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Thread: Fall in Love With the World - United Progressive Fraternity

  1. #1
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    Fall in Love With the World - United Progressive Fraternity

    The reincarnation of Unitopia with performances by Jon Anderson, Steve Hackett, Steve Uruh (on violin). So far after my first listen I am very pleased with this recording. This recording is progressive on both a music and message level. Perhaps one of the best message concept progressive albums. What do you think?

  2. #2
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
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    It's a really nice album; "Choices" and "Intersection" are solid songs, the title track is a nice sweet Beatly thing, and the "Traveling Man" epic has some nice sections, reprising earlier songs tastefully. It really is just Unitopia with more world music influences; I wonder why they couldn't have just used the name.
    "Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)

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    Great album. Mark and I gave it Album of the year on our recent Music in Widescreen Awards show.
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    Member rickawakeman's Avatar
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    I loved Unitopia and find this to be equally satisfying. Definitely on my list of '14 faves (to which I've just added Nick Magnus' N'Monix, late as always to the party).

  5. #5
    yeah it also made my top 10, but i think unitopias 2 latest albums was even better ,but a good album it is

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by ThomasKDye View Post
    It really is just Unitopia with more world music influences; I wonder why they couldn't have just used the name.
    Unitopia is Trueack and Timms and the two have, at least for now, split: UPF is Trueack's band. They agreed to split a set of Unitopia demos, thus Timms gets co-writing credits on Fall in Love..., but he's not in the group and is working on his own project.

    I like the album. For an album that has Jon Anderson's name slapped on the front, there's very little actual performance by Anderson, just backing vocals on "Water", although I think they use what little Anderson vocal they have very well, as a contrast to other parts of the song. And you do get two versions of "Water" on the Digipak edition. I think Anderson/Yes fans will still like the album: beyond Anderson's brief appearance, Trueack's lyrics and melodies are quite Andersonic/Yessy in parts.

    More generally, it's a catchy album, but with some interesting arrangements. I look forward to UPF's next project, including further guest appearances.

    Henry
    Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
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  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Firth View Post
    This recording is progressive on both a music and message level.
    For real?

    Incredible.
    "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 interbellum's Avatar
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    This article gives some information about the feelings about the split.

    B.t.w. the only album from Unitopia I have is More Than A Dream. The albums after that didn't move me, because they lost their own style, in my ears anyway.

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    Quote Originally Posted by bondegezou View Post
    Unitopia is Trueack and Timms and the two have, at least for now, split: UPF is Trueack's band. They agreed to split a set of Unitopia demos, thus Timms gets co-writing credits on Fall in Love..., but he's not in the group and is working on his own project.

    I like the album. For an album that has Jon Anderson's name slapped on the front, there's very little actual performance by Anderson, just backing vocals on "Water", although I think they use what little Anderson vocal they have very well, as a contrast to other parts of the song. And you do get two versions of "Water" on the Digipak edition. I think Anderson/Yes fans will still like the album: beyond Anderson's brief appearance, Trueack's lyrics and melodies are quite Andersonic/Yessy in parts.

    More generally, it's a catchy album, but with some interesting arrangements. I look forward to UPF's next project, including further guest appearances.

    Henry
    IMO, not having an JA vocal now is a plus. JA smoked cigarettes for too many years, like Judy Collins. Difference is that JC recognized the issue and had vocal chord surgery which made her voice even more angelic than when she was younger.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    For real?

    Incredible.
    I haven't done the research this guy did in his review, but I like this:
    Quite nice to hear some very familiar musicians (and guest musicians)
    on a wonderful tribute (and warning) to our planet Earth and human beings.

    The highlight of this musical compilation (for myself, at least) is the piece entitled:
    "Travelling Man (The Story of Eshu)", which clocks in at 21:42 minutes.

    "Eshu (known as Echú or Exú in Latin America) is an Orisha. He is the orisha of roads, particularly crossroads, the orisha with the power over fortune and misfortune, and the personification of death; he is a psychopomp.

    Eshu is the spirit of Chaos and Trickery, and plays frequently by leading mortals to temptation and possible tribulation in the hopes that the experience will lead ultimately to their maturation. In this way he is certainly a difficult teacher, but in the end is usually found to be a good one."

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eshu

    There are some serious lessons to be gleaned from the words in this prog-rock album that should not go unheeded.

    The lessons are "easier" to absorb and contemplate upon, thanks to the craft and execution from these fine musicians.

    5 stars for the music,
    and especially:
    the message to ALL mankind.

