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

Ah, you had me with those 5 words.. I hope Sha-Na-Na as the headliner didn't take it too hard, but I've heard material from both and there simply is no comparison!

I think we could have a playlist where the opening act stole the show from the headliner, and I can think of a few I've seen myself, but that's a story for another year.


Ouch, between that and me being too young to catch most of these great acts in the 1970s, I can only say I feel your pain, just for different reasons.


That's a great memento, and feel I would have had $4.00 in my piggy bank at the time if only I'd have known! ;-)
Well, at least I had the good sense to see him in December 1975 on the Born to Run tour! That eased the pain a little.
 
Was tempted to go with Gilbert O’Sullivan - Get Down…..
But no, I think you deserve a little bit of Phil instead.
Whiskey in the Jar is the obvious one from the 1973 release Vagabonds of the Western World, but I’d prefer to go with;
The Rocker.
I just love Phil’s phraseology.
3rd choice. Thin Lizzy.
 
Was tempted to go with Gilbert O’Sullivan - Get Down…..
But no, I think you deserve a little bit of Phil instead.
Whiskey in the Jar is the obvious one from the 1973 release Vagabonds of the Western World, but I’d prefer to go with;
The Rocker.
I just love Phil’s phraseology.
3rd choice. Thin Lizzy.

And another one I was hoping someone would pick.

Slightly dodgy lyrics, by today’s standards, aside, it’s a cracking rocker from Ireland’s finest.
 
Was tempted to go with Gilbert O’Sullivan - Get Down…..
But no, I think you deserve a little bit of Phil instead.
Whiskey in the Jar is the obvious one from the 1973 release Vagabonds of the Western World, but I’d prefer to go with;
The Rocker.
I just love Phil’s phraseology.
3rd choice. Thin Lizzy.

Whiskey came out in 72.
 
Just wanted to add my bit on 'Selling England by the Pound'. by Genesis
. Probably my favourite Genesis album Incorporating a brilliant album name, which seems relevant to this day, a reference to Green Shield Stamps,which for those of us of a certain age just brings a smile to the face....together with a fantastic nod to the violent gangland squabbles which used to be sorted out at Epping Forest during the 60s, appropriately followed by the stunning instrumental " After the ordeal " which depicts the weary troops staggering back home after the battle...brilliant, absolutely brilliant track.

Going back to 'The Battle' I will remember the immortal line" whose still not quite sure" and the hilarious reference to a vicar getting " excited " which somehow pops up in amongst the violent scenes.

The Cinema show is brilliant.

"More Fool me" with Collins lead vocal is definitely a sign of things to come.....although no one could have forseen Gabriel leaving at that time . I really like the cold bitterness of MFM , and ended up playing this track over and over again when a particular relationship of mine crashed and burned suddenly , and without warning decades ago. Funny how music helps keep you alive sometimes and personally, how the most un- Genesis like track of a brilliant album served it's purpose for me, 20 years after it's release.....strange


The album opens with the stunning Dancing with the Moonlight Knight, with the immortal opening line
" Can you tell me where my country lies ?" and from that point onwards, the listener is thrown headlong into a musical journey which a musician better than me is more suited to describe,( I can't play a note I'm afraid and wouldn't do it justice ...)

Finally as a Genesis fan who discovered this album around 15 years after it's release ,and did plenty of research on their back catalogue to see how they progressed from the late 60s onwards....a partc article in Record Collector magazine ( mid 80s) really brought home to me how the band were perceived in this country at that time..
Some of the bands rarest single releases were Italian and Spanish pic sleeve releases on 7" which soon became highly prized imports..,..in an interview with the band they described how back then , gigs were watched overseas by an appreciative audience who often sat down cross- legged, attentively soaking up the musically gifted bands performance......this was at complete odds with back in Britain where gigs were often done to a backdrop of drunken fights as the natives settled their grievances during ale house battles...again ,the battle of Epping Forest ...,right outside your door......quite.

A reminder perhaps, of the attrition that 3 day weeks, lighting strikes etc brought to a country ...which Green shield stamps only partly offset!!! . Folk often forget the violence of the times and 1973/74 was if course the season of Forest 4 City 1 and Utd O Ciy 1.....two games full of violence before and after...

A Fantastic album ,, a record of its times...

