Posts by Witchwood

Quote from Backdrifter

... listening to this I skipped through the tedious unfunny Romeo and Juliet introduction - PC just didn't have PG's knack of doing rambling introductions...

As much as I enjoy listening to their live recordings from all eras, I can't bear to listen to some of Phil's salacious intros to songs like Cinema Show — I usually skip past it and get right to the song.

I certainly prefer the detached, understated humour of Peter's stories, particularly some of his intros to Firth of Fifth and Supper's Ready.

Certainly for long-time fans, seeing our childhood icons age reminds us of our own mortality and theirs.

But in terms of the feelings of a newer fan I think I may be able to relate in the sense that about 2½ years ago I had a resurging interest in David Bowie.

I always had a few of his albums in my collection but then I heard some post ‘90s music of his one day which I really liked, and that spurred me to explore some of his later stuff, and also revisit some of the albums I had previously skipped over.

I was really starting to get into him, buying his albums, filling in some gaps in my collection and listening to him a lot.

And then it seemed just eight months after this sudden interest in Bowie, he died, and I was like, “Oh no. Really? I can't believe this.”

In the last three years, there have been a number of musicians I like who have died but I think Bowie’s was the one that hurt the most because of the preoccupation I had with him at that time.

Outside of Porcupine Tree, I thought Steven Wilson's best work was with No-Man.

While I like most of his solo stuff and the first couple of Blackfield releases, Flowermouth, Returning Jesus and Together We're Stranger would probably be my three favourite Wilson-related albums if you don't include his work with Porcupine Tree.

Quote from FeelItComing

Thanks Witchwood. So apart from Transience which I've noted, would To The Bone be a good starting point for someone like me? Remember I am a fan of later period Genesis & I am definitely not hard core prog.

I would say yes, based on your stated preference, and the fact it's his latest album and the one he's most likely to be showcasing in concert.

Quote from FeelItComing

... All we have by him is the Porcupine Tree live DVD/Blu Ray. I would appreciate it if some of you could give me some recommendations for some music, either by the band or solo...

I'm a greater fan of his work with Porcupine Tree but I like his solo stuff as well.

I thought his second-last solo release Hand Cannot Erase was his best.

I imagine he'll play a fair share of his new album, To The Bone, which has been a source of division for some fans. It has some uncharacteristic vocal stylings which I've seen some harder core prog fans dismiss as a blatant stab at commercialism.

Personally, I really like the new album. In fact, I prefer To The Bone to the two albums that preceded Hand Cannot Erase.

I imagine there are others who might have quite differing opinions.

I don’t think I’ve ever done a complete 180, where I went from hating a band to loving them.

Though in my early teens, when my friends all seemed to be collectively getting into the likes of Judas Priest, ACDC and Motorhead – I dismissed that entire head-banging genre as simplistic adrenaline-inducing crap.

Over time, I’ve actually come to appreciate ACDC, and now have a few of their albums in my collection - there are some of the earlier ones which I quite enjoy.

Quote from slowdancer

...His weirdest album probably is Reactor from 1982, which is trash punk with an Elvis-like Neil on the cover.

Ain`t got no t-bone. Got mashed potatoes.

The Elvis-like Neil is actually from the cover of Everybody's Rockin'.

The weirdest one for me was Trans which Neil has said was inspired by a combination of the music of Kraftwerk and the computerized means his son uses to communicate (I believe the son he was referring has cerebral palsy).

The first time I saw him in concert, oddly enough, was on the Trans tour in 1983.

I've seen him twice since then.

I'm a huge fan.

I can't say I love everything he's released but certainly as a live performer, I've never been less than overjoyed coming out of a concert hall after seeing him.

Quote from Noni

[Blocked Image: https://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTU1Njg5NDg1NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNjMxMTU5._V1_.jpg]

Not a bad movie... At the beginning, was not sure what was going on at first, but it soon resolved itself... This movie starts off with very short stories about people commiting crimes and fraud.. Instead of getting shot or going to jail, all these culprits leave the their counties and move to South America, where they work on an oil field. The story is about a massive explosion on the oil field and the only way to stop this, is to use explosives to stop the leak. However, the only explosives around have been sitting for years and very fragile (nitro gyclerine). Care is needed to transport these explosives over some 216 miles on some of the worst terrain...

Music score by Tangerine Dream..

Good suspenseful film and I really like the soundtrack. The album is well worth picking up if you're a Tangerine Dream fan.

Peter Gabriel

Porcupine Tree

King Crimson

Van Morrison

Cream

Steely Dan is one of those bands I don’t very play often, but when I do it's like a drug injection, I usually end up wanting to listen to two or three more in row.

I’ve have their first six albums.

Can’t Buy A Thrill is my favourite, and The Royal Scam is my second.

If I tried ranking them beyond that, I would probably have a three- or four-way tie.

There isn't a bad or weak album in that bunch, IMO.

Quote from StillCan'tDance

When I started I resolved to only collect soundboard and pre-fm material. Over time I've opened up and I'm glad I have. There are some vital audience recordings out there. One that springs immediately to mind is the show at The Marquee in 1982....

I agree. In addition to the Marquee show, a couple of others I'm quite fond of is Roma 72 and Academy of Music 74.

Even though there are superior sounding FM or pre-FM recordings from the SEBTP tour, the Academy recording is a solid performance and has a couple of little jams in there that make it a bit unique. It might actually be my favourite unofficial live recording.

I've always had a soft spot for Scratch. Admittedly, my feelings are bolstered by the fact it came out the same year I discovered Genesis, and in addition to exploring their back catalogue at that time, I was unearthing the works of former members.

Scratch was my introduction to Gabriel's solo work during this magical period of musical discovery, and so whenever I play this album I not only take pleasure in the music but in the memories it generates.

It remains a Top 3 album for me, along with 3 and 4.

The only Genesis compilation I've made, and it's one I'm quite pleased with, was a non-album track compilation from the post-Gabriel era extracting all the studio tracks from Archive Vol. 2 (minus the edited version of It's Yourself), adding the three from Spot The Pigeon plus the longer version of It's Yourself which ends with that nod to Mad Man Moon.

Some people don't like compilations that run chronologically - but I do, so it starts with It's Yourself and continues from there.

Soft Waves Soft Stars (PP&P 7)

Good music to have on while I'm working from home today. Even at a loud volume, it is soothing and doesn't jar my brain while I'm trying to piece thoughts together.

Dec. 2, 2002, Air Canada Centre, Toronto

Considering my first Genesis and Hackett shows were in 1980, and I was a huge fan of Gabriel too, it is inexplicable to me why it took me so long to finally go see him (I've seen him a second time since).

I guess the stars just never aligned, maybe it was work or some other commitments that hindered me from going earlier.

Sept. 21, 1980 at the O'Keefe Centre in Toronto.

I saw Genesis in concert for the first time three months earlier.

I still collect unofficial live recordings though it's probably been about 15 years since I last engaged in a trade. The ability to download recordings from torrent and file sharing websites has essentially eliminated the need to swap discs to expand your collection.