Jethro42: Progland M8 | Sputnikmusic

Jethro42 04.09.22	Good trip fellas. Vote ending april, saturday 16th
MrSirLordGentleman 04.09.22	Ok so just to be sure, Slapp Happy is the same as Slapp Happy or Slapphappy, also known as Analbasac Noom, the one with a pink artwork, isn't it? Because that one rules
MrSirLordGentleman 04.09.22	Oh ok, this is the version that was re-recorded without Faust as a backing band. It released first but was recorded later than the one from 1980 I'd say the one released in 1980 is better overall but I remember the 1974 one being pretty cool as well. Will have to check it again
porcupinetheater 04.09.22	Stoked to check the Slapp Happy record, love the work they did with Henry Cow Stoked to jam Cojones Grande, as well, but like, hypothetically
Divaman 04.09.22	Uh oh. It's the lady with the hat.
Jethro42 04.09.22	@SirLord, I wasn't aware of the other possibilities, but it's Slapp Happy of 1974.
MrSirLordGentleman 04.09.22	It's ok. I do encourage you guys to check that one as well though, I mean how cool is it to have Faust as a backing band lol
SlothcoreSam 04.09.22	Yeah it's the early Slapp Happy album.
zakalwe 04.09.22	Love Me and Parvati!
Zig 04.09.22	Only know Happy’s Casablanca Moon song, which is a classic.
bgillesp 04.09.22	Excitement ensues
Jethro42 04.09.22	The Slapp Happy album hit the right buttons for me. It sounds like demos, but composition-wise, it's nearly perfect. Jono El Grande have a good sense of humour a la Frank Zappa with The National's vocals. They also flirt with classical. At first glance, it sounds a bit cacophonic, but it turns all fine with time.
MrSirLordGentleman 04.09.22	Glad you liked Slapp Happy. Was afraid that some might not think of it as prog
Jethro42 04.10.22	Not sure if it's more like sheer Rio Avant-prog, prog pop or art rock or a bit of each, but its first few songs made no doubt in my mind; album had his place in the tourney. I came to like the singer very much.
bgillesp 04.10.22	I think we should clarify that if you use the spotify link for the Slapp Happy rec, it takes you to a double album of Casablanca Moon/Desperate Straights. It appears that Casablanca Moon is an alternate title for the actual rec, while the second half, Desperate Straights beginning at Some Questions about Hats was actually my album rec from the 2017 comp
Jethro42 04.10.22	For the Spotify link, SlothcoreSam specifies ''The first 11 tracks of this link'' But thanks for these precisions. I remember Desperate Straights were part of a tourney. I didn't remember it was your knight. At that time I wasn't open mind enough to fully appreciate, but I feel I have to give it another spin.
bgillesp 04.10.22	Well I guess I just can’t read
Jethro42 04.10.22	We can't see everything :) I added the information to my description to be sure.
MrSirLordGentleman 04.10.22	Second track and the closer on Jono el Grande are awesome
SharkTooth 04.10.22	Slapp Happy sounds really good so far
e210013 04.11.22	Now I'm beginning this journey listening to the Slapp Happy's album. And then I will listen to Jono El Grande's album. Let's clarify a bit more something about Slapp Happy's album. First, the album is also known as Casablanca Moon, as can be seen in several sites. Second, the version on Spotify has the tracks from this album and the tracks of Desperate Straights too, which is another album. Desperate Straights is a collaborative work with Henry Cow. Like our friend Jethro said, Desperate Straights was already in another tournament, I think it was brought to us by our friend Zig then. So, who is using Spotify should only listen the first 11 tracks. The others belong to Desperate Straights. Anyway, I advise you to check also Desperte Straights, if you have time, as a bonus. Desperate Straights is also great, despite be a bit different, less popy, more experimental and avant-garde. Nice prog journey fellows.
