Someone here on PE recommended this album to me almost 12 years ago. Still love it. What FM album would be the next logical step?
Someone here on PE recommended this album to me almost 12 years ago. Still love it. What FM album would be the next logical step?
Direct to Disc (aka Headroom) and Surveillance. Both are due to be reissued for the first time on cd by Esoteric soon.
Has Vicky migrated over? Can we get an update?Originally Posted by zeprogmeister
she posted a thread in the what's new forum... she's now "Esoteric"
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Yes, Headroom is defintely the way to go after BN.... don't care much for what they did afterwards
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
http://www.progressiveears.org/forum...ruary-releases
Headroom is great for a live-in-the-studio performance; Marty Deller really shines on drums. Very little vocals from Cam Hawkins and plenty of room for improvisation from
all bandmembers.
City Of Fear has shorter, more structured songs, but there is an overall "darkness" about that album that appeals to me. I like the gritty harshness in the electric mandolin
tones from Ben Mink, and Larry Fast's production contributes to the listening experience.
The only FM albums to avoid imo are Con-Test and Tonight.
If you can find a copy of the Live Retroactive cd it is a gem. It was recorded back in 1994 when Nash rejoined the band. All of the other comments above are also true.
http://web.ncf.ca/fi142/retroactive_album.html
Be prepared to be disappointed... none of the others have the same magic as Black Noise. I still remember the thrill of finding a vendor at a used record show that was a prog fan (or art rock as it was known then - probably about 1990). He had several boxes of obscure prog records. Desparate for some new finds, I asked for recommendations. I'd never heard of FM, but the guy told me I had to get Black Noise based on the other bands that I was buying, and he was right.
I agree with ak85lp... Live Retroactive is the only other one that I really liked.
I respectfully disagree. The best moments of Surveillance easily measure up to Black Noise. To whit...
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I always loved the vocal arrangement on that tune.
The best moments of Surveillance easily measure up to Black Noise. To whit...
Never heard this, Wow!
Another good one from Surveillance-
The best moments, yes... and thanks for reminding me how much I enjoy Horizons (haven't heard that in a while). But man, the opening track REALLY turned me off, and I found myself just losing interest on some of the tracks. Black Noise is good from start to finish when you're in the mood for that journey. For me, none of the others come close.
I agree. Of the others, Direct to Disc is the most “progressive,” but it’s basically just a jam session, the music doesn’t have the structure of Black Noise and if you’re expecting it to sound anything like it, you’re setting yourself up for a letdown.
Surveillance was...OK but it definitely wasn’t anywhere close to the high level of BN. City of Fear was an AOR album, pure and simple. I’ve only heard the singles from later albums, but they sounded like new-wave styled pop-rock to me.
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MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")
"Parece cosa de maligno. Los pianos no estallan por casualidad." --Gabriel Garcia Marquez
N.P.:“On Presuming to Be Modern III”-Synergy/Cords
in this style it would be Surviellance, but Headroom/Direct To Disc is a better album of music than Surviellance, it's just very different.
I love Black Noise though!
Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?
You both summ it up fairly well for me... BN and HR are the only thing I need, though there are two or max three tracks on Surveillance (I totally lost track of the band afterwards)
That Starless cover is a pure gem, though....
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
I've got to give a high recommendation to the latest album Transformation.
Man, what an excellent return to form!
Why is it whenever someone mentions an artist that was clearly progressive (yet not the Symph weenie definition of Prog) do certain people feel compelled to snort "thats not Prog" like a whiny 5th grader?
FM (well, Cameron + Nash) from 1976
Wowwwww, I thought I fantasized seeing this when I was a teen...
Thank you!!!!!
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
The only FM album I've kept. Been a long while since I listened to them. Gotta pull outtagain.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
You should love the Headroom Dorect To Disc reissue.... Two long 15-mins+ semi-improvs...
Nash the Slash was gone and Ben Mink was around, but it's more in the spirit of Black Noise than the later albums.
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
Thought Black Noise had some very cool stuff on it. I still need to pick up the Esoteric reissue...
Saw them in concert at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in Puerto Rico in the Eighties. Headliner was Saga, who, for some reason, has been idolized for years on the Island and keep coming back. I think Triumph was also on hand... kind of all-Canadian tour. What I remember was that FM was going down a storm when, midway through their set, a whole side of the sound system on stage went down, and they were forced to complete their set with half the power (and half the volume). Well, I got backstage thanks to a friend who was friendly with the Saga people, and I remember passing the FM musicians after their set. They were fuming and convinced that the Saga guys had conspired to stiff them, because they were doing so well, specially when the power was restored when Saga came onstage.
^ Well, about one thing am I personally certain; FM Or Max Webster et al.) vs. Saga equals some 14 - 1/2. And the latter score doesn't even exist.
"Improvisation is not an excuse for musical laziness" - Fred Frith
"[...] things that we never dreamed of doing in Crimson or in any band that I've been in," - Tony Levin speaking of SGM
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