Friday13th
10.27.17 | Happy prog day! Here are this week's jams as we await the neck and neck M6 results. |
Jethro42
10.27.17 | So you kept mine for the closing of the regular rounds. My opponent is finally revealed. From the start, I was certain you would match me with Quartetto 1111.
You always manage to match up ''compatible'' opponents. I tip you my hat!
Happy progday everyone! |
Frippertronics
10.27.17 | Cow easily |
Friday13th
10.27.17 | Listening to #2 right now...boy, this is gonna be a divider! The new Todd haha |
e210013
10.28.17 | I thought these would be the fair pairs for the two last sessions. My compliments Friday. Still, I don't know nothing about these albums, but I'm very curious.
Happy prog week. |
e210013
10.28.17 | @ Jethro
I'm really very happy for not have been Quarteto 1111 against Ingranaggi Della Valle. It would be a logical choice but I suppose that it would be very tough. I suspect that your album is a very hard bone to crack. We will see it in the last round. I have great expectations about it.
|
TwigTW
10.28.17 | an interesting match... |
Jethro42
10.28.17 | @e21, I think you won't be disappointed by Ingranaggi Della Valle. It's a new band with young musicians inspired by the symphonic prog bands from the 70s, by the modern symphonic prog Anglagard with a jazz rock twist, especially in their first album that is violin-based. Band is right up your alley, no doubt.
Maybe our albums are gonna be matched later on :)
Cheers, mate. |
bgillesp
10.28.17 | Quarteto is my fav so far but Slapp may top it after a few more listens. Gotta give flash a go though |
Divaman
10.28.17 | Happy Prog Day, everybody. Not familiar at all with Slapp Happy and Henry Cow, so this should be fun. |
Divaman
10.28.17 | Btw, just kidding about all the mean stuff I said about Todd, Fripp, my dear, dear friend. :) |
wham49
10.28.17 | finally something more my speed, I will enjoy this weeks matchup |
SCREAM!
10.28.17 | Started with 2 and I'm really not sure what I think of this one |
Friday13th
10.28.17 | Yeah, 2 is nuts. The middle has some more accessible songs, but the first few songs and the last song are like...waaaa |
TwigTW
10.29.17 | After one listen I think it's interesting, prog-pop influenced by German cabaret (among other things)... very interesting. |
Divaman
10.29.17 | Wow. Talk about trying to compare apples and oranges. It's early Yes vs. Kurt Weill. |
TwigTW
10.29.17 | I've heard of Henry Cow, but never listened before. It's going to take a few listens to get my head around it. Looking forward to the Yes/Flash album. |
Divaman
10.29.17 | Remember, though, we're talking early Yes, around the era of the first album or "Time and a Word". To me, Flash is like Yes if they'd evolved in a different direction. |
Friday13th
10.29.17 | Flash does sound like early Yes. Early Yes is underrated, though, so no diss. The only weak side of early Yes is that they included pop covers, but Flash shows only the prog side. |
TwigTW
10.29.17 | I almost nominated Badger - Live, another early Yes spin-off with Tony Kaye. So many spin-offs. I'll never hear them all, but it's fun trying. |
Divaman
10.29.17 | Yes has such a rich history, and has had so many great musicians over the years. So far in my year or so on Sputnik, I've been able to review Flash, ABWH, The Buggles and Wakeman's "Myths and Legends ..." album, none of which had reviews before. And there's plenty more out there. Curious to see if Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman drop a new Yes album at some point. |
Divaman
10.29.17 | I have to say, I'm not sure how much I like it yet, but after first listen, the Slapp Happy and Henry Cow was pretty interesting to me. I'm a big Threepenny Opera fan (I saw the famous Raul Julia version in Lincoln Center many years ago), so I can see where this might grow on me -- I kind of like the weird German lady. Not sure about the last track, though -- first impression is it sounded like a small orchestra warming up before an actual performance. I was totally unfamiliar with these guys, so I'm enjoying listening to and learning more about them. |
TwigTW
10.29.17 | The Buggles, that's right! What an odd pairing that was--but a great one. I wouldn't be surprised to see an ARW album. They really are Yes now, so fingers crossed . . . Brecht/Weill is a good reference point (I bet that Raul Julia performance was great), although I'd pick the Seven Deadly Sins. I agree with you about the last Desperate Straights track. It seems a little tacked-on to me, but the week is young. We'll see what happens . . . |
Jethro42
10.29.17 | I love the guitar playing of Peter Banks. Flash makes no exception. I'll have to relisten to the debut Yes, but I think Banks work that impresses me the most is Two Sides of Peter Banks, featuring a bunch of well known proggers. Released in 1973, It's at the same time jam rock, jazz rock and progressive rock at its finest. Banks can make his guitar sounding almost like a violin, and sometimes I can hear some Pat Metheny too. While Banks is versatile and instinctive, Howe is more technical and has more style and he is a gifted songwriter. Yes had a new identity since he's aboard, and there was no room left for Banks.
