The Album Review Club - Week #194 (page 1303) - Ants From Up There - Black Country, New Road

FogBlueInSanFran said:
Robert Fripp is a genius in many ways, but he also has ego the size of block of flats and wouldn't ever let a singer take over HIS band. As I wrote before, that's why he went through so many of them. The battle between guitarist/lead vocalist has been going on in rock music from time immemorial. For Gabriel I kind of overstated my point -- I've never really had much of an issue with Gabriel's voice, but he's responsible for the lyrical content and, again as I wrote, became a much better artist when he began singing about things that matter to him personally ("Solsbury Hill") and/or should matter to us ("Biko", "Games Without Frontiers") rather than rehashing medieval nursery rhymes or whatever. Again, it's not ALL that bad, but enough to make me cringe.
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Well, you know what you like….
And you like what you know.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
Robert Fripp is a genius in many ways, but he also has ego the size of block of flats and wouldn't ever let a singer take over HIS band. As I wrote before, that's why he went through so many of them. The battle between guitarist/lead vocalist has been going on in rock music from time immemorial. For Gabriel I kind of overstated my point -- I've never really had much of an issue with Gabriel's voice, but he's responsible for the lyrical content and, again as I wrote, became a much better artist when he began singing about things that matter to him personally ("Solsbury Hill") and/or should matter to us ("Biko", "Games Without Frontiers") rather than rehashing medieval nursery rhymes or whatever. Again, it's not ALL that bad, but enough to make me cringe.
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Yes, I know what you mean and It got ridiculous with Prog. I remember Jon Anderson saying Yes's next LP was going to be a double album based on Hindu texts and he wanted to record it in a tent in a forest FFS !

(Tales from Topographic Oceans)
 
Bill Walker said:
Yes, I know what you mean and It got ridiculous with Prog. I remember Jon Anderson saying Yes's next LP was going to be a double album based on Hindu texts and he wanted to record it in a tent in a forest FFS !

(Tales from Topographic Oceans)
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Is that what dpelle the end for Prog Rock?

Converting Hindu texts - we've gone too far......... :-)
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
Were you with Dave Haslam?? ARE you Dave Haslam??

He picked up a lot of things from her. They are both individually fascinating characters. And some of Hole’s stuff is incredible. “Celebrity Skin” is one of my favo(u)rite songs — explodes out of the speaker and she is so defiant and poetic.
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No lol. Just a skinny 20 yr old in a trench coat in Liverpool who hung out at Probe records and Eric's. Knew a few (then unknown or emerging) Liverpool scene band members. Not even my kind of music but crazy to be around. Tony Wilson was also there I seem to remember...
 
Bill Walker said:
If anyone wants to learn more about Prog I just came across this..

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My girlfriend (now Mrs S) painted that Roger Dean album illustration (inside cover of Yessongs) on my bedroom wall when I was 17. It was around 12' x 8'. Christ knows what they thought when the new owners moved in.
 
Saddleworth2 said:
My girlfriend (now Mrs S) painted that Roger Dean album illustration (inside cover of Yessongs) on my bedroom wall when I was 17. It was around 12' x 8'. Christ knows what they thought when the new owners moved in.
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That would depend on whether they were Yes fans :)
 
Bill Walker said:
Yes, I know what you mean and It got ridiculous with Prog. I remember Jon Anderson saying Yes's next LP was going to be a double album based on Hindu texts and he wanted to record it in a tent in a forest FFS !

(Tales from Topographic Oceans)
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The shastric scriptures. Some lovely music on that double album despite the bloat.
 
RobMCFC said:
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.
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I think she's fantastic. We were gutted last year, we had to tickets to see her at Hyde Park, but it was cancelled due to covid. And my 12 year old daughter does really like her, but it was me who got her into her. As for her more recent stuff, Folklore is much more toned down from the big pop tune stuff, written with one of the guys from the National. If you liked the earlier stuff, and you haven't heard it, defo worth a listen. It's brilliant.
 
bluejon said:
I think she's fantastic. We were gutted last year, we had to tickets to see her at Hyde Park, but it was cancelled due to covid. And my 12 year old daughter does really like her, but it was me who got her into her. As for her more recent stuff, Folklore is much more toned down from the big pop tune stuff, written with one of the guys from the National. If you liked the earlier stuff, and you haven't heard it, defo worth a listen. It's brilliant.
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Yes, I had a listen last year and it's not bad. I mean, I don't like it as much as MY artists, but she's certainly got a lot of talent and is better than a lot of today's artists.
 
Looking ahead to next week, I'm just checking that @denislawsbackheel is still OK with nominating an album next Tuesday because I've not seen you around this neck of the woods since week #1!
 
bluejon said:
I think she's fantastic. We were gutted last year, we had to tickets to see her at Hyde Park, but it was cancelled due to covid. And my 12 year old daughter does really like her, but it was me who got her into her. As for her more recent stuff, Folklore is much more toned down from the big pop tune stuff, written with one of the guys from the National. If you liked the earlier stuff, and you haven't heard it, defo worth a listen. It's brilliant.
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Wasn’t a fan of TS until I heard Ryan Adams version of her album 1989
the song writing was so good I thought it’s one of his better albums
i then went and listened to a few of hers and I agree she’s very talented.
 
