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I found this short, but interesting interview with John Mitchell:
Interview John Mitchell :: proggies.ch :: E-Zine fr Progressive Rock und Artverwandtes It Bites! rerecorded Calling All the Heroes to raise money to help deal with the Cumbria floods. Both Francis Dunnery and John Mitchell were involved: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cumbria/...00/8388186.stm |
ET, I like that you stick to your guns. It would have been very easy to have bowed to pressure and said "Oh you guys all like it (though US was less than lavish in his praise) so I will too", but you've given it another chance and still don't like it, and say so. That's good. I mean, it's not good that you dont like it cos I think it's a fecking excellent album, but it's good that you hold to your own view.
I feel like you in the Captain Beyond review. Everyone loved that, I was not in the least impressed. Like you, I stuck to my opinion. It's mine, which doesn't mean it's right or wrong, but it does mean they're my own thoughts and not orchestrated or affected by those of anyone else. Big Ears, great review. I particularly like that you "get" "Great disaster": it's not one of my favourite tracks but I do like it, and yes it sticks in your head. I have St. Louis if you want a copy; let me know. Who's up next then guys? |
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I like the fact we all hear the same album differently and also the variety of styles in commenting on them. Hearing It Bites! again led me to dig out the earlier albums and to the conclusion that Calling All the Heroes is still a great song. I even listened again to Robert Plant's Fate of Nations.
I think it's you next, TH, and, thanks, I'll take up the offer of St. Louis. |
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Ok then I'd like to break with personal tradition and suggest an album I've bought but have not even listened to yet, the new one from Riverside...
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/i...yiLTZmzfT-7MTQ Riverside --- Shrine of new generation slaves I have no idea what it's like but hey, it's Riverside so surely it'll go down well? Anyone who needs the album drop me a line. And BE, that It Bites will be on the way to you as soon as I get it uploaded; few hours probably as I'm uploading it to my own website. ET, you're in the running for next round, but will be after Anteater, when it will then swing back around to me, unless we get any new members in the meantime. Sound ok to you? |
I'm after you TH, but I'm happy to give my place to Electrophonic to get him involved as soon as possible.
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Sure, I don't mind, if you want to do that. But if so then that would have to remain the running order, with any new members pulling in behind the last person (Ant I think in this case) otherwise it will all get confused...
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I don't mind, whatever's easiest.
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Fate of Nations. |
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It Bites!' Farenheit is still playing in my head.
I learned today that Big Big Train's follow up to English Electric Part One, featured here in December, is now available. It's called English Electric Part Two! I looked back at my comments and I was a bit scathing of Part One. |
... Rushes to his local internet store! :tramp:
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True, sort of hippy vibe to him also. But then again, you know how hard it is to get a copy of a rockin' alien? My original image search brought up ... pictures of aliens in rocking chairs!! :laughing:
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Aliens are like polar bears, they are usually left-handed.
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Damn you all, now I need to post this... :laughing:
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OK guys just a reminder: time to start putting your thoughts together on that Riverside album. I hope to have mine up tomorrow or Wednesday.
