Posts by Witchwood

    Do love Ant but TBH I would prefer an album in the style of Slow Dance or perhaps more akin to his WATE or Sides material. Love Ant's guitar albums but struggle to listen to a whole album of 6-12 string tunes. Just me folks. Prefer the band or multi instrumental material.

    I fully appreciate what you're saying.


    Even though, for example, I am quite fond of Field Day, it's an album I have to be in the right mood for, whereas most of the other albums - the band albums, the Missing Links, the PP&Ps - I can randomly pull out and play without having to weigh whether or not I'm in the right mood to enjoy it.


    Speaking of struggling with albums...

    When the discussion turns to Slow Dance, I feel like I'm watching others through a pane of glass.

    It seems everyone who is into Ant's music loves Slow Dance and I just don't experience that same level of euphoria that others seem to get with that album.

    I don't hate it or dislike it - it's just far from being one my favourites.

    I like every Genesis album. I think each one has its merits.

    Having said that, FGTR is easily my least favourite of the bunch.

    CAS, WCD and IT would be grouped in the next category — couple of notches above.

    But I couldn’t give you a consistent answer if asked which of those three I like the best or the least.

    It really varies on my mood and my tendency to rate albums higher when I happen to be listening to them.

    As a fan of the Neville Brothers, I was sorry to hear of the passing of Art Neville this week.

    Art was one of the primary vocalists in the Nevilles so it's a great loss to a group that also featured Aaron Neville.

    Prior to teaming up with his brothers, Art was in The Meters, a band he had also founded.

    I saw him play Our Shangri-La. It isn't often I can say that! My favourite track from that album is The Trawlerman's Song.

    It seems mellower than the others I have with not as many of those winding guitar solos that I love, but it makes up for that with some very beautiful melodies.

    Just picked up Santana's latest, Africa Speaks.


    There is some great stuff on Shangri-La, make sure you tell us what you think.

    Of the four I now have, I would say this one is my second favourite.

    Love the opening track, "5:15 a.m." and "Our Shangri-La."

    It was the Molson Amphitheatre (now called the Budweiser Stage) at Ontario Place actually, you may be confusing it with Kingswood which is at Canada's Wonderland. ...

    That makes sense, because I remember being out in the cool air, walking and chatting with the friend I was with afterwards and heading to get onto the TTC, whereas if it was at the Kingswood, I would have driven there.

    ...

    The last time I saw them live was in 2002. An absolutely amazing, transcendent concert where they played Awaken, Revealing Science, etc. - and that wasn't even their golden age...

    I don't begrudge the guys for going out there and earning their living. More power to them, and if people go and enjoy the show - great! I just can't do it anymore personally. ... In the end, it's only a band name, it's not the end of the world and I am not one of those people who thinks they are "ruining a legacy" or any such nonsense. It's just that, to me, some bands have members that are irreplaceable.


    That was the last time I saw them as well (perhaps you were at the same show, Kingswood in Toronto). I recall Chris milking every bit of that bass solo in the middle of Heart of the Sunrise, and I loved it. Every thing Rick Wakeman added seemed magical. I have very fond memories of that show.


    I also totally agree with your latter point.

    Whenever I've read comments suggesting certain bands or musicians shouldn't tour or record anymore because it's ruining their legacy, I think, what a load of baloney.

    Great albums like Close To The Edge don't depreciate or rest on a band's legacy, they are valued on their own merits.


    Mark Knopfler - Toulouse 2019 (Official Live Release)

    I was looking at these the other day. I'm just slowly starting to acquire his studio albums (I just ordered another one the other day) and to me it makes more sense that I pick up his studio albums first - though this certainly piqued my interest.

    I was thinking of seeing him on this tour but the nearest show to me (a 7-hour drive away) is sold out of decent tickets so I might get a recording from that show instead.

    Would Undertow have been improved if it opened with the first 40 seconds or the first two minutes of FTU?

    Perhaps.

    I'd have to hear how it blends together.


    But I love the song as it is, all 4½ minutes of it, and I've never felt it was missing anything.

    I have always wondered if there really was a real Tony Banks solo album besides Fugitive. I tend to see the other albums as projects with different people (with the classical music albums being the exception, his is a completely different world).

    I quite like Still, but what would Still be without Kershaw and Fish?

    On that basis, I would be inclined to consider ACF as much a "real" solo album, if not more so, because this is the only album where Tony plays every instrument except for drums.

    I wish I could have a recording of the show in Stuttgart I went. Is there any chance to get recordings of complete live shows like Genesis did in 2007?

    Normally I would say check out the Movement torrent site and invariably there will be a recording, but it seems there has been a steady decline in the number of shows taped in recent years.

    Of the 77 Hackett shows performed in 2017, for example, only 25% were recorded or shared.


    (Mind you, I would never begrudge anyone who decides to leave the recorder at home and enjoy a show, rather than take on all the risks and distractions associated with taping a concert).

    There is a small number of artists I like who have used recorded backing vocals on stage in a limited way, merely to reproduce a vocal harmony or a layered vocal effect.

    I don’t have a great problem with that.

    But I think I would draw the line at an artist miming the lead vocal.


    My feeling is if you can’t do it live, then don’t do it all.

    Play something else - in Steve's case, he could play to his strength and tap into some of those great instrumental tracks he's recorded over the years.