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Joined: December 12 2016
Location: California
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Posted: December 25 2016 at 13:54
i've listened carefully to all their albums , in my humble opinion , they could beat the Floyds in the 70's , seen them twice in live concerts , in Hamburg & Warsaw , amazing band , lovely spirit and perfect teamwork ~
Joined: August 09 2015
Location: Italy
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Posted: December 25 2016 at 18:01
Good that you mention Eloy as a live act. I saw them twice, after having recorded Planets and Performance. Interestingly, the Planets gig was much more ambitious with a big light show and films. It wasn't attended as well as they had hoped and was postponed once. There was the odd technical problem and despite the sound and the musicians being very good, there was some coldness to this, some lack of emotional connection.
The Performance album isn't many people's favourite and by the time I had become rather sceptical about the band, but to my surprise this was the much better gig, in a smaller venue, very direct, sharper, with very good contact to the audience and an excellent track list going through all their highlights including even Inside if I remember it correctly. I remember this one as one of the best gigs I saw and it was clear to me that they could be a brilliant live band if they trust their music and their personalities rather than technological overkill.
By the way, both of these were in Hamburg (Audimax and Fabrik), so we may have been in the same place.
Joined: June 20 2012
Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: December 26 2016 at 18:13
As it happens, I've really been getting into the Eloy album, Ocean. I hadn't listened to it since I was a teenager and couldn't remember a bit of it. Very happy with it. It seems like I might have had one or two other of their albums. I'd have to check. Ocean is definitely the only one that I've moved over onto CD, though.
A curse upon the heads of those who seek their fortunes in a lie. The truth is always waiting when there's nothing left to try. - Colin Henson, Jade Warrior (Now)
Joined: November 03 2006
Location: Rockpommelland
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Posted: December 27 2016 at 02:18
kenethlevine wrote:
While Eloy gets some flak for copying other bands, let's not dismiss the influence they had on many German bands, like Anyone's Daughter, Minotaurus, Madison Dyke, Tibet, Zomby Woof, Epidaurus, Shades of Dawn, Faun (the group that only release one live album, in 1998, not the medieval one), and others I can't think of a the moment. Not to mention that they definitely had some influence on bigger contemporaries like Jane, Grobschnitt, and Ramses
Sometimes RPWL sounds more like Eloy than Pink Floyd.
Joined: July 01 2004
Location: CA
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Posted: January 03 2017 at 14:14
retroactive wrote:
i've listened carefully to all their albums , in my humble opinion , they could beat the Floyds in the 70's , seen them twice in live concerts , in Hamburg & Warsaw , amazing band , lovely spirit and perfect teamwork ~
To me, Eloy is the superior band. Now I must emphasize band, because Frank's obviously not going to beat Dave as a pure guitarist or vocalist (though I really enjoy Frank's singing, accent and all). But in every other department — keyboards, drums, and especially bass! — Eloy takes it. And I just like their music better, with their prime (for me) beginning with Ocean, and continuing on for many albums, even up through Metromania, which, like Performance, is underrated. Eloy is a unique band, and they were huge in their heyday. The Floyd-mimic criticism is unwarranted and far overdone (a listen to an early album proves that). 'Sides, Eloy got more symphonic to me than Floyd (who I regard as a glorified psych band) ever did. Again, just my humble opinion.
And yeah, let's talk about their bassist! Klaus-Peter Matziol is fantastic. That guy has enough grooves to populate a coin-operated vending machine.
Joined: July 01 2004
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Posted: January 03 2017 at 14:16
Lewian wrote:
The Performance album isn't many people's favourite and by the time I had become rather sceptical about the band, but to my surprise this was the much better gig, in a smaller venue, very direct, sharper, with very good contact to the audience and an excellent track list going through all their highlights including even Inside if I remember it correctly. I remember this one as one of the best gigs I saw and it was clear to me that they could be a brilliant live band if they trust their music and their personalities rather than technological overkill.
I'm just jealous you guys got to see Eloy live! I'd have loved to see any and all of the tours from '78 through '85. As I just said in my previous post, I dig Performance and Metromania. The dual keyboardists line-up's a win-win for me.