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1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in? I was thinking "Oh boy oh boy oh boy, Riverside time!!!". Mariusz Duda's voice comes roaring in like a revelation... 2. What did you think of the opening tracks? Positively killer. The title track has a staggered, almost bluesy feel to it up until the explosive second half, 'The Depth Of Self-Delusion' has a killer, rolicking bassline and 'Celebrity Touch' is a catchy, interesting take on Jethro Tull's sound circa 1977 or so as interpreted through Riverside's postmodern approach to alt-progginess. So far I'm livin' large! 3. What did you think of the later tracks? Stands up on near-equal ground to the first half. 'Feel Like Falling' is probably the poppiest number the band has done since '02 Panic Room' back on Rapid Eye Movement, but its quite tasty. And then you get that excellent sax outro to 'Deprived...' and the full on progassault, thematic closing stormer 'Escalator Shrine'...not a weak moment among 'em. 4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions? Singer/songwriter Mariusz Duda is Riverside's most distinctive element sonically if you ask me: he has a very unique tone and sense of vocal delivery that's hard to mix up with anyone else. Hell, he's one of the reasons I keep up with this band in the first place. 5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not? I'd been looking forward to this record for quite some time: it sounded pretty much what I expected it to sound like: technical, lots of soft/loud dynamics and some emotionally charged songwriting to propel the whole thing forward: Pink Floyd meets Peter Gabriel with the vitality of a good alternative rock band. 6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)? Better and better, with my admiration of the record's cohesiveness only getting stronger with subsequent listens. 7. What did you think of the lyrical content? Straightforward/solid. Mariusz and the rest have never been much for elaborate metaphors or cleverness for the sake of it, which could be considered a point of criticism or praise in equal measure depending on your point of view. They've got a knack for damn good choruses in any case! 8. Did you like the instrumental parts? Damn straight I did: the guitar and bass-work in particular is sublime. 9. What did you think of the production? Very balanced and atmospheric: it's not overly showy or layered, and perhaps a tad soft on the high end. Again, a point of praise or criticism depending on what you expected out of this album going in. 10. How well do you already know the band/artist? Very familiar: 2007's Rapid Eye Movement in particular is one of my all-time favorite modern progressive rock records. 11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to? This is one of those records that's probably fit for the "post-prog" or "nu-prog" tag: it blends elements of modern/alternative rock with 70's-aestheticized progressive rock...and does so in an interesting way. 12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less? Quite a bit more! 13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one? 'Escalator Shrine' for its great jammy feel (love the Hammond organ!) and 'Feel Like Falling' for how durned catchy it is. 14. And the one you liked least? 'We Got Used To Us'. It's not a bad song, but an obligatory ballad just doesn't stand out very much on an album with so many other great songs. 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? Not really an applicable question: it's their fifth overall album, but that doesn't really factor in to how good or bad it is at all. 16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist? You bet. 17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one? S.O.N.G.S. is an album about people in my generation: we're educated, graduated, whatever, but many people struggle just to find a decent job or figure out what it is that gives their lives meaning: slaves to the grind as Skid Row once snarled, lol. Shining some light into that darkness of uncertainty is probably what Mariusz had in mind when the band came up with this album in the first place. 18. Did the album end well? Very much so: 'Coda' is...a good coda, lol. 19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved? I wanted more sax besides that little outro on 'Deprived', damn it! (Although I have both Night Session tracks too) xD 20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss? Some of the other more prominent members on this forum, like Lee, dismiss S.O.N.G.S. because they were expecting some kind of huge overhaul or hardening up of Riverside's overall sonic makeup...but my opinion remains that this is probably the most cohesive and passionate record I've heard from the band in their whole decade-plus career. I wouldn't mind a change in direction at this point, but S.O.N.G.S. is a damn fine album on its own merits. Thank you Poland! Overall Album Rating: 8.5 out of 10 |
First, great review Ant, though I hated the opener (shock!); I'm sort of warming to it slowly now. Didn't realise the acronym: that's really clever, and something that got past me! D'oh!
But if you want more sax, grab (or ask me for) the extended CD which has two extra tracks, both entitled "Night sessions", the second of which is about 10 minutes of mostly sax work. I dont like it, but if sax is yer thing then you should be in prog heaven with this! |
1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?
