Posts by Witchwood

  • Your music for Christmas?

    With the snow-covered trees, the spirit of Christmas and tradition in the air, there something about the music of Jethro Tull that always just feels so appropriate for me at this time of year.

  • Lack of Archival Releases or expanded editions

    I’ve never been all that keen on repurchasing albums I already have, even with the incentive of a couple of bonus tracks.

    I’ve made exceptions when an album I already have is repackaged with an additional disc or a bonus DVD.

    As for an Archive series, I suspect Genesis management has weighed the fact there is a plethora of live recordings that have been freely available for decades and most fans who are enthusiastic about this sort of thing likely already have the ones they want.

    That luxury has also placed fans in a position where they can be critical of the purity of an official live release, and opt for a bootleg instead.


    So the question is what percentage of fans would be charitable enough to buy a recording from a concert they already have? Can they make money from this? Ultimately, is it worth the trouble?

    After all these years, I can only assume they concluded not enough people would purchase or download these recordings to make it worth their while.

  • RIP Thread!!

    I'm very sorry to hear about Dave's passing.

    We traded music a number of times over the years and on each of those occasions, he went above and beyond by sending me other artists from his collection that he thought I might like.

    Occasionally, if I asked a question on the forum about a band or artist that I had a growing curiosity about, I would get a private message from Dave, saying, hold off, I'm going to send you an album or two by these guys.


    I never met him in person, but I think it would have been a pleasure if I did. He was clearly a music fanatic but on top of that, he seemed like a thoughtful person.

  • RIP Thread!!

    Sad news for fans of early Strawbs.

    Tony Hooper, who was an integral member on the band's first five albums, died yesterday.

    He was 77.

    From what I read, he was being treated for oral cancer and contracted C-19 while in hospital.

    The music and his contributions will certainly live on in my heart.

  • Your Most Hated Music,.or music that grates or you simply just can't stand

    I can't think of a specific band or genre of music that I could say I hate.


    However, my wife occasionally watches these singer talent shows that are very popular on TV; they have a panel of celebrity judges and the crowd ecstatically cheers every performance.


    I absolutely loathe them. I can't stay in the same room when that is on.


    So, I suppose if there is music I hate, it would be the sounds oozing out of my TV set when those programs are on.

  • Members working together who weren't in the band together

    Another that comes to mind...

    A King Crimson "Project" entitled A Scarcity of Miracles and released in 2011 featured, among others, Mel Collins, who was a member of King Crimson from 1970 to 72, and Tony Levin, who joined King Crimson in 81.

    Since 2015, the two have been part of the latest incarnation of KC but this lineup has yet to record a studio album under the name King Crimson.

  • Recent Purchases

    Rick Wakeman - The Red Planet

    (I think the hype surrounding this album is completely warranted. Very much in the vein and quality as Six Wives and Criminal Record)


    Fairport Convention - Fairport Convention

    (I have most of Fairport's output from the late 60s and early to mid 70s but the debut was always one I skipped past for some inexplicable reason. Judy Dyble's recent passing spurred me to rectify that omission)

  • Members working together who weren't in the band together

    Dave Lambert joined the Strawbs two years after Rick Wakeman had left to join Yes.

    The two never played together but Lambert along with fellow Strawbs mate Dave Cousins are among the guest musicians on Wakeman's Six Wives of Henry VIII.


    The other one that comes to mind is Ron Wood and Mick Taylor.

    Taylor, who was replaced by Wood as lead guitarist in the Stones, guested on Wood's first two solo albums.

  • Which five bands?

    Since then, I've listened to a lot of...


    Gentle Giant

    Rush

    Bob Marley & The Wailers

    Peter Gabriel


    Plus been playing lots of East Indian music lately ... Ravi Shankar and Shivkamur Sharma being the two the most predominant

  • Which five bands?

    Still playing a lot of Knopfler (+ Dire Straits).


    Besides that...

    Fairport Convention (+ Sandy Denny, Fotheringay)

    Roxy Music

    Camel

    Caravan

  • RIP Thread!!

    Huge loss. One of my favourite guitarists, with a beautiful tone and sound.

    I can listen to Peter Green and Danny Kirwin play off each other during a 25-minute version of Rattlesnake Shake and time just flies by.

    Maybe, those two can meet up in the afterlife and play some amazing music together again.


    RIP Peter.

  • RIP Thread!!

    https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-53382561



    I was saddened the learn of the death today of Judy Dyble who was one of the founding members of Fairport Convention and had recorded several tracks with Giles, Giles and Fripp.


    Recently, I had learned she and David Longdon were collaborating on a new release, and as a fan of both Big Big Train and the various bands she has been peripherally involved in, I was looking forward to hearing the fruits from that effort.


    Her regrettable passing will no doubt play in my mind when that album is released later this year.

  • Dire Straits / Mark Knopfler

    I credit this thread for giving me the spark to explore MK’s solo works further and discover some great albums that I didn’t have before.

    Within a year I went from having one to seven albums of his, and I’ve still got my sights on getting more. He’s been my most-listened to artist in the last year.


    What initially brought me to the table with Dire Straits ages ago were songs like Lady Writer and Down To The Waterline where the guitar solos provide a compelling climax.

    What kept me there were the endearing qualities of songs like Portobello Belle and In The Gallery.


    I discovered his solo work favours his lyrical and melodic strengths.

    I think when I picked up that first solo album which I was initially lukewarm to, perhaps I expected more of a balance with stinging guitar solos interspersed throughout.

    Since then, after picking up more of his albums and broadening my expectations, I've embraced the subtle beauty of releases like Shangri-La or Tracker without feeling that there’s something missing.

  • Which five bands?

    Since then, I've listened to a lot of...


    Strawbs

    Bruce Cockburn

    Mark Knopfler

    Tragically Hip (+ Gord Downie solo)

    Van Morrison

  • The Dividing Line.

    Things that divide fans are more likely to generate interesting or colourful conversation.

    If you started a thread entitled "I love A Trick of the Tail" I don't expect the discussion would get too heated in there. :)