Yes
- Charlie O.
- Posts: 44883
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Re: Yes
I'll be curious to see how many here besides me have nice things to say about Tormato.
- Mike Boom
- Posts: 4358
- Joined: 02 Sep 2005, 03:49
Re: Yes
Didn’t like it so much at the time, but have come to love it over the years, great album and a definite favourite, “Wonderous Stories” is great, a hit single ! The guitar at the start of the title track a real highlight. Probably my most played Yes album after CTTE.
- trans-chigley express
- Posts: 19238
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- Location: Asia's WC
Re: Yes
Neil Jung wrote:I love Going For The One! Their last great record.
Me too, I rank it up there with their classic 3, and possibly even surpasses them
- trans-chigley express
- Posts: 19238
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Re: Yes
C wrote:Neil Jung wrote:I love Going For The One! Their last great record.
Agreed but Drama and 90125 are very good and very robust
.
They are indeed, but it's slim pickings after those.
- trans-chigley express
- Posts: 19238
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- Location: Asia's WC
Re: Yes
Charlie O. wrote:I'll be curious to see how many here besides me have nice things to say about Tormato.
I like although its not by any means a great album and probably their worst up that point.
- Charlie O.
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Re: Yes
trans-chigley express wrote:Charlie O. wrote:I'll be curious to see how many here besides me have nice things to say about Tormato.
I like although its not by any means a great album and probably their worst up to that point.
Maybe so...
... but personally I'm more likely to play it than Topographic or Relayer or Time And A Word.
- trans-chigley express
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Re: Yes
Charlie O. wrote:trans-chigley express wrote:Charlie O. wrote:I'll be curious to see how many here besides me have nice things to say about Tormato.
I like although its not by any means a great album and probably their worst up to that point.
Maybe so...
... but personally I'm more likely to play it than Topographic or Relayer or Time And A Word.
I certainly play it more than Topographic Oceans
- Matt Wilson
- Psychedelic Cowpunk
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Re: Yes
This thread has been going on for almost a month, I need to pick up the pace. I'll finish 1977 today and start 1978 - neither album will be Tormato though as I'm trying to do these in order of release date. I'd like to do two albums a year though I can't think of anything for 1981 and only Asia for 1982. I wasn't even going to do Criminal Record until it was recommended to me earlier in the thread. I ordered another one of those Japanese discs which of course, hasn't arrived as of today. So it's another youtube first listen for yours truly. I think when I do my next prog thread I'm going to figure out exactly what I'm going to review beforehand and order the discs in advance. Maybe Genesis, we'll see. I think I've got everything I would need for a 1969 - 1982 overview save Anthony Phillips' The Geese and the Ghost and the second live album.
Rick Wakeman's Criminal Record
Recorded after Going for the One, this was Rick's seventh solo album after Lisztomania and No Earthly Connection in the previous two years. If you're counting Piano Vibrations in 1971, it was his eight solo LP. It's worth noting that he has recorded over 90 solo albums, including eight alone in 1992 and 1995. Has anyone here even heard a quarter of them? An eighth? LOL. I checked Criminal Record out online before I decided to review it and looked up various rankings of his albums on progressive rock websites. No surprise - it's pretty good and a fan favorite. I had never even heard of it until recently.
Rick Wakeman – Steinway 9' grand piano, Minimoog synthesiser, Polymoog synthesiser, Hammond C3 organ, Birotron, Mander pipe organ at St. Martin's church in Vevey, RMI computer keyboard, harpsichord, Fender Rhodes 88 electric piano, Hohner clavinet, Baldwin electric harpsichord, church organ
Chris Squire – bass guitar on "Statue of Justice", "Crime of Passion", and "Chamber of Horrors"
Alan White – drums on "Statue of Justice", "Crime of Passion", and "Chamber of Horrors"
Frank Ricotti – percussion on "Statue of Justice", "Crime of Passion", "Chamber of Horrors", and "Judas Iscariot"
Bill Oddie – vocals on "The Breathalyser"
All songs by Rick Wakeman
1. "Statue of Justice" 6:20
Rick's Steinway starts us off, and there's less of a progressive feel, more of a classical vibe going on. This is an instrumental album except for one track, so think Six Wives more than Journey or Arthur, which is a good thing. There's no narration, choirs or overbearing orchestra. At around 2:40 the prog proper begins and it sounds good. It's definitely Wakeman music and with Squire and White on board, it's practically a Yes record. I really like this. It's better than anything on Patrick Moraz's LP.
2. "Crime of Passion" 5:46
Also begins with piano with the focus more on melody than rhythm until around the two-minute mark where the band kicks in. Almost sounding like a carnival with synths and Alan's drums clattering along. Wakeman's tone is quite different than Emerson's or even Moraz's. Another good 'un.
