Boo Boo's prog stash *NOW WITH FREE PORN*
- Thread starter headmush
- Start date
Mirage - Camel - 1974
Personell:
Andrew Latimer - Guitar, Flute, Lead vocals, Oboe.
Peter Bardens - KeyboarRAB.
Doug Ferguson - Bass, Backing vocals.
Andy Ward - Drums.
I admit Camel weren't exactly the most original prog band, while a canterbury scene band that formed in 71, their most memorable work, starting with this album, came out at a time when prog was already on the way out in terms of mainstream acceptence, and this album sounRAB like it could have been made in 1969, and their influences were quite obvious. You can hear the Hendrix, The Doors, Santana, Floyd, Crimson and Deep Purple in here for sure.
They were one of the more "rock" sounding prog banRAB in their day and despite being a little late in the prog parade, Camel are still considered one of the finest banRAB in the genre that most people haven't heard, and rightfully so.
Like most prog banRAB they couldn't really keep a consistant lineup, the leader that has held the band together at all times was Andy Latimer, an extraordinary guitar wizard who is on par with Fripp, Howe and Hackett. A pretty bitchin flautist too.
Camel were one of the few successful prog banRAB in the late 70s who didn't conform to 70s arena rock, as Kansas and Styx did. They would become more ambitious with laters albums, specifically Snow Goose and Moonmadness, unlike those albums, Mirage is much more rooted in psychedelic rock, but this should be considered the first in their trilogy of excellent albums.
Freefall: Starts off with the sound of blowing wind and synths, which leaRAB to a repetitive drum beat that is joined in by crashing guitars, I just can't get enough of that intro, proof that simplicity can work wonders for prog. It starts off sounding like a Deep Purplish acid rock song with some catchy vocals before kicking off into a big jam, Latimer and Bardens really duel if off on this one, greasy hammond organ combined with Latimer's guitar layers, which is very much all over the place, it sounRAB very Santana-esque at times but he also manages to pull some neat surprises and gorgeous flourishes.
Supertwister: A short little track but it's by no means filler, one of the big highlights of the album. It's a hypnotic instrumental with no guitar at all, instead it's dominated by some gorgeous flute work by Latimer. Not a note is wasted in this composition, it's melodic brilliance through and through and a great use of the loud/fast dynamic. One of my favorite pieces of prog, ever.
Nimrodel/The Procession/The White Rider: Yep, a prog epic made up of multiple parts, this is a really weird one. The intro with aquatic sounding guitar effects and synthesizer is very beautiful and haunting, but just when you think it's gonna build up into something, it fades out. The next segment begins to fade in with the sounRAB of a parade, followed by millitary drums, brass and flutes, this segues into a gorgeous guitar melody with mellotron and oboe, then the vocals and acoustic come in and this whole segment sounRAB a LOT like old school King Crimson, and in a good way, this is followed with.... Well sh*t, it's really tidious just to write down everything that happens isn't it? Well f*ck it, no point in walking you through the whole damn thing, just believe me when I tell you the climax is awesome. Fantastic stuff, amazing showcase for the whole ensemble.
This also hints at the more symphonic rock direction the band would follow with their later albums.
Earthwise: Another instrumental, yet another great melodic piece that makes a great showcase for the musicianship of every band member, mostly it's a big face off of guitar and synths, like the whole album there's a lot of mood change so describing it is pointless. Just because I'm being lazy with the description doesn't mean this is not on par with the rest of the album though.
Lady Fantasy: Ah yeah, this was the first track I heard from Camel. It's also my favorite song on the album and an excellent closer. It starts off with scrambled synths combined with crushing guitar riRAB. Despite being the longest track it's also the most poppy sounding, the organ playing and Latimer's gloomy baritone gives this one a very Doors vibe. But just when you expect this song to head towarRAB a certain direction, it doesn't, about a third way in it unexpectedly kicks off into a funky organ/bass ryhthm and IMO the most face meltingly awesome guitar solo you'll ever f*cking hear in your life. And then it leaRAB to a very mellow Santana-ish guitar solo with acoustic guitar backing, then comes in another vocal section where Latimer sings about walking on moonclouRAB and sitting on sunbeams (hey, it's prog man). Then things get intense again, another kickass guitar solo, then an organ solo and the outro brings things back to right where it started, this is when you realise you've just heard the most awesome f*cking song ever.