I really didn't think I was going to like this album, to be honest. The way the first track starts off just didn't speak to me at all and I was ready for a disappointment. That changed once track two got going though. 2. What did you think of the opening tracks? The title track which opens the album is sung in a sort of old blues method, almost a lament with the vocals and guitar taking turns, which I didn't like. It gets going a few minutes in, and it's okay but as an opener it's one of the worst I've heard in a long time and definitely the weakest track for me. "The depth of self-delusion" was a hundred percent improvement and really it just got better from there on. 3. What did you think of the later tracks? I've nothing bad to say about any of the other tracks. I loved "Depth" and the following ""Celebrity touch" is even better. The ballad "We got used to us" is just lovely and heartbreakingly sad, and even the big epic shines on every front. 4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions? I've heard but little of Riverside but I must say I do like Mariusz Duda, I think he has a strong yet gentle voice and fronts the band really well. 5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not? Yes, one thing Riverside have going for them --- one of the many things --- is that they're all excellent musicians. Wasn't mad about the horns though. 6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)? Much better once I got through the first track, as related above. 7. What did you think of the lyrical content? Quite obscure in many ways, though they all seem to deal with the idea of isolation and loneliness, and a kind of bewilderment, being left behind as the world of technology dashes on. Definitely a plea for a return to simpler times, I feel. I particularly like the lines "Google boys and Wiki girls" in one of the songs, very appropriate and really conjures up the right images. 8. Did you like the instrumental parts? Yes, the musicianship is excellent and through there weren't any actual instrumental songs the instrumental parts of the songs were all top-notch. 9. What did you think of the production? I'm going to ignore this in future. Like I say, unless the production is really bad I can't distinguish the production on one album from that on another. This however was fine. 10. How well do you already know the band/artist? Riverside are a band I have all the albums of but have never really listened to one all the way through, before now. I was anxious though to see what their new one was like, and it has not in any way disappointed. I must thank Jackhammer for the original rec. 11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to? Progressive Rock, pure and simple. Unless you want to invent a new sub-genre, Pol-gressive Rock? ;) 12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less? Much more. I've listened to it about six or seven times now and each time I appreciate it more. For an album I thought I would be writing a bad review of it's certainly surprised me. 13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one? "Celebrity touch", followed by "We got used to us" 14. And the one you liked least? Title track, no question. I've warmed to it a little more now over the multiple listens, but it's still my least favourite on an album where everything else is so much better. 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? Again, this question should be ignored if the album is NOT a debut, only. This isn't, so I'm passing over it. 16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist? Yes. Now that I've heard and enjoyed this I'm putting the rest of their catalogue on my "to-listen" list. Mind you, that list gets longer every week... 17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one? A basic look at our technological world and how people can be swamped by and even swallowed up by it. The dangers of the likes of Facebook and ITunes taking over your life, and generally a warning not to trust things that you can't see and touch. The idea too of relationships disintegrating under the incessant pressures of the modern world. 18. Did the album end well? The choice of the tiny ballad "Coda", which revisits "Feel like falling" is a great idea, and a wonderful and low-key end to a powerful album. It also sounds a last note of hope. So yes. 19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved? I would perhaps have preferred the title track maybe halfway through, as for me it made a bad impression from the start. Other than that, no, nothing really. 20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss? Yeah, I think the basic idea ran through most of the songs and although not a concept it was very cohesive, with most of the songs referring to each other in one way or another. Ratiing: 8.5 out of 10 |
1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?
