http://www.thewatch.it/test/wp-conte...1/timeless.jpg
Album Title: Timeless
Artist: The Watch
Nationality: Italian
Year: 2011
Subgenre: RPI / Classic Prog
Player(s): Simone Rossetti (Flute & Vox), Marco Fabbri (Drums), Giorgio Gabriel (Guitars), Valerio De Vittorio (Keyboards), Stefano Castrucci (Bass, Guitars)
Familiarity: I have the album these guys did as The Night Watch from eight years ago, and it a lot better than this album. What happened guys?
Favourite track(s): “Soaring On”
Why? Reminds me a lot of Trespass, which is the best I can say for it.
Least favourite track(s): Too bored to pick one
Why? Its hard to hate something that doesn't interest you a whole lot in the first place. In the same way Trollheart is fairly indifferent to a lot of Yes's classic 70's stuff, I'm the same way for a lot of the Gabriel era Genesis stuff.
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad? None.
Factoids you'd like to share? Nope.
End impression: First of all, Genesis has always been the least interesting among the original progressive rock bands in some ways. I've always liked them well enough and have most of their albums, but maybe I would have needed to see them live back in the day to really appreciate something like The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, because they're given way too much praise as it is. In comparison, ELP were also quite pompous, but their lack of a lead guitarist made the power-trio dynamic a helluva ride for a live show and they still sold millions of records. And at least Yes had a great spiritual vision backing up their pomposity and some fiery interplay, which is why they're #1 (and probably always will be so) for most of the old school prog fans. So I'll be frank: nothing Genesis has ever done, not even SEBTP or Foxtrot, holds a candle to albums like Relayer or even Fragile....so why then do Genesis remain the prog band everyone ends up trying to ape, particularly the neo-proggers of the 80's and beyond?

What made Gabriel-era Genesis tolerable (such as Trespass and Nursery Cryme) was a keen grasp of songwriting, an awesome sense of whimsy and the willingness to spin us some curious and fantastical yarns in musical form. The Watch don't have either of those things on Timeless, and their lead vocalist isn't as good as Gabriel was in his prime either. Both of these attributes (or lack thereof) really hurt an otherwise promising band, and it makes me think they could really learn a thing or two from bands like Big Big Train in the songwriting department, a great group who have taken their Genesis influences and actually progressed beyond them in such a way that they're actually better currently than the band who originally inspired them!

Rating: 2.0. Once you've heard a band or two who actually beat Genesis at their own game, it makes it hard to give a good rating to a band who can't seem to figure out how to find their own sound.

http://www.releaselyrics.com/eab3/th...h-timeless.jpg
Album title: Timeless
Artiste: The Watch
Nationality: Italian
Year: 1970, I mean 2011!
Subgenre: RPI, but more like Genesis clones
Player(s): Simone Rossetti (vocals, flute), Marco Fabbri (Drums), Giorgio Gabriel (No, I'm serious!) (Guitars), Valerio De Vittorio (Keyboards), Stefano Castrucci (Bass, Guitars)
Familiarity: Had never heard of them.
Favourite track(s): “One Day”
Why? "One Day" as quite simply the song resonated quite well with me, but even then I'd hardly call it great.
Least favourite track(s): "Thunder Has Spoken"
Why? From the word go the song sounded like a watered down version of Genesis in every aspect and pretty much disliked most of the rest as well.
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad? Said they were Genesis aficionados and with a sound like Genesis in 2011, so I wasn't impressed.
Factoids you'd like to share? None
End impression: I came to this album thinking that Trollheart hasn't given it enough of a chance and I'd find something good on it despite everybody claiming how they were a Genesis rip-off, but how wrong I was and how right they all were.
Comments: By the time of the fourth track "In the Wilderness" I was totally cheesed off listening to this album, as quite simply this track probably rates as the most flagrant Genesis rip-off of them all and that is really saying something as well! By the time of "Let Us Now Make Love" I just wanted to pull the plug on the album but realised that there wasn't too much left so ploughed on and it was painful. It's obvious that this album was selected by the original list creator as he can't get enough of classic Genesis, even if it's like a fizzy drink gone flat! Italian prog bands really are a mixed bad but this is probably the worst I've come across but the band are decent musicians and the singer can muster his voice like Peter Gabriel a bit so it's not complete crap, other than this I've nothing more to add to what has already been said and easily the worst album so far on here.

