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Matthew Good Band

Beautiful Midnight
1999
Universal Canada

Matthew Good Band - Beautiful Midnight (Cover Artwork)

Review by: Phil
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Published on August 28th 2005

This isn't really a punk rock record, but it's one of the best records Americans have never heard. One of Canada's best kept secrets, the Matthew Good Band, had been kicking their shit for 4-5 years, gaining a lot of success with the previously released Underdogs, especially with the hit single/video "Apparitions." They were one of those 90's alt-rock bands with power ballads and urgent rockers but never sounded too sweet or commercial. Good's gritty lyrics and take on social and political life often made your skin crawl.

Beautiful Midnight is somewhat of a concept record, with the first track, the pounding rocker "Giant," starting at 5 P.M. and the gorgeous, somber, sad ballad "Running For Home" chiming it around sun-up. The whole record is pretty depressing as Good sings about a boy in a mental institution ("A Boy And His Machine Gun"), the homeless ("Strange Days"), suicide ("Going All The Way"), and even psychopathic killers ("Born To Kill"). The eerieness of it all is what really strikes through. Good's voice trembles, quakes and shivers while the band runs circles around his lyrics with pounding rhythms and melodic guitar parts.

The singles, "Hello Time Bomb" and the peppy rocker "Load Me Up," are the few breaks from the depressing, dark moments (although they still cover dark topics). Overall, Beautiful Midnight is one of my favorite records of all time and I hope that more Americans are able to check this out. For those who are interested, Matthew Good has since gone solo and released two great records of his own.

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, September 24, 2005 at 11:50 PM (EDT)
My Score:

All of you guys who say a band sucks... I hate to inform you but most music is hated - even mainstream music. The difference is that only 50% of people hate the mainstream whereas 80-90% hate everything else.

Matthew Good is an artist not a rock star who plays an amazing live show. IHe's written some catchy rock-pop songs but his strength comes on his slow moving ballads. If he were some 'crazy big rockstar' why the hell would he be creating music none of you guys would want to listen to?

Like all artists who 'suck' there's going to be people who agree with you and who do not - but at least they're the ones wtih the recording contract and not you.

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, September 1, 2005 at 11:10 PM (EDT)
My Score:

cant believe this is reviewed on this site, but kudos to the kid that had the guts to do it....this is a stellar, beautiful, stunning record that unfortuneatly didnt turn heads in america. I cant begin to describe how great the album is. Ever see the video for 'strange days'? will choke up even the toughest guy. the lyrics are nothing if not intense. INTENSLY intense. not to mention unique. people just dont write like this...its refreshing.
you were right in calling this a concept album. although i saw it more as the story of lost, lonely teenagers, high school and the period immediately following it. starting with the cheerleaders before the first track, then going into the wasteland of "suburbia", telling to story of a youth getting her ultimate revenge on an abusive father (jennis song)...i dunno theres just an overall feeling of angst throughout the album.
Ill shut up now, but this is a gorgeous album that id recommend to anyone

----Xis

Posted by Josiah on 2005-09-01 21:21:51
My Score:

this guy is a total dick, and completely boring to see in concert...

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, September 1, 2005 at 7:59 PM (EDT)
My Score:

Matthew Good is one of my favorite artists.

Just a fucking great album here. And his work ever since this album has just been just brilliant, I think. He's been much better ever since the band disbanded.

Love it all. And cannot wait for In A Coma.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 29, 2005 at 9:52 PM (EDT)

so true dude. "the future is x-rated" is a pretty bad ass track on there too.

Posted by logan on 2005-08-29 19:33:28

i really dug this record and still listen to it on the regular.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 29, 2005 at 8:22 AM (EDT)

Wow I don't know if people here are on crack but first, it doesnt sound cookie cutter at all. He doesnt sound even remotly close to Dave Matthews. I don't know what tv stations the other listens to, but I hardly ever see Matthew Good doing interviews. He is wicked live. I love probably all his cds. And for the guy who says it's being pushed down our throats.. Why the hell are you listening to the radio anyway? Other good canadian bands, Sloan, Planet Smashers, Arcade Fire, Stars, 2 first IME cds, King Apparatus, The Almighty Trigger Happy, Hot Hot Heat, Broken Social Scene, and many more.

-ejaculine

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 29, 2005 at 2:27 AM (EDT)
My Score:

I Mother Earth's first 2 albums are amazing.
Most of the Matthew Good Band's albums were great.
Pairing IME and Spice Girls... fucking retarded.

-Not-to-Regret

Posted by inanechild on 2005-08-28 20:08:10

That's where we're different my friend. The whole Matt Good / I Mother Earth / Our Lady Peace era was just a sad time for popular Canadian music.

Oh that brings back nightmares of when everyone either listened to that, or the Backstreet Boys and the Spice Girls. Damn you 1995-1999!

