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cygnify

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Posts posted by cygnify

  1. Tough to order, but new music that I bought this year that I really loved:

     

    * Porcupine Tree - Closure / Continuation

    * Red Hot Chili Peppers - Unlimited Love

    * Red Hot Chili Peppers - Return of the Dream Canteen

    * Frank Zappa - Zappa 88 The Last US Show

    * Michael Akerfeldt - CLARK Soundtrack

    * Meshuggah - Immutable

    * The Aristocrats - with the Primuz Orchestra

    * King Crimson - KC at 50 film and Deluxe edition with 4 CD

    * King's X -Three Sides of One

    * The Pineapple Thief - Give it Back

    * TOOL - Opiate2

    * The Beatles - Revolver remix/remaster

    * Pink Floyd - Animals remix/remaster

    * RUSH - Moving Pictures Anniversary with new 81 show!

    • Like 2
  2. 4 hours ago, zepphead said:

    I have only ranked the Tull albums up to the point were I pretty much quit buying them any more (there are a couple of ok later ones but they would all be lower than these ones in my rankings)

     

    1. Thick As A Brick
    2. Aqualung
    3. Songs From The Wood
    4. Minstrel In The Gallery
    5. Living In The Past
    6. Heavy Horses
    7. Benefit
    8. Stand Up
    9. A Passion Play
    10. This Was ....... really a different sounding band but still important in the Tull history
    11. Stormwatch
    12. Too Old To Rock n Roll
    13. War Child
    14. The Broadsword And The Beast
    15. A

     

    I'd concur with most of that.  Though I would say that the only "post A" album I liked was Roots to Branches.  Has some moments; though the sound is very dated.  Saw Ian perform a couple years ago.  He was voice was.... not good.  (and that is the nicest possible way I can put that.)  The current idea of Jethro Tull is an abomination.  IMHO, it is not Tull without Martin Barre (who, btw, still puts on shows that are vastly superior to what is now called the Tull band.)

    • Like 3
  3. 1982 MTV

     

    I was 12, had an interest in playing the drums.  My parents had just gotten cable TV the year before.  I spent a good bit of that summer watching the wide variety of early MTV vids.  At school, some friends all talked about Rush.  One went with his older brother to see them (Carrier Dome, Signals tour.)  Then I saw the videos on MTV  - mostly the ESL videos, Subdivisions, and Countdown.  They also had the midnight showings of Exit Stage Left. I was captivated by the drums and the whole atmosphere that they created - unlike all that pop crap that my sister listened to!  (around that point in time, I did discover lots of other bands, Zep, Floyd, Yes, etc.)  For my birthday that year, one friend got me Moving Pictures, another (the one that went to the show) got me 2112.  I convinced my parents to allow me to take drum lessons and I played in my Middle school band. The following Xmas, my parents got me a small kit. I advanced quickly - really inspired by the Professor. My friends noted that I could air drum very accurately to all of MP (it would be years before I could actually do that on a kit!)  I auditioned for the high school bands and got into the top school groups.  I also started my own rock band (one of the first primitive songs we played was "No one at the Bridge";  our repetoire soon expanded!)  In the Fall of 84, I finally got to see my first Rush show - P/G tour at the Glens Falls (NY) Civic center.  By my sophomore year of HS, my band had pulled an upset victory in the Battle of the Bands - part of our encore set included "What You're Doing".   My Neil infatuation hit full stride - subscribing and absorbing every issue of modern drummer, building my album collection (to all of them!) Started collecting anything and everything Rush.  I wanted to play and look like them.  My band continued through HS  and then new bands during college....at that time, I wrote a letter to Neil via Modern Drummer in 1988; and to my delight, Neil responded to me with a postcard (did this again in 94; both of which are framed and hang above my desk.)  After school, my career started in Florida and I had some money to travel to see shows (and I did - 12 on TFE tour! and obtained a pair of sticks from Larry Allen on the Cp tour) Met some like-minded musicians, wrote and recorded demos, got some record label interest (but never "made it"), got my own little column in Modern Drummer magazine, etc. Met my wife through a band-mate.  Now I'm 52; some 49 shows under my belt, the music engrained in my brain, a lifetime of memories, and my semi-pro career in music continues; all inspired by those early viewings of Rush on MTV...

    • Like 9
  4. On 12/4/2022 at 12:14 PM, bluefox4000 said:

     

    Chips in the head.  and it'll be ANNOYING.  loud ads will just play in your head at random moments all day

     

    lol......i really see it happening.