Wiki: "With members of Yes and the production crew still in Montreux after the album had been done, Wakeman felt it was the right time to start work on a new solo album for A&M Records, to whom he was signed as a solo artist. Yes bassist Chris Squire asked Wakeman about the project during a visit in the White Horse pub in Montreux, and learned that the keyboardist intended to produce an album with its concept based on criminality and revealed its title. At the time, Wakeman wished for the album to feature a band playing, but wanted to do "something completely different this time around" and pointed out that typically, the keyboard tracks got put down last after the group had played their parts, leaving the keyboards fighting for space around the pre-recorded music. Wakeman, however, wished for Criminal Record to be similar to his first, The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1973), and be an album where the keyboards take precedence."
3. "Chamber of Horrors" 6:40
Moody and atmospheric, with nice textures and a certain Elizabethan quality which suits Rick well. Like the previous two cuts, once the band join in and the time signatures change it sounds like a different song. All three of these tracks on side one would have made excellent vehicles for Yes.
Wiki again: "With the concept settled upon, Wakeman proceeded to record the album at Mountain Studios with John Timperley as the engineer and mixer and Dave Richards as assistant engineer. Wakeman wished to put down his keyboard parts first, followed by bass guitar and drums. Squire and Yes drummer Alan White agreed to play the respective parts, and are featured on side one of the album: "Statue of Justice", "Crime of Passion", and "Chamber of Horrors". However, instead of giving Squire and White preconceived music or ideas on what to play, Wakeman told the pair to record what they wanted on top of the keyboards, thereby giving them complete control of what they played. He added: "I deliberately didn't go anywhere near the studio. [...] The first time I heard it was after about ten days, I can't even remember where I went. I didn't even stay in Switzerland!" After Richards informed Wakeman of the completion of the bass and drum parts, Wakeman returned to the studio and enjoyed listening back to the songs transformed as it felt like he was listening to them for the first time. He remembered White called him "some gynaecological term" as the music continually varied in pace and he had refused to use a click track due to his distaste of them. Wakeman praised Squire in particular as he contributed some interesting ideas and parts that he had not thought of."
4. "Birdman of Alcatraz" 4:12
Wakeman enjoyed starting off these songs with piano before opening the numbers up to other musicians. This one more or less stays with the piano music though, and is a nice change of pace
5. "The Breathalyser" 3:51
He starts off with the synths for the first time and there's even vocals on this cut for an alternative to the other songs on the record. Wikipedia: "With the keyboard, bass, and drum parts down, Wakeman brought in Frank Ricotti to add timpani and tuned percussion, and comedian Bill Oddie of The Goodies fame to record a humorous, tongue in cheek lyric for "The Breathalyser", both in the course of a day.
Looking back on the album, Wakeman recalled A&M Records "couldn't understand it" and continue to hold some dissatisfaction towards it."
6. "Judas Iscariot" 12:15
A nod to prog is suggested by the length and the opening pipe organ is beautiful. After that it feels like we're in church, and the old pomp and circumstance inherent in previous Wakeman albums is in full effect. Would you have it any other way? Did I mention there wasn't a choir earlier? I was wrong. It's better than I'm making it out to be though. Words would've killed this number.
In 1978 the choice of top notch progressive rock albums was rapidly dwindling. Think about it - No Crimson or Floyd records, Genesis gave us their first average LP of the decade in And Then There Were Three, Gentle Giant fell on their faces with Giant for a Day, ELP shat out Love Beach, and Yes did Tormato - which is coming up later on this week. There were still strong offerings from Tull, Rush, Mandalaband, Dixie Dregs, Popol Vuh, etc. But the glory days of prog were in the rear view mirror. An interesting album from that time is the UK record from Messrs. Eddie Jobson, John Wetton, Allan Holdsworth and our own Bill Bruford. All great musicians with impressive pedigrees on their collective resumes. There was a pronounced commercial appeal to their music which was indicative of the changing times of both the genre and the era. No epic-length songs and only two over eight minutes on the debut LP. I've always been a fan (I even like Danger Money if the truth be told), and since these guys were a big deal in England in the late seventies and featured former Yes drummer Bruford on the first LP, I'm going to review it.
UK - UK
A supergroup on the level of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and in the waning days of progressive rock no less. Bill had been in King Crimson after leaving Yes in '73 and had just released a solo album (it's good, but his next one was better, so I'll review that soon), Holdsworth had played with Soft Machine, The New Tony Williams Lifetime, an offshoot of Gong, and Jean Luc Ponty. Many guitarists claim him as an influence, including Van Halen, Satriani, Lifeson, Malmsteen, etc. I don't think I'm going too far out on a limb in saying he could play rings around Steves Howe and Hackett. John Wetton had also put in time with Crimson (at the same time as Bill), Uriah Heep, and Family. His voice has always reminded me of Greg Lake's. Eddie Jobson had just come from Frank Zappa's band, but was also previously in Curved Air and Roxy Music. After UK, he would go on to Jethro Tull for the A album.
