The Album Review Club - End of Round #9 Break (page 1904)

KnaresboroughBlue said:
As I have already mentioned, this album is being put forward as a last minute substitute. The album I was going to choose is not easily accessible on Spotify and although it is on Youtube, the quality of the video is rather poor. So I have had to make a late change. So apologies if this write up is a bit jumbled.

Having said that, this is not a poor substitute at all. It’s an album by my favourite group of all time and the one that I listen to most often. It’s certainly a change of pace and style from my previous offering.

Anyway, the album in question is Voice - The Best of Eyeless in Gaza by (surprisingly enough) Eyeless in Gaza. The pride of Nuneaton.

Eyeless in Gaza have been around over 40 years with the odd short break while the two main members did their own thing. Despite being active for so long, they have never really achieved any great success or recognition, although they have made the indie charts on a few occasions. I personally regard Photographs as Memories (their first album released in 1981) as their best work and it remains my favourite album of all time to this day. I didn’t choose that album however as Voice (the best of) shows a wider spectrum of their work.

Eyeless in Gaza are quite a hard group to classify. Wiki describes their music as "veer[ing] crazily from filmic ambiance to rock and pop, industrial funk to avant-folk styles”. Not really sure what most of that means but it sounds like it may be about right. They are a group that needs a few listens to really appreciate but sadly few people seem to be able to get past their sometimes experimental sound, frequent and abrupt changes of time signature and unusual instrumentation and song arrangements. I think that their music isn’t always easily accessible and it is rather an acquired taste but perseverance will reap rich rewards!

There have only really ever been 2 members of the band from their formation in 1980 to the present time - Martyn Bates and Peter Becker. They have produced over 20 albums and so have a fairly significant body of work should anybody wish to delve into their treasure chest of music further.

Voices - The Best of Eyeless in Gaza, is, as the name implies, a compilation of their music - from their first album in 1981 up to this album's release in 1993. This is, in my opinion, the period when they produced their finest work, even though they are still producing some pretty good stuff now.

Voices is an album of 26 tracks but only runs to a total of 1 hour and 10 minutes. Unfortunately it starts with Kodak Ghosts Run Amok which is really the only track of theirs which I have never been able to appreciate in some way or another. I always skip that when listening. My favourite tracks are mainly from their earlier years, with special mentions to Speech Rapid Fire, Transcience Blues, Drumming the Beating Heart, One by One, Veil Like Calm and the beautifully melancholic Others (my most listened to song on Spotify). New Risen and Welcome Now stem from a slightly later period when they tried to move a bit more mainstream. A move which they didn’t really pull off but I find the songs from that era rather endearing all the same.

It’s difficult to say much more about the group and their music as they are difficult to tie down and put into words. I have been listening to them constantly for over 40 years now and I can’t even really explain it myself. From their enthusiastic singing (putting it kindly) and unconventional instrumentation, to their failed attempts at more pop type tunes, it just simply works for me. I’ve spent the last 40 years listening to them and wherever I am, it just feels like home when I put on one of their albums.

I guess what typifies the band most for me is that during that period when they were trying to go pop/mainstream, they finally got some sort of recognition and appeared ‘live’ on TV. It wasn’t Top of the Tops or Old Grey Whistle Test but Saturday Superstore (a Saturday morning TV show for kids) and sadly for them the live stream cut out in the middle of their performance ;-) So near and yet so far!

Anyway, I don’t expect this album to meet with universal approval and I strongly suspect it may be a contender for bottom spot but I’m fine with that. I’m just pleased to be able to share it with you and maybe one or two will get some enjoyment from it.
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Interesting choice mate. I have heard of them but never listened.
 
BlueHammer85 said:
A best of ?! That’s cheeky.

never heard of the band, no idea what to expect - but will listen a lot this week.
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Not sure why it's cheeky. It's what they consider to be the best of their music. They may not have achieved much/any commercial success and they certainly won't be to everybody's taste but they have produced a substantial body of work and so are perfectly entitled to release a best of album IMO.
 
OB1 said:
xxx
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I did my little bit to move your second choice up the ladder OB1 and know you will always be a loyal devotee of the KISS Army and good on you for being so.

In fact to date FWIW there hasn't been a bad choice and an album I wouldn't play again.

Destroyer I have on vinyl and flattened the groove a tad playing it when I invited uni friends etc around on at home alone.

When they knocked and came in DRC was blaring at 11 on the dial and if they baulked they were shown the door (LOL).
 
KnaresboroughBlue said:
Not sure why it's cheeky. It's what they consider to be the best of their music. They may not have achieved much/any commercial success and they certainly won't be to everybody's taste but they have produced a substantial body of work and so are perfectly entitled to release a best of album IMO.
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I am glad they did and actually glad you chose it because even though I have heard of them by name only I wouldn't know any of their music if it came up and bit me.

To get the best of at least what the band themselves thinks will appeal the most to their devotees like yourself is a great way to introduce them to the likes of me and the zillions of bands I have never played.

this is the second band selected so far I can honestly say I have never heard on any medium so I will give them a crack.
 
I’m enjoying the Eyeless so far but alternating my listening with the Cherry Red compilation I first heard them on, Pillows &Prayers. I may have mentioned it. Anyway not to distract you from your homework but anyone with the time and/or inclination for some further reading/listening will find some absolute gems on it.
 
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