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Simon Says Tardigrade: a forgotten masterpiece?
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BrufordFreak View Drop Down
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    Posted: March 08 2023 at 09:01
The third of this Swedish band's trilogy, when I joined PA in 2008 this album was all the rage--standing at or near the top of the Year's rankings for most of the year. 
My ears had been without prog for about 15 years and so were, at this time, unaccustomed to the symphonic bombast bombarding me from this long and dense album. Upon recent revisitation I have come to the conclusion that this is a lost masterpiece. The songs are composed, performed, and engineered so well; there really are no weakness with the album except in terms of whether or not this type of retro symphonic music is your cup of tea (or if you like lead singer Daniel Fäldt's voice and singing style).

What are your thoughts? Did you like this album when it came out? Do you know it--or listen to it today?

The reviewers who have relegated Tardigrade to a status just below that of Transatlantic, Spock's Beard, The Flower Kings, or Karmakanic, are, I think, missing out on something special!



Edited by BrufordFreak - June 19 2023 at 14:37
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Points: 66264 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rushfan4 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 08 2023 at 10:14
I remember that I loved this band and album back in the day.  I have not listened to this in quite a while though and it is in need of a current listen.
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Points: 28064 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote richardh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 09 2023 at 10:13
Apparently Tardigrades will inherit the earth..

..but anyway I've found the album on Apple music and will give it a listen. Thanks!
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Points: 28064 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote richardh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 09 2023 at 10:14
oh and it is Tardigrade not 'Tardigarde' as per the thread title.
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Points: 5154 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gerinski Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 09 2023 at 11:10
One of my favourite modern prog albums!!
When I reviewed it so long ago I gave it 4 stars and below is what I wrote, but if I should rate it now I would give it the 5 stars, it has only got better and better with more and more listenings!  That's what happens when you review an album after much too few listenings... you need to let it sink before making a serious veredict.

I agree, it's a forgotten masterpiece!

Review from 11/20/2010:

"This album is like a compilation of the complete history of traditional symphonic prog. It clearly 
honours the classics, most notably Yes and Trick of the Tail / Wind and Wuthering-period 
Genesis and occasionally ELP or GG, it also shows Neo influences mostly IQ and Wrightson-
period Arena, and finally what it mostly is is post-neo symphonic in the style of Neal Morse 
(with or without SB), The Flower Kings, Karmakanic, Transatlantic etc. <p>

The only critizable point is the lack of originality, but for all the rest "very good at everything 
though not really outstanding at anything" seems to be my constant evaluation of each aspect 
in this album. The compositions are all consistently strong without any moments which feel as 
filler, but none of them deserves the masterpiece status. All the guys play their instruments 
very competently but none stands out as a true virtuoso. The voice timbre of Daniel Faldt is 
equally not particularly special but he sings well and it works.<p>

The sci-fi concept is good enough but I will not explain it here, you can read it in full in their 
website www.paradisesquare.net. The production is also good, and they use a wide palette of 
keyboard and guitar timbres so the sound never gets monotonous, although they constantly 
remind us of one or another prog fragment we have heard before. The music style is 
accessible but complex enough, melodic, generally energetic but they do not forget calmer 
moments and as a whole the album achieves a good dynamical pattern. <p>

The two "plats de resistance" are surely the two longest tracks, the opener "Suddenly the Rain" 
sets things clear from the start being a great song with all what a traditional prog fan loves, 
and the 26 minutes suite "Brother Where You Bound" is also strong, but the shorter tracks are 
no less good, including the beautiful acoustic and electric guitar duet in "Moon Mountain".<p>

A very enjoyable album in every respect although if fails to give that "wow factor" of the true 
masterpieces, highly recommendable to lovers of modern and yet traditional symphonic, but it 
may disappoint those who seek innovation and uniqueness."
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Points: 15253 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote siLLy puPPy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 09 2023 at 11:33
Tardigrades rule! They can literally exit in the vacuum of space and tolerate unthinkable levels of radiation.



