Aaron and the last few years

[quote1281936554=sweetdudejim]

-Was some of the CHEER UP material actually like just songs the label wanted to hear? Or was that just Aaron's excuse? Because besides maybe "Brand New Hero" and "Where Have You Been" the songs seem very "Aaron". Why does he kinda disassociate himself with the album now?

-Why wasn't the Forces of Evil material offered to RBF? Not that I think it was RBF worthy, but what was the point? And in a personal aside, although their stuff is more of a return to ska for Aaron, it was faceless, boring 3rd wave, and not the more distinguishable stuff on TTRO and WDTRSH. I think this more than anything demonstrates Aaron's loss of writing skill. I think ES, TTRO, and WDTRSH had mostly great writing, and CU had a few moments, but after, he just seemed to lose it.
[/quote1281936554]

I think these two go hand in hand. The FoE stuff was never RBF because Aaron wanted to take RBF in a different direction, but he also still wanted to play ska. Now that he's taken RBF back to ska, he's kinda tried to ignore that they made an album that was largely "not ska". Then again, the band also seems to pretend We're Not Happy existed also. Aaron's ashamed of his mental breakdown album as much as, or more than, he was of his pop-punk midlife crisis album.

-Why do they keep delaying a new original album in favor of the things like covers, more covers, and covering their own stuff along with even more covers? Is it possible Aaron agrees with us that he's lost it. I'd love for him to prove me wrong, but I dunno.

It's stuff their record label never let them do. It's something I understand…but not all at once while we still haven't gotten a new album. It gets tiring. The pacing of the material is very bad.

-But anyways, back to the point, why was Scott basically forced out of the creative side of the Fish? Was it his choice? Aarons? The bands?

His choice. He moved to New York. I don't blame him, he has his own life. I wish he had more input, but the last time he really had creative input seems to be on Cheer Up!. (By the way, before all this "written and arranged by Reel Big Fish" nonsense and when full writing credit was given, Scott was credited as a writer on Sell Out, She Has a Girlfriend Now, and Everything Sucks…coincidence that 3 of TtRO's most successful and acclaimed songs were co-written by Scott?) Now he just sings his amazing harmonies and plays the instrumental parts he's told to, from the looks of it.

I know this is quite a post for my first. But I just have wondered about this RBF stuff for a while

I think it was a great post. Welcome to the forums.

My theories to your questions:

– I think Aaron dislikes Cheer Up! so much simply because of his hatred for Val Garay, the album's producer. Listen to the Show Must Go Off! DVD commentary. He hates that guy more than anything in life. As for the songwriting for it, I'm not so sure the songs turned out the way they did because of studio pressure. I think it was combined forces of a larger band input, production and Aaron's feeling that it was going to be the last album…

– …which is why he made the Forces of Evil. Thinking Cheer Up! was going to be RBF's last, he still wanted to be a musician so he got a jump start on his next band. Where I disagree with you that FOE had worse writing, it was definitely different to all of RBF's work at the time. I wouldn't call it faceless. I'd say less rock, more punk, and little experimentation. Still made for damn fine music, to me.

– Arguably Take On Me is in their top three most successful songs. There's a little bit of wanting to capture that again. They've also built up quite a rep for themselves, in terms of covers, and I guess they thought they should go with it. It was a good idea in theory but the outcome wasn't so hot. Why haven't they been doing new material? They're working on it, I guess. They've been doing there "No Label" checklist for the past four years (Live album, covers album, mix-match album (Monkeys)).

– Scott made the choice to move to New York and stay in the band. Obviously this will completely cut out his creative contribution to the band considering he doesn't even practice with them anymore, and Scott was the strongest creative force behind Aaron. So when Scott went, I think Aaron slowly just made the band all about him, which is probably what he wanted with the Forces of Evil.

That's my take based on interviews, rumours and speculations I've heard/made.

[quote1281964864=The Wind]Where I disagree with you that FOE had worse writing
[/quote1281964864]

YOU GOTTA FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO SKANK

[quote1281964863=sweetdudejim]
Really, Aaron is now ignoring WNHTYNH too? I thought he was saying it was like the 3rd of the trilogy of that, WDTRSH, and TTRO. Whats he been saying/doing recently now to dismiss that album? I can't say I'm very much surprised. There isn't much of note on that album.
[/quote1281964863]

While I disagree that there wasn't "much of note" on that album, the problem is that Reel Big Fish will only play two or three songs from that album live: Don't Start a Band, Your Guts, and maybe The Bad Guy. It was the most underrepresented album on A Best of Us, if you don't count FFF. What happened to The Fire or Turn the Radio Off?

