On a tangent, I'm just curious - how did you have my comment as a quote from zaar?
The Flood "pre-opener" as you put it did work well, but it'd be better for him to not repeat that - too much of a throwback. (For similar reasons I was mildly disappointed Genesis reprised the 07 tour opening last year). 20 years on, new tour new album, a different kind of curtain-raiser is needed.
Intruder would be good as an opener.
WCD is an odd one for me, it has a special connotation because it was the album really got me into Genesis, and one of the earliest albums I listened to obsessively, age 10-11. I think it has good depth and range, but there's also a maturity about it that makes it a little boring or something. The sound is unadventurous, which may be a production issue. I return to it infrequently but when I do, I enjoy the heights very much - NSOM, Jesus, driving the last spike and dreaming while you sleep are all great but countered by very mechanicsy MOR fare like Never a Time, and I was never a big fan of Fading Lights.
I am glad to see it top of someone's pile though!
I never knew this about the mechanics singers but it's not surprising I suppose. I'll always be down on how they ended (I think they should have followed up cas) but I am glad neither mechanics singers got the gig. It would have been two of the mechanics + Tony, and given Tony's singular lack of solo success it would have been an odd set up I think.
Come to think of it, I wonder if Mike and Tony had a difference of opinion about the new singer (such as Mike wanting a Paul), and whether that played into Mike's decision not to continue when Ray and Tony would have. None of my beeswax I know but another angle to ponder.
I like this one, it builds nicely and the vocalese at the end melds well with the instrumental. It's on my favorite PC solo album and I'm a fan of his general sound at this stage. It had a certain evocative quality that became less prominent beyond this and especially after NJR.
Beautiful space opera vibes here
Really enjoy this song. It's a bit inconclusive which I kind of like, and has a nice multilayered soundscape. His voice is great - has barely changed with age.
In the vein of "those little bits you notice", I love the guitar in the opening bit, which is so wistful and remote - it almost feels like it's trying to reach out to the rest of the music to make something whole, and the glitchy bit that goes in the background. I can't tell which of them is responsible for that, it sounds like a palm-muted guitar.
Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian singer songwriter. I never got into him, but I remember my parents going to see him a few times, and after the last one a few years ago they said his voice had faded badly. Reading of his death causes me to reflect on the fact that they are getting older.
Also this week: Jerry Springer.
How is it May already?
Smashing Pumpkins
No way. Have you heard the new one? It's been 2/3 out for a while. Production and his vocals have predictably been getting flak from the online community, and it will get predictably flayed when the full release comes out this Friday (as far as I can see their treatment by the music press is very comparable to Genesis' 30 or 40 years ago). I think it has their best stuff since 2000 on there though, especially part 3.
Smashing Pumpkins
Foals
Genesis
Still Corners
Beach House
I really like this track, the slightly discombobulated dreamy feeling in the opening bits, then the staccato, schizophrenic bit with Phil's yelped vocals and shuffling beat, the oblique lyrics, the trippy bridge and it finishes strong. Each part is well executed and evocative, and the juxtaposition of them makes for a very satisfying mid-length song that I enjoy coming back to. A solid 14.
Andy Partridge has a new band, The 3 Clubmen. Debut single "Aviatrix" out now. I think it's very good.
Display MoreHi,
Just though I would remind some members of Bill Films You-Tube Channel.
He has some great Videos on there and I like to support him. This one I had not seen before:
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As usual Christian please move this to the right place, Thanks
So good.
Display MoreTomorrow we take possession of our 'forever' home (at least forever until such time as we need to go into assisted accommodation or something). The saga that started with a failed attempt to sell our London flat in late 2020 finally reaches completion tomorrow. That flat has enabled us to buy a nice house in the Scottish Highlands outright and still leave a great big pile of change. No more rent, no more mortgage. It's a lovely, fortunate position to be in.
I still think back to the flat with sad fondness and will always miss it but every second we're in the new home the flat is there in spirit, working for us. Plus we still have a number of items, furniture etc from it which will always be associated with it.
We have an overlap month while various work is done on the house then we'll start moving stuff in bit by bit - it's less than 2 miles up the road from our rental.
Phew. Cracking some wine open tonight and a takeaway from the excellent local Chinese must and will be had.
Congratulations, sounds bittersweet to be parting with the old place but a great new place to live in a wonderful location. Lots to enjoy, starting with the vino and delicious takeaway!
There ya go. Why they would think inserting scenes of bored audience members is a good thing (whether from a Yes concert or even worse a Genesis concert) is beyond my feeble mind's ability to comprehend.
I agree. I appreciate the technology was more limited and budgets were probably smaller, but why do it the way they did?
It's a solid pop song but for me that's about it. It also has the tepid vibe that I associate with 99% of the mechanics that I have heard, and which has always dissuaded me from digging much deeper. It's a fatal quality, worse than if a song is actively bad in which case it at least holds some fascination. It's like when food is bland. I liked Another Cup of Coffee, and there were one or two good songs on the debut, Silent Running and an off-kilter short song which I think was Par Avion.
Can't say much more about BoaBoG (woah!) than that I'm afraid. 11, being generous. More like 8 or 9 but it is well done as these things go, it's just not a thing that excites me very much, or at all.
Very interesting reddit post here from someone claiming to have a tape with two unreleased Marvin Gaye songs on it.
The responses detailing what the individual should take are quite fascinating to me. Also, the horror these knowledgeable respondents must feel at the thought of this random person playing it on a home tape deck 😆.
Star Trek Picard season 3 was incredible. If you're still sitting on the fence just go watch it!
So looking forward to the last four episodes. It has been brilliant.
I have not watched it yet, but the Wrexham football club story seems genuinely heartwarming with McElhinney/Reynolds buying it and now getting promoted. I plan to watch the Disney plus show about it.
One thing I hope to learn is the relative role each actor plays - the articles usually mention them both at the start, then exclusively refer to Reynolds as the savior, or the guy who knows how to make a shrewd investment or something along those lines. My brief research so far indicates it was McElhinney's idea and he approached Reynolds for the money. By way of background, I think McElhinney's show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is the best American comedy there is.
Sounds like the notorious Red Blue Green Curse is still working its evil powers...
(I've not actually heard of such a curse, I just made that up)
I think it is real. Having actually found my copies in slightly-boggy-but-really-not-as-bad-as-I-feared condition, I now expect the ship carrying the boxes I have packed them in to sink like a stone half way across the Atlantic.
I remember Tony saying he liked it better live, particularly because of Chester. Phil, in his opinion played it too "stuttery". I truly have no opinion on that.
Haha, I'd like to have seen Phil's reaction to that.
I mostly think it's better live because of the mix/production, but probably the playing itself contributes. Can't say I specifically noticed the drums being different but now I'm going to pay attention.
