Caught a few bits of them on Youtube, really like what I've heard but its very diverse and they're one of those precious bands who doesn't put stuff on Spotify to sample (something which really annoys me these days) so can people please recommend just one album to buy by them which shows them at their best? I'll go and order the most popular choice.
Thanks,
Paul
In Extremis There! Now you can get started!
PS. Better hurry. Physical copies are getting scarce, and prices are going up, up, up!
Originally Posted by revporl
We have samples from all of our albums on YouTube, BandCamp and our own website.
What you are actually saying is that you want to hear the entire album as many times as you want for free. And I'm sorry, but we're really precious and like to be paid for our work.
Steve F.
www.waysidemusic.com
www.cuneiformrecords.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin
Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]
"Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"
please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.
Personally I think the most recent Decline & Fall may be their best but as mentioned you probably need to grab earlier ones due to scarcity. If you can get In This Life I'd grab it as I found it tough to get a few years ago. Then In Extremis & A History Of Madness. The Early Years combination of the first two albums is very good but they found their feet after these two so is probably less essential.
Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-a...re-happy-hour/
Gordon Haskell - "You've got to keep the groove in your head and play a load of bollocks instead"
I blame Wynton, what was the question?
There are only 10 types of people in the World, those who understand binary and those that don't.
"We have samples from all of our albums on YouTube, BandCamp and our own website.
What you are actually saying is that you want to hear the entire album as many times as you want for free. And I'm sorry, but we're really precious and like to be paid for our work."
No, I don't see it as a substitute for buying albums, the quality isn't good enough, but you should put samplers up there at least. It just works as a shop window or radio for me, there's very little I've bought in the last 4 years or so that I haven't heard on Spotify first. If you refuse to engage with it completely, you're really being naive and missing a trick. Also people just upload whole albums to Youtube and you don't get paid at all!
I know this is your thread but can we keep this focused on Thinking Plague who are a fantastic band who aren't talked about often enough. This thread could rapidly disappear into a pro / con Spotify debate we've had a hundred times here before. Cuneiform is Steve's business, he's in the best position to understand what does & doesn't work for the artists on the label. Calling him naive is not constructive criticism of the guy who has survived in the industry for a long time. (Apologies for jumping in Steve if it's not appropriate)
My personal favorites
Decline & Fall
In Extremis
In This Life
A History Of Madness
The Early Years
Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-a...re-happy-hour/
Gordon Haskell - "You've got to keep the groove in your head and play a load of bollocks instead"
I blame Wynton, what was the question?
There are only 10 types of people in the World, those who understand binary and those that don't.
You may personally find it not good enough quality and use it as 'a shop window' for yourself personally, and I can't argue with you on that.
We did Spotify for a while and it was a joke; our sales went down and we made no money from Spotify itself. Everything you are saying can be 100% true for you, but most people use it as a substitute for buying albums or downloads.
This is well documented and inarguable fact. For every one who uses it like you, there are 1000 people who use it as their only music portal.
It's legal. You can use it and get no arguments from me if you like it. But luckily because it is legal, we can opt out and at least try to stay in business rather than just giving up.
So we have.
Steve F.
www.waysidemusic.com
www.cuneiformrecords.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin
Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]
"Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"
please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.
In Extremis ---- seems to be a great cross-section of a lot of their sound. LOVE this album. Decline & Fall might be my favorite though.
I'd start with Decline And Fall or In Extremis. Though I really love A History Of Madness, it doesn't 'rock' as much as the other two (if that matters to you). In This Life feels like a bit of a transitional album for me, from the different vibe of Moonsong and ... A Thinking Plague that is unlike the 'contemporary classical influences' of the later recordings.
Ok, Decline and Fall ordered!
Crikey, I see what you mean about the prices of some of them shooting up!
People who help keep us alive by actually understanding that they have to pay for the product if they want to keep alive the goose that lays the golden egg of that product, never have to apologize to me.
Steve F.
www.waysidemusic.com
www.cuneiformrecords.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin
Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]
"Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"
please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.
Enjoy!
For little guys like us, dealing with digital aggregators who supply to 3rd party companies, you can't put up 'samplers only'. It is either ON or OFF for EVERYTHING.
So, we chose OFF.
Steve F.
www.waysidemusic.com
www.cuneiformrecords.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin
Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]
"Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"
please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.
Great album, hope you enjoy it, I find TP a lot like bands like Cardiacs, if you connect with them then you end up buying everything, you just have too. I've been fortunate to see them perform the D&F material a couple of times and they are goosebump good live.
Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on progrock.com
https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-a...re-happy-hour/
Gordon Haskell - "You've got to keep the groove in your head and play a load of bollocks instead"
I blame Wynton, what was the question?
There are only 10 types of people in the World, those who understand binary and those that don't.
Oh I love Cardiacs from when I was at school in the 80's. They're not on spotify either! The bits of TP I have heard remind me of Henry Cow/Slapp Happy - "In Praise Of Learning" which I really love too.
(and that's not on Spotify too!)
and sorry Steve, I didn't realise that you didn't deal with Spotify directly, the sampler idea would be a good idea if you did, but I can see why you don't if it's all or nothing.
Amazing band, amazing musicians. Get 'em all. Medieval crossbow to my head - "In this Life" and "In Extremis" are my desert island discs, but the two latest ones are fantastic, as well as the earlier ones. You probably won't hear any wedding bands play this music during the reception...well unless they hire a band called Thinking Plague.
In This Life is my favorite but It is OOP, but I'd say Decline and Fall is a great start, I like In Extremis a bit less than those two but that is where you should go next if you like D&F.
They are all currently out of print physically except for 'Decline and Fall'.
The sad reality of these days; not enough sales or demand to warrant our manufacturing more physical copies.
Steve F.
www.waysidemusic.com
www.cuneiformrecords.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin
Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]
"Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"
please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.
Decline and Fall is fantastic, possibly my favorite. I'd also go with 'In Extremis' next. Too bad about 'In This Life' being OOP though, that's a really good one. Enjoy
Any idea when the new one is coming?
Ask Mike & post it here, please. I genuinely have no idea.
Steve F.
www.waysidemusic.com
www.cuneiformrecords.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin
Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]
"Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"
please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.
I got into these guys pretty recently (via Bob Drake actually, which is probably a backwards order :P), and my favorite so far is In Extremis. I do have a lot of fondness for the kinda post-punk vibe on the first album though. How To Clean Squid, man!
There are two songs from each of the first three albums (the ones where I was a member) on my website:
http://www.bdrak.com/sounds/music.htm
If In This Life is indeed out of print and unavailabe (I just emailed Chris Cutler at ReR and asked) I might have an idea, I'll get in touch with Mike and let you know as the case may be.
Bob
I'd love to know this as "In This Life" is the only album of theirs that I do not own yet.
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