Where Would've They Gone Next? - Godspeed You! Black Emperor [Archive]

chipdip18

01/10/09, 07:06 PM

I think that threads like these could promote some interesting discussion, which sometimes the forum lacks. Let's try it again. Although they are still on an "indefinate hiatus", we should be able to still discuss GY!BE.

- Where would have they gone after Yanqui U.X.O.?
- Would their sound have differed at all?
- Would they still remain as influencial or as popular with another release?
- Would they ever be able to top F#A#?

Discuss, and feel free to add more questions to promote more discussion.

chipdip18

01/10/09, 07:47 PM

I'll put some answers up in a few.

Where would they have gone after Yanqui U.X.O?

After Yanqui U.X.O. i could see Godspeed releasing an album still achieving success, success being defined as comparative record sales and tours as previous albums, but continuing in a dangerous sound. Post-Rock had begun picking up a new momentum at this point, and it seems as though they would have been faced with the decision to add a new genre influence or other noticeable tweak, or would have to fade out with the Post-Rock of the 90's. I doubt that Godspeed would sacrifice any large change to their already haunting, eerie yet brilliant orchestral sound. With this speculation, i would suggest that Godspeed would put out a final album that would ultimately put them were they actually did end; fading out with one last album. This could have actually hindered their legacy, since most fans would probably be wanting another F#A#. I doubt that would happen since they dropped the spaced elements between segments found in F#A#, and the vocal recordings. It would have caused them to sound like they were dying out on a sound they played well, but only could play.

Would their sound have differed at all?

I seriously doubt it. If they for some reason decided to continue in the newer trend of Post-Rock starting to rise around the early 00's, then they probably would have started to use more synthetic sounds, rather than organic instruments to create the moody atmosphere. Which probably wouldn't have sounded as good, or conveyed the same overall feeling.

Would they remain as influencial or as popular with another release?

If they put out another album, as i think they would have, that being in the vein on Yanqui U.X.O., it wouldn't be that influencial. Yanqui was the last of their albums to bare any influence, and it didn't influence much since more synthetic elements creep up in the Post-Rock genre from the early 00's on. Not to mention more jazz influenced artists as well.

I think that the older fans, familiar with past GY!BE work would enjoy the record on some level, but it would fail to usher in many new fans, since this was the point where they were becoming a dying breed of the genre.

Would they ever be able to top F#A#?

No. F#A#, in my opinion is partly as great of an album as it is since it shows such innovation and creativity of the time. The profound uniqueness of the album remains unmatched. They direction illustrated by their later albums proves that they weren't heading back into the realm, or time, or mindset when F#A# was written.