Prog Britannia - Album Reviews |
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Psychedelic Paul
Forum Senior Member Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 41222 |
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^^ I like Pavlov's Dog too. The vocalist reaches the parts that other singers can't quite reach - well, not unless they're wearing tight trousers like the Bee Gees.
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dr wu23
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 22 2010 Location: Indiana Status: Offline Points: 20631 |
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Are you still slogging through that list onlne of oddball bands?
What are you posting next?
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin |
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Psychedelic Paul
Forum Senior Member Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 41222 |
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Here's a rough guide to how I figure out how many stars to award each album:- :- An absolute must-have album that I'd be prepared to order specially and be willing to pay up to £15 for. :- A great album that I'd be more than happy to spend £10 on if it's in stock at my local record store. :- A reasonably good album that I'd only buy at a bargain price if I happened to see it at a charity shop or car boot sale. :- A poor album that I'd only listen to once and wouldn't be inclined to listen to again even if it was given away for free. :- An absolutely dreadful album rating I'd reserve for Hip-Hop/Rap, Punk Rock, Extreme Metal, and John Cooper Clarke. I very much doubt if there are any prog albums I'd only give a 1-star rating to. Edited by Psychedelic Paul - February 03 2020 at 15:53 |
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Psychedelic Paul
Forum Senior Member Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 41222 |
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Yes, I'm still cherry-picking my way through your list of long-forgotten album treasures on the Underground Rock Artists webpage. Here's what's coming up for my next seven album reviews:- 94. Samurai 95. Czar 96. Pussy 97. Cirkus 98. Bakerloo 99. Pesky Gee 100. The Ghost |
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Psychedelic Paul
Forum Senior Member Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 41222 |
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SAMURAI - Samurai (1971)
Album Review #94:- Banzai! SAMURAI might sound like a far-eastern band from the shogunate land of the rising sun, but in reality, they're as British as a chicken vindaloo curry from an Indian takeaway on a Saturday night. The story of Samurai is a tangled web, because they used to be known as "The Web" during the recording of their first two albums - "Fully Interlocking" (1968) and "Theraphosa Blondi" (1969) - before removing "The" definite article and shortening their name simply to "Web" for their third album "I Spider" (1970). The band were hoping a change of name would change their financial fortunes, but sadly, it wasn't to be and Samurai fell on their swords and disbanded shortly after releasing their one and only self-titled album in 1971. Somewhat confusingly, there was also a Japanese band named Samurai who also released a self-titled album (sub- titled "Green Tea") in the early 1970's. The 1996 CD re-issue of the British Samurai album added five bonus tracks to the original seven songs on the album.
The singer sounds like he's releasing some pent-up aggression on the opening number "Saving It Up For So Long", so watch out, because one gets the impression from this pounding and pulsating Jazz-Rock song that a Japanese shogun warrior might just leap out at any moment brandishing a samurai sword with a shout of "Banzai!". This is assertive, progressive Jazz-Rock with a forceful and belligerent attitude. The song features a pretty mean saxophonist too, combined with a powerful and punchy rhythm section. These guys don't sound like they're in the mood to take prisoners. The weather outlook for our next song is "More Rain" on the way, so it might be time to put those brollies up before we get wet. On the other hand, you could stay indoors and enjoy listening to this cool mellow groove. "More Rain" is so laid-back it's almost falling over backwards. This is cool Jazz to listen to whilst sipping on a daiquiri cocktail out on the verandah with a warm summer breeze blowing through your hair. Alternatively, if you're listening to this cool Jazz number in the middle of winter, you can just bask in the warm glow of the music and dream of those long hot summer days and sultry nights. Either way, "More Rain" is guaranteed not to dampen your spirits, or your ardour, if you're in the mood to get all romantic with your lover. We're off to meet "Maudie James" next and she sounds rather charming if this groovy number is anything to go by. This Jazzy saxophonic music sounds as fresh and full of vitality as a freshly-squeezed lemon, which makes it hard to believe that this album is nearly half a century old now. Yes indeed! It's amazing just how much "new" and original music is out there just waiting to be rediscovered in the modern age of the Internet. The curiously titled "Holy Padlock" is next, which is presumably the type of lock that's used to secure a church. This offbeat Jazz-Rock song sounds a little off-kilter, a bit like a runaway train careering down the tracks that's in danger of becoming derailed at any moment. Yes, Samurai