Wow! That was quick, TH. Mine might be a bit late. :shycouch: I agree with your comments, so I do not think mine will be much different.

Yeah well the thing is, I didn't even have to spin the album. I know it so well I could do it all from memory, and after all, I've had about thirty years to digest it, so is the review really that quick after all? ;)

Well, when you put it like that . . .

One thing I find about SEBTP is that lyrically it's terribly dated. I mean, puns that were clever in 1973 are not so now. Who today knows what Green Shield Stamps were? Or what a Wimpy is/was? It's kind of like looking at an old sitcom whose jokes are rooted in the phraseology of the time.

Example: The Young Ones. Mike opens a paper, a load of fruit and stuff falls out. He watches it fall in his lap, looks up at the camera and says "I never knew there was so much in it!" Big laugh, because back then the slogan for the "TV Times" was exactly that. Today, nobody who has not lived through that era will get that.

On the other hand, lyrics in "Trick of the tail" and even "Trespass" still work today, and are still relevant. I'm not saying ALL of "Selling England" is out of date lyrically but a lot of it is.

This is the problem when a band centres itself around a local colloquial lingo for their lyrics, especially if those lyrics are an important aspect to the band. For that reason the band becomes a product of their time and that is exactly what Genesis under Peter Gabriel were. Hell even I had problems remembering what Green Shield Stamps were.

Apparently, American journalists criticised Selling England by the Pound for being too British, which is a bit like criticising The Beach Boys for being too Californian. I like all those little references to supermarkets, in the same way I liked Alice Cooper's references to Kresges and Woolworths, even though we don't have Kresges in the UK. I do remember being a bit perplexed when I Know What I Like became a hit single, without being typical of the band or overtly commercial. People who bought the single were confused by the album, but for progressive rock fans the album was an intricate and detailed piece of work. In a way, this unpredictability was typical of Genesis at the time. Later they released The Carpet Crawlers, amidst plenty of hype, but its curious vocal arrangement was not for the single-buying public.

Something that puzzles me is how the band split after the next album and continued with more straightforward lyrics and vocals. Yet, Peter Gabriel never again used the device of singing in the role of various characters as on The Battle of Epping Forest. His solo style was initially more akin to the single version of I Know What I Like. Either way, I did not care for Genesis without Gabriel, or, for that matter, Gabriel without Genesis (despite the presence of Larry Fast and Tony Levin).

They made some strange decisions in their time. They would not recruit Chester Thompson during the Ray Wilson era, so he never worked for them again.

1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?

"Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" is one of the most archetypal progressive rock tracks from the prog era, the song is multi-dimensional in that everything that the band stood for is displayed on this song for a glorious 8 minutes.

2. What did you think of the opening tracks?

Already mentioned "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" and then the second track "I Know What I Like" really does heighten the listening experience.

3. What did you think of the later tracks?

The later part of the album is not as strong as the opening part of the album and "The Cinema Show" is the strongest track here.

4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions?

What can you say, Peter Gabriel is probably the most influential prog vocalist ever, full of clever puns and idiosyncrasies and I suppose Phil Collins did ok for one song.

5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not?

Genesis are not a band I often put on for some reason but under Gabriel they were probably the most essential prog band around and the band provide that nostalgic English feel of a bygone time.

6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)?

It was an album that took me a number of years to get into back in the 1990s and then everything clicked.

7. What did you think of the lyrical content?

The whole album is based around puns and humour all told in a kind of storybook format.

8. Did you like the instrumental tracks?

It's hard not to like the band's instrumentals and as said only one track is a true instrumental.

9. What did you think of the production?

Crisp and polished with everything highlighted as it should be.

10. How well do you already know the band/artist?

Like most on here very well and also Peter Gabriel's later solo work.

11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to?

Progressive rock without a doubt.

12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?

Listened to it again for this review and I like "Firth of Fifth" more than ever.

13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one?

"Dancing with the Moonlit Knight" "Firth of Fifth" and "The Cinema Show".

14. And the one you liked least?

Might have to agree with Trollheart here and go with "The Battle of Epping Forest" even though I don't dislike the song.