If memory serves well, I prefer the first two Yes albums over Flash. Specially Time and a Word. |
Divaman
10.29.17 | I prefer Flash over the first two Yes albums, but not over The Yes Album, etc. |
e210013
10.30.17 | "Time And A Word" is better than Yes' debut. No doubt about it.
About "Flash", I like it. I think is equally good as is "Time And A Word". |
bgillesp
10.30.17 | Dang, in my opinion both of these are easily top half of the competition so I hate to vote against one. Not ready to vote yet but it'll be close for me |
Sabrutin
10.30.17 | Flash is enjoyable but overall I honestly don't find it particularly captivating.
Favorite track: probably Dreams of Heaven |
e210013
10.30.17 | Maybe I prefer "Small Beginnings", but I'm not sure. Still, I think both are the best tracks. |
bgillesp
10.31.17 | I hate to say it for Flash because I really did like that one. I'd give it a 4.1/5 at least. I just like the Slapp record too much. Its more like a 4.3 for me.
My vote is for Desperate Straights |
bgillesp
10.31.17 | I actually like Flash more than both of the first two Yes and put Time and a Word at the bottom of the 3 |
Friday13th
10.31.17 | 0:1 |
Divaman
10.31.17 | No surprises here. I vote for Flash.
As much as I like the Slapp Happy and Henry Cow album, I don't see myself playing it again and again for years to come. It's more of a novelty album, although certainly an interesting one. (I really like the weird song about hats at the beginning of the album).
The Flash album is one that I like enough to always go back to. And I also like the way it serves as sort of an alternate reality portal for Yes -- what if Yes hadn't gotten rid of Banks and Kaye -- how might they have developed over the years?
And while I like all 5 of the songs on the Flash album, that's not the case for Desperate Straights. I love the hat song (which sounds as though it's being sung by the former TV sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer), and the cool one by the male vocalist later on, I really don't like that last track. |
Friday13th
10.31.17 | bgill: #2
Diva: #1
1:1 |
Jethro42
10.31.17 | I tried hard to like Desperate Straights, but failed. Except for some rare excerpts, album doesn't do anything to me. I only feel some fragility, weirdness or nonsense, and it leaves me cold.
Flash is more of my style. I hear much more than some Yes in there. The Who is probably an influence. Thanks to the jazz rock nature of ''Dreams of Heaven'', song wouldn't be out of place in an early Journey album. Peter Banks excells when it comes to flirt with jazz. The more Yes-like song and my favorite one has to be ''Children of the Universe''. The two laid back songs are ok, nothing more.The singer sounds so much like Jon Anderson...mainly in the last song.
I vote for Flash.
|
Divaman
11.01.17 | Hey my prog friends, I wanted to pass this along to you. I know everyone on this list lives in different places, but I got an e-mail today advertising "Cruise to the Edge", a cruise sailing out of Tampa, Florida in February, hosted by the Steve Howe version of Yes, where performers include Yes, Steve Hackett, Marillion, Martin Barre, Carl Palmer's new band, Adrian Belew's new band, Focus and Glass Hammer, among others. I'll probably create a list letting people know about it when the site isn't acting up, but the web site is www.cruisetotheedge.com . |
Friday13th
11.01.17 | bgill: #2
Diva: #1
Jethro: #1
2:1 |
bgillesp
11.01.17 | Well, I've got a rec picked out for next year in case nobody but Fripp and I like this one |
Sabrutin
11.01.17 | Desperate Straights hits a sweet spot between weird and nostalgic |
TwigTW
11.02.17 | Is it Thursday already? Time to get down to business... |
TwigTW
11.02.17 | This round is like comparing apples and oranges. They are both prog, but they are nothing alike. I like Flash. They do sound like Yes. (and, of course I like that) They sound so much like Yes that I can't help but compare the singer to John Anderson (He comes up short imho). I'm interested in hearing their other albums, so that's good. They released three albums in the space of a year! Morning Haze and Dreams of heaven are my favorite tracks. |
TwigTW
11.02.17 | ...Children Of The Universe too! |
TwigTW
11.02.17 | @Jethro: I'm glad someone else heard the Who in Flash. |
TwigTW
11.03.17 | Ok... I've been listening to both albums all day (all week really), and the more I listen to them the more I like them both. I'm very interested in checking out the rest of their discogs. So, in that way, this has been the best round for me. Having said that, my vote goes to Desperate Straights. The parts of Flash that impress me the most remind me of the Yes Album, while Desperate Straights sounds new, different and exciting... but like I said. They're both great. Can't wait to dive into those discogs!
