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Thread: echolyn

  1. #26
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    For me, it's a toss-up between The End Is Beautiful and Mei . Both are fantastic, for different reasons: The End Is Beautiful is their best collection of individual songs, and Mei their best extended work. I found "The Window Album" disappointing, though - the songs on it were too similar in mood, construction, and tempo, didn't take enough chances, and it seemed as if they were trying to emulate the typical mainstream record, which makes "focus" a virtue and consists of twelve versions of the same song. I Heard You Listening was a partial return to form, though.

  2. #27
    Interesting. The "Window" album might be my favorite album of theirs (and I honestly don't understand how you could think the songs on it are all too similar......just really don't get that at all). I like them all to varying degrees, but like some others here, I've never been able to get in to Mei very much. I pull it out every couple years and try to focus and listen intently all the way through, but it just never holds me attention for some reason. The End Is Beautiful on the other hand, is a masterpiece and was my favorite of their latter works before the "Window" album came out.

    The early stuff is almost a different band to me, but I love those albums as well. I think I do prefer the more mature Echolyn over all though, but maybe that's because I'm pretty close in age to those guys.

  3. #28
    facetious maximus Yves's Avatar
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    The End Is Beautiful will always be the most personal album for me. I was living that song when the album came out.
    "Corn Flakes pissed in. You ranted. Mission accomplished. Thread closed."

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  4. #29
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    yikes, sorry to hear that

    kind of amused how the band gradually went from "Create a mood indeed, set a tone or make a moment!" to "What a wasted life, fuckin' kill me now" over the course of 8 albums
    Critter Jams "album of the week" blog: http://critterjams.wordpress.com

  5. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by JAMOOL View Post
    yikes, sorry to hear that

    kind of amused how the band gradually went from "Create a mood indeed, set a tone or make a moment!" to "What a wasted life, fuckin' kill me now" over the course of 8 albums
    From what I understand, things weren't easy for Ray during that period - he had health problems, marriage problems, and other troubles, and those came out in his lyrics. Some of the words might have also had to do with people he met, rather than his own life directly. And I wouldn't be surprised if both he and Brett listen to a lot of classic country and singer-songwriter music, as a matter of studying their craft - those genres generally have the best lyrics. Quite a few of the songs from those are about heartbreak, alcoholism, and dead-end lives, so maybe he was echoing what they'd heard.

  6. #31
    NEARfest Officer Emeritus Nearfest2's Avatar
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    The "fucking kill me now" lyric is indeed personal to Ray, but it's not about him. He worked at an old folks' home and there was one old man that didn't want to take his medication and was very belligerent. This lyric essentially came from the man's interactions with his nurses.
    Chad

  7. #32
    Quote Originally Posted by SteveSly View Post
    "Cowboy Poems" may be my favorite album from them. I find it totally unique Americana Prog, not something you find much of out there.
    This is my fave too.

    You'll want to check out The American Standard by Dreadnaught, as that's vaguely up a stream which resembles but somehow goes its very own way as well.
    "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

  8. #33
    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    This is my fave too.

    You'll want to check out The American Standard by Dreadnaught, as that's vaguely up a stream which resembles but somehow goes its very own way as well.
    Cool, man. Thanks for the tip! I'm checking it out now.

  9. #34
    Member progholio's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by aith01 View Post
    Cool, man. Thanks for the tip! I'm checking it out now.
    Not to derail too much but while you're at it check out Hard Chargin' too, that one's a corker.

  10. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor View Post
    This is my fave too.

    You'll want to check out The American Standard by Dreadnaught, as that's vaguely up a stream which resembles but somehow goes its very own way as well.
    I am a big fan of "American Standard" as well. Fantastic album.

  11. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nearfest2 View Post
    The "fucking kill me now" lyric is indeed personal to Ray, but it's not about him. He worked at an old folks' home and there was one old man that didn't want to take his medication and was very belligerent. This lyric essentially came from the man's interactions with his nurses.
    which reminds me...I think my favorite Echolyn lyric is "the mail came late again today" on "Entry 11.19.93". I don't know why but man, he really sells that line. Kind of a depressing song now that I think about it.
    Critter Jams "album of the week" blog: http://critterjams.wordpress.com

  12. #37
    Cowboy Poems makes for a very interesting and pleasant listening. As others point out, it sounds like a band expanding and modernizing the "progressive concept" than just reproducing the old ways. Which is a hard and demanding task.

  13. #38
    Quote Originally Posted by progholio View Post
    Not to derail too much but while you're at it check out Hard Chargin' too, that one's a corker.
    I love this. A criminally underrated band/record.

  14. #39
    Quote Originally Posted by JAMOOL View Post
    which reminds me...I think my favorite Echolyn lyric is "the mail came late again today" on "Entry 11.19.93". I don't know why but man, he really sells that line. Kind of a depressing song now that I think about it.
    There are few and far in-between the vocalists that can sell a heart wrenching line like Weston. He can go from gut wrenching angst to tear jerking sweet in a single line...One of my all time favorite vocalists.
    All strictly my own view of course...

  15. #40
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    Here's an End is Beautiful era rendition of "Entry 11.19.93". Such an evocative song in a much earthier arrangement.

    What a great live band. Too bad they only rarely get to go out!

  16. #41
    Quote Originally Posted by gpeccary View Post
    There are few and far in-between the vocalists that can sell a heart wrenching line like Weston. He can go from gut wrenching angst to tear jerking sweet in a single line...One of my all time favorite vocalists.
    All strictly my own view of course...
    Nope! Not strictly your own. ❤️

  17. #42
    Member bigjohnwayne's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Amy View Post
    Nope! Not strictly your own. ❤️
    He's one of my favorites too.

    Whether he is harmonizing on "A Habit Worth Forming" or shredding his cords on the "Pride" section of Mei, I love his vocals. I even love the naive stuff off the first record like "Peace in Time" and "Breath of Fresh Air".

  18. #43
    Ray Weston really came into his own as a vocalist between As The World and Cowboy Poems Free, IMO. He's inimitable.

  19. #44
    Ray wears his heart on his sleeve through his lyrics and voice, and evokes such strong emotion - indeed, that is a huge part of his appeal. As an aside (honestly, I didn’t set a goal to advertise) - Ray and Brett will be appearing at the NJProghouse on June 15th. They haven’t played together in quite awhile now. That I’m looking forward to seeing them is understatement of grand proportions. I’d love it if they did more gigs! :-)
    Last edited by Amy; 05-08-2019 at 08:32 PM.

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