I've been into rock music and all of its genres since I was 16 almost 44 years ago now and as you know mate Im an avid collector of vinyl with close to 3,000 albums in my collection. And yet for some reason the three big Prog Rock bands, Yes, ELP and Genesis have all continued to be a struggle for me. Other bands in this genre I seem to have no problem with, from King Crimson's 1969 album 'In the Court of the Crimson King' with its iconic cover image of a Schizoid man to todays French progressive art rock extreme metal band 'The Black Noodle Project' there is much to be lauded about prog rock. My own personal favourite bands Rush and Marillion are also part of the Progressive Rock scene so what is with the Big 3 and in this particular case Genesis I just cannot grasp?

Maybe I found Marillion before Genesis and that clouded my judgement. I was 17 and they hit me like a thunderbolt and because Rush were Canadian and from a far away land it was difficult to follow them in the live sense. Marillion however were my band, nobody elses and they played consistently in the UK to build a following which meant I could be there. I fervently denied the similarities between Gabriel and Fish from the theatrical and raw emotion of his pushed lyrics right down to the greasepaint masks they both wore live on stage. No definetly no similarities there LOL! Damn it Marillion even brought out a live bootleg demo called "Selling Fish by the Pound" which I have on a white label and so if that didn't convince me they were the offspring of Genesis then what in gods name would.

Well the answer lies in age, maturity and experience and with the passing of time it became glaringly obvious, how could I not see it. Yes Marillion were most definetly Genesis's 'Bastard Child' (Lyric from Grendel) and although I really do like Peter Gabriel as a solo artsist Ive still yet to immerse myself fully into them as a band and certainly not with Phil 'Buster' Collins on vocals with the exception of 'Follow You Follow Me'.

As a footnote I will give 'Selling England by the Pound' another listen again, with fresh ears over the coming weekend and who knows maybe just maybe I will appreciate it like never before...I Know what I Like!
 

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I've been into rock music and all of its genres since I was 16 almost 44 years ago now and as you know mate Im an avid collector of vinyl with close to 3,000 albums in my collection. And yet for some reason the three big Prog Rock bands, Yes, ELP and Genesis have all continued to be a struggle for me. Other bands in this genre I seem to have no problem with, from King Crimson's 1969 album 'In the Court of the Crimson King' with its iconic cover image of a Schizoid man to todays French progressive art rock extreme metal band 'The Black Noodle Project' there is much to be lauded about prog rock. My own personal favourite bands Rush and Marillion are also part of the Progressive Rock scene so what is with the Big 3 and in this particular case Genesis I just cannot grasp?

Maybe I found Marillion before Genesis and that clouded my judgement. I was 17 and they hit me like a thunderbolt and because Rush were Canadian and from a far away land it was difficult to follow them in the live sense. Marillion however were my band, nobody elses and they played consistently in the UK to build a following which meant I could be there. I fervently denied the similarities between Gabriel and Fish from the theatrical and raw emotion of his pushed lyrics right down to the greasepaint masks they both wore live on stage. No definetly no similarities there LOL! Damn it Marillion even brought out a live bootleg demo called "Selling Fish by the Pound" which I have on a white label and so if that didn't convince me they were the offspring of Genesis then what in gods name would.

Well the answer lies in age, maturity and experience and with the passing of time it became glaringly obvious, how could I not see it. Yes Marillion were most definetly Genesis's 'Bastard Child' (Lyric from Grendel) and although I really do like Peter Gabriel as a solo artsist Ive still yet to immerse myself fully into them as a band and certainly not with Phil 'Buster' Collins on vocals with the exception of 'Follow You Follow Me'.

As a footnote I will give 'Selling England by the Pound' another listen again, with fresh ears over the coming weekend and who knows maybe just maybe I will appreciate it like never before...I Know what I Like!
I'm a big fan of Yes, KC, Gentle Giant, and many lesser known prog bands but I never liked Genesis.
Too studenty and arty farty for me. Middle class prog :)

Watching them live is boring, they all look bored, and sat down haha.
 
I've been into rock music and all of its genres since I was 16 almost 44 years ago now and as you know mate Im an avid collector of vinyl with close to 3,000 albums in my collection. And yet for some reason the three big Prog Rock bands, Yes, ELP and Genesis have all continued to be a struggle for me. Other bands in this genre I seem to have no problem with, from King Crimson's 1969 album 'In the Court of the Crimson King' with its iconic cover image of a Schizoid man to todays French progressive art rock extreme metal band 'The Black Noodle Project' there is much to be lauded about prog rock. My own personal favourite bands Rush and Marillion are also part of the Progressive Rock scene so what is with the Big 3 and in this particular case Genesis I just cannot grasp?