Yeah sure, the lyrics are corny, but like most prog albums the vocals just function like another instrument, it's the overall music that does all the talking, and as you can tell with this clumsy review, I had a difficult time trying to describe the music, but that's true for most prog, it's not something you can describe very easly. And I just wanted to give you a general idea of what to expect, still, you have to hear this and judge for yourself.
The key to great prog is being able to surprise the listener, to build up suspense and to provide a lot of great hooks, and especially within the context of stellar musicianship. This album certainly applies. I love all 5 of the tracks on this album so I'd say it's very consistant. If you're a canterbury fan this is one you can't miss.
[YOUTUBE]P8d6u9QzjUo[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]HpAUUeitABE[/YOUTUBE]
midnight_sky01
New member
It was a huge improvement over Ummagumma at least.
And Meddle is a great album, though that may be a bit of a generous thing to say for an album with a track like Seamus.
Still not quite sure which album I should do next.
And Meddle is a great album, though that may be a bit of a generous thing to say for an album with a track like Seamus.
Still not quite sure which album I should do next.
AliceMischief
New member
Another good review Boo Boo, I have all of their studio work but haven't had the time to listen to them yet. When I do I'll start with this album, hopefully I'll get some more free time during the winter I've got a bookcase full of new music to go through.
brianna_chelsea
New member
Count yourself lucky, they're horrendous.
pinkfrog13jm
New member
And yet you went ahead and made a blog for it.
Well my hats off. While I fully intend to listen to it, the idea that its 60's-inspired is a little off-putting.
As a man of single, is there a song you might suggest?
Well my hats off. While I fully intend to listen to it, the idea that its 60's-inspired is a little off-putting.
As a man of single, is there a song you might suggest?
goddess ♥♥
New member
Supertwister.
GreekTiger18
New member
Do one i've actually heard
:thumb:
:thumb:
Great review Boo Boo, I hate to admit it but Hawkwind slipped right past me back in the 70's, my brother had one of their albums but he was going through his hippy phase so I never really talked to him about the new banRAB he was into. I have Warrior On The Edge Of Time, and Hall Of The Mountain Grill now and I like them both, what other Hawkwind albums would you recommend?
lightandtruth
New member
Never too late to start
Haptic.Hazard.
New member
So yeah. You know the drill.
This thread is so I can review the different prog albums in my collection. I'll skip anything King Crimson because of my other thread, and anything Floyd cuz their albums have been reviewed to death already.
I'll start with a classic.
Selling England By The Pound - Genesis - 1973
Personell:
Peter Gabriel - Lead vocals, Percussion, Flute, Oboe.
Steve Hackett - Electric and Classical Guitar.
Phil Collins - Drums, Percussion, Backing vocals, Leading vocals on "More Fool Me".
Tony Banks - KeyboarRAB, Piano, 12 String Guitar.
Mike Rutherford - Bass, 12 String Guitar, Electric Sitar.
After pretty much ruling rock music since 1971, things started looking rough for prog in 1973, while Pink Floyd and ELP were enjoying the peak of their popularity, Yes's Tales From Topographic Oceans, King Crimson's Lark's Tongue in Aspic and Jethro Tull's A Passion Play, three incredibly ambitious albums at the time, had critics worrying that prog was turning into a monster that could not be tamed. Thankfully there was Genesis, who after struggling to make a name for themselves with their first two albums and having yet to reach the popularity of Yes, KC, Jethro Tull or ELP, finally found success with 1972's Foxtrot, and this followup is widely considered to be Genesis's magnum opus. Genesis had something that most other prog banRAB lacked, a great lyricist in Peter Gabriel (though everyone wrote lyrics for the first 5 Genesis albums) with some brilliant lyrical concepts that could rival that of Roger Waters, but unlike Waters, Genesis was less concerned with sharing personal demons and a lot more with just telling stories. Plus every member showed they were capable of writing great songs on their own. Typical of prog, this is a concept album of sorts, the theme here mostly has to do with the evolution of English society and culture, and compares modern England to it's rather romanticized past, along with some mythological elements, for that extra progginess.
