Underrated albums/pleasant surprises

[Rick and Roll]

Seems to me that since a lot of the younger set grew up on the later material by the classic prog bands, one must feel as there should be an apology for liking that stuff. There should be no need to apologize for liking a record like "Talk". I think it's OK - the problem I have with that one is that it lacks substance all of the way through. Additionally, it feels a little cold, I think since it really wasn't a collaborative effort. Union is pretty good - I like the ABW&H quite a bit better, though. Even a better bet is the studio cuts from the Ascension cd's. I still have not heard Magnification - worth it?

Take it from a reallllly big King's X fan - Manic and Mr. Bulbous are not up to the standard I expect from these guys. The sound is poor on Manic, and I let them know it too. Jerry sounds like he's on Mars and Doug's bass is annoyingly fuzzy. Bulbous is just weak. I fully expect a return to form with their next release.

Keith - thanks for the Paris heads-up. And to think I thought Paris was just Leonard Nimoy's character on Mission Impossible!

[Bob Lentil]

Take it from a reallllly big King's X fan - Manic and Mr. Bulbous are not up to the standard I expect from these guys. The sound is poor on Manic, and I let them know it too. Jerry sounds like he's on Mars and Doug's bass is annoyingly fuzzy. Bulbous is just weak. I fully expect a return to form with their next release.

In case you haven't seen it, www.kingsxonline.com recently posted a bunch of new info on the impending album. Check out the news section and the message board.

[Rick and Roll]

14 old unreleased songs! Oh my.......

[Yesspaz]

I'm also a realllly big KX fan, and I while MM is not my fav, Bulbous is simply fantastic. My three fav KX are Faith Hope Love, Dogman, and Bulbous. I think Bulbous is quite simply fantastic. Like the earlier Rush discussion, I think that it's great that we can love the full catalog of a band and still debate over subpar albums. Again, if this discussion were on a Weezer vs Jimmy Eat World site, there'd be a lot of... "non-intellectual name-calling."

brb with a TALK tour setlist.

[Yesspaz]

http://www.kingsxonline.com/graphics/bls.jpg

out 5/20/03
if you are in Europe, you'll need an adaptor, so that's 20/5/03

[black max]

Bo Hansson's Lord of the Rings is a wonderful album that's been forgotten by too many people. It's inspired by the trilogy without being directly connected to it, but to my mind it stands alone without requiring the listener to like, or even be familiar with, LOTR. Too bad Bo succumbed to the siren song of the cheesy, hinky-dinky synthesizer on his next albums.

[spedblavio]

Originally posted by Rick and Roll
I still have not heard Magnification - worth it?

It's the real thing, as far as I'm concerned.

Nothing they've done since Going For The One has really hooked me. I did enjoy hearing stuff from 90125 on the radio in the 80's and seeing the videos, but for me that was a "different" Yes.

Let's put it this way, my core Yes collection consists of all the studio albums from Yes through Going For The One, plus Magnification. (I do have The Ladder, but only listen to a couple cuts off it). I may need to give Keystudio a good listen, but otherwise this is the first work I've heard from them in a LONG time that to me really sounds like Yes and does justice to their "heritage".

Don't expect the same "flowering creativity" of Yes in their youth. And other than the use of the orchestra, this is not another stab at trying to find new directions. Rather, to my ears, Magnification is a beautiful "recap" of Yes elements from many eras, some of the spirit of their earliest albums (pre-Fragile), picking up where GFTO left off, and even embracing some of what was good about the 80's stuff (not that it sounds like 90125, but it shares some that album's pop appeal expressed in a more timeless way, with more maturity).

Be prepared though to hear the band in a different setting due to the orchestra; they play in a more streamlined mode here with the details and individual performances taking a more integrated role than in the past perhaps. There are still very tasty details from individual members. Just be prepared for a more polished, less "band-like" sound. In the context of this project, it's not a bad thing at all, and I'm very pleased with this more mature expression of "Yessence".

There will never be another Close to the Edge. But I feel the band has represented itself really well on this album, a wonderful expression of Yes that sounds new yet familiar. And Jon's voice has never been better.

If you're looking for hot new sounds, prog-rock fireworks, broken speed records or cutting edge experimentation, Magnification might let you down. But for those with broader tastes and a long-time love for the spirit of Yes, Magnification is a very enjoyable and encouraging album.

[Rick and Roll]

Thank you for that "Magnificient" reply!

[roger]

I think Short Stories by Jon and Vangelis is a very listenable album.

[ivan_2068]

I could never resist listening Jon Anderson outside of Yes, even though Short Stories is a good album, I can't listen more than 10 minutes of it before falling asleep.

I'll stay with Vangelis masterpiece Heaven and Hell.

Iván

[roger]

Originally posted by ivan_2068
I'll stay with Vangelis masterpiece Heaven and Hell.

Iván

ah, yes. one of my desert island albums...

[black max]

"The Friends of Mr. Cairo" is one of the finest pieces of music recorded, period, though the rest of the album doesn't measure up. "Short Stories" is a very good, though uneven, album. If you snoozed off during Side One, you haven't heard the culminating track, "A Play Within A Play," one of their best.

Originally posted by black max
[b]"The Friends of Mr. Cairo" is one of the finest pieces of music recorded, period, though the rest of the album doesn't measure up. B]

I like all the Jon and Vangelis albums but Friends of...... is my fave.

I love State of indipendence. Beautiful singing and lyrics.

When Jon sings "Just like, holy water to my lips" I melt.