Allan Holdsworth – acoustic & electric guitar
Eddie Jobson – keyboards, electric violin, electronics
John Wetton – bass, lead and backing vocals
Bill Bruford – drums, percussion
1. "In the Dead of Night" (Eddie Jobson, John Wetton) 5:38
Almost sounds like it was designed for radio consumption circa the late seventies. Jobson and Wetton handle most of the heavy lifting in terms of the songwriting duties on the LP. This was a 45 though it didn't chart anywhere that I'm aware of. Holdsworth gets a nice solo and all four of the musicians are heard loud and clear in the mix. More listener-friendly than Yes, I wonder if Bruford was bored playing this?
2. "By the Light of Day" (Eddie Jobson, John Wetton) 4:32
The second number starts with no pause. The Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer was brand new on the scene and Jobson uses it extensively on the LP. He's also on violin on this track which is basically a ballad meant to showcase Eddie's keyboard wizardry.
3. "Presto Vivace and Reprise" (Eddie Jobson, John Wetton) 2:58
A much faster pace reminds me of something you'd hear on The Story of I or an ELP record or something before the memorable first-song riff starts and John's vocals come in. A reprise of "In the Dead of Night" makes the first three numbers linked in a suite. The shortest track to be found.
4. "Thirty Years" Wetton, Jobson, Bill Bruford 8:05
It wouldn't be prog without a nod to longer tracks, and we get some cool acoustic guitar from Allan (but not enough). This was written before the band existed. John's voice reminds me of (better) KC albums of course. At about three-and-a-half minutes things pick up and the tricky time signature changes so redolent of prog begin. Eddie's solo sounds like a guitar, or maybe that's Allan, hard to tell. I love it though.
5. "Alaska" (Eddie Jobson) 4:45
This is a vehicle for the Yamaha, and one of the many showcases for Eddie's virtuosity to be found on the LP. A lot of songs in the eighties sound just like this, don't they? Things begin in earnest before the 2:50 mark and an almost ELP-like feel takes over for the rest of the number.
6. "Time to Kill" (Eddie Jobson, John Wetton, Bill Bruford) 4:55
John's voice signals a new track with Bill given a songwriting credit. Probably my least fave cut on the album though. Doesn't really go anywhere, which is actually a line in the song.
7. "Nevermore" (Allan Holdsworth, Eddie Jobson, John Wetton) 8:09
Since Allan gets a look in, songwriting-wise, this has some nice acoustic textures at the start, with a fusion feel before the Holdsworth solo begins. I don't know why you'd have a guy who can play like this in your band and not give him solo time in every song. Probably why he left with Bruford after this. A highlight to be sure. Jobson gets a lot of space towards the end which should have gone to Allan methinks.
8. "Mental Medication" (Allan Holdsworth, Bill Bruford, Eddie Jobson) 7:26
Cool guitar starts the track with John coming in soon after. The song takes off after more than a minute with everyone being given moments to strut their stuff. What this group could've used was more honest-to-goodness riffs to insure memorable songs and radio hits. The changing tempos and instrumental displays of craft are fine and there is another jazz fusion vibe for a fine ending to a pretty good album.
Rick Wakeman's Criminal Record
Recorded after Going for the One, this was Rick's seventh solo album after Lisztomania and No Earthly Connection in the previous two years. If you're counting Piano Vibrations in 1971, it was his eight solo LP. It's worth noting that he has recorded over 90 solo albums, including eight alone in 1992 and 1995. Has anyone here even heard a quarter of them? An eighth? LOL. I checked Criminal Record out online before I decided to review it and looked up various rankings of his albums on progressive rock websites. No surprise - it's pretty good and a fan favorite. I had never even heard of it until recently.
Rick Wakeman – Steinway 9' grand piano, Minimoog synthesiser, Polymoog synthesiser, Hammond C3 organ, Birotron, Mander pipe organ at St. Martin's church in Vevey, RMI computer keyboard, harpsichord, Fender Rhodes 88 electric piano, Hohner clavinet, Baldwin electric harpsichord, church organ
Chris Squire – bass guitar on "Statue of Justice", "Crime of Passion", and "Chamber of Horrors"
Alan White – drums on "Statue of Justice", "Crime of Passion", and "Chamber of Horrors"
Frank Ricotti – percussion on "Statue of Justice", "Crime of Passion", "Chamber of Horrors", and "Judas Iscariot"
Bill Oddie – vocals on "The Breathalyser"
All songs by Rick Wakeman
1. "Statue of Justice" 6:20
Rick's Steinway starts us off, and there's less of a progressive feel, more of a classical vibe going on. This is an instrumental album except for one track, so think Six Wives more than Journey or Arthur, which is a good thing. There's no narration, choirs or overbearing orchestra. At around 2:40 the prog proper begins and it sounds good. It's definitely Wakeman music and with Squire and White on board, it's practically a Yes record. I really like this. It's better than anything on Patrick Moraz's LP.
