Posts by Backdrifter

Quote from Blacksword

^^^ I find most rock stars - especially singers - a bit full of themselves. It goes with the territory

I think there is a lot to that. There might be an element of that needed in order to become a lead singer, to an extent.

He is one of those who divides opinion quite starkly. I'm a huge fan of the band and of him, but entirely see why he is divisive. I will just say - not that this mitigates how he comes across publicly - I've met and chatted with him three times and he was friendly, engaging and lighthearted each time.

Quote from Fabrizio

I am with you on this one but taste aside, what baffles me the most is the inevitable introduction: 'If you are a Genesis fan you are going to love Radiohead'.

Well, I fail to see the connection really.

"Inevitable"?

I've never heard anyone say that but clearly you've heard it many times.

They're of course very different, at most you could say they each have some interesting textures and dynamics.

I mentioned elsewhere their lead guitarist tried some Genesis and "hated it" but said the one thing he really liked was the mellotron choir which then featured in a few of their songs.

Yorke was once asked the prog question and he said he did like Gabriel-era Genesis.

I agree that if they take anything from, or sound similar to, any prog band it's 80s King Crimson

Eno-Hyde - High Life

First ever was a 7" single, This Flight Tonight by Nazareth. 1975-ish.

First album wasn't til 2 or 3 years later, Selling England.

This very moment, listening to and watching live on tv, Underworld.

Ah, 90s dance floor memories.

Tyres, where are you?

(Anyone who gets that reference, let me know!)

While Mama is not a favourite album opener, I love this track. It has to be one of the classic rock tracks of the 80s, if not ever. It is definitely my favourite use of a drum machine. Apart from laying down a big chunky rhythm track, its murky sound gives the song much of its steamy, claustrophobic atmosphere. As Collins said, it took a non-drummer to get it 'wrong' and result in such a good feel.

I don't care what anyone says about the re-pitching, PC's performance of this one on the 07 tour was superb. Well, at the shows I went to.

But anyway as to my choice of opener. Close contenders are Looking For Someone and Moonlit Knight, both very atmospheric in their own way. Volcano comes close too, though it might fall short due to my dislike of the second half. But the first part is one of their greatest song segments and the dynamism of it on stage was electrifying - I'll never forget it as the opener at the 1982 gig I went to.

At that show, it segued into what is my top choice, Behind The Lines. For me it's the greatest adrenaline surge at the start of any of their albums. Then the change of pace and feel is one of my favourite dynamic shifts from a band who knew a thing or two about dynamic shifts. It gets a leg up to top spot partly from the brilliant merging into one of my top 5 Genesis tracks, Duchess. In a way, it's that pairing that's the whole opening sequence of Duke. Those two tracks are inseparable in my mind.

I loved that the reunion tour set opened with BTL, but a shame they didn't go with the whole song. I read that Collins and Rutherford vetoed the second half. Ironic it's that bit which is the only Genesis track on a PC album!

Quote from IndieBrindie

Blacksword / Backdrifter .... your comments are TOTALLY what I want to hear. Amazingly insightful and so refreshing to someone like me who gets a shrug from the Mrs whenever I mention the band or a vague ‘that’s a nice toe-tapper’ from mates who think they’re OK-ish....BUT... can you hold them back and drop them as context to your Top -10 choices?

Thanks for those kind comments. I might not be fully in tune with your top ten survey but any time you want to wax lyrical about anything, I'm your man.

Quote from StillCan'tDance

I love pop, too. I don't see what the problem is. The Beatles were a pop band, after all.

I also agree that there's more grit to Three Sides Live than Seconds Out. When Phil took over as the singer, of course his voice was much more in harmony with the music than Peter's because Phil is a naturally gifted musician. But he sang in a mannered style ("polite" as Phil put it), concerned more with how the lyrics sounded than what they actually meant. Compare his performance of, say, Supper's Ready on the Wind And Wuthering tour to his performance at The Marquee in 1982; it's much more convincing in '82. I think once Phil emerged as a lyricist in his own right, so he became more assured as a singer.

I wouldn't worry about being in the minority with your opinion, Backdrifter. If you tell people here that Genesis's records sold in much greater quantities in the eighties, they'll be quick to tell you "just because a lot of people liked it doesn't make it good" so clearly minority opinions are valued highly round this 'ere parts!

Nicely said. No, I never worry about being in a minority, which I frequently seem to be in most walks of life! I suppose I'm just a marginal guy. But that fine.

Quote from IndieBrindie

So what is your number 10, Backdrifter? I’ve trawled through your postings found lots of interesting comment and analysis but nothing that you’ve pinned your shirt to. I’m aware that this whole top 10 business is likely to be in a state of constant flux, but, hey, it’s fun isn’t it, even if you inwardly scream, ‘No, wrong choice!’ The moment you hit the ‘send’ button.

Sorry but I don't think I'll be participating. I don't have a 1 to 10 in order of preference. I can list 10 chronologically but couldn't say "this is my 10th favourite, this is my 9th favourite...." etc. I probably have a fair idea of what would be my one absolute favourite Genesis song, but ranking them after that from 2 to 10, I'd draw a blank.

Blacksword wrote:

From Ok Computer onward, I always regarded them as a prog rock band, before I was aware of any attempt to label them as such. They are prog by definition IMO, purely because they have a progressive approach to making music, with each album only loosely following their formula of combining electonica with guitar music. Their 'anything goes' approach to making music is similar to that of KC, I agree, although Fripp ensured a constantly changing approach to songwriting by changing line ups or at least key members from one album to the next, whereas RH at least stuck together!