15. Did the fact that this album is a debut allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated?

N/A

16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist?

Know them all very well.

17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one?

Seems to be about short stories and fables told in an eccentric way.

18. Did the album end well?

Yes and I liked "Aisle of Plenty" which kind of played like a reprise of "Dancing with the Moonlit Knight"

19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?

Not really, it's always hard to improve on a classic album.

20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?

Yes and regardless of the subject matter, the album played like a diverse storybook that still had a main gist and feel that gelled the whole thing together.

Overall Album Rating: 9.0 out of 10.

http://www.saxophone.it/vinile/pop_G...he%20Pound.jpg

1.What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?

All that great sweep picking on 'Dancing With The Moonlit Knight', coupled with Gabriel's strident delivery..well, it made a pretty good impression on me as a middle school student, that's for sure!

2. What did you think of the opening tracks?

Some of it was immediate, some of it not, especially on the instrumental side of things. 'Dancing...' is still my favorite from Side A, but it took me a couple run throughs to warm up to 'I Know What You Like...'. Not because it's a bad song, but simply because it seemed a little too twee. 'More Fool Me', though....always liked this one: very CSN&Y-ish despite the fact this is Genesis and not an American westcoast band. :rofl:

3. What did you think of the later tracks?

'The Battle of Epping Forest' has some cool synthwork through, but never really liked it that much as a song. 'The Cinema Show' and 'Aisle Of Plenty' are nice though: love Hackett's guitar work in particular.

4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions?

I was fairly familiar with Peter Gabriel even before SEBTP and always liked his voice and creative delivery, so it wasn't hard to appreciate him here either.


5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not?

As expected of one of the great classic proggles, it did pretty much everything right as far as what I look for.


6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)?

Better I'd say. Even all the years later though, some cuts still haven't grown on me as much as I would have liked.

7. What did you think of the lyrical content?

One of those albums that you really have to study up on if you weren't living in the U.K. in the early 70's: I liked it, but I consider the lyrical content here to be one of the album's biggest weaknesses in a weird sense too.

8. Did you like the instrumental parts?

You betcha. This is a Mellotronner among Mellotrons, not to mention all the glorious interplay. I may not like every song here, but on the instrumental side of things this was definitely Genesis at their peak.

9. What did you think of the production?

Warm, concise and full of depth.

10. How well do you already know the band/artist?

My experiences with Trespass and Foxtrot initially brought me to SEBTP, but I was familiar with the later work too at the time I first heard it.

11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to?

Proto-Brit-pop?

12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?

Neither. I like it for what it is, but my general impression neither improved nor disproved with repeated listens.

13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one?

'The Cinema Show'.


14. And the one you liked least?

A tie between 'The Battle Of Epping Forest' and 'I Know What I Like...'. xD


15. Did the fact that this album is a debut allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was question or put "n/a")

N/A.

16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist?

None left to hear at this point I'm afraid. :tramp:


17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one?

Isn't it all about Scotland? Or wait, maybe it's about Whimpy Burgers or what have you...I just can't decide! xD

18. Did the album end well?

A cacophony of voices, fading out....yeah, me likey'd back then!

19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?

Not really. If it had been changed in any way, it wouldn't be SEBTP: it'd be something else entirely.

20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?

In the same way some people are puzzled over why Close To The Edge by Yes is a masterpiece, SEBTP is one of two Genesis albums (the other being The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway) that I've never been particularly enamored with beyond a few key tracks. That being said, a classic is a classic, and it is a status that this sucka certainly deserved upon release.

Overall Album Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

Don't mean to push you BE but can you get your review up in the next few days if possible? We're way over the two-week time limit and it's time to move on to the next album, which is I think Unknown Soldier's choice.

US, if you want to suggest yours (if it's your turn; I think it is) then we can start listening while waiting for the large-lobed one to get his review of Selling England sorted.

Don't want to rush anyone but we've sort of done Genesis to death now and we do I think need to move on.

Thanks.

In that case I choose the one and only album by supergroup Armageddon, surprisingly entitled Armageddon.

Apologies. I've been away from my computer and broadband. Feel free to carry on without me and I'll catch up. I like the Grammar Police badge, by the way. How do we sign up?