2. "Crime of Passion" 5:46
Also begins with piano with the focus more on melody than rhythm until around the two-minute mark where the band kicks in. Almost sounding like a carnival with synths and Alan's drums clattering along. Wakeman's tone is quite different than Emerson's or even Moraz's. Another good 'un.
Wiki: "With members of Yes and the production crew still in Montreux after the album had been done, Wakeman felt it was the right time to start work on a new solo album for A&M Records, to whom he was signed as a solo artist. Yes bassist Chris Squire asked Wakeman about the project during a visit in the White Horse pub in Montreux, and learned that the keyboardist intended to produce an album with its concept based on criminality and revealed its title. At the time, Wakeman wished for the album to feature a band playing, but wanted to do "something completely different this time around" and pointed out that typically, the keyboard tracks got put down last after the group had played their parts, leaving the keyboards fighting for space around the pre-recorded music. Wakeman, however, wished for Criminal Record to be similar to his first, The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1973), and be an album where the keyboards take precedence."
3. "Chamber of Horrors" 6:40
Moody and atmospheric, with nice textures and a certain Elizabethan quality which suits Rick well. Like the previous two cuts, once the band join in and the time signatures change it sounds like a different song. All three of these tracks on side one would have made excellent vehicles for Yes.
Wiki again: "With the concept settled upon, Wakeman proceeded to record the album at Mountain Studios with John Timperley as the engineer and mixer and Dave Richards as assistant engineer. Wakeman wished to put down his keyboard parts first, followed by bass guitar and drums. Squire and Yes drummer Alan White agreed to play the respective parts, and are featured on side one of the album: "Statue of Justice", "Crime of Passion", and "Chamber of Horrors". However, instead of giving Squire and White preconceived music or ideas on what to play, Wakeman told the pair to record what they wanted on top of the keyboards, thereby giving them complete control of what they played. He added: "I deliberately didn't go anywhere near the studio. [...] The first time I heard it was after about ten days, I can't even remember where I went. I didn't even stay in Switzerland!" After Richards informed Wakeman of the completion of the bass and drum parts, Wakeman returned to the studio and enjoyed listening back to the songs transformed as it felt like he was listening to them for the first time. He remembered White called him "some gynaecological term" as the music continually varied in pace and he had refused to use a click track due to his distaste of them. Wakeman praised Squire in particular as he contributed some interesting ideas and parts that he had not thought of."
4. "Birdman of Alcatraz" 4:12
Wakeman enjoyed starting off these songs with piano before opening the numbers up to other musicians. This one more or less stays with the piano music though, and is a nice change of pace
5. "The Breathalyser" 3:51
He starts off with the synths for the first time and there's even vocals on this cut for an alternative to the other songs on the record. Wikipedia: "With the keyboard, bass, and drum parts down, Wakeman brought in Frank Ricotti to add timpani and tuned percussion, and comedian Bill Oddie of The Goodies fame to record a humorous, tongue in cheek lyric for "The Breathalyser", both in the course of a day.
Looking back on the album, Wakeman recalled A&M Records "couldn't understand it" and continue to hold some dissatisfaction towards it."
6. "Judas Iscariot" 12:15
A nod to prog is suggested by the length and the opening pipe organ is beautiful. After that it feels like we're in church, and the old pomp and circumstance inherent in previous Wakeman albums is in full effect. Would you have it any other way? Did I mention there wasn't a choir earlier? I was wrong. It's better than I'm making it out to be though. Words would've killed this number.
In 1978 the choice of top notch progressive rock albums was rapidly dwindling. Think about it - No Crimson or Floyd records, Genesis gave us their first average LP of the decade in And Then There Were Three, Gentle Giant fell on their faces with Giant for a Day, ELP shat out Love Beach, and Yes did Tormato - which is coming up later on this week. There were still strong offerings from Tull, Rush, Mandalaband, Dixie Dregs, Popol Vuh, etc. But the glory days of prog were in the rear view mirror. An interesting album from that time is the UK record from Messrs. Eddie Jobson, John Wetton, Allan Holdsworth and our own Bill Bruford. All great musicians with impressive pedigrees on their collective resumes. There was a pronounced commercial appeal to their music which was indicative of the changing times of both the genre and the era. No epic-length songs and only two over eight minutes on the debut LP. I've always been a fan (I even like Danger Money if the truth be told), and since these guys were a big deal in England in the late seventies and featured former Yes drummer Bruford on the first LP, I'm going to review it.
