Now Playing Thread

[Manatee]

NP: Porcupine Tree - The Incident

Has anyone else noticed that this album is flippin' great?   

[erik]

Always.  Night and Tick Tock just boggle my mind they're so good.  The copies I burned to CD  have taken up permanent residence in my car's CD player.  I'm sorely tempted to try an earlier Gazpacho album, but it's pretty much a certainty I won't like it as much based on everything I've heard and read.  Question is, will it still be good enough that I won't be disappointed since I already expect that?

Tough one, that. It's easier when you start following a band earlier on and see the albums grow. I more or less had the same question but then relating to Bravo when I already had When Earth Lets Go and Firebird. But I suppose Night and Tick-Tock are in a league of their own and the first albums might be disappointing after that. On the other hand, the superb tracks 117 on When Earth Lets Go and Vulture on Firebird are alone worth the price of admission and there's a lot more great stuff on there. You might just wanna try Firebird (my fave of 2007) and if you like it you could work your way further backwards.

NP Enchant - A Blueprint Of The World

[Manatee]

Tough one, that. It's easier when you start following a band earlier on and see the albums grow. I more or less had the same question but then relating to Bravo when I already had When Earth Lets Go and Firebird. But I suppose Night and Tick-Tock are in a league of their own and the first albums might be disappointing after that. On the other hand, the superb tracks 117 on When Earth Lets Go and Vulture on Firebird are alone worth the price of admission and there's a lot more great stuff on there. You might just wanna try Firebird (my fave of 2007) and if you like it you could work your way further backwards.

I actually worked backwards with Arena, and I prefer the newer ones, with the exception of the Visitor, which is arguably their best (or at least tied for it).  Never did find a bad one though.   

[erik]

I actually worked backwards with Arena, and I prefer the newer ones, with the exception of the Visitor, which is arguably their best (or at least tied for it).  Never did find a bad one though.   

My fave is Contagion, but it's very closely followed by The Visitor. Actually, with Arena the uneven albums (1, 3, 5, ..) tend to be the really smashing ones that get the most enthusiastic response as Clive himself also remarked, so that bodes well for The Tinder Box

[maddox]

Airbag ~ Identity

[Teunis]

Muse - The Resistance 

[Steve Jones]

Just: Genesis - Genesis
Now: IQ - Are You Sitting Comfortably?

[Manatee]

My fave is Contagion, but it's very closely followed by The Visitor. Actually, with Arena the uneven albums (1, 3, 5, ..) tend to be the really smashing ones that get the most enthusiastic response as Clive himself also remarked, so that bodes well for The Tinder Box

If I recall correctly, someone (perhaps Clive) said that they did concept albums on every other album, so perhaps you prefer that type, and I do believe we've been told The Tinder Box will be a concept album too.  As for me, I neither like nor dislike concept albums compared to others.  My only reservation is that bands sometimes seem to stretch overly far to keep within the concept and therefore put in some songs that may not be top quality just to keep the concept going.  I don't think Arena is overly guilty of this, but even so, I think I give Pepper's Ghost the nod over Contagion for that reason -- Contagion is indeed an excellent album, but I think there may be a song or two on there that could have been skipped and left the album with a slightly higher standard, whereas Pepper's Ghost just has 7 excellent songs, no filler.  Don't get me wrong, I'm just picking nits about Contagion.  If I didn't already own it, I would order it right now!


NP: Porcupine Tree - The Incident

The lads did not disappoint!   

[Steve Jones]

Just: Believe - Yesterday is a Friend
Now: Knight Area - The Sun Also Rises

[Steve Jones]

Riverside - Out of Myself

[erik]

If I recall correctly, someone (perhaps Clive) said that they did concept albums on every other album, so perhaps you prefer that type, and I do believe we've been told The Tinder Box will be a concept album too.  As for me, I neither like nor dislike concept albums compared to others.  My only reservation is that bands sometimes seem to stretch overly far to keep within the concept and therefore put in some songs that may not be top quality just to keep the concept going.  I don't think Arena is overly guilty of this, but even so, I think I give Pepper's Ghost the nod over Contagion for that reason -- Contagion is indeed an excellent album, but I think there may be a song or two on there that could have been skipped and left the album with a slightly higher standard, whereas Pepper's Ghost just has 7 excellent songs, no filler.  Don't get me wrong, I'm just picking nits about Contagion.  If I didn't already own it, I would order it right now!

Yeah, I do prefer the concept albums, they seem to grip me more. Funny you're saying that Contagion has some filler in your view; Clive has stated that they deliberately kept it a single album because most double concept albums suffer from that problem. I like Contagion from start to finish, wouldn't oust one single track. And then there are many who still hope for the release of the 2cd version with the EP tracks inserted! I think Pepper's Ghost is a solid album, but it somehow grabs me less than Contagion, that one just seems to have a bit more evoking drama to it, also because of the concept I suppose.

[Manatee]

Yeah, I do prefer the concept albums, they seem to grip me more. Funny you're saying that Contagion has some filler in your view; Clive has stated that they deliberately kept it a single album because most double concept albums suffer from that problem. I like Contagion from start to finish, wouldn't oust one single track. And then there are many who still hope for the release of the 2cd version with the EP tracks inserted! I think Pepper's Ghost is a solid album, but it somehow grabs me less than Contagion, that one just seems to have a bit more evoking drama to it, also because of the concept I suppose.