My initial reaction was that the album was compelling on the first listen, but from that point on it would be harder work than Pain of Salvation. I began to think that this might be my bete noir. 2. What did you think of the opening tracks? New Generation Slave has a distorted vocal with a blues feel and half of Sabbath's Paranoid riff. Mariusz Duda's delivery is as though he were performing in musical theatre. I keep promising myself that, one of these days, I will write a review which does not keep making comparisons with the past, but I swear this also has a Baker Gurvitz Army instrumental passage. The Depth of Self-Delusion is similar with acoustic guitar and glockenspiel. The swirling string-synth gives a Led Zepplein sound. 3. What did you think of the later tracks? Track three has guitars with a Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells-sound and this is a device which Riverside use on-and-off throughout the album. 4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions? He has a slight Polish accent, but does not sing in an American accent (which is to his credit). He sometimes calls, 'Come on', or a plaintive, 'Oh', but the band never seem to cut loose. 5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not? Bands like Spock's Beard tend to spread their influences, almost as if they are creating like a progressive rock compilation. This band tend to stack influences on top of each other, like the smooth jazz saxophone over a Tangerine Dream/Mike Oldfield style backing on the final bonus track. Escalator Shruine is one of the best tracks, but they pile on the Pink Floyd and The Doors to the point where it becomes messy. The musicianship is excellent throughout. 6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)? Mostly better, although the final bonus did not work for me. 7. What did you think of the lyrical content? Confusing as with, 'Sheltered from the rain, holed up in my cage'. I took much of the lyrics to be concerned with the constraints of a repressive country as Poland has been, but I could be wrong. Whatever the lyrics are about, they work, as with, 'We never talk when we fall apart', which adds a poignant touch. 8. Did you like the instrumental parts? Yes, although they can be overdone. The first bonus is a long Tangerine Dream/ Mike Oldfield instrumental and is one of the best tracks on the album, but the second with saxophone, is a failed experiment. Both of these tracks give the impression that they were constructed from sounds taken from the 'official' material. 9. What did you think of the production? Very clean, with a lot of imaginative sounds. This band are masters in the studio and no mistake. Escalator Shrine either has a mellotron or a mellotron sounding synthesizer, or it could be from a guitar. Whatever the source, it is very effective. However, the arrangements lack punch, which may be down to recording with computers. 10. How well do you already know the band/artist? I had heard of them, but never heard them. Members of progressive rock forums go mad for them, as with Anglagard and others. But then, these same people hate ELP and DT. 11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to? I assume progressive metal, but sub-genres always mystify me. 12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less? After the first listen, I had to work on persisting with this album. Once the hooks were in my head, it became easier. Overall, I do not hate SONG, but it leaves me a bit cold. 13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one? Definitely Night Session Part One, even though it feels like a slightly contrived extra. Escalator Shrine for the Floydian keyboards, despite the mess, and Deprived has its heavy moments. 14. And the one you liked least? There wasn't one. Everything has its merits. 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? I understand they have made about five albums over ten years, so they are experienced and it shows in the polish. 16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist? Having heard them once, I would be interested, but I would not go out of my way. 17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one? As I said, I took much of the lyrics (references to freedom) to be concerned with the constraints of a repressive country as Poland has been. I am probably wrong. 18. Did the album end well? Coda is adequate, but Night Session Part One is much better. The final bonus Night Session Part Two is weak, because the saxophone does not fit. 19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved? Yes, I would like to hear this with less refinement and more 'bite'. 20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss? It is fully cohesive or, at least, consistent. Rating: 7 out of 10 |
Should have mine up tomorrow.
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1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?
