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Thread: Porcupine Tree 'Recordings' and Santana 'Marathon'

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    Porcupine Tree 'Recordings' and Santana 'Marathon'

    Good Day Saturday Every-one!

    Had a couple of hours project out in my garage... and brought both Porcupine Tree 'Recordings' and Santana 'Marathon' to listen to while replacing the door and window gaskets for my Thelin pellet stove. Music seems to soften the boring aspects of one of those 'have to' projects!

    Some thoughts on those two releases -

    Porcupine Tree..... It's this one 'Recordings', and 'Signify', that I seem to pull out when I'm in a PT mood. I could have very well made this comment in a previous post at some time BUT on the song 'Ambulance Chasing' I really am taken in by the keys solo/bridge that occurs within that song. The nice cover photo: Hahahhahaha There was perhaps a time where that photo of a man relaxing with his pipe while listening to music on his antiquated listening system represented some OTHER generation. Well THAT photo certainly seems to represent me NOW at almost 55 years! Like it tremendously...


    Santana.... One of Carlos/the bands latter 70's somewhat more commercial releases. Certainly enjoy it, with 'Inner Secrets', as well - just as much as the works from the latter 60's and onward. Anyway - there's a song on Marathon entitled "Stand Up', a good rocker, and I just absolutely find Alex Ligertwoods vocal on that song to be fantastic....... His inflection?? there is just so superb. (Yeahhhhh - Stand Up, Stand Up, Stand Up - come on and take a stand with me!)

    I certainly enjoy the MUSIC indeed!

    As we were...

    Chris Buckley

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    I'm not familiar with that Santana album, but I have the Porcupine Tree.

    If you like "Ambulance Chasing" I suggest you track down the song "Navigator" if you don't have it already. It has a similar vibe, but I think it's better.

    The star attraction on that album for me, though, is the full version of "Even Less", How is it possible that a 14-minute song can seem almost too short? This must be in contention for Steven Wilson's finest vocal performance.

  3. #3
    I have only heard a few cuts of the Santana album. He had great bands in that era but unfortunately spent most of the time trying to get a hit. Can't comment on PT.

  4. #4
    I don't remember the album particularly, but All I Ever Wanted was pretty much my favorite post 60s Santana song.

  5. #5
    I love Porcupine Tree's entire catalogue, but Signify and Recordings seem to get the most mileage for me too, winkersnufs. I totally agree with Bob's assertion regarding (the epic version of) Even Less. The other song on Recordings that instantly sold me on the merits of mid-period PT is Buying New Soul. Gavin Harrison is one of my all-time favorite drummers, but (imho) Chris Maitland is one facet of the band's history who is sickeningly underrated/unappreciated.
    'The smell of strange colours are heard everywhere'- Threshold

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    Quote Originally Posted by trurl View Post
    I don't remember the album particularly, but All I Ever Wanted was pretty much my favorite post 60s Santana song.
    Marathon boasts a great instrumental called "Aquamarine." Whenever I'd play the album, I'd always return to that one and listen to it a couple more times.

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    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by winkersnufs View Post
    Santana.... One of Carlos/the bands latter 70's somewhat more commercial releases. Certainly enjoy it, with 'Inner Secrets', as well - just as much as the works from the latter 60's and onward. Anyway - there's a song on Marathon entitled "Stand Up', a good rocker, and I just absolutely find Alex Ligertwoods vocal on that song to be fantastic....... His inflection?? there is just so superb. (Yeahhhhh - Stand Up, Stand Up, Stand Up - come on and take a stand with me!)

    Chris Buckley
    I wouldn't associate much Inner Secrets with Marathon, as they different groups... The former is still the 70's band (or what remains of the MkII line-up >> post Caravanserai) and gathers 3.5 stars in my book, while Marathon is a very different band (the 80's line-up), starting with Ligterwood's dreary vocals, and averaging only two stars to this dude. Though I prefer Marathon to Zebop and Shango.

    Just saying....
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Trane View Post
    I wouldn't associate much Inner Secrets with Marathon, as they different groups... The former is still the 70's band (or what remains of the MkII line-up >> post Caravanserai) and gathers 3.5 stars in my book, while Marathon is a very different band (the 80's line-up), starting with Ligterwood's dreary vocals, and averaging only two stars to this dude. Though I prefer Marathon to Zebop and Shango.
    And those are great albums, too. Musically, Inner Secrets and Marathon have a lot in common. I don't know which major line-up changes you're referring to beyond Alex Ligertwood replacing Greg Walker on lead vocals. Tom Coster left after Festival and was replaced by Chris Rhyne, who's on both Inner Secrets and Marathon. Alan Pasqua also joins in on keyboards. Chris Solberg is still the second guitarist. Margen, Lear and Perazza are still the rhythm section, though Rekow is absent (not the first time).

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    That's Mr. to you, Sir!! Trane's Avatar
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    Beg to differ on the Ligterwood era, but colours & tastes...

