Jethro42: Progland M9 | Sputnikmusic

Jethro42 04.16.22	Voting ends saturday, april 23rd. Go Polis Go Maquina!
kalkwiese 04.16.22	It happened, my knight enters the battleground. Now I am curious about the opponent
Jethro42 04.16.22	I know you were looking forward to it, kalk. Same for you bgillesp! Enjoy!
bgillesp 04.16.22	Oh boy, here it comes. I’m pretty sure I can count on wham since he likes jam rock and there’s a good long stretch of that in my album, but I fear it’s proto prog status will hurt it. Oh well, I just want more people to hear it!
parksungjoon 04.16.22	hey bros just wanted to say thanks for checking out and rating mezquita
bgillesp 04.16.22	Is v gud park
parksungjoon 04.16.22	i added a bunch of stuff from that scene in 2020 and tried to link them together via the similar artists bit as appropriate
MrSirLordGentleman 04.17.22	Oh, hadn't noticed Maquina was on the tournament. Haven't checked that one in ages. Will have to revisit
Divaman 04.17.22	I'm ready.
Mythodea 04.17.22	Two more to go, huh?
Donchivo 04.17.22	Wow, looks like another amazing match up! Great work J boy! I looked at all remaining contestants after M 7 and was quite sure my entry would square off against Maquina because they share the psych proto prog characteristics. But these two should definitely match up well too!
Donchivo 04.17.22	Also, I am excited for our match up, Porc! I never heard your knight and the blurb sounds quite different, but it figures to be exciting too!
Jethro42 04.17.22	@Donchivo; Present was actually unmatchable until the end. That's why I kept it for the last one, trying to make combinations all the way. Sometimes I wanted to match you with Polis, sometimes with Maquina, etc. What I had best on my hand were that actual match. You inherited it per default, Donchivo. You're not of the same style, but both of you are heavy in your own way.
bgillesp 04.17.22	Polis sounds like Khemmis if they listened to more Pink Floyd
Donchivo 04.18.22	Polis is a tough one for me. I really love this deep hypnotic and airy psychedelia mixed with that earthy heaviness. But the vocals aren't my cup of coffee and as a German native, it's hard to see past the esoteric pseudo spiritual nonsense of the lyrics. But musicwise it is sooo good!
Donchivo 04.18.22	@jethro: it will be an interesting match up for sure! Present sounds very exciting...
kalkwiese 04.18.22	@Donchivo: I completely agree. These lyrics are terrible nonsense and I cringe quite hard when I think about them, but the music just completely convinced me. I also dig the vocals, but I know they're gonna be divisive haha
Mythodea 04.18.22	Gave Polis a spin and I was quite amused, reminded me of a more psychedelic Beardfish. I also digged the vocals, perhaps not understanding a word of German helped, haha
Zig 04.18.22	let's do this
bgillesp 04.18.22	I believe I can say with complete objectivity here that Maquina has some some tasty jams
Mythodea 04.18.22	both albums are pretty neat. Maquina is more fuzzy and muddy, longer as well, but it still has some great moments
Jethro42 04.18.22	Cool, Donchivo :) For Polis, music is better distributed between singing and instrumentals. Both Polis and Maquina have good melodies and earworms. Maquina is more jam oriented, and they're doing it very well. It's a nice ride.
e210013 04.19.22	Hello guys. Now I'm ready to this new journey. I'm on both albums, right now. Let's see what they can bring to us. I'm very curious.
Divaman 04.19.22	After one listen, I'm not totally sold on either album.
bgillesp 04.19.22	Death to Diva!
Divaman 04.19.22	: O
Divaman 04.19.22	Are any of you guys familiar with the original film version of The Producers with Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder? I like the first song on the Maquina! LP, but it reminds me of a serious version of Dick Shawn's "Love Power" from that film - it has the same chord progression.
porcupinetheater 04.19.22	Alright, not voting yet, gonna get a few more listens in to be sure, but at this point Ima be shocked if I don't end up voting Maquina! Lot of interesting, freewheeling fun to be had with that one. Hate the vocals in Polis and the songwriting starts off like a strong point but gets more and more homogenous as it goes. Was checking out by the midpoint, where Why? had me the whole way through
Divaman 04.19.22	Interestingly enough, some of the Maquina! sounds like very early Jethro Tull.
