Stickmen - Deep

[Crystal Plumage]

Tony Levin's little project. Do some of already you have this new album? How is it?
I'm going to their gig this sunday and I might pick it up. Curious to know what I can expect (Okay, I sorta know what to expect.. didn't buy tickets for nothing )

[polmico]

Ach! I forgot about this. I have to pick it up.

I do have their last album, Open. Based on a thread I started when I picked it up last spring, it's the less popular than getting kicked in the nuts. Anyway, I recommend it.

[polmico]

Tony Levin's little project.

Little point of contention. I'd say this is as much Tuner (Reuter/Mastelotto) as it is Levin now. This is especially evident on Open.

[NogbadTheBad]

I need to pick the last two up, I've only got the first one so far. How do the next two compare?

[Crystal Plumage]

Little point of contention. I'd say this is as much Tuner (Reuter/Mastelotto) as it is Levin now. This is especially evident on Open.

Yeah, but I was too tired to write all the names

[anyhoodle]

Just a point of interest, the physical cd/dvd of Deep hasn't been released yet. Digital files of the cd have been made available to project backers. With the trio on tour, I'm not sure when the actual discs will be available.
That aside, I backed the project and have had the chance to listen several times. Overall I enjoy this disc. but I find it somewhat less compelling than say...Open. To me it doesn't seem cohesive, but overall I like it.
Based on the video of their recent Frankfort show http://liveweb.arte.tv/fr/video/stickmen_terrybozzio/, run... do not walk to an opportunity to see these guys live.

[Crystal Plumage]

Hopefully they have some at the gig.

[Haruspex Carnage]

IMO this band's work and Gunn's KTU are the only two acts carrying the Crimson torch...Belew and (arguably) Wilson while still good are ultimately just having a whole death by nostalgia thing i find.

[polmico]

IMO this band's work and Gunn's KTU are the only two acts carrying the Crimson torch

I'd argue that there's a Crimson genre out there now. Mastelotto, Gunn, Levin and Belew are obviously moving forward with Crim like music. Add in Reuter. Then there's non-Crim bands like Herd of Instinct that have very definite Crim touchstones.

[polmico]

Belew's side albums are all very good. So is e. They don't sound nostalgic to me. A nice blend of Crim angularity and Belew pop madness.

[NogbadTheBad]

I'd argue that there's a Crimson genre out there now. Mastelotto, Gunn, Levin and Belew are obviously moving forward with Crim like music. Add in Reuter. Then there's non-Crim bands like Herd of Instinct that have very definite Crim touchstones.

Yup I pretty much feel the same way

[Haruspex Carnage]

Belew's side albums are all very good. So is e. They don't sound nostalgic to me. A nice blend of Crim angularity and Belew pop madness.

Honestly i haven't made it through all of e...i end up with a splitting headache (it's a bit TOO repetitive for me)...and a lot of it has echoes of other Crim songs...ones i remember off hand were CoL and Red.

[polmico]

I went searching for a place to order this. I guess it's not available yet?

[polmico]

Honestly i haven't made it through all of e...i end up with a splitting headache (it's a bit TOO repetitive for me)...and a lot of it has echoes of other Crim songs...ones i remember off hand were CoL and Red.

Trio version of orchestra version? e with Orchestra outclasses, in every way (besides no Julie Slick!) the original trio version of the piece. Awesome stuff and more than a little Zappa-y.

[spknoevl]

Have to agree that Levin, Mastellotto and Gunn in their various incarnations, groupings and side projects continue to carry the Crimson torch forward boldly into the 21st century.

[Polska]

I went searching for a place to order this. I guess it's not available yet?

You may still be able to order from their pledge page, even though the goal was reached. You can take a look HERE.

I'm really enjoying this release. Better than the last, which I also liked, but was more along the lines of the Tuner projects. This one is more like what they were doing on "Soup".

...Just received an update because I had pledged the project and the official release is going to be in February.

[polmico]

...Just received an update because I had pledged the project and the official release is going to be in February.

Rats. Guess I'm waiting b/c the pledge page no longer orders anything.

Should've pledged.

Oh well.

[Crystal Plumage]

So what do you guys think? Have you bought it yet?
The gig was great and the CD is too!

[Kcrimso]

This is really good album. I think it is the best Stick Men album so far.

[NogbadTheBad]

Still need to buy this.

[It's only me!]

Received an email yesterday from Pledge that my Deluxe CD/DVD Edition copy is on it´s way to me.

[Spiral]

They're taking orders at Papabear.

http://www.papabear.com/store/store.html

How do the next two compare?

I suppose you mean the next three?

I for one say they've gotten better every time. Soup was basically a continuation of Tony's solo album with more ProjeKcty group interplay at work.... mostly familiar, mostly solid and showing some potential (and a good way to break in the new band). As much as I like it, I feel Markus made a much better fit than Michael; he has more of a Crimson sensibility to go with that forward-thinking edge. Absalom was a good step forward--nice and eclectic even in EP size, a shade heavier, better produced and the vocal numbers (always their weak spot) are a little more solid. Open probably shouldn't be judged as a 'proper' album since it was based all around improvs, but I love it too and it explores that side very nicely. It's more groovy, less heavy, with a little more than the usual proportion of abstract noisy jams, but a good grower.

Deep is my favorite, though. It shows that whole range better than any of the previous discs, the engineering is superb, the grooves kick more and the quiet parts are as pretty as ever, and there's only one song with words (which I think is their strongest). To me it seems like the ideal culmination of what they've been doing from the start.

[polmico]

Open is still my favorite. It sounds more like a chaotic, groovy Tuner improv album than a Stick Men album, so I guess I like chaotic, groovy Tuner improvs more than Stick Men compositions.

But I'll agree that this is the culmination of what the original trio began with Soup.

Shit, it's just really nice to hear Mastelotto playing on an album. It seems like he hasn't been doing too much lately. I'd love to hear another TU (or, even better, KTU) album in the future.

Oh. And here's something: Tony Levin is 67.

[Kcrimso]

Shit, it's just really nice to hear Mastelotto playing on an album. It seems like he hasn't been doing too much lately.

Hopefully you didn't miss the latest Naked Truth album "Ourobouros". Great stuff and brilliant playing by Mastelotto.

[Hobo Chang Ba]

I just ordered this. Looking forward to it. I quite enjoyed Soup and would love to see that style developed (which based on comments above sounds like it has).