Well Kev and Co.,
It's fairly quiet from the new sound front...(a pun?) But i do have a few new bands for you to look at. I just got back from DC yesterday; I was visiting a friend who happened to have two tickets to "The Fray"...a popular band that most of you old fogies probably don't know much about. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't!! There's a little talent there especially heard in two songs "cable car" and "how to save a life" the latter of which is the theme song to Grey's Anatomy...a show most of the readers will know VERY little about...and rightly so (you miss out on everything...even the bullets)!
Much to my surprise, however, in constitution hall that night hailing from England was a newer band known as the Feeling...think beatles with more metal and more mettle!...Okay so they don't have quite the reputation the beatles acquired, but the lead singer has more energy than a dog that chewed up a box of tripple threat power bars then downed his master's 6 pack of AMP. He jumped off a 6 foot amp while kicking the drummers symbol as he hit a power cord, a feat not performed in "The daughter's of the american revolution" ballroom since that night george W. got a lil angry at Bono. He plays guitar like a fiend live but is rather passive sounding on CD. Special songs include "never be lonely" and "Rose" pronounced "Rosé"...yes the wine...and i dunno anything about it! (it's delicious :) It is perhaps the best love song about an alcoholic beverage ever created...and yes i'm including irish songs...shiver.
But this is all not really in your listening realm, perhaps if you get an itunes music card as a gift for christmas or birthday check some of these songs out. Now for a CD actually worth its weight in silicon. "Catching without arms" by Dredg. If you can't find something on this album for you check your pulse. Number one on my long list of amicable tracks is "sangrial"...its a pretty pretty song, well sang rial well! Instrumentation, let's see, they remind me of an RPWL in their ability to find odd sounds that somehow never made it into music's mainstream. Where did they find someone to play that goofy indian instrument anyway!? The problems with this band include annoying filler material such as children laughing for 20 seconds and the like. The lead singer has a strange voice, but don't let that deter you from this band, it is good in its own way. It is still more normal than any of Peter Gabriel's pre-pubescent years (before someone finally kissed that frog and gave us good music! [may have been phil collins?? I'm sure one of you
knows!!])
But before I lose an uncle slandering some all time classics i feel i should tell you that Yes has made a return to my life here at the "greasy pole", my living quarters, as well as Jethro Tull; Furthermore, it wasn't I who let loose those two giants, but both of my roommates who performed that dirty deed for which i will be in there debt "tout le temps".
I think I'm starting to understand your "island music" selections, but don't for a minute think i'd CRASH THERE!
À bientôt,
Trevor
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Monday, October 30, 2006
Lez Zeppelin (Concert Review by Jeff)
I thought it might be somewhat interesting to give a review of shows seen. Although not necessarily of the Prog nature, as that would be difficult since we don't have the opportunity to see many Prog shows, but of anything that might be of interest.
Last night Oct 28, 2006, I had the opportunity to see Lez Zeppelin, an all female tribute band to the great Rock & Roll band Led Zeppelin. I was invited by a friend who had seen the band a year ago and said they were really pretty good. I had a tough time imagining anyone, much less a girl, playing guitar anything close to Jimmy Page. I imagined they could get a vocalist that, while no one can be Robert Plant, at least would have a strong voice. I also couldn't imagine a drummer strong enough to match Bonham. As far as the bassist/keyboard player goes (and yes I'm well aware the bass player normally drives the band), I didn't know Zeppelin even had one so what's to compare.
The stage was pretty simple with the drum set consisting of a bass drum, snare, one tom tom, a high hat, one cymbal and what looked like a gong. I thought this is going to be pretty simplistic. The band comes out and my attention is immediately drawn to the Robert Plant of the group. Hmmm, didn't look like Robert Plant. At least I don't remember him with long black hair and hot! Maybe some ladies did. The, just above the navel, shirt she was wearing together with the hip hugger jeans showed a mid section I only dream about. The Jimmy Page of the group was pretty thin with long brown hair that for the most part covered her face. I had to question if it was really a guy. Her fingers were pretty tiny so I went with the female impression. The drummer was a big lady that looked like she could handle the drum set, and any, or all of the Roadies for that matter. The bass player was definitely female. I was on the side of the stage in front of the guitarist and never really paid much attention to the bass player (I can hear Kev saying, "figures").
