The Album Review Club - Week #114 - (page 1362) - Crossing the Red Sea with the Adverts

And there was me thinking I was going to be able to discuss why Taylor Swift's Red is an amazing pop album. Ah well.....
My two daughters are big Taylor Swift fans and therefore I've seen her twice in concert.

I much prefer the acoustic early stuff to the recent World-conquering pop princess stuff, but I think generally she's underrated.
 
Shocked at the light weight know nowts on this thread. Genesis foxtrot is one half of a good pastoral pastiche. Red was and still is ground breaking 45 years later. Curt Cobain, Trent Reznor and a multitude of current artists sight it as their influence....
Get a grip guys. Genesis are like the mushroom foam while King Crimson are the steak...
 
King Crimson
Red
Couple more weeks of this and I'll be well versed in all things Prog rock

Fair play to you @Bill Walker , you've nominated yet another crowd splitter - great pick. :-)

On first listen, I didn't get it at all. I'm pretty open on my struggles with Prog Rock but I couldn't find a common ground or a communion with the music.*

As I mentioned on another post, the drumming is really really good and stands out from the rest of the music to me (although I also think the bass player produces some great sounds and unbelievable depth). BW was right, I imagine he blew through a few speakers trying to force out some of those very very powerful depths.

There are so many elements to each of the songs that I never really get chance to settle on the overall movements of the song (whilst this is listed down as 5 songs, it definitely feels more like 10+ songs that have been reinvented and intertwined).

The overall tone doesn't seem as dark as I was potentially envisaging, they have some heavy elements but they kind of play in an up-tempo tone and beat which kind of keeps it relatively light to a point.

This is also heightened by some of the brass and woodwind instruments utilised throughout the album (some of these I struggle to find place in a band set up).

I am still a little thrown by the lack of overall vocals on the album - do they usually sing more or are they always this instrumental?

I made a couple of notes on one bit to hopefully give you a slight insight as to how I hear it and potentially how my brain ticks;

-------------------------------

One more red Nightmare (approximate timings)

Start through to 2 mins

Why is the drummer occasionally hitting a baking tray?
Why is there a noise resembling a jungle cat?
Shifts on
Don't like the hand clap
What is the guy singing about?

2 mins through to 4 mins

What a great break in the music!!!
Nice arpeggio, lovely sound, nice change of pace
Now don't mind the hand clap - it fits
Don't particularly like sax, but sits alright in this

4 mins through to 5 mins

Why does the original riff now sound so much better (very clever)!?!
It works........
Baking tray is back
Don't like the re-break into handclap again

5 mins through to end of track

The lovely arpeggio has returned!!!!!!!!!
Can still live with the sax

-------------------------------

I have asked this a few times on various artists and albums, do I enjoy these breaks so much because I don't really like the initial song element or is that just a great gift from hindsight. Is the artist that self aware and daring to test us on the bit on bold? Answers on a postcard BlueMooners.

Sooooooooooooo yet again, I have managed to write a fair bit without saying much. I'm plucking at a 5/10 but without too much of a foothold on reason. There are parts that I do enjoy, there are parts that I completely don't understand why they are on the album. This effectively still leaves me distanced from the music.

Is this just the nature of prog rock - fucking hell BlueMooners what have you got me into...................? :-)

* I really did stick with this BW after your post the other day, it's had about 4 full run throughs and a fair amount of shuffles
 
King Crimson
Red
Couple more weeks of this and I'll be well versed in all things Prog rock

Fair play to you @Bill Walker , you've nominated yet another crowd splitter - great pick. :-)

On first listen, I didn't get it at all. I'm pretty open on my struggles with Prog Rock but I couldn't find a common ground or a communion with the music.*

As I mentioned on another post, the drumming is really really good and stands out from the rest of the music to me (although I also think the bass player produces some great sounds and unbelievable depth). BW was right, I imagine he blew through a few speakers trying to force out some of those very very powerful depths.

There are so many elements to each of the songs that I never really get chance to settle on the overall movements of the song (whilst this is listed down as 5 songs, it definitely feels more like 10+ songs that have been reinvented and intertwined).

The overall tone doesn't seem as dark as I was potentially envisaging, they have some heavy elements but they kind of play in an up-tempo tone and beat which kind of keeps it relatively light to a point.

This is also heightened by some of the brass and woodwind instruments utilised throughout the album (some of these I struggle to find place in a band set up).

I am still a little thrown by the lack of overall vocals on the album - do they usually sing more or are they always this instrumental?

I made a couple of notes on one bit to hopefully give you a slight insight as to how I hear it and potentially how my brain ticks;

-------------------------------

One more red Nightmare (approximate timings)

Start through to 2 mins

Why is the drummer occasionally hitting a baking tray?
Why is there a noise resembling a jungle cat?
Shifts on
Don't like the hand clap
What is the guy singing about?

2 mins through to 4 mins

What a great break in the music!!!
Nice arpeggio, lovely sound, nice change of pace
Now don't mind the hand clap - it fits
Don't particularly like sax, but sits alright in this

4 mins through to 5 mins

Why does the original riff now sound so much better (very clever)!?!
It works........
Baking tray is back
Don't like the re-break into handclap again

5 mins through to end of track

The lovely arpeggio has returned!!!!!!!!!
Can still live with the sax

-------------------------------

I have asked this a few times on various artists and albums, do I enjoy these breaks so much because I don't really like the initial song element or is that just a great gift from hindsight. Is the artist that self aware and daring to test us on the bit on bold? Answers on a postcard BlueMooners.

