Caravan vs Saga

hahahaha.

There's always something to be said about bands to bring them down.

Barclay James Harvest were named Poor Man's Moody Blues. Well, John Lees showed them, and wrote a song with exactly that title, and the chords of Nights in White Satin. Turned out to be a huge fan-favorite and live-staple!

That being said, I can't really compare Saga to any other band. Except that in the beginning they borrowed some of Genesis and Gentle Giant, but Saga turned to their own style really quick, wich is (as said) a mixture of discorhythms, synthriffs and hardrock.

Bands like It Bites and Enchant have borrowed from Saga. But that's how music works.
I guess Saga could have been influenced by Rush, but Rush was influenced by Led Zeppelin, wich is bluesrock and Saga veered more towards jazzrock in the beginning.

When producers like Keith Olsen and Rupert Hine had their hands on Saga, they got streamlined, and the sound became increasingly more pop with still the hardrock-guitar.

Apart from that Ian and Jim Crichton both played the Synthaxe, wich is really something. Haven't seen the synthaxe in any other band (except for Holdsworth of course)

Caravan are among my favourite bands. Never heard Saga, but if they're almost as good as Rush then I don't think they'd get my vote if they paid me.

Caravan by miles!!!

Cant stand Saga

Well.....I'm surprised Saga got 11 votes....against one of the best Canterbury bands of all time.

Nothing wrong with Caravan, they have at least 3 or 4 good records.

Guldbamsen wrote: Damn this is almost painful to watch...and I don't even like Saga. Then again I think we all have a similar poll in us where our fave underdog will lose big time. I imagine me doing one with Amon Düül ll vs Yes ending up similarly ie my fave gets completely annihilated.

I don´t feel pain at all, just because Saga doesn´t mean nothing to me. It would be same, if there was Nirvana vs Arcade Fire (I naturally like to believe Nirvana would murder Arcade Fire). But if you will do your poll, I think I will vote Amon Düül II although I really think Yes is greater. Just because I really love Amon Düül II too.

I'll throw my hat in with Saga.  I have a thing for accessible prog bands from Canada.  Caravan have a British sense of humour that doesn't necessarily resonate with me..although I suppose that you can't go wrong with either a golf girl or a girl that grows plump in the night. 

verslibre wrote: YESESIS wrote: Well I see a couple people here willing to admit they prefer Saga. Your Honor...we will take that as an admission of guilt.

Don't take any apparent analness here too seriously, I just like to blow some hot air now and then ramble-bottom style....

Guldbamsen wrote: Damn this is almost painful to watch...and I don't even like Saga. Then again I think we all have a similar poll in us where our fave underdog will lose big time. I imagine me doing one with Amon Düül ll vs Yes ending up similarly ie my fave gets completely annihilated.

I have a different perspective. With 22 percent of the votes as of now, Saga is doing well against the likes of a band that has been very popular in PA. Furthermore, I tend to pay more attention to the comments, and only two pages in and lots of appreciation has been thrown towards Saga. Frankly, Saga is doing better than I would have thought. In this case, the OP, John, has said that these are two of his favourite bands, so if I were in his position I wouldn't find it painful at all -- a band he loves is getting significantly more votes than another band he loves.

I might be tempted to do, say, Can vs. Igor Wakhevitch. While I'm confident than Can would do significantly better, I would not be saddened at all since I love both and might not vote (these days I would choose Can myself since there's more I love, and my appreciation for Can has deepened over time).

If I were to choose one I am not a big fan of and put it up against one I really liked, and the one I really liked got a really unexpected drubbing, well, then I would be disappointed. For instance, were I to do a 1987 poll, and I put Saga's Wildest Dreams up against Art Zoyd's Berlin and Berlin did as poorly in my poll as Saga is in this one, well, I might find that a little painful or at least bemusing.

YESESIS wrote: Logan wrote: I quite like some Saga, so glad to see that that "you're not alone" in appreciation. Haha yep. I like that album btw, possibly my second favorite by them after the MONSTER Silent Knight. Good to see you back here man. I've been getting into Focus a bit lately. I like their third album a lot.

Thanks. The first four Saga albums are good from a Prog perspective, as I recall. Then they go less Prog in the mid 80s and then rebound (not that I think being Prog is a sign of quality, but it is "a quality" or qualities). I haven't heard the later than that music. Other than the radio hits which would get played here, I wasn't that familiar with Saga until I joined. I once wrote a very dismissive post about the band, and regretted it (embarrassed about being dismissive while knowing that I hadn't really explored the music deeply enough to have a strong, informed opinion). So I explored more deeply and I'm glad that I did (though truth be told I had quite enjoyed the radio hits and was basing it something else).

I'm glad that you appreciate Focus' third, that's the one I have tended to vote for in polls. It became my favourite. I'm not trying to backtrack, but when I was first writing my post that is the one I was thinking about recommending and I second and third guessed myself because I thought it might be less accessible. I usually either overthink or underthink things, one day I like to think that I'll find that balance and just say what I think in a thoughtful manner. Probably won't ever happen, lol.