|
MrSirLordGentleman
11.03.17 | Ok, gotta post this fast before this shithole of a site keeps crashing
I didn't really enjoy THAT much any of the albums.
Flash has some great moments, it is pretty fun and there is some great technique, but it feels just like "any other prog album". It lacks identity, A LOT
Desperate Straights on the other hand goes into that kind of experimental/weird kind of music which I'm not too fond to, but that also gives it a pretty unique sound and it does have some beautiful "normal" moments on it
My vote goes to 2, only because there is an identity to be found on it |
TwigTW
11.03.17 | Happy Prog Day? :-/ |
bgillesp
11.03.17 | 2-3 |
Friday13th
11.03.17 | Sputnik is really making things difficult. Unbelievable any site experiences this many problems. Anyway, I'm going to vote Flash because I'm a big Yes fan and it hits the spot, though 2 did have songs I liked particularly in the middle.
bgill: #2
Diva: #1
Jethro: #1
Twig: #2
Gentleman: #2
Friday: #1
3-3 |
CusmanX1
11.03.17 | Sorry guys, is today the last day to vote, right? |
Sabrutin
11.03.17 | I vote for Desperate Straights, I side with those who didn't find Flash to be particularly interesting, even if enjoyable |
Divaman
11.03.17 | Ah, good to be back. Did we ever get a winner for last week? |
bgillesp
11.03.17 | I'd be happy if either of these went on. Mine is my 2nd fav so far and flash is my 4th. Quarteto and Todd are up there as well for me, maybe island too |
Friday13th
11.03.17 | @Cusman yeah, nominally the last day. Of course, we still don't have the final vote for M6, so if we have a similar split here we're gonna have a similar problem.
bgill: #2
Diva: #1
Jethro: #1
Twig: #2
Gentleman: #2
Friday: #1
Sabrutin: #2
3-4 |
Papa Universe
11.03.17 | for the record, I only heard the stuff on those links, so if one or both are some mixed up obscured alt-versions like it tends to happen around here, then I am not aware of that
nevertheless, my vote goes to Flash |
Friday13th
11.03.17 | @Unique you're good, haven't heard of any issues with these links.
bgill: #2
Diva: #1
Jethro: #1
Twig: #2
Gentleman: #2
Friday: #1
Sabrutin: #2
Unique: #1
4-4
|
e210013
11.03.17 | "Sputnik is really making things difficult."
I absolutely agree. It begins to be very hard to work on this site. Sometimes I lose my patience with it. But let's get to what is interesting.
I never believed that it would be so hard to have a conclusion with this prog journey. I must confess that I'm not very enthusiastic about both albums. I knew already "Flash", but I had not listened to it in a long time. About "Desperate Straights", it was a completelly unknown album till now. Still, here there are my conclusions about both.
Flash - Flash:
From what I know, this seems to be the best Flash's album. If nothing else, this album serves to provide listeners with a sort of answer to the hypothetical question, "What would Yes have sounded like had Peter Banks never left?" The answer is, "Not too terribly different.", from their two first albums. The album is better than the debut of Yes and is on the same level of "Time And A Word" but inferior to "The Yes Album". Still, I'm not sure if it's better than the debut solo album of Banks, "Two Sides Of Peter Banks" (I'm going to review it in the next year). About the tracks, "Small Beginnings" in particular is an epic track which could have slipped quite comfortably onto "The Tes Album". The two other epics "Children Of The Universe" and "Dreams Of Heavens" aren't quite as consistent but both have moments of great power. So, I rated it with a 3.5.