     

    Mick

     

    This kinda happened in a way - a few years ago when Apple forced the new U2 album upon Itunes users.  I don't follow their news, but I use(d) my iPhone for "mixes" which I would synch to Itunes.  One morning out for a walk, listening to my carefully curated prog rock collection on my phone and all the sudden there's this other song....  WTF is that doing on there?!!?  Yeah, they actually snuck it on there and it showed as a "purchase" (even though it was free) and contaminated my collection....  (not that I don't like U2, but it's not what I chose to be listening to....)  Really pissed me off; felt like I couldn't even control what was on my phone.

     

    In regards to the OP, I am a dinosaur in every way.  I still buy physical copies of my most favorite bands.  I don't have a turntable - so it usually ends up being CDs & Bluray 5,1 mixes.  (I know I'm even more a dinosaur for just having 5.1 and not Atmos....)  I think I purchase about ~20 CD/BR per year lately; a large percentage of those are reissue. Rarely a new band crosses my radar that inspires a purchase - it does happen a few times a year.  I digitize them and have them on Itunes and my phone for travel and convenience.  Not a fan of spotify on multiple levels (for quality, I'd probably go for Tidal; but still I prefer curating my own collection and playlists and controlling the quality, etc.)   What is the future?  Most certainly not what I listen to or how I listen to it (I have 3 sons that love to tease me "wasn't Jim Morrison the drummer in Pink Zeppelin?"  All spotify users.  Almost couldn't name a single artist.  The eldest is starting to come around though...  I think I planted enough seeds for decent music; lol)

    • Like 1
  5. 10 minutes ago, Todem said:

    I sit here and hope and pray they realize how successful the new album is with their fanbase and find it in their hearts to do a full second North American Leg and come anywhere.....anywhere in Florida. 

     

    Please!!!!

     I hear you man; that said, I bit the bullet and made a trip to LA for the show at the Greek a couple weeks back (Stoopid was there too; hey man, we missed the chance to meet up!)  I had the added bonus of hanging with a couple friends in the biz out there and seeing some family too - but regardless, it was worth it for the show alone.  Exceeded my expectations, on every level; the performance, sound, setlist, ambience, venue, comradery. it was one of those magic shows. Didn't hurt that I ran into Simon Phillips (drummer) at intermission.  Maybe you've seen some photos and clips on socials about the Mexico city and Chilean shows...  they appeared to be very much off the chain - huge crowds (maybe 3x what was in LA) and typically way more into it than American crowds.  Maybe that would persuade Steven to continue some with PT - but honestly, the feeling that I got from the show (in particular during the first of the encore songs), and from Steven's book, is that this was very likely all there will be.  Steven's just too into his solo progression and doing different things - certainly different than what anyone else wants (while I would much prefer another PT album & tourfrom what I have been hearing, his next solo disc will be alot more interesting than his last - for me, it would have to be, in order for me to have any interest in it at all...) That said, Steven said "PT's done" before (2011) and here we are.  So, anything can happen - but IF it were to come to pass, my guess would be it would be another future album and tour AFTER his next solo album (which is already largely recorded and he's eager to get it out there...) So maybe in 2024?  Even then, I heard some interview with Gavin slagging on some their past shows in Florida as being poorly attended; which makes me scratch my head because Steven had filled the venues he booked when he came; I think PT would easily pull in more people now.  Heck, PT basically had a full house at the House of Blues in 2007 here, what does he think, they don't fill arenas anywhere in NA.  The show in LA was well attended, but not sold out (I'd estimate 5000 max).  When Gavin was in Orlando with The Pineapple Thief, they played a venue that holds ~1250 and maybe was ~2/3 full (if even). I don't think they were playing any much bigger shows in the US. So, anyway, I don't really get his comment (though it does seem Florida gets passed up on alot of tours; even tough I see crowds at many shows. Maybe Live Nation has some unfavorable deals with venues, etc. 

