to this in line last month. Fun times.

 

Endlessly - If I had to pick out a least-favorite track on Absolution, this would be it. That said, I have grown to appreciate this song much more than I did at first. It's definitely a soft and dark-yet-pretty song, although I think Blackout does a superior job of that earlier on the album.

 

Thoughts of a Dying Atheist - This song seems to have some mixed reception among fans, and while it's not Absolution's most brilliant moment, it's far from a low point. The repetitive chorus works to the song's advantage, driving home the topic of the unknown.

 

Ruled By Secrecy - A brilliant conclusion to a brilliant album, RBS is a beautifully paralyzing track. I refer to paralysis because I was quite literally stunned when they whipped this song out at my last show. I was seriously crying. In fact, it beats out the likes of Megalomania, Knights, and Exogenesis (all awesome songs) for my favorite album closer. The song brilliantly builds up to the piano climax, which is one of Muse's most staggering moments.

 

Phew.

Wonderful post Violet! :D

 

What a great first post!!! :awesome:

 

Thank you for all the work you invested and a big thanks to everyone who's a part of Muse Week. :kiss:

 

I agree with many things you're saying about the songs and the album as a whole.

It's simply awesome.

I'm not so good at finding words and describing my impressions... but I love that you found nice words for "Endlessly".

 

Awesome job Violet! :awesome:

 

BTW Violet, your write-up is fantastic and I think I'm actually gonna do a full song-by-song write-up later (not now...I have night class in a few).

 

Oh wow. Thank you so much, everyone! It makes me really happy to see that my post has received such positive reviews. I'm also really glad that Muse Week seems to be a great success so far. Thank you all for participating and sharing your thoughts. :nice:

Dear Violet:

 

Gotta say the 1st post was plain awesome. :awesome:

 

So I also love all the songs in here, Apocalypse Please is really good, TIRO it's so amazing... there was a time when TIRO had a HUGE meaning to me (and for those who'd wonder where can they get the Shuffle dance performance, it's in the Absolution DVD, needless to say, Matt's shuffle dance is so full of win).

 

 

Falling Away With You, also means a lot to me my line is "Forget the reckless things we've done, I think our lives have just begun"

 

Hysteria, is one of the main reasons why I am a Wolsty fan, the bass line is so amazing, and yes when seeing Matt performing it live, you can tell he takes the song to a whole new level.

 

 

Blackout, when I first head it I gotta admit I didn't like it but then I fell for it when I saw the performance on Glasto, the same one that's in Absolution DVD.

 

B&H is one of my most favorite songs evar, my favorite line is "Don't let yourself down, don't let yourself go.... your last chance has arrived"

 

With Endlessly is the same story as in Blackout, didn't like it the 1st time I heard it, but when I watched the live perfomarnce at Wembley that's on the Absolution DVD I was like "that song's great :wacky:" and started moving my head just like Matt does when playing the piano.... LOL

 

Thoughts of a Dying Atheist is definitely one of my favorites off this album, I just love the guitar in it.

 

 

Totally loved this thread, you've done an awesome thread Violet! :hug:

This thread is so full of love! :heart: :wacky:

Great post Violet you did such a wonderful job:D

 

Absolution is my all time favorite album, i love every single song on it, it's just perfect:bomb: the intro followed by those insane piano chords in apocalypse please is simply the best album opener i ever heard, TIRO is more than epic, Sing for absolution, ss....phenomenal songs,the beggingng of blackout reminded me so much of the hymns we sing in church as for B&H it's because of this track that i really got into muse, because of Kelly (histeria):love: i can never thank you enough Kelly:hug:

 

and corkus i loved your post:nice:

Great post Violet you did such a wonderful job:D

 

Absolution is my all time favorite album, i love every single song on it, it's just perfect:bomb: the intro followed by those insane piano chords in apocalypse please is simply the best album opener i ever heard, TIRO is more than epic, Sing for absolution, ss....phenomenal songs,the beggingng of blackout reminded me so much of the hymns we sing in church as for B&H it's because of this track that i really got into muse, because of Kelly (histeria):love: i can never thank you enough Kelly:hug:

