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Thread: FEATURED ALBUM: Regal Worm - Pig Views

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    Moderator Poisoned Youth's Avatar
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    FEATURED ALBUM: Regal Worm - Pig Views

    Regal Worm are a little difficult to pin down by description. If I was going to try one stab at it, I might suggest symphonic prog through the mind of Frank Zappa while thinking of Richard Sinclair.

    This is one of those few bands that I am surprised hasn't gotten more attention. Pig Views is from 2018, and the eclectic journey continues...




    Review from Exposé:
    Surely every progressive rock fan in the world has been paying attention to Regal Worm by now. If they aren’t, it’s time to start. Pig Views continues the amazing run of Jarrod Gosling producing unpredictable, complex music that draws from classic progressive rock but sounds neither deviravative nor stuffy. He has a way of bringing together some of the best aspects of 70s music in a fresh way that is both instantly engaging and worthy of repeated listening. Although the arrangements overall are dominated by keyboards, the album’s first track, “Rose Rubus Smilax Vulcan,” starts out with a delicate acoustic guitar part and a lovely vocal melody that works into a surprising section featuring Latin (or pseudo-Latin) chanting kind of like Orff’s Carmina Burana crossed with the chanting section of “The Ancient” off of Tales from Topographic Oceans.

    Every track features its own unique qualities, like the harp in “Rose Parkington They Would Not Let You Leave” or the double-Mellotron melody (flute and strings) at the beginning of “Pre-Columbian Worry Song.” Pig Views features only one multi-part epic track, “The Dreaded Lurg,” which covers many moods and sounds over a bit less than 15 minutes. In the midst of all of the vintage keyboards, saxophones features prominently in several tracks, providing both chordal punctuation and lead lines. Sometimes keyboard-heavy arrangements can sound lightweight, with less sonic impact than music with more prominent guitar, but Gosling manages to give his instruments real heft, partly by density (such as the doubled Mellotron parts I mentioned), and partly bringing in other sounds like the saxes and the occasional guitar. In addition, the bass guitar is often presented high in the mix with a gritty tone.

    The production is also an important factor, imparting the illusion of a full band playing rather than one musician doing the majority and only a few guests. When it comes to progressive rock in 2018, one of the finest bands going isn’t even really a band, but from listening you might not know that, and it doesn’t matter when the result is this good. - Jon Davis


    WANTED: Sig-worthy quote.

  2. #2
    Member Kcrimso's Avatar
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    Cool album and best Regal Worm so far.
    My progressive music site: https://pienemmatpurot.com/ Reviews in English: https://pienemmatpurot.com/in-english/

  3. #3
    I'm here for the moosic NogbadTheBad's Avatar
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    Been on my list to check out for a while.
    Ian

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    That is really interesting music: Orff prog, anyone? I think I have seen the name Regal Worm before but this is the first time they have penetrated my consciousness. Definitely will go on the "to be checked out" list.

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    Member thedunno's Avatar
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    I like this one. Probably a bit more symph then canterbury. For me it is good, but not great.

    Extra points for great goofy song titles like 'pre Colombian worry song'.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by thedunno View Post
    I like this one. Probably a bit more symph then canterbury. For me it is good, but not great.

    Extra points for great goofy song titles like 'pre Colombian worry song'.
    The song titles on his first album Use And Ornament were also suitably goofy.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by thedunno View Post
    I like this one. Probably a bit more symph then canterbury. For me it is good, but not great.

    Extra points for great goofy song titles like 'pre Colombian worry song'.
    Kinda echoes my thoughts. It hasn’t clicked for me.

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    Member Jerjo's Avatar
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    Oh damn you Cozy, you're gonna cost me money!
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  9. #9
    Last edited by prestonplatform; 02-03-2019 at 07:54 PM.

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    Member Mascodagama's Avatar
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    I think it's the best Regal Worm so far. The blend of baroque psych-pop sensibility with extended, progged-out compositions works seamlessly here. It's such a nice change to hear a huge array of vintage keyboards being employed in a way that actually sounds fresh - some clever layering is used, and Jarrod has a way of avoiding genre clichés. Of course killer hooks, lovely vocals and intriguing lyrics don't do any harm either.
    “your ognna pay pay with my wrath of ballbat”

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  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by thedunno View Post
    a bit more symph then Canterbury
    But I wanted much higher percentage of sympho then of canterbury!!
    "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

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    But I wanted much higher percentage of sympho then of canterbury!!
    I hear neither sympho nor Canterbury in Regal Worm. Jarrod is a master in hiding his influences and in creating his own, unique soundscapes. Which makes him one of the few relevant and fresh voices in the spectre of the wider, "traditional" prog.

