Frances The Mute
by The Mars Volta
User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 348 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 299 out of 348
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 348
  3. Negative: 37 out of 348

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  1. MannyA
    Mar 1, 2005
    10
    Amazing, even better than "De-Loused..." These guys are brilliant.
  2. Potsos
    Mar 1, 2005
    9
    This album stands shoulder to shoulder to De-Loused in the Comatorium (taking into account the fact that DitC is a literal masterpiece.) This would have been a 10, losing a half point only for the gratuitous soundscapes between songs and/or movements -- half of which actually do add to the album, but some, like the end of The Widow, are a bit tedious. That was a long sentence, but not This album stands shoulder to shoulder to De-Loused in the Comatorium (taking into account the fact that DitC is a literal masterpiece.) This would have been a 10, losing a half point only for the gratuitous soundscapes between songs and/or movements -- half of which actually do add to the album, but some, like the end of The Widow, are a bit tedious. That was a long sentence, but not longer than the songs on this album. However, when listening to FTM, it's less which track is playing and more which sound unfolds in your ear. This album is impossibly ambitious ... and The Mars Volta hold the reigns firmly. Doubtlessly, some unenlightened critics will toss pitchforks at the entire concept, likely dismissing FTM in flowery, pretentious quasi-wit, (see?) but they will be hopelessly off the mark. You'd do well to pay $8.99 for the track L`Via L`Viaquez alone -- the fattest arena-rock riffery since ... since nothing. The ghost of a Puerto Rican Led Zeppelin walks tonight. (It should be noted that Omar Rodriguez-Lopez busts out some seriously huge, Page-like soloing on this album. It's the only thing I was really, REALLY surprised to hear -- and after disgestion, it just adds to his sophomore-era legend.) For me, the tracks that left me in a Mars Volta-induced shell shock were L`Via and Cygnus and the others are still moving, but sprawled out over a much bigger canvas (save Widow). I've listened to this album exactly once now, so I'll refrain from bullshitting my way through a real introspective review, but I'll tell you that the other half point deduction was that my attention span doesn't allow to fall in love with 30 minutes songs, no matter how hard I try. The second best album from the best band in the world. Another masterwork. Viva Mars Volta!… Expand
  3. AlanR
    Mar 1, 2005
    8
    Not as good as their first but still quality. Where are you, Mr. Rubin?
  4. GavinP
    Mar 1, 2005
    9
    There's a lot to dislike about this album. The lyrics are deliberately abstruse, they're a lots of pointles sections of ambient noise or free jazz meanderings, much of it requires repeated listening to 'get'. And yet it is still an amazing album, because when they get it right, they REALLY get it right. Great rhythms, great vocals, and great drama. I know it's not There's a lot to dislike about this album. The lyrics are deliberately abstruse, they're a lots of pointles sections of ambient noise or free jazz meanderings, much of it requires repeated listening to 'get'. And yet it is still an amazing album, because when they get it right, they REALLY get it right. Great rhythms, great vocals, and great drama. I know it's not immeadiate, but stick with it, it really is worth the effort.… Expand
  5. CamS
    Mar 1, 2005
    10
    by far the best cd to come out since deloused
  6. PaulF
    Mar 1, 2005
    10
    I never thought the Mars Volta would come up with the goods again after listening to the amazing De-Loused in the Comatorium, but this is just stunning! It just sucks you right in from the fantastic opening track and doesn't let go until the very end. It's everything I hoped it would be - not more of the same, but a progression in their music. It is very different to the DITC I never thought the Mars Volta would come up with the goods again after listening to the amazing De-Loused in the Comatorium, but this is just stunning! It just sucks you right in from the fantastic opening track and doesn't let go until the very end. It's everything I hoped it would be - not more of the same, but a progression in their music. It is very different to the DITC but it is just as good. It thoroughly deserves a rare 10/10 from me.… Expand
  7. Wogazi
    Mar 1, 2005
    9
    i would like to view the art of the gentleman that wrote the review for pitchfork. did your girlfriend/boyfriend leave you for themarsvolta. Obviously FTM is self indulgent, otherwise it wouldn't be so beautifully interesting.
