Listen to an album you've never heard by an artist you never listen to and then tell us about it!

I'm prejudiced against prog rock styles so its weirdness was a positive!

― Tom D (the first British Asian ILXor) (Tom D.), Tuesday, March 26, 2024 10:06 AM (five minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

the guy in town who normally DJs the prog nights around here talked about this once, when you get random people in who don't know the music they rarely ask about Yes or Genesis or ELP but whenever he plays VdGG that's when people come up and go "what the hell is this??"

I kinda like Porcupine Tree but everything you say is valid. it irons out the kinks in prog in a way that eliminates a lot of what makes it exciting and fun. and imo you've got one of their better records. I'm curious if I should continue on with Wilson's solo career, didn't find much to like in his first one but The Raven That Refused to Sing is pretty good

there are definitely some cool 21st Century prog bands around - Wobbler are pretty amazing if you want stuff that sounds like peak-era Yes, Echolyn are incredible songwriters, Frost* I think are the ones who really do take the King Crimson sound into the modern era, etc.

i listewned to all the Nosound records on Kscope and they are very porcupine tree but they can be very soothing in a contemplative way. there are no memorable songs though. which was always my problem with post-radiohead lite prog bands. pretty music but...that's it.

Anathema - one of my very favorite 90s bands - turned in to one of those Kscope bands and I haven't heard their latest albums but i would love it if someone listened to JUDGEMENT, Anathema's 1999 album. i love it beyond reason but people can be honest here. if you hated it that would be fine as long as i get some good reasons why!
and if you want to go deeper into Pink Floyd territory you could listen to their next album from 2001 A Fine Day To Exit. i love that one as well. but Judgement is really special to me. I've just never known anyone who told me how they felt about it!

https://i.discogs.com/01KEHasy_g-aYLQE6tbytIZLuWJDXkUAPuYHhN2Bm48/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE1NDQ0/NTktMTM4Mjk5MzUx/OS00MDE5LmpwZWc.jpeg

Today by Galaxie 500
Probably not my first attempt, but the singer and guitar have captured my attention this time. I don't know if it is the expression of frailty, the patiently built atmosphere, the floating aerial notes, the distant but unmistakable emanations of punk. What used to be mundane is now an interesting stylistic in-between (indie / shoegaze / soft rock / proto-punk). Don't Let Our Youth Go to Waste is striking.

I didn't much like the Wilson/Porcupine Tree records I heard because they had to overcome his bland, inexpressive voice.

Nabozo, keep going with Galaxie 500 i think they just get stronger as they go.

agree 100%

I've heard VDGG being described before as "progressive prog"

my wife calls VDGG “Dennis Nielsen music”

He was a fan of ABBA I think?

i suggested h to he as a starting point because "killer" is the closest thing they have to something like a "21st century schizoid man," which maybe could've seen play on adventurous fm radio stations

(xp) O Superman was his favourite, I believe.

I have given it a listen, and enjoyed it. Gonna listen on better headphones on my walk home and write my impressions after that. wasn't quite what I expected.

that would make "House With No Door" their "I Talk to the Wind" which checks out I think

Going to share my listening list for 1959 on here and see if anyone else has any suggestions, sorry for slight-offtopicness

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14ipusKOC0qky4lLzYmv8j9MhmGpEd3r-

Ok, try again

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14ipusKOC0qky4lLzYmv8j9MhmGpEd3r-/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107624448279953434522&rtpof=true&sd=true

Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Back Home

I don't think I've ever listened to a whole Dylan album before. I used to be wholly uninterested because it seemed music for people who really like lyrics, although these days I appreciate him a lot more *in theory* after hearing lots of Dylanheads talk about him on podcasts, and there are a few songs I like.

I absolutely love the stomping, swinging mid-tempo country shuffles with the 2-step basslines on this. Subterranean Homesick Blues, Maggie's Farm (so sick), Outlaw Blues, Bob Dylan's 115th Dream. So funky! I'm going to assume there's nothing this funky in his catalog until Gotta Serve Somebody. So much better than a slow blues shuffle.

Also it's just a really cool sounding record, especially the full band tracks. It's kinda nice to listen to this just as a record, without all the cultural baggage from when people really seemed to care a lot about 'Bob Dylan.'

