Is this the worst "prog" album ever?
Lightyears from Geoff Manns band.
Sounds like a bad copy of Duran Duran or something only worse.
Trying to be commersial?But who would buy this?
Is this the worst "prog" album ever?
Lightyears from Geoff Manns band.
Sounds like a bad copy of Duran Duran or something only worse.
Trying to be commersial?But who would buy this?
I should listen to it again, but I don't think it is that bad, with stuff like Take a look and Blondon fair.
Yes, it's lightyears away from Geoff Mann's version of Twelfth Night, but for me that doesn't influence the joy I have listening to these new sounds. More progressive rockbands incorporated synthesizer-pop into their composition (remember It Bites and Saga). Take A Look is indeed a strong song, but I like the whole album. The second track Renate mentions is a bonus-track on the 2005-edition CD, which doesn't appear on the original LP.
Trust me, there's worse...much worse.Originally Posted by yes123
But yeah, it was light years from the excellent Live at the Target, Smiling at Grief, Fact and Fiction and Live and Let Live.
It was a let down for sure although I was so invested in TN at the time I played the hell out of it. Now years later though, I have sold my original vinyl copy and never want to hear it again. There's the full story in Andrew Wilding's 'Play On' biography, basically the band took a wrong turn and wish they hadn't signed with Virgin. They spent way too much time and money recording the album which ended up far removed from the original intention, instead of a modern prog band they ended up sounding like Simple Minds or yes, maybe even a bit Duran Duran! If you can pick up a copy of the Art & Illusion 2CD Definitive Edition you can piece together something that is perhaps closer to the album they should have made with the earlier versions of Blue Powder Monkey and Take A Look. I loved that band so much and it was such a shame they just fizzled out after that album when Virgin dropped them.
Blondon Fair was by the way an old song from the time with Geoff. It simply had very different sets of lyrics over the time and was known
as "Deep in the Heartland" before.
Blondon Fair was originally a song called Not On The Map that they first played in the summer of 83 with Geoff on vocals, Brian Devoil later confirmed that to me. As for Deep In The Heartland I only remember that being played when Geoff was in the band but I could be wrong..40 years next year...
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I know "Art & Illusion" was written before Geoff left, but I thought "Blondon Fair" and "Deep in the Heartland" (included in the 2001 reissue of Collector's Item) were different songs. The latter is much shorter, and its original title was "Not on the Map."
Yeah, DitH and BF don't sound similar to me. "Blondon Fair" was the B-Side of the "Take A Look" single.
Listening to it right now and yes, it's really a step down, which doesn't take away my love for Take a look and Blondon fair. According to the booklet in my version of Collectors item, Blondon fair started as Deep in the heartland, slowed down and became Not on the map and with different lyrics it became Blondon fair.
Thanks, Renate.I know there's something about them in the CI booklet but it's not handy.
I loved Blue Powder Monkey and Take A Look from that album, so it was nowhere near the worst album ever released to these ears.
I review and blog at www.lazland.org
They went in the wrong direction but still the album is not terrible, just not what it could have been.
They made a DVD with Andy Sears in 1984, which I think is pretty good.
Yes I have that on video tape since it was released. Andy was a great frontman.
Though the looks of Clive Mitten?
If you remember him with his Punk-Wave hair you hardly recognise him now (see the 2019 live video) :-)
And no make-up.
But well, I look much different now than in the 80s as well.
He got tips from Limahl of Kajagoogoo.
And probably his sister. (If he has one)
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