The first set started with Immigrant Song and ended with their version of Dazed and Confused, during which the guitarist played with a violin bow. That was something I hadn't seen before. The vocalist's voice was strong and feminine. Both the vocalist and guitarist dominated the stage, and in a good way. I suppose that's what you'd expect from Zeppelin. I was psyched to see the second set and they did not disappoint. It seemed to be two steps up from the first. It could have been their song choices, but they rocked and really seemed to enjoy what they were doing. The vocalist had command of both the stage and audience when she wanted and deferred to the musicians for moments to shine. The guitarist had more than I could even speak of. Page plays such a difficult guitar. I couldn't believe how good she was. They opened the second set with two acoustical songs. There's something more intimate about 4 ladies sitting down playing and singing Kashmir. I never saw Led Zeppelin, but I think I would prefer this version. When it was the drummer's turn to shine, the treat was of course, "Moby Dick". The drummer had what seemed like the longest drum solo I'd seen. At one point, she put the sticks away and played with her bare hands. It certainly sounded like there were more pieces to her set. She played with authority and was damn good!
I recognized every song, although I could not have put titles with some of them. Dazed and Confused, Rock & Roll, Kashmir, What Is and What Should Never Be, and Your Time is Gonna Come. What really surprised me was no Stairway to Heaven. I must admit, I was looking forward to following the chord progression of the guitarist, and when the drums come into the song, it certainly is one of the great Rock & Roll songs in history.
The band is from New York City and have been together for 3 years. There's mystery as to whether the Lez stands for lesbians. There is a following of lesbians, but the members are mum. The have a don't ask don't tell policy. If I had a vote, I'd say yes to the bass player, maybe to the guitar player, I hope not to the vocalist and I pity the partner to the drummer. On the other hand, I don't care, and neither did the audience. These chicks have something going. Lez Zeppelin starts a European tour soon and I can only imagine they'll do there what The Musical Box did in Canada. Unlike the recreation of a specific Genesis concert, which musically was more a re-creation of the studio albums along with acting out Peter Gabriel's exact movements and charades, Lez Zeppelin is a band that plays Led Zeppelin's music live. They put their own touch on things. I remember the first time I saw "The Musical Box", I was able to close my eyes and put myself back in the early 70's. It was a surreal experience. This was different. There was no way to close your eyes and believe you were listening to Led Zeppelin, at least not when the vocalist was singing.
If you ever liked Led Zeppelin, or could appreciate their music, it's worth the price of admission ($10.00) in my case. Enjoy the show!
Last night Oct 28, 2006, I had the opportunity to see Lez Zeppelin, an all female tribute band to the great Rock & Roll band Led Zeppelin. I was invited by a friend who had seen the band a year ago and said they were really pretty good. I had a tough time imagining anyone, much less a girl, playing guitar anything close to Jimmy Page. I imagined they could get a vocalist that, while no one can be Robert Plant, at least would have a strong voice. I also couldn't imagine a drummer strong enough to match Bonham. As far as the bassist/keyboard player goes (and yes I'm well aware the bass player normally drives the band), I didn't know Zeppelin even had one so what's to compare.
The stage was pretty simple with the drum set consisting of a bass drum, snare, one tom tom, a high hat, one cymbal and what looked like a gong. I thought this is going to be pretty simplistic. The band comes out and my attention is immediately drawn to the Robert Plant of the group. Hmmm, didn't look like Robert Plant. At least I don't remember him with long black hair and hot! Maybe some ladies did. The, just above the navel, shirt she was wearing together with the hip hugger jeans showed a mid section I only dream about. The Jimmy Page of the group was pretty thin with long brown hair that for the most part covered her face. I had to question if it was really a guy. Her fingers were pretty tiny so I went with the female impression. The drummer was a big lady that looked like she could handle the drum set, and any, or all of the Roadies for that matter. The bass player was definitely female. I was on the side of the stage in front of the guitarist and never really paid much attention to the bass player (I can hear Kev saying, "figures").