[quote1281972833=El]
[quote1281964864=The Wind]Where I disagree with you that FOE had worse writing
[/quote1281964864]

YOU GOTTA FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO SKANK
[/quote1281972833]

Oh, but silly lyrics really don't have anything to do with the music, silly.

[quote1281980547=The Wind]
[quote1281972833=El]
[quote1281964864=The Wind]Where I disagree with you that FOE had worse writing
[/quote1281964864]

YOU GOTTA FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO SKANK
[/quote1281972833]

Oh, but silly lyrics really don't have anything to do with the music, silly.
[/quote1281980547]

Cookie-cutter ska IMO, nothing special.

The 4 Song Obituary EP was much much better than the album in my opinion.

[quote1281994087=eawgoalie]
The 4 Song Obituary EP was much much better than the album in my opinion.
[/quote1281994087]

What songs were on that one?

[quote1282021567=El]
[quote1281994087=eawgoalie]
The 4 Song Obituary EP was much much better than the album in my opinion.
[/quote1281994087]

What songs were on that one?
[/quote1282021567]Evil Approaches, Ska Show, Good Old Days, Missing Piece.

[quote1282052150=TLM]
[quote1282021567=El]
[quote1281994087=eawgoalie]
The 4 Song Obituary EP was much much better than the album in my opinion.
[/quote1281994087]

What songs were on that one?
[/quote1282021567]Evil Approaches, Ska Show, Good Old Days, Missing Piece.
[/quote1282052150]

I haven't listened to that, I've only listened to Friend or FOE? and the Ball and Chain cover (which I loved). I guess I should check it out.

Friend or FOE? is a Great album. Proably Aaron best Song writing work. Ball And Chain Kicks Ass too if you're a Hardcore Sublime fan, and 99 Hell Sucks because I hate Jay-z. Ska Show and Missing Piece are good songs, but Evil Approaches and Good Old Days Are Meh.

I Still Love Aaron as a frontman, not a person, I really don't care for personal life. And Beside, I don't even think he's a bad guy

[quote1282098654=GodKill123]
Friend or FOE? is a Great album. Proably Aaron best Song writing work.[/quote]

You're the guy that thinks Monkeys is the best RBF album, right? Just checking.

That's not fair.
It may be "cookie cutter" but that really doesn't say anything about the quality. Music doesn't have to be adventurous or experimental to be good.
Unfortunately, in recent history for Aaron, his best has been the adventurous stuff. If he could write normal ska like FOE, that'd be amazing.

[quote1282106763=The Wind]
That's not fair.
It may be "cookie cutter" but that really doesn't say anything about the quality. Music doesn't have to be adventurous or experimental to be good.
Unfortunately, in recent history for Aaron, his best has been the adventurous stuff. If he could write normal ska like FOE, that'd be amazing.
[/quote1282106763]

I don't like "normal ska". I don't listen to Reel Big Fish for "normal ska". Any band can make "normal ska."

I want RBF-brand ska-punk rock, man.

That's fine, you don't like the way it's presented. That has nothing to do with bad writing.

[quote1282137358=The Wind]
That's fine, you don't like the way it's presented. That has nothing to do with bad writing.
[/quote1282137358]

I think, lyrically, there was plenty of bad writing on Friend or FOE? I listen for music [i]and[/i] lyrics y'know.

I suppose that's where we can differ again. I give very little damns about lyrics and often find myself not paying attention to them.

[quote1282274821=El]
You're the guy that thinks Monkeys is the best RBF album, right? Just checking.
[/quote1282274821]
Why Can't I have different Taste :'(
I love Monkeys. I mean, Sure I like White Trash and TTRO, But still, I like Monkeys because it sounds way better and a back to the basic album. Which is why I love Monkeys 😀

Well, Now that you said it, maybe Friend or FOE song writing may not be the best, but to me, it's something I like From Aaron.