Visions of Joanna is pretty funky…

(h)

jesus, "Ah Um", "Blues And Roots" and "Dynasty" are ALL from 1959?? damn, Mingus.

(xps)

Tombstone Blues?

xposts

Some more 1959 jazz records --

Thelonious Monk - Alone in San Francisco
Donald Byrd - Byrd in Hand
Bill Evans - Everybody Digs Bill Evans
Paul Chambers - Go!
Johnny Griffin - Way Out!
Milt Jackson & John Coltrane - Bags & Trane

Long Distance Operator and Yazoo Street Scandal off the Basement Tapes are both pretty funky, but that's the Band i guess

…Which brings up Planet Waves… “Tough Mama” (and others) are hella funky

I wouldn't really call John Wesley Harding funky, but a lot of the songs on there have pretty tight grooves for such a stripped down, acoustic-leaning album.

xp here's a few 1959 tracks I like that I didn't see on there

Ronnie Dawson - Rockin' Bones
Jeff Daniels - Switch Blade Sam
Little Richard - She Knows How To Rock
Jackie DeShannon - Trouble
Esquerita - She Left Me Crying

Jordan, would love to read a thread where you listen to Dylan albums. You frequently come at classic albums from interesting angles.

Would love to hear what you think of the next the next record - if you like Maggie's Farm, you probably will also like Tombstone Blues.

Long Distance Operator and Yazoo Street Scandal off the Basement Tapes are both pretty funky, but that's the Band i guess

Yeah those are great, especially the latter. Super New Orleans feel. I guess that's why everyone loves Levon Helm. Never heard them before, the Band are another huge blind spot for me.

xp haha thank you, maybe I will (or I'll just keep going here).

Thanks Jordan/CP! - have added those to the end (except the Little Richard as it's an archive release, he was in one of his evangelical preacher phases in '59 and I'm still trying to go by recording date if possible)

Btw re: Bringing It All Back Home, I meant to add that Mr. Tambourine Man is clearly the worst song on the record. :)

:-0

aww, I love Mr. Tambourine Man

gonna listen to Malesch now, I've heard of Agitation Free but they've always been on the to-do list

jordan, you ever hear the byrds' version?

Sorry! No I haven't, I'll put it on after this 90 minute Charles Lloyd album.

Btw re: Bringing It All Back Home, I meant to add that Mr. Tambourine Man is clearly the worst song on the record. :)

― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Tuesday, March 26, 2024 3:33 PM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

I take it back, no more Dylan takes from Jordan ;)

one thing I really do want is stuff that sounds like the first track on the debut Ash Ra Tempel album

I haven't heard any! I can't even tell how they made it. Let us know if you find anything comparable.

Re drum and bass albums, people in this thread could make a tremendous mistake, OR they could go straight to the best album of all time (Grooverider’s Hardstep Selection Volume II):

https://on.soundcloud.com/Gp3GBuadpiSuQioDA

Nabozo, keep going with Galaxie 500 i think they just get stronger as they go.
― scott seward, Tuesday, March 26, 2024 5:32 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

Thanks. I hear slightly different influences on the second album: some jangle, The Cure, twee jams, prettiness alla Durutti Column, a lot of things that the term "slowcore" obfuscates. It's like a time capsule. Snowstorm is a beauty. At times I have to pretend I don't hear the vocals, the melodic lines are not so varied, but overall it works a charm.

I love hearing Jordan enjoying Dylan’s funkiness. I’ve come to realize that that almost everyone influenced by him leaves off that part of his style.

Martina McBride, Wild Angels and Evolution: dull and duller (or maybe it was duller and dull).

Re drum and bass albums, people in this thread could make a tremendous mistake

I had no idea listening to a single album one time was such a fraught experience.

I don't think I've ever listened to that Grooverider record, Tim, will be doing that today ty. :)

i'm listening to nektar's remember the future via randomly skimming this thread. these guys sure did hear the yes album, but no complaints about 35 minutes of totally decent prog.

i love nektar. they could jam up a storm.

over the years i have determined that this is my fave by them. double album where they recorded live in the studio. no overdubs. they shred. engineered by dieter dierks. it sounds so good.

https://www.discogs.com/master/25991-Nektar-Sounds-Like-This

a double live in the studio heavy prog album made in two days. more people should try it.

putting this on now--let's fuckin' rock