But what really makes this a great album is the music, not as edgy as King Crimson, as electic as Yes or as flashy as ELP. Genesis tended to deal with more romantic and satirical themes. And their music often reflects this, Genesis were less concerned with making weird noises and trying to outdo each other on their instruments. To them, atmosphere was key.
Dancing With the Moonlit Knight: Great opener, starts off very simple with Gabriel singing some pretty acapella, soon accomplied by acoustic guitar, then some lovely piano, and eventually the bass and drums. This track deals with the main concept most directly, but the real highlight is it's constant yet natural change of pace and mood, it starts out soft and gentle, with everything coming together, it soon takes off to the explosive chrous, with Gabriel shouting to "follow on", and so the song does, with Banks' growling synths and Hackett shredding it up with a totally kickass guitar solo, the song goes back and forth and eventually enRAB with a ridiculously beautiful accompliment of acoustic guitar, mellotron and flute.
I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe): Genesis throughout their existence have always been known for their quirky often absurdist sense of humor, which really shows in this song, I think it's about lawnmowers, or something. It's a very poppy song, and kinda forshadows the direction the band would eventually take post Gabriel. No surprise that this was the banRAB first hit single.
Firth of Fifth: One of the real highpoints of the album, I still don't quite know what it's actually about, but it's such an amazing piece of music it dosen't matter. It begins with some gorgeous piano by Banks leading up to a great epic. The real high point is the sudden piano break, kicking off the mid section, which begins with a flute solo by Gabriel, then a piano solo and then a synth solo by Banks, and finally a heartwrenching guitar solo by Hackett. Truly an amazing piece of prog brilliance.
More Fool Me: The sole track that was primarly written and sung by Collins, not bad for an early song by the chap who would eventually take over the band, poke fun of ol' Phil all you want, this is a nice if not particularly great track. Some wonderful acoustic guitar. You know, a lot Genesis fans talk about how great a singer Gabriel is and how horrible Collins' singing is, which always confused me because their voices are nearly indentical. A lot of hardcore Genesis fans really hate this song, but only because Phil Collins wrote it, really.
The Battle of Epping Forest: A rather epic but comical track once again dealing with the main theme of the album, the story dipicts an epic battle (in this case between two rival gangs) which is kinda similar to what King Crimson did 3 years earlier with Lizard, and what Yes did 2 years later with Gates of Delirium. This is a very frantic piece, and is basically a suite of sorts. This song is very all over the place, with some rather random lyrics, and Gabriel playing different "characters", changing his voice and accent througout the song. Including some rather hilarious cockey impersonations. A bit silly, but overall still a pretty great song, I love the really bizarre Genesis songs.
After the Ordeal: Fantastic instrumental, and serves as an underture between the 2 suites on this album. Banks and Hacketts piano and guitar interplay is in very good form here.
The Cinema Show: Easly the best track on the album, another suite, but this one is a lot more cohesive, and it's just beautiful. The song is about a modern day Romeo & Juliet, and theres a bit of a sexual (as well as mystical, with references to Greek mythology) undertone here. It opens with some lovely acoustic guitars played by both Hackett and Rutherford, and some of the most wonderful vocals Gabriel has ever done. This song has many gorgeous moments, including some interplay between the classical guitar and Gabriels flute, soon the song kicks off into a mind blowing synthathon, seriously some of the best use of a synthesizer EVER, some great drumming by Phil too.
Aisle of Plenty: A short song, which makes a return to a recurring melody that appeared in Moonlit Knight and again in Cinema Show, a very stripped down piece and a great closer for the album.
Overall I easly consider this to be the best Genesis album, though some prefer the followup Lamb Lies Down on Broadway from 74, which was basically a rock opera in the vein of Tommy and The Wall. As great as it was, IMO the music is not quite as good and the story is a bit hard to grasp, Genesis were at their prime with this album, and it was probably that realization that this as well as Lamb could never be topped among other things that inspired Gabriel to leave the band and pursue a solo career, where he evolved from avant rock to eventually the blue eyed soul and pop he would become famous for.
