Posts by foxfeeder

In fairness, the version of FAS at Knebworth which I taped off the radio, is the best version of the guitar solo I have heard. Yes, it's Daryl, and it's the one time I think he might have topped Steve's version of anything.

Quote from StillCan'tDance

Oh yes. The production on that album has always had some bite to it. John Burns produced it but he also produced Selling England, whose sound I've never liked.

Although I believe CD is vastly superior to vinyl, all things (mastering/compression etc) being equal, the best I have ever heard the album sound is the first time, at a friend's house, his copy on his Pioneer PL12 turntable. There was an "ambience", a quality to the acoustics of the cottage it was recorded in, that was truly startling, and which I've never heard on any copy since. It was like "being there!"

Quote from Backdrifter

I'm responding to the above question from this post here, as it seemed more appropriate.

I gather a man has been arrested in connection with these deaths. The day before it happened I'd been on my daily walk, confidently re-tracing a new route but turning up just one different street took me way off course and I ended up walking along Balloan Road where the deaths occurred, in a suburb on the southern edge of the city. It was odd to then see that very spot on the news the following day.

It's apparently the first double killing in Inverrness since 1973. I haven't yet seen any further detail about the circumstances of this recent incident. Neighbours of the two men are very upset, saying they were well-liked locally. An injured woman was also found at the scene. All rather horrible. And to think, as i walked past the house, those men had no idea they only had another 24 hours to live - it makes me shudder.

I picked up on this story on Teletext (I'm one of the last 2 people in the UK using it! ) but after a brief description of early coverage, have seen or heard no more. Bit of a shocker in what is generally a quiet part of the world. Bizarre!

I don't think the production of any of the albums before SEBTP was very good at all, I guess I was spoiled by the Moodies albums which were earlier yet so much better. the Lamb steps up the production values again massively.

Through the Barricades by Spandau Ballet was on the radio today. I've seen them play it live. Great song!

Quote from thefarmer

Loved star trekkin.

I have a copy! But I think that was a different band , who, I heard at the time, was by a member of the Rubette's (Sugar Baby Love)

Quote from Backdrifter

I loved Queen between the ages of about 8 and 14 then completely lost interest. I first saw them on Top Of The Pops doing Seven Seas and thought it was brilliant, really exciting. My brother got the single then later got Sheer Heart Attack, which for me is probably my favourite of the few Queen albums I know. Now I'm Here, what a superb piece of pop-rock. I loved Bohemian Rhapsody (I just can't bring myself to use the abbreviation!) and the ANATO album, which I thought had some really impressive stuff such as Prophet's Song with all the vocal overlap effects etc.

Around the time of NOTW it was like a switch being thrown - it wasn't that I suddenly thought they were now rubbish, it's just that they vanished from my personal radar, never to re-appear. I'd watch the occasional live performance if one got shown on TV, and a friend lent me Live Killers which was ok apart from the over-long noodling on Brighton Rock.

I've occasionally wondered about why a band I really liked stopped being of any interest to me so abruptly. All I can think is that at that time my musical interests were expanding quite rapidly and Queen, while not bad, were no longer sufficiently remarkable or appealing so got nudged out of the way.

I mentioned my loving Seven Seas and my brother getting the single. My favourite Queen song remains its b-side, See What A Fool I've Been. It perfectly combined the heaviness and loucheness that helped define a big part of their sound. Now I'm Here would be almost neck and neck with it.

One of my closest friends is the biggest Queen fan I know, but pulled a face and shook his head when I asked him if he was interested in the post-FM incarnations.

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Yes, I always liked "See What a Fool I've Been" too, bought it as a download a while back. "Now I'm Here" was the first song I ever had in my possession before it was released as a single, so it always has a special place in my heart. Great song it is too.

Haven't heard Cosmic Rocks, so I can't argue, but I don't like Paul Rodgers, and also suspect that his presence will have encouraged Brian to do what he's bad at: the sort of tracks he did on his solo album "Back To The Light" with Cozy Powell. Many of the other tracks (The Dark, Nothin' But Blue, Last Horizon) are outstanding, but things like I'm Scared, and particularly the awful Love Token (On a par with Andy Partridge's worst moment, "Pink Thing") would have been best left unheard.

Queen are IMO probably the best example of a band where the sum of the parts were much better than the individuals, mostly reigning in each others excesses, though Freddie's dreadful 1920's style pastiches (of which Seaside Rendezvous is just one) slipped through. The one exception, for me, is Roger's "Happiness?", which is a superb album, better than many Queen albums.

Queen 11 is my favourite, Queen 1 next, and SHA, Night and Day are all generally good, but after that, they lost it. Hot Space was the low point (not alone in that, Elton's Victim of Love was another from the same general era, a symptom of bands/artists being swayed by the punk passing phase)

I was a Queen fan from Q2, when most people didn't know who they were. I played them to death. Everywhere! When BoRap got to no. 1, I was in the lower 6th form. During assembly, an upper 6ther came up to me, shook my hand, and said "Well done, you spotted them before any of us. Cue instant street cred!

I prefer the 1994 remasters, EXCEPT for Foxtrot, where the old mix sounded just badly produced. Despite the changes, I think the new one is an improvement.