What is it with you and Captain bloody Beyond? ;)

Great band and I know you don't like them;)

Yeah I have to say, listened to that Armageddon album and it was kind of deja vu with the Captain. But that's only the first listen and I wasn't really paying full attention. Maybe after a few more I'll change my mind. I can hear something in there I like, just not sure it's enough to make me like the whole thing. I shall return!

1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?

Classic-era progressive rock albums can be relied upon for their distinctive intros: Pink Floyd famously used a heartbeat sound effect to open the overture, Speak to Me, of their best-selling The Dark of the Moon; In the Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson launches into their most dramatic track, 21st Century Schizoid Man, after Ian McDonald's quiet and eerie reeds intro; ELP's Tarkus fades in on a single note from Keith Emerson's Hammond organ, on a piece appropriately entitled Eruption; and engineer Eddie Offord reversed a tape recording of a piano chord to give Yes's then best known song, Roundabout, its memorable intro on their breakthrough album, Fragile. Dancing With the Moonlit Night gives Selling England by the Pound an equally distinctive and particularly unique introduction to a progressive rock album, with Peter Gabriel's traditional unaccompanied folk-music delivery of, "'Can you tell me where my country lies?' said the unifaun to his true love's eyes." There are also times when Gabriel sounds like the quivering Roger Chapman.

2. What did you think of the opening tracks?

By two-and-a-half minutes, Dancing With the Moonlit Night becomes a riff-based hard rock track, consisting of Tony Banks's synthesizer, Steve Hackett's ahead-of-its-time tapping guitar technique and an eight-piece choir. The song is as close as the album gets to a title track, with its reference to, 'Selling [and digesting] England by the pound.' Puns in the lyrics include, 'Knights of the Green Shield stamp and shout.' Green Shield stamps were part of a supermarket and petrol station loyalty scheme, which one collected, stuck in a book and after many years of collecting, traded for a stainless steel teapot or some such household goods. Green Shield eventually became the Argos catalogue store. Another pun, 'Chewing through your Wimpey dreams,' refers to the, then exotic, food outlets which were opening in central London in the seventies. The track closes on a quiet coda of Banks' masterful mellotron, guitar and flute.

I Know What I Like has a lawnmower sound effect, bongos, surreal lyrics and Beatles-style guitar in combination with a catchy chorus and strong melody driven by Mike Rutherford's Rickenbacker bass. By Genesis's standards the song is commercial to the point that it gave them their first hit single, but semi-spoken references to a first person lawnmower are typical Gabriel eccentricity. It was a perplexing piece when heard on BBC Radio One 247 MW, but now forms a familiar and consolidating part of the album. Track 3, Firth of Fifth, has a Tony Banks's piano intro, which, on an ELP album, would be a Keith Emerson piano movement, that evolves into a slightly sinister marching vocal that cleverly matches the lyrical description of a journey through the English countryside or British landscape. The title is a play on words, as the Firth of Forth is the estuary or 'firth' of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea. Ignore any media criticism of the lyrics - they are wrong. Banks's acoustic piano returns, before a lengthy instrumental of sythesizer, mellotron and Steve Hackett's guitar, which, while sounding a bit like early King Crimson, formed the template for many copyists, including Rush and Marillion.

3. What did you think of the later tracks?

According to the liner notes, The Battle of Epping Forest was inspired by a news story about two rival gangs' territorial battles in the East End of London. Peter Gabriel uses different voices for the various characters in order to tell the story, a device which he had used previously, although the band later claimed that on this occasion he used too many. Certainly they are a distraction from the lyrics and chord changes. Nevertheless, The Battle of Epping Forest is choc-full of ideas. It starts with a military flute and snare drum intro, then develops a dramatic vocal with chunky bass and barroom piano before the aforementioned voices. Banks adds Keith Emerson-style trumpet synthesizer and bubbling organ sounds, while Hackett's open chords pre-date Gordon Giltrap. The latter's closing guitar was later emulated by Steve Howe for Yes's Going For the One re-union.