Jethro42 04.11.22	@e21, thanks for your statement about Slapp Happy. I added the same warning in my description above. I'm so sorry you lose, e21. You were meant to be with us further than that. Your dark, melodious and emotive album delivered a good battle against the mighty Spidermilk. People hesitated a lot between both, so it could have been the other way around. I would have liked to see both albums in the next round, but you see, I wanted to match both since the get go. Matchups aren't easy to do. It's always hard for me to see one of these leaving. Keep on progging, and let the fun continue.
Divaman 04.11.22	I think maybe this time I should vote for the one I like less.
bgillesp 04.11.22	Lol, at least e21 can’t read either. (Not making fun of you e21, but Sloth wrote in his description about the Spotify thing and I also wrote a clarification because I didn’t see that he already did)
Jethro42 04.11.22	@Diva; Or vote for the album which has most of its ratings higher than 4
Jethro42 04.11.22	Lol bgillesp!
e210013 04.11.22	Yeah, it's true. This is the problem to be disconnected two days, Jethro and bgillesp. We lose a bit our rhythm. No problem Jethro. Both albums are great. And I can imagine that it's rather difficult to pair two albums to compete with each other. And I also agree that it's sad to see leave some of these albums so soon. But it must be done. Besides, my main intention was to call a bit more the attention to A Drop Of Light, more that it had at the time I published my review about it. I really think that it's an exceptianal work. So, as you said, keep on progging, and let the fun continue.
Jethro42 04.11.22	@e21, cheers! For a minute, I thought I would match your knight to mine, but then the problem would have been to match Flaming Row with someone else. I had the idea to match Flaming Row with Mercury Tree, but it was too late at that time, so I stayed with my main idea, Spidermilk vs A Drop Of Light.
e210013 04.11.22	Yeah, I also saw that. But I would have hated that. You know I love both albums equally. So, it would be horrible to have to decide between mine and yours.
Jethro42 04.11.22	Yeah you're right. So it was written in the sky that it would be Spidermilk vs A Drop Of Light. What is not fair is that most of the participants hesitated between both albums. It could have finish to the other side of the balance.
e210013 04.11.22	C'est la vie mon ami. Anyway, I hope that some of our friends can return to check the album again. It would be nice, since it's a very complex work that must be digested slowly and gradually, to can catch all thing.
Jethro42 04.11.22	Oui, c'est la vie, monsieur!... Large and deep essence and subtilities that is A Drop Of Light. I should give it a 4.5. When I was at a 3.5, I didn't notice its nuances. It's really a grower. Now I know I will listen to it regularly. I hope I'm not alone in doing so.
Jethro42 04.11.22	Slapp Happy contains great ditties, it's a fact. The second Jono El Grande song is one of my favorite off of the tournament. Be patient with that album, you guys. At first glance there are several random noises, but with each listens it takes an homogenic form. [Edit], Slapp Happy is not that proggy, and it often sounds like Elliott Smith (...that came after oc).
SharkTooth 04.11.22	Slapp Happy is really good, but it didn't feel too proggy to me
Jethro42 04.11.22	I just edited my last comment saying the same thing, Shark. I blindly accepted Slapp Happy because of Desperate Straights.
Divaman 04.11.22	Dagmar doesn't sound anything like I remember on the joint album with Henry Cow.
Jethro42 04.11.22	Here, she's not overdramatic, she rather goes straight pop.
Divaman 04.11.22	Very much. There's even a "Girl From Ipanema"-type number.
Jethro42 04.11.22	Yeah you're right. We can agree that Slapp Happy is at best progressive pop. ''Progressive'' is a big word here.
Divaman 04.11.22	Well, as far as my scoring goes, I've told you guys before I don't worry about how progressive it is. I leave that up to the tournament host. And once an album has been accepted for the tournament, I score it solely on how much I like it.
Jethro42 04.11.22	That's the way it goes. If i knew that album before, I wouldn't accept it. I also already refused an album from SlothcoreSam prior to this one. Like I said, I listened to couple of songs and blindly accepted it cause of Desperate Straights. [Edit] Let's prog be prog.