Rating: 2.0

Thanks guys. This is going to be some feat, as its overall score is going to bump poor old Ian Anderson up the ladder! Yes it's easily the worst we'e heard here, in fact I'd go so far as to say perhaps the worst prog album I've ever heard, though not the worst album (19ADD's "Dead river" --- well named! --- takes that dubious honour) and I definitely never want to hear anything more from them.

Ant, I didn't realise you had such loathing for Gabriel-era Genesis. My god! Still, I guess you feel about them as I do about 70s Yes, though I'm prepared at some point to listen to some of that as I have not really given them much of a chance.

One more point: US, though they do rip off Genesis to an alarming and embarrassing degree, "In the wilderness" is actually a cover of a Genesis song off their debut, so loath as I am to defend them, it's not fair to call THAT one a Genesis rip off: it's a Genesis song.

I'll get tomorrow's choice up soon, let's hope it's better than this. What am I saying? How could it be worse? :rolleyes:

I definitely don't loathe Genesis, but they are my least favorite of the "original" prog bands. They're a mixed bag: Trespass is a stone cold classic and I like parts of everything they've done with Gabriel and Collins, but The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway has never really clicked with me as a concept record and I'm not crazy about Selling England By The Pound either. Hell, I'll probably be thrown into the fire later for saying this, but I'd put Calling All Stations (the full album with B-sides included) in my top three records by the band just for the fact that it tried to stretch a bit beyond the styles of the band's previous frontmen. :wave:

Well I thought I'd heard that song before and it was so lifelike:laughing:

OK, the bad news: there IS at least one more album from The Watch on this guy's list --- guess he has not as good taste as we thought! The good news: if we spin that way I'm ignoring it and spinning again. Not putting anyone -- least of all me --- through THAT again!

But to this week's choice. We came up with
206
which gives us a much more palatable
http://eu.rymimg.com/lk/s/l/8da23e1d...cd/3286937.jpg

X --- Spock's Beard

So, let's get listening and reviewing then guys. I know everyone has stuff to do but if we can avoid last week's last-minute reviews that would be great (says he who has the time to run SIX journals and still smartmouth off!)

I'll try to jump in on this one this week. Reviews are due the 14th'ish?

Nice to have you along. Reviews are actually due 13th for Core members (there are three of us, the founders so to speak) and 20th for Standard Members if they want the extension, though ideally all reviews in by Sunday would be what we would aim for.

If you're reviewing, check the matrix which appears on page 65 I think (or just copy it from any of the albums already reviewed: I'll be posting mine in the next day or so) and on or about the same page is our rating system.

Welcome! :beer:

Who are you? Well whoever you are welcome:thumb:

Tut tut US: check your intro threads. :nono: The guy's a newbie into prog and he has a band. What more could we ask for?

I hope they don't sound like Genesis.

Yeah, I think we've all had enough of bands that sound like Genesis for a while.

(Coming up in my journal: Genesis Month!) :rofl:

I sure hope we don't sound like genesis.

http://eu.rymimg.com/lk/s/l/8da23e1d...cd/3286937.jpg
Album Title: X
Artist: Spock's Beard
Nationality: U.S.
Year: 2010
Subgenre: Modern prog?
Player(s): Nick D'Virgilio (Drums & Lead Vocals), Alan Morse (Guitars, Backing Vocals), Ryo Okumoto (Keyboards), Dave Meros (Bass, Additional Backing Instrumentation)
Familiarity: I have a lot of these guys' output. Even heard most of 'X' before but never added it to my collection.
Favourite track(s): “Edge Of The In-Between”
Why? Spock's Beard have an interesting habit on their albums of starting with their strongest songs. This particular epic gives me major 'Calling All Stations' vibes in a positive way, plus those keyboards are awesome. There's some great guitar and an excellent rhythm propelling this sucker too, which makes it good enough for the highway in my book, lol!
Least favourite track(s): "Their Names Escape Me"
Why? It's not bad musically, but the middle part of the song where Nick starts singing the names of all the people who contributed to the album's pre-ordering campaign is just plain dumb no matter how you slice it.
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad? I thought it would be an interesting album for sure: Spock's Beard are many things, but uninteresting isn't one of them.
Factoids you'd like to share? This was the last album featuring Nick singing lead vocals and drumming, and the band's music has suffered a bit since his departure I'm afraid.
End impression: 'X' sits somewhere in the upper 30% quality-wise of SB's overall output: it's not as good as 'V' or 'Snow' or 'The Kindness Of Strangers', but its better than 'Beware Of Darkness' or the self-titled by a long shot (and other albums I haven't mentioned). It's a great entry point into the band's overall sound, especially since the opening cut, 'From The Darkness' and even the monolithic 'Jaws Of Heaven' work pretty well as epics. Ryo is great on the keys and Hammond as usual and Nick is a pretty capable frontman. Very few drummers out there are skilled enough to fill the frontman role whilst still managing to serve as the band's rythmic backbone, and in that respect he's the strongest element of this post-Neal Morse lineup. A shame he left after this one, though Big Big Train have benefited immensely from his presence since then. :beer:

