Rock Evolution – The History of Rock & Roll - 1985 - (page 203)

Haha nice post...

But 'Tales' is my 2nd favourite after Close to the Edge.
In some ways it's closer to the edge :)

Moraz was never a moody blue according to the other moody blues.
I thought Tales was technically brilliant and it is possible to like 'bloated'.
At the concert, the mechanical crab thing that held Alan White and his drum kit failed to open so his big reveal was marred by him playing the drums inside this closed contraption until four burly roadies prised it open just as quickly as Gordon Ramsay shucks an oyster. Mental.
Before that concert, Rick strolled out to the front of the stage sans cape and happily chatted to a few of us. He could only have been in his mid 20s at the time and seemed like a really regular guy and was interested in questioning us about life in Edinburgh.
 
I thought Tales was technically brilliant and it is possible to like 'bloated'.
At the concert, the mechanical crab thing that held Alan White and his drum kit failed to open so his big reveal was marred by him playing the drums inside this closed contraption until four burly roadies prised it open just as quickly as Gordon Ramsay shucks an oyster. Mental.
Before that concert, Rick strolled out to the front of the stage sans cape and happily chatted to a few of us. He could only have been in his mid 20s at the time and seemed like a really regular guy and was interested in questioning us about life in Edinburgh.

Everything I've seen and read about Wakeman seems to indicate that he's just an ordinary bloke, who happens to be a very good musician. One of the few musicians, I think, to have taken the piss out of himself in that “bloated” institution (and yes, here, the word is really apposite, imo), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in his speech of thanks.

P.S. I always took the cape to be a self-mocking, ironic joke, i.e. “Yes I really do look as though I could be in Black Sabbath, don't I?”
 
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Everything I've seen and read about Wakeman seems to indicate that he's just an ordinary bloke, who happens to be a very good musician. One of the few musicians, I think, to have taken the piss out of himself in that “bloated” institution (and yes, here, the word is really apposite, imo), the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in his speech of thanks.
I liked the joke he told about the strip club.
 
Good choice but I have had an infantile love of Yellow Snow since the mid 70’s. Apostrophe was the first Zappa album I heard, a friend who was a year older had the album.
I think individually I may prefer the songs on Overnite Sensation, but Apostrophe’ has some great stuff on it and the total vibe is upbeat and humorous.
 
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I thought Tales was technically brilliant and it is possible to like 'bloated'.
At the concert, the mechanical crab thing that held Alan White and his drum kit failed to open so his big reveal was marred by him playing the drums inside this closed contraption until four burly roadies prised it open just as quickly as Gordon Ramsay shucks an oyster. Mental.
Before that concert, Rick strolled out to the front of the stage sans cape and happily chatted to a few of us. He could only have been in his mid 20s at the time and seemed like a really regular guy and was interested in questioning us about life in Edinburgh.
And I hope I am not mistaken but didn’t the farce with the Crab influence “Spinal Tap”.
Rick was definitely a pie and a pint man whilst the rest of the band were going all veggie.
Finally the great story about Rick and his Roadie getting confused over a takeaway with the latter delivering a Curry to Wakeman onstage during one of the meandering TFTO segments.Apparently Rick munched it onstage much to Anderson’s displeasure.
 
And I hope I am not mistaken but didn’t the farce with the Crab influence “Spinal Tap”.
Rick was definitely a pie and a pint man whilst the rest of the band were going all veggie.
Finally the great story about Rick and his Roadie getting confused over a takeaway with the latter delivering a Curry to Wakeman onstage during one of the meandering TFTO segments.Apparently Rick munched it onstage much to Anderson’s displeasure.
love it.
 
And I hope I am not mistaken but didn’t the farce with the Crab influence “Spinal Tap”.
When I first read Sadds describe this, I thought exactly the same thing, and sure enough, it appears to be confirmed (including Tom Petty getting lost backstage - hiliarous):


Rick was definitely a pie and a pint man whilst the rest of the band were going all veggie.
Finally the great story about Rick and his Roadie getting confused over a takeaway with the latter delivering a Curry to Wakeman onstage during one of the meandering TFTO segments.Apparently Rick munched it onstage much to Anderson’s displeasure.
THAT is simply awesome! Increased respect for Wakeman, it's a wonder he got back in the band later on after that, but again, he IS who he is, and we're all the better for that. But more on that later!...
 
1974 was the beginning of the end for a one of the UKs most successful duos. Though they would release one more album, Pinky and Perky were already hitting skid row, their voices were shot and there was more than a little pathos in their attempt to stay relevant by covering Remember You're A Womble by one of the acts that had made them look so out of step with the modern world. It wasn't all their fault, how badly they were advised can be seen in their frankly disturbing version of Lena Zavaroni's 'Ma He's Making Eyes at Me' . The Sam and Dave of the marionette world would eventually sign off a year later in ignominy with a cover of Billy Don't Be A Hero that not even John C Reilly's appalling version could match for awfulness. In other news Tom Waits released this:

Tom Waits - Looking for The Heart of Saturday Night

Years later Shawn Colvin would produce the kind of beautiful cover that our washed up porcine troubadours could only dream about.
 
ELO - Can't Get It Out Of My Head

Choice 1.
Of their soft rock playlist this is as good as it gets IMO and this is more than good.

One of the very few ELO songs despite their success, impact on music over many years and critical acclaim that I stop what I am doing when I hear it and rarely get tired of playing it.
 
Q: Are we REALLY doing this?
A: Yeah, I kinda think we are...

Q: What exactly is this song about?
A: It's a song that is loosely about "War and Peace", and as some would notice, probably as long.

