Proggies rejoice! UK 2011 Reunion (+ a black Victory on a badly lit stage)

uwe · April 26, 2011, 06:10:07 AM

You're harsh. All "Nothing to Lose" did was anticipate the Asia sound. Seven million buyers of that debut album can't be wrong. Thinking man's Air Supply.

Freuds_Cat · April 26, 2011, 07:46:38 AM

Quote from: uwe on April 26, 2011, 06:10:07 AM
Thinking man's Air Supply.

I'm still choking on my hot chocolate after that comment

Barklessdog · April 26, 2011, 08:59:02 AM

QuoteThe best bass sound he has ever achieved is on King Crimson's "Live in Zurich 1973". Just listen to "Easy Money" from that. Hiwatt/Precision heaven.

I can agree with that.

Asia, Kansas & Journey - all watered down prog, making it female friendly. That was the end of prog era in my opinion.

uwe · April 26, 2011, 10:53:10 AM

Wimmin' killed prog then sez John.

Down with the feminization of odd meters!!!

gweimer · April 26, 2011, 01:41:53 PM

Quote from: Barklessdog on April 26, 2011, 08:59:02 AM
I can agree with that.

Asia, Kansas & Journey - all watered down prog, making it female friendly. That was the end of prog era in my opinion.

Funny thing is that my daughter LOVES King Crimson. I took her to see them on the Level Five tour, and she's been a fan ever since. She'll even post on FB that she's listening to The Power To Believe. Asia had a couple good songs, but I don't think they've held up that well. I still like Kansas and some Journey. Kansas had a lot of really cool songs.

Pekka · April 26, 2011, 11:51:41 PM

Quote from: Barklessdog on April 26, 2011, 08:59:02 AM

Asia, Kansas & Journey - all watered down prog, making it female friendly. That was the end of prog era in my opinion.

Well, Asia was always pop, just prog musos playing it and there's nothing wrong with that. I just prefer my pop more along the lines of The Beatles, The Move and The Who and their heritage: Rundgren, Big Star, Cheap Trick, Jellyfish, The Posies.

Barklessdog · April 27, 2011, 08:05:28 AM

I remember reading about Phil Collins, you know the Disney Singer (Thats what my kids know him for)?

He said in an interview that with Genesis he grew tired of playing to a predominately male audience, so he wanted to go more pop oriented. All the other bands had girls going to the shows and they got stuck with a male audience.

uwe · April 27, 2011, 08:54:32 AM

Just listening to the new Van der Graaf Generator CD in my car - let me tell you that album won't make huge inroads with a female audience either!!!

Just about the only prog band I can think of which found a gracious response with the better half of mankind is "Meddle-The Wall" era Pink Floyd. Probably due to the warmth Gilmour brings to the music, compensating Waters' bitter twist. Both Edith and her daughter are Floyd diehards (credit where credit's due: Lea even likes Dream Theater) and are already in blissful anticipation for Roger Waters' restaging of his The Wall opus in early June here in Germany. Tickets cost a king's ransom too.

I saw Floyd back in 1977 or 78 when they toured Animals. They came across as incredibly arrogant at the time. They played Animals complete in album sequence, then had a break, continued with Wish you were here, again complete in album sequence, and then did an encore of Money and Time from Dark Side of the Moon. All that without speaking a single (!) word to the audience. No introduction of Snowy White as their second guitarist, no introduction of the sax player, no nothing. What a bunch of snotty conceited brats (they played well though, recreating their albums note-perfect with a little added improvisation, both full album performances clocking in at a little less than an hour each)! The alienation from the audience Waters would later deplore as Pink in The Wall, it was there in loads and bounds that evening.

uwe · April 27, 2011, 11:39:18 AM

Quote from: Barklessdog on April 27, 2011, 08:05:28 AM
I remember reading about Phil Collins, you know the Disney Singer (Thats what my kids know him for)?

He said in an interview that with Genesis he grew tired of playing to a predominately male audience, so he wanted to go more pop oriented. All the other bands had girls going to the shows and they got stuck with a male audience.

Robert Halford never complained about Priest's mostly male audience. A matter of perception probably. Kind of sad as Rob's sartorial style over the years does show some fashion-consciousness and an inborn desire to reinvent oneself which women should feel familiar with.

This is the winner though: Rob's velvet robe from Priest's 1976 tour, Victim of Changes alright!

Freuds_Cat · April 28, 2011, 05:23:38 AM

I've mentioned before my meeting with Rob Halford

I went to see UFO at the Town and Country club in North London (early 90's). I was inside the venue waiting for a mate to turn up. The room was less than half full because it was still early and as I looked over towards the bar I saw a guy I recognised but couldn't place where I knew him from. I'd bumped into so many people that I knew from all over the world while living in London that I figured, what the hell I'd go have a chat. I went up to this bloke and said something like "hey hows it going, how've you been?" He reacted like he knew me and said "yeah really well, hows things with you? Who are you playing with these days?". As it happened I was playing with Terry Ollis from Hawkwind at the time and I replied with this info. We chatted for about 10 mins and he was telling me about the support act Jan Cyrka. I'd just bought his Sitting on Eggs album and Tommy Vance from Greater London Radio was using one of the songs from this album as his theme music. Then I spotted my mate over by the door. I told my new friend it was good to see him again and all the best. As I was walking over to see my mate I figured my new friend must be a friend of Mario's (The singer in the current band who was a close friend of mine) that I'd been introduced to previously. I was trying to remember if he was a singer or a guitarist

As I walked up to my mate he was looking at me like I was painted green with purple dots. He said "um, what the hell were you doing talking to Rob Halford, do you know him?" I felt like a bit of a dickhead at that particular moment of realisation but got over it quickly enough

The best bit was a few years later when I got back to Adelaide and I told this story to my cousin Steve who is a rabid Judas Priest fan. Watching his facial expressions was priceless.

Barklessdog · April 28, 2011, 07:24:28 AM

Best way to meet a celeb, as a person, not an idiot creepy stalker fan.

uwe · April 28, 2011, 09:30:34 AM

Je suis overawed!!! I like Halford's utter Britishness, he'd probably be a great dinner guest.

Up until he asks the question: "Can we go to the cellar now?" that is!

On his last solo album, which is pleasant enough if largely forgettable, there is one song where at least for the intro he discards the banshee "I'm the Metal God" approach for something more laid back. The effect is profound. I'd wish he'd record a whole album like that.

Highlander · April 28, 2011, 05:35:53 PM

Quote from: uwe on April 28, 2011, 09:30:34 AM... I like Halford's utter Britishness, he'd probably be a great dinner guest.

The most disliked accent in the UK...

uwe · April 28, 2011, 06:53:59 PM

You mean his Brummie accent, does he even have one? ("Uwe, they all have Brummie accents there!")

But aren't the Midlands the lap of British Hard Rock and Heavy Metal? Priest, Leppard, Slade, Trapeze, Sabbath ... Even good pop stuff like ELO/Jeff Lynne, The Moody Blues ...

OldManC · April 28, 2011, 08:00:40 PM

I almost feel guilty breaking up the Halford love, but I figured I'd give my 2 pence here. As an LA raised rocker kid I never had much of a taste for the prog stuff. About as close as I got was this album, which was more polished prog pop than King Crimson or ELP, I suppose...