Maybe I found Marillion before Genesis and that clouded my judgement. I was 17 and they hit me like a thunderbolt and because Rush were Canadian and from a far away land it was difficult to follow them in the live sense. Marillion however were my band, nobody elses and they played consistently in the UK to build a following which meant I could be there. I fervently denied the similarities between Gabriel and Fish from the theatrical and raw emotion of his pushed lyrics right down to the greasepaint masks they both wore live on stage. No definetly no similarities there LOL! Damn it Marillion even brought out a live bootleg demo called "Selling Fish by the Pound" which I have on a white label and so if that didn't convince me they were the offspring of Genesis then what in gods name would.

Well the answer lies in age, maturity and experience and with the passing of time it became glaringly obvious, how could I not see it. Yes Marillion were most definetly Genesis's 'Bastard Child' (Lyric from Grendel) and although I really do like Peter Gabriel as a solo artsist Ive still yet to immerse myself fully into them as a band and certainly not with Phil 'Buster' Collins on vocals with the exception of 'Follow You Follow Me'.

As a footnote I will give 'Selling England by the Pound' another listen again, with fresh ears over the coming weekend and who knows maybe just maybe I will appreciate it like never before...I Know what I Like!
Hello, how the devil are you?

I’m the other way round with Marillion.

I avoided them like the plague because I saw them as a Genesis rip off. Not that I was much of a Genesis fan at that point. Genesis grew on me over the years but it was actually the poppy Collins stuff that drew me in - the Genesis album to be precise; although I did like “And Then There Were Three” but it was the lone Genesis album in my collection for many years.

I’m not sure what eventually softened my stance to Marillion; it may have been seeing Fish as a support act. Anyway, I eventually realised that Fish was a dish I could enjoy. I have most of his solo albums now and the Marillion albums he featured on. Never bothered with post Fish Marillion.

We all have different tastes. Some regulars on this thread don’t like Rush.

Oh, Yes and ELP were an immediate hit with me when I first heard them. Yes are my favourite prog band; only because I never really thought of Rush as prog (that was a debate on one of these threads that does not need revisiting).
 
Got to have some Pops and the family...

If You're Ready (Come Go With Me) - The Staples Singers

We need the mandatory Miles Davis alumni so this year I'm going with Keith Jarrett who released his epic Solo Concerts triple album. Each side of each album (bar the two track 5th side) is a single track of improvised music performed in either Bremen or Lausanne. Viewed as one of the great feats of improvisation. Don't know if or how the concerts are split up on Spotify but for brevity I've picked the first track off side 5.

Keith Jarrett - Lausanne Part 1 b

On Davis alumini can't have Jarrett and then ignore Herbie Hancock. 73's Headhunters was a classic too. Picking the 73 rewrite of one of his best known songs from 10 years earlier. Funked up with synths this time but pride of place goes to the beer bottles Bill Summers is blowing into.

Herbie Hancock - Watermelon Man (1973 version)

Finally, I was 8 years old and I loved this. A cover of the Guardsmen's original. In memory of the 80 men...

The Hotshots - Snoopy vs The Red Baron
 
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I've been into rock music and all of its genres since I was 16 almost 44 years ago now and as you know mate Im an avid collector of vinyl with close to 3,000 albums in my collection. And yet for some reason the three big Prog Rock bands, Yes, ELP and Genesis have all continued to be a struggle for me. Other bands in this genre I seem to have no problem with, from King Crimson's 1969 album 'In the Court of the Crimson King' with its iconic cover image of a Schizoid man to todays French progressive art rock extreme metal band 'The Black Noodle Project' there is much to be lauded about prog rock. My own personal favourite bands Rush and Marillion are also part of the Progressive Rock scene so what is with the Big 3 and in this particular case Genesis I just cannot grasp?

Maybe I found Marillion before Genesis and that clouded my judgement. I was 17 and they hit me like a thunderbolt and because Rush were Canadian and from a far away land it was difficult to follow them in the live sense. Marillion however were my band, nobody elses and they played consistently in the UK to build a following which meant I could be there. I fervently denied the similarities between Gabriel and Fish from the theatrical and raw emotion of his pushed lyrics right down to the greasepaint masks they both wore live on stage. No definetly no similarities there LOL! Damn it Marillion even brought out a live bootleg demo called "Selling Fish by the Pound" which I have on a white label and so if that didn't convince me they were the offspring of Genesis then what in gods name would.