I realized that statement would be a bit controversial here.  When I referred to filler, I meant it in a very slight way with regard to Contagion.  There are no bad songs there.  I just feel that a few aren't quite as inspired as the others (which are very inspired indeed).  While I don't object to concept albums, I think perhaps it's a little more difficult for them to fully satisfy me because I tend to focus on the moment or the individual song more than I do the album as a whole (there are exceptions to this, of course).  I think it's fair to say that on concept albums at least some of the effort goes into the concept.  There are plenty of great concept albums, including Contagion, but if I had to choose between a great concept and just having each song be a killer song, I'd tend to go for the latter.  Personal taste, and it's rare that the difference is enough to make the difference between me enjoying an album and not enjoying it.  I do remember that Clive (or one of the lads) did say that they kept it a single to avoid the sort of thing I mentioned, and I think they did a good job of it, just not a perfect job of it.  An example of an album that should have been great but was only good because of filler for the concept IMO is IQ's Subterranea.   I think of that as a 4-star double album with a 5-star single album struggling to break out of it.  With Contagion I'd knock off at most a small fraction of a star.


NP: Abigail's Ghost - Selling Insincerity (at Iggy volume)

I'm really liking this now.   

[Manatee]

NP: Arena - Contagion   

[Steve Jones]

Kaipa - Angling Feelings.

Note to self: Must get some more Kaipa

[Iggy]

Breakfast in Biarritz

then Breakfast in London 

[erik]

I realized that statement would be a bit controversial here.  When I referred to filler, I meant it in a very slight way with regard to Contagion.  There are no bad songs there.  I just feel that a few aren't quite as inspired as the others (which are very inspired indeed).

Fair enough, but of course I'm curious by now which tracks you think are a bit less inspired and could have been left off in your opinion?  

While I don't object to concept albums, I think perhaps it's a little more difficult for them to fully satisfy me because I tend to focus on the moment or the individual song more than I do the album as a whole (there are exceptions to this, of course).  I think it's fair to say that on concept albums at least some of the effort goes into the concept.  There are plenty of great concept albums, including Contagion, but if I had to choose between a great concept and just having each song be a killer song, I'd tend to go for the latter.  Personal taste, and it's rare that the difference is enough to make the difference between me enjoying an album and not enjoying it.

Interesting view, Greenie. For me the concept really enhances the individual songs, i.e. the album as a whole is more than the sum of the individual songs (although an album doesn't per se have to a concept album to achieve this and albums ideally should have a good flow anyhow). But I do agree that the concept shouldn't force lesser songs on an album just because the story needs it. The ideal concept album has a constant flow of strong songs and is a single album (Dark Side Of The Moon, Misplaced Childhood, Contagion for me stand out).

I do remember that Clive (or one of the lads) did say that they kept it a single to avoid the sort of thing I mentioned, and I think they did a good job of it, just not a perfect job of it.  An example of an album that should have been great but was only good because of filler for the concept IMO is IQ's Subterranea.   I think of that as a 4-star double album with a 5-star single album struggling to break out of it.  With Contagion I'd knock off at most a small fraction of a star.

I agree that double albums tend to be less strong. At any rate it's harder to keep your full attention throughout the whole thing and also I often simply don´t find the time to listen to a double album in its entirety, so they get less play. A well-conceived single concept album on the other hand leaves you wanting more once it's finished (or press the repeat button).

[Nicky007]

NP  Jeff Loomis:  Zero Order Phase  (on repeat)       

Let's just say  Zep II  &  Systematic Chaos  - and I aint exagiubatin 

Nicky.

[Bupie]

I agree that double albums tend to be less strong. At any rate it's harder to keep your full attention throughout the whole thing and also I often simply don´t find the time to listen to a double album in its entirety, so they get less play. A well-conceived single concept album on the other hand leaves you wanting more once it's finished (or press the repeat button).

Nowadays, there are also an awful lot of single albums that reach the 75 minutes mark and could have -at least- a good quarter taken off 

NP Transatlantic : SMTPe

Well, this one belongs to the exceptions 

[Iggy]

Nowadays, there are also an awful lot of single albums that reach the 75 minutes mark and could have -at least- a good quarter taken off 

Yep it must certainly be more difficult for bands to decide when to stop.

NP a mixture of Arena tracks JP Soloman and Jericho. NP Sirens.

[Steve Jones]

Marillion - Afraid of Sunlight

[Teunis]

just: Satellite - Nostalgia

now: Jadis - Somersault

[Manatee]

NP: Dream Theater - Black Clouds and Silver Linings   

A work in progress.   


Will play again later: Arena - Contagion

Both because, hey, why not listen to it and to give it a careful listen so I can answer Erik's question.

[Steve Jones]

Just: Robert Cray - Strong Persuader
Now: Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard

[Steve Jones]

Marillion - Made Again.

Awesome live set

[Manatee]

JJJP: Abigail's Ghost - Selling Insincerity  (yup, it's a grower)
JJP: Porcupine Tree - The Incident   (about which I can only say  )
JP: Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition  (see above)
NP: They Might Be Giants - Lincoln  (these are very very silly boys)