Thoughts about GTR

[fraroc]

I actually really like them. I always found that 80s pop/AOR that came from 70s prog musicians is just superb. Which is the reason why I love synth era Rush and 90125 is one of my favorite Yes albums. When The Heart Rules The Mind is one of my favorite AOR songs, It's very catchy, I LOVE the synth guitar parts from both Hackett and Howe, and Max Bacon's vocals on that album really remind me of Dennis DeYoung's. In fact, some people have actually told me that when they first heard When The Heart Rules The Mind when it first came out and thought that Styx had gotten back together :)

 

It is a shame that Steve Hackett has always talked shit about this project, because it was really good. However, I do think their Achilles Heel was the live setting. GTR's initial appeal was the fact that even though it sounded like they had a keyboardist, those sounds were actually synth guitars. However while the 80s MIDI and synth technology was booming, it was also unreliable. The synth guitars would break down all the time and they had to get a keyboardist to tour with them, rendering the whole "synth guitar" shtick null and void.

 

All in All, I think they were a great band and are way too hated by prog elitists.

[J2112YYZ]

Has no clue who GTR is...

 

Looks them up on google...

 

Doesn't have the slightest interest in them.

Edited July 16, 2018 by J2112YYZ

[Rod in Toronto]

Steve Hackett doesn't talk sh*t about GTR, it just didn't take off the way he and Steve Howe wanted/needed it to. And he still plays "When the heart rules the mind" these days.

[Relayer2112]

GTR had no prayer of continuing. The two Steves would never have been able to co-exist for the long haul (or even the slightly longer than short haul).

 

Also, the music sucked. Hearing Steve Hackett borrow one of his own instrumentals for the GTR album was all I needed to hear.

 

I'm sure they were hoping for an "Asia" type response to the music which, thankfully, didn't happen. GTR was purely a cash grab which backfired.

Edited July 16, 2018 by Relayer2112

[stoopid]

This thread seems like deja vu... maybe it was an Asia thread I'm thinking of.

 

Asia was a much better supergroup.

[custom55]

Never had an interest in the band.

[Rod in Toronto]

I love this song - he performed it when I saw him in Toronto. BUT...but...I think there are some pre-recorded vocals there. You be the judge:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDpwZ3O9XUQ

 

I like the breakdown of "seasons will change...you must move on...follow your dreeeeeams...", and Jonas Reingold's awesome bass is a major plus in this version.

Edited July 16, 2018 by Rod in Toronto

[fraroc]

Also, the music sucked.

 

NO U SUCK

 

 

 

Anyway you do have a point though. Apparently both Steves ended up hating each other after their only tour was over.

Edited July 16, 2018 by fraroc

[fraroc]

I love this song - he performed it when I saw him in Toronto. BUT...but...I think there are some pre-recorded vocals there. You be the judge:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDpwZ3O9XUQ

 

I like the breakdown of "seasons will change...you must move on...follow your dreeeeeams...", and Jonas Reingold's awesome bass is a major plus in this version.

 

It doesn't sound like he lip synced at all, however I do think that they might have borrowed some samples during the choruses. There are times it did sound like Max was singing.

[Relayer2112]

Also, the music sucked.

 

NO U SUCK

 

 

 

Anyway you do have a point though. Apparently both Steves ended up hating each other after their only tour was over.

 

I never knew that there was any animosity between them. I do remember an interview where Steve Hackett said he was disappointed.with management for letting them get into serious financial trouble.

 

I always assumed that there would have been enough musical differences between them to the point of where they wouldn't get along. It could only have continued if that album performed fantastically on the charts and they were raking in enough dough to put aside their differences.

[Relayer2112]

I literally just listened to the GTR album for the first time in (let's see, it came out in '86, so I haven't listened to it in) 30+ years and I stand by my "it sucked" review.

 

The music could have been passable if they hadn't put that advert in melody maker for "Wanted: Completely soulless singer with a good set of pipes".

 

I'm not sure I can forgive Hackett for stealing his own instrumental...It bothered me doubly upon my re-listen today. I guess he figured that nobody would notice given his solo album sales. To be honest, I believe that Steve Howe's instrumental piece was regurgitated from somewhere else also.

[fraroc]

I literally just listened to the GTR album for the first time in (let's see, it came out in '86, so I haven't listened to it in) 30+ years and I stand by my "it sucked" review.

 

The music could have been passable if they hadn't put that advert in melody maker for "Wanted: Completely soulless singer with a good set of pipes".

 

I'm not sure I can forgive Hackett for stealing his own instrumental...It bothered me doubly upon my re-listen today. I guess he figured that nobody would notice given his solo album sales. To be honest, I believe that Steve Howe's instrumental piece was regurgitated from somewhere else also.

 

I thought the vocals were fantastic on this album. It's too bad that Max Bacon left the music industry, because I fully believe he should be the one fronting Styx right now.

 

[Relayer2112]

I literally just listened to the GTR album for the first time in (let's see, it came out in '86, so I haven't listened to it in) 30+ years and I stand by my "it sucked" review.

 

The music could have been passable if they hadn't put that advert in melody maker for "Wanted: Completely soulless singer with a good set of pipes".