  8. bobby
    Feb 28, 2005
    0
    I think their previous record was waaay better. They took the easy way out.
  9. JonW
    Feb 28, 2005
    7
    Big ups to the guy who said that The Mars Volta are the Led Zeppelin of our time. Forget all of the misguided Rush/Santana pigeonholing, because one can't help coming away from a MV live show without thinking of the Zep. Frances the Mute is not as immediate as Deloused, but the production is better, and their intrumental prowess is astounding. I'm giving this a seven because Big ups to the guy who said that The Mars Volta are the Led Zeppelin of our time. Forget all of the misguided Rush/Santana pigeonholing, because one can't help coming away from a MV live show without thinking of the Zep. Frances the Mute is not as immediate as Deloused, but the production is better, and their intrumental prowess is astounding. I'm giving this a seven because this album definitely lacks focus and seems to run out of ideas at times, but it's impossible for anyone who listens to this album to not be left drooling over the thought of hearing songs from this album live. I saw MV twice on the Deloused tour, and both times I was ejaculating profusely.… Expand
  10. Jay
    Feb 28, 2005
    9
    Could have been shorter, but the first (Cygnus....Vismund Cygnus) and last songs (Cassandra Gemini) are amazing. The Widow is a good rock ballad and L'Via L'Viaquez is great in parts and a bit boring in others. Miranda is great in the middle where there's the actual song, but the lead up and out add to the overall feel. Overall though, the album is a glimpse into their Could have been shorter, but the first (Cygnus....Vismund Cygnus) and last songs (Cassandra Gemini) are amazing. The Widow is a good rock ballad and L'Via L'Viaquez is great in parts and a bit boring in others. Miranda is great in the middle where there's the actual song, but the lead up and out add to the overall feel. Overall though, the album is a glimpse into their current incarnation which has moments of genius and others of jamming and experimentation.… Expand
  11. StevenJ
    Feb 28, 2005
    0
    I can't believe how bad this album is. Wanky wanky. Shredding is soooo cool. OHHHHH.....and lyrics that sometimes its own writer can't even figure out is sooo cool too. The Mars Volta is a traveling circus side freak show.
  12. ShellyG
    Feb 28, 2005
    10
    The surreal tantric union of Joyce's Anna Livia and Burrough's Dr. Benway, with more than a pinch of Lorca thrown in for good measure, and set to music. My favorite album.
  13. AshG
    Feb 28, 2005
    3
    I quote one guy who feels the exact same way as I do. "I really wanted to like this album. I defended [I] De-loused in the Comatorium [/I] throughout 2003 against my anti-prog friends. Unfortunately, [I] Frances the Mute [/I] is terrible. Without Rick Rubin at the helm, the band lacks focus, doesn't develop melodies, and can't transition between different parts of their songs. I quote one guy who feels the exact same way as I do. "I really wanted to like this album. I defended [I] De-loused in the Comatorium [/I] throughout 2003 against my anti-prog friends. Unfortunately, [I] Frances the Mute [/I] is terrible. Without Rick Rubin at the helm, the band lacks focus, doesn't develop melodies, and can't transition between different parts of their songs. Omar Rodriguez's soloing is hackneyed and goes against the flow of their earlier songs on the album. The latter half of the album is just an inconsequential jam that is utterly boring and stilted." -- Exactly how I feel!… Expand
  14. GregC
    Feb 28, 2005
    8
    Brilliant at points, but horribly overlong...
  15. EightFive
    Feb 28, 2005
    7
    Disappointingly unsurprising, yet still good. A bit contrived, and bit generic at times, following either no song structure or generic song structure, but with enough chops to be listenable (as long as you can fast forward).
