Eloy Discovery Zone

richardh wrote:   Good summation

Thanks

richardh wrote:   On the subject of remasters there is nothing as bad in Eloy's back catologue as the 25th anniversary release of In A Glass House!

You mean in a compressed house?

richardh wrote: I only had the orginal CD's of Time To Turn and Planets and then gobbled up all the Eloy remasters as they became available. Time To Turn and Planets are fine to my ears. The subject of compression v dynamics is certainly a much discussed subject on PA.

Think I'm going to take the chance and get the remaster of Metromania and see if they managed to clean some of the mess. 1983-4 was a year with loads of horrible productions. Studios experimenting with new digital equipment and new mastering techs. My LP is a Direct Metal Master from Harvest. Even the first CD press was better.
Another album that is up at number one of albums that need a proper remix/remaster is Mike Rutherford's Smallcreep's Day. Wonderful album totally ruined by the production. I can not listen to it at home on my proper system without my ears starting to bleed.

/Steve

RA is totally ruined by the production. I pick it up from time to time and is unfortunately forced to get it off the turn table after one listening since it gives me a headache. Same sh*t as Rutherford's Smalcreep's Day. Good music totally ruined by production

I find material wise `Ra' is about on the same level as `Metromania' or `Performance', but I suppose it is let down by the sterile and flat production. But I find ANY of their albums better than `Destination', what an awful album! Very bland and characterless commercial AOR/rock, with very little to associate it with Eloy.

I have to admit I found the latest `Visionary' quite a letdown. I would have preferred they went out with the amazing `Ocean 2' as a swansong if the stuff on the `Visionary' album was the best they could come up. I think that's the most I've been disappointed by a new album from a classic prog band. However, it's a classic compared to the latest Van Der Graaf Generator album `ALT' – trust me, there's a special place in hell reserved for that one!

Hopefully it's them just them finding their feet again after time away, so another new album (which I DO hope we get from them) is an improvement!

Atomic!
I quite like `Metromania', even though it would never be confused as being a classic from them. Slightly more commercial than `Planets/Time To Turn', and often the production is a little cold and flat, but I do find myself digging it out of the CD shelf more often than not! Still very sci-fi and spacey sounding. The first three tracks, especially the longer `All Life Is One' are pretty great, but there's an awful throaway commercial piece called `Nightriders' near the end that's a little too basic and straightforward. Not very memorable.
Nice cover too, as usual!

I really don't see what the big deal is with Eloy. I find them to be all pretty mediocre musicians. The vocals are horrible and distract more than anything. It might be different if the music was actually interesting but it's not. I've heard Ocean, Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes, Floating, and Dawn. I still shake my head in disbelief when I hear them. I just think they're overrated amongst prog fans. I need more variety in music and if something is going to be static, then at least make it more harmonically interesting. I get nothing from Eloy.

HarbouringTheSoul wrote: ^Check out "Colours". The vocals aren't better, but the music should be more up your alley. Less "noodling", more songwriting, more harmonic variety. I don't see your issue with the musicianship though. Their playing isn't very flashy, but it's certainly accomplished.

HarbouringTheSoul wrote: I just recently discovered Eloy. Strangely enough, I found myself adoring "Colours" (seriously, 5 stars) and only mildly enjoying "Dawn" and "Ocean". Guess I just prefer songs over atmospheres. Have they made anything more in the vein of "Colours" that's good?

Colours was my favourite Eloy album for a while. The opening track is mighty stuff. I think they evolved over the next couple of albums (Planets and Time To Turn) developing their own brand of space rock with a nod to the past. I can remember hearing Planets on the Friday Rock Show all those years and at that time they were the first German band (bar perhaps Kraftwerk) that I could take seriouslly.Quite obviously they were taking some ideas from Pink Floyd and other prog bands but this was music that was a lot more powerfull to my ears if not scoring high on the originality scale. Going back to your comments I would say Ocean is a tad overated. I think you will also enjoy Silent Cries and Mighty Echoes as long as you dont mind the obvious references to Floyd and some other prog bands (or perhaps you will like it because of those things).

Edited by richardh - August 14 2012 at 14:04

HarbouringTheSoul wrote: You're basically saying that flashy playing doesn't impress you, but excites you. That's a bit of a contradiction, isn't it?

You misunderstood me. I'm not impressed by flashy playing but what I said was it adds a new contour to the music. A new level of excitement. I didn't say it excited me, but rather gave the music a facelift.

HarbouringTheSoul wrote: Mirror Image wrote: HarbouringTheSoul wrote: You're basically saying that flashy playing doesn't impress you, but excites you. That's a bit of a contradiction, isn't it? You misunderstood me. I'm not impressed by flashy playing but what I said was it adds a new contour to the music. A new level of excitement. I didn't say it excited me, but rather gave the music a facelift. If it gives the music a new level of excitement, then how is that not impressive? There's nothing wrong with finding flashy playing impressive.

HarbouringTheSoul wrote: I agree. No single good trait is enough to make for interesting music. It's always a combination of several.