The first set started with Immigrant Song and ended with their version of Dazed and Confused, during which the guitarist played with a violin bow. That was something I hadn't seen before. The vocalist's voice was strong and feminine. Both the vocalist and guitarist dominated the stage, and in a good way. I suppose that's what you'd expect from Zeppelin. I was psyched to see the second set and they did not disappoint. It seemed to be two steps up from the first. It could have been their song choices, but they rocked and really seemed to enjoy what they were doing. The vocalist had command of both the stage and audience when she wanted and deferred to the musicians for moments to shine. The guitarist had more than I could even speak of. Page plays such a difficult guitar. I couldn't believe how good she was. They opened the second set with two acoustical songs. There's something more intimate about 4 ladies sitting down playing and singing Kashmir. I never saw Led Zeppelin, but I think I would prefer this version. When it was the drummer's turn to shine, the treat was of course, "Moby Dick". The drummer had what seemed like the longest drum solo I'd seen. At one point, she put the sticks away and played with her bare hands. It certainly sounded like there were more pieces to her set. She played with authority and was damn good!
I recognized every song, although I could not have put titles with some of them. Dazed and Confused, Rock & Roll, Kashmir, What Is and What Should Never Be, and Your Time is Gonna Come. What really surprised me was no Stairway to Heaven. I must admit, I was looking forward to following the chord progression of the guitarist, and when the drums come into the song, it certainly is one of the great Rock & Roll songs in history.
The band is from New York City and have been together for 3 years. There's mystery as to whether the Lez stands for lesbians. There is a following of lesbians, but the members are mum. The have a don't ask don't tell policy. If I had a vote, I'd say yes to the bass player, maybe to the guitar player, I hope not to the vocalist and I pity the partner to the drummer. On the other hand, I don't care, and neither did the audience. These chicks have something going. Lez Zeppelin starts a European tour soon and I can only imagine they'll do there what The Musical Box did in Canada. Unlike the recreation of a specific Genesis concert, which musically was more a re-creation of the studio albums along with acting out Peter Gabriel's exact movements and charades, Lez Zeppelin is a band that plays Led Zeppelin's music live. They put their own touch on things. I remember the first time I saw "The Musical Box", I was able to close my eyes and put myself back in the early 70's. It was a surreal experience. This was different. There was no way to close your eyes and believe you were listening to Led Zeppelin, at least not when the vocalist was singing.
If you ever liked Led Zeppelin, or could appreciate their music, it's worth the price of admission ($10.00) in my case. Enjoy the show!
Thursday, October 19, 2006
The Next Generation of Prog Ears
I notice that Trev has commented on a couple reviews now and that made me wonder what new bands he's discovered lately. Trev - maybe you could comment with a quick list of good new music you've been listening to. After all, you are helping to carry this prog torch for the next generation with an ear for the "new" sound...bands like OSI, Dead Soul Tribe, Pain of Salvation, Vanden Plas, and Opeth.
I know you don't have much spare time in college but maybe when you are procrastinating from some big Microeconomics cramming session you can jot down your discoveries and, if you're feeling really inspired, maybe even a quick review. Jim just sent me his review as a Word document and then I put it into a blog entry.
Anyway, it's good to see that other people are reading the blog. Feel free to pass on the web address to anyone you think might be interested. How 'bout big Dave D. (aka skilbarton)? The more people we can get involved with the blog the more interesting it will be.
I know you don't have much spare time in college but maybe when you are procrastinating from some big Microeconomics cramming session you can jot down your discoveries and, if you're feeling really inspired, maybe even a quick review. Jim just sent me his review as a Word document and then I put it into a blog entry.
Anyway, it's good to see that other people are reading the blog. Feel free to pass on the web address to anyone you think might be interested. How 'bout big Dave D. (aka skilbarton)? The more people we can get involved with the blog the more interesting it will be.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
RPWL - "World Through My Eyes" (Jim's Review)
(Warning: This review is written by a mere neophyte in the prog-sphere. Thus there will be no masterful comparisons with past artists and insightful placements in prog history so typical of my younger sib’s review. Instead, what you will get is relatively uneducated impressions, but hopefully ones that will help you appreciate what this band has to offer.)
