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Thread: Message - From Books and Dreams

  1. #1
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    Message - From Books and Dreams

    Since the mid 70's, this has been and stayed one of my favorite albums of all time.

    I only know 3 LPs of their overall output and the From Books and Dreams is IMO their best. I do also like their earlier album The Dawn Anew is Coming (first heard by me only some 10 years ago), but the later Astral Journey (which I last heard sometimes in the late 70's) didn't do much for me at all.

    I wonder if anyone here heard them live in the early 70's. What was their live sound like? Do live recordings exist? What about their other LPs?

    Thanks,
    Batis

  2. #2
    Member mellotron storm's Avatar
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    I can't help you much here at all but like you I feel From Books And Dreams is the best of their first two(I only have those two). Taff Freeman(Nektar) was on their debut playing synths and singing.
    "The wind is slowly tearing her apart"
    Sad Rain
    Anekdoten

  3. #3
    Their first two are quite OK, but I could never swallow much beyond that. They steered off from the path of psychedelic heavy progressive and became much more of a bonafide hard rock band to my ears, not unlike Gift, Epsilon or early Scorpions.

    The guitar sound on FBaD is simply to die for, btw; semi-distorted and with instant delay, rendering that incredibly "fat" effect to the tone. They had a really good singer too, IMO.
    "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

  4. #4
    I never cared much for their early, psychedelic phase. It struck me as awfully dated for 1972-73. Speaking of...has their early, non-album “Smile” single ever made it to CD? My copy of The Dawn Anew Is Coming has no bonuses.

    Anyway, I thought their jazzy phase that came next was far more interesting. Synapse in particular is a must-have, excellent cover too. And listening to the self-titled one revealed it to be far better than I had remembered. Other than that, only Astral Journeys is even slightly worthwhile, in a sort of Hawkwind-meets-Jane sort of way. Using the Head is just dire. Miles of Smiles isn’t that bad, but it’s just a mediocre hard rock album with nothing to distinguish it from hundreds of other suchlike.

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    MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

    ‘“What blow, Goblin?” said Corinius.’ --E. R. Eddison

    N.P.:“Open Doors”-SFF/Ticket to Everywhere

  5. #5
    Their first three are real winners in my book. I've not heard much beyond that except maybe the odd track from a comp. or what not. I'm thinking that they are on one of my Brain Festival LPs with a later incarnation.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by JeffCarney View Post
    Their first three are real winners in my book. I've not heard much beyond that except maybe the odd track from a comp. or what not. I'm thinking that they are on one of my Brain Festival LPs with a later incarnation.
    The first Brain Festival album has a song featuring the Tommy McGuigan-led lineup: “River Field,” which is not available on any of their studio albums. Brain Festival II featured the only recorded performance with female singer Anna Haigis, singing an early, extended version of “World Keeps on Turning” (which later turned up on Astral Journeys).

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    MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

    ‘“What blow, Goblin?” said Corinius.’ --E. R. Eddison

    N.P.:“Snålblåst”-Sinkadus/Aurum Nostrum

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Progbear View Post
    The first Brain Festival album has a song featuring the Tommy McGuigan-led lineup: “River Field,” which is not available on any of their studio albums. Brain Festival II featured the only recorded performance with female singer Anna Haigis, singing an early, extended version of “World Keeps on Turning” (which later turned up on Astral Journeys).
    There you go ...

    I think I also have one of their tracks from the s/t album on one of those German Rock LPs on the Govi label. I really need to get that s/t album on vinyl as the Telefunken CD version I have is one of those German "heavy metal mastering" jobs. But I just adore the opening track! It almost could have found a home on a 70s Who album.

  8. #8
    Member TheH's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progbear View Post
    The first Brain Festival album has a song featuring the Tommy McGuigan-led lineup: “River Field,” which is not available on any of their studio albums. Brain Festival II featured the only recorded performance with female singer Anna Haigis, singing an early, extended version of “World Keeps on Turning” (which later turned up on Astral Journeys).

    -------------
    MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

    ‘“What blow, Goblin?” said Corinius.’ --E. R. Eddison

    N.P.:“Snålblåst”-Sinkadus/Aurum Nostrum

    It's "Anne" Haigis by the way. She went on from this and became well kown as a solo artist. She is still active today.

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