Divaman 04.19.22	Actually, check that - I let my YouTube player just keep playing, and it finished Maquina! and slid right into an album by a Spanish blues/prog band called Pan y Regaliz. THEY sound like very early Jethro Tull.
Divaman 04.19.22	Hmm. I'll have to add those guys to the database. Apparently, they were crosstown friends/rivals with Maquina! according to prog rock archives.
bgillesp 04.19.22	Interesting find Diva!
Divaman 04.19.22	I don't know about the whole album, but that first song that I listened to was very cool.
Jethro42 04.19.22	Pan Y Regaliz are much inoffensive compared to Jethro Tull. They're also more psychedelic. Early Jethro Tull are bluesy prog, and I also can see similarities (Tull) with Maquina. Interesting find that Pan Y Regaliz, indeed.
Divaman 04.20.22	Got to thank YouTube for that one. It made the connection.
Jethro42 04.20.22	Yes, It always makes the connection for me too, but I never listened to it after Maquina, except for this time.
Divaman 04.20.22	There already was a page for them under Pan and Regaliz, but I added some similar artists to fill it out a little.
Jethro42 04.20.22	Good job into it, Diva. Long live Sput! It seems they're even not in the ProgArchives' database. [Edit] Oops In ProgArchives, it's under Pan & Regaliz, I see.
Divaman 04.20.22	Yeah, I was gonna say. I know I found them there earlier.
e210013 04.20.22	Interesting thing, Diva. I'll check it.
Zig 04.20.22	on a first listen, Polis sounds very interesting, that psychedelia influenced by Pink Floyd is great. Wish they had better vocals, thou. and now, for Maquina!
zakalwe 04.20.22	Ist zis prog? NEIN!!!! Quality guitar though.
e210013 04.20.22	After two listenings of both albums I really like both. Still, I think I start to have a clear favourite. Let's see it in the two next lintenings.
Mythodea 04.20.22	Last Two Songs of Maquina are awesome. "Earth's Daughter" is the best Bowie song that Bowie never wrote, and "Look Away Our Happiness" is the epitome of psychedelic proto-prog, still leaning too much into jazz and blues, in the likes of Spirit, H.P. Lovecraft, and Islands-era King Crimson
e210013 04.20.22	Maybe it's not very important Mythodea, but those two last songs are two bonus tracks added in the 1993 release. In reality the album was originally released only with the four first tracks. And I agree that Earth's Daughter is a great song perfectly in the same line of Bowie. Even the vocals are very alike.
Donchivo 04.20.22	@e210013: I read that these bonus tracks were recorded even before the album and are from the first single of Maquina!, that makes Earth Daughter even more impressive.. the best Bowie-song Bowie never wrote and even written when Bowie himself was just figuring out how Bowie sounds... ;)
Divaman 04.20.22	That was confusing.
e210013 04.20.22	I didn't know they were released before the album. But I knew they were released as singles. However, I think both are a bit out of place comparing them to the other four. They're a bit more pop and less psychedelic and experimental. So, probably my rating and decision will be only about the four original tracks of the album. Anyway, thanks for you telling me that, Don. It clarifies a bit more what I knew before.
Mythodea 04.20.22	> the best Bowie-song Bowie never wrote and even written when Bowie himself was just figuring out how Bowie sounds Maquina really went overkill with the progressiveness on this one
Donchivo 04.20.22	@diva: That was my intention
Divaman 04.20.22	Ohhhhhhhhhhh.
Jethro42 04.20.22	It's up to you guys to include these two bonus tracks or not. Both SBB and Steel Mill also got bonus tracks, and I accepted them, so...
bgillesp 04.21.22	If it’s any help, the last two tracks were intended to be included when I recced the album. Didn’t know they were bonus material
Jethro42 04.21.22	No worries, bgillesp. Like most of us, I wasn't aware either, and I'm sure we all consider these songs integral parts of the album. If not, I encourage people to do so. Both songs would be good complements to the album, after all.
Divaman 04.21.22	I certainly planned to include them. Hell, I almost included the first track from Pan y Regaliz as well.
Jethro42 04.21.22	LOL
zakalwe 04.21.22	Maquina is bloody jarring but it is more in the spirit of the tourney, but it really is jarring. Sod it my vote goes to Maquina.
Zig 04.21.22	yeah, my vote goes to Máquina! Pollis is nice, but Máquina is a jam machine.
e210013 04.21.22	After 4 listenings, here is what I think. Polis - Weltklang This is a very interesting German album, especially because Polis was born in the 70's beyond the Iron Curtain, in East German. It's an album with many psychedelic elements. I also like its 70's vintage sound. The guitar and Hammond works are great. The lyrics aren't the best I've heard, but I've no problems with them. Besides, I like they're in German. They bring to the album a certain Krautrock vibe. Maquina! - Why? This is a very surprising work, especially because it cames from Spain in the times of Franco. This is a very underground album, very pshychedelic. It's pratically made of jam music, in the best tradition of those days. It has some late 60's beat and psychedelia with a nice interplay between guitars and keys that bring to my memory, Cream, Grateful Dead and early Pink Floyd. This is a nice proto-prog album. Weltklang rated with 4.0. Why? rated with 3.5. These are two nice works. Why? is an album made in the beginning of the prog era, a very psychedelic jam album and Weltklang is a more traditional prog work more linked with the heavier side of prog, style Uriah Heep with some Krautrock influences. As I like more of elaborated insteed of jam works, my vote goes to Weltklang.
Divaman 04.21.22	What did you rate Pan y Regaliz?
e210013 04.21.22	I didn't check it yet, bro. But I think I'm going to do it after this phase of the tournament, when I have more free time. And you? Is it better?
Divaman 04.21.22	In all seriousness, I still have to go back for the whole album. But I will.
Jethro42 04.21.22	1:2 e21 zak Zig
bgillesp 04.21.22	I’m really liking Polis so far. Lots of old school heavy metal influence modernized into it and it reminds me a ton of Khemmis. I love my pick so much though so I surprisingly will vote for Maquina this round
Donchivo 04.21.22	My vote goes to Maquina too. Impressive album, crunchingly jammy but still detail rich enough to be part of this tournament. But if polis had good vocals and not these ubercringe lyrics I might have voted for them, as musically they are really, really great!
Divaman 04.21.22	My vote goes to Polis. This is a case of Maquina! had me, but then lost me when they hit the extended instrumental section, complete with those sour wah-wah's and the endless drum solo. (I know those were a thing at the time, but usually on live albums, not on studio albums.) I liked the first couple of numbers (the second being "Why?" before the instrumental), and "Earth's Daughter" was OK. The second bonus track also got a little sour for my taste at times. I found Polis solid, if not necessarily exciting, throughout. They avoided losing me more going out of their way to win me.
Jethro42 04.21.22	2:4 e21 Diva zak Zig bgillesp Donchivo
Divaman 04.21.22	Oh yeah - death to Diva! (Beat you to it, bgillesp)
bgillesp 04.21.22	Aw, thanks for saving me the work (:
SlothcoreSam 04.21.22	My vote goes to Polis in a close one.
Divaman 04.21.22	My pleasure.
kalkwiese 04.21.22	Okay, I'll stay true to my knight, so my vote goes to Polis. :) Maquina! just goes a bit too far in the instrumentals for my taste, but I think they really have something great going on and they show their melodic sensibilities in the other parts. I like that a lot
Jethro42 04.21.22	4:4 e21 Diva Sloth kalk zak Zig bgillesp Donchivo
TwigTW 04.22.22	My vote goes to Maquina! Why?
Divaman 04.22.22	OK, I'll bite. Why?
TwigTW 04.22.22	lol, I almost made a joke about that, but I let it go.
bgillesp 04.22.22	Because!
Divaman 04.22.22	(scratches head)
Sabrutin 04.22.22	"Weltklang's music fits well with its artwork, pleasant throughout with nice solos. Still the constant restrained pace combined with how tidy everything is makes it feel a little "complacent" in that modern prog way that I'm not huge on. By no means a bad album, I'll actually return to it most likely, but I believe Why? is a different beast in this match even though I'm not a big lover of its "dry" jammy nature (rhythm section definitely saves the day). Oh god why am I so negative lately, I don't even dislike them 😩" And that was the message I was going to post, before deciding to actually vote for Polis :D
Mythodea 04.22.22	>Weltklang's music fits well with its artwork, pleasant throughout with nice solos. Still the constant restrained pace combined with how tidy everything is makes it feel a little "complacent" in that modern prog way that I'm not huge on. By no means a bad album, I'll actually return to it most likely, but I believe Why? is a different beast in this match even though I'm not a big lover of its "dry" jammy nature (rhythm section definitely saves the day). Ι could sign this, agree to every word. Yet, still, I'm going to vote for Polis. Tidy and polished as it may be, I think I find many things that draw me back in the music, while Why?'s jamming parts and the acute guitar sound makes my mind wander away. I love the last two tracks, but I find it bit weird to base my vote on two bonus songs that one might or might not consider integral to the whole album. So, Polis.
Jethro42 04.22.22	6:5 e21 Diva Sloth kalk Sab Myth zak Zig bgillesp Donchivo Twig
Jethro42 04.23.22	Maquina is spacey, sober and an honest trip to atmospheric soundscapes, colorful jam with linear approach. It's a generous, pleasant bluesy affair a la Janis Joplin (save for the lenght of the main theme) with hooks throughout. I dig Polis since the tournament's debut, It has its earworms although with time, It lost its essence. It's not a vocal affair. It's rather the overall melancholic/over dramatic ambience. In fact, it's a mix of sadness and hope. The more I listen to it, the more I'm in contact with that sadness, even in the most energetic songs. Here, sadness leaves me cold. Good music, though. My vote goes to the playful Maquina.
Jethro42 04.23.22	6:6 e21 Diva Sloth kalk Sab Myth zak Zig bgillesp Donchivo Twig Jethro
Sabrutin 04.23.22	and it's neck and neck once again
porcupinetheater 04.23.22	Alright, Polis is better than I gave it credit for the first time around, some really nice instrumental work happening on that. Still bleeds together a little more than I'd like in the back half, but it is a good album. And Maquina is still better, love that krautrocky ride. Voting Maquina
hansoloshotfirst 04.23.22	Polis would have gotten my vote, if there were no vocals (and therefore no lyrics...though the delivery makes them 10 times worse) So my vote goes to Maquina! (and also because it is a lot of fun)
Jethro42 04.23.22	6:8 e21 Diva Sloth kalk Sab Myth zak Zig bgillesp Donchivo Twig Jethro porc hansolo
bnelso55 04.23.22	Here's one more for Polis. I really liked both of these though!
MrSirLordGentleman 04.23.22	Polis has some great guitar work but I'll go with Maquina since Polis does get kinda repetitive
bgillesp 04.23.22	Will this end my round 1 losing streak? Maybe... Will I get any further if I do move on? Based on these ratings, no chance... Glad to be getting some preferences for Maquina, but I'm sad nobody is liking it more than a 3.5
Jethro42 04.23.22	7:9 e21 Diva Sloth kalk Sab Myth bnelso zak Zig bgillesp Donchivo Twig Jethro porc hansolo SirLord
Jethro42 04.23.22	Scheumke, Shark, Friday13th and wham remaining. Giving them a reminder for M9.
Friday13th 04.23.22	tough one, but I’m voting for Polis. Great modern melancholic tinge.
Jethro42 04.23.22	8:9 e21 Diva Sloth kalk Sab Myth bnelso Friday zak Zig bgillesp Donchivo Twig Jethro porc hansolo SirLord @Friday; ''melancholic'', that's exactly the word I needed!...@everyone; by the way, M10 is at your door.
SharkTooth 04.24.22	I vote 1
Jethro42 04.24.22	9:9 e21 Diva Sloth kalk Sab Myth bnelso Friday Shark zak Zig bgillesp Donchivo Twig Jethro porc hansolo SirLord We are neck and neck again. Scheumke and wham are left. Maybe I'll need service from an outsider. I'll give until tomorrow.
bgillesp 04.24.22	Hold up, 10 minutes ago Sharktooth said he liked 2 better. Sneaky edit makes it a nail biter In the beginning of this round I said I was counting on Wham so lets see if he pulls through for me
Divaman 04.24.22	Still tied, huh?
Jethro42 04.24.22	I'm trying to think about an outsider...A neutral one.
bgillesp 04.24.22	Just let wham make the call. (and scheumke too if he picks me...)
Jethro42 04.24.22	I could give another 24h. It badly needs a verdict.
Jethro42 04.24.22	''(and scheumke too if he picks me...)'' Naturally :)
Jethro42 04.24.22	Participate or not participate...It really upsets me.
bgillesp 04.24.22	Theyll get to it. I think wham has said he is a teacher/professor before (something about grading papers) so hes probably busy with finals and stuff?
Jethro42 04.24.22	It's easy to come leaving us a message for a delay.
wham49 04.25.22	sorry guys was out of town most of last week and never got a chance to get them a good listen I'll be back in this week still need to get to 2 fro my own knowledge anything that is compared to the Dead needs to be heard
Divaman 04.25.22	I hear them as closer to the Allmans than the Dead.
bgillesp 04.25.22	Only the jam session (though it does take up about half the album) reminds of 60's live Dead material. Not as good in the jam department, but still wild, and w/ better vocals
wham49 04.25.22	thanks guys, will check a week late
wham49 04.25.22	another band that could be in this tournament that I think have some Dead jam band sound is Earthless, they jam especially From the ages
Jethro42 04.25.22	@wham, how does it feel to be the tie breaker?
wham49 04.27.22	by the end of the day I will give it to you. I didnt see this yesterday. Let me look at each one more time
Jethro42 04.27.22	All right. Thanks.
wham49 04.27.22	ok, I got a chance to see both again this morning and Iam going with number 2 1 was very very good as well as 2 but it seems as though 2 got to the point and jammed bit 1 kinda petered along with bursts of genius but I felt I had to wait for it a little too much
Jethro42 04.27.22	9:10 e21 Diva Sloth kalk Sab Myth bnelso Friday Shark zak Zig bgillesp Donchivo Twig Jethro porc hansolo SirLord wham Ok, I'm calling it for Maquina. It was a great, tight match. Bravo bgillesp! kalk, you suggested a great knight. I still have of their songs in my head. It could have been either way.
Divaman 04.27.22	My apologies to kalkwiese for bringing the dreaded diva curse down upon his head.
Donchivo 04.27.22	Diva, I invite you to excorcise the curse with Steel Mill in round 10. We can do it!!!!
Divaman 04.27.22	Are you sure that's what you want, Don?
Divaman 04.27.22	I mean I just looked back, and in the first 9 matches, only 2 of the albums I've voted for have carried their rounds.
kalkwiese 04.27.22	Lol Diva. I am glad you liked it and that some good music got some ratings. To be very honest, the lyrics grew to bother me more than I expected. What I thought was some harmless nonsense get a sinister dimension in the current political climate. All this spiritual stuff tends to have a holier than thou attitude and it makes me sick tbh. It's like people feel like they're special and all the others are sheeple idk. Maybe it's for the better that Polis lost. However, Eine Liebe Tausend Leben is a tune. The music is great.
Divaman 04.27.22	Since I don't speak German, they could have been singing about flowers as far as I knew, heh heh.
kalkwiese 04.27.22	In a way they did lol. That's the part about it I liked
porcupinetheater 04.27.22	Lol, yeah cool thing about this tourney is winning doesn't really matter much? Like, we're all listening to all the records, so even a first round bow-out can find a niche of new regular listeners. Just an excuse to pop something your super keen on in front of a bunch of new ears and see who it grabs
Divaman 04.27.22	True. And a chance for some very under-heard LPs to get some listens, and some ratings.
e210013 04.28.22	Another tigh one. Finally we know the winner. Nice.
wham49 04.28.22	"All this spiritual stuff tends to have a holier than thou attitude and it makes me sick tbh." thats what they were singing about, thankfully I did not vote for them
Divaman 04.28.22	That's kalk's story. I still say they were singing about flowers.
e210013 04.28.22	Yeah, I feel the same.
Donchivo 04.28.22	@Diva: I could have said 'stay away from my knight' but my approach is not to exclude those in need but to reach them a hand and help them in their struggle!!!11!1!
Divaman 04.28.22	Well, you've got me. Let's see if it helps.