I was actually fairly interested. The music was fairly heavy, but it was quiet and backed by an active organ. It was an interesting approach and I wanted to hear more. 2. What did you think of the opening tracks? I thought I had the wrong song when that Duane Eddy guitar came out on the second track. After that, Riverside settled into something that reminded me of a prog metal version of Styx, espicially on Celebrity Touch. There were some interesting musical moments throughout but I felt the songwriting was lacking in the first few tracks. 3. What did you think of the later tracks? We Got Used to Us was clearly meant to have some crossover appeal and reminded me of this band called Manana. Manana is essentially a Coldplay knockoff, and We Got Used to Us is feels like that Europop style fed through a filter of soft prog. This reminded me of Opeth's Damnation, sans the awesome mellotron. 4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions? Voice wise, he reminds me a lot of Mikael Åkerfeldt's clean vocals from Opeth. The lyrics were all over the place in terms of quality. That reminded me a lot of Rush, where I can be totally thrown off by some incredibly awkward lyrics. The first track where he mentions a stomach ache was an example. 5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not? This was all over the place stylistically for me, so the appeal was equally scattered for me. 6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)? It was so scattered all over the place, my opinion was changing several times within each song. 7. What did you think of the lyrical content? Rush-esque. There were a few awkward lyrics and words that killed the vibe of the songs every now and then. 8. Did you like the instrumental parts? I preferred the stand alone and solo efforts to the band efforts on this album. I really enjoyed little guitar interlude at 5:15ish on Feel Like Falling. And, as much as I wanted to hate it, I genuinely enjoyed the soprano sax solo on the same track as well. Reminded me of the sax on VDGG's Man-Erg. 9. What did you think of the production? The most oblivious thing I noticed was the quietness of the music and the volume on the vocals. It wasn't overbearing or annoying, but the vocals clearly wanted to be emphasized on this album. 10. How well do you already know the band/artist? I got nutin'. 11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to? Progressive metal in general, but there is a huge list of influences and cameos by all sorts of proggy and jazzy sub genres. 12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less? I had a valley with with album. I liked it the first time. The second time I liked it a lot less and the third time I liked it again, but not as much as the first time I heard it. 13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one? I didn't really have a single track that stands out on it's own, but if I averaged it all out, I would say Feel Like Falling and Deprived were my two general favorites. 14. And the one you liked least? Again, I could find some kind of fault with just about every single track. But there was no crippling song on this album for me. 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? Not knowing the contents of their previous 4-5 albums, I assume they are routinely this scattered brained, or just put all their previous efforts on one album. 16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist? Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..... maybe. 17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one? Lyrically I picked up nothing. Musically, this felt like a showcase. 18. Did the album end well? I think you could have arranged these songs in just about any order. This feels like a collection of songs rather than an album. 19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved? I don't want to call this album a sell out since I don't know what the rest of their discography is like, but I think these guys have the talent to make a damn good prog album if they let loose. 20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss? It was consistent in it's inconsistency. ------------------------------------ Overall, I'm very neutral on this album. It's safe and neutered in a way that really glazes over the immense talent I think these guys have. This album needed a 'This is England' (which, I listen to on roughly a daily basis ever since I heard that album), where Riverside could just cut loose and prog their proggiest prog song of prog. I think that would be an incredible track. This LP totally matches the title... it appears mystical, deep and interesting. But upon close inspection, it's merely S.O.N.G.S. 6.5/10 |
1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?
The band were extremely accessible due to the power of the vocalist. The songs resonated well with me. 2. What did you think of the opening tracks? A sign of a good band is that you hear their influences but without ever really pinning them down. I heard slight touches of a huge amount of bands but what amazingly stuck out was how Mariusz Duda actually sounded like Morten Harkett of a-ha! 3. What did you think of the later tracks? I thought the album was solid throughout and the level of consistently kept up throughout the album. 4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions? Liked the singer's voice and as Trollheart said his voice is powerful and gentle at the same time. The slight foreign accent that he has is always an appeal to me in a singer and often adds real variety. 5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not? Yes the music did appeal to me and surprised me as well. I quickly read up a bit about the band and they were regarded as a a kind of Polish Dream Theater meets Tool. On listening to the band, I think that description is unfair on them as they have their own sound. 