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Post by Kapitan on Jul 6, 2020 20:58:06 GMT
This afternoon, I listened to Crowded House's self-titled debut album for the first time in my life. I'm not sure what took me so long: even as a 10-year-old, I liked "Something So Strong" (though 10-year-old me didn't like "Don't Dream It's Over" much). Over the years I'd occasionally think how that tuneful pop was up my alley. The mention of Neil Finn in Fleetwood Mac nudged me.
I like it. Don't LOVE it, but like it. Reminds me of similar-period Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello, which probably comes down to both Mitchell Froom producing and the general qualities of those songwriters involved.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Post by bellbottoms on Jul 7, 2020 12:56:50 GMT
Pretty much the same with me. I recognized Don’t Answer Me, when I heard it last weekend, so I think it’s a much more well known song. The one I’m most familiar with is Eye in the Sky. But other than that, they seem to have escaped my attention until now. I listened to Eye in the Sky today. It's impeccable ... but honestly I couldn't care less. I didn't find it remotely fun. This album fits the stereotypical complaint one often hears about technically superior musicians' work: all the emphasis on sonic perfection drains the recording of life.
But to be clear, I personally love a lot of the music that gets hit with that criticism. So it's in the ear of the beholder, to be sure. But Alan Parsons Project is not my thing. Fair enough. I would agree that Eye in the Sky does have a very sterile kind of quality about it. But I'm finding the I Robot album to be much more interesting and stirring to listen to.
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Post by kds on Jul 8, 2020 12:16:55 GMT
I have a two disc APP comp while I like very much. That's a band that's in my "one of these days" pile.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Post by bellbottoms on Jul 8, 2020 13:27:58 GMT
I have a two disc APP comp while I like very much. That's a band that's in my "one of these days" pile. What's the comp?
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Post by kds on Jul 8, 2020 13:35:26 GMT
I have a two disc APP comp while I like very much. That's a band that's in my "one of these days" pile. What's the comp? It's "Alan Parsons Project - The Definitive Collection." My on gripe with APP is the music lacks the musicianship at times that's associated with prog rock.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Post by bellbottoms on Jul 8, 2020 13:56:31 GMT
It's "Alan Parsons Project - The Definitive Collection." My on gripe with APP is the music lacks the musicianship at times that's associated with prog rock. I don't know if I think it's a lack of musicianship, but they definitely don't seem to go as far out. From what I've heard, which is one album and a few other songs here and there, it sounds like they sort of dip their toes into prog without going all the way. In some ways it's like they're holding back, but it might be a deliberate choice to meld prog and more traditional rock. I honestly really don't know that much about them though, so I'm totally talking out of my ass right now.
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Post by kds on Jul 8, 2020 14:01:46 GMT
It's "Alan Parsons Project - The Definitive Collection." My on gripe with APP is the music lacks the musicianship at times that's associated with prog rock. I don't know if I think it's a lack of musicianship, but they definitely don't seem to go as far out. From what I've heard, which is one album and a few other songs here and there, it sounds like they sort of dip their toes into prog without going all the way. In some ways it's like they're holding back, but it might be a deliberate choice to meld prog and more traditional rock. I honestly really don't know that much about them though, so I'm totally talking out of my ass right now. Yeah, that's what I meant. The music is well played, and even if they don't do epics like ELP, Floyd, and Genesis, give me something. Maybe it's a certain warmth if that makes sense. Even when Floyd did shorter songs, you could still count on a Gilmour guitar solo.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Post by bellbottoms on Jul 8, 2020 14:09:35 GMT
I don't know if I think it's a lack of musicianship, but they definitely don't seem to go as far out. From what I've heard, which is one album and a few other songs here and there, it sounds like they sort of dip their toes into prog without going all the way. In some ways it's like they're holding back, but it might be a deliberate choice to meld prog and more traditional rock. I honestly really don't know that much about them though, so I'm totally talking out of my ass right now. Yeah, that's what I meant. The music is well played, and even if they don't do epics like ELP, Floyd, and Genesis, give me something. Maybe it's a certain warmth if that makes sense. Even when Floyd did shorter songs, you could still count on a Gilmour guitar solo. Warmth or lack of it I agree with. They definitely seem to take a colder, kind of clinical approach to their music, again based only on what I've heard. But having said that, I think with I Robot being sort of AI, science-fiction themed, it works really well and makes sense within the context of that album.
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Post by kds on Jul 8, 2020 14:20:20 GMT
Yeah, that's what I meant. The music is well played, and even if they don't do epics like ELP, Floyd, and Genesis, give me something. Maybe it's a certain warmth if that makes sense. Even when Floyd did shorter songs, you could still count on a Gilmour guitar solo. Warmth or lack of it I agree with. They definitely seem to take a colder, kind of clinical approach to their music, again based only on what I've heard. But having said that, I think with I Robot being sort of AI, science-fiction themed, it works really well and makes sense within the context of that album. Yeah, overall the songs are good. That's why I also want to check out some of their albums. Sometimes songs from concept albums sort of get lost in the sauce when they're included on compilations.
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Post by jk on Jul 10, 2020 10:31:16 GMT
Here's a curiosity from the early career of David Bowie. Recorded after the UK top five hit "Space Oddity", "Memory Of A Free Festival" got some radio coverage, almost exclusively in the "progressive" shows (which is where I heard it), but made no impression at all on the charts. A pity, as I think the closing chant knocks spots off that in The Beatles' "Hey Jude" (all very subjective, no doubt!). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_of_a_Free_Festival
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Post by Kapitan on Jul 10, 2020 11:31:47 GMT
I'd never heard that. I hate the first section very much. The sun machine section, that's really cool.
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bellbottoms
Pacific Coast Highway
Posts: 727
Likes: 201
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Post by bellbottoms on Jul 15, 2020 13:54:23 GMT
Wow, it’s been awhile since I heard this one. I’ve always liked it, but the 1970 single version is far better. I’ve always wished this was the album version.
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Post by jk on Jul 15, 2020 21:46:31 GMT
Wow, it’s been awhile since I heard this one. I’ve always liked it, but the 1970 single version is far better. I’ve always wished this was the album version. I'm pretty sure I heard the album version at the time -- the chant went on for much longer than on the 45. And generally speaking one always prefers the version one hears first. Another reason is that I have fond memories of playing "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" on a child's plastic organ in Woolworth's.
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Post by Kapitan on Jul 17, 2020 23:42:27 GMT
Maybe for the first time in my life, for some reason I decided to listen to a name I've seen a bazillion times: Vanilla Fudge.
I, uh, am not such a fan of Vanilla Fudge. Decent fan. But slow, heavy, drawn-out versions of pop hits are not my thing, it appears.
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Post by kds on Jul 18, 2020 18:27:05 GMT
Maybe for the first time in my life, for some reason I decided to listen to a name I've seen a bazillion times: Vanilla Fudge.
I, uh, am not such a fan of Vanilla Fudge. Decent fan. But slow, heavy, drawn-out versions of pop hits are not my thing, it appears.
I love their first album, but outside of a best of, I haven't dug too deep with them. I do think their covers of You Keep Me Hangin On and Season of the Witch are superior to the originals. Less effective was Eleanor Rigby. I heard they reunited around 2000 and recorded and album of bubblegum boy band songs. Interesting idea, but that sounds like much more of a novelty than covering The Supremes, The Beatles, or Donovan. Also, if you're not into longer heavy-pysch versions of pop/rock songs, the first three Purple albums probably wouldn't do much for you. They pretty much copied the Vanilla Fudge template until they brought in Ian Gillan and Roger Glover to help wrote stronger originals.
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