Posted by shindo on 2005-08-28 19:40:31

Maybe it's conditioning, but I don't mind Matt Good's shit. The whole Matt Good/I Mother Earth/Our Lady Peace shit I found decent in the mid-90's, and a hell of a lot better than the whole Nickelback/Default/Theory of a Deadman, or the horrible Project Wyze or Shocore.

That's where we're different my friend. The whole Matt Good / I Mother Earth / Our Lady Peace era was just a sad time for popular Canadian music. Of course we're no better off with Nickelback and all that sound-alike trash, but at least a few more interesting acts are getting some play nowadays.

-adam

Posted by Anchors on 2005-08-28 19:10:01

Now, I'm not big on DMB, but to say that band is the same cookie cutter crap played by Three Days Grace and Nickleback is nothing short of ridiculous. Every member of that band is immensely talented, and they're always striving to do something different.

Can't fault them for that much.

Posted by trolley on 2005-08-28 17:56:29
My Score:

Amazing album. Amazing musician.

Posted by boba_fett on 2005-08-28 15:29:16

Posted by hitlerbadzakgood on 2005-08-28 14:53:46

this album is great. theres no friggin way matt good and dave matthews are anywhere close to each other.

Posted by inanechild on 2005-08-28 14:37:43

To the guy that said Matt Good is Canada's Dave Matthews: Are you on fucking glue?

They both play the same crappy, cookie-cutter "alt-rock," they're both played endlessly on the same sorts of mindless mainstream rock stations, they both have the same type of fans, they both won't stop promoting themselves...maybe the voices are a little different, but they're in the same category to me.

Posted by fistchode on 2005-08-28 14:20:49

Posted by shindo on 2005-08-28 13:43:47

I'd even venture to say that my hatred of the Matthew Good Band helped get me where I am today. The more my peers listened to this crap, the further and further it pushed me into the punk rock world. Thanks Matt!

-adam

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, August 28, 2005 at 12:44 PM (EDT)

I'm so glad that everyone else hates Matt Good as much as I do (yay Adam!). This band is absolutely atrocious, and is unfortunately overplayed on Canadian radio/television to an astounding degree. This is definitely a case of CanCon gone wrong. Why isn't CanCon used to play more of the Weakerthans?!?

And worst of all, my old high school's claim to fame was that Matt Good went there. Oh, the shame!

Posted by Dante3000 on 2005-08-28 12:10:09
My Score:

Wait my score didn't show up...Blah, never preview.

Posted by Dante3000 on 2005-08-28 12:08:38

From all I've heard from this band (maybe two songs) it sounds like total shit.
However, I am happy to hear Adam doesn't like it too. Not for a shared hate but because it means that even reviews that all the staff don't like may get published. This may have happened before but I haven't really taken notice.
-Dante
P.S. Score is for The 40 Year Old Virgin

Posted by beaarthur on 2005-08-28 10:29:15
My Score:

This is almost as offensive as the counting crows tribute.

Posted by shindo on 2005-08-28 09:04:57
My Score:

I unequivocally HATE the Matthew Good Band, and it makes me die a little inside that there's now a positive review of them on our little corner of the internet. Y-I-C-K. This is one of the most blatant examples of when Canadian rock radio met their Cancon regulations by overplaying the same crappy alt-rock bands over and over and over and over instead of digging a little deeper and giving some airtime to actually interesting rock bands.

-adam

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, August 28, 2005 at 3:38 AM (EDT)

They are both pretty shitty AND boring. Now that's saying something...? Like how shitty and boring they both are.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, August 28, 2005 at 3:00 AM (EDT)

To the guy that said Matt Good is Canada's Dave Matthews: Are you on fucking glue?

Posted by psychoos231 on 2005-08-28 02:43:21
My Score:

More like Matthew BAD Band.

Posted by Jet on 2005-08-28 00:59:40

Triple Comment!

...Vocal anti-war.

I am never posting on this page again.

Posted by Jet on 2005-08-28 00:59:09

Double comment!

Really, Matthew Good has always been one of the most vocal musicians in the Canadian mainstream, and that kind of says something.

Posted by Jet on 2005-08-28 00:57:38

I adore Matthew Good like you wouldn't believe. Maybe he's not brilliant and it's just because it feels like he's an old friend, but I can never get enough of anything he has to sing from songs and other mediums. Yes, some of us read "At Last There Is Nothing Left To Say" every night.

Posted by inanechild on 2005-08-28 00:48:40

Yup, Canadians have this loser and his mediocre music shoved down our throats every other second. He's more or less the Dave Matthews of Canada. I'm no punk purist, but c'mon...this is stretching it a little.

Posted by Timis on 2005-08-28 00:48:23

i love this cd....however i am SHOCKED that it is reviewed on this site.........

Posted by swank on 2005-08-28 00:46:36

first!

ouch.
I don't know about the states, but in Canada this guys all over the place, to an annoying degree. His music is nothing at all special, and he's constantly on TV talking about how different he is. He's all "hey! look at me! I'm not your typical rock star! aren't I refreshingly honest?? hey! over here!"

Yeah, lame.