6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)? Only listened to it once due to time restraints for this review, because my review was late. 7. What did you think of the lyrical content? I always like the lyrics that a non-native English speaking band put out and quite often they come out with lyrics that are well quite foreign. Overall the lyrics were quite poignant sounding. 8. Did you like the instrumental parts? Overall I enjoyed them and the band do seem accomplished in what they're doing. 9. What did you think of the production? Wasn't overly impressed with the production and the vocals had been placed very high in the mix, sometimes this works and other times it doesn't. I felt that a better balance here would've been better for the album. 10. How well do you already know the band/artist? Vaguely knew the name and had no idea that they were Polish. 11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to? Progressive metal by today's standards. 12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less? Only listened to it once so can't say. 13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one? If I had to pick then "Celebrity Touch" just. 14. And the one you liked least? "We Got Used to Us" may well have been one slow song too many on the opening part of the album. 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? As I didn't know the band I had no idea on what the quality of the earlier releases would be like. 16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist? A solid yes and I was impressed by what I heard. 17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one? Does there have to be one? If there was one I didn't notice it. I'm not really bright on these things and normally need to read about that sort of thing to realise it.:D 18. Did the album end well? It's always hard for modern day albums to keep a quality level all the way through and the first part of the album was stronger overall than the second part. 19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved? A better production mix could've made the album better. 20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss? I'd have to say it was a consistent listen throughout and the stylistic changes were blended in so well. Have to say this is a very modern prog metal album, in that I heard a lot of very modern and contemporary infleunces on the album and the band didn't rely like so many on trying to do a modern day Genesis Peter Gabriel era sound. 8/10 |
Great reviews everyone. Interesting difference of opinion across the board. I think we've all got our thoughts in now, so is it ET up next? Interested to see what you have for us, guy... ;)
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Considering the string of newer releases we've had, I think it's time we take a look back to the height of prog in the early 70's. I enjoyed this album but it's been a while since I've listened to it, so I'm going in about as neutral as you guys. For your convenience, in the spoiler below, I've included youtube links to all 4 songs on the album. Spoiler for Frumpy 2:
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Oh- kaaayyy... Never even heard of these guys but I'll surely give it a go.
Edit: Incidentally, just for the record, if you look back you'll see they haven't all been new releases. I've suggested Twelfth Night's 1982 "Fact and fiction" and Alphataurus' 1973 debut. Plus of course It Bites was from 2009. And then there was Captain Beyond's debut, that was 1972 I think. In fact, as a ratio we've had less new/recent albums than older ones reviewed here. |
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Ok, well not meaning to nitpick, but PoS was a 2002 album, It Bites 2008. The only release from this or last year was Riverside. If you look back into the history of the club to date, I think there's only Riverside and Big Big Train that are anything that could be classed as recent.
Not a problem, just wanted to make it clear we cover a wide selection of years and eras here. |
Just to remind you guys that you need to be listening to the Frumpy album, its only four tracks and from what I'm hearing at the moment it's impressive!
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I'll get right on it...
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Their seventies albums are all good, including the live one, as is Jean-Jacques Kravetz's self-titled solo album. The first two Atlantis albums are also worth a listen, but are bluesier.