UK - UK
A supergroup on the level of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and in the waning days of progressive rock no less. Bill had been in King Crimson after leaving Yes in '73 and had just released a solo album (it's good, but his next one was better, so I'll review that soon), Holdsworth had played with Soft Machine, The New Tony Williams Lifetime, an offshoot of Gong, and Jean Luc Ponty. Many guitarists claim him as an influence, including Van Halen, Satriani, Lifeson, Malmsteen, etc. I don't think I'm going too far out on a limb in saying he could play rings around Steves Howe and Hackett. John Wetton had also put in time with Crimson (at the same time as Bill), Uriah Heep, and Family. His voice has always reminded me of Greg Lake's. Eddie Jobson had just come from Frank Zappa's band, but was also previously in Curved Air and Roxy Music. After UK, he would go on to Jethro Tull for the A album.
Allan Holdsworth – acoustic & electric guitar
Eddie Jobson – keyboards, electric violin, electronics
John Wetton – bass, lead and backing vocals
Bill Bruford – drums, percussion
1. "In the Dead of Night" (Eddie Jobson, John Wetton) 5:38
Almost sounds like it was designed for radio consumption circa the late seventies. Jobson and Wetton handle most of the heavy lifting in terms of the songwriting duties on the LP. This was a 45 though it didn't chart anywhere that I'm aware of. Holdsworth gets a nice solo and all four of the musicians are heard loud and clear in the mix. More listener-friendly than Yes, I wonder if Bruford was bored playing this?
2. "By the Light of Day" (Eddie Jobson, John Wetton) 4:32
The second number starts with no pause. The Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer was brand new on the scene and Jobson uses it extensively on the LP. He's also on violin on this track which is basically a ballad meant to showcase Eddie's keyboard wizardry.
3. "Presto Vivace and Reprise" (Eddie Jobson, John Wetton) 2:58
A much faster pace reminds me of something you'd hear on The Story of I or an ELP record or something before the memorable first-song riff starts and John's vocals come in. A reprise of "In the Dead of Night" makes the first three numbers linked in a suite. The shortest track to be found.
4. "Thirty Years" Wetton, Jobson, Bill Bruford 8:05
It wouldn't be prog without a nod to longer tracks, and we get some cool acoustic guitar from Allan (but not enough). This was written before the band existed. John's voice reminds me of (better) KC albums of course. At about three-and-a-half minutes things pick up and the tricky time signature changes so redolent of prog begin. Eddie's solo sounds like a guitar, or maybe that's Allan, hard to tell. I love it though.
5. "Alaska" (Eddie Jobson) 4:45
This is a vehicle for the Yamaha, and one of the many showcases for Eddie's virtuosity to be found on the LP. A lot of songs in the eighties sound just like this, don't they? Things begin in earnest before the 2:50 mark and an almost ELP-like feel takes over for the rest of the number.
6. "Time to Kill" (Eddie Jobson, John Wetton, Bill Bruford) 4:55
John's voice signals a new track with Bill given a songwriting credit. Probably my least fave cut on the album though. Doesn't really go anywhere, which is actually a line in the song.
7. "Nevermore" (Allan Holdsworth, Eddie Jobson, John Wetton) 8:09
Since Allan gets a look in, songwriting-wise, this has some nice acoustic textures at the start, with a fusion feel before the Holdsworth solo begins. I don't know why you'd have a guy who can play like this in your band and not give him solo time in every song. Probably why he left with Bruford after this. A highlight to be sure. Jobson gets a lot of space towards the end which should have gone to Allan methinks.
8. "Mental Medication" (Allan Holdsworth, Bill Bruford, Eddie Jobson) 7:26
Cool guitar starts the track with John coming in soon after. The song takes off after more than a minute with everyone being given moments to strut their stuff. What this group could've used was more honest-to-goodness riffs to insure memorable songs and radio hits. The changing tempos and instrumental displays of craft are fine and there is another jazz fusion vibe for a fine ending to a pretty good album.
- Neil Jung
- Watcher Of The Skies
- Posts: 11450
- Joined: 18 Jul 2003, 18:36
- Location: In the deepest ocean, bottom of the sea
Re: Yes
Charlie O. wrote:I'll be curious to see how many here besides me have nice things to say about Tormato.
I have nothing good to say about Tormato. Don’t Kill The Whale is ok (dig it) and Onward is a pretty tune. I can’t remember anything else from it, despite owning it for ever.
“Erratic associate member”
- Tom Waits For No One
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Re: Yes
Neil Jung wrote:Charlie O. wrote:I'll be curious to see how many here besides me have nice things to say about Tormato.
I have nothing good to say about Tormato. Don’t Kill The Whale is ok (dig it) and Onward is a pretty tune. I can’t remember anything else from it, despite owning it for ever.
No clowns?
