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Thread: Crucible - Tall Tales

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    Moderator Poisoned Youth's Avatar
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    Crucible - Tall Tales

    Tall Tales came up on my music shuffle today (abomination!) and I was reminded how much mileage I have gotten out of this release back in the late 90s. Ultimately I think it's one of my favorite from the decade. For me, it's a great mix of 70s symphonic rock, clearly blending influences from the UK with a tinge of bands like Kansas and Rush.

    I never quite warmed up to Curtains, but Tall Tales has that "magic" I can't quite put into words. I am grateful to have seen them live back at the first NearFest in '99.


    Any fans? Detractors? Waters troll brigaders?


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    Member Steve F.'s Avatar
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    I saw them touring Tall Tales and they were pretty great, although my personal interest in this style of 'prog' has diminished over the last 16 years. But I do have fond memories of the album and the show.
    Steve F.

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    Member interbellum's Avatar
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    Have heard quite some songs, but it never came to buying an album. I do remember though that I loved the fact that they covered Crack The Sky's "Nuclear Apathy" for "Curtains".

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    facetious maximus Yves's Avatar
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    I echo your sentiments exactly, Cozy. If you'll recall, when I first joined PE, I was known as Poet Liar...

    I still like to go back and visit this disc on occasion and usually end up listening to it all the way through. The only track I skip on occasion is Lords & Leeches, which I feel meanders a little.
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    There'll probably never be a nostalgia boom for obscuro 1990's prog like there has been for obscure 1970's prog, but if there ever is, this album would be a prime candidate. It's got great songwriting, singing, production, and instrumental performances, the first 3 of which are pretty rare for this style.

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    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    I had it way back when(right around the time they played Nearfest). I thought it was over rated then. I didn't keep my copy of the cd. I thought their performance at the inaugural NF was good enough though. I liked the opening track and the side long track and not much else. Then fast forward at least a decade later I'm curious about it again so I look for it online but it's out of print. I managed to get someone to burn a copy of it for me so I have it but it would be really cool if it was available again. I still really enjoy the opening track. I admit that it is maybe a semi classic from the time period but I think it has been buried by albums by SB, TFK and whoever else.
    Do not suffer through the game of chance that plays....always doors to lock away your dreams (To Be Over)

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    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dnieper View Post
    There'll probably never be a nostalgia boom for obscuro 1990's prog like there has been for obscure 1970's prog, but if there ever is, this album would be a prime candidate. It's got great songwriting, singing, production, and instrumental performances, the first 3 of which are pretty rare for this style.
    No but there are some real nuggets from that era(a few that come to mind off the top of my head are E Motive, Pye Fyte and Germinale).
    Last edited by Digital_Man; 11-18-2014 at 03:55 PM.
    Do not suffer through the game of chance that plays....always doors to lock away your dreams (To Be Over)

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    Member rickawakeman's Avatar
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    Dug this slice of American genesis-flavored neo so much that after seeing them at NF, my buddy and I travelled to a corner of Connecticut (their home turf) to see 'em play at a club called Fatty McGee's. They played mostly covers despite our yelling for Imp's Tale and I believe they had an iteration under a different name (Second Wind? Break Like the Wind?) that played mostly covers (gabriel, Police etc) at clubs. Will never forget the keyboardist and Spock's Beard's Ryo almost coming to blows in the parking area at Nearfest '99 after Ryo accused him of damaging his mellotron!

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by rickawakeman View Post
    Dug this slice of American genesis-flavored neo so much that after seeing them at NF, my buddy and I travelled to a corner of Connecticut (their home turf) to see 'em play at a club called Fatty McGee's. They played mostly covers despite our yelling for Imp's Tale and I believe they had an iteration under a different name (Second Wind? Break Like the Wind?) that played mostly covers (gabriel, Police etc) at clubs. Will never forget the keyboardist and Spock's Beard's Ryo almost coming to blows in the parking area at Nearfest '99 after Ryo accused him of damaging his mellotron!
    Actually, it was Ryo who damaged Crucible's Hammond organ. Ryo was pretty rough with it during Spock's Beard set and ended up damaging one of the keys.

    I had also heard that they mostly did covers for their regular gigs. Some of us were hoping for a Rush cover.

    I liked their performance at NEARFest and I still like their two albums.

  10. #10
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dnieper View Post
    There'll probably never be a nostalgia boom for obscuro 1990's prog
    What? My entire nest egg rests on just such a market!

    I've invested heavily in Cast futures.

  11. #11
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Great album! Bought it many years ago and have enjoyed many times over the years. A nice blend of Trick-era Genesis, middle period Rush and some Kansas.
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  12. #12
    Member since March 2004 mozo-pg's Avatar
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    This came up on my shuffle last night - what an abonimation!! I'll have to check out the full album.

  13. #13
    Member Digital_Man's Avatar
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    Since Poet Liar was mentioned earlier here you go:

    Do not suffer through the game of chance that plays....always doors to lock away your dreams (To Be Over)

  14. #14
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    Always found this one to be an easy listen. I remember speaking with the vocalist at NF and him telling about how he got into the band. I believe their vocalist before him was tragically killed in a car wreck I think. Good album.

  15. #15
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    I think we had a thread about this album about 6 months ago (I may have even started it), so I have posted this before, but here goes again. This is one of my favorite albums from the 90’s. I still have a very vivid of these guys opening up ProgDay 98 on Saturday morning and totally blowing me away. Although album is not that much different than other neo-prog from the same era, there is something about this one that sets it apart. The songwriting is excellent, instrumentally it is very tight, and the vocals are the perfect accompaniment to the music. I believe the last show they ever did was the Saturday night of ProgDay in the early 2000’s (I don’t remember the year) when they played the Cat’s Cradle as an independent show. The keyboard player had just quit, so they had a sub, and about half their set was covers, but it was still really cool. They keyboard player was the main (only?) writer in the band, so once he left it was pretty much over. I really enjoyed their NEARfest set as well.

    Their second album “Curtains” was not nearly as good. It always seemed unfinished to me. The album has its moments, but is not nearly as strong as “Tall Tales” IMO.

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