    The album is very good, and contains many moments of greatness, of goofy greatness, of emotional greatness - you name it. There seems to be a problem in how he combined those truly inspired pieces of music to create an organic whole - sometimes it feels like his inexorable imagination got the better of him in Pig Views.

    But I am not so sure even about this last statement. It could be that he is so far ahead from us that we still haven't caught up with his musical vocabulary. Speaking for myself, I do feel something not-deciphered-yet in his music, something that still keeps giving.

    A very good album, and an essential listen for people who still search for some fresh ideas in progressive rock music.

  13. #13
    facetious maximus Yves's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jerjo View Post
    Oh damn you Cozy, you're gonna cost me money!
    Posted it on my Facebook page a few weeks ago...

    I like it well enough. Tried other material by this guy but nothing else really clicked with me.
    "Corn Flakes pissed in. You ranted. Mission accomplished. Thread closed."

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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    But I wanted much higher percentage of sympho then of canterbury!!
    Of course you did...
    The Prog Corner

  15. #15
    ^ OMG, was it that self-evident?
    "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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    Member Mascodagama's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Zappathustra View Post
    I hear neither sympho nor Canterbury in Regal Worm. Jarrod is a master in hiding his influences and in creating his own, unique soundscapes. Which makes him one of the few relevant and fresh voices in the spectre of the wider, "traditional" prog.

    The album is very good, and contains many moments of greatness, of goofy greatness, of emotional greatness - you name it. There seems to be a problem in how he combined those truly inspired pieces of music to create an organic whole - sometimes it feels like his inexorable imagination got the better of him in Pig Views.

    But I am not so sure even about this last statement. It could be that he is so far ahead from us that we still haven't caught up with his musical vocabulary. Speaking for myself, I do feel something not-deciphered-yet in his music, something that still keeps giving.

    A very good album, and an essential listen for people who still search for some fresh ideas in progressive rock music.
    Great post.

    Give me the problems that arise from an excess of imagination, rather than those that arise from too little, every time!
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  17. #17
    I'm here for the moosic NogbadTheBad's Avatar
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    Seems like a nice enough album but it's not really grabbing me.
    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.

  18. #18
    Member Plasmatopia's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    ^ OMG, was it that self-evident?
    We can all tell a symphomaniac when we see one.
    <sig out of order>

  19. #19
    Member Phlakaton's Avatar
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    Once you get used to the voice - its money - I love all Jarrod's music.

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    Member interbellum's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mascodagama View Post
    I think it's the best Regal Worm so far. The blend of baroque psych-pop sensibility with extended, progged-out compositions works seamlessly here. It's such a nice change to hear a huge array of vintage keyboards being employed in a way that actually sounds fresh - some clever layering is used, and Jarrod has a way of avoiding genre clichés. Of course killer hooks, lovely vocals and intriguing lyrics don't do any harm either.
    I agree on most of this post (don't know yet if I like this one better than the others though). Love the way he uses the somewhat musical/Philip Glass-like vocal arrangements in his compositions.

  21. #21
    Member bill g's Avatar
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    Love the cover. Sounds very compelling. I need to really check this out when I'm home

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    ^ OMG, was it that self-evident?
    You, my friend, are an open book!!!
    The Prog Corner

  23. #23
    ^ I'm hooked on that look of a modafookin Peregrin' Took-like cookbook-crook.



    These Regal Worm samples sound pretty promising, so I'll be investigating further. I'm already a considerable fan of the second Henry Fool record, so I'm anticipating some sense of development on that front as well. There's always another world awaiting - until there isn't.
    "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

  24. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    ^ I'm hooked on that look of a modafookin Peregrin' Took-like cookbook-crook.



    These Regal Worm samples sound pretty promising, so I'll be investigating further. I'm already a considerable fan of the second Henry Fool record, so I'm anticipating some sense of development on that front as well. There's always another world awaiting - until there isn't.
    Oh man, that second one by Henry Fool was really nice. Men Singing, was it?

    I got it on vinyl back when it came out.

  25. #25
    Member Kcrimso's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    ^ I'm hooked on that look of a modafookin Peregrin' Took-like cookbook-crook.



    These Regal Worm samples sound pretty promising, so I'll be investigating further. I'm already a considerable fan of the second Henry Fool record, so I'm anticipating some sense of development on that front as well. There's always another world awaiting - until there isn't.
    That Henry Fool album Men Singing is really good!
    My progressive music site: https://pienemmatpurot.com/ Reviews in English: https://pienemmatpurot.com/in-english/

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