Give a shit or be a shit.
- Neil Jung
- Watcher Of The Skies
- Posts: 11450
- Joined: 18 Jul 2003, 18:36
- Location: In the deepest ocean, bottom of the sea
Re: Yes
C wrote:Neil Jung wrote:I love Going For The One! Their last great record.
Agreed but Drama and 90125 are very good and very robust
That's where I bailed out.
I haven't heard anything after that
.
If you enjoyed 90125 you’d probably enjoy Big Generator as it’s very similar. You should have heard the studio tracks on Keys To Ascension 1 and 2, Magnification and I think most of Union is pretty good. You might also like Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe…. I thought it was ok at the time but I’ve gone off it since.
“Erratic associate member”
- Neil Jung
- Watcher Of The Skies
- Posts: 11450
- Joined: 18 Jul 2003, 18:36
- Location: In the deepest ocean, bottom of the sea
Re: Yes
Going back to UK. Iirc it wasn’t very well received at the time. I bought my copy off a guy who lived upstairs at my Uni who thought it was awful. Did it sell well? I think it’s pretty good, even if Allan H is under-utilised. Certainly more interesting than Asia. I play it quite often. I discovered I own the Live album last week. Bruford and Allan H had left by then of course so it’s not that great. I know some people prefer Danger Money to the debut. People are strange.
“Erratic associate member”
- robertff
- Posts: 12228
- Joined: 20 Jul 2003, 06:59
Re: Yes
Got the UK album, not one I play often, if at all, in fact seeing it on this thread reminded me that I’ve got it. I’ll have to give it a rotation to remind myself what it sounds like. Can’t have made that much of an impression when I first bought it.
.
.
- toomanyhatz
- Power-mad king of the WCC
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- Joined: 07 Apr 2005, 00:01
- Location: Just east of where Charlie Parker went to do some relaxin'
Re: Yes
Going for the One is great! Probably my 4th favorite (after the first, The Yes Album, and Fragile). A lot of their 'classic' stuff, I admire more than I actually like. I find this one involving. I think they're less about individual chops and more about 'serving the song' here, even if the song IS 15-minutes long, than they'd been for a while.
Footy wrote:
The Who / Jimi Hendrix Experience Saville Theatre, London Jan '67
. Got Jimi's autograph after the show and went on to see him several times that year
1959 1963 1965 1966 1974 1977 1978 1981 1988 2017* 2018 2020!! 2023?
- trans-chigley express
- Posts: 19238
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- Location: Asia's WC
Re: Yes
slightbreeze wrote:U.K. Well, do you want brilliant musicianship? It ticks all the boxes. Do you want tunes? Move on. Serious music without any warmth or excitement
exactly my feelings too. I play it occasionally but it never grabs at all and I find it instantly forgettable. I'd rather listen to Asia.
- trans-chigley express
- Posts: 19238
- Joined: 11 Nov 2003, 01:50
- Location: Asia's WC
Re: Yes
Neil Jung wrote: You might also like Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe…. I thought it was ok at the time but I’ve gone off it since.
I really liked this when it was released and played it a lot but I haven't heard it in ages and never feel any urge to. I saw them on the tour and thought it was a great show.
- C
- Robust
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Re: Yes
Matt Wilson wrote:This thread has been going on for almost a month, I need to pick up the pace. I'll finish 1977 today and start 1978 - neither album will be Tormato though as I'm trying to do these in order of release date. I'd like to do two albums a year though I can't think of anything for 1981 and only Asia for 1982. I wasn't even going to do Criminal Record until it was recommended to me earlier in the thread. I ordered another one of those Japanese discs which of course, hasn't arrived as of today. So it's another youtube first listen for yours truly. I think when I do my next prog thread I'm going to figure out exactly what I'm going to review beforehand and order the discs in advance. Maybe Genesis, we'll see. I think I've got everything I would need for a 1969 - 1982 overview save Anthony Phillips' The Geese and the Ghost and the second live album.
Rick Wakeman's Criminal Record
Recorded after Going for the One, this was Rick's seventh solo album after Lisztomania and No Earthly Connection in the previous two years. If you're counting Piano Vibrations in 1971, it was his eight solo LP. It's worth noting that he has recorded over 90 solo albums, including eight alone in 1992 and 1995. Has anyone here even heard a quarter of them? An eighth? LOL. I checked Criminal Record out online before I decided to review it and looked up various rankings of his albums on progressive rock websites. No surprise - it's pretty good and a fan favorite. I had never even heard of it until recently.
