The Other Side of Life

YESESIS wrote: kenethlevine wrote: YESESIS wrote: Well I liked that, but definitely not as much as those first two albums. It was a little frustrating because the songs were nice, and even good but I know they're capable of so much more lol. Oh well, basically good but not great album imo. The title track and 'Devil Came From Kansas' were both very good. Pretty much the rest of the songs were just pleasant. I love the closing track, sung by Matthew Fisher whose voice is surprisingly good Interesting, I noticed the keyboards in that one sounded a little like Whiter Shade of Pale.

To me also "Wreck Of the Hesperus" and "All This And More" have always been favorite Procol songs together with those you already mentioned. And "the Milk Of Human Kindness" is decent too. Rest is just ok songs. Anyway this album has always had a warm place into my heart, it´s kind of Procol`s "Meddle". Almost every song comes from some different music style. And one reason why I love 60/70 albums so much is they are much versatile in many cases, today albums are just planned too congruent.

YESESIS wrote: Wow, I liked that a lot. That had kind of a funky, jamming side to it. Man when this band is on they are really hard to beat. The only song on the whole thing that I wasn't wild about was the last one 'Robert's Box.' But I enjoyed the heck out of the other songs. And A Salty Dog I may grow to love in time, just didn't totally click with me that first time last night. This one did, big time. Not sure where to go now with this band.. or maybe I should just go on to this 'Family' deal now.

About Grand Hotel I love them all, also "Robert´s Box", no weak track on that album! But "Shine On Brightly" is still my fave, although "Wish Me Will" is little bit mediocre, the rest it´s just pure genius (I listened album again yesterday and God´s it´s still so great!). Comparing it to their first album I think there are all the main elements of Procol, but they´re still in "seed", in that marvellous second album they blossom! To me "In Held Twas In I" rise into level of "Atom Heart", "Thick as a Brick" & "Supper´s Ready"! I think it´s very rare first album is the greatest, mostly it´s the fifth (Atom Heart, Thick as a Brick) or even sixth (Lamb), but there are some bands that have done it: Family, Traffic (excellent band to you also if you haven´t listened them), Magma & Comus.

I first heard of Family in 1983 when Mike Oldfield, who had become almost Alan Parsons-like in his ability to recruit the right guest vocalists for the right songs, engaged Chapman on this excellent number from "Crises"

Edited by kenethlevine - April 12 2020 at 09:57

Cosmiclawnmower wrote: YESESIS wrote: Wow, I liked that a lot. That had kind of a funky, jamming side to it. Man when this band is on they are really hard to beat. The only song on the whole thing that I wasn't wild about was the last one 'Robert's Box.' But I enjoyed the heck out of the other songs. And A Salty Dog I may grow to love in time, just didn't totally click with me that first time last night. This one did, big time. Not sure where to go now with this band.. or maybe I should just go on to this 'Family' deal now.   If youre going to listen to Family for the first time, be aware that Roger Chapman's vocals are..er.. a bit out of the ordinary to say the least! Whereas the Moodies and Procol utilized a more pastoral, orchestral feel laced with a pop sensibility. Family tended to meld more folky, jazzy elements (even trad jazz and skiffle elements) all mixed up with (slightly rougher) 'trespass' era Genesis vibe, a dollop of soul/blues (in the vocals) and lots of mixed up instrumentation (lots of 12 strings played together, flute, violin, vibraphone etc) a hint of british psychedelia and a smattering of hairy-arsed rock. Where to start? well at the beginning- Music in a dolls house (which has the heaviest psychedelic influence) then on to Family Entertainment, Song for me and Anyway. These 3 represent Family at their most 'Progressive' and diverse in sound and texture; rough round the edges but sparking with energy. After that Fearless & Bandstand are super albums but a little more polished and less diverse in sound. The final lp Its only a Movie represents their final incarnation of a good time rock n roll band in vein like 'The Faces'.. a good album for what it is but certainly their least progressive. Give em a go! if ive completely misinterpreted your comment on ''going to this 'Family' deal'' then please excuse me for my impetuous interruption!

Well that was really great. I'm starting to take this band very seriously now. The only song I wasn't wild about was The Thin End of the Wedge. The rest of the songs were real good, especially As Strong As Samson, Monsieur R. Monde, and Fresh Fruit. Really enjoyed that album a lot, that was totally jammin!


Edited by YESESIS - April 12 2020 at 19:53

YESESIS wrote: Mortte wrote: About Grand Hotel I love them all, also "Robert´s Box", no weak track on that album! But "Shine On Brightly" is still my fave, although "Wish Me Will" is little bit mediocre, the rest it´s just pure genius (I listened album again yesterday and God´s it´s still so great!). Comparing it to their first album I think there are all the main elements of Procol, but they´re still in "seed", in that marvellous second album they blossom! To me "In Held Twas In I" rise into level of "Atom Heart", "Thick as a Brick" & "Supper´s Ready"! I think it´s very rare first album is the greatest, mostly it´s the fifth (Atom Heart, Thick as a Brick) or even sixth (Lamb), but there are some bands that have done it: Family, Traffic (excellent band to you also if you haven´t listened them), Magma & Comus. I think you should absolutely listen next "Exotic Birds and Fruit" from them! It´s almost as great as Grand Hotel, really close to it, and I believe there are people who love it even more than Grand Hotel. There are also quite much that funky stuff. And I think you should listen "Home" also someday, when I now looked the song list only opening track "Whisky Train" is little weak. Thanx about Moodies aswering, eighties sounds are not always problem to me, I am now much more used to them than in the eighties. Going to listen those three albums some of these days (still lots of all kind of listening, I think I will start today from Who´s Tommy´s Symphony version). Idk, Supper's Ready is an all time prog Masterpiece. And I don't say that lightly, it's pretty much top of the top for me. Anyway thanks for the two more Procol recommendations. I think I'll listen to those and then.. on to this 'Family.' Need to get started with them in a couple days here. So ok, off to listen to Exotic Birds and Fruit then. Hope it's good.

Supper´s is to me also all time prog masterpiece, but so is "In Held", "Thick" and "Atom". I believe "In Held" will open you more when you listened it more, really it wasn´t at first that great to me (like you I was little bit wondering so much speaking into it, it was from that "Symphony"-album I listened it first, I think studio version is greater, but anyway I recommend you to listen that album also, there are really great versions of "Conquistador" and those others shorter pieces also).

Edited by Mortte - April 12 2020 at 23:18

I liked that, though not as much as the first 2, Grand Hotel, or Exotic Birds and Fruit. That guitarist was JAMMING OUT on the first track.. right on. The songs that were good on that album were very good(imo) but it had a few weaker tracks. All in all definitely a good album, just not up to the highest standards of this band(which are really high).

And don't forget "About To Die", which is lyrically more Sabbath than Sabbath.

kenethlevine wrote: YESESIS wrote: I liked that, though not as much as the first 2, Grand Hotel, or Exotic Birds and Fruit. That guitarist was JAMMING OUT on the first track.. right on. The songs that were good on that album were very good(imo) but it had a few weaker tracks. All in all definitely a good album, just not up to the highest standards of this band(which are really high).  i like Whisky Train.  The guitarist BTW is Robin Trower, a Hendrix influenced guitarist who went on to a fairly successful solo career.  "Bridge of Sighs" is a recommended album by him. I enjoy "Still There' ll be more", "Nothing I didn't Know" and the sweet closer "Your Own Choice" as well from Home