Genesis unfortunately have become a laughing stock nowadays, they are more known for their evolution into a pop act when Phil took over and for sinking so low as to do dumb novelty songs like Illegal Alien and We Can't Dance than when they made truly epic albums like this. Which is a shame.
[YOUTUBE]SD5engyVXe0[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]y1tFQMjc-IE[/YOUTUBE]
This thread is so I can review the different prog albums in my collection. I'll skip anything King Crimson because of my other thread, and anything Floyd cuz their albums have been reviewed to death already.
I'll start with a classic.
Selling England By The Pound - Genesis - 1973
Personell:
Peter Gabriel - Lead vocals, Percussion, Flute, Oboe.
Steve Hackett - Electric and Classical Guitar.
Phil Collins - Drums, Percussion, Backing vocals, Leading vocals on "More Fool Me".
Tony Banks - KeyboarRAB, Piano, 12 String Guitar.
Mike Rutherford - Bass, 12 String Guitar, Electric Sitar.
After pretty much ruling rock music since 1971, things started looking rough for prog in 1973, while Pink Floyd and ELP were enjoying the peak of their popularity, Yes's Tales From Topographic Oceans, King Crimson's Lark's Tongue in Aspic and Jethro Tull's A Passion Play, three incredibly ambitious albums at the time, had critics worrying that prog was turning into a monster that could not be tamed. Thankfully there was Genesis, who after struggling to make a name for themselves with their first two albums and having yet to reach the popularity of Yes, KC, Jethro Tull or ELP, finally found success with 1972's Foxtrot, and this followup is widely considered to be Genesis's magnum opus. Genesis had something that most other prog banRAB lacked, a great lyricist in Peter Gabriel (though everyone wrote lyrics for the first 5 Genesis albums) with some brilliant lyrical concepts that could rival that of Roger Waters, but unlike Waters, Genesis was less concerned with sharing personal demons and a lot more with just telling stories. Plus every member showed they were capable of writing great songs on their own. Typical of prog, this is a concept album of sorts, the theme here mostly has to do with the evolution of English society and culture, and compares modern England to it's rather romanticized past, along with some mythological elements, for that extra progginess.
But what really makes this a great album is the music, not as edgy as King Crimson, as electic as Yes or as flashy as ELP. Genesis tended to deal with more romantic and satirical themes. And their music often reflects this, Genesis were less concerned with making weird noises and trying to outdo each other on their instruments. To them, atmosphere was key.
Dancing With the Moonlit Knight: Great opener, starts off very simple with Gabriel singing some pretty acapella, soon accomplied by acoustic guitar, then some lovely piano, and eventually the bass and drums. This track deals with the main concept most directly, but the real highlight is it's constant yet natural change of pace and mood, it starts out soft and gentle, with everything coming together, it soon takes off to the explosive chrous, with Gabriel shouting to "follow on", and so the song does, with Banks' growling synths and Hackett shredding it up with a totally kickass guitar solo, the song goes back and forth and eventually enRAB with a ridiculously beautiful accompliment of acoustic guitar, mellotron and flute.
I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe): Genesis throughout their existence have always been known for their quirky often absurdist sense of humor, which really shows in this song, I think it's about lawnmowers, or something. It's a very poppy song, and kinda forshadows the direction the band would eventually take post Gabriel. No surprise that this was the banRAB first hit single.
Firth of Fifth: One of the real highpoints of the album, I still don't quite know what it's actually about, but it's such an amazing piece of music it dosen't matter. It begins with some gorgeous piano by Banks leading up to a great epic. The real high point is the sudden piano break, kicking off the mid section, which begins with a flute solo by Gabriel, then a piano solo and then a synth solo by Banks, and finally a heartwrenching guitar solo by Hackett. Truly an amazing piece of prog brilliance.
More Fool Me: The sole track that was primarly written and sung by Collins, not bad for an early song by the chap who would eventually take over the band, poke fun of ol' Phil all you want, this is a nice if not particularly great track. Some wonderful acoustic guitar. You know, a lot Genesis fans talk about how great a singer Gabriel is and how horrible Collins' singing is, which always confused me because their voices are nearly indentical. A lot of hardcore Genesis fans really hate this song, but only because Phil Collins wrote it, really.