Rick Wakeman – Steinway 9' grand piano, Minimoog synthesiser, Polymoog synthesiser, Hammond C3 organ, Birotron, Mander pipe organ at St. Martin's church in Vevey, RMI computer keyboard, harpsichord, Fender Rhodes 88 electric piano, Hohner clavinet, Baldwin electric harpsichord, church organ
Chris Squire – bass guitar on "Statue of Justice", "Crime of Passion", and "Chamber of Horrors"
Alan White – drums on "Statue of Justice", "Crime of Passion", and "Chamber of Horrors"
Frank Ricotti – percussion on "Statue of Justice", "Crime of Passion", "Chamber of Horrors", and "Judas Iscariot"
Bill Oddie – vocals on "The Breathalyser"
All songs by Rick Wakeman
1. "Statue of Justice" 6:20
Rick's Steinway starts us off, and there's less of a progressive feel, more of a classical vibe going on. This is an instrumental album except for one track, so think Six Wives more than Journey or Arthur, which is a good thing. There's no narration, choirs or overbearing orchestra. At around 2:40 the prog proper begins and it sounds good. It's definitely Wakeman music and with Squire and White on board, it's practically a Yes record. I really like this. It's better than anything on Patrick Moraz's LP.
2. "Crime of Passion" 5:46
Also begins with piano with the focus more on melody than rhythm until around the two-minute mark where the band kicks in. Almost sounding like a carnival with synths and Alan's drums clattering along. Wakeman's tone is quite different than Emerson's or even Moraz's. Another good 'un.
Wiki: "With members of Yes and the production crew still in Montreux after the album had been done, Wakeman felt it was the right time to start work on a new solo album for A&M Records, to whom he was signed as a solo artist. Yes bassist Chris Squire asked Wakeman about the project during a visit in the White Horse pub in Montreux, and learned that the keyboardist intended to produce an album with its concept based on criminality and revealed its title. At the time, Wakeman wished for the album to feature a band playing, but wanted to do "something completely different this time around" and pointed out that typically, the keyboard tracks got put down last after the group had played their parts, leaving the keyboards fighting for space around the pre-recorded music. Wakeman, however, wished for Criminal Record to be similar to his first, The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1973), and be an album where the keyboards take precedence."
3. "Chamber of Horrors" 6:40
Moody and atmospheric, with nice textures and a certain Elizabethan quality which suits Rick well. Like the previous two cuts, once the band join in and the time signatures change it sounds like a different song. All three of these tracks on side one would have made excellent vehicles for Yes.
Wiki again: "With the concept settled upon, Wakeman proceeded to record the album at Mountain Studios with John Timperley as the engineer and mixer and Dave Richards as assistant engineer. Wakeman wished to put down his keyboard parts first, followed by bass guitar and drums. Squire and Yes drummer Alan White agreed to play the respective parts, and are featured on side one of the album: "Statue of Justice", "Crime of Passion", and "Chamber of Horrors". However, instead of giving Squire and White preconceived music or ideas on what to play, Wakeman told the pair to record what they wanted on top of the keyboards, thereby giving them complete control of what they played. He added: "I deliberately didn't go anywhere near the studio. [...] The first time I heard it was after about ten days, I can't even remember where I went. I didn't even stay in Switzerland!" After Richards informed Wakeman of the completion of the bass and drum parts, Wakeman returned to the studio and enjoyed listening back to the songs transformed as it felt like he was listening to them for the first time. He remembered White called him "some gynaecological term" as the music continually varied in pace and he had refused to use a click track due to his distaste of them. Wakeman praised Squire in particular as he contributed some interesting ideas and parts that he had not thought of."
4. "Birdman of Alcatraz" 4:12
Wakeman enjoyed starting off these songs with piano before opening the numbers up to other musicians. This one more or less stays with the piano music though, and is a nice change of pace
5. "The Breathalyser" 3:51
He starts off with the synths for the first time and there's even vocals on this cut for an alternative to the other songs on the record. Wikipedia: "With the keyboard, bass, and drum parts down, Wakeman brought in Frank Ricotti to add timpani and tuned percussion, and comedian Bill Oddie of The Goodies fame to record a humorous, tongue in cheek lyric for "The Breathalyser", both in the course of a day.
Looking back on the album, Wakeman recalled A&M Records "couldn't understand it" and continue to hold some dissatisfaction towards it."
6. "Judas Iscariot" 12:15
A nod to prog is suggested by the length and the opening pipe organ is beautiful. After that it feels like we're in church, and the old pomp and circumstance inherent in previous Wakeman albums is in full effect. Would you have it any other way? Did I mention there wasn't a choir earlier? I was wrong. It's better than I'm making it out to be though. Words would've killed this number.