OK Computer remains in my top 10 albums of all time. In Rainbows and Kid A also rank highly for me, and being a closet Indie kid, The Bends is an album I'll always love. Good days!

OKC is an odd one for me. Three of my absolute favourite tracks are on it: Airbag, Lucky and Let Down. Yet as a whole, it's not one I listen to at all. Something about it just doesn't hang together. I do like many of the ones that didn't make it on to the album though, and which were gathered together on OK Not OK.

The Bends, however, I'm with you on that. I'd heard some of the singles then when I first put that album on, I was rooted to the spot by the opening track Planet Telex and it still gives me shivers. It was as though every kind of rock dynamic and texture I love had been put in one track. I can pinpoint my becoming a fan to those few minutes of hearing that track for the first time. By the way, I like how you say "closet indie kid" as though it's a sort of taboo thing to mention round these parts!

Yes In Rainbows is a top one for me as well, if it weren't for the sentiment I have for Planet Telex I'd probably say Reckoner was my favourite Radiohead track. It's extraordinarily moving, but I'm not sure why. I don't really know what it's about, but the music and the yearning in his voice gets me every time.

Blacksword wrote:

Of the 'Three of perfect pair' trio of albums, I'm actually quite fond of Beat, despite it arguably being the most commercial of the set. The title track on TOOPP is 80's KC at its best though.

Interesting, I never thought of Beat in that way. I love the "despite"! Yeah I love the TOAPP title track. Industry and Dig Me are firm favourites as well.

Quote from Blacksword

Of the 'Three of perfect pair' trio of albums, I'm actually quite fond of Beat, despite it arguably being the most commercial of the set. The title track on TOOPP is 80's KC at its best though.

Interesting your mention of Radiohead. From Ok Computer onward, I always regarded them as a prog rock band, before I was aware of any attempt to label them as such. They are prog by definition IMO, purely because they have a progressive approach to making music, with each album only loosely following their formula of combining electonica with guitar music. Their 'anything goes' approach to making music is similar to that of KC, I agree, although Fripp ensured a constantly changing approach to songwriting by changing line ups or at least key members from one album to the next, whereas RH at least stuck together!

OK Computer remains in my top 10 albums of all time. In Rainbows and Kid A also rank highly for me, and being a closet Indie kid, The Bends is an album I'll always love. Good days!

I thought I'd set up threads for both these bands, happy to continue chatting there:

King Crimson

Radiohead

Following their coming up in a thread elsewhere I thought I'd start one on them here. My instinct is there won't be many takers, but let's see if I'm surprised.

Notice I haven't put this in the Other Prog Bands thread! They are a band about whom the "are they prog?" discussion often seems to come up. I initially thought it started just because in 1997 they put out a 6-minute single (Paranoid Android) which had 'movements', and many cited this, and its sci-fi allusion (and the somewhat 'spacey' slant to some songs) as some sort of proof they're prog. Others have said no it's not just that, it's their approach and the way they combine different sounds, etc.

But anyway as those in the know may discern from my username, I am a fan and interested to hear from other fans and indeed naysayers.

Come on in if you want to discuss KC.

A bit of a chat started up in an unrelated thread so I thought I'd continue it here. I remember in the 70s my brother getting some KC stuff on the recommendation of a friend, and that got me into them. There was something slightly unsettling about some of the music, and I liked that. I don't think I consciously thought of it in that way, but I now recognise that was part of the appeal. I loved the 80s incarnation and have more mixed feelings about the 90s/00s stuff but still like it. I've been seeing them since they restarted touring 3 years ago, and have two shows to look forward to this autumn, Glasgow and Edinburgh back to back. I'm delighted they've been introducing more 90s and now 80s tracks into the set.

Quote from Blacksword

How good is Subdivisions!? That song never fails to move me. Geddy sings it so well, the keyboards are lush and Neils drumming is perfect. I saw them perfom that on Hold your Fire too...albeit from the cheap seats! Great show.

One of their outstanding tracks, from an album I like a lot but which was very divisive at the time. I'm a sucker for heavy bass synth and on stage when that intro kicked in, oh man....

Oh, I like me some pop!

I think I see a pattern emerging: in our Crimson discussion, you said you like Beat, "despite it being quite commercial-sounding".

Unsurprisingly, I don't much care for Seconds Out. I think their performances, and PC's vocals, further improved with time and I prefer the overall vibe of 3SL. There's something too produced about SO, like it has a sort of sheen to it, and PC's voice hasn't matured properly yet.

I realise I'm swimming against the tide; I think I'm in the minority in not much liking that era.

I was generally able to make sure I got really good seats at the front and never had any sound problems, bar one occasion on the R30 tour when I was at the very top, at the back, on one side.

If i were to list my gig 'moments', one would be Subdivisions, second song in, right at the front on the Hold Your Fire tour. All I can say is: stunning.

Quote from OneForTheVine

Lee Pomeroy is the bassist featured on this - he did a great job with Chris' parts both times I saw him with them.

I knew Lee many years ago, he was in a band called Picture This with my good friend Super Dave. Lee's a great singer too - at Dave's stag night we had karaoke and he annoyingly sang everything brilliantly well, which is just not on, in my view! I didn't realise at the time what a major prog fan he was, and now recognise that in playing with Yes and Hackett, he's living his dream. Good on him.

^ Interesting - Supertramp is a band I've never massively disliked but also never really had that 'click' with them. I hear the occasional track and it's okay, and I recall quite liking Crisis - the opening two tracks were a highlight for me.

I still feel frustrated that I wasted the last couple of chances to see Rush in the UK. I had a sort of on-off liking of them but on the whole I'd say I was a fan.

Sorry Indie, we've rather hijacked your thread.