Thanks man, these are the sort of comments I love to hear! Even if they're neagative, they give me an idea whether I'm doing something right or wrong. Okay, these sections are a year old, but it's still great to hear them, and if you continue as US began doing this too, then I should have a pretty decent view of how my journal is seen by two eminently respected posters. It's appreciated, and I think it's only fair I comment, again, on your comments below.
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Originally Posted by Big Ears
More ramblings after reading up to page 12 or so:
13. Alan Parsons - I wasn't aware of Alan Parsons' work without the Project, although I know Eric Woolfson made his own albums. You are right to focus on Ian Bairnson, who, like Nicky Hopkins, is a musician who does not always get the credit he deserves. On the subject of friendly fire, I know a person who was a soldier in the middle-east and he said they feared FF more than the Taliban!
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Alan Parsons' first two solo albums are legendary: "Try anything once" is just amazing and I think you're looking at the review for "On air" there, so you'll see I love that too. Unfortunately, I found "The time machine" to be a big disappointment, with the exception of one track maybe, and his new one, "A valid path", I have not yet listened to although I have it. The APP album released by Woolfson under the title "The Alan Parsons Project that never was", containing unreleased and rejected material, is, to use an Americanism I hate, awesome. I miss that guy.
He was as instrumental to the success and quality of the APP as was Alan himself.
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14. Fleetwood Mac - I liked Fleetwood Mac with Rick Vito and Billy Burnette. They were very good live and included well-known Peter Green material in their set. They are nothing if not adaptable, because even the album without Christine Perfect is pretty good, although Stevie Nicks said she would not make another Fleetwood Mac album without her. Christine Perfect's work with Chicken Shack is worth a listen ( a good sexample is I'd Rather Go Blind).
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Yes! Finally, someone who doesn't lambast Mac without Buckingham. I thought "Behind the mask" was a solid album, but everyone else I've spoken to seems to hate it, for some reason. I also have heard the Legendary Christine Perfect album (had it on vinyl at one stage, may still do: must look) and I've heard her version of "I'd rather go blind". It is great.
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15. Mostly Autumn - I played Passengers a lot when it was released. Again, I got a free copy with a magazine. I almost suggested the new album for the record club.
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Maybe for the next one around. I love MA, have all their stuff and just couldn't get enough of them once I discovered their music. In fact, for about six months, maybe longer, they were ALL I listened to. At all. I had to literally force myself to stop listening to their music exclusively. I have the new one but have not yet listened to it. Come to think of it, I have yet to give "Go well diamond heart" a spin. Check list. Move up list. Done.
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16. Pink Floyd - I am a Pink Floyd fan and a fan of the band without Roger Waters. There are those of us who do not think they missed him at all. On the other hand, Rick Wright was essential to the sound of Pink Floyd and probaby Dave Gilmour's solo work. I love The Division Bell and if you do too, listen to Gimour's Live in Gdansk with Rick Wright. Rick's Wet Dream album is surprisingly good, even though it hit the bargain bins almost immediately after release. I'll stop now, because I could go on and on about Rick's treatment at the hands of Roger Waters.
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I never get that. Why do people divide themselves into camps of "before and after so-and-so left"? It's the same thing with Marillion. I was no fan of Floyd with Syd, but I loved everything from about "Animals" on, and when Roger left, not only did I continue to listen to Floyd, I bought his solo CDs, which were all great --- except "Ca ira". That blows. Talk about self-indulgent tripe.
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17. Billy Joel - Agree that the Stranger is him at his best.
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My favourite of his albums by a long way.
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18. ELO - Journalists claimed that Discovery was disco-very or very disco, but it's not as bad as they implied. I have got Out of the Blue, but I am a really a fan of the late Move and early ELO. California Man and 10538 Overture were among my first ever records.
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I think it was Richard Tandy who actually said that, and when you listen to it in that context, yeah it is quite disco. But I still love it. One of my first ever albums. I also love the older stuff, back to about "On the third day", though if I had to pick a favourite it would probably be "El Dorado" or "Out of the blue", hard to choose between those two.
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19. Boston - Third Stage was the last proper Boston album. Their first was close to perfect, so it was difficult to follow, but Don't Look Back rewards persistence. Brad Delp has a glorious voice and, in my opinion, is the best American rock singer.
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Boston would never, and will never, equal the debut, but "Third stage" was certainly better than "Don't look back". I wasn't too impressed with their albums after that though: there's a mini-review of "Corporate America" in my "Bitesize" journal, if you're interested. Oh, and sadly that should of course be Brad Delp WAS the best American rock singer, which I would certainly agree with.
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20. Trollheart's Handy Guide to Twentieth Century Music Technology - Another great idea and epic in its ambition!
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Ha ha! Thanks! Just thought, I'm nearing 50 and some of this tech I talk about in my journal might be confusing the younger readers --- a tape? What's a tape? So I thought why not?
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21. Judy Tzuke - I like the Secret Agent album (1998), which contains Bully, but I have not been able to track it down.
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I'm PM it to ya! Glad to meet another Judie fan!
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22. Molly Hatchet - Great album. The current version of the band is disappointing.
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This is kind of the only MH album I know, so can't comment there. Love that southern rock though!
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23. Fairyland - The name reminds me of Pink Fairies and Pretty Maids. They were good too.
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Yeah, can you believe a metal band took that name?
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24. Phil Lynott - His last band, Grand Slam, were underrated for some reason. There were no limits to what he could have acheived had he lived.
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Sadly missed, both with Lizzy and solo.
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25. Y&T - The Black Tiger title-track has one of the all time great intros.
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I prefer "Forever", of course, but then that title track opener you're referring to is "From the moon", isn't it? Which is basically the intro to "Forever". So we're all happy!
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26. Millenium - You said you were a spelling Nazi. Me too, unless I'm making the error of course - and then it's down to mis-typing!
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I try not to misspell, even looking up words if I'm unsure. But I certainly would not use a spell checker!
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Previously, I got muddled with the track Credo from the album Internal Exile. Shapes That Go Together by A-ha was not on an album, but appeared on a couple of later compilations. It was released around the same time as Pink Floyd's Keep Talking from The Division Bell.
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Ah, "Internal exile"! Excellent album, I of course have it. Must be nearly time for a new one, no?
Again, thanks for the comments. Keep reading, and keep em coming. It's great to hear your views.
TH