Divaman 04.11.22	A lot of these definitions are hard to pin down anyway.
Divaman 04.11.22	The beginning of Jono El Grande almost sounds like Zappa to me.
zakalwe 04.11.22	Diva with the leniency of a saint. If it ain’t progging to any degree it’s going in the bin for me.
Jethro42 04.11.22	My ear knows when it's pure prog. Sometimes it's hard to explain or to analyse. It's just instantly logic to me if it is prog or not.
Jethro42 04.11.22	@Diva, as for Jono El Grande and Frank Zappa, I told the same in my second comment in the beginning of the thread. [Edit] Lol zak!
Jethro42 04.11.22	Prog elements are found in some songs, mainly in the instrumental arrangements.
Divaman 04.11.22	Great minds think alike. : )
Jethro42 04.11.22	Yessss!
Divaman 04.12.22	After the first listen, I'm leaning in one direction, but it's still pretty open which way I'll go.
MrSirLordGentleman 04.12.22	I wouldn't call Slapp Happy prog and that comes from someone with a very broad definition of prog However, if it is the better album it will still get my vote. It is way more consistent overall for me but Jono's second track and its closer are top tier, so I can't decide yet
Mythodea 04.12.22	Slapp Happy may or may not be prog, but tbh, I enjoyed it so much, and her voice is perfect
e210013 04.12.22	@ Jethro I like that you have put both albums together in the same poll. After a couple of listenings I really like both. Despite they're very different, both belong to the unconventional prog. Both are great is their avant-garde own style.
Scheumke 04.12.22	Finished my first listen of both. Very nice records (again, how are you guys keep doing this), where I too where looking for the prog elements of Slapp Happy but it was sweet nevertheless. Jono el Granda flirts a lot with Zappa elements and there were moments I already loved and moments that didn't grab my attention. Curious to see how they will grow with repeated listens.
Jethro42 04.12.22	I blindly accepted Slapp Happy because of Desperate Straights. It passed under the radar. How funny; A non prog album risks to be the winner in a prog tournament! It really is a good ''avant garde'' pop album , indeed. Cheers e21.
kalkwiese 04.12.22	Well, an album that's not really prog in too many ways probably won't get my vote, unless I like it MUCH more than the other one. Don't know how you all will handle that
Divaman 04.12.22	We'll jump off of that bridge when we come to it. Right now, Slapp Happy hasn't even won a round yet.
Jethro42 04.12.22	I accepted it anyway, it's in the building so we have to live with it. May the best win. [Edit] Good philosophy Diva.
e210013 04.12.22	I think it's too much reductive to say that the album os Slapp Happy has nothing to do with prog. Of course it's a bit pop but it isn't a commercial album. Besides, it has, in my opinion, some prog characteristics, especially with its instrumental arrangements. It has also many carachteristics of the prog avant-garde music. Maybe we can say that it's a kind of a pop avant-garde work, whatever it can means.
Jethro42 04.12.22	Yes my friend, we both agree for the instrumental arrangements. Melodies are rich too. Album is maybe not a commercial one, but it's catchy af. Some of the songs are so close to prog without exactly touching it, in my opinion. It often reminds me of Elliott Smith, so we're far from the classic prog. Album is consistently good, it's close, very close to prog for me.
e210013 04.12.22	Besides, certainly it wasn't a coincidence that Henry Cow invited Slapp Happy to participate with them. I think, in their own way, Slapp Happy is close to RIO movement, which as we know, it's a musical movement with many different musical sensibilities.
Divaman 04.12.22	Or nonsensibilities at times.
e210013 04.12.22	Sometimes.
Jethro42 04.12.22	Lol. But I have to agree with you there, e21. Let's prog wall to wall!
Zig 04.13.22	@e21, actually I brought Art Bears, a post Slapp Happy / Henry Cow project, in 2019 ;)
Jethro42 04.13.22	I'm pretty sure Desperate Straights was bgillesp's entry. It seems we are late to vote for this match...
zakalwe 04.13.22	Slap Happy offered up the tourneys best diversion so far but I’ll stick to me own. Jono El Grande for me please
Jethro42 04.13.22	Slapp Happy is really great with strong earworms, but it somehow saturated, whereas Jono El Grande continues to grow on me. Its title track is magnificient. I have to listen to Jono again before deciding.