1/ Moody Blues (though effectively now retired, last gigs in 2018 but Graeme Edge has called a day now, I believe) so effectively Justin Hayward and John Lodge, who are still gigging and releasing.

2/ Cock Robin.

3/ Steve Hackett (though not any of the albums since BTSH or Squackett, sadly!)

4/ Tim Bowness.

5/ Nick Magnus.

That's about it, I think. Mostly buying old stuff in new formats these days, like BJH 5.1 mixes, Korgis complete back catalogue, etc.

I have "In Time - The Best of" which is enough for me.

I'm half Scottish, through my father, and was conceived in Dumfries, though they moved to Chester before I was born, mother's home town. By age 17, having spent 3 weeks a year with relatives in Scotland, I worked out I'd spent effectively a year of my life in Scotland. (3 weeks x 17 years = 51 weeks plus one on a school trip tot eh Hebrides.) I know Scotland well, and still have relatives there (who I have more contact with than the ones locally!) but I wouldn't say there are huge differences between England, Scotland or Wales (whose border is less than 3 miles from me, and where I worked a lot) but the south east, including London, is a different world, where people seem happy to squeeze themselves into a tiny area of land, relative to the rest of us. I've never understood why! Proud to be British, and English & Scottish. Without us, Europe would have had a much different union, one nobody could have left! We don't/didn't seem to get much gratitude, particularly from Charles De Gaule!

As for Abba, they were sugary pop in the early days, but they got much better. The last 2 singles, Under Attack, and esp. The Day Before You Came, are brilliant, sublime, beautifully crafted songs. Waterloo was Eurovision. In that arena, it deserved to win, though I can never understand why the UK keeps entering unknown acts when we could be putting world class ones in (not by our definition, perhaps, but by the general public.) Take That, for example!

Quote from OneForTheVine

That's one of my very favorite latter-era Moodies albums, every bit as good as "Long Distance Voyager", IMHO.

I agree.

Are "an Englishman in New York" and "Snack Attack" on this? I've always assumed they were, like both of them.

The Gizmo also features on Blue Guitar by Justin Hayward and John Lodge, though John Lodge is not on it, it was Justin & 10cc, about 3 years prior to it's release. They were just passing time in Strawberry Studio, Stockport, and Justin had a spare song. Some spare, eh?

Justin's "All the Way" compilation includes the original version of Blue Guitar, it had the Halle Orchestra and some extra backing vocals added for the single release. The Gizmo is more clearly heard on the original version.

I am lucky to be able to say I have been in Strawberry studio, Stockport, though it was some time later, 1980 in fact, by which time it was in different hands with a different name, Pluto studio, I seem to recall.

Quote from Backdrifter

Everyone loving Smallcreep. I don't think I've heard it since about 1980, if indeed at all. I'll seek it out and give it a bash.

I struggled with A Curious Feeling. Again, one I haven't revisited for decades. I recall it as a distillation of every airy swirly wispy thing I disliked about 76-78 Genesis.

Smallcreep is superb, side 1 in particular. I've said it before: the guitar playing is very good, yet Ant Philips is on keyboards, allegedly.

Steve: Far bigger fan of Steve than Genesis, TBH, though the last 3 albums (post GR2) have been massive disappointments, but got everything studio album wise, and only stopped the live albums at Live in Liverpool.

All the others about equal. Gave up on TB after Soundtracks, which is good, and ACF is excellent bar the instrumentals, Gave up on MR after AVS, but I like it and think Smallcreeps day is the best solo effort not by Steve. Gave up on PC after Hello, it and FV are ok, but not regular listens. Gave up on PG after 4, like the first 2, 3 is a curate's egg, and 4 has 2 great songs, dislike the rest. Never got into AP, the first album wasn't very appealing, to me.

Quote from thefarmer

TOTT, TLLDOB, W+W. Also all the previous covers. They seemed to compliment the music , creating a whole. Duke was good , a move away from that old classic album cover feel but maintained that feeling of completeness , creating a concept feel. Abacab made a statement , " This is different". Abstract , no concept, not great but I did buy all 4 covers . Shapes was terrible. IT not much better. ATTWT was odd. Looked like it should've had some concept or meaning but I have never figured it. Clouds, cigarettes, lines, two people. Quite Odd.

WCD and CAS average. I always liked SO. Thought it was great. It had typical Genesis live image with the lines of lights.

???

There are 3!

Indeed, Little Richard, a true original and a massive talent, he was a class act. He really set the music world in a new direction, probably without even realising it. RIP.

Quote from The_Genesis_Archive

Criticism is welcome when its merited and due, it is encouraged when it's constructive and other ideas are debated fairly and remain relevant.

What is it that you are trying to say here?

Most band documentaries have the chance to fall fowl of the hype or unfair expectations placed upon them, especially concerning bands with a large catalogue or longevity. Went Nuclear is to suggest legal action followed, to suggest that almost no one liked it is also a generalisation. To then be so bold to say that the band didn't like it is indeed fatuous and naive.

TGA

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I said ALMOST no-one liked it. Certainly, within the forum, it was considered a turkey. Within the band, the only person who seemed pleased with it was Mike, but he's a friend of Eagle Rock's CEO, I believe, so I'll draw my own conclusions...………..