FogBlueInSanFran said:
Robert Fripp is a genius in many ways, but he also has ego the size of block of flats.
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And this why I can’t take to KC.
Apparently he once said to Bruford “you are now ready to play in King Crimson” after he left Yes.
I perceive that as disparaging to the latter.
Bruford undeniably a great drummer but he doesn't half slate Yes in various documentaries. Maybe it’s just but I do not like it.
Rant over
 
Ok ,
my two penneth Fwiw, I was looking forward to this as I had only heard KCs
‘twenty first century schizoid man’ and I’m not a fan of prog rock early Genesis exceptEd.
My older brother was and had the Yes album and COTCK when they were first realessed.I never listened to most of his music ,as at that stage in our lives there was a lot of sibling rivalry especially him being a rag!
Anway on to ‘Red’
ive listenEd to this a few times now, but it’s not for me.I think it’s great musicianship not suprising given the line up ,but most of the songs I find self indulgent,‘One more red nightmare’ and Starless ‘ were ok but let down by John Wettons vocals
’Providence’ as others have said sounds like a tuning up session from a free form jazz band.
Unlike ’Foxtrot’ I can’t see me listening to this again.
Sorry Bill, after all you did recommend Elgar’s Nimrod which I have listened to quite a few times now.

5/10
 
I've been listening to the odd bit of music by King Crimson for the last few years now...trying to 'get them'. My older brother was (and still is) into them back in the day, but they kind of went over my head.
I've been loving the instrumentation....Fripps guitar, deep bass and amazing drumming. It's always when the singing started did I feel disappointed. The songs never really grabbed me. I found them to be a bit, dare I say it: a bit middle of the road. The vocals seemed a bit bland for the brilliant music. I thought the vocals would be that of 21st Century Schizoid Man...or something a bit more edgy than what i heard.
So I've been listening to Red now for the last few days and, today, it got me. The songs are now making more sense in my head. The intro piece, Red is a great jam. Is that only 3 instruments? Sounds mega! Fallen Angel is an epic of sorts...sad story with huge guitars parts. Just what the doctor ordered. I think my fave at the moment is One More Red Nightmare. Love that "woooooooghhhw" sound! Some great sounds on this one. Wet hand claps!! Another added to my playlist. Providence is nowt really....I could probably make the same sounds in my shed with a spinning bike wheel and a stick and a few other things. It's a filler.
Not Starless though..haha. I've not got fully familiar with it just yet, but I know I like it. It's got a fucking mellotron!
I'm going to score it a 7/10. It's gone up from a 6. Next listen could be an 8. One thing for sure, I'm gonna be listening to more King Crimson in this latter half of my life. Latter quarter, I mean. Maybe even the last eighth. We never know. Cheers Big Bill Walker.
 
Mancitydoogle said:
Ok ,
my two penneth Fwiw, I was looking forward to this as I had only heard KCs
‘twenty first century schizoid man’ and I’m not a fan of prog rock early Genesis exceptEd.
My older brother was and had the Yes album and COTCK when they were first realessed.I never listened to most of his music ,as at that stage in our lives there was a lot of sibling rivalry especially him being a rag!
Anway on to ‘Red’
ive listenEd to this a few times now, but it’s not for me.I think it’s great musicianship not suprising given the line up ,but most of the songs I find self indulgent,‘One more red nightmare’ and Starless ‘ were ok but let down by John Wettons vocals
’Providence’ as others have said sounds like a tuning up session from a free form jazz band.
Unlike ’Foxtrot’ I can’t see me listening to this again.
Sorry Bill, after all you did recommend Elgar’s Nimrod which I have listened to quite a few times now.

5/10
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Haha thats ok mate no need for apologies, you tried it !!
 
bluejon said:
I think she's fantastic. We were gutted last year, we had to tickets to see her at Hyde Park, but it was cancelled due to covid. And my 12 year old daughter does really like her, but it was me who got her into her. As for her more recent stuff, Folklore is much more toned down from the big pop tune stuff, written with one of the guys from the National. If you liked the earlier stuff, and you haven't heard it, defo worth a listen. It's brilliant.
Click to expand...

I had tickets for my daughters and me for Hyde Park. May still be required to take them if she tours here in not too distant.
 
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Protein Junkie said:
And this why I can’t take to KC.
Apparently he once said to Bruford “you are now ready to play in King Crimson” after he left Yes.
I perceive that as disparaging to the latter.
Bruford undeniably a great drummer but he doesn't half slate Yes in various documentaries. Maybe it’s just but I do not like it.
Rant over
Click to expand...
I don't think Fripp ever said that, according to BB Fripp said

"I'm proposing a band, and it has you in it, and it has a crazed avant-garde, improvising drummer called Jamie Muir, and it has a violin player [David Cross] and the best young bass player in London called John Wetton. Do you want to be in it?'"

Read More: The Day Bill Bruford Announced His Stunning Departure From Yes | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bill-bruford-quits-yes/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
 
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