  16. joshh
    Feb 28, 2005
    10
    so much better than deloused. this is awesome.
  17. MarshallS
    Feb 28, 2005
    9
    I'm feeling an 8.5 right now, but felt fine about rounding up because there's so much more to hear (after roughly 6 listenings) and it's all I want to listen to ... and I want to listen to it all the time.
  18. LucaS
    Feb 28, 2005
    10
    Another wonderfull album for the greatest band of the new millennium. I love them.
  19. BobS
    Feb 28, 2005
    0
    Now this some crappy prog rock. Worst album ever.
  20. JaredG
    Feb 28, 2005
    9
    I don't feel it is as good as DITC but how can you really top De-loused?
  21. YuckYuck
    Feb 28, 2005
    0
    Yuck.
  22. DevinB
    Feb 28, 2005
    2
    Technical prowess alone does not a good album make.
  23. SleazyF
    Feb 28, 2005
    9
    I think they are definitely the Led Zeppelin of our day and just like Zeppelin
  24. ezrapound
    Feb 28, 2005
    10
    There are musicians who can write catchy songs (Coldplay, Pearl Jam etc) and there are those who are technically great and inventive beyond words (Hendrix, Pink Floyd etc). Both these traits make artists worth listening to, but the Mars Volta are both, make the most of it!! don't bitch about pretentiousness just because you are listening to something that came out of a time-capsule There are musicians who can write catchy songs (Coldplay, Pearl Jam etc) and there are those who are technically great and inventive beyond words (Hendrix, Pink Floyd etc). Both these traits make artists worth listening to, but the Mars Volta are both, make the most of it!! don't bitch about pretentiousness just because you are listening to something that came out of a time-capsule from the year 2020.… Expand
  25. piesore
    Feb 27, 2005
    5
    I was disappointed w/ Deloused, mostly in terms of the production. I thought they'd fleshed out their ideas and taken the next logical step from ATDi, and really loved the Alex Newport produced demos. But Rubin's final made me feel like I was listening to a piece of plastic, with the guitar and coals pushed too high in the mix. Cedric's voice was more feminine, yet more I was disappointed w/ Deloused, mostly in terms of the production. I thought they'd fleshed out their ideas and taken the next logical step from ATDi, and really loved the Alex Newport produced demos. But Rubin's final made me feel like I was listening to a piece of plastic, with the guitar and coals pushed too high in the mix. Cedric's voice was more feminine, yet more abrasive than on the demos; it annoyed me. So, there was a whole album of ideas I liked, but just not their execution. I got excited for the new album once I started to hear the vision behind it, and some of the new live jams. I thought both Caught in the Sun, and A Plague Upon Your Hissing Children were both awesome (neither made the album though). The soft progression in the Middle of Cygnus sounded great live too. And it was supposed to be about the unspeakable visions of Hell, so I was imagining a dark and disturbing soundtrack to compliment the imagery found in Dante's Inferno. Finally, the production was supposed to be a step closer to the rawness of Tremulant, and I was really expecting something as aching and moving as Concertina on FTM. But instead of one step back to the stellar heights of the Tremulant Ep, they've further moved away from the ATDi sound, completely abandoning it, which is bad news for me, an ATDi fan. I think that's why this album is creating much more of a polarized reaction among fans than Deloused, because it's like a totally different group. It's a lot closer to a classic/prog rock album, a lot more upbeat than something inspired by the unspeakable visions of hell you'd expect, with shitloads of wanking, stadium sized drums and Cedric's voice adopting a slight drawl. All the songs feel bloated, with long interludes, intros and outros, needlessly tacked on, which dilute the more powerful moments on the album. The production itself is overdone too, it's not raw at all, but now there are string sections, saxes and flutes, which come off more cheesy than overwhelming like they're supposed to. A lot of the vocals are overharmonized, which again, comes off as prog rock cheesiness. I don't dig the "OMFG! WE'RE LATIN!!!" vibe they keep trying to push more and more with each record. I can understand it's a part of who they are, but they try to make it seems like it's more of a part of them than it is. They grew up in the US and are completely whitewashed, native speakers tell me their spanish is pretty off whenever they