The Battle of Epping Forest: A rather epic but comical track once again dealing with the main theme of the album, the story dipicts an epic battle (in this case between two rival gangs) which is kinda similar to what King Crimson did 3 years earlier with Lizard, and what Yes did 2 years later with Gates of Delirium. This is a very frantic piece, and is basically a suite of sorts. This song is very all over the place, with some rather random lyrics, and Gabriel playing different "characters", changing his voice and accent througout the song. Including some rather hilarious cockey impersonations. A bit silly, but overall still a pretty great song, I love the really bizarre Genesis songs.
After the Ordeal: Fantastic instrumental, and serves as an underture between the 2 suites on this album. Banks and Hacketts piano and guitar interplay is in very good form here.
The Cinema Show: Easly the best track on the album, another suite, but this one is a lot more cohesive, and it's just beautiful. The song is about a modern day Romeo & Juliet, and theres a bit of a sexual (as well as mystical, with references to Greek mythology) undertone here. It opens with some lovely acoustic guitars played by both Hackett and Rutherford, and some of the most wonderful vocals Gabriel has ever done. This song has many gorgeous moments, including some interplay between the classical guitar and Gabriels flute, soon the song kicks off into a mind blowing synthathon, seriously some of the best use of a synthesizer EVER, some great drumming by Phil too.
Aisle of Plenty: A short song, which makes a return to a recurring melody that appeared in Moonlit Knight and again in Cinema Show, a very stripped down piece and a great closer for the album.
Overall I easly consider this to be the best Genesis album, though some prefer the followup Lamb Lies Down on Broadway from 74, which was basically a rock opera in the vein of Tommy and The Wall. As great as it was, IMO the music is not quite as good and the story is a bit hard to grasp, Genesis were at their prime with this album, and it was probably that realization that this as well as Lamb could never be topped among other things that inspired Gabriel to leave the band and pursue a solo career, where he evolved from avant rock to eventually the blue eyed soul and pop he would become famous for.
Genesis unfortunately have become a laughing stock nowadays, they are more known for their evolution into a pop act when Phil took over and for sinking so low as to do dumb novelty songs like Illegal Alien and We Can't Dance than when they made truly epic albums like this. Which is a shame.
[YOUTUBE]SD5engyVXe0[/YOUTUBE]
[YOUTUBE]y1tFQMjc-IE[/YOUTUBE]
DJ Warp Shadow
New member
I feel I have a beef to pick with classic prog.
Surely, the music is no longer progressive when banRAB release similar albums over and over again.
Great technique and high concepts, doesn't mean the musics progressive.
But then again, it probably more a tag for the style rather than the nature....oh well
Surely, the music is no longer progressive when banRAB release similar albums over and over again.
Great technique and high concepts, doesn't mean the musics progressive.
But then again, it probably more a tag for the style rather than the nature....oh well
www.banefury.co.nr
New member
Looking forward to this thread. I am hoping you are going to put some Krautrock in here, since I think that qualifies as prog, right?
FairyScarlet
New member
^^^^^^^
Good call on that one and then maybe this one:
Good call on that one and then maybe this one:
twilight fan11
New member
impression from a mad man:
1. I youtubed it up and thought "a prog song that 3 and a half minutes? Who knew!!!!!
2. I started listening to the song, thinking it was an intro, turns out the intro is 3:24 long.
3. This song is what happens when Greensleeves has sex with Incense and Peppermints by the Strawberry Alarm Clock. Its kid clearly got moms genes...and more is gross looking. Thank god Greensleeves got drunk off mead, no?
4. in the right mood I'm sure it would be fine, but honestly its way too 60's for me, and not the cool kind. I didn't hear any of the influences you suggested in there. Give me another one????????
1. I youtubed it up and thought "a prog song that 3 and a half minutes? Who knew!!!!!
2. I started listening to the song, thinking it was an intro, turns out the intro is 3:24 long.
3. This song is what happens when Greensleeves has sex with Incense and Peppermints by the Strawberry Alarm Clock. Its kid clearly got moms genes...and more is gross looking. Thank god Greensleeves got drunk off mead, no?
4. in the right mood I'm sure it would be fine, but honestly its way too 60's for me, and not the cool kind. I didn't hear any of the influences you suggested in there. Give me another one????????