Slapp Happy and Henry Cow - Desperate Straights:
I think Sabrutin is right. "Desperate Straights" hits a sweet spot between weird and nostalgic. "Desperate Straights" is a very strange album. It reminds me the operas of Kurt Weil with his collaborations with Brecht. By the other hand, and for what I can remember, this is more a Slapp Happy album than a Henry Cow album. Despite the colaboration of Henry Cow, I think this is an album more in the krautrock vein. Slapp Happy took a very simplistic and innocence mind set into studio, crafting a primitive pop album complimented beautiful by Krause's pure German tainted voice. So, in short, "Desperate Straights" is a very original and beautiful album, one of the most original and bizarre in this tornement. My sympathies to it. So, I rated it with a 3.5.
After some reflection moments I decided that "Flash" is less original and most previsible that "Desperate Straights" but is more consistent and perhaps is more of my style. But my decision isn't very clear in my mind.
So, and despite that, my vote goes to "Flash".
P.S. It seems this will be another tough journey. |
Mythodea
11.03.17 | If that's ok, i'd like to vote tomorrow. I need done more time to listen to both albums and today I'm quite busy |
e210013
11.03.17 | For me it's ok, Mythodea. Let's see what Friday says. After all it's his tournament. |
Divaman
11.03.17 | Friday, if you look at the very first comments on this page, Fripp said "Cow easily". I'm not clear if that was his official vote, or he was just teasing because of all of the grief I gave him about Todd. Are you out there, Fripp? |
Jethro42
11.03.17 | ''@Jethro: I'm glad someone else heard the Who in Flash.''
Yeah, mainly in the backing vocals (and the vocal lines) and in the rhythm section of the first track, Elsewhere too.
I agree with SirLord about the lack of identity of Flash. Peter Banks has tried too much to compete with early Yes, and so he forgot to stay original like he managed to be in Two Sides of Peter Banks. In that album, no traces of Yes, but instead, he achieved a well crafted prog rock album with a jazz rock flavour.
|
Jethro42
11.03.17 | ...And I think Peter Banks feels at home when he plays jazz rock.
@e21, mate, Two sides of Peter Banks is a good album to review indeed. |
Friday13th
11.03.17 | bgill: #2
Diva: #1
Jethro: #1
Twig: #2
Gentleman: #2
Friday: #1
Sabrutin: #2
Unique: #1
e21: #1
5-4 |
Friday13th
11.03.17 | @Divaman I don't think Fripper's comment "Cow easily" was a vote, since he posted that like an hour after I posted the match. Could be wrong though, since Fripper has attempted to vote with very bizarre, unclear statements haha |
e210013
11.03.17 | @ Jethro
I've the review of album finished already. Still, I've other plans for other reviews this year. You'll see, when Friday's tournament end. |
bgillesp
11.03.17 | Fripp definitely will vote 2. He recommended the album to the guy who recommended it to me |
MrSirLordGentleman
11.03.17 | @bgillesp yeah but that implies he has already checked Flash too, otherwise he can't say if he prefers it or not |
TheIntruder
11.03.17 | Sorry but I was very busy all this week. I vote in Desperate Straights. |
e210013
11.03.17 | It seems we are with the same problem of the last week. |
Friday13th
11.03.17 | bgill: #2
Diva: #1
Jethro: #1
Twig: #2
Gentleman: #2
Friday: #1
Sabrutin: #2
Unique: #1
e21: #1
Intruder: #2
5-5 |
Friday13th
11.03.17 | If Fripper intended to vote, he can look at the list and see he's not on it. Gentleman is right, we don't know if Fripp has listened to Flash, so we can't just assume a vote. |
bgillesp
11.03.17 | Yeah, he actually has neither rated strangely enough. I'll shout him. |
bnelso55
11.03.17 | I'll vote for 2, even though I really enjoyed much of Flash. |
Divaman
11.03.17 | Friday, I can see why you only do one of these contests a year. They're a lot of fun to participate in, but kind of a pain in the patooties to run, huh? |
Frippertronics
11.03.17 | I've heard the Flash albums though?