Edited by siLLy puPPy - March 09 2023 at 11:35

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interestingly, I'm currently listening to Paradise Square, their previous album, which I've always liked more. Gotta give the 2008 one a spin again as well then
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Points: 10094 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mellotronwave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 07 2023 at 14:05
Indeed as all of their/his other CDs

Edited by mellotronwave - April 07 2023 at 14:05
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Points: 5366 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hrychu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 19 2023 at 07:46
Tardigrade is a superb work of art. A beautifully composed, and wonderfully performed album. I especially love the jazzy chord progressions and soaring, romantic, melodies Stefan Renstrom wrote.

BTW, I just discovered the band Twin Age, which to my ear sounds uncannily like Simon Says. They were quite impressive, so I'd recommend their album Lialim High to every Simon Says lover who has a soft spot for Tardigrade.

Twin Age - The Pelican Lie
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Points: 293 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote edefakiel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 19 2023 at 09:40
I guess that it depends on what your concept of a masterpiece is. 99th percentile in perceived quality over all albums? 98th percentile in perceived quality over all albums in a genre? 90th percentile in perceived quality over all albums in a subgenre and a year? Any combination of those? Without establishing what a masterpiece is, is very difficult to give a definitive answer. 

Going by personal preferences and gut feeling, I would consider Tardigrade a good album, maybe even a great one, well above the mean of all albums, for sure, but maybe not exceptional enough to be a masterpiece. 

For me, a masterpiece is something that it is well above other albums and may be considered a timeless classic. Something with charisma that perfectly captures a sound, a time and a genre. Something like Wish You Were Here, Fear of a Blank Planet, OK Computer, Red, Still Life (Opeth), The Sound of Perseverance, The Power and the Glory, Apostrophe, Godbluff, etc. Even if it is a cliche to love those albums. 


Edited by edefakiel - June 19 2023 at 09:44
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Points: 18297 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 19 2023 at 10:38
Yes!!!!!! I was actually playing this one not too long ago. Some amazing music on it. Very dazzling recording. This is what prog is all about. It's heavy on the instrumental sections which is ok by me. 
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Originally posted by Prog-jester Prog-jester wrote:

interestingly, I'm currently listening to Paradise Square, their previous album, which I've always liked more. Gotta give the 2008 one a spin again as well then

Tardigrade is the only one I know by them. Unfortunately, I think they are all out of print now.

By the way, Ritual is another good forgotten Swedish prog band. I think we can now add Moon Safari to the list since it's been a while they released a full length album too.


Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - June 19 2023 at 10:44
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Points: 5366 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hrychu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 19 2023 at 11:43
Quote For me, a masterpiece is something that it is well above other albums and may be considered a timeless classic. Something with charisma that perfectly captures a sound, a time and a genre.
For me, Tardigrade checks those boxes. I'm planning to do an in-depth analysis/review of it in the future.


Edited by Hrychu - June 19 2023 at 11:44
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[QUOTE=Hrychu]
Tardigrade is a superb work of art. A beautifully composed, and wonderfully performed album. I especially love the jazzy chord progressions and soaring, romantic, melodies Stefan Renstrom wrote.

BTW, I just discovered the band Twin Age, which to my ear sounds uncannily like Simon Says. They were quite impressive, so I'd recommend their album Lialim High to every Simon Says lover who has a soft spot for Tardigrade.

Twin Age - The Pelican Lie

VG neo prog from Sweden , as far as I know they recorded 3 cds , the present one is their second and best..imho
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Points: 8213 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrufordFreak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 19 2023 at 14:37
Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

oh and it is Tardigrade not 'Tardigarde' as per the thread title.

Thank you! corrections made.
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AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down
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Originally posted by siLLy puPPy siLLy puPPy wrote:

Tardigrades rule! They can literally exit in the vacuum of space and tolerate unthinkable levels of radiation.


Yep. Somehow a bit off topic but also called a water bear. 
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Points: 7272 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cstack3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 19 2023 at 15:46
I'll have to look them up! 

As an environmental biologist, I LOVE tardigrades!!  I like to introduce students to these "water bears!"

Sadly, they will likely inherit the earth. 
I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!
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