Q: Was this from that classic band lineup we heard a few years ago?
A: Uh, no. Rick Wakeman had left that band after the (sorry, "bloated") Tales from Topographic Oceans album and tour where audience members actually booed the band for playing those tracks live. Or so I have heard (remember, I was too young to be going to concerts and the parents certainly weren't any of an influence on this). Wakeman had informed the band of his decision to leave midway into the tour, following disagreements and frustration with the direction the band had taken with the album. Alan White was also now part of Yes as Bill Bruford had moved on to King Crimson.

Q: so there was no keyboardist?
A: No, there actually was, and this new member came from a jazz and classical background, the one and only Swiss Patrick Moraz (later of the Moody Blues). A different approach than Wakeman and only on this one and only album, but prog heads loved it.

Q: Just wait a prog minute, I see this song is 22 minutes long?
A: Yes, but it "is" the side 1 from this very underrated and surprisingly unique jazzy prog album that some say only rivals Close To The Edge in this group's successful prog experimentation (see what I highlighted there?)

Q: I heard there was a stripped-down 5 minute version of this snipet of the song "Soon", why don't we just roll with that?
A: yes, and that is what the FM radio stations would play in the late-70s and early 80s when I first heard this song, and that's about the "peace" aspect of the song, but you miss all the war. Where's the appreciation of peace without the struggles of war? Especially in the music that is just as good.

Q: Are you sure you are adding this?
A: Yes, Our reason to be here...

"The Gates of Delirium" - Yes
Awe now you are talking BWBT :-).
In my own little bubble this is the best long form prog track ever.
Yes, it evens beats Awaken and CTTE for me. The introduction of Anderson singing “Stand and and fight we do consider “ through the battle scene and finally the incomparable “Soon”.
For me,the ultimate single album of that period would probably be Side 1-Gates of Delirium Side 2- And you and I and Roundabout.
I dof my cap sir :-)
 
1974 for reasons I can't quite fathom I struggle with somewhat despite a number of fine albums released and many of the songs put forward so far on them.

I will start with an Aussie icon the ill fated heavily addicted to heroin by 1974 Stevie Wright lead singer of The Easybeats written and produced by fellow band members Harry Vanda and George Young.

Malcolm Young of ACDC fame played guitar on the record as did Harry Vanda.

It was most likely the longest single that charted at number 1 anywhere in the world in the pop/rock era.

Have a "couple" of stiff drinks or a box of chocolates while listening to parts 1 and 2 and when your finished you can go cold turkey on part three.

Evie Parts 1 2 and 3 - Stevie Wright.
 
In my research for 1974, I did find other fine albums. Ones that haven’t been mentioned yet. I will hold back until all have a chance to put their nominations down. Then along with Bimbos extra tracks I will nominate a few more that should be on the playlist. :-)
 
Awe now you are talking BWBT :-).
In my own little bubble this is the best long form prog track ever.
Yes, it evens beats Awaken and CTTE for me. The introduction of Anderson singing “Stand and and fight we do consider “ through the battle scene and finally the incomparable “Soon”.
For me,the ultimate single album of that period would probably be Side 1-Gates of Delirium Side 2- And you and I and Roundabout.
I dof my cap sir :-)
I gave you a few days, and didn't make this my first off the top, but I'm glad I captured it, despite some hesitations I did have. Relayer was one of the last of their albums from this decade of time that I got into, later in the 80's, but it remains a favourite just due to the uniqueness of their sound here in it being a "one off" with Moraz. It's just different than the others, and there's an appreciation for that given the personnel changes that only exist on this selection.

That's quite a single album you have there, and I can't argue with it too much other than to say I actually do like CTTE a bit more than this (being my only side 1 swap), which is why I was so happy when 1972 fell into my lap a month or so back.

I re-listened to a few more albums of theirs last night while out doing some yardwork, and so I remain on standby for whatever leftovers might come my way in the upcoming years ahead! ;-)
 
In my research for 1974, I did find other fine albums. Ones that haven’t been mentioned yet. I will hold back until all have a chance to put their nominations down. Then along with Bimbos extra tracks I will nominate a few more that should be on the playlist. :-)
Well, I've got about 5 left on my shortlist, and I'm not sure if this is one of the ones you are thinking of, but I do know it hasn't been mentioned, and I do remember it well at the time.

Besides my regret for missing "I'll Be Around" by this group for 1973, I told myself I wouldn't let this happen again...

This group teamed up with the fantastic Dionne Warwick for this collaboration from their New And Improved album, and this song became the band's first No. 1 pop hit. For Warwick, this song became her first ever single to reach #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and also became her highest-charting R&B record of the 1970s. Warwick had recently moved labels as her charting had stalled out a bit since her prior success in the 1960s, and this Philadelphia soul single was a rare mid-1970s success for her.

Sung as a duet with lead singer Bobby Smith and the band, who were very popular at this time, this single was just what Warwick was looking for in achieving a gold record and a nomination for a Grammy.

"Then Came You" - Dionne Warwick, The Spinners
 
Was waiting to see would anyone else go for this album, but I’m not sure too many would be aware of this hidden gem.
Thin Lizzy’s fourth album Nightlife, is far more soulful than what went before and certainly afterwards as well.
But it has some hard heavy hitters too.
It’s the first album to have Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson on guitars and they introduce a really interesting sound to the band.
I was however going to go with the classic ‘Stiil In love with you’, which incidentally had Gary Moore on guitar, but I think the live version which will come later in the decade is the absolute definitive version at this stage and we’ll get to that later.

Great tune this;
She Knows - Thin Lizzy’s fourth album- Nightlife.
 
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