Best Moments from Dave Stewart?

[battema]

Tony Banks, Schmony Banks. We all know those albums by heart. Maybe we can start a debate on whether the Lamb should've been a single album instead of a double, 'cause that never comes up ever

How about going slightly past the lowest-hanging fruit and talking about someone whom I personally consider one of the finest keyboardists of the 70's?

I'm younger(ish) so I actually came to DS by way of Stewart/Gaskin. But, I've gradually worked my way backwards in the years since and am amazed at his creativity. And I've always appreciated/respected his assertion that a few well-placed notes trumps a zillion notes crammed into the same timeframe.

A few personal faves (again, reflecting my backwards view):

• Bed of Leaves (Steward/Gaskin, Green & Blue - the chord progression on this just nails a certain wistful atmosphere perfectly)
• Land's End (Bruford, Gradually Going Tornado)
• Tenemos Roads (National Health)
• Enneagram (Egg - Civil Surface)

Bonus oddity...there's a killer version of "The Lethargy Shuffle" that was included on a Korg O1/W demo disc (also included tunes from Jobson, Emerson, Downes, Froese and others). I like the version from Missing Pieces but this version with that early 90's digital synth sound it just ups the silliness of the tune to wonderful level.

Other fans?

[Steve F.]

Long Piece No. 3 - part 4 [Egg]

Enneagram [Egg]

The Yes No Interlude [H&TN]

Mumps [H&TN] - starting at the point when the vocals end at 6:25 - [count to 10 fairly fast - then count 3 at twice the speed, count to 12 fairly fast - then count to 3 at twice the speed, while playing an amazing solo and not losing the feel, even though it's a really, really hard rhythm to 'feel']

[Steve F.]

AND ALSO:

The Callapso [NH] - just for the Hammond tone

[Skeptrick]

Big fan here, probably my favorite keyboard player. I would say the opening solo from Dreams Wide Awake has always be a favorite. I also love some of the freaked out stuff on Arzachel like Metempsychosis. And both Hatfield albums.. And the liner notes in the National Health Complete set are some of the funniest I have ever read.

[happytheman]

Hatfield, National Health and Fish Rising (Steve Hillage) was where I came in with Dave.. He's in my top 5 keyboardist for sure.. Id say take your pick on any of his keyboard work with any of these albums and you can't go wrong..

[Zeuhlmate]

Splendid thread - about time !

Mumps
National Health: Everything...
Steve Hillage - "Solar Musick Suite"
Phil Miller - Split seconds https://youtu.be/__ZgHzH2-PQ?t=4m51s

[Supersonic Scientist]

Don't forget: Khan - Space Shanty

One of my personal favorites

Also loved his (short-lived) column in Keyboard mag....VERY funny (and informative) stuff in those columns.

[Sean]

His solo on Missonary Man was pretty epic!

[spellbound]

I never really saw Stewart as a singles artist. Or, I haven't picked favorite songs at any rate, but maybe that's just me. I like every album he has been on, and I agree, he is one of the greatest keyboard players in all of music. By coincidence with the timing of this thread, I just found and bought the Stewart/Gaskin Spin album and got to hear it for the first time. I seem to be going in the opposite direction, from Dave's early work to his more recent. But I'm older(ish). Stewart is a joy to listen to.

[Sputnik]

Finding great DS moments is like shooting fish in a barrel, he is rarely anything short of awesome. Off the top of my head, some of my particular favorites include:

Bryden Two-Step
The much mentioned Ennegram
Visit to Newport Hospital
Mumps
Share it (love the synth playing)
Clocks & Clouds

I could be here all day.

Bill

[battema]

Don't forget: Khan - Space Shanty

One of my personal favorites

You know, I've got this one and it just hasn't connected with me! Never too late to give it another go though...

Awkwardly enough, when I threw this thread together I totally forgot about Hatfield...the first album was my intro to the 70's DS when I found a used copy at a record show eons ago. I like those albums, but often find myself reaching for the National Health ones instead when I get the itch. I definitely need to give them a bit more love sometime soon.