 

and corkus i loved your post:nice:

 

Aw :blush: You're welcome. :hug:

 

 

By the way, I'm now going to start writing up Day 4, BH&R. Should post at about 5:30pm (UK time):wacky: But I doubt it will be as good as these. I suck at describing/explaining. :p

 

Tracklisting

1. Intro

2. Apocalypse Please

3. TIme is Running Out

4. Sing for Absolution

5. Stockholm Syndrome

6. Falling Away with You

7. Interlude

8. Hysteria

9. Blackout

10. Butterflies and Hurricanes

11. The Small Print

12. Endlessly

13. Thoughts of a Dying Atheist

14. Ruled by Secrecy

 

Singles

-Stockholm Syndrome (July 14, 2003; download-only single from official Muse website)

-Time is Running Out (September 8, 2003)

-Hysteria (December 1, 2003)

-Sing for Absolution (May 17, 2004)

-Apocalypse Please (August 23, 2004)

-Butterflies and Hurricanes (September 20, 2004)

 

About the Album

"Absolution" was initially released in the UK on September 21, 2003 (or the 29th, depending on whether you go to Wikipedia or MuseWiki :tongue:) by Taste Music Limited. This album was a huge turning point in Muse's career because it led to their first solid fan base in the United States. "Time is Running Out" and "Hysteria" served as the band's first American hits, and after its release in the US on March 23, 2004, it was eventually certified gold by the RIAA, making it the first Muse album to be certified in the US.

 

Here are some peak chart positions and other honorable mentions to show exactly how huge of an album this was for Muse:

-#1 Billboard Top Heatseekers, UK albums, and France Top 150

-#2 Dutch albums Top 100

-#3 Ireland Top 75, Swiss album Top 100, and Austria Top 75

-#4 Italy Top 50

-#5 Norway Top 40

-#7 Belgium Top 70

-2004: won Kerrang! award for Best Album

-2006: voted by NME as 21st best British album ever

-2008: voted by Q as 23rd best British album ever

-2009: voted by Kerrang! as 2nd best album of the 20th century thus far (OoS and BHAR also made the Top 50 list)

 

About the Songs

Intro/Apocalypse Please

I grouped the two together because they go together. The intro isn't much on its own; it's a marching army gradually getting louder, ending with a German command before segueing into "Apocalypse Please," which serves as a strong opener to the album. It begins with that marching, strong drum beats, and the piano, which alternates between the regular downbeats in the right hand and the syncopation in the left. This background music, combined with Matt Bellamy's lyrics ("Declare this an emergency. Come on and spread a sense of urgency") make this a very haunting number. With the exception of a soft section after the second and third chorus, the song is loud and foreboding, with may layers of piano, bass, and synthesizers. It ends with a loud chord progression played by Matt on the piano. It originally came with an orchestral setting, but Muse found it ultimately didn't work, as it "sounded weak."

 

Time is Running Out

This is arguably Muse's biggest hit from this album. "Time is Running Out" is haunting in its own right, beginning with a quiet bass riff and soft vocals from Matt. I remember being impressed with how Matt was able to fit the word "asphyxiated" into a song when I first heard it. Anyway, lyrically, the song is wonderful. ("You're something beautiful, a contradiction. I wanna play the game. I want the friction.") The song describes a person's emotions in their last moments of life, and Matt Bellamy was noted in saying that it could be applied to "society, a relationship, your religion or whatever". I like to think of it in terms of a relationship; I think it sounds super sexy that way. Anyway, the climax of the song would have to be the bridge after the chorus, where it goes, "How did it come to this. OOOH OOOH OOOH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH," etc, which shows off Matt's falsetto.