  6. Old School KX fan here - first saw them on FHL.  So far, I really enjoy the new disc!  I will admit being a little underwhelmed with the first two singles - but really hearing them in the context of the album, they're really good.  As Mr Not stated, it is a very diverse album.  Jerry's songs have their own unique signature and are well represented here.  I really like the heaviness of Doug's  "Swipe Up" and "Flood Pt. 1", and Ty has some great songs too like "Watcher" and "All God's Children"; he's got a few great solos on the disc.  "Nothing But the Truth" is an instant classic for me; very soulful take by Doug.  "Holidays" and "Festival" are also great.  While I like it now, if this is a "grower" I might place it up there with my favorites of theirs.  Certainly, I already like it more than anything since Tapehead.   Definitely benefits from hearing the whole thing in context and given an open mind without unrealistic expectations. It's not going to be "Gretchen" part II nor is it going to totally reinvent their sound.  It's Doug, Ty, and Jerry and it's a really solid effort, with some new sounds, some familiar sounds, and some great hooks.  

    • Like 1
  7. Geddy with one arm around Paul McC and the other around JPJ!!!  (there has to be a picture of that!)

     

    Man, what an incredible show.  Really amazing tribute to Taylor.  His son drummed up a storm too (I joked with a drummer friend "He hits those cymbals like he's not paying for them!")

     

    If I had to pick a drummer to carry on with the Foos though, it would be Josh Freese.  The energy and playing is incredible and I think he would fit.

     

    Not as much energy, but Roger Taylor's son Rufus would be a fitting choice too.  The karma level is crazy.

     

    • Like 2
  8. Yes, Foos are at the end.  I can't find the picture and can't upload here - but the schedule was:

     

    (UK times)

    5:25 pm Wolfgang VH

    5:40 Jeff Buckley Tribute

    5:50 Supergrass

    6:05 Crooked Vultures

    6:25 Pretenders

    6:35 James Gang

    6:50 Violet Grohl and Mark Ronson

    7:00 Brian Johnson and Lars Ulrich

    7:10 Stewart Copeland

    7:25 RUSH

    7:45 QUeen

    8:10 FOO Fighters

    10:30 Strict Curfew and load out

     

    • Like 4
  9. Also interesting to note that in Steven's recently released autobiography, he discusses and lists his albums that he is proud of.  If I recall (gotta find that page) but IA was #1, FoaBP was also on the list, as is C/C.  HCE is there, as is TFB (yuck). He lists last his next solo album (Harmony Codex).  Notably absent were Deadwing, The Incident, all early PT, and The Raven.

  10. On 7/21/2022 at 8:50 AM, Todem said:

    My 4th favorite of all time from them. It get’s better and better with each and every listen. I love every single track. Not a weak song to be had.

     

    My song rankings:

     

    1. Chimera’s Wreck

    2. Harridan 

    3. Never Have

    4. Love in the Past Tense

    5. Rats Return

    6. Of The New Day

    7. Herd Culling

    8. Dignity

    9. Walk The Plank

    10. Population Three

     

    Seriously amazing album. 

     

    Totally agree - though my song ranking would be quite different.  I think Population Three is their best instrumental ever; some of the mellow guitar recalls Opeth, but the arrangement and structure is purely King Crimson.  I love Never Have and Love in the Past Tense, but I get why they didn't totally sit with the main 7 tracks.  Less developed, maybe a little less input from Gavin & Richard (Never Have is really like a SW solo work.)  I LOVE Chimera's Wreck, but there is something that bugs me a little about it - the drums in the intro. As a drummer, I am a card-carrying Gavin fan-boy for life, but I feel that intro is the sloppiest thing he has committed to tape.  I know it was sourced from the original jam with Steven and it's just a little brush (Blasticks) accompaniment to the acoustic thing Steven was doing - but it's just too loose and there are some spurious cymbal hits that bug me. Other than that, the track is pure gold.  However, my current ranking would be:

     

     

    1. Harridan - yeah, it was the first single, but considered with the whole disc, it is just a tour de force and a drumming is phenomenal 

    2. Of The New Day - beautiful, float away song.  Sorta fits the role of "Lazarus" for me; though completely different 

    3. Dignity - Epic. Richard is really the secret weapon on this disc and stepped up the sound design to great effect.

    4. Rats Return - Love the syncopated riff that is throughout nearly the whole tune.  Gavin killing it and Steven has some great melodies he plays against that same riff

    5. Chimera’s Wreck - love all the parts, very proggy, as mentioned above, only thing that bugs me is Gavin's less than precise drumming on the intro.

    6. Population Three - PT's best instrumental; Opethian moments, but structure is totally King Crimson.  This is like "Larks VI" a follow-up to "Level V" from Krim

    7. Herd Culling -  the whole song is better than the initial radio edit released.  Love the dynamics. Surely Gavin suggested the part in 11 in the middle.

