It's all about the dynamic effect in suspensions of disbelief.
Seen as simply examples of "cloning" they're both enjoyable. But seen as actual efforts of progressive rock they're quite possibly amongst the most preposterous albums I've yet to hear.
It's all about the dynamic effect in suspensions of disbelief.
Seen as simply examples of "cloning" they're both enjoyable. But seen as actual efforts of progressive rock they're quite possibly amongst the most preposterous albums I've yet to hear.
"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
^^^ Wow. Dane really has a superhuman set of pipes and he's not a shabby guitarist either. This performance actually raises my impression of them by a few notches, relative to the studio album clips in the OP. Very good live act.
An article on Cedric Sharpley: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/o...y-7583999.html
Member since Wednesday 09.09.09
Yes. And the ProgArchives review "analysis of their music shows only fleeting similarities" is a complete credibility-killer.Originally Posted by Mister Triscuits
But Bill G likes it, so it can't be all bad. Maybe it's best to think of it as a thumb in the eye for those who want to hijack "progressive" to mean "completely unlike famous Yes albums."
Inspired me to listen to Garden Shed again, anyway. Update: nah, I still hate it.
Last edited by Tom; 04-18-2018 at 11:21 PM.
... “there’s a million ways to learn” (which there are, by the way), but ironically, there’s a million things to eat, I’m just not sure I want to eat them all. -- Jeff Berlin
Druid is to prog, what plain white bread is to toast...!
Yes, Tom - Yes!
Please activate that reservoir of intimate knowledge to elaborate on how those hijackers operate, and not least on how they're -axiomatically- wrong. If anyone has proven to possess the Resource and the Power, it's you.
"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
The Mantovani version of YES.
His voice sounds different than he looks.
I'm not sure if you're being facetious or not, but admittedly I like it, but if I owned it, don't know if I'd play it. The opening song was actually the one I remember thinking quite nice. Once the vocals come in. At least Starcastle had a different overall feel, at least to me, of space. Almost like a spacerock version of a more simplified Yes. I don't dislike them either, or didn't back in the day. Don't know what I'd think today. I'm in the camp that didn't quite warm up to Moth Vellum for some reason. England has influences other than Yes, so never thought of them as a Yes clone by any stretch. As to purposeful Yes clonage, I personally found Glass Hammer's 'If' to be excellent, particularly the long final track. That's still my favorite GH album.
Last edited by bill g; 04-19-2018 at 04:54 PM.
I'm not being facetious; it's not my way. I've long admired your recommendations.
... “there’s a million ways to learn” (which there are, by the way), but ironically, there’s a million things to eat, I’m just not sure I want to eat them all. -- Jeff Berlin
You forgot the Glory.
... “there’s a million ways to learn” (which there are, by the way), but ironically, there’s a million things to eat, I’m just not sure I want to eat them all. -- Jeff Berlin
Ha, ha, ha, Tom - yes! Yes, Tom! Ha, ha!
You know, Tom, I've got this idea about forming a really, really interesting band called The Speaking Skulls! We're into playing this kinda truly creative music once also played by a band with a name a bit like ours, and the idea is to become as similar to them as absolutely possible! We'll merge some minimalism, New wave Afro-pop, post-punk and some arty antics, with a female bass player and me sorta weirdo gesticulating in front of the stage; damn, our first single will be called "Maniac Murderer"! But just because we're as purportedly identical to those earlier fellas'n'gals, doesn't in -any- way imply that we're anything but highly creative, 'cause that's what THEY were - and we're exactly like them! So we're equally creative!! Or possibly even doubly so! I mean, cummon, "creative" wouldn't have to mean that we actually create anything - we simply make it appear and sound like someone who indeed did! What wonderful logic; I mean, seriously - it'll be hard-fetched for anyone to come and hijack that!
BTW, I gotta go listen to some Bruford now. The drummer there was once in King Crimson, the final and defining entity of progression in rock music. Anything beyond there is mere avant, which we don't vant or obviously can't understant.
"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
I love it and loathe it at the same time. If I was lobotomized, I would surely be seduced by the beautiful melodies, the Rickenbacker sound, the keys. But I mean, come on: tympani and mellotrons? The vocals? The guy is pronouncing the words in the exact same way glorious Jon Bon does.
Maybe I am wrong but I think that from all the big bands Yes did not greatly influence other artists the way KC or ELp did. Their effect was somehow exhausted in clones. It shows that they created a road that only they could walk, supported by the incredible individual talent they possessed (or were possessed from).
The line between original and idiosyncratic is a pretty fine one. But you can easily adapt to someone else's idiosyncrasy - i.e. its features, traits and components - without even beginning to grasp that which makes it original and thereby creative. The greatness of those "Big 5/6/11" progressive artists lay in their creative originality, though some of them were also highly idiosyncratic; Yes and Tull in particular. And they all had their string of copycats, some even forming and coming to underground prominence this past decade.
But again there's often that rather crucial lack of comprehension as concerns not only semantics and the meaning of language, but the very importance of that meaning. Take the word "inspiration", for instance; it does not imply an influence from given source or print but precisely the opposite - an acute momentum of pure tabula rasa creativity. Thus, dress up in facial paint and wear a flowerpot-hairdo, fart out allegedly "symbolic" lyrics with a raspy voice to theatrical, keys-based rock music with lots of arpeggios embracing an "orchestral" veneer - you're still not "inspired" by Genesis. What you're doing is actually something else.
Renowned names will always attract their counterfeiters. Yes had them, as did Genesis, KC, ELP, Tull, Floyd, even quirky combos like GGiant and VdGG. But the parameter of judgement reduces itself to estimates of relativity as to whether that exact task is well carried out or not. Ergo it's not the same artistic or musical motive which inspired the original artist, although this doesn't say that it can't be enjoyed all the same.
"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
Pretty much sums it up, doesn't it?
On the one hand, the OGWT performance demonstrates that these guys could compose and perform a highly competent piece o' prog. On the other hand, the whole spectacle does make one pine for the Sex Pistols.
My thought exactly.
Ok, this is driving me nuts. Did they mean for the cover to look like a parrot if you squint?
I listened to it - it's nice, but it's too gentle and badly-produced. "Toward the Sun," besides the "Remembering" swipe, is mostly a meandering melody over a I-IV progression. It kept making me think of "Who Knows Where The Time Goes." I mean, it's not unlistenable, but it doesn't grab me.
"Arf." -- Frank Zappa, "Beauty Knows No Pain" (live version)
Now I'll never be able to un-see that!
Hurtleturtled Out of Heaven - an electronic music composition, on CD and vinyl
https://michaelpdawson.bandcamp.com
http://www.waysidemusic.com/Music-Pr...MCD-spc-7.aspx
Boring and utterly unoriginal.
My progressive music site: https://pienemmatpurot.com/ Reviews in English: https://pienemmatpurot.com/in-english/
I have the 2CD version of this that came out a few years ago (Along with reissues by Clouds and Gracious!) and just thought it was OK.
I thought the same for a lot of the more obscure 'prog' groups that did an album or two - decent enough, but lacking originality or a unique sound.
They reformed a few years back as 'Tinderfish' without the singer and released an album.
One of their members (Andrew McCrorie Shand) is related to a famous Scottish musician and also did the Teletubbies theme tune!
When the album cover is a small thumbnail, it really does look like a large parrot-head in the horizon. LOLx2!Now I'll never be able to un-see that!
Note - the band’s name should be “Speaking Skulls”. Ditch the “The” or else David Byrne might throw a fit.
Ah, but that's the whole point. To keep him fit through the shakes.
"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
Hey, a kindred spirit!! 😎
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