Sooooooooooooo yet again, I have managed to write a fair bit without saying much. I'm plucking at a 5/10 but without too much of a foothold on reason. There are parts that I do enjoy, there are parts that I completely don't understand why they are on the album. This effectively still leaves me distanced from the music.

Is this just the nature of prog rock - fucking hell BlueMooners what have you got me into...................? :-)

* I really did stick with this BW after your post the other day, it's had about 4 full run throughs and a fair amount of shuffles
There must be an album somewhere: "Now That' What I Call 100 Great Tunes Played on a Baking Tray"
 
The only King Crimson album I knew was "In the court of the Crimson King" which I found quite surprising to listen to given it was released in 1969. If "21st Century Schizoid Man" was released today it wouldn't sound out of place. It's a very good album.

I gave Red a go, but overall it didn't do much for me. It didn't have anything catchy on it, it just meandered through from start to finish and didn't really grab me with anything. Great musicians, but they've done far better albums than Red.

4/10
 
King Crimson
Red
Couple more weeks of this and I'll be well versed in all things Prog rock

Fair play to you @Bill Walker , you've nominated yet another crowd splitter - great pick. :-)

On first listen, I didn't get it at all. I'm pretty open on my struggles with Prog Rock but I couldn't find a common ground or a communion with the music.*

As I mentioned on another post, the drumming is really really good and stands out from the rest of the music to me (although I also think the bass player produces some great sounds and unbelievable depth). BW was right, I imagine he blew through a few speakers trying to force out some of those very very powerful depths.

There are so many elements to each of the songs that I never really get chance to settle on the overall movements of the song (whilst this is listed down as 5 songs, it definitely feels more like 10+ songs that have been reinvented and intertwined).

The overall tone doesn't seem as dark as I was potentially envisaging, they have some heavy elements but they kind of play in an up-tempo tone and beat which kind of keeps it relatively light to a point.

This is also heightened by some of the brass and woodwind instruments utilised throughout the album (some of these I struggle to find place in a band set up).

I am still a little thrown by the lack of overall vocals on the album - do they usually sing more or are they always this instrumental?

I made a couple of notes on one bit to hopefully give you a slight insight as to how I hear it and potentially how my brain ticks;

-------------------------------

One more red Nightmare (approximate timings)

Start through to 2 mins

Why is the drummer occasionally hitting a baking tray?
Why is there a noise resembling a jungle cat?
Shifts on
Don't like the hand clap
What is the guy singing about?

2 mins through to 4 mins

What a great break in the music!!!
Nice arpeggio, lovely sound, nice change of pace
Now don't mind the hand clap - it fits
Don't particularly like sax, but sits alright in this

4 mins through to 5 mins

Why does the original riff now sound so much better (very clever)!?!
It works........
Baking tray is back
Don't like the re-break into handclap again

5 mins through to end of track

The lovely arpeggio has returned!!!!!!!!!
Can still live with the sax

-------------------------------

I have asked this a few times on various artists and albums, do I enjoy these breaks so much because I don't really like the initial song element or is that just a great gift from hindsight. Is the artist that self aware and daring to test us on the bit on bold? Answers on a postcard BlueMooners.

Sooooooooooooo yet again, I have managed to write a fair bit without saying much. I'm plucking at a 5/10 but without too much of a foothold on reason. There are parts that I do enjoy, there are parts that I completely don't understand why they are on the album. This effectively still leaves me distanced from the music.

Is this just the nature of prog rock - fucking hell BlueMooners what have you got me into...................? :-)

* I really did stick with this BW after your post the other day, it's had about 4 full run throughs and a fair amount of shuffles

did you enjoy Starless ?

Only song I’ve heard so far, giving it a few listens before hearing the rest. Definitely a grower.
 
did you enjoy Starless ?

Only song I’ve heard so far, giving it a few listens before hearing the rest. Definitely a grower.
Yeh but only in parts - it's like prog rock seems to meander in and out of the vibrating frequencies that I look for and enjoy in music.

I can in part very much enjoy some elements and completely frown at other bits of the same song.

A very confused but thought provoking genre for me............
 
Have to say, before I pop off to bed. I’m really glad Bill nominated King Crimson even though I sounded like I was coming down on the album.
I spent the afternoon going through a load of Crimson that I hadn’t heard in years and it was great.
They really are a one off band that don’t sound like anyone else.
Genesis? No. Definitely not.
Yes? Bruford snd Wetton passed through the ranks but….. No. Not the same thing at all.
I think they are unique and that is the attraction.
Not everything they do will work for you all the time but it is challenging and defies genre if you ask me.
 
Shocked at the light weight know nowts on this thread. Genesis foxtrot is one half of a good pastoral pastiche. Red was and still is ground breaking 45 years later. Curt Cobain, Trent Reznor and a multitude of current artists sight it as their influence....
Get a grip guys. Genesis are like the mushroom foam while King Crimson are the steak...
Are you doing a review/score mate, if so I look forward to it :)
 

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