Cinema Show tells a story like The Beatles' Eleanor Rigby, 'Home from work our Juliet clears her morning meal/ She dabs her skin with pretty smells concealing to appeal/ I will make my bed, she said, but turned to go/ Can she be late for her cinema show?'. As with the Fab Four, few concessions are made in the lyrics to Americanisms, 'Romeo locks his basement flat/ And scurries up the stair/ With head held high and floral tie/ A weekend millionaire.' Father Tiresias is a classical figure who spent time living as a woman, and is a further inspiration from the band's Charterhouse education. Gentle instrumentation, led by acoustic guitar and flute, develops into a beautifully melancholic melody. Many successful bands have lifted ideas from Cinema Show, but none twist and turn on a theme like Genesis. Tony Banks's bubbling ARP solo moves to the fore, similarly to Gabriel's voice on I Know What I Like. Phil Collins's drumming and percussion is superb throughout. The entire track is complex and mellifluous, without any histrionics, and ends on a fading guitar. Seventies progressive rock albums usually had their epic track and Cinema Show is Selling England by the Pound's, in accomplishment if not length.

4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions?

Peter Gabriel is a key part of Genesis. When he left, the band were over as far as I was concerned. Despite the presence of Steve Hackett, I did not like Trick of the Tail at all. When Hackett departed and they became a pop group I was completely disinterested. Phil Collins sings lead on

Phil Collins takes lead vocals on More Fool Me (written by him with Mike Rutherford) and is one of only two songs from the Gabriel era to feature Collins on lead vocals (the other being For Absent Friends from Nursery Cryme). The song foretells Collins's solo career and recalls the Spitting Image 'my wife's left me' satire, in that it is about a man whose 'lady' leaves him. More Fool Me is unusual for Gabriel-era Genesis, or any other seventies progressive rock band, in that it is a love song. In hindsight, the melody is not a million miles from Rutherford's own commercially melodic outlet, Mike and the Mechanics.

5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not?

Steve Hackett's folk guitar introduces his own After the Ordeal, the inclusion of which, according to some sources, was opposed by Banks and Gabriel. It is ironic as Hackett's folk inclinations mirror Gabriel's own and Banks adds a beautiful synthesizer solo. Such disputes with Banks, with whom he worked so well, led to Hackett's departure, spelling the end of their progressive era and ushering in the pop music phase of the eighties. Cinema Show

6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)?

Every time I listen to Selling England by the Pound it gets better.

7. What did you think of the lyrical content?

Tony Banks said they did not know much about love at the time, so they relied on classical influences from their education. Some of the lyrics are characteristically eccentric as on I Know What I Like.

8. Did you like the instrumental parts?

Phil Collins's drumming and percussion are excellent throughout. Mike Rutherford's bass playing is either indistinct, as was so often the case, or it drives the material. Steve Hackett's guitar is excellent as always, but is in the shadow of Tony Banks's outstanding keyboard work. Despite his colleagues' contrbutions and future fame, Selling England by the Pound is Tony Banks's album. His subtle, but never overlooked, and accomplished keyboard playing is constantly emotional, melodic and inspired. Paradoxically, Selling England by the Pound is not 'just' a considerable achievement from Genesis, but is also Tony Banks's finest moment.

9. What did you think of the production?

The production is like that of a folk-rock album. Sometimes Peter Gabriel's vocals and Tony Banks's keyboards sound as if they were recorded separately on louder equipment.

10. How well do you already know the band/artist?

The Peter Gabriel era Genesis were one of the first progressive rock bands I heard, particularly on Nursery Cryme. The Carpet Crawlers was one of the first singles I bought, although not the first, and when I got a CD player, Nursery Cryme was one of the first albums I bought on CD.

11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to?

Progressive rock.

12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less?

Definitely more.

13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one?

I like everything but Cinema Show is possibly my favourite track. The first three tracks are all strong and I have a soft spot for the flawed The Battle of Epping Forest.

14. And the one you liked least?

There is nothing that I do not like, but I am biased against More Fool Me, which predicts Phil Collins's future solo work.

15. Did the fact that this album is a debut/sophomore/middle period or later period allow it, in your mind, any leeway, and if so, was that decision justified or vindicated?

The album is part of their classic period with Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett. It is great, but the fantastic The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway was yet to come.

16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist?

I listened again to Trick of the Tail and still feel disappointed.

17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one?

The concept is revealed through various puns and references, but is never explicit.

18. Did the album end well?

Aislre of Plenty is a short track which serves to make puns from a number of supermarkets, such as Fine Fare, Safeway, Tesco and the Co-operative, as well as references to products like Peek Freans biscuits, Fairy Liquid detergent, Anchor butter and Birds Eye frozen food. Motifs are repeated, so it forms a bookend.

19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved?

In a word, no.

20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss?

The album is cohesive, despite the critics' comments on The Battle of Epping Forest and After the Ordeal (which are incorrect and nonsense repectively). Selling England by the Pound was not Genesis's best album, but it was strong and ironically sold well, while, as I have said, the intense epic The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway was to follow.

Overall Album Rating: 8.5 out of 10.

I'm thinking that this thread needs to be more user friendly not just to us few on here at the moment, but also for any newbies that come here. The problem is not the concept of the club but its execution. Firstly the review system we use is time consuming and should be revamped. How about we just listen to the suggested album and give it a mark out of ten and just a few lines that just take a few minutes to write, instead of the long drawn out process that we have at the moment. That way it becomes a burden to no-one and will be much more fun to use. Therefore we would go through a huge amount of albums a lot quicker.

If this method were used, we could even come up with the novel idea of listening to whole band discographies, or sections of it and hold debates about albums and bands that are quick, interactive and just take a few minutes to write about.

Completely agree with all of this. I think we've spent enough time with the current review system to determine whether or not its ultimately that effective...and I have to say I think we need to rethink it or seriously simplify the structure.

Personally, I think reviews should be structured in 3-4 paragraphs like so:

Paragraph 1: Your initial impressions of an album, singer, the songwriting, etc. If the album has any personal meaning to you, you'd talk about it here.

Paragraph 2: Analysis of album/songs. You can break it down song-by-song or just analyze it generally. This would include lyrical/thematic things you notice, production, interesting song features, etc.

Paragraph 3: Conclusion. What kind of impression did the album leave on you? Would you look into other albums by the same artist? How could the album have been improved, etc. etc.

And then, of course, your 1-10 rating. :wavey:

I'm confused, so I posted my comments on Armageddon as a review in my journal. My feeling, for what it's worth, is that people should comment on an album in a way that suits them, but it's not my thread so what do we do?

I'm going to do a review of Armageddon here in my suggested format tomorrow (or possibly tonight) and see how it looks. Others can follow suit if they'd like. :love:

You can do it how you want, but the idea was to take the burden from those in doing large reviews into a more simpler and quicker form.

Also post your journal entry for it here as well.

I'll try this format as well this week/weekend.

You bastards! I spent time putting that questionnaire together and now you wanna dump it for a fast'n'friendly approach? Meh, do what you want but I think the whole idea of the club is then cheapened if you just fire off quick impressions of the album. I personally thought the questionairre (no, I don't know if it's one n and two rs or the other way round and I'm too tired and lazy to check!) was working. Look at the review Big Ears has done; you want to cut that down to a few paragraphs?

When we started this we were all writing reviews, then the format was settled on to make everything more streamlined and to prevent people (like me) going on for pages and pages. Now you want to go the other way?

Well I must admit it's becoming hard to find the time for the reviews, so maybe you have a point. Perhaps something like I have in "Bitesize"? Damn! I knew I shouldn't have taken on so much work! At the moment I'm writing an entire review of the French horror drama "The returned" as well as putting Metal Week together for my main journal. Plus my sister is pretty sick this week, which obviously takes time away from my writing.

Okay then, let's try it your way, see how it goes. But I'm keeping the league table, of which the latest will be published, er, pretty soon... :shycouch:

Long long ago in a galaxy far far away, there was a shrimpy high school freshman who had grown up with 90's grunge and 80's hair metal, but with the advent of ITunes and online music discovery had gotten into progressive rock. He quickly became fans of the usual suspects -- Pink Floyd, Yes, Camel, Moody Blues, and many others. But every once in awhile he'd come across a gem amidst these discoveries, discoveries which would open even more doors. This self-titled album by supergroup Armageddon was such a release, and even today it holds its own wonderful spot in my collection. I even owned it on vinyl at one point, lol!

In retrospect, I've always felt it was such a shame that Armageddon only managed to stay glued together long enough to record only one album, because it's basically a punchier, more spectacular take on the sound of drummer Bobby Caldwell's main band Captain Beyond. Or perhaps a spacier Led Zeppelin? The guy behind the mic on this particular outing, Keith Relf (of Renaissance and Yardbirds fame) sounds like he was born to be here, whilst former Steamhammer guitarist Martin Pugh serves as the infernal engine that drives the record: his fretwork ranges from a psychedelic roar to mystical acoustics at the drop of a hat.

All of this would be for naught if the songs themselves weren't interesting, but they really are. The first two cuts in particular, 'Buzzard' and 'Silver Tightrope' are a study in perfected contrast: the former is a spastic space-blues rocker that orbits around a meaty, circular little riff whilst 'Silver Tightrope' is a laidback epic of sorts, sporting a gorgeous arrangement and armed to the teeth with an atmosphere straight out of the Yes playbook. Both are masterpieces, but the last three tracks ain't half bad either: we get some of that mid-tempo grooviness so typical of the 70's hard rock world with 'Paths And Planes And Future Gains' and 'Last Stand Before', concluding with a twisty turvy space rock suite called 'Basking In The White Of The Midnight Sun' that comes across as Robin Trower meets Hawkwind, a sonic collision that yields excellent results if I do say so myself. Lots of time changes, guitar solos, Caldwell's cavernous drumming and topped off with some harmonica to boot!

In short, this is a fantastic, rather unique record that felt like a walk back down memory lane as I re-listened to it over the last week. It's reputation as one of the 70's great guitar albums is certainly deserved at the very least, and I appreciate it even more now than I did years ago. Two huge thumbs up! :baseball:

I came across Armageddon several years ago and then wondered why I'd never listened to this album before. This debut album consists of just five songs and they’re certainly lengthy songs at that, with nearly all of them clocking in at more than 8 minutes. I always thought music wise they sounded like a combination of Led Zeppelin and Captain Beyond (no surprise there of course with Bobby Caldwell on board) and any number of progressive rock acts from the decade, but the overall result was that Armageddon ended up sounding distinctly unique! Like most supergroups we have four highly talented individuals on show here and I have to say the guitar work of Martin Pugh might be the pick of the bunch which is a tough choice as all are outstanding here, then there’s Keith Relf’s voice which might not be to everybody’s taste but personally I really dig it! Supergroups have often been clichéd as being self-indulgent and excessive, and Armageddon are no exception to this viewpoint and in fact this album is about as self-indulgent as anything else in the decade!

The album opens with “Buzzard” a pumping heavy track, that is brought to life by its improvisational displays. Second track "Silver Tightrope" is essentially a charming ballad that threatens to beef itself up, but doesn't and drifts through its 8 minutes admirably. "Paths, Planes and Future Gains" one of the best on the album and also the shortest track as well, and it's a dense sounding offering from beginning to end. "Last Stand Before" which is dominated by its bluesy jamming and it's an extremely catchy song and the nearest the band actually get to sounding like Led Zeppelin. But it's the album closer the multi-suite “Basking in the White of the Midnight Sun” which all smacks of 1970s excess especially with its lengthy jamming sessions, time changes and punctuated guitar riffs that all have a space rock feel to them. This album might not be a bona-fide classic, but it's nearly there and it's very much a cult classic and should be dusted off as its a true treasure.

Sorry guys for being so late, but I've so much on at the moment, what with the Marillion Story to write, plus my journals and of course preparing for Metal Month, trying to listen to and review at least two new metal albums a day. It's taking it all out of me!

I'll get my review up asaic but if in the meantime you want to move on to the next one don't let me hold yaz up, I'll catch up!

Thanks!
Troll

I'm not surprised with the amount of journals that you have, remember it's quality over quantity and we don't want you burning out on us.

So I'm next again? If so, I shall once again offer two choices. :)

Guys, if you haven't already figured it out, I'm going to need to take a sabbatical from the club, to concentrate on my work for Metal Month among other things. I'll hook back up with yaz after October. If I find you're reviewing an album I really want to get in on I'll see if I can make the time, but generally just count me out for the next two months and I'll be back once I've run Metal Month.

Thanks for your understanding and best of luck with the next releases!

TH

So much for my sabbatical! Nobody's posted since I wrote that? Is this club falling apart without me? Not to worry: Metal Month ends on Wednesday so I'll be back to lead you all into a glorious new era of prog then!

Seriously though: no movement at all? Hope it isn't that everyone is losing interest?

We shall see...

Someone reviewed the Subsignal album here a few weeks ago, but for some reason its gone now. Think it was Big Ears. :O

That being said, I guess I just don't inspire participation the way you do TH: sorry. :)

I'm baaaaackkkk!
 

Okay, time to get this so-called club under control! Standards have slipped dreadfully while I've been away overseeing Metal Month, but that's going to change!
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So (claps hands) who's up with the next album? Come on, don't be shy! Let's get this thing moving again. Come on, come on! Things to do, places to be, journals to write! Chop chop! Let's go...
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Izzy Wizzy! Let's get busy!
https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/i...F9qzE91vUMrcgw

OK guys time to kick it.
Someone suggest an album by the weekend or I will. We need to get this moving again, if everyone is still interested.

I'd be happy to suggest a new one, but since I was also the last one to suggest anything, we really need to do a new roll call and get a list of participants again so that we can determine the order. :wavey:

Very true. Okay then, shine the prog signal, Progman! Who's in? Please report to the Fortress of Indulgence: PRAC needs you!

I'd like to suggest a slightly new format.
Instead of each member putting forward an album and our having two weeks to review it, how would it be if that member each time had to suggest four albums? Now, don't panic: I'm not suggesting we have to review four albums!

The idea would be that we each choose one of the four and then review it and post our report. Obviously anyone could decide to do more than one, even all four if they want, but that would not be a requirement. The best way would be for us each to review one of, say, Big Ears' four albums and report on them, that way not only would we get to review an album others had not heard (possibly) but we would all then get to experience what the other three albums were like from the perspective of another member, and that would potentially a) give us all three other albums to decide maybe to listen to or to consider and b) allow us to "hear" the other three albums through ears other than our own and finally c) make for a much better sense of interaction as we each quiz the others on their choices, leading to better debate.

Anyone agree, disagree, don't care?

That's kind of an interesting format. Someone might review one album and hate the other three or give a few general impressions on all of them at once, but I could see that taking some of the weight off the whole "oh god I have to write another review" drudgery that seems to hold back participation around here. I'm up for it! :)

Im in for this. But uhh how does this work exactly? I read the original post is it the same as that just with 4 albums?

Sort of but not really. We changed it a bit.
Basically, you get a two week period to listen to the album(s) of your choice, if this is taken up, and then write your thoughts on it. Can be a review, a few lines, a bullet-point list, whatever you want. Just tell us what you thought of it. We tend to take turns, so whoever is up next will be choosing the next album(s).
And welcome!:)

Yeah it kind of widens the scope a little. Also, if you decide you hate an album you can always grab one of the other three. I think it would be interesting to hear something like "This week I reviewed the new Yes album". "Oh yeah? Well you should hear Big Big Train's "Gathering speed"!" "I quite enjoyed Marillion's debut" etc.

We need to do something to shake this up. As the Romulans once said in "Star Trek the Next Generation" (NERD ALERT! NERD ALERT!) Events elsewhere called our attention from this place, but make no mistake: we are back!

Couldn't you use your pseudo-mod powers to create a Prog Club announcement? We could do a military draft and force them into the club muahahahaha. :love:

You want these guys
https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/i...UWvo1z9RChRElw
whose name interestingly is almost an anagram of prog....

Also, I don't have any mod powers, psuedo or otherwise. The gorgeous Vanilla said no... :(