try to use it in interviews. So, the third track makes me laugh. Half of it sounds like the Matchbox 20 and Sanata collaboration. On Concertina, the spanish verse was great, but maybe it's the way the vocals are, it just comes off as grating. To its credit, the structure of the album does fit the longer songs better than on deloused, the interludes don't sap away the energy from the song as much as they did on Deloused, like on Cicatriz and Take the Veil. It's more like a chaotic live jam with a simple riff repeated over and over, and progressions and improve based on top of that. But a lot of it, especially the last song is too much like a live jam, half of it feels like the instrumentals were made up on the spot, with random pick srapings and pianos wandering in and out of the mix. That being said, it's not really a difficult album to listen to, it's pretty much all melody, and there are verses and choruses and all the stuff you're familiar with, there are just a lot more of them, and they're a lot more long winded. The biggest disappointment with the album, is that at TMV's start, Omar said he wanted to bring some virtuosity back to punk rock, something like that. He can play better than ever now, but instead of using that skill to write more expansive and fully developed ideas, the basic structure of this album are fairly simple riffs, but with him shredding on top of everything. The more the band says it tries to distance itself from the cliches of prog rock, the more they seem to fall right into them. So, I'd say anyone aching for the ATDi sound, stay far, far away, but prog and classic rock fans will probably dig this.… Expand
  26. VinceF
    Feb 27, 2005
    10
    For anyone that likes real music, music with feelings, colors and depths you can't explain, turn here. This album leaves the listener to put the pieces to the puzzle on what the back story of this album is. The Mars Volta are the new classic rock of our time, and anyone that disagrees does not have an imagination. The Volta will be big in 05, I guarantee it
  27. BigDubyaM
    Feb 27, 2005
    8
    One has to look at this album not as a "post-harcore" or even "rock" album,, but instead as just a "prog" album. So you can all quit complaining about pretentiousness - its the nature of the genre, and if you don't like it, its the same as not liking rap or country or whatever - personal preference. In fact I admire TMV for breaking free of their ATDI pop expectations, and doing One has to look at this album not as a "post-harcore" or even "rock" album,, but instead as just a "prog" album. So you can all quit complaining about pretentiousness - its the nature of the genre, and if you don't like it, its the same as not liking rap or country or whatever - personal preference. In fact I admire TMV for breaking free of their ATDI pop expectations, and doing something REALLY original. Frances is WAY better than De-loused - no longer is it a random collection of way-over-produced songs that sound more like a nerdy kid with effects. Instead its the sound of a band in full stride, capturing all of their stage energy, and more importantly, improvisation skill. Led Zeppelin did it, and no one complained. However I see TMV more as the successors of Yes and the Mahavishnu Orchestra than Zeppelin. The only low points in this album are the long segues into ambience at the beginning of Miranda and end of The Widow. Also the lyrics ARE ridiculous.… Expand
  28. JeffB
    Feb 27, 2005
    9
    Dont listen to Rory and Karp over there, they obviously have something up there ass cause this album is great. Besides do you live in the U.S.A? because if you do how can you rate something that isnt even out yet , dumbasses. Anyways, from the beginning to end it is one of the more enjoing 77 min ive spent in a long time. Mars Volta is so high right now some people just plain dont get it. Dont listen to Rory and Karp over there, they obviously have something up there ass cause this album is great. Besides do you live in the U.S.A? because if you do how can you rate something that isnt even out yet , dumbasses. Anyways, from the beginning to end it is one of the more enjoing 77 min ive spent in a long time. Mars Volta is so high right now some people just plain dont get it. So get your facts straight before you take all the words you got out of other articles, and put them into a review that is horriblly unaccurate and stupid to read. One word. Superb… Expand
  29. Jason
    Feb 27, 2005
    9
    Psychadelic salsa jazz = orgasmic. A more than worthy follow-up to Deloused. Oh my god, Cassandra Gemini...