  11. #11
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by interbellum View Post
    This article gives some information about the feelings about the split.
    Oooookay. Wow. Didn't know it was that acrimonious. Okay, maybe Trueack would never get the Unitopia name, but he definitely could have chosen a less "Billy Sherwood" band name, as a PE member said once.
    "Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by interbellum View Post
    This article gives some information about the feelings about the split.

    B.t.w. the only album from Unitopia I have is More Than A Dream. The albums after that didn't move me, because they lost their own style, in my ears anyway.
    very interesting read ,thanks for posting that

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    Quote Originally Posted by ThomasKDye View Post
    Oooookay. Wow. Didn't know it was that acrimonious. Okay, maybe Trueack would never get the Unitopia name, but he definitely could have chosen a less "Billy Sherwood" band name, as a PE member said once.
    Apparently, you don't get the name. First notice that the word Unit precedes the album cover designers name Ed Unitsky and Unitopia. So if you look on your iPod albums by Unitopia are preceded by United Progressive Fraternity. The rest of the name refers to the collective of artists other than former Unitopia folks.

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    Why you can't beleive what you read in Wiki:
    Unitopia released their third album Artificial in 2010. They also played at RosFest in May 2010, one of North America’s largest progressive rock festivals and Summer's End Festival, a premier progressive rock festival in England.



    Of course they didn't play ROSfest, anyone know why?

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by interbellum View Post
    This article gives some information about the feelings about the split.
    That's.... very interesting and, indeed, very different from what Trueack said to Prog. Thanks.

    Henry
    Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
    Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/

  16. #16
    ok so another band to have on my radar,sean timms southern empire

  17. #17
    If Sim Timms is right of why he left Unitopia - and that the wrote 90% of the music of UPF - then I'm really looking forward for the delivery of Southern Empire. Hope he finds a good singer or better than Trueack. Simms is a great keyboard player.

  18. #18
    Progdog ThomasKDye's Avatar
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    I'm looking forward to Southern Empire as well, though Trueack will be a hard act to follow. One thing I do sort of agree with Timms about is that I do miss the keys in UPF. I liked the keys in the Unitopia albums a lot.
    "Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)

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    Marklar Jimmy Giant's Avatar
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    Not sure why Unitopia canceled the ROSfest gig (late), but they left Iggy holding the bag with the airfare and I believe sent the whole festival into the red.
    From what I gather they were very unprofessional.
    The new material is ok but I've tired of the vocals. Really grates on me after a short while. Maybe it's a little too hot in the mix.
    I'll be interested to see what Southern Empire comes up with.
    JG

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  20. #20
    cover.jpg
    Australia, 2014.
    They brought and keep bringing a lot to the progressive rock scene, despite this crossover prog bandtag. Following a little change in the core, they replaced the name with another one more focused on unifying neo prog and symphonic prog, old school prog kings and famous pioneers. Unitopia's vol. 1 album created a vol. 2 mythic one that hasn't seen the light of day, which led PA to assume that the new bandname kinda explained the concept of releasing another volume.
    Whatever.
    This album unites a set of a superband tracks, with a >20’ #6 travelling man featuring an album medley à la Genesis towards the end. This is a decent mainstream progressive album, all tracks are real treats, with a couple of exceptions for purists, one of them being the eponym track. A fav one would be #4 The Water, featuring Jon Anderson, which creepy video clip put the climate catastrophe and the part of humanity to be blamed in numerous countries at first place. In 2014. Aussie acts often fight for right causes.

  21. #21
    I will say that this band has produced "grow on me" sorts of albums. On first listen it's always, "That's nice," but nothing is really sticking with me. Now that Planetary Overload, Pt. 2 is out, I went back to listen to Part 1 which initially I liked but didn't really click with me that much. It's grown on me. Through my third listen of it and now I flat out like it quite a bit. I was always a Southern Empire guy and UPF was that other group. Nah, I like this one too.
    Mongrel dog soils actor's feet

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    I like UPF when they are supported by Steve Unruh, a phenomenal multi-instrumentalist. As for the Enviro-activist role UPF has, that is a distractor because it’s complaining and there are totally feasible technical solutions which don’t get advocated by voices like that, because they aren’t part of a political agenda.

  23. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by Firth View Post
    I like UPF when they are supported by Steve Unruh, a phenomenal multi-instrumentalist. As for the Enviro-activist role UPF has, that is a distractor because it’s complaining and there are totally feasible technical solutions which don’t get advocated by voices like that, because they aren’t part of a political agenda.
    I just think the lyrics have an obvious sound to them rather than poetic.
    Mongrel dog soils actor's feet

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