What is the long-running franchise with the most genuinely good instalments? I haven't seen enough Star Trek to know if that's a candidate. James Bond, maybe?

The Friday the 13ths might be more entertaining, on the whole, but that franchise doesn't have a single legitimately GREAT movie like the first Halloween.

I can't speak for MRR, but I believe that what they're saying is that if you don't like the last 3 minutes of "Reflektor" it means we'll have very, very different views on this album's quality. And I agree.

No, definitely not trying to say "YOU'RE NOT A TRUE FAN!!!" or anything. But I think there's a big distinction to be made between "this is bad in comparison to what they've done before" and "this is just bad", which was what I thought you were saying.

They did edit the film to match the music. They didn't TOTALLY chop and screw it (like they did with it for the "Afterlife" video), but they shifted scenes around to match the progression of the songs.

In a certain sense it is just like your mom: bloated, but still experimenting.

Gnuuuurrrrgh. That does sound pant-tighteningly enticing, but it's also something I'm 99.9% sure would never happen.

I was replying to SarCCastro, who was saying that it straight-up sucks; perfectly understandable for a fan to think it's their "worst" album. I mean, one album's gotta be their subjective worst, right?

Indeed he is, with Murphy producing (and, according to rumours and my ears, singing some backup vocals himself).

Yeah: they're essentially pairing Bowie and Murphy's tendencies. Bowie songs often turn into a completely different tune about 75% in, only to return to the original melody towards the very end. And yeah. Murphy obviously lets a groove build and lets the song breathe.

And nasty-ass music videos:
http://youtu.be/V8BOBEZL9sk

Pshaw! If you were ever an Arcade Fire fan I can't imagine how you'd think this album "sucks". Do you just think it's their weakest effort, or do you genuinely feel that this is BAD music?

Yeah, those are some DUBIOUS choices. "13 Ghosts"? "House On Haunted Hill" remake? Fucking "LEGION"?

"Neon Bible", too. "Funeral" and the EP are maybe a little thrown-together, but it fits the music somehow.

Well, we don't even have to mock his appearance. It seems like the album didn't include enough sexy references to long walks in the park to get him wet.

Hah, that review is hilariously awful. I don't know why he has decided that Arcade Fire is a failure for not being all dangerous and sexxxy. It's like he's reviewing a disappointing Eagles Of Death Metal album or something.

"Porno" is good, but that is the one song where I feel the 'overlong' criticism is kinda valid. Feels like that should really just be a 3-minute pop song.

I assume "???? !!!!!!" means "it totally deserves a higher grade!"

She spoke about the experience of shooting the cover in a recent Pitchfork interview - nothing really salacious about the story, Noe's wife was there which makes it a little less creepy. (Noe's always struck me as an artist whose work makes him seem genuinely nasty.)

Hmm, not so sure I agree about the bloat! I was certainly worried about that when I read about it beforehand, and saw just how dang LONG almost every song was; but when actually listening to it, it flew by in an enjoyable, funky fashion. It certainly feels less bloated than 'The Suburbs' (which I love, to be fair).