    As for the line-up changes (I had to look it up for refreshing my memory), I guess you're kind of partly right: though in the space of one album (between Festival and Marathon), Walker, Coster, Areas, D Brown and Escovedo all disappeared (that's a fair bit, really) and Rekow would come back after Marathon.... From the Festival line-up to Marathon, outside Carlos, that only leaves drummer Graham Lear and percussionist Peraza on both albums ... different bands, I say.

    And after Shango, the line-up is greatly changed
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

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    Member dropforge's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Trane View Post
    As for the line-up changes (I had to look it up for refreshing my memory), I guess you're kind of partly right: though in the space of one album (between Festival and Marathon), Walker, Coster, Areas, D Brown and Escovedo all disappeared (that's a fair bit, really) and Rekow would come back after Marathon.... From the Festival line-up to Marathon, outside Carlos, that only leaves drummer Graham Lear and percussionist Peraza on both albums ... different bands, I say.
    The line-up change happened with Inner Secrets, not Marathon. Therefore, those two are right in line with each other, sonically, with the exception of switching out lead vocalists. If you sit Random Joe/Josie Listener down and play the two albums back to back, they're not gonna tell you one is Led Zeppelin II and the other is Presence.

    What you're trying to say is you don't like Ligertwood. Nowhere near as many words required.

    Quote Originally Posted by Trane View Post
    And after Shango, the line-up is greatly changed
    Yes, it did. But we're talking about the late '70s.

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    “Recordings” is a fantastic album. The amazing thing is that it is made up of throw away tracks that did not make the regular albums. Porcupine’s toss offs are better than many band’s main albums.

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    Quote Originally Posted by SteveSly View Post
    “Recordings” is a fantastic album. The amazing thing is that it is made up of throw away tracks that did not make the regular albums. Porcupine’s toss offs are better than many band’s main albums.
    I think in most cases when a PT track does not make it onto a regular album it's because Steven did not consider that it fitted with the rest of the album, not because he thought the track was intrinsically lacking in quality. Recordings is a great album, but it feels more like a compilation album than an album constructed as a work in itself - which obviously is not surprising, as a compilation is what it is.

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    Quote Originally Posted by dropforge View Post
    The line-up change happened with Inner Secrets, not Marathon. Therefore, those two are right in line with each other, sonically, with the exception of switching out lead vocalists. If you sit Random Joe/Josie Listener down and play the two albums back to back, they're not gonna tell you one is Led Zeppelin II and the other is Presence.

    What you're trying to say is you don't like Ligertwood. Nowhere near as many words required.
    It's not just Ligertwood's vocals (though I didn't think he was that good with Oblivion Express either >>their better albums came before he got in), it's more than that... The feeling on IS is more Festival-like than Marathon-like.

    So sure, the line-up changes start with Inner Secrets, but between Festival and IS, there is lno more changes than between IS and Marathon. I bolded out the musician who bow after after the album and italize the ones who come in . . We can say the turnover happened over two albums (IS & Mar), but just the change of singer suggest that a new era starts with Marathon, rather than IS.


    Festival Line-up / Musicians
    - Jose 'Chepito' Areas / Timbales, congas, perc
    - Carlos Santana / guitars, vocals
    - Tom Coster / Keyboards
    - Greg Walker / Vocals
    - David Brown / Bass
    - Armando Peraza / Congas, Bongos
    - Graham Lear / Drums
    - Raul Rekow / congas, perc
    - Pete Escovedo / Timbales, perc

    Inner Secrets Line-up / Musicians
    - Carlos Santana / guitars, vocals
    - Chris Rhyne / Keyboards
    - Greg Walker / Vocals
    - David Margen / Bass
    - Armando Peraza / Congas, Bongos
    - Graham Lear / Drums
    - Chris Solberg / guitar, organ
    - Raul Rekow / congas, perc
    - Pete Escovedo / Timbales, perc



    Marathon Line-up / Musicians
    - Carlos Santana / guitars, vocals
    - David Margen / Bass
    - Chris Rhyne / Keyboards
    - Alan Pasqua / Keyboards
    - Armando Peraza / Congas, Bongos
    - Graham Lear / Drums
    - Alex Ligertwood / Vocals
    - Chris Solberg / guitar
    my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.

  14. #14
    To be a bit nerdy about it, there are some mistakes in the lineups above (except for Inner Secrets) and it also skips the album Moonflower.

    Here are the correct lineups as I recall:

    Festival: Carlos, Tom Coster, Leon Patillo, Pablo Tellez, Gaylord Birch, Raul Rekow, Jose Chepito Areas
    Moonflower: Carlos, Coster, Greg Walker, Tellez/David Margen, Graham Lear, Rekow, Areas/Pete Escovedo
    Inner Secrets: Carlos, Chris Rhyne, Walker, Chris Solberg, Margen, Lear, Rekow, Escovedo, Armando Peraza
    Marathon: Carlos, Alan Pasqua, Alex Ligertwood, Solberg, Margen, Lear, Rekow, Peraza

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