are definitely in wild Canterbury Scene territory here, so be prepared for an improvisational melieu of dynamic sound and inspirational energy. This fast-paced, out-of-control kamikaze song barrels along at such impressive speed, it's hard to imagine it could ever be written down formally in musical notation, but then again, it wouldn't be wild improvisational music if it was written down on paper beforehand. It's time to "Give a Little Love" now, although don't be fooled by the title because this is no gentle romantic ballad. No, this is a pugilistic percussive wave of thumping Jazz-Rock that hits you straight between the eyes like a sledgehammer. The guitarist is clearly having a blast on this barn-storming number, with his wah-wah pedal evidently cranked up to the max. The dynamic keyboard player deserves a mention too - he sounds like he's pulling out all the stops here to deliver a sonic blast of high octane Rock. Spare a thought too for the saxophonist who delivers a sensational solo with barely enough time to take a well- earned breather. It's time for some gentle reflection now with "Face In The Mirror", an altogether mellower Canterbury Scene- style song, given an extra dose of lively Samurai "Banzai" energy. Sadly, we've reached the final song on the album now with "As I Dried The Tears Away", but there's no need to get out a hankie because this is no romantic refrain. This is a thunderous electrically-charged, eight-minute dynamo blast of Van der Graaf Generator-style Jazz-Rock, only without Peter Hammill's histrionically expressive vocals. The song features some gentler interludes too, so it's not all thunderbolt and lightning, very very frightening. It's a suitably impressive highlight to close the album in grand style on an album that's choc-a- bloc full of great songs. Samurai have all of the aggressive energy of a Japanese shogun on the warpath. There's no going back now, because this storming band of musical warriors are out on a mission to deliver some thunderously great music with all of the willpower and determination of a kamikaze pilot flying out on his first and last mission. In common with their last album "I Spider", when the band were still known as the "Web", this album is a powerful blend of both Van der Graaf Generator and Hatfield & the North, so if you like those two bands, then there's a good chance you'll like the sonorous sound of Samurai too. Edited by Psychedelic Paul - February 04 2020 at 11:39 |
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dr wu23
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 22 2010 Location: Indiana Status: Offline Points: 20631 |
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I haven't spent much time rating lp's here at PA though there are a few I have rated on their pages...but I try to balance my personal taste/liking with the actual quality of the music and band. There probably aren't any on this blog thread (maybe 1 or 2) I would rate at 5 stars ...I would rate most at 3-4 stars. Many of the older obscure things have a few clunker tracks. I think you are a bit too generous at times...but that's why we all argue about ratings all the time. ;)
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin |
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dr wu23
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 22 2010 Location: Indiana Status: Offline Points: 20631 |
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I don't own a copy of Bakerloo or Pesky Gee...though I am familiar with Bakerloo's music from the web. Never heard of Pesky Gee....one to ck out online. I haven;t played my Ghost cd for a long time...need to re-listen.
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin |
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dr wu23
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 22 2010 Location: Indiana Status: Offline Points: 20631 |
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^I see that Gee became Black Widow....I have heard the Widow stuff but never ordered their cd....love to have the original vinyl though. ;)
Currently listening to Sacrifice-Black Widow......on you tube. Funny thing is...I think I had that album on vinyl in my record room at one time about 5 years ago....my friend Tom had stored some of his obscure vinyl with me and I never got around to listening to all of it....Sacrifice might have been one of them. He moved out west and took them all with him. Edited by dr wu23 - February 04 2020 at 12:46 |
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin |
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Psychedelic Paul
Forum Senior Member Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 41222 |
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Nearly all of my album reviews from 91 to 100 are/were thanks to suggestions from you for future reviews.
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Psychedelic Paul
Forum Senior Member Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 41222 |
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I still stand by all of my highly subjective five-star album ratings. At least I haven't handed out any two-star ratings. If I come across any albums I consider only deserve two stars - like Matching Mole for instance - then I usually avoid reviewing those albums altogether, rather than give the album a negative rating. I even came in for a bit of stick for giving Hatfield & the North's "Rotters' Club" album a three-star rating recently, but that's okay. It's all good fun.