Jethro42 04.13.22	0:1 zak
MrSirLordGentleman 04.13.22	I'll go with Slapp Happy. Probably the most consistent song on the tournament so far. No weak songs in it
Jethro42 04.13.22	Finally, both albums are saturated, but my preference is clear. Both albums have the same subgenre, but Jono is more adventurous with its noisy, noodling parts. It has beauty moments with classical efforts. We can detect Frank Zappa's colors, and The National's vocals. The t/t is immense. It's hard to remember the passages in general. It doesn't do any effects on me anymore. Slapp Happy is more of songs album with different musical backgrounds. It reveals progressive aspects in instrumental arrangements, and in couple of vocal performances. The singer knows how to sing. Memorable album with great melodies throughout. If it's pop, it's progressive pop. I'm voting for Slapp Happy.
Jethro42 04.13.22	2:1 SirLord Jethro zak
bgillesp 04.13.22	Woohoo! I have survived my past couple awful weeks of school! Gonna catch up on listening as much as possible the next few days (including finalizing my vote from last week). Sorry to have been MIA. On the note of this week's music the Jono el Grande album has some surprisingly amazing moments, though at this point I am not sure if it holds up for the whole length. I am already a big fan of Slapp Happy because of Desperate Straights, so this one of theirs is very easily likable for me from the beginning. I'll give a couple more listens to each though.
bgillesp 04.13.22	A Little Something from Slapp Happy has that beautiful Bluegrass ending to that kills me. I'm also on the boat of it being occasionally progressive pop/rock/folk whatever, but it's still probably my favorite album from the tournament so far, so I'll have to decide what to do about that for this round (and potentially others)
bgillesp 04.13.22	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCsGRCf8T9Y Also please tell me yall agree that the chorus from The Drum is the same melody as this
Divaman 04.14.22	I'm ready to vote. My curse...um, I mean vote...goes to Jono El Grande. (Sorry about that, zak.) I like several of the tracks on the Slapp Happy album, especially the first one and most of the later ones. Some of the ones in the middle left me a little cold, though. I liked the Jono El Grande album pretty much throughout. As several of us stated, it's in the vein of Zappa, but I found it to be a little more contained than a lot of Zappa. I liked a lot of the use of strings throughout the album.
MrSirLordGentleman 04.14.22	Reminder to those who loved Slapp Happy to check the 1980 version. I'd say that, with the exception of Me & Paravati, every song is better
e210013 04.14.22	After my usual 4 listenings, here are my impressions. Slapp Happy - Slapp Happy I liked very much of this album. It's true it isn't properly a prog album. It's more a kind of a pop album with a very avant-garde approach. However, it's very close to prog due to its instrumental arrangements. But, what is really a true prog album? Anyway, this a very well ballanced album without weak points. It's a very captivating album with a very easy listening. The vocals are very beautifull and sexy. Jono El Grande - Melody Of A Muddled Mason This was for me one of the greatest surprises of this tournament. The album is excellent and despite it has a very complex music and arrangements at times, it has also a very easy listening. I can see here many traces of Frank Zappa, King Crimson and Henry Cow too. The album hasn't also any weak point and the title track is simply amazing. Despite several influences, it remains a cohesive work. Slapp Happy rated with 4.0. Melody Of A Muddled Mason rated with 4.5. As a conclusion, both albums are great and despite the differences I can see some common points probably because that somehow both are linked with RIO movement, in their own way. However, I think Melody Of A Muddled Mason is a more complete work with all its rich instrumentation. So, my vote goes to Jono El Grande album.