 

Here's a recording that includes Matt's infamous shuffle dance:

 

Sing for Absolution

This song is where the album namesake originates. This is one of Muse's softer numbers on this album, and this song is particularly haunting, starting with a fade in and a simple piano ditty before Matt comes in with beautiful vocals, which eventually sing, "I only dream of you, my beautiful." It continues in this fashion for most of the song, but grows stronger at the end, where both the instruments and Matt's vocals become stronger and stronger, growing up to the final lyrics, "Our wrongs remain unrectified, and our souls won't be exhumed." It then diminishes and dies away in order to set up for the next track. Dom Howard says this song is about writing music, singing, and the finding of non-religous absolution through both.

 

Stockholm Symdrome

For those who don't know what it is, Stockholm Syndrome refers to a disorder in which captives in a kidnapping or hostage situation learn to empathize with their captors, often to the point of becoming loyal to them. This song exemplifies this by using heavy instrumentation and lyrics that showcase what a person suffering from this disorder might be thinking. The chorus best shows what is meant:

 

"This is the last time I'll forget you.

And this is the last time I'll abandon you."

 

Generally speaking, this metal inspired number is one of the blatantly dark numbers of the album, where the guitars take control, as opposed to numbers like "Apocalypse Please," which portray the piano as the dominant instrument.

 

Falling Away with You

Unfortunately for us, this is the only album track from Muse to not ever be played live. According to Chris Wolstenholme, "it never really seemed to work." I'm not sure why my beloved Wolsty would say this, because the song in itself is nice. Matt Bellamy states this song is about past relationships. This explains how the song fits, like with this first verse:

 

"I can't remember when it was good.

Moments of happiness elude.

Maybe I just misunderstood.

All of the love we left behind,

Watching the flashbacks intertwine,

Memories I will never find."

 

Despite the desparity of the lyrics, the song in itself is played in C major, and in the chorus, the guitars become more prevalent, perhaps helping express the anguish that might be felt when thinking about a past relationship that you're unfortunate to see not work for you.

 

Interlude

This is simply a transitional track between "Falling Away with You" and "Hysteria." It's an instrumental number consisting of guitars heavily distorted with fuzz effects. This samples a chord progression of "Adagio for Strings" by Samuel Barber, and it's the perfect set-up for the next track.

 

Hysteria

On this song, Matt Bellamy says, "Hysteria is a kinda fat bassline with a groovy straight beat on it. It's one of the tracks that has quite a heavy groove goin' on straight down the middle." This is a great way to put this. This song begins with arguably the most well-known bass riff in the Muse community. This is followed by Matt slowly sliding up the guitar neck before erupting into this massive block of sound. This intensity is portrayed throughout most of the song, particularly in Matt's guitar solo. The song in itself is about wanting something to the point of losing control because you're so obsessed with it. Muse executes this feeling perfectly in what they do, right up to the last bit when Chris and Matt play together between octaves while Dom beats on the drums.

 

Blackout

A slow waltz-like number, this song is a reflection on a person's life, reminding one to slow down and smell the roses, that sort of thing. It's a total opposite from "Hysteria," taking everything at a delayed pace and being much more acoustic in nature. Matt Bellamy says he wrote this with a mandolin in mind and was inspired by his stay in Italy. This explains the slightly Italian feel you get from the strumming bit throughout the song. The lyricism of both the lyrics and the music combine together into this lovely song.

 

Butterflies and Hurricanes

I'm going to try my best to explain this one objectively, but it's my favorite song ever in the history of mankind, so if it sounds like I'm glorifying it, well, at least you have an explanation. Matt Bellamy says, "It's about hope, about trying to find the strength to get through any given situation." This is exactly what I think of the song, and it's also a big reason why it's my favorite. I can feel like the lowest of the low, yet put this song on and get a huge sense of determination. It's my hype-up song, honestly. Anyway, the song in itself is hugely piano-driven, particuarly in the middle, which has this beautiful Rachmaninoff-inspired prelude in the middle. (It's my favorite part of the song, and it makes me mad that the single version cuts it out. ARGH.) Matt wanted to have a classical piano piece that works well with bass and drums. I think he exceeded his goal.