Well the answer lies in age, maturity and experience and with the passing of time it became glaringly obvious, how could I not see it. Yes Marillion were most definetly Genesis's 'Bastard Child' (Lyric from Grendel) and although I really do like Peter Gabriel as a solo artsist Ive still yet to immerse myself fully into them as a band and certainly not with Phil 'Buster' Collins on vocals with the exception of 'Follow You Follow Me'.

As a footnote I will give 'Selling England by the Pound' another listen again, with fresh ears over the coming weekend and who knows maybe just maybe I will appreciate it like never before...I Know what I Like!
Try the much maligned by some, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.
I think this is a fantastic album and the pinnacle of Gabriel’s involvement, but the stage show that went with it is totally overblown and you can see why punk came along, I guess.
 
Try the much maligned by some, The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway.
I think this is a fantastic album and the pinnacle of Gabriel’s involvement, but the stage show that went with it is totally overblown and you can see why punk came along, I guess.
Both albums are amazing and it amazes me how people that young can write music like that, it's superb. It's complex yet full of melodies. You just wouldn't get albums like that today.
 
Hmm, should I go Dobie or Doobie? How about both...

Dobie Gray had his biggest hit this year by remaking this 1970 song written by by Mentor Williams and first recorded by British singer Mike Berry on his 1972 album Drift Away. However, Dobie made this his own by reinterpreting this rock (Berry) and 1972 swamp rock version (John Henry Kurtz) into his more funky and soulful rendition that is long remembered as this classic hit.

"Drift Away" - Dobie Gray

Before Michael McDonald joined the band in later years and added his soulful smooth vocals sound, the Doobies were mostly led by founder Tom Johnston, lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. This has always been a favourite track of mine from this time period, with its emphasis on guitars, a strong bass, bongos, the scorching harmonica, and the great band harmonies in the chorus. Originally known to me as a kid as "Without Love", I simply loved the lyrics on this track:

Well the Illinois Central and the Southern Central Freight
Got to keep on pushin', mama, cause you know they're runnin' late... without love


Long Train Runnin' - The Doobie Brothers
 
For a change of pace, let's add a little LA country rock. In a span of 4 years, Gram Parsons had been a part of The International Submarine Band, The Byrds, and The Flying Burrito Brothers. In 1973, he finally released his first solo album, GP. Well, it wasn't totally a solo effort. Chris Hillman, his collaborator in the Byrds and FBB recommended that he go see a young folk singer, Emmylou Harris. Parsons taught her about the country music that he loved and she became a disciple. Their voices were remarkable together or trading leads. To this day, Emmylou is still covering Gram's songs. While this song is not a Parsons original, it has a lovely melody and showcases two amazing voices.

We'll Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning - Gram Parsons
 
Hello, how the devil are you?

I’m the other way round with Marillion.

I avoided them like the plague because I saw them as a Genesis rip off. Not that I was much of a Genesis fan at that point. Genesis grew on me over the years but it was actually the poppy Collins stuff that drew me in - the Genesis album to be precise; although I did like “And Then There Were Three” but it was the lone Genesis album in my collection for many years.

I’m not sure what eventually softened my stance to Marillion; it may have been seeing Fish as a support act. Anyway, I eventually realised that Fish was a dish I could enjoy. I have most of his solo albums now and the Marillion albums he featured on. Never bothered with post Fish Marillion.

We all have different tastes. Some regulars on this thread don’t like Rush.

Oh, Yes and ELP were an immediate hit with me when I first heard them. Yes are my favourite prog band; only because I never really thought of Rush as prog (that was a debate on one of these threads that does not need revisiting).
Hello and im good thanks, hope you are too mate. Been lurking on and off for a few years, and eventually decided im too much of a gobshite to keep quiet so I decided to jump right back in. Yes there are two Marillions and it took me many years after Fish left to really enjoy them with Hogarth. Fish is a bit of an odd character in that I think he divides people. He's outspoken and divisive and I can understand why some people might struggle giving one of his 8 minute songs a listen. The majority of people struggle with 3 minutes these days. I think he is an outstanding frontman and every time ive seen on more than 30 occasions he has the crowd in his hands within seconds of taking the stage. He has a prescence and uses it to great effect. Hes not afraid to air his politics and I find him a great storyteller.