Every now and then, you need to listen to a cd that is introspective, yet optimistic. Preaches love, kindness, openness and fulfillment, not anger, pain, sadness and angst. Then does it with the lush chords, the thematic harmony, and complexity of thought that goes into progressive music. Add LSD, and spice with Indian religious undertones, and you have RPWL’s latest effort ‘World Through My Eyes’. I have never visited Lucy in the Sky land myself, but somebody in this band must have, because this album revives the psychedelic ruminations that bubbled up through the music of Pink Floyd and the Beatles. Lyrics like “I am painting all your flowers, I'm the shadow of your dream, Who changed your opium to money, shiva calls your name, Why don't you sleep?” of the first track ‘Sleep’ or “Swimming inside nature, Diving through the flowers, Popping out at the bottom of the sea, In minutes that seem like hours” from the 5th track ‘Sea Nature’ give you the flavor. The lyrics are a trip, but to me the fun of this cd is the lush chords, often beginning with piano, adding acoustic guitar, background of drums, slowly building, building, transmogrifying with a twist into rapid warbling, spacey synth sounds and electric guitar until the neurons are all firing, and you turn the volume up until the endorphins are released, and you are completely lost, absorbed, every muscle is moving to the beat until the final concluding harmonies resolve, and fade…and fade… Could you tell I was writing that while listening to one of the tracks? Not a very scientific analysis for a scientist, huh? When you have songs like that, as you might expect, the cd grows on you with multiple listenings. I think the brain learns to anticipate the pleasure that is to come so that on second and third and tenth listenings, your brain turns on the endorphins earlier and earlier and you smile. It won’t be hard for Floyd-o-philes to gravitate to this album quickly. Floyd was probably the biggest influence in terms of style; indeed, RPWL was a cover band for PF way back. But you can definitely hear Beatle-chords and a few others that I have a hard time identifying. But with World Through My Eyes, they have certainly come into their own. Rumor has it that their previous albums were not nearly on this level. Dunno. Haven’t listened to ‘em. But if their next is on par with this, or even better, this group could become one of my top 3 or 4 prog bands. Might even make onto the desert island now!
In addition to the great synths on this cd, I really like the use of unusual sitar and bongo accompaniments sprinkled throughout. The other requisite for me to really appreciate an album is a good lead vocalist. I really like Yogi Lang’s voice; it’s right on key, expressive, and articulate. Somewhat plaintive. Gentle. As you’d expect from a somewhat spacey album, there are spaces in the music, allowing you to really hear the guitar solo, the drum solo, the synth solo, without having them drowned out in a sea of sound.
I’m not sophisticated enough to break down the rating into components (perhaps Kevin can add his own thoughts and rating here). I will say that I’ve listened to this cd more than any other cd ‘new’ to me, since December 25, 2005, when Trevor presented it to me under our Christmas tree. It is an excellent discovery. Thanks, Trev!
Every now and then, you need to listen to a cd that is introspective, yet optimistic. Preaches love, kindness, openness and fulfillment, not anger, pain, sadness and angst. Then does it with the lush chords, the thematic harmony, and complexity of thought that goes into progressive music. Add LSD, and spice with Indian religious undertones, and you have RPWL’s latest effort ‘World Through My Eyes’. I have never visited Lucy in the Sky land myself, but somebody in this band must have, because this album revives the psychedelic ruminations that bubbled up through the music of Pink Floyd and the Beatles. Lyrics like “I am painting all your flowers, I'm the shadow of your dream, Who changed your opium to money, shiva calls your name, Why don't you sleep?” of the first track ‘Sleep’ or “Swimming inside nature, Diving through the flowers, Popping out at the bottom of the sea, In minutes that seem like hours” from the 5th track ‘Sea Nature’ give you the flavor. The lyrics are a trip, but to me the fun of this cd is the lush chords, often beginning with piano, adding acoustic guitar, background of drums, slowly building, building, transmogrifying with a twist into rapid warbling, spacey synth sounds and electric guitar until the neurons are all firing, and you turn the volume up until the endorphins are released, and you are completely lost, absorbed, every muscle is moving to the beat until the final concluding harmonies resolve, and fade…and fade… Could you tell I was writing that while listening to one of the tracks? Not a very scientific analysis for a scientist, huh? When you have songs like that, as you might expect, the cd grows on you with multiple listenings. I think the brain learns to anticipate the pleasure that is to come so that on second and third and tenth listenings, your brain turns on the endorphins earlier and earlier and you smile. It won’t be hard for Floyd-o-philes to gravitate to this album quickly. Floyd was probably the biggest influence in terms of style; indeed, RPWL was a cover band for PF way back. But you can definitely hear Beatle-chords and a few others that I have a hard time identifying. But with World Through My Eyes, they have certainly come into their own. Rumor has it that their previous albums were not nearly on this level. Dunno. Haven’t listened to ‘em. But if their next is on par with this, or even better, this group could become one of my top 3 or 4 prog bands. Might even make onto the desert island now!