 

 

The Small Print

This song was not originally planned to be placed on the album. However, after putting it to a vote between the three members, Matt got outvoted by Chris and Dom, and instead of getting "Fury" (which later appears as a B-side and is included on the Japanese version of the album), we get this one. It's a simple, guitar-driven song which alludes to the deal between the Devil and Faust. (Hence, the title, "The Small Print.") While the song in itself can be interpreted as a bit repetitive (particularly with that same guitar riff repeating itself over and over again), the content and how it's executed showcases a simple complexity, which is, as you'll see later in this post, how I view the album as a whole. It's great.

 

Because I'm a Wolsty fangirl, here's a live recording with him singing bits and pieces. :wacky:

 

 

Endlessly

This is a softer song, and I think it's quite underrated. The lyrics are rather sparse, but what is there is poetry. The chorus goes:

 

"Hopelessly, I'll love you endlessly.

Hopelessly, I'll give you everything,

But I won't give you up.

I won't let you down.

And I won't leave you falling

If the moment ever comes."

 

This track is one of those songs that shows that you don't have to have a lot there for it to express a lot. Matt Bellamy says this is "...a basic love song. I think there is hope in there, even though I'm dealing with generally dark subjects." This statement is similar to how Bellamy views "Absolution" as a whole.

 

Thoughts of a Dying Atheist

The title is self-explanatory. The song covers a dying atheist's fears of what will happen to him after he dies. (e.g. "And I know you're in this room, and I'm sure I heard you sigh, floating in between where our worlds collide.") The frantic part of the song would be the chorus, where Matt repeats, "It scares the hell out of me, and the end is all I can see." The guitar is the strong rhythmic part of the song, and after the second chorus, it takes over in a solo which demonstrates the general anguish of the song. This is one of my personal favorites.

 

Ruled By Secrecy

The title of the song is taken from a book entitled Rule by Secrecy by Jim Mars, which is about conspiracy theories and how secret societies dictate how the world is run. As far as what the song is about, Matt Bellamy says, "It's about this man who's come back from work and he's just shot everyone and killed everyone, and he's come back to his wife with a load of blood all over his hands going 'I've just blown it ... I lost it ... I lost the plot,' the reason being because its slowly dawning on him that everything he is doing is out of his power." This in itself gives people a general idea of what the song sounds like. It's quiet for the most part, but after the second chorus, the song explodes into this immense sound domniated by piano and strong bass, with Matt's vocals being just as dominating. This track was one of Muse's favorites to play during the "Absolution" tour.

 

Personal Opinion

This album is more than just an album to me. It is a turning point in my music listening choices. After listening to this album for the first time, I was inspired to find out more, not only about Muse, but about music in itself. "Absolution" is simple complexity, which is really hard to come by. It has heavy songs and light songs. It has moments of power and moments of beauty. It carries influences from everything from Rage Against the Machine to Sergei Rachmaninoff. This is the one album I would take with me to a deserted island. I love this album more than any other album in the world, and I'm glad I get to take today to show Coldplaying its awesomeness and talk about it with the CPing Muse community.

 

Thanks to Wikipedia and MuseWiki for helping me with this thread in terms of content.

 

love your first post.

I LOVE ABSOLUTION, this is the only album in the world where i love every single song:dance:

butterflies and hurricanes was wht got me into muse and it also made me buy the first Muse album:cool:

Stockholm syndrome is the saddest song in the world(for me at least:freak:

and endlessly is the most romantic.

falling away with me helped me get over my messy breakup :( and it just is the best. i love the piano in Apocalypse please and B&H :smug:

time is running out is the best pop/rock song ever. and wht can we say hysteria, these both songs have the best bass lines EVER.

ruled by secrecy is the best ending to any album

i just can't express my love for this album, i can ramble forever abt this album:embarrassed: