Jethro42: Prog epic rd 1

Jethro42 05.10.23	I already know which ones will serve as Prog epic rd 2 Voting ends Wednesday the 17th
Koris 05.10.23	Glad to see this is underway. I'll cast my vote over the weekend :]
Jethro42 05.10.23	Yours is the only one left I haven't listen to. Will be tomorrow. Can't wait.
SlothcoreSam 05.10.23	Let's go proggo proggo proggo proggo proggo
Friday13th 05.10.23	exciting. I couldn’t add a contestant in the end since my wife is having a baby soon. But I’ll look forward to listening to what I can! Cool picks.
Jethro42 05.10.23	Congrats for your baby, Friday. Great moments to come!
Mythodea 05.10.23	Congratulations, Friday!
Scheumke 05.10.23	Congrats Friday! Great times :D Super excited to hear all your contstants, let's go!
kalkwiese 05.10.23	Yes Friday, congrats! Let's get into this tourney let's gooooo
e210013 05.10.23	Here we go. I already listened to Fish several times and I like it very much. I'm very curious about the album of Von Hertzen Brothers. Let's see it and let's start this prog journey.
e210013 05.10.23	Congrats to you too, Friday. I hope everything goes right.
e210013 05.10.23	After 2 listenings of "Love Remains The Same" I confirm what I suspected. This is also a great album, the only thing we l could expect from a choice by Jethro. His choices are always possible finalists and winers. So, as I suspected this will be another very tough week, at lest for me. Good luck to you all and have a nice week.
wham49 05.10.23	psyched for both, they seem very interesting
Jethro42 05.10.23	I just need to listen to Fish couple of time. I'm used to some Fish, and I listened to this current album once in full. Good battle, it seems.
e210013 05.10.23	Nice choice for this first round Jethro. I agree both albums have songs with a pop tinge, but both know how to prog very well. But I'll be very sad because one of them will die here. But, it's life.
Jethro42 05.10.23	Don't talk about it e21, snif snif
e210013 05.10.23	But you owe me one, my friend. Because of you I'll have to stop with my reviews on Sput. Due to your tourney practically no one appeared on my last review about "Obscured By Clouds". It seams that everybody is only focused on your tourney. Lol.
Jethro42 05.10.23	Yeah it's the risk of the job, my friend. So you will have to take a break.
e210013 05.10.23	Cheers buddy. Nice to see you as a host of these tournaments. A great Friday's substitute, the right guy to do this. Besides, it's nice to have a break, as you said, and to do something different and discover some new great stuff.
Jethro42 05.10.23	Yeah that's the way to see it. It's the same salary after all. Lol And thank you for your kind words!
e210013 05.10.23	Lol. You're welcome.
bnelso55 05.10.23	Looking forward to this. Thanks, Jethro!
Jethro42 05.10.23	@bnelso; You welcome, mate. I have to listen to Onsegen Ensemble more deeply. Sounds really great!
kalkwiese 05.10.23	Listened to the one of these (won't say which). The other one must be damn good to beat it tbh
Jethro42 05.10.23	mmh
TheIntruder 05.10.23	It seems my album is in the first round with a very hard one. As e21 said, "his choices are always possible finalists and winners". I am going to begin listening to his album. Good luck to both.
TheIntruder 05.10.23	mmh
Jethro42 05.10.23	mmh indeed! It's always easier to criticize the opponent, so watch out Intruder.. Good luck to you, warrior.
TheIntruder 05.10.23	It is true. Good luck to our host too.
e210013 05.10.23	Only now when I'm listening to Fish's album I saw that Steven Wilson plays guitar on three tracks of the album, 1, 5 and 7. Very impressive. Here we can see how Fish is so well respected in the prog circles.
Jethro42 05.10.23	On my side, I got the three Von Hertzen Brothers with plenty of guest musicians. Not as known as Steven Wilson, but they make a difference nonetheless. Tbh, I'm not that sure about my knight. So much good music out there. It's an album I like very much. Toe tapping music I'd say.
e210013 05.10.23	I really love both. Both are great in their own way with many great guest musicians.
Jethro42 05.10.23	Yeah there is pretty good music in Raingods. I think both albums need repetitive listens but hey, I just need to listen to Fish, obviously.
Jethro42 05.10.23	Thanks to manosg for the feature.
Jethro42 05.10.23	Fish voice gets irritating when he tries to increase the volume. He is less skilful than he was at doing so. No thrown tomatoes here.
SlothcoreSam 05.11.23	It's Von Hertzen Brothers for me, loved the song structure and variety. Vocals were the only gripe for me. Fish was good, but felt like it was made by an old man trying to rediscover his glory days. It felt forced.
bgillesp 05.11.23	Oh boy, we’re starting already! Very excited for Fish as I’m a mega fan of early marillion. I’ll do my best at keeping up, but please forgive me if I’m late once or twice this year. I just started my third year of medical school, so I am in clinic anywhere from 8-12 hours a day, then come home to study, so free time is limited.
bgillesp 05.11.23	I hope to manage listening and choosing well, but I will likely be a lot less active in discussion this year
Jethro42 05.11.23	1:0 Sloth Priorities before for sure, bgillesp.
Storm In A Teacup 05.11.23	Ive been listening to fish for 30 years and have no memory of this Marillion.
Jethro42 05.11.23	@Storm; This Marillion, you mean Fish? If not, It's actually rather a part of Fish's solo career.
e210013 05.11.23	Besides, Fish solo career is very diverse of Marillion when he was in the band.
Donchivo 05.11.23	I am pretty stoked this is starting! Looking froward to both contestants. Fish is actually the only artist in this tourney that I had known about before this, but also never have listened to this album...
Scheumke 05.11.23	Did a first listen of Von Hertzen Brothers and really enjoyed it. I love how each song has such a unique character to it. It's all very distinctive and even though I can't recall any really high highs in it, the overall quality was very consistently good.
Jethro42 05.11.23	Fish excells in laid back songs due to his vocal limitations. He cannot sing like his heydays, that's clear. A part of that when he tries to hard to be a Peter Gabriel or a Phil Collins wannabe, his voice distorts a lot. I enjoy more Love Remains The Same composition wise. It's more catchy, more memorable. It's also paced with varied patterns. Fish music is written randomly, and it's getting boring pretty fast, except for the laid back songs. Love Remains the Same gets my vote.
Jethro42 05.11.23	2:0 Sloth Jethro
Scheumke 05.12.23	So after a first listen of Fish I notice that this needs time to grow for me. I have pretty much the opposite of you Jethro haha, where I enjoyed the Gabriel-esque type of voice but the slowness of the album brings it down for me. It's definitely theatrical and I like that too, but after a first listen it feels like an album full of ballads, which makes it harder for me the really judge it after one listen. Will give it more spins to see how it grows.
e210013 05.12.23	I agree with Scheumke. What I like most on Fish's album is its theatrical mood and the passional sing of him. He is really an amazing frontman. And curiously I usually don't like very much of ballads but in this case they fit perfectly well here. I think the diversity here is a strong point. About the diversity, the same applies to the album of Von Hertzen Brothers. I like it very much, making of it a well ballanced work. The less good point on the album are the vocal work, I think.
kalkwiese 05.12.23	Yea, Fish has this musical theater vibe and I dig it
Parallels 05.12.23	Gotta give credit to fish for putting that effort into the theatrical performance, agreed.
Jethro42 05.12.23	Hi Parallels, sorry, we're now complete. You can participate in voting nonetheless. You need to listen properly to both albums. Fish quickly stopped to grow on me. His music saturates pretty fast. The more I listen to it, the more it annoys me. His songwriting is meh, and I don't like his tendancy to try to sing like his heydays. He's now unable to do so properly. So Fish, stop trying please. I don't know what you guys have against the vocals of Von Hertzen Brothers. Maybe sometimes they have trouble with couple of their high notes here and there, nothing more. And it's not embarassing.The voice is even not distorting. It's not the case of Fish.
e210013 05.12.23	If Parallels participated as an outsider, it would be nice because there would be no ties.
bgillesp 05.12.23	Jethro you gotta quit rec’ing such great albums, especially if you’re gonna put them up against my beloved Fish!
Jethro42 05.12.23	Yet I would have not think about Fish as a candidate myself. Man I hesitated hard between two albums, and I ended up choosing the one I wasnt too much bored of, after multiple listens.
bgillesp 05.13.23	This Fish album is not nearly as good in my eyes as A Feast of Consequences which was in the tourney a couple years ago. I still like it a lot, but I am leaning towards VHB for this round. Will confirm after more listens
Koris 05.13.23	So I'm gonna have to go with Von Hertzen Brothers for this one. There's quite a bit of diversity in their sound, from traditional 70s prog to hard rock to Canterbury scene, and yet the music remains highly focused and even accessible. The relationship between complexity and catchiness on this thing is really appealing in general. Good stuff, and I'm glad I discovered it with this tournament The Fish album is good too. But to be frank, I've always preferred his work with Marillion, where the other members could rein in his theatricality with their hard rock and post-punk influences. I often find Fish's solo work to be a bit TOO self-indulgent, and Raingods is no exception So yeah, Love Remains the Same gets my vote here
porcupinetheater 05.13.23	Yeah I’m digging VH bros a lot, Fish got an uphill battle
Jethro42 05.13.23	3:0 Sloth Jethro Koris
Jethro42 05.13.23	@porc, is it a vote?
porcupinetheater 05.14.23	It is not I have not heard Fish yet!!
Jethro42 05.14.23	Oh! The battle hasn't begun yet!
porcupinetheater 05.14.23	Yeah I like to listen to one a few times running and a few days in between before I hear the other so I get a feel for the albums on their own, rather than digging one and docking the other because it didn’t do what I liked about the first, Y’know?
smaugman 05.14.23	i vote for von hertzen brothers. not a big fan of late 90s rock like that of fish
Zig 05.14.23	gotta go with Love Remains the Same, a nice album with good-but-not-that-special prog. must say neo-prog is not my jam at all, even after a couple of Marillion/Fish records.
Jethro42 05.14.23	Good manner, porc. Welcome to the invitation, smaug 5:0 Sloth Jethro Koris smaug Zig
Donchivo 05.15.23	Tough one! I wasn't impressed much with the first spin of Fish, but wow, it grew on me a lot! Especially the suite at the end of the album is amazing and the quite different Songs alternate beautifully. The first spins of VHB sound promising too, even that less of the album compared to Fish fully stands out for me yet. While I also wouldn't see the vocals as outstanding, they are decent IMO, not bringing the album down for me.
e210013 05.15.23	I'm really very divided. I cannot see any weaknesses on Fish's album. The album sounds to me better than I expected. Despite the different kind of tracks on the album it sounds to me a very cohesive effort a true concept album. It's very emotional and beautiful and I love the vocals. The man is an amazing singer. He always sings with passion. By the other hand, the album of Von Hetzen Brothers is surprisingly good and is also very beautiful. I cannot also see any weak point too. The album is very solid, despite its diversity, from the first minute to the last one. And I agree with Don. The vocals aren't outstanding but decent enough not to bring the album down. These are two of my favourite albums so far. So, my decision will be by a very thin hair.
TheIntruder 05.15.23	Both albums are great and very diversified, which are for me one of their strongest points. The other is their great musicianship. But there is one thing that distinguishes them. The great theatricality and the unique vocal performance of Fish. Saying that and without surprise, I am going to be faithful to my own candidate. It must be Fish for me.
Jethro42 05.15.23	5:1 Sloth Jethro Koris smaug Zig Intruder
zakalwe 05.15.23	Fish battered by Hertzen Brothers.
e210013 05.15.23	Lol. They're three against one.
kalkwiese 05.15.23	Okay, I made up my mind Von Hertzen Brothers for me
kalkwiese 05.15.23	The melodies just hie the sweet spot for me here. Love Fish's theatrical performance, but the album could be way tighter
Jethro42 05.15.23	6:1 Sloth Jethro Koris smaug Zig kalk Intruder
zakalwe 05.15.23	Have to listen to the back half of the Von Hertzen Brothers one but I’m impressed by it.
Jethro42 05.15.23	I did not expect such a difference. Yet I prior listened to Fish to be sure both were well balanced.
Mythodea 05.15.23	Okay, I think I know what my vote should be. Hertzen Bros is great, very fresh, with awesome build-ups and majestic moments, while still sounding loose and natural. I thought it was difficult for Fish to match it. But boy, was I wrong. I was never a Marillion/neo-prog fan, so I thought Fish wouldn't be up my alley as well. After listening to the album, though, I found deeply emotional, honest, very fun and exciting, and with truly magnificent musical moments. Production-wise it's stellar, and I feel like here lie the foundations for many elements that inspired Porcupine Tree (from guitar tones, to bass playing, and the synths, I could here everything from "The Sky Moves..." up to "Deadwing" here). So yeah, I was hooked on the album, it was an amazing surprise, and I can't stop listening to it, glad something Marillion-related stuck with me eventually.
Jethro42 05.15.23	Is it a vote for Fish?
Helentroy 05.15.23	I hope be in time. Both albums are great but I vote for Fish. I love the guy and this album is stelar. I can't stop listening to it too.
Jethro42 05.15.23	@Helentroy; It's too late to choose a knight, but you still can vote as an outsider. All you have to do is listening to both albums and vote, just like you just did. 6:2 Sloth Jethro Koris smaug Zig kalk Intruder Helentroy
Helentroy 05.15.23	Ok. Thanks.
Jethro42 05.15.23	@Helentroy, do you have an alt, just asking.
Helentroy 05.15.23	What do you mean?
Jethro42 05.15.23	Do you have more than one account?
Helentroy 05.15.23	Here? No. Why?
Jethro42 05.15.23	A question of rules. It's forbidden. That's why.
Helentroy 05.15.23	Ok.
bnelso55 05.16.23	Von Hertzen Brothers clicked right away, thoroughly enjoyed that album. My vote will have to go there. There are several parts of the fish record I enjoy very much, but I think I'm less likely to come to love it as a whole.
Donchivo 05.16.23	My vote goes to Fish. Excellent album, amazing flow, fun and interesting lyrics and I really dig the final epic. I liked VHB too but I guess it just blended too well together, I find it less memorable even thou playfulness is awesome on that one!
Jethro42 05.16.23	7:3 Sloth Jethro Koris smaug Zig kalk bnelso Intruder Helentroy Don
Scheumke 05.16.23	After listening to both again my vote goes to Von Hertzen Brothers. I really enjoyed the playfullness and diversity between all the different song. I did also enjoy Fish's album but it stuck with me a little less. In the long run I'm still not sure how much it would grow, but I have to vote for how I'm feeling about them now and not after 10 listens, so Von Hertzen Bro's it is.
Jethro42 05.16.23	Playfulness, diversity and melodies; that sums it up well for Hertzen Bros. 8:3 Sloth Jethro Koris smaug Zig kalk bnelso Scheumke Intruder Helentroy Don
kalkwiese 05.16.23	"Playfulness, diversity and melodies; that sums it up well for Hertzen Bros." And that's a recipie for gaining my love tbh
Koris 05.16.23	Man, I never expected Fish to get beaten so hard in a prog poll/tournament
kalkwiese 05.16.23	Is it decided already? We have more voters than knights after all
Koris 05.16.23	I just meant in a general sense, I know the poll isn't over yet. The numbers are just a bit striking, lol
Jethro42 05.16.23	I did not expect such a difference, neither. A reminder, tomorrow is the last day to vote.
Mythodea 05.16.23	Sorry for the late answer, yes, my vote goes to Fish!
Jethro42 05.16.23	8:4 Sloth Jethro Koris smaug Zig kalk bnelso Scheumke Intruder Helentroy Don Myth
Sabrutin 05.16.23	I enjoyed the albums even if they aren't fully my style. They're very "chunky", with moderate tempos and big emphasis on vocals. I preferred the more modern feel of the Von Hertzen Brothers because the instruments seemed a better fit for this kind of thing and it did have tracks that broke the mold (like "Spanish 411"). It may grow on me more if I return to it later on
wham49 05.16.23	I'll go with fish
kalkwiese 05.16.23	Is this a VHB vote?
porcupinetheater 05.16.23	Gonna toss my vote in for Von Hertzen Brothers Some real nice tracks on that one with a lot of cool melodic lines grounding the bombastic impulses from getting to be too much (most of the time), and songs like the opener and Somewhere in the Middle are superb. Dug the Fish album quite a bit when it went for restraint (Rites of Passage is phenomenal and maybe the best track on either record), but there's just too many corny moments for me, strained nasally frog croak vocals when Fishy pushes the vox, way way way too many spoken word pieces in the big closing suite, and that absolutely horrid post Stevie Ray Vaughn white-boy blues of Mission Statement.
Mythodea 05.16.23	Mission Statement rulez
porcupinetheater 05.16.23	Lmao yeah it's a competent run at the style but that style is one of my least favorite things in music lol Not a Stevie/Rory Gallagher/Joe Bonamossa fan, to put it lightly
Jethro42 05.16.23	''strained nasally frog croak vocals when Fishy pushes the vox'' Yes, in high notes, Fish tries too hard to sing like his heydays and it ruins it all. 9:5 Sloth Jethro Koris smaug Zig kalk bnelso Scheumke porc Intruder Helentroy Don Myth wham
Jethro42 05.16.23	Sabrutin, did you vote for VHB? It would be the insurance vote
Sabrutin 05.16.23	Yes, sorry if it wasn't clear. I vote for VHB
Jethro42 05.16.23	There are 3 left to vote plus a possibility of one outsider (parallels). If they would all vote for Fish, it would still be 10:9 10:5 Sloth Jethro Koris smaug Zig kalk bnelso Scheumke porc Sab Intruder Helentroy Don Myth wham Point is given to Hertzen Bros. Bravo to both. I'll give the Prog epic rd 2 in a few minutes.
zakalwe 05.16.23	It’s going to be Hertzen Brothers for me. First album of the tourney and it’s a belter.
Jethro42 05.16.23	11:5 Sloth Jethro Koris smaug Zig kalk bnelso Scheumke porc Sab zak Intruder Helentroy Don Myth wham Still more certain for the winner. Sorry in declaring it a little fast, zak.
Mythodea 05.17.23	RIP Fish, but kudos to VHB for their first win!
e210013 05.17.23	I agree with Mythodea. RIP Fish, but kudos to VHB for their first win. Or in other words, praising the winner and honour to the defeated. Since there's a clear victory of one of the knights, this time I'm going to do an unsual thing, which is, not vote on this round. As was perfectly clear, at least for me, since the first listenings I became very didided between both albums. So, this is the real reason why it took me so long to make a voting decision, since both were some of my first albums that I listened. So, it was a belessing for me to know that others took that task. I can also say that I raised the rating of both albums to 4.5. Both are two albums that I cannot stop listening. So, let's depart to the next round with the confidence this will be another memorable prog tourney, the second one commanded by our great friend Jethro, a legendary member of our prog loved music, on this site, the perfect sucessor to Friday.
Jethro42 05.17.23	e21, you made the good choice. When it's too hard to choose, the best thing to do is not choosing. You are emotional into a normal thing but you better confess in order to feel you better. You're not forced to vote, bro, and you don't have to feel guilty. Let's turn the page and face off to a brand new tourney which is yours. Cheers, my friend.
e210013 05.17.23	Thanks Jethro. Let's go ahead.
bgillesp 05.17.23	Sorry, lots of 12 hour shifts lately. My vote goes to Con Hertzen Brothers
Jethro42 05.17.23	12:5 Sloth Jethro Koris smaug Zig kalk bnelso Scheumke porc Sab zak bgill Intruder Helentroy Don Myth wham
Koris 05.17.23	Yeah, this one was definitely a blowout