In addition to the great synths on this cd, I really like the use of unusual sitar and bongo accompaniments sprinkled throughout. The other requisite for me to really appreciate an album is a good lead vocalist. I really like Yogi Lang’s voice; it’s right on key, expressive, and articulate. Somewhat plaintive. Gentle. As you’d expect from a somewhat spacey album, there are spaces in the music, allowing you to really hear the guitar solo, the drum solo, the synth solo, without having them drowned out in a sea of sound.
I’m not sophisticated enough to break down the rating into components (perhaps Kevin can add his own thoughts and rating here). I will say that I’ve listened to this cd more than any other cd ‘new’ to me, since December 25, 2005, when Trevor presented it to me under our Christmas tree. It is an excellent discovery. Thanks, Trev!
Sunday, October 15, 2006
The Watch - "Vacuum"
My brother Dave should be writing this review but as I sit here listening to this album I can not help myself. I am compelled to write something about this band, The Watch.
As one who was at the ripe and proper age to be appreciating early ‘70s Genesis in the early ‘70s, Dave gets this album more than anyone I know. This is the album that Genesis could have made in 1975 or 1976. Instead they came out with the astounding, bizarre, crazy, and fantastic album “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.” This album, “Vacuum” is so close to that early Genesis period, it’s spooky. I find myself not caring that it sounds so derivative. This is music at its most progressive and artistic, and The Watch benefits from an improvement in production quality of the new century. I have always wondered what “Trespass” and “The Musical Box” would have sounded like with today’s studio technology!!!!! These albums, as absolutely mind-boggling as they are, suffer from the technology of the day.
Mark and I were fortunate enough to have seen The Watch perform this music at ROSfest last year and what a show it was. The crowd cheered with standing ovations throughout the show and you could not help but feel that this is what it might have been like to see Genesis perform Foxtrot live in the day. The band was overwhelmed by the response they received from this Phoenixville crowd. They just seemed so happy to have had this impact on U.S. soil. Mark and I were blown away with the rest of the crowd.
The lead singer’s voice is SO similar to Peter Gabriel’s early 70s voice. And in some of the passages, you can’t help but get goosebumps at the gorgeous Hackett-esque guitar parts. But, to me, an aspiring drummer, the aspect of the band that flips me out is the drumming. As anyone who knows me knows, Phil Collins is my favorite drummer of all time. But, this is where the technology of today really is apparent. The drum parts by The Watch’s drummer stand out in just the way they should. He is a percussionist extraordinaire and uses cymbals that may not have been available to Phil in the ol’ days. The drummer is, as he should be, the engine and backbone of this band but also provides the fills that send chills down my spine.
This is complex and intense music, and as such, it really demands your attention. Every time I listen to it, there are certain points in each song that I just HAVE to stop what I’m doing and listen intently. It just doesn’t matter that I can’t understand all of the lyrics without reading the booklet. They’re from Italy so what can you expect?
There are times within some of these songs that you realize that this is not quite up to the quality of the Genesis song-writing but these are far and few between so it’s easy to just be blown away. Why is there new music like this being created in this century?!?! How is this possible? The answer lies in the underlying genius of Genesis and their music. Just look at how successful The Musical Box and other Genesis cover bands are these days. They play nothing they’ve written themselves yet continue to sell out show after show after show all over the world.
But, The Watch is to be commended for creating something new in the same vein. I really don’t care that this is “derivative” or that at points you swear you are listening to a B Side from “Foxtrot” or “Selling England by the Pound”. This music will ring true for me until the day I die. Thank you to The Watch for keeping this torch lit. And burn brightly it does…
Doink Factor – 4.0 points
Sound Quality/Production – 3.0 points
Song-Writing – 2.5 points
Overall Score – 9.5 points
As one who was at the ripe and proper age to be appreciating early ‘70s Genesis in the early ‘70s, Dave gets this album more than anyone I know. This is the album that Genesis could have made in 1975 or 1976. Instead they came out with the astounding, bizarre, crazy, and fantastic album “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.” This album, “Vacuum” is so close to that early Genesis period, it’s spooky. I find myself not caring that it sounds so derivative. This is music at its most progressive and artistic, and The Watch benefits from an improvement in production quality of the new century. I have always wondered what “Trespass” and “The Musical Box” would have sounded like with today’s studio technology!!!!! These albums, as absolutely mind-boggling as they are, suffer from the technology of the day.
Mark and I were fortunate enough to have seen The Watch perform this music at ROSfest last year and what a show it was. The crowd cheered with standing ovations throughout the show and you could not help but feel that this is what it might have been like to see Genesis perform Foxtrot live in the day. The band was overwhelmed by the response they received from this Phoenixville crowd. They just seemed so happy to have had this impact on U.S. soil. Mark and I were blown away with the rest of the crowd.
The lead singer’s voice is SO similar to Peter Gabriel’s early 70s voice. And in some of the passages, you can’t help but get goosebumps at the gorgeous Hackett-esque guitar parts. But, to me, an aspiring drummer, the aspect of the band that flips me out is the drumming. As anyone who knows me knows, Phil Collins is my favorite drummer of all time. But, this is where the technology of today really is apparent. The drum parts by The Watch’s drummer stand out in just the way they should. He is a percussionist extraordinaire and uses cymbals that may not have been available to Phil in the ol’ days. The drummer is, as he should be, the engine and backbone of this band but also provides the fills that send chills down my spine.
This is complex and intense music, and as such, it really demands your attention. Every time I listen to it, there are certain points in each song that I just HAVE to stop what I’m doing and listen intently. It just doesn’t matter that I can’t understand all of the lyrics without reading the booklet. They’re from Italy so what can you expect?
There are times within some of these songs that you realize that this is not quite up to the quality of the Genesis song-writing but these are far and few between so it’s easy to just be blown away. Why is there new music like this being created in this century?!?! How is this possible? The answer lies in the underlying genius of Genesis and their music. Just look at how successful The Musical Box and other Genesis cover bands are these days. They play nothing they’ve written themselves yet continue to sell out show after show after show all over the world.
But, The Watch is to be commended for creating something new in the same vein. I really don’t care that this is “derivative” or that at points you swear you are listening to a B Side from “Foxtrot” or “Selling England by the Pound”. This music will ring true for me until the day I die. Thank you to The Watch for keeping this torch lit. And burn brightly it does…
Doink Factor – 4.0 points
Sound Quality/Production – 3.0 points
Song-Writing – 2.5 points
Overall Score – 9.5 points
Friday, October 13, 2006
A Rating System
In another attempt to improve the usefulness of such subjective reviews, I will break down the rating into parts:
1) The "Doink" Factor - This is paying hommage to Peter Gluck who used the term "doink" to refer to some immediate and shocking revelation; that moment in time when you realize something and finally "get it". As an example, one time my brother Dave and I heard "He Knows You Know" while having a beer at Sugarbush midstation one April spring-skiing day. That was the first time we ever heard Fish and Marillion. Now THAT was a doink! Tom and I also shared a monstrous doink while listening to Fish singing "Misplaced Childhood" while sitting in his old Toyota wagon. In this rating system, it will rank the overall "Wow" factor. I have had major Doinks more recently listening to Sylvan and Riverside. (4 Possible Points)
2) Sound Quality/Production - This one may be obvious but I feel it is worth singling out because there are phenomenal albums that have mediocre sound quality and there are albums with superb sound quality that leave you wanting. (3 Possible Points)
3) Song-Writing - This one is a little tricky to define but is some way of rating the arrangement; the actual structure of the songs. Sometimes songs seem to be too long or the ending doesn't work (e.g., a fade-out when there should have been a quick, big Dave Dery ending). Sometimes songs meander without a clear path. (3 Possible Points)
4) Overall Score - Add up the points from each category. There are a total of 10 points possible. I made the Doink Factor worth more since I think it's the most important factor. Of course, this can be altered or tweaked but I will list these factors and the overall score at the end of my subjective review.