Zig 04.14.22	this round turned out to be very rough for me. I love the Henry Cow and Slapp Happy's merger, so listening this album was just as amazing, although with a less-prog more-light approach; and Dagmar's voice is just wonderful. Just wish the band took more risks while writing. - Melody Of A Muddled Mason is a record I've known for its art cover but never had a chance to check until now. It's such a good work. The Zappa-ish arrangements and the musical complexity is what I like the most. The vocals are a turn off for me. That said, still have to decide who to vote for.
Jethro42 04.14.22	''https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCsGRCf8T9Y Also please tell me yall agree that the chorus from The Drum is the same melody as this'' @bgillesp; Pretty similar. They must know ''The Drum'', or perhaps is it a coincidence.
Jethro42 04.14.22	2:3 SirLord Jethro zak Diva e21
bgillesp 04.14.22	@Jethro, I’m sure that song was inspired by The Drum melody. Whether it was unconscious or intentionally modeled/stolen I’d be curious to know
Jethro42 04.14.22	mhh...Damn stealing! It's obvious. Nice discovery, bgillesp.
TwigTW 04.15.22	"He'd better watch his steps, 'cos sooner or later, they'll find his headless body in a ventilator" ...my vote goes to Slapp Happy.
bgillesp 04.15.22	I’m also gonna vote Slapp Happy. If it were a closer matchup, I might vote for the more proggy album, but I just love it so much. Jono El Grande is a bunch of fun and probably still in my top half for the tourney, but I can’t vote against an album as fun and diverse as Slapp Happy.
Divaman 04.15.22	Death to ... well, you know.
Donchivo 04.15.22	Hey prog discovery team! Sorry, I am missing in action this week (Hostile environment training and simulations...) so I got some catch up to do now. I am actually very worried for my champion when reading your discussions on if an album is prog enough or not, as I don't feel it's much more prog than Slapp Happy... hope you'll be open to it! Regarding slap Happy: for me this mixture of catchy melodies and more pop like structures with complex arrangements and diverse instrumentation in 1974 is IMO actually more progressive (as in forward thinking, original and adventurous) than a straight up symphonic prog album, which basically was the standard fare at that time... I do like the vocals, but IMO they don't combine that well with the more complex playing underneath. Jono El grande is a great caleidoscope of musical ideas. I remmeber having heard an earleir Jono album many years ago without being very impressed, but this is very intriguing! I definitely need more spins to decide. Great discoveries for me though
SlothcoreSam 04.15.22	Whilst I did enjoy Jono El G, and will likely come back, I'm gonna go with my pick, Slapp Happy. It's a classic for me.
Jethro42 04.15.22	5:3 SirLord Jethro Twig bgillesp Sloth zak Diva e21 From the start, I was sure Slapp Happy was insignificant, trivial album, but now I've approached it, I find it's rather a good discovery. Great songs album. No bad songs in fact.
Sabrutin 04.15.22	I won't lie, this isn't one of my best rounds. I didn't manage to really connect with either album, Slapp Happy being a bit of an easy listening record whereas Melody of Muddled Mason instead has a lot of things going on, but I kind of feel like there are many accompaniments but without a main actor. But that's not to say that I disliked them. All in all, I will side with Jono El Grande
Jethro42 04.15.22	5:4 SirLord Jethro Twig bgillesp Sloth zak Diva e21 Sab
Jethro42 04.15.22	As I said before, for Slapp Happy , I can't help but detecting resemblance with Elliott Smith(which came after).
bgillesp 04.16.22	I'll vote for round 7 tonight, lol. Getting in a high quality listen of ADOL now.
hansoloshotfirst 04.16.22	my vote goes to Jono El Grande.