In 1978 the choice of top notch progressive rock albums was rapidly dwindling. Think about it - No Crimson or Floyd records, Genesis gave us their first average LP of the decade in And Then There Were Three, Gentle Giant fell on their faces with Giant for a Day, ELP shat out Love Beach, and Yes did Tormato - which is coming up later on this week. There were still strong offerings from Tull, Rush, Mandalaband, Dixie Dregs, Popol Vuh, etc. But the glory days of prog were in the rear view mirror. An interesting album from that time is the UK record from Messrs. Eddie Jobson, John Wetton, Allan Holdsworth and our own Bill Bruford. All great musicians with impressive pedigrees on their collective resumes. There was a pronounced commercial appeal to their music which was indicative of the changing times of both the genre and the era. No epic-length songs and only two over eight minutes on the debut LP. I've always been a fan (I even like Danger Money if the truth be told), and since these guys were a big deal in England in the late seventies and featured former Yes drummer Bruford on the first LP, I'm going to review it.
UK - UK
A supergroup on the level of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and in the waning days of progressive rock no less. Bill had been in King Crimson after leaving Yes in '73 and had just released a solo album (it's good, but his next one was better, so I'll review that soon), Holdsworth had played with Soft Machine, The New Tony Williams Lifetime, an offshoot of Gong, and Jean Luc Ponty. Many guitarists claim him as an influence, including Van Halen, Satriani, Lifeson, Malmsteen, etc. I don't think I'm going too far out on a limb in saying he could play rings around Steves Howe and Hackett. John Wetton had also put in time with Crimson (at the same time as Bill), Uriah Heep, and Family. His voice has always reminded me of Greg Lake's. Eddie Jobson had just come from Frank Zappa's band, but was also previously in Curved Air and Roxy Music. After UK, he would go on to Jethro Tull for the A album.
Allan Holdsworth – acoustic & electric guitar
Eddie Jobson – keyboards, electric violin, electronics
John Wetton – bass, lead and backing vocals
Bill Bruford – drums, percussion
1. "In the Dead of Night" (Eddie Jobson, John Wetton) 5:38
Almost sounds like it was designed for radio consumption circa the late seventies. Jobson and Wetton handle most of the heavy lifting in terms of the songwriting duties on the LP. This was a 45 though it didn't chart anywhere that I'm aware of. Holdsworth gets a nice solo and all four of the musicians are heard loud and clear in the mix. More listener-friendly than Yes, I wonder if Bruford was bored playing this?
2. "By the Light of Day" (Eddie Jobson, John Wetton) 4:32
The second number starts with no pause. The Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer was brand new on the scene and Jobson uses it extensively on the LP. He's also on violin on this track which is basically a ballad meant to showcase Eddie's keyboard wizardry.
3. "Presto Vivace and Reprise" (Eddie Jobson, John Wetton) 2:58
A much faster pace reminds me of something you'd hear on The Story of I or an ELP record or something before the memorable first-song riff starts and John's vocals come in. A reprise of "In the Dead of Night" makes the first three numbers linked in a suite. The shortest track to be found.
4. "Thirty Years" Wetton, Jobson, Bill Bruford 8:05
It wouldn't be prog without a nod to longer tracks, and we get some cool acoustic guitar from Allan (but not enough). This was written before the band existed. John's voice reminds me of (better) KC albums of course. At about three-and-a-half minutes things pick up and the tricky time signature changes so redolent of prog begin. Eddie's solo sounds like a guitar, or maybe that's Allan, hard to tell. I love it though.
5. "Alaska" (Eddie Jobson) 4:45
This is a vehicle for the Yamaha, and one of the many showcases for Eddie's virtuosity to be found on the LP. A lot of songs in the eighties sound just like this, don't they? Things begin in earnest before the 2:50 mark and an almost ELP-like feel takes over for the rest of the number.
6. "Time to Kill" (Eddie Jobson, John Wetton, Bill Bruford) 4:55
John's voice signals a new track with Bill given a songwriting credit. Probably my least fave cut on the album though. Doesn't really go anywhere, which is actually a line in the song.
7. "Nevermore" (Allan Holdsworth, Eddie Jobson, John Wetton) 8:09
Since Allan gets a look in, songwriting-wise, this has some nice acoustic textures at the start, with a fusion feel before the Holdsworth solo begins. I don't know why you'd have a guy who can play like this in your band and not give him solo time in every song. Probably why he left with Bruford after this. A highlight to be sure. Jobson gets a lot of space towards the end which should have gone to Allan methinks.
8. "Mental Medication" (Allan Holdsworth, Bill Bruford, Eddie Jobson) 7:26
Cool guitar starts the track with John coming in soon after. The song takes off after more than a minute with everyone being given moments to strut their stuff. What this group could've used was more honest-to-goodness riffs to insure memorable songs and radio hits. The changing tempos and instrumental displays of craft are fine and there is another jazz fusion vibe for a fine ending to a pretty good album.
Two great reviews of two great albums.
Yes, I really rate Criminal Record and the first UK album (as is the second) is wonderful.
Holdsworth and Bill on tubs
Robust stuff
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mudshark wrote:Where is he anyway, that very soft lad?