1) The "Doink" Factor - This is paying hommage to Peter Gluck who used the term "doink" to refer to some immediate and shocking revelation; that moment in time when you realize something and finally "get it". As an example, one time my brother Dave and I heard "He Knows You Know" while having a beer at Sugarbush midstation one April spring-skiing day. That was the first time we ever heard Fish and Marillion. Now THAT was a doink! Tom and I also shared a monstrous doink while listening to Fish singing "Misplaced Childhood" while sitting in his old Toyota wagon. In this rating system, it will rank the overall "Wow" factor. I have had major Doinks more recently listening to Sylvan and Riverside. (4 Possible Points)
2) Sound Quality/Production - This one may be obvious but I feel it is worth singling out because there are phenomenal albums that have mediocre sound quality and there are albums with superb sound quality that leave you wanting. (3 Possible Points)
3) Song-Writing - This one is a little tricky to define but is some way of rating the arrangement; the actual structure of the songs. Sometimes songs seem to be too long or the ending doesn't work (e.g., a fade-out when there should have been a quick, big Dave Dery ending). Sometimes songs meander without a clear path. (3 Possible Points)
4) Overall Score - Add up the points from each category. There are a total of 10 points possible. I made the Doink Factor worth more since I think it's the most important factor. Of course, this can be altered or tweaked but I will list these factors and the overall score at the end of my subjective review.
Pure Reason Revolution - "The Dark Third"
I heard about this band from the NEARfest website and even though I don't plan to attend this festival I decided to give this one a try.After listening to this disc nearly constantly for the past two weeks, I may have to rethink that one. You know a disc is good when you can't seem to remove it from your player before hitting "play" again!
How to describe this band? There are elements of Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, and even the spacey Ozric Tentacles. Spacey passages lead to catchy riffs that would make Mr. Wilson proud. Think "Up the Downstair" or "Signify"-era PTree and you're on the right track. Their sound is more modern though.
According to the NEARfest description, the band has been described as playing "Astral Folk" or "New Prog" (that's helpful! (not)). One of the standout characteristics are the superb vocal harmonies, which include a female vocalist. At times the music is mesmerizing with repetitions and then transitions occur that remind you that this really is progressive music. At certain points, you almost hear Richard Barbieri (P. Tree) keyboard sounds in the background and the Wilson-like guitar riffs. Amazingly though this band really has a sound of their own and the vocals are their trademark.
In an attempt to say something critical about this album, I will say that the last three songs don't have the impact of the first six. There is a "sameness" in the sound that detracts. Or maybe it's just that the intensity of some of the music on the front end of the album shuts down my brain by the end.
Another important point to make here is that there is a rhythmic/dance element to their sound that pleases the female listener. The female voice also helps lures the woman to this song, rather than just being another Fish-like vocalist that makes most women run for the hills and plead with their husband/boyfriend to "turn that crap off."
When trying to decide whether to buy this album I listened to many of their songs (the 30-second clips) at amazon.com. After listening to the clips there just now, they are not a good representation of what you get. The songs sound thin and shallow compared to the real deal. Of course, my computer speakers have a frequency range of about 100 Hz. But also, many of the songs develop slowly over minutes not seconds so you don't get to hear the progressive changes much in the 30-second soundbite.
Somehow though I heard enough to give them a try and it was completely worth it. The sound quality and production of this album is absolutely top-notch. My Paradigm speakers proved that in a big way. This album is also just very listenable. It can be in the background if you want or you can completely pay attention to it. It is yet another great driving CD and it's good for late-night, dark room listenings where you can really discover the subtle nuances of their music.
Check out two complete songs at http://www.nearfest.com/event/lineup.asp (there are at least 3 or 4 other songs on the album that I like better than these but this will give you a good idea of what they are like)
Their website is www.purereasonrevolution.com
Doink Factor - 3.5 points (out of 4.0)
Sound Quality/Production - 3.0 points (out of 3.0)
Song-Writing - 2.0 points (out of 3.0)
Overall Rating - 8.5 points
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Carptree - "Man Made Machine"
Where to begin... This band hails from Sweden, the neverending prog haven. Carptree will be performing at ROSfest in 2007 so I decided I'd better get to know their music. Live performances are typically, although not always, better when you are at least somewhat familiar with a band's music.
What a discovery this band is! There will be those who compare lead vocalist Niclas Flinck to Peter Gabriel. Sure, I hear that. But his voice has a uniqueness and after a few listens I don't think of Mr. Gabriel any more. In fact, his voice (and the music for that matter) may be more closely related to that of The Watch, the fantastic Italian band who clearly makes no secret of who their biggest inspiration is.
As a point of reference, Carptree's music is not as complicated as The Watch's but that is not a bad thing. The melodies and ideas are fresh and interesting; this is very good song writing. There's no question that the music falls squarely in the old Genesis vein but saying that does a disservice to the band. Rather than hearing near duplication of the old Genesis sound, you just hear a band you've never heard before, a band that you would have loved in any era.
The album begins in a deliciously ominous way with a track called "Titans Clash Aggressively to Keep an Even Score". Now that's an awesome song title! And the music lives up to the great name. This is a terrific choice for the album opener and similarly I expect that they may open their concert with this number.
Carptree wastes no time in hitting the high point on the album for me. The second track "Sunshine Waters" is supreme in its simple and beautiful message along the lines of the typical optimistic Yes song. Beginning with an odd sound reminiscent of Gabriel and even the bizarreness of some of "The Lamb" songs, the song quickly changes chords to the optimistic and upbeat chorus that sticks in my head in a good way. The piano part in this song is pure bliss and the drums backing up the piano line are a blast. As this song cruises toward the finish (an ideal driving song by the way), synthesizers and vocal harmonies soar. Wow!
A common trait of good albums is that the songs fit together in a way that takes you on a journey that makes sense - highs, lows, quiet passages and heavy hitters that make an impact more impressive because of the quiet parts. No one is better at putting an album together than Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree. The sum of the songs should be greater than its parts to make a truly great album. Carptree has clearly learned this lesson and the order and moods of the songs help make this album great. Quieter songs such as "The Weakening Sound" and "The Man You Just Became" (another great song title!) set the mood for the powerful "Tilting the Scales" and "Man Made Machine" which follow these songs, respectively.
Throughout this album, Carptree finds catchy musical phrases and pairs them with memorable lyrics. The other aspect of this band that I really appreciate is the quality of the vocals. I can understand most of the lyrics without reading the pamphlet!
Needless to say, I highly recommend this album. There are other gems on this album that I will let the listener discover on his/her own. There are discoveries here sprinkled throughout.
Check out one complete song at http://www.rosfest.com/Performers-2007/Carptree.htm
Rating: 9.0 out of 10
What a discovery this band is! There will be those who compare lead vocalist Niclas Flinck to Peter Gabriel. Sure, I hear that. But his voice has a uniqueness and after a few listens I don't think of Mr. Gabriel any more. In fact, his voice (and the music for that matter) may be more closely related to that of The Watch, the fantastic Italian band who clearly makes no secret of who their biggest inspiration is.
As a point of reference, Carptree's music is not as complicated as The Watch's but that is not a bad thing. The melodies and ideas are fresh and interesting; this is very good song writing. There's no question that the music falls squarely in the old Genesis vein but saying that does a disservice to the band. Rather than hearing near duplication of the old Genesis sound, you just hear a band you've never heard before, a band that you would have loved in any era.
The album begins in a deliciously ominous way with a track called "Titans Clash Aggressively to Keep an Even Score". Now that's an awesome song title! And the music lives up to the great name. This is a terrific choice for the album opener and similarly I expect that they may open their concert with this number.
Carptree wastes no time in hitting the high point on the album for me. The second track "Sunshine Waters" is supreme in its simple and beautiful message along the lines of the typical optimistic Yes song. Beginning with an odd sound reminiscent of Gabriel and even the bizarreness of some of "The Lamb" songs, the song quickly changes chords to the optimistic and upbeat chorus that sticks in my head in a good way. The piano part in this song is pure bliss and the drums backing up the piano line are a blast. As this song cruises toward the finish (an ideal driving song by the way), synthesizers and vocal harmonies soar. Wow!
A common trait of good albums is that the songs fit together in a way that takes you on a journey that makes sense - highs, lows, quiet passages and heavy hitters that make an impact more impressive because of the quiet parts. No one is better at putting an album together than Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree. The sum of the songs should be greater than its parts to make a truly great album. Carptree has clearly learned this lesson and the order and moods of the songs help make this album great. Quieter songs such as "The Weakening Sound" and "The Man You Just Became" (another great song title!) set the mood for the powerful "Tilting the Scales" and "Man Made Machine" which follow these songs, respectively.
Throughout this album, Carptree finds catchy musical phrases and pairs them with memorable lyrics. The other aspect of this band that I really appreciate is the quality of the vocals. I can understand most of the lyrics without reading the pamphlet!
Needless to say, I highly recommend this album. There are other gems on this album that I will let the listener discover on his/her own. There are discoveries here sprinkled throughout.
Check out one complete song at http://www.rosfest.com/Performers-2007/Carptree.htm
Rating: 9.0 out of 10
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