Scheumke 04.16.22	I'm voting for Jono el Grande. It was a close call, where Slapp Happy was very light and fun and very inoffensive in both the good and bad way. Jono tickled my nostalgia bone with some great instrumentation and I really enjoyed the Zappa love. Both very fun albums that I'll probably come back to every now and then, yet Jono had a little more substance to it in the context of this contest.
porcupinetheater 04.16.22	Voting Slapp Happy Wish they hadn't brought We Three Kings or whatever the fuck Christmas song into that one track, and they have some stuff that skews a bit too goofy here and there, but there's a lot of really interesting instrumental choices happening across the tracklist. Jono El Grande, on the other hand, sounds like they're trying to do "What if They Might Be Giants could shred?" and I'm not here for it
porcupinetheater 04.16.22	Prog bands naming their records with overly aggressive alliteration is a warning sign
Zig 04.16.22	Although I love Dagmar, my vote goes to Jono. Overall, Happy's record just don't have the richness and risky arrangements of Jono's.
Mythodea 04.16.22	I loved Slapp Happy's record (4), and perhaps its poppyness makes it more appealing and worth returning to, but in the end, Jono El Grande (4) has created a great record, adventurous, equally light and colorful, and the brass parts are always spot on. It's also closer to the tournament's identity, so yes..
zakalwe 04.16.22	“Jono El Grande, on the other hand, sounds like they're trying to do "What if They Might Be Giants could shred?" and I'm not here for it” lol
Jethro42 04.16.22	6:8 SirLord Jethro Twig bgillesp Sloth porc zak Diva e21 Sab hansolo Scheumke Zig Myth
kalkwiese 04.16.22	I only managed to do one listen to both, but my vote goes to Slapp Happy
Friday13th 04.16.22	Slapp Happy is great and I am glad it was recommended. It is far more accessible and enjoyable than the later Slapp Happy albums I’ve heard. Nevertheless, it is not really prog rock. It is an art pop album, predating but in the same vein as Kate Bush’s first two albums. It is fantastic. Also very impressed with Jono El Grande. It does sound like Frank Zappa but well written and avoids Zappa’s overt weirdness for its own sake. This would make a difficult match against Pekka Pohjola. I have to vote for Jono because, while just as good as Slapp Happy, it’s the only prog rock album of the two.
bnelso55 04.16.22	I'll vote for Jono!
Jethro42 04.16.22	@Friday; Agreed, album Slapp Happy is not exactly prog. At first, i've only listened to couple of its songs, and I've somewhat accepted it. After all, it's Slapp Happy. And then, it started to be too late. Like I said couple of times, that album is in the same vein as Elliott Smith which is not prog at all. 7:10 SirLord Jethro Twig bgillesp Sloth porc kalk zak Diva e21 Sab hansolo Scheumke Zig Myth Friday bnelso
Jethro42 04.16.22	Jono vs Pekka would have been unfair.
Donchivo 04.16.22	I am voting for Jono too. It's eclecticism and weirdness made the difference for me. But I feel like I didn't give both enough spins...
Jethro42 04.16.22	7:11 SirLord Jethro Twig bgillesp Sloth porc kalk zak Diva e21 Sab hansolo Scheumke Zig Myth Friday bnelso Donchivo
Jethro42 04.16.22	Only Shark and wham are missing, so, I can technically call it for Jono El Grande. Bravo zak. Good battle Sloth. I'm preparing M9.
wham49 04.16.22	Sorry had a busy week, I go with 2 very good
SharkTooth 04.17.22	I prefer 2
Jethro42 04.17.22	7:13 SirLord Jethro Twig bgillesp Sloth porc kalk zak Diva e21 Sab hansolo Scheumke Zig Myth Friday bnelso Donchivo wham Shark
SlothcoreSam 04.17.22	Was a good battle, well played Zak. Glad a lot of you enjoyed Slapp Happy, even if it was light on the prog.
Mythodea 04.17.22	Ιf it wasn't strictly a prog tournament, I think I'd lean towards Slapp Happy's album, but in all honesty, both albums are equally good in what they're chasing
zakalwe 04.17.22	Nice One Sloth. Your choice offered up a real alternative, bloody enjoyable.
e210013 04.19.22	Another nice journey we had guys. Thanks to both, Sloth and Zak. It was nice to finally check Casablanca Moon, Sloth. And it was nice that you have brought to me a great album and an amazing album, Zak.