Rating: 3.5. This is a rock solid example of semi-modern progressive rock and a nice entry point to SB even if it doesn't really qualify as a masterpiece. Good stuff!

http://eu.rymimg.com/lk/s/l/8da23e1d...cd/3286937.jpg
Album Title: X
Artist: Spock's Beard
Nationality: U.S.
Year: 2010
Subgenre: Grunge-Prog
Player(s): Nick D'Virgilio (Drums & Lead Vocals), Alan Morse (Guitars, Backing Vocals), Ryo Okumoto (Keyboards), Dave Meros (Bass, Additional Backing Instrumentation)
Familiarity: Never heard before, but have heard of. Guess I never got past the novelty band name to give them a listen
Favourite track(s): “Their Name Escapes Me (nameless)”
Why? Groovy intro, vocals are more tolerable here than most other tracks (but also kind of remind me of Tenacious D's Jack Black), nice mellow break with an intense sax outro. I also liked Kamikaze a lot, probably due to the lack of vocals.
Least favourite track(s): "Emperorer's New Clothes"
Why? It was really a toss up between several track's where the vocals sound like a grunge rocker like Eddie Vedder singing over prop musicians... basically ruining my enjoyment of the groove.
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad?
Not really, other then the name being novel.
Factoids you'd like to share? Don't know any factoids... I guess I read that the vocalist was the drummer, and I had to know because the vocals sucked so often.
End impression: Well, I'm glad I was introduced to this band, I thoroughly enjoy their progressions and their transitions and their melodic rifts. They can tell a story really well with their instruments. But I'm completely turned off by most of the vocals, because they rip me out the prog immersion that the instrumental introductions submerge me in.
Rating: 3 Great musicians, but bad vocals over good music is one of my pet peeves. It's not that the vocals are particularly bad, musically, but the grungy vocal styles conflict with the progressive themes.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ocksBeardX.jpg
Album Title: X
Artist: Spock's Beard
Nationality: American
Year: 2010
Subgenre: Neo-Prog
Player(s): Nick D'Virgilio (Drums & Lead Vocals), Alan Morse (Guitars, Backing Vocals), Ryo Okumoto (Keyboards), Dave Meros (Bass, Additional Backing Instrumentation)
Familiarity: Have heard some of their material but find it hard to make it through a full album. Slowly getting there.
Favourite track(s): “The edge of the in-between”
Why? I like the idea of a really good opener, and though this is something of an epic it really keeps my interest from beginning to end. I like the digs at reality shows (“See the girls line at the gate, they're gathering for a chance in the big machine”) and the instrumentation is flawless.
Least favourite track(s): "Emperor's New Clothes"
Why? It's just stupid and Nick trying to sing like a 70s rocker is a bit silly. Mind you, it was a choice between this and “Their names escape me”, which is equally annoying.
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad?
I kind of hoped this would be the album to finally decide me on SB but so far I'm still kind of on the fence with them.
Factoids you'd like to share? Um, their name is based on the Star Trek episode “Mirror mirror”, in which Spock, well, had a beard! Oh, and it's their tenth album, as if you couldn't guess...
End impression: A decent album that has almost a 50/50 between great and poor tracks, but has not yet managed to convince me these guys are worth listening to for any great length of time.
Comments: Nobody doing comments any more guys? ;) This is actually our second outing with Spock's Beard in this club, our previous being in the former incarnation when we looked at “The Light”. I wasn't terribly impressed with it then, and I can't say I'm overly so here either, though I did enjoy the album. As I said above I've been finding it hard to get into Spock's Beard. The first albums I heard from them were on a playlist rotation with other tracks and I used to skip them, almost going as far as to delete their material off my player, but then I heard “Flow” and I liked it. Since then I've given them a chance but I find their music, for me, is quite hit and miss, and it's the same here. Some great tracks, some really bad ones. I've also somehow always thought of them as an English band, dunno why: they just don't sound American to me.

As usual there are the epics but surprisingly they're what save this album for me. Opener “Edge of the in-between” is excellent and the closer “Jaws of Heaven” almost tied for best track with that. The ones that annoy me are detailed above and it's just that they're too whimsical. Come on guys: this is not 1973! You can't get away with that sort of thing these days. Musicianship has never been in doubt but some of the subject matter for the songs is downright awful, as touched on by Anteater already. I would have preferred to have seen a ballad on this album though, as they do those quite well.
Rating: I'll give it a 4.0 on the basis of the epics as I think it probably deserves it, though I may be being a little generous here.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ocksBeardX.jpg
Album Title: X
Artist: Spock's Beard
Nationality: American
Year: 2010
Subgenre: Neo-Prog
Player(s): Nick D'Virgilio (Drums & Lead Vocals), Alan Morse (Guitars, Backing Vocals), Ryo Okumoto (Keyboards), Dave Meros (Bass, Additional Backing Instrumentation)
Familiarity: Pretty familiar with the Neal Morse era.
Favourite track(s): “The Edge of the In-Between”
Why? A strong 10 minute opener, which I thought was going to set the tone for the rest of the album, sadly it didn't.
Least favourite track(s): Nothing was really bad enough to single out here, it just all happened to be mediocre instead of bad.
Why? The problem is that a large number of the tracks were very average.
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad? Well I always enjoyed the Neal Morse era, so I was expecting at least something to that quality.
Factoids you'd like to share? I guess they're Star Trek fans and there was a real concern that the band would be leaderless after the departure of Neal Morse. General consensus is that they weren't but I think they were.
End impression: Decent playing and good musically but I was too uninterested to pick up on any individual musician here, but anyway does being good musically really make a good album these days? Well not really imo.
Comments: I really struggle with this kind of modern day prog that incorporates too much in the way of pop sensibilities and this is one such album. It's glossy and really lacks substance underneath the gloss and the band are really riding the production train here. Tracks like "Kamikaze" come across as a homage to classic era Yes, but do they really need to do this considering that the rest of the album is aimed at being a viable commercial release? Overall the album comes across as prog by numbers and I suggest that if anybody wants to hear what this band is capable of, then they're best off checking their early output and starting with albums like The Light.

Rating: 3.0 quite simply means average, decent and nothing special and that is exactly what this album is.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ocksBeardX.jpg

Album Title: X
Artist: Spock's Beard
Nationality: American
Year: 2010
Subgenre: Neo-Prog
Player(s): Nick D'Virgilio (Drums & Lead Vocals), Alan Morse (Guitars, Backing Vocals), Ryo Okumoto (Keyboards), Dave Meros (Bass, Additional Backing Instrumentation)
Familiarity: Heard of them but that is it. That will be a recurring theme with most prog as it's not something I have really listened to, at least modern stuff.
Favourite track(s): “The edge of the in-between” and "From the Darkness"
Why? Like others have said, great epic opening. Very catchy. Rush-like intro and Alex Lifeson like guitar solo. I consider this a good thing, I like RUSH. From the Darkness had some ripping guitar.
Least favourite track(s): "Emperor's New Clothes" or "Man behind the curtain"
Why? Just kind of cheesy although I didn't hate it. Liked the acoustic guitar intro. Lyrics were kind of goofy. Thought it was going to be more of a metaphor but seemed to be a modern take on the actual story. Man behind the curtain gets the edge as slightly better as some of the musical parts were cool.
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad?
I was actually worried it would be as bad as last weeks horror show. The name "Spocks Beard" had me a little worried, I won't lie.
Factoids you'd like to share? Nothing outside of what's on Wiki
End impression: I think I might have liked it more than what I'm hearing from the other reviews although Trollheart went with a 4.0 so must have liked it.
Comments: Another very pleasant surprise for me, like the Gentle Giant. Apparently I have really missed out on the world of prog as I'm enjoying it more than I would have thought. These guys are clearly good musicians. Really liked the harmony vocals, sounded a bit like King's X. Hate to keep comparing to other bands but I did hear some Styx, RUSH, Kings X and even Queensryche (Jaws of Heaven) elements. Kamikaze sounded like Rick Wakeman stepped in for a go. Although the song was not as good as the PJ Harvey "Kamikaze" I just happened to hear the same day.:D Overall they seemed a bit more "mainstream" than gentle giant so I think I still prefer that one over this one.

Rating: I'll give it a 3.7 as I guess I can't give it a higher rating than the Gentle Giant I preferred. But I actually look forward to hearing more from these guys.

Okay, fellow progheads! It's Sunday and time for a new spin, so off we go.
Round and round and round she goes, and where she stops.... well, at
17
actually!

Which gives us
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Pawnhearts.jpg

Pawn hearts --- Van der Graaf Generator

Interesting. I have this one, and know it reasonably well. There are some epic tracks on it. In fact, they're all epics: there are no short tracks.

Reviews in by next Sunday please! :D

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Pawnhearts.jpg
Album Title: Pawn hearts
Artist: Van der Graaf Generator
Nationality: British
Year: 1971
Subgenre: Classic Prog?
Player(s): Peter Hammill (Guitars, Pianos and Vocals), Hugh Banton (Keyboards, Bass), Guy Evans (Drums), David Jackson (Sax and flute) --- with guest appearance from Robert Fripp on guitar
Familiarity: I bought all of VdGG's albums in a spree after hearing one of their collections. I've yet to hear them all but I know this album very well. One of the real old classic prog bands who kind of started it all. Originals, in every sense of the word.
Favourite track(s): "A plague of lighthouse keepers"
Why? It's hard to choose when you have only three tracks, but for such a long piece this never bored me and I think it's constructed incredibly well. Plus it really showcases Hammill's amazing vocal range, and wouyld be the template for many an epic, from “Supper's ready” to “Cygnus x-1” in the future.
Least favourite track(s): None really but I'll choose “Lemmings (Including, it goes without saying, “Cog”!)"
Why?Merely because the second two tracks are totally amazing and though I do like this I don't love it as much as the other two. As an opener it's just a little weak I feel, but I still like it.
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad? No. I know this album very well indeed and was looking forward to revisiting it again.
Factoids you'd like to share? The album title was a slip of the tongue resulting in an inadvertent Spoonerism, when “horn parts” got turned around to “porn hearts” and thence to Pawn Hearts. I did not know that. Thanks Wiki. Also, this album reached number 1 in Italia, probably Van der Graaf's biggest ever success anywhere.
End impression: An album that never really dates, and stands as a real classic within, and template for, the burgeoning progressive rock scene, and which influenced countless artistes down the years.
Comments: How do you market an album with only three tracks? Well, back in 1971 you had a lot of prog rock bands coming through with big epics --- Caravan, Yes, Pink Floyd --- so it wasn't as unusual as it would be today. That said, even “Meddle” had more than three tracks so this could be seen as something of a gamble, but than, Van der Graaf were never a band concerned with singles, chart success or indeed any success. And they weren't that successful. But they left behind a blueprint that has been followed, in one way or the other, by almost every prog band that has come after them, and others in different genres too.

I can't say for certain, but I believe Peter Hammill may have been the first singer to exhibit such a range of different styles, so many what I would call separate musical identities. One moment he can be singing softly at piano, the next he's raving like a loon, then he's snarling in anger and then quiet and soft again. You can clearly see where both Gabriel and Fish gained their inspiration, and the man was and is a total vocal powerhouse. VdGG would not have been the same without him.

The juxtapositioning of the soft piano melody and almost lullaby vocal on “Man-erg” (no, I don't know what it means, unless it's a corruption of “manage”?) with the subject matter --- “A killer lives inside of me...” is just amazing and takes my breath away every time. And “A plague of lighthouse keepers” is one of the most ambitious compositions I have ever heard in my life, mixing elements of rock, classical, jazz, funk even into an overarching story which appears to be about a man facing the last nights of his life (?) --- I can see now where Sean Filkins got his inspiration for “Epitaph for a mariner” --- which after all the changes, bumps and humps, screams and cries at the firmament for justice and explanation, ends in a slow, gentle acceptance and a quiet drifting off to the afterlife. Unless I got that totally wrong. But that's what it says to me and the lyric seems to back it up somewhat.

Either way, you have to look on this album as almost a progenitor of so many other classic prog albums since, and Van der Graaf as the weatherbeaten and experienced grandfathers of so much that we enjoy today in progressive rock. A superb album: may be their best, I don't know. As I said I have only heard a few, but without doubt their most successful and influential, and without it we might not have classics like “Close to the edge”, “Foxtrot” or even “Script for a jester's tear.”

Rating: Even with “Lemmings (including “Cog”)” being just that little weaker than the rest of the album I still have no hesitation in awarding this the rank of a masterpiece, which it is. So my rating for this album is 5.0

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Pawnhearts.jpg

Album Title: Pawn hearts
Artist: Van der Graaf Generator
Nationality: British
Year: 1971
Subgenre: Classic Prog?
Player(s): Peter Hammill (Guitars, Pianos and Vocals), Hugh Banton (Keyboards, Bass), Guy Evans (Drums), David Jackson (Sax and flute) --- with guest appearance from Robert Fripp on guitar
Familiarity: Another band I have heard of but never heard. I'm a prog rock noob for sure.
Favourite track(s): "A plague of lighthouse keepers"
Why? It's just so damn epic and really like several songs all in one. Plus, Robert Fripp! This song made me want to add something to the bucket list. Imagine renting a working lighthouse. Sitting up at the top with the light flashing on and off behind you. Try to pick the stormiest night of the year with lightning, thunder, rain slamming against the window, big roiling waves below crashing into the rocks. And you have this song cranking away as you sit there and watch it all unfold. Add beer and pizza and it's just about the coolest thing I could think about doing right now. I liked the ambiguous nature of the lyrics. Did the guy die at the end? Or find enlightenment? Or just go completely mad from the isolation? Personally I think he drowned but who knows? Seem like this is the type of song that could really annoy someone who does not enjoy prog which I thought was me but more on this later.
Least favourite track(s): Well this is where I get confused. Sounds like I should stick to the 3 songs from the original. I actually have a copy with 8 songs on it including one written by George Martin. Pretty much all just noise throwaways. But sticking with the original 3 I guess I would go with Man erg.
Why? I really liked the dissonant sax lines in Lemmings (Courtney love be damned, sax can belong in rock music). And it seems to be about some sort of post apocalyptic revolution or something. Although Man erg does have Fripp!
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad? No. I like the band name and have been pleasantly surprised with albums I did not expect to like so at this point I have a pretty open mind.
Factoids you'd like to share? I thought it was quite interesting that this album was #1 in Italy and they seemed to be huge in that country. Makes you wonder why that was the case. It's like that Sugarman movie where he was so beloved in South Africa and nowhere else.
End impression: Loved it.
Comments: Damn you Trollheart, I'm rapidly becoming something I did not ever expect, a prog-head (is that the correct term?). It's been a genre I have pretty much avoided like the plague but I am finding myself loving 3 of the 4 albums I have reviewed hear so far. I kind of pictured it all to be like "The watch" but so far it's been amazing. The vocals on this record blew me away. Sounded a bit like early Rob Halford or something which I consider a good thing. Lyrics were very dark I thought but matched the music quite well. My only complaint would be lack or ripping guitar but that is my own bias I need to get over and adding Robert Fripp to the mix certainly helped that. I'm always a fan of dissonant saxophone when done right and this album does it right. Once again, can't wait to hear more from these guys.
Rating: My rating system is all screwed up at this point as I don't have enough experience with the genre to know what good vs. great is. But I'm going with a 4.0 on this one in hopes that there are some down the road that may blow my mind even more.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Pawnhearts.jpg

Album Title: Pawn hearts
Artist: Van der Graaf Generator
Nationality: British
Year: 1971
Subgenre: Progish
Player(s): Peter Hammill (Guitars, Pianos and Vocals), Hugh Banton (Keyboards, Bass), Guy Evans (Drums), David Jackson (Sax and flute) --- with guest appearance from Robert Fripp on guitar
Familiarity: never heard of them before.
Favourite track(s): Man Eng
Least favourite track(s): Lemmings
Why? I liked the timing changes and use of staccato in Man Erg. The transitions flowed and I got the feeling that I was actually progressing through a song. The Lemmings track threw me off because the vocals were way to weird. It also had several mock transitions where it sounds like they're going to go into a new progression, but it's the same progression. I got tired of hearing the same organ technique over and over.
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad? I tend to have great expectations of prog music. I think I tend to romanticize it in my head. And then I'm often disappointed. Because the name of the band is a physics toy, I probably had even higher expectations.
Factoids you'd like to share? Nothing comes to mind.
End impression: Obviously a talented band with a versatile arsenal of sounds, I can't deny that. Mostly it's a matter of taste. The vocals, overall, are not my forte, and the organ use could have been a bit more conservative.
Comments: I was torn about Plague of Lighthouse Keepers. Some of it I really liked, but some of it was too slow for me. And again, I don't really like the vibrato vocal style he implements. He can sign good, but it's like he's trying to be weird sometimes and it's weird uncomfortable, not weird intriguing.
Rating: 3.5

Thanks guys: you two are really starting to fit in here! Sorry Moss, I know you're being changed into a proghead (correct term yes) sort of against your will, but I hope it's turning out to be a pleasant and unexpected experience.

;)

I'm sort of surprised by Xurtio's dislike of Hammill's voice, considering it was the template for both Gabriel and Fish, but there you go.

That's really the crux of the matter for most people when it comes to VDGG, they either dig Hammill's voice or not and that usually affects their opinion of the band overall.

I need to get back involved in this thread as I have some gems to unleash on you all!

I'm in. I've been meaning to try Spock's Beard ever since I heard Neal Morse's solo project. He started in Spock's Beard.

we would be honoured to have you!

He did. "Momentum" is a pretty amazing album.

And now for this week's selection. Spin on, spin on... ah.
Okay then, it came up on
98
which unfortunately gives us this
http://eu.rymimg.com/lk/s/l/c7e03804...e1/1765727.jpg
Heavy horses --- Jethro Tull

Well, in fairness I've had it good the last few weeks, so it's not too much to expect we'd come up on one I hate. Well, not hate but don't like. Okay then, this is our next selection. Reviews in by next Sunday please.

Also, I've been looking down the list and though it's a good selection this guy has got pretty much mostly the same bands (Genesis, King Crimson, Yes, Floyd, Tull, Gentle Giant etc) with a few albums from each. I'm thinking of taking rostasi's suggestion on that much larger (and therefore more varied) list of the 1000 best prog albums. More scope for more interesting albums perhaps? What do yaz think?

Hold up some of us have to review the VDGG album and with Easter it hasn't been so easy, mine up today though.

Hmm. Tell me more about this Easter of which you speak!
http://cf067b.medialib.glogster.com/...-400x400-2.jpg
Okay well if you want an extension (ooeer!) I can do that. Just let me know.
You do know the noobs (to this club that is) are kicking your ass though, don'tcha? ;)

Have you been drinking Guinness or something? :laughing:

No. Both Moss and Xurtio have posted their reviews of VdGG before you and Ant, so they are most definitely kicking your ass. At posting reviews here.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Pawnhearts.jpg
Album Title: Pawn hearts
Artist: Van der Graaf Generator
Nationality: British
Year: 1971
Subgenre: Classic Prog
Player(s): Peter Hammill (Guitars, Pianos and Vocals), Hugh Banton (Keyboards, Bass), Guy Evans (Drums), David Jackson (Sax and flute) --- with guest appearance from Robert Fripp on guitar
Familiarity: Surprisingly the album I knew least from their early work.
Favourite track(s): "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers"
Why? Well it's such a epic and it wouldn't be possible to not like this and still like the rest of the album. The song is truly innovative and its strength lies in each member doing their own musical virtuosos without actually getting too carried away with it like ELP would and these disciplined restraints are a key factor for the song.
Least favourite track(s): None
Why? N/A
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad? The album I least know of the band's early work, so was kind of looking forward to listening to it again to see if it's as great as the reviews were saying.
Factoids you'd like to share? I once remember reading that this album was originally meant to be a double.
End impression: A prime example of classic era prog really and the sax of David Jackson is pretty amazing as is the drumming of Guy Evans, but then again so are the rest of the band. Like most of VDGG's work the album has stood the test of time and still sounds very fresh. VDGG I find are a band that should be listened to sparingly anyway.
Comments: I always slightly preferred the previous two albums over this The Least We Can Do is Wave to Each Other and H to He, Who Am The Only One, but on listening to this today it's much better than I remembered and reading various reviews on how highly this album is rated, I can certainly see the brilliance of the album. But at the end of the day with VDGG it's really like apples and oranges as most of their albums are pretty great and solid, something that not every prog band can always muster.

As already mentioned Peter Hammill was the vital ingredient of this band and had a pretty remarkable vocal range along (even if he sounds girly at times)with the band's instantly recognizable sound and soundwise they kind of sat somewhere between King Crimson and Genesis and were as equally as good as those two. But whereas I can easily be in the mood to listen to Gabriel era Genesis and virtually anything by Crimson, I really have to be in the mood for VDGG, but maybe that's just down to how intense they are.

Rating: 4.5

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Pawnhearts.jpg
Album Title: Pawn Hearts
Artist: Van Der Graaf Generator
Nationality: British
Year: 1971
Subgenre: None.
Player(s): Peter Hammill (Guitars, Pianos and Vocals), Hugh Banton (Keyboards, Bass), Guy Evans (Drums), David Jackson (Sax and flute) --- with guest appearance from Robert Fripp on guitar
Familiarity: I've had this album a lonnnnng time.
Favourite track(s): "A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers"
Why? Hammill is at his absolute best here: some people believe this to be the best "epic" prog song pre-Close To The Edge, and I suppose there's something to that. Jackson's sax work in particular is an absolute stand out.
Least favourite track(s): None
Why? N/A
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad? Considering how much I like VDGG, I guess its hard to have preconceptions when you're already aware at how good the music is.
Factoids you'd like to share? Nothing that comes to mind.
End impression: A great listen as always, and distinctive even within their own catalog of output. It's not too long and not too short. :)
Comments: Probably the most underrated classic progressive rock album of the first half of the decade besides Gentle Giant's Acquiring The Taste, and like that record, there's a sense of vitality to the music that still resounds even decades later. I don't use the word "striking" very often, but that's what Hammill and co. were when they got in the zone, and in the zone they were all throughout Pawn Hearts. Their ace in the hole was definitely David Jackson though: did anybody outside of the fusion circuit even try to bring in sax to a pure prog rock context back then besides these guys? Nope, and that tells you a lot right there.

Rating: 5. It's not even my favorite record by VDGG, but its fantastic music when your in the right mood and its progressiveness is undeniable.

Hah! Great reviews though. looking forward to some Tull!

I've made an executive decision. After looking at the other list (the 1000 best prog albums) it seems it's more varied and of course there are a lot more choices on it, so unless anyone has a major objection (didn't he command the troops during Operation Iraqi Freedom?) ;) I'll choose from that from next week on.

Here's the link, courtesy of our feline friend, and sometime contributor, Rostasi:

1000 Prog Albums Over 46 Years: 1966-2011 - Progressive Rock Music Forum - Page 1

Bloody Hell! We've just gone from under 200 to 1000! Don't think we're ready for nearly 50,000! :eek:
The other problem of course is making sure all the albums are available, somewhere, to be listened to...

While you're there though: any similar lists for metal albums? I've started the Heavy Metal Album Club but have been unable to find a decent list.

Thanks!
TH

PS feel free to join our new club of course if you wish.

I heartily approve!

Yeah, I use that for my "Meat Grinder" section in my journal. Problem is, more often than not I come across bands that are a) unsigned b) dead c) never released anything other than demo tapes or d) so obscure and unknown that it's impossible to get any of their music anywhere.
That looks a little more like it... Thanks!
Cool. You interested in joining our other club?

Edit: I see you are. Good man! :thumb:

Martin Popoff is one of my favourite metal critics.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...eavyhorses.jpg
Album Title: Heavy horses
Artist: Jethro Tull
Nationality: British
Year: 1978
Subgenre: Folk/Prog
Player(s): Ian Anderson (Vocals, flute etc), Martin Barre (Guitar) Barriemore Barlow (Drums), John Evan (Organ, Piano), David Palmer (Keyboards) John Glascock (Bass)
Familiarity: Very little if I'm honest, and what I have heard I have never liked. The flute again, y'see?
Favourite track(s): “Moths”
Why? I just love the melody, even if Anderson does insist on rushing the last line of every verse as if he's trying to keep up with the band.
Least favourite track(s): “Rover”
Why? It's just too meh for me. I don't really like anything about it.
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad? I honestly expected this to be a hard slog, given my feelings about Tull.
Factoids you'd like to share?
End impression: Not half as bad as I had expected. More real prog rock than folk. I've caught myself humming the tunes more than I thought I would.
Comments: When this album came up I groaned. Oh god! Not Tull, spake I! Then I ran my usual research on Wiki and found that it was responsible for a change in the band's music from outright folk and medieval styles to a more modern rock approach rooted mostly in real-world issues: not so much of the trees and forests and more of the city skyscrapers perhaps? The first track had me nodding along I must admit, even with the flute so prominent. It's quite catchy, though what the hell it's about I can only guess at. No I can't.

I have to admit that much of my dislike for Tull stems from Anderson himself. I don't like him. I don't like his “crazy old wizard” image, I don't like his flute and I don't like his voice. Other than that he's ok. ;) But I warmed to him a little on this album. Wasn't mad about “Acres wild” and “No lullaby” just bored the hell out of me. It wasn't until “Moths” hit that I actually sat up and took notice. It's almost an AOR style song in ways and easily my favourite, even if he does keep the kind of Olde English Rose lyrical theme. “Journeyman” reminded me of “Jive talking” (!) and then as I said I bloody hate “Rover”. Ugh.

The album recovers well with “One brown mouse”, which would have been another contender for standout along with the title track, even if the latter is a little too long. The closer is ok too. Overall, not as bad as I had expected but not enough to change my mind about Tull, or Anderson. Good effort though, another case of some good tracks but a lot of bad ones.

Rating: I'll give it a 3.5, but no more than that.