  30. WayneU
    Feb 27, 2005
    10
    Enthralling and wild, this is one album that will give you many nights of great listening pleasure, to be honest, I cannot go without having to listen to the entire album with each spin. Definitely more cohesive than DITC and much more of an enjoyable experiencing, buy it now!
  31. StevenM
    Feb 27, 2005
    6
    4 great songs, one good one (The Widow) but so much unlistenable, pointless filler too. I still believe their best is yet to come.
  32. KyleB
    Feb 27, 2005
    10
    I preferred DITC. But. This is the second best album everrrrrrr.
  33. Mark
    Feb 27, 2005
    10
    Fulfils the vision that Deloused only hinted at, comparatively speaking. Before listening I would have deemed it impossible for them to create a more genuine, passionate, inventive and spontaneous revitalisation of prog rock than Deloused. But to call (and categorise) this album as 'prog' is to do it a major injustice. It transcends the boundaries of any genre, freeing itself Fulfils the vision that Deloused only hinted at, comparatively speaking. Before listening I would have deemed it impossible for them to create a more genuine, passionate, inventive and spontaneous revitalisation of prog rock than Deloused. But to call (and categorise) this album as 'prog' is to do it a major injustice. It transcends the boundaries of any genre, freeing itself from the stereotypes and mental connotations that all of us associate with them. Quite sincerely, this is in a league of its own, and there are increasingly few artists that you can honestly say that about nowadays.… Expand
  34. Kris
    Feb 27, 2005
    10
    VERY enjoyable.
  35. RoryC
    Feb 27, 2005
    0
    Yuck. The first song is great because it is the only one to have structure. Everything else is just disgusting. No form, no structure, no discipline, it's just all over the place. Not a fun listen, not entertaining, barely even musical. Avoid
  36. PretentiousKarp
    Feb 27, 2005
    1
    I give them a 1 for knowing how to play their instruments and have technical ability. Other than that, here is another overblown pretentious piece of let's outdue another sucky band in Rush karp. I mean really all you have to do is look at the song titles. The best thing about the album is the cover. Pretty pathetic. But what's more pathetic is the fact that all these MTV kiddie I give them a 1 for knowing how to play their instruments and have technical ability. Other than that, here is another overblown pretentious piece of let's outdue another sucky band in Rush karp. I mean really all you have to do is look at the song titles. The best thing about the album is the cover. Pretty pathetic. But what's more pathetic is the fact that all these MTV kiddie watchers are thinking this band is the God of Music just because they wank like no others........oh.......and they know how to technically play beyond 2 or 3 power chords and sing with the help of "How To Write Pretentious Lyrics 101 That Nobody But You Who Will Truly Understand". This kinda thing hasn't happened since the days of Dave Matthews. Boy their fans are dumb.… Expand
  37. DavidM
    Feb 25, 2005
    10
    This album is the best thing I've heard since their debut album "De-Loused in the Comatorium." The Mars Volta is the Led Zeppelin of our time, without a doubt!
  38. bweni
    Feb 24, 2005
    10
    i love this more than i love men, and thats a lot!!
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Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Most Discussed Album of 2005
76
#76 Most Shared Album of 2005

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 31
  3. Negative: 3 out of 31
  1. Alternative Press
    100
    It's already the most riveting album of 2005--provided you're ready to carve a wide enough hole in your consciousness to accept it. [Mar 2005, p.130]
  2. Filter
    68
    Frances the Mute documents the Mars Volta as a passionate and explosive band that has grown capable of taking the music in a hundred different directions. [#14, p.96]
  3. Spin
    91
    Frances explores an explosive groove Comatorium only implied. [Mar 2005, p.83]
See all critic reviews »