One thing that always really thrilled me with his stuff was his sense of harmony and chord progressions. Especially in the 80's when Stewart/Gaskin emerged and the songs took on more of a pop format, even then his sense of chord voicings thrills me. There were sometimes transcriptions in his Keyboard magazine column and it was such fun to break them apart and understand how/why they worked.

Also...for those who read/remember Keyboard mag...I'll always love him for Eric McWhirter too http://www.davebarb.com/dsbgeric.html

[battema]

His solo on Missonary Man was pretty epic!

YOU HAD TO GO THERE

[Sean]

Clipboard01.jpg

[Sean]

AND ALSO:

The Callapso [NH] - just for the Hammond tone

This!^^^

[walt]

All of the above.A couple of my own fave DS moments/solos/ideas:

Halfway Between Heaven and Hell(Rotters Club)-his solo about 5 minutes in.Monster stuff.
Lobster In Cleavage Probe(Hatfield s/t)-about a minute 50 seconds in;the overlapping parts,the whole feel of the passage, DS electric piano and organ;sublime
Space Shanty-Stargazers-his solo about 4:07 in.So fantastic i wish it went on for another five minutes.

[Steve983]

Did he play on Steve Hillage's The Fire Inside (from Open) or was that another Dave Stewart? The Moog on that song is outstanding.

[walt]

Oh hell, gotta include this solo-1:30 into Gigantic Land Crabs In Earth Takeover Bid(Hatfield s/t).Beyond category.

[NogbadTheBad]

Mumps
Clocks & Clouds
Visit to Newport Hospital
Long Piece No. 3 - part 4
Tenemos Road

[Dave (in MA)]

His high points were his World Series MVP, two-time ALCS MVP and throwing a no-hitter.
His low point was getting arrested for soliciting a tranny pross.

YOU HAD TO GO THERE

[Paulrus]

I discovered him via H&TN, but when I heard this the deal was sealed.

[nosebone]

My first Stewart was Bruford - One of a Kind ,and its still my favorite.

FWIW, everything he did in the 70s was top shelf .

[chalkpie]

Mumps [H&TN] - starting at the point when the vocals end at 6:25 - [count to 10 fairly fast - then count 3 at twice the speed, count to 12 fairly fast - then count to 3 at twice the speed, while playing an amazing solo and not losing the feel, even though it's a really, really hard rhythm to 'feel']

"Mumps" is my "Close to the Edge", and that section you're describing is one of my favorite moments in all of music. That is not hyperbole.

I figured out the counting one night, and Aymeric told me it was 'right' because the lads apparently named it the "23/27 section" (or something like that)....

Counted:

3/8, 3/8, 3/8, 5/16
3/8, 3/8, 3/8, 3/8, 3/16

So if you are subdividing the whole thing in 16th notes, that's where you get those numbers. In other words, the top line is actually 23/16 and the bottom line is 27/16. Its beyond sick anyway you look at it. Not to mention the unbelievable solo played by DS (as Steve mentioned), but the bass line interacting with Pip WITH Phil comping the coolest-ass shit you'll hear this side of Kent makes this section just, well you know. There is a reason that The Rotters Club is just about my favorite album of all time, and this is part of the reason.

Great thread Batts!

[Sunlight Caller]

The Rotters Club was my first encounter, back when it was released, I had to back track to earlier delights.

The sheer range of tracks quoted above shows how hard it is to choose a handful of favourites. The Man is truly deserving of one of those Prog God awards, but is probably too left field to be so honoured.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Steve F.]

3/8, 3/8, 3/8, 5/16
3/8, 3/8, 3/8, 3/8, 3/16

Yeah, that works too. Not sure that's any easier, but that may be because I've been doing the

10/8, 3/16
12/8, 3/16

version for decades.

[Steve F.]

...and that section you're describing is one of my favorite moments in all of music. That is not hyperbole.

I concur.

moi aussi.