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Frumpy 2 --- Frumpy --- 1971 1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in? After a typically bombastic proggy opening it settled into a sort of cross between early Genesis and mid-seventies Floyd. Pretty laidback really considering the big opening. I was put in mind of "Fearless" off "Meddle", oddly. Great keyswork. Never listened to an album with only four tracks before. Interesting. 2. What did you think of the opening tracks? Let's make that opening track, as there are so few. I liked it: had a real organic seventies prog vibe to it, the sort of thing some bands try to reproduce now but most fail because you have to have the feel from the times, and for that you more or less need to have come FROM that time. This sounds genuine prog. 3. What did you think of the later tracks? Second one was more uptempo and rockier, with some great organ work but I'm not sure two ten-minute tracks following each other was the way to go really. "Take care of illusion", the shortest track (just over seven minutes!) was the fastest and most uptempo one with a lot going on at the organ and also at the frets. Lots of power in there. Some nice strings effects in the closer, and it's more relaxed than any of the others: a twelve-minute ballad? No, far from that. Probably the best of the tracks really. 4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions? Definitely reminded of an early Roger Waters; bit raw in some ways but quite melodious. Wiki tells me it's Inga Rumpf; I always thought Inga was a girl's name? Christ! It IS a girl! Well she certainly doesn't sound like any female singer I'VE ever heard!! 5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not? Yes, very much keyboard driven of course, almost to the exclusion of everything else. That said, there are some really great guitar solos. 6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)? Started off well, sort of stayed that way. The lengths of the tracks sort of threw me a little though. 7. What did you think of the lyrical content? Not a lot really. Very little of it made sense to me. "How the gypsy was born" was a retelling of an old Native American folktale, and "Duty" was pretty unsettling. Don't know what the hell was going on in "Take care of illusion"! I am surprised though that given the length of three of the songs that the lyrics are so short and sparse. 8. Did you like the instrumental parts? I don't think this was clarified, but this is meant to refer ONLY to FULL instrumentals, so if the album has none, ignore it. As I will here. 9. What did you think of the production? Very seventies: big and brash, a little over the top at times, bombastic and maybe just a little overblown. 10. How well do you already know the band/artist? As Manuel said, "I know nothing".... 11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to? Classic Progressive/Space Rock. 12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less? I only listened the once, wasn't too bothered about giving it a second shot. 13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one? Probably "Duty", due to the big instrumental jam ending. 14. And the one you liked least? The rest were all ok, nothing I hated. 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? Again, this question should be ignored if the album is NOT a debut, only. This isn't, so I'm passing over it. 16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist? Meh, not really. It was okay but I doubt I'd seek out any of their other material. 17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one? No I did not. Can I say Hippy ****? ;) 18. Did the album end well? A twelve-minute closer is always asking a little of the listener, but in general, yes I think they pulled it off. "Duty" went through enough changes to keep in interesting right through, great jam session about the midpoint (nice to see the guitarist getting his licks in) which goes right to the end. Mind you, I don't like the pitchbend ending so from that point of view, no, but generally yes, it was a good one to end on. Just the track itself should have ended better. 19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved? I'd liked to have seen what they did with shorter songs. I do like epics, but three out of four tracks is pushing it a little for me. 20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss? I wouldn't call it cohesive as such, but not quite hit-and-miss either... hmm. Ratiing: 7 out of 10 |
1. What were your VERY FIRST impressions on listening to the album, say from the first five minutes in?
First, that Inga Rumpf has a masculine voice, which is, by turns, bluesy and psychedelic in style. Second, Jean-Jacques Kravetz's keyboard playing is amazing and the overall feel is very dynamic. 2. What did you think of the opening tracks? The dissonant slide guitar and Hammond organ of Good Winds is redolent of Yes's much later Shoot High, Aim Low, making one wonder if the latter stored away memories of their support act for future reference. Inga Rumpf's voice is almost masculine in its depth and psychedelic in the use of echo, while also being buried in the mix. At around 3:40 minutes, the noisy first part gives way to a lengthy instrumental passage beginning with the classically trained keyboard player Jean-Jacques Kravetz's church organ-like Hammond. After two minutes, he is allowed free reign, with a rising solo sounding like a combination of Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson. Rainer Goltermann's production adds dynamism and the passage is propelled by the rhythm section of Carsten Bohn and Karl-Heinz Schott. Kravetz is joined by Rumpf's aaah-ing and the section culminates in a guitar solo. Rumpf closes the track with a final chorus. If Good Winds predicts eighties Yes, the next track, How the Gypsy Was Born, reflects Stones of Years from ELP's contemporary Tarkus, although Rumpf is bluesier and grittier than on the opener. A cult figure of German heavy rock, Rumpf's raw blues technique seems partially at odds with Kravetz's symphonic progressive leanings. Kravetz and guitarist Rainer Baumann, on the other hand, play solos off of each other in a similar style to John DuCann and Vincent Crane of Atomic Rooster. At the halfway mark, Good Winds, appropriately enough, becomes a heavy version of Paul McCartney's Eleanor Rigby, before becoming another whirling Hammond and Jon Lord-style 'Space Truckin' workout. Bohn's bouncy drumming compliments the organ perfectly. 