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Psychedelic Paul
Forum Senior Member Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 41222 |
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Black Widow's "Sacrifice" is another album I fell instantly in love with and gave a full five stars to.
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dr wu23
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 22 2010 Location: Indiana Status: Offline Points: 20631 |
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Well...with 161 ratings here it only garnered 3.73. But you are a push over, apparently. ;)
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin |
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Psychedelic Paul
Forum Senior Member Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 41222 |
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I've never been one for following the crowd. I noticed most PA members gave Hatfield & the North's "Rotters' Club" album" a four or five star rating, but that didn't stop me giving the album a three-star rating. I liked the album, but not enough to go out and actually buy it. I saw the album in my local record store recently for £7 but I wouldn't pay that much for it. The "Rotters' Club" album is worth £2 to me at the most.
Edited by Psychedelic Paul - February 04 2020 at 13:49 |
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Psychedelic Paul
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CZAR - Czar (1970)
Album Review #95:- CZAR had an all-too-brief reign in the prog kingdom as they only existed long enough to record one self-titled album in 1970. The London-based group were originally formed as a Pop group back in 1966 when they were known as Tuesday's Children. The band changed their name to Czar for this one-off moody Mellotron album. A 2007 CD remastered edition more than doubled the original seven songs on the album by adding eight bonus tracks. The silly album cover pictures a bear wearing a crown (presumably a Russian Tsarist bear) tearing into a picture of a startled-looking man. You can't judge an album by its cover though, so let's hope the music contained within is better than the bizarre Czar album cover.
The album opens with the proggy-titled song "Tread Softly on My Dreams", but there's no chance of falling asleep and dreaming your way through this stormy album opener. There's a dreamy Mellotron to be heard in the background, but right at the forefront is a powerful horn section, so we're in for a good solid dose of some mean and moody blues with a bold and brassy Jazz-Rock attitude. The music of Czar has the same pounding intensity as those other kings of prog, King Crimson, and this tremendous opening song has obvious parallels with "21st Century Schizoid Man". Both songs represent a dramatic and unforgettable storm and thunder entry into the wonderful world of Progressive Rock. Just when you thought it can't get any better, it does!! The second sensational song "Cecelia" is a Mellotron-drenched classic. This Symphonic Prog epic is guaranteed to send any self-respecting prog fan into paroxysms of ecstasy and delight. If music be the food of love, then this is delicious manna from heaven sent down to Earth from the Prog Gods above in all of their infinite glory and wisdom. Heavens above! How on Earth did Czar not come to rule over the prog kingdom, forever and ever, amen, instead of disappearing without trace after just one awesome album!?? Such are the vagaries of the music business, where incredible talent doesn't always guarantee enduring success. Oh well, back to the music at hand after that minor digression. The third song on what's turning out to be a pretty amazing album is "Follow Me". This is another exhilarating artillery barrage of pounding percussive energy that Czar have unleashed from their impressive arsenal. It's a sonic boom of invigorating keyboard-driven prog that barrels along relentlessly for three and a half incredible minutes. It's also a very commercially appealing tune with "Hit Song" written all over it and would have no doubt gone storming up the charts if the song had ever been released as a single. The wonderfully uplifting harmonies on this album deserve a mention too, because they quite simply have to be heard to be believed, as no words can possibly do justice to how magnificent they are. With the dawning of Side Two comes "Dawning of a New Day", and what a day it's turning out to be! The mighty Czar rules again over the prog empire with another terrific song! The stupendous songs on this album are so outstanding that almost every sentence deserves an exclamation mark!! This is one of those sensational Prog-Rock songs that opens deceptively gently, but gradually builds up in intensity, emerging into a rousing and anthemic, full-blown symphonic epic that will send you up into prog heaven on a soaring crescendo of sound! Space: the final frontier! It's time to boldly go where no man has gone before, because Czar are ascending up into the heavens now with "Beyond the Moon". The marvellous long-lost legends of prog are taking us on a wondrous journey far beyond the dark side of the Moon and out into the realms of deep space for some stellar Prog-Rock that's quite literally out of this world. This dazzling song shines as brilliantly as an exploding supernova for a few brief awesome minutes. It's not just the fabulous music that's awe-inspiring though, the stellar lyrics are gloriously cosmic too:- "Under