    8. Love in the Past Tense - This song has some Gavin influence and a couple little bass riffs that actually remind me of Geddy a bit (the one at the very end sounds like something Ged did on LTTA live)

    9. Never Have - Love this song, definitely recalls Blackfield, and to me feels like more of a SW solo effort that Gavin and Richard played along to.  

    10. Walk The Plank - sort of the electronic experiment of the album, along the approach of SW's The Future Bites.  YET, the reason  I find it INFINITELY more interesting than anything on TFB comes down to one thing: Gavin. I could deal with SW's new electronic direction if he had some interesting formats and inventive musicianship (that was absent on TFB.) From what I've heard about his next solo disc (more adventurous) and the drummer that is recording some tracks for it, it could be a lot more interesting than TFB (that won't be difficult for me! lol) Even as, perhaps, my least fav on the disc - this track has some real charms and I find it stuck in my head often.  There is something challenging about it that I didn't like at first (maybe that 80's electronic influence again) but that I keep listening to trying to figure out what it is.  I kinda wonder if the lyrics "walk the plank" are in regards to Steven's falling out of love with the guitar.    

     

    • Like 3
  11. I LOVE C/C - album of the year thus far (though I am also currently really into Mikael Akerfeldt's Sountrack for Clark, The Aristocrats with the Primuz chamber orchestra and RHCP Unlimited Love); but as much as I love C/C, it is still relatively new and I can't put it above IA, DW, or FoaBP.  I'd rank the PT albums and divide them into tiers:

     

    Masterpieces

    1). Fear of a Blank Planet (& Nil Recurring)
    2.) In Absentia
    3.) Deadwing
    4.) C/C

     

    Excellent
    5.) Stupid Dream
    6.) The Incident
    7.) Lightbulb Sun

     

    Good
    8.) Signify
    9,)  The Sky Moves Sideways

     

    Developmental
    10.) Up The Downstair

    11.) On The Sunday of Life

     

    Only time will tell if C/C will supersede those masterworks that we've had for ~15+ years.

    • Like 2
  12. I actually really like the Weeknd's nostalgic 80's sound on his last release.  He isn't trying to make any social or political commentary (at least not overtly, that might affect his social likes.)  That's fine; it's entertainment.

     

    Roger is clearly talking about his show's artistic aim - which, as I previously commented, is a call to action against alot of the nefarious political forces and evil (queue bass riff in 7/4) MONEY! The tour is called "This is not a Drill". Agree with him or not, he's attempting to do something bigger with his show, and in terms of awareness of human rights abuses, resisting these evils, and activating people to make positive change, etc. So, yeah, it is much more important than just "entertainment". 

     

    I've seen Roger a couple of times previously (and Floyd as well) and something I found funny at one of the previous shows - I think it was when he was doing Dark Side of the Moon - he had a huge inflatable Pig with "f**k BUSH" written on the side of it.  I think this was around the time of the second Gulf war.  I overheard some morons "f**k him, USA, USA" "why does he have to get political".  I wonder if they had ever listened to Roger or Pink Floyd before then - or maybe they just never focused on the words or they weren't smart enough to understand them.  Their message could not have been more clear - from Dark Side to The Final Cut to Amused to Death to Is this the Life We Want?, etc.

     

    I get that some people just want "entertainment"; that's cool, that's fine.  But PF / RW have always been artists, so there's going to be a healthy dose of thought-provoking commentary (for those open to it), Otherwise, others can just be awed at exploding planes and lasers.  

    • Like 1
  13. I get what you're saying - Personally, I've been immersed in ESL since becoming a fan in the early 80's and I've absorbed and learned every note on it.  So, yeah, MP40 is different.  But I love it - to me, YYZ is a more energetic performance, but that also has some minor clams (the types of things that were probably "fixed" on ESL) that make it a more realistic representation of a show on the MP tour.  There are some things I miss (Like the extended gong bass drum riffing on the ESL solo - interesting that he left it out in Toronto, just a few days off from the ESL performance) but I am thrilled to have this "alternate universe ESL"

    • Like 1
  14. They've released a series of these alternate takes  "in-session" at air studios.  Here's the latest one; Harridan.  It lacks some of the touches of the album version, and adds some others (like the piano at the end?),  but very interesting to hear this alternate creation.  I wonder why they did these tracks again in the studio - just alternate takes (though I believe these were recorded several months after the album tracks were done), just for promotion, or perhaps actually re-learning the songs before rehearsals for the live show?

     

    http://youtu.be/V9xuD9cd_Rc

     

    (dang it; how do I get the youtube vid to preview?)