If I vote for something, I prefer not to repeat myself :p
Cow/Happy |
CusmanX1
11.03.17 | @Friday13th: can I ask for a couple of extra days? My life is a mess atm |
Friday13th
11.03.17 | bgill: #2
Diva: #1
Jethro: #1
Twig: #2
Gentleman: #2
Friday: #1
Sabrutin: #2
Unique: #1
e21: #1
Intruder: #2
bnelso: #2
Fripper: #2
5-7
@Fripper dude, this is not the first time when your vote was ambiguous. I can't be guessing whether every positive comment towards an album is meant to be a vote!
@Cusman yeah sure, if one albums gets like 9-10 I'll just call it, but if not you can vote in a few days. |
Friday13th
11.04.17 | Henry Cow has a solid lead, but we're still missing votes from Cusman, Mythodea, wham, Spaceman and SCREAM. |
Mythodea
11.04.17 | Flash is definitely enjoyable and i'd like to listen to it again, while desperate straights was weird in a way I don't like. Some of the quirkiness was fun and it reminded me of the musical Cats, but nothing more. My vote goes to flash |
Friday13th
11.05.17 | bgill: #2
Diva: #1
Jethro: #1
Twig: #2
Gentleman: #2
Friday: #1
Sabrutin: #2
Unique: #1
e21: #1
Intruder: #2
bnelso: #2
Fripper: #2
Mythodea: #1
6-7
|
wham49
11.06.17 | sorry boys I go with 2 |
Friday13th
11.06.17 | bgill: #2
Diva: #1
Jethro: #1
Twig: #2
Gentleman: #2
Friday: #1
Sabrutin: #2
Unique: #1
e21: #1
Intruder: #2
bnelso: #2
Fripper: #2
Mythodea: #1
wham: #2
6-8
Looking good for Henry Cow, but I'm waiting for that magic 9 to call it. |
SCREAM!
11.06.17 | Gonna be another cow vote from me (sorry for the lateness).
Flash has great moment but then it has others where it seems like they took the most obnoxious part of Yes and decided to expand on them. Also, as others have mentioned, it definitely feels less original than many of the other albums in this tourney. Solid stuff but I don't see myself re-visiting it very often.
#2 definitely didn't lack in originality. Took some time to wrap my head around it hence why this round was a little tougher/slower for me. And if I'm not quite in the right mood there are still times where I'd rather Slapp them with a Cow than listen to the album (yeah I went there). Overall though, when I'm in the right mood for it, it's an interesting little album and an engaging listen. |
Friday13th
11.06.17 | bgill: #2
Diva: #1
Jethro: #1
Twig: #2
Gentleman: #2
Friday: #1
Sabrutin: #2
Unique: #1
e21: #1
Intruder: #2
bnelso: #2
Fripper: #2
Mythodea: #1
wham: #2
SCREAM #2
6-9
Okay, looks like that settles it. Vote over, Henry Cow is the winner. |
Divaman
11.06.17 | Oh well. Glad my boys got some new people to give it a listen, and a rating as well. |
bgillesp
11.06.17 | Flash was top 6 for me for sure. Hate to see it go. Also why is everybody ignoring the Slapp Happy contribution to 2? |
e210013
11.06.17 | I don't ignore. I agree with you, bgillesp. As I said on my comment, I think this is essentially a Slapp Happy album with some contributions of Henry Cow. But, as you know, Henry Cow has a bigger name. So, this is perhaps the explanation for that. |
wham49
11.06.17 | personally I would go with In Praise of Learnig over this Cow selection but whatever |
Friday13th
11.06.17 | yeah it's really a Slapp album same as Lulu is a Lou Reed album, but e21 is right about the bigger name coming to mind first. |
wham49
11.06.17 | yes, I know, but the same with some older jazz, I look at every Stan Getz album as his, regardless of if he is a guest or not |
TheSpaceMan
11.06.17 | too late to vote? i'm leaning towards 2 |
MrSirLordGentleman
11.06.17 | "I look at every Stan Getz "
IT'S ALL ABOUT JOAO GILBERTO BITCHAAAAAAZ |
TheSpaceMan
11.06.17 | Oh just saw it was over ): |
wham49
11.07.17 | IT'S ALL ABOUT JOAO GILBERTO BITCHAAAAAAZ
lol, and about 50 others my brother,
that album is top notch whichever side you lean |
Friday13th
11.07.17 | "'I look at every Stan Getz'
IT'S ALL ABOUT JOAO GILBERTO BITCHAAAAAAZ"
WRONG...IT'S ALL ABOUT ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM. haha I just out-nerded y'all
|