Marillion with Hogarth took me some time to get used to. I didn't mind him from the start and thought he was actually a good frontman but he just wasn't Fish and Marillion were my band. Then a few years ago I bought the 1995 album Afraid of Sunlight reissued in 2019 and it blew me away. It became one of the band's most critically acclaimed albums and examined the destructive side of celebrity and was described as "the peak of Marillion's growing, impressive body of work". And most importantly I reconnected to one of the most under rated guitarists of the modern era in Steve Rothery. I saw Steve play 2 nights at the band on the wall last year with his own band and they were incredible. His solo album 'The Ghosts of Pripyat has some stunning guitar work on it. He was such a nice guy afterwards and I would recommend any Prog Rock fan to try the two albums from his keyboardist Riccardo Romano Land especially the album 'Spectrum' written about the relationship between him and his autistic son.

I saw Fish for the last time earlier this year and he has now retired to spend his time gardening but I do hope he finds the time to do something like a spoken word tour, that I would love to see. I cant let it slip by without remarking that I can understand people not liking Rush and I would also agree about them not being a progressive Rock band.

One of my old denim jackets my Dad embroidered with the Jester from Marillion signed by both Fish and Rothery post Marillion.
 

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Both albums are amazing and it amazes me how people that young can write music like that, it's superb. It's complex yet full of melodies. You just wouldn't get albums like that today.
I completely agree with you about how young people could write that complexity of music. The record industry does nothing to encourage it anymore.
 
For a change of pace, let's add a little LA country rock. In a span of 4 years, Gram Parsons had been a part of The International Submarine Band, The Byrds, and The Flying Burrito Brothers. In 1973, he finally released his first solo album, GP. Well, it wasn't totally a solo effort. Chris Hillman, his collaborator in the Byrds and FBB recommended that he go see a young folk singer, Emmylou Harris. Parsons taught her about the country music that he loved and she became a disciple. Their voices were remarkable together or trading leads. To this day, Emmylou is still covering Gram's songs. While this song is not a Parsons original, it has a lovely melody and showcases two amazing voices.

We'll Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning - Gram Parsons

Whilst she is undeniably one of the greatest country singers of all time Emmylou was taken to a whole other level when she wrote the album 'Wrecking Ball' and it signified a huge shift in direction for her and became a career redefining album thanks to producer Daniel Lanois. Receiving universal acclaim it had a very atmospheric sound moving away from her traditional country style. I finally managed to get hold of a reissued copy at a record fair last year as you simply could not find an original 1995 vinyl copy anywhere for under £125. Like the conversation about Genesis on a different post Ive never managed to wrap my head around Gram. Ive seen all the documentaries about him and its a great story about his body being stolen and cremated at the Joshua Tree. And theres the rub, Daniel Lanois responsible for giving Emmylou a whole new direction also produced The Joshua Tree by U2!
 
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Whilst she is undeniably one of the greatest country singers of all time Emmylou was taken to a whole other level when she wrote the album 'Wrecking Ball' and it signified a huge shift in direction for her and became a career redefining album thanks to producer Daniel Lanois. Receiving universal acclaim it had a very atmospheric sound moving away from her traditional country style. I finally managed to get hold of a reissued copy at a record fair last year as you simply could not find an original 1995 vinyl copy anywhere for under £125. Like the conversation about Genesis on a different post Ive never managed to wrap my head around Gram. Ive seen all the documentaries about him and its a great story about his body being stolen and cremated at the Joshua Tree. And theres the rub, Daniel Lanois responsible for giving Emmylou a whole new direction also produced The Joshua Tree by U2!
Interesting connection with Joshua Tree! Wrecking Ball is terrific along with Red Dirt Girl which had a similar sound on a few songs but seems a bit closer to her folk roots.

We're going to see Emmylou (with Graham Nash) in July. Haven't seen her in at least 5 years so I hope her voice is holding up.
 
Interesting connection with Joshua Tree! Wrecking Ball is terrific along with Red Dirt Girl which had a similar sound on a few songs but seems a bit closer to her folk roots.

We're going to see Emmylou (with Graham Nash) in July. Haven't seen her in at least 5 years so I hope her voice is holding up.

Yes, Yes, Yes!

I love Red Dirt Girl it gives me goosebumps and once I play it i just cannot stop playing it. Thats it, im off to bed soon and the earphones will be on playing Red Dirt Girt. So jealous you're going to see her and Graham Nash Wow! I still can't believe Nash came from Salford to the Laurel Canyon.

Me and my best friend Lillian
And her blue tick hound dog Gideon
Sittin' on the front porch coolin' in the shade
Singin' every song the radio played
Waitin' for the Alabama sun to go down
Two red dirt girls in a red dirt town
Me and Lillian
Just across the line
And a little southeast of Meridian
 

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