the stars that we have traveled afar, Without song in our eyes and the rain and the wind in our hair, Starry-eyed faces from deep in the nigh, Without food without thought without even a glimpse of a life." ..... It's prog, Jim, but not as we know it. Drifting gently back down to Earth now, we arrive just in time for "Today", a gorgeous symphony of sound floating on topographic oceanic waves of Mellotron-drenched melodic prog. This truly beautiful Mellotronic epic has all of the magnificent Moody Blues majesty and symphonic splendour of "Nights in White Satin". Yes, it really IS that good! After "Today" it's mostly autumn now for "A Day in September", a radiant song which is positively abounding with joy and optimistic hope for the future, so one presumes it's an indian summer on this particular day in September. This glorious closing number is like a brilliant burst of sunshine on what is an altogether stellar album of fantastic songs. The Czars were once the awesome rulers of the mighty Russian empire up until the Russian Revolution in 1917, and the band Czar were the rulers of the once mighty kingdom of prog for their one brief shining moment in the spotlight in 1970, or at least, they should have been..... The history of prog is littered with unique one-off album treasures that have become lost in the mists of time, and Czar were to suffer the same fate as many short-lived one-album bands of the late 60's and early 70's era. Thanks to the modern wonder of the Internet though, the band Czar are set to rise again and take the prog kingdom by storm, hopefully. Czar is an absolute must-have album that's worthy of a hallowed place in every Prog-Rock collector's treasure chest. Edited by Psychedelic Paul - February 06 2020 at 01:57 |
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Psychedelic Paul
Forum Senior Member Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 41222 |
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I just happen to like Heavy Prog in preference to Canterbury Scene music, so I'm nearly always going to rate Heavy Prog albums higher, but then again, I haven't gotten around to rating Caravan's albums yet, where there are at least three Caravan albums I would give five-star ratings to:- "In the Land of Grey and Pink"; "For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night"; and "Cunning Stunts"
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Psychedelic Paul
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PUSSY - Pussy Plays (1969)
Album Review #96:- PUSSY were a Psychedelic Rock band with a rather risque name that invites all sorts of rude double entendres, so no sniggering at the back. Their one and only album "Pussy Plays" (1969), featured a bizarre image on the cover of a startled pussy cat with VERY sharp claws. The band were formed in Hertfordshire, England in the mid-1960's and went through various name changes before apparently deciding on "Pussy" as the ideal name for a psychedelic sixties group, and why not. And so, without further ado, let's play Pussy.
There's an air of mystery surrounding "Come Back June". It's a typical American west coast Psychedelic Rock song (from England) but who or what is June? Is it the month of June or is it a lady of the female agenda? Well, let's find out by delving into the lyrics:- "My world's breakin' in pieces, My world's breakin' in two, My heart's breakin' in pieces, My heart's breakin' in two, Come back, June." ..... Mystery solved. The song is a boulevard of broken dreams where the lovelorn singer is clearly going through some deep emotional turmoil here after being dumped by his lovely lady June. Some of the best songs are written as the result of broken relationships though, and that's certainly true with this song too. It's no lilting ballad though. It's a rousing, rip-roaring opening burst of psychedelic sixties Rock. There's another great song on the way with "All of My Life". You can wait all of your life for a great song like this to come along, and then they all arrive together at once on one awesome album, and that's proving to be the case here. "All of My Life" is like a gorgeous summer breeze. It's a song that's perfect for surfing the soaring California breakers at Big Sur, although you don't see too many surf boards in the heart of Hertfordshire, England, where this particular band hails from. We're continuing the sunny California theme now with "We Built The Sun". This is an altogether mellower groove, and not the psychedelic purple haze of the first two opening sunbursts of raw solar energy. No, this sounds more like the saccharine sweet Psychedelic Pop of The Association than the wild and far-out Acid Rock of Jimi Hendrix. The clear honey-voiced vocals are what really shine like a beacon on this lovely laid-back song, featuring some beautiful sun-drenched Beach Boys-style harmonising from the whole band singing together in unison. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's "Comets", a weird out-of-this world excursion into the dark and mysterious realms of deep space where no one can hear you scream. "Comets' are in a highly irregular orbit if this wacky Twilight Zone song is anything to go by. To paraphrase Hawkwind, "Comets" represents an album highlight of "Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music". We've waited over half a century for "Comets" to come around again, a bit like Hailey's Comet, but the wait is now over, because this long-lost icy snowball (named "Pussy Plays") has returned with a stream of fantastic songs in its glowing wake. "Comets" is a scintillating sci-fi fantasy ride across the universe, featuring an exotic cosmic extravaganza of spooky voices and weird sound effects that could have come straight out of Doctor Who or Star Trek. Beam me up another great song Scotty! Side Two opens magnificently with "Tragedy In F Minor", which is no tragedy at all, but an absolutely sensational instrumental that's simply sublime. It's a lavishly-produced lush symphonic epic that's positively awash with sensational strings, creating a rich tapestry of sound, guaranteed to carry you away on an ecstatic pleasure wave of sweet blissful dreams. We have lift-off! Just when you think this album couldn't possibly get any better, along comes "The Open Ground" to astound and delight us in equal measure. This is a psychedelic supernova of truly epic proportions! Heavens above! This earth-shattering blast from the past has enough stored energy to lift the Space Shuttle up into orbit way above the Earth. This tremendous spacey music might even take you to the Dark Side of the Moon and back again, long before Pink Floyd travelled there with their stellar 1973 album. We're plunging back down to Earth now for "Everybody's Song", a storming psychedelic Jazz-Rock number where the dynamic keyboard player and wild wah-wah guitarist battle it out together to see who's the greatest musician of them all. "Everybody's Song" is indeed a song for everyone. It's almost impossible not to like this song. We've reached the ultimate piece of music on the album now with the intriguingly-titled "G.E.A.B." There's no clue as to what the initials might mean as it's an instrumental number, although to call this thunderous high octane blast of super-charged Rock & Roll an "instrumental", can't possibly do it justice. Make no mistake. This is a relentless all-out sonic assault, and just to remind us that this album is titled "Pussy Plays", there's a loud "Meow" from a pussy cat right at the end! Pussy Galore! This timeless psychedelic relic is a supersonic blast from the past. The album is an absolute masterpiece that sounds as fresh and original as it ever did, over half a century on from when Pussy first played. This outstanding album is the cat's whiskers! Edited by Psychedelic Paul - February 06 2020 at 17:04 |
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dr wu23
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 22 2010 Location: Indiana Status: Offline Points: 20631 |
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I'm not surprised you gave 5 stars to Czar and Pussy..... ;)
You like the dirty sounding proto prog stuff and early prog psych . Those 2 I had in my collection very early on.....cd not vinyl...very very hard to get vinyl at a reasonable price on those 2...and most of the others in that time frame that were obscure. My friend Tom had an original Pussy, I think, ... but a 'reissue bootleg' of Czar.....at least he thought it was a fake. I wish I had some of those vinyl things he once owned.
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin |
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Psychedelic Paul
Forum Senior Member Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 41222 |
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That's right. I nearly always give Psychedelic Rock albums either four or five star ratings because that's my favourite genre of music, and in the case of Czar and Pussy, to give them any less than five stars would have been sacrilegious. The only exception was the Dark album that I only gave three stars to, because I thought all of the songs sounded too similar when the album could have done with a bit more variety.
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BrufordFreak
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: January 25 2008 Location: Wisconsin Status: Offline Points: 8256 |
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Your ratings scale is very much like my own--as is your attitude toward how you choose which albums to rate. (I dislike slogging through poor albums despite the fact that they've had the temerity and courage to publish a record.) From personal experience, I know what it takes to produce music, release an album, and get backing for a contract or live gigs. I am highly sensitive to the fact that some reviewers cannot abide by the possibility that the human species can create more than one masterpiece per year nor can I comprehend how reviewers discount and disrespect the talent and effort it takes to create an album that gets them to Prog Archives by rating albums with one star or even two--as if these reviewers could do better! Respect to the creative drive and musical ability!
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Drew Fisher
https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
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Psychedelic Paul
Forum Senior Member Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 41222 |
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I totally agree. Life is too short to spend time on slogging through an album I don't like, only to spend another three hours writing a wholly negative two-star review. I would much rather cherry-pick the albums I really like and give them positive four or five star ratings and glowing reviews to match - and there's another five-star album review coming up in just a couple of minutes.
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