 

I'm not sure I can forgive Hackett for stealing his own instrumental...It bothered me doubly upon my re-listen today. I guess he figured that nobody would notice given his solo album sales. To be honest, I believe that Steve Howe's instrumental piece was regurgitated from somewhere else also.

 

I thought the vocals were fantastic on this album. It's too bad that Max Bacon left the music industry, because I fully believe he should be the one fronting Styx right now.

 

In my opinion, he had a great voice, but no feel for the music. In his case, the great voice didn't make him a great singer. That being said, he'd be perfect for Styx :)

[ytserush]

Have both the album and the live King Biscuit release. Never saw them live. Opted for seeing Emerson Lake and Powell instead.

 

I like the album and still listen to it sometimes (listen to the live album more though) Only problem with it is the thin production but that was pretty much how things were done then. I kind of see them as "Asia lite" and unfortunately the record label interfered quite a bit. Supposedly it was supposed to sound a lot different. But I still like it for what it is. The vocals are pretty distinctive.

 

Geoff Downes produced the record which I always thought was kind of amusing.

[Jaminbenb]

Album was interesting, I would have liked to hear the "harder" mix that Jonathan Mover talked about in an interview I remember reading...he said it was a BIT more "prog" than what they released.

[ytserush]

Album was interesting, I would have liked to hear the "harder" mix that Jonathan Mover talked about in an interview I remember reading...he said it was a BIT more "prog" than what they released.

 

I haven't gotten hold of any of it, but the band's vision of what they wanted released was somewhat different than the album that was released. It's pretty solid the way it came out but a lot of potential was left on the cutting room floor.

[Jaminbenb]

Album was interesting, I would have liked to hear the "harder" mix that Jonathan Mover talked about in an interview I remember reading...he said it was a BIT more "prog" than what they released.

 

I haven't gotten hold of any of it, but the band's vision of what they wanted released was somewhat different than the album that was released. It's pretty solid the way it came out but a lot of potential was left on the cutting room floor.

 

I'm sure.... The "powers" wanted it to be more accessible to the masses, but the band wanted it a little more "fun"....

 

Apparently Robert Berry has released a new cd 3.2 that has stuff they were setting up for a second album. (Stuff he and Keith Emerson were working on) I need to find that one!

[ytserush]

Album was interesting, I would have liked to hear the "harder" mix that Jonathan Mover talked about in an interview I remember reading...he said it was a BIT more "prog" than what they released.

 

I haven't gotten hold of any of it, but the band's vision of what they wanted released was somewhat different than the album that was released. It's pretty solid the way it came out but a lot of potential was left on the cutting room floor.

 

I'm sure.... The "powers" wanted it to be more accessible to the masses, but the band wanted it a little more "fun"....

 

Apparently Robert Berry has released a new cd 3.2 that has stuff they were setting up for a second album. (Stuff he and Keith Emerson were working on) I need to find that one!

 

Not sure if I'd get that one or not. It's just Berry. Emerson or even Palmer don't play on it. Guess I haven't made up my mind on that yet.

[Jaminbenb]

Album was interesting, I would have liked to hear the "harder" mix that Jonathan Mover talked about in an interview I remember reading...he said it was a BIT more "prog" than what they released.

 

I haven't gotten hold of any of it, but the band's vision of what they wanted released was somewhat different than the album that was released. It's pretty solid the way it came out but a lot of potential was left on the cutting room floor.

 

I'm sure.... The "powers" wanted it to be more accessible to the masses, but the band wanted it a little more "fun"....

 

Apparently Robert Berry has released a new cd 3.2 that has stuff they were setting up for a second album. (Stuff he and Keith Emerson were working on) I need to find that one!

 

Not sure if I'd get that one or not. It's just Berry. Emerson or even Palmer don't play on it. Guess I haven't made up my mind on that yet.

 

I got it, not a bad disc. I think the music was stuff that Emerson was working on with Berry at one point. Berry just did everything himself.

[ytserush]

Album was interesting, I would have liked to hear the "harder" mix that Jonathan Mover talked about in an interview I remember reading...he said it was a BIT more "prog" than what they released.

 

I haven't gotten hold of any of it, but the band's vision of what they wanted released was somewhat different than the album that was released. It's pretty solid the way it came out but a lot of potential was left on the cutting room floor.

 

I'm sure.... The "powers" wanted it to be more accessible to the masses, but the band wanted it a little more "fun"....

 

Apparently Robert Berry has released a new cd 3.2 that has stuff they were setting up for a second album. (Stuff he and Keith Emerson were working on) I need to find that one!

 

Not sure if I'd get that one or not. It's just Berry. Emerson or even Palmer don't play on it. Guess I haven't made up my mind on that yet.

 

I got it, not a bad disc. I think the music was stuff that Emerson was working on with Berry at one point. Berry just did everything himself.

 

I've never been a huge Berry fan. I liked him in the first 3 album, but I can't say I've really enjoyed much else. What I've heard from 3.2 sounds OK. But I haven't really dug a lot of his work, I still wonder what he was thinking with that Mission cover.