    • Like 1
  15. yeah, certainly comes across as arrogant - but if anyone actually read his comment:

     

    Quote

    There is stuff going on here that is fundamentally important to all of our lives.

     

    I think it's clear he was taking about the artistic and political aim of his show.  Roger's tour is called "This is not a drill".  It is a commentary on the state of the world today and a call to action to make positive change.  The show is designed to make people want to care and do something about it.  Ambitious? Pretentious?  maybe.  But I certainly don't see Drake or the Weeknd creating any sort of social commentary of any depth.  So, IMO, Roger is not wrong.

     

    I'm going to see this show in August; very much looking forward to it!

    • Like 4
  16. I've had a few weeks to listen to this while traipsing around on my vacation...  LOVE IT.  It's amusing to read reviews/blah-blah on various PT forums (reminiscent of here when there was a new Rush release...) some people think it's not PT enough; others think it's too PT. A loud minority trashing it.  Just have to LOL and enjoy it.  The way I see it, Steven wrote like 93% of all PT material, and when he went full time solo, he wrote all of his stuff and tried different things. While the band has made a very clear point that this new material was written together; it is still SW writing and singing and pretty much arranging things into a song.  So, yeah, it's going to be familiar SW and in line with his evolution as a writer.  I think the core of the songs could have been a SW solo album, sorta in the same way that the core of most of PT could have been a SW solo albums - not to dismiss the contributions of Gavin (who is absolutely slaughtering it on C/C) and Richard (who's soundscapes are top notch all over this).  As a SW fan-boy (who did not like TFB at all...), I could imagine Marco Minnemann or Craig Blundell tearing it up on these songs.  As a drummer, I can recognize Gavin's unique drumming voice (or Marco's or Craig's) - any of them could have played on this, but it was Gavin (and superbly so).  I've read that Gavin did come up with the groove in 5 on Harridan, and I'm sure he's responsible for many of the odd-time excursions on the disc (or at least for breaking SW out of the musically-bland predictability he stooped-to on TFB.) Richard's contributions (or at least what I think are his) really shine on this.  Some really nice touches that harken back to IA, LS, DW, and FoaBP. There are some sounds at the beginning of Chimera's Wreck that are similar to those used at the beginning of Arriving Somewhere Not Here.  Population 3 is a really cool instrumental (probably my fav by PT) - the mellow guitar breakdowns make me think Opeth - but the format and parts are very King Crimson.  I could imagine Steven thinking Population 3 as something like Larks Tongues Part VI.  The production is stellar; 5.1 surround mix is superb (I don't think I can listen to Atmos; need a receiver update....)  The deluxe box set is the worst PT/SW has ever produced (Bluray doesn't even have the 3 bonus tracks, which I would agree really complete the disc; photobook is my least favorite art of any PT/SW release, liner notes are sparse, no extra videos or anything. Packaging is thin, and cheap - compared to something like the Anesthetize deluxe package...) Overall, really digging it; I did splurge for a trip to see them out in LA - very much looking forward to seeing this all played live (I wonder if they'll do the 3 bonus tracks live??)

    • Like 2
  17. 17 hours ago, stoopid said:

    Appreciate the head's up.

    Deluxe Edition is now out there; for those waiting for their Deluxe Editions...

     

    I got a note this morning from the "official store" from whom I originally ordered with last November.  They said they have stocking issues and it will be another week wait, maybe.  So, I went over to my old standby, Burning Shed - not only did they have copies of the Deluxe CD/BR set ready to ship, the total price with shipping to the US has now dropped - and it's ~$20 cheaper from BS. The timing isn't important to me due to some travel, but the price was much better and Townsend has a bad reputation with squirrely communication.   So, I cancelled my order with Townsend, and ordered with Burning Shed this morning - and they already have my copy on it's way (insured, etc. to the US).  It'll be at my place sooner and cheaper.

    • Like 1
  18. On 6/20/2022 at 1:07 PM, stoopid said:

    I feel bad for the reviewers, the power they must have over them for not a single copy to trickle out from all those music nerd hands.

     

    Reviewer: "I'd like to review your album, Mr PT."

     

    Mr PT: "Sign here in blood.  Which of your children will you be using as collateral?"

    As of ~ 4 hours ago, the standard (7 song) version has leaked.  This will have to be good enough for the moment, as I'll be getting on a plane tomorrow for a transatlantic flight.

    • Like 1
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