3. What did you think of the later tracks? Kravetz hits the ground running on Take Care of Illusion, which continues where Good Winds left off. This is Rumpf's show and she provides a powerful performance, enough to send shivers down the spine of this listener. Baumann adds a great guitar solo, before the track closes on the vocals following the keyboards. Rumpf gives a folk-blues feel to Duty, a song about a deserter betrayed to the Nazis by his parents. Kravetz compliments her with a touch of mellotron strings. Whereas Take Care of Illusion belonged to Rumpf, this is Baumann's tour de force, on which he plays an extended, but tasteful, guitar solo with plenty of wah-wah - in a Jimi Hendrix/Robin Trower/Tony McPhee style. By the second half he is soloing over a basic beat, which sounds like a cross between The Groundhog's 3744 James Road and Roxy Music's Bogus Man (both of which came later). The keyboards re-enter giving an indication of what it would sound like if dancehall star Klaus Wunderlich were to join the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Carsten Bohn and Karl-Heinz Schott's playing is particularly original and devoid of cliche on the closing track, but they deserve credit for being the driving force of the band. Bohn went on to work for jazz-rock lumineries, Jan Hammer, Jack Bruce and Colin Hodgkinson. 4. Did you like the vocalist? Hate him/her? Any impressions? As strong as they are, Inga Rumpf's vocals do not quite fit with Frumpy's symphonic approach. 5. Did the music (only) generally appeal to you, or not? No instrumentals on this album. With the modern trend of releasing instrumental versions of tracks as bonuses, it would be interesting to hear these without vocals. 6. Did the album get better or worse as you listened to it (first time)? Better if anything, but it is pretty incredible from the start. 7. What did you think of the lyrical content? They are like folk songs, but given a blues feel. I found them fascinating and I tend not to pay attention to lyrics as a rule. They are made all the more astonishing, when one considers that English is Inga Rumpf's second language. 8. Did you like the instrumental parts? I loved them. 9. What did you think of the production? Exciting and brought out the best in the band, although it is occasionally murky. 10. How well do you already know the band/artist? I had heard of them, but never heard them. In the late seventies I was aware of continental bands like Guru Guru, Jane, Birth Control, Accept, etc. But, how Frumpy passed me by I will never know. 11. What sub-genre, if any, would you assign this music to? Heavy progressive with a blues feel. 12. On repeated listens, did you find you liked the album more, or less? This album is a revelation to me and it just keeps getting better. 13. What would you class as your favourite track, if you have one? Difficult to choose, but probably How the Gypsy was Born, for the Jon Lord-style Hammond and the belting rhythm section. It sounds like the organ was put through a wah wah pedal, or is that a guitar? 14. And the one you liked least? Not applicable. I loved the whole album. 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? It was their second, but stands as their benchmark. 16. Are you now looking forward to hearing other albums by the band/artist? After hearing Frumpy 2, I set about listening to as much Frumpy, Atlantis and Kravetz solo as I could get my hands on. 17. Did you get, thematically, the idea behind the album if there was one? I do not know if the band has ever explained the pastoral and WW2 references in their songs. I would be interested in reading about them. 18. Did the album end well? Duty is an intriguing and strong piece to close the album. The reel-to-reel tape effect at the end would have sounded futuristic at the time and serves as a reminder of the good old days. 19. Do you see any way the album could have been improved? Inga Rumpf's vocals do not quite fit with the rest of the band, but she's one hell of a singer. I am tempted to suggest a list of alternative singers, but then again, perhaps not. 20. Do you think the album hung together well, ie was a fully cohesive unit, or was it a bit hit-and-miss? It seems that Inga Rumpf's blues passages are separate from the progressive instrumental sections, although they are part of the same track. But, she is a powerful singer nevertheless. Overall Album Rating: 9 out of 10. |
BE, the breadth of your knowledge of music never fails to amaze me. You seem to know things others could only guess at, and you're sort of on a par with US in that regard, making me feel like Roddy Doyle in the shadow of Shakespeare, or something. Great review; I wasn't crazy about the album but it was interesting, though I'm glad to see you got a lot more out of it.
Great job as always. :thumb: |
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