Joined: November 03 2006
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Posted: January 04 2017 at 03:11
verslibre wrote:
retroactive wrote:
i've listened carefully to all their albums , in my humble opinion , they could beat the Floyds in the 70's , seen them twice in live concerts , in Hamburg & Warsaw , amazing band , lovely spirit and perfect teamwork ~
To me, Eloy is the superior band. Now I must emphasize band, because Frank's obviously not going to beat Dave as a pure guitarist or vocalist (though I really enjoy Frank's singing, accent and all). But in every other department — keyboards, drums, and especially bass! — Eloy takes it. And I just like their music better, with their prime (for me) beginning with Ocean, and continuing on for many albums, even up through Metromania, which, like Performance, is underrated. Eloy is a unique band, and they were huge in their heyday. The Floyd-mimic criticism is unwarranted and far overdone (a listen to an early album proves that). 'Sides, Eloy got more symphonic to me than Floyd (who I regard as a glorified psych band) ever did. Again, just my humble opinion.
And yeah, let's talk about their bassist! Klaus-Peter Matziol is fantastic. That guy has enough grooves to populate a coin-operating vending machine.
Hear, hear.
Although I like Pink Floyd and Eloy equally, they both have other unique qualities. Frank's guitarplaying is not as superb as David's, but when Hannes Arkona joined, the band had some rock-guitar that Pink Floyd would never have.
The drums and bass of Eloy are far superior. I think the synths are almost equally good and tasteful.
But I like the conceptalbums of Eloy better. The Wall is too pretentious for me and Animals too political. I like the naive mythological and space themes of Eloy.
There are a few songs where Frank pays hommage to Pink Floyd, especially with the guitar intro (wich he does a couple of times), the basspart in The Apocalypse and Poseidon's Creation (although Matze is far superior to Waters), and the acoustic intro of Say Is It Really True, wich sound too similar to Wish You Were Here.
But the space and futuristic rock of Planets -> Metromania is unrivalled. (maybe only Saga comes close).
Also criminally underrated is Dawn, wich is too date, the best symphonic spacerock album I have ever heard.
Joined: December 06 2006
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Posted: January 05 2017 at 12:33
I greatly prefer Eloy to Floyd. Much more dynamic and less consistently cynical and downbeat. I only wish the powers that be would have given them more exposure so I could have discovered them in the 1970s instead of the 1990s.
Joined: August 09 2015
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Posted: January 05 2017 at 16:07
Kingsnake wrote:
But I like the conceptalbums of Eloy better. The Wall is too pretentious for me and Animals too political. I like the naive mythological and space themes of Eloy.
I know this is the Eloy appreciation thread but I'm with the Floyd on this one. However...
Joined: November 03 2006
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Posted: January 06 2017 at 02:13
Lewian wrote:
Kingsnake wrote:
But I like the conceptalbums of Eloy better. The Wall is too pretentious for me and Animals too political. I like the naive mythological and space themes of Eloy.
I know this is the Eloy appreciation thread but I'm with the Floyd on this one. However...
Kingsnake wrote:
The drums and bass of Eloy are far superior.
!
Absolutely no problem to prefer Floyd over Eloy. That's what discussions are for.
In my opinion Floyd and Eloy have this spacey synth-sound and spacey guitar sound. I like to dream away to the music. But Eloy takes me to other planets and mystical landscapes.
Floyd just keeps me in the English country, with Animals and The Wall. Shine on You Crazy Diamond would have been more awesome if it had fantasy or sci-fi lyrics.
But it doesn't matter though, I can always play The Apocalypse or Planets or Dawn to take me to other planets.
Joined: July 01 2004
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Posted: January 06 2017 at 11:26
^That's why gatefolds are so awesome. This isn't the Tangerine Dream thread, but some of the images in TD's '70s gatefolds complemented the music very well, a really Yin & Yang dynamic there...!
Joined: January 25 2017
Location: UK
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Posted: January 25 2017 at 16:22
Good to see an Eloy thread - I don't know anyone else who actually likes them (or has even heard of them), so it's interesting to read this and see whether everyone else's views reflect my own.
First encountered them when Ra came out. Loved both the music and the cover art and played the album to death. Metromania followed, and I thought it was absolutely stunning. I grew up on keyboard-driven 80s pop, so unsurprisingly, it's the run of albums from Colours through Metro that I think of as being Eloy's peak.
Also very fond of Dawn and Silent Cries from the 70s, though apart from the debut album I do like all of them from that decade, too. Not sure why anyone would rate Ocean as the best of them, but the first half of Decay and the sheer epic feel of Atlantis' Agony make it well worth having.
Think their post-Ra output is rather patchy, though. Destination is the sole Eloy LP missing from my collection - I really couldn't get into it at all, and thought it was all style and no substance. Willing to give it another go if I can find a copy, though - Fire & Ice (from Chronicles II) is pretty decent. Tides Return was a superb release, though, as was Ocean 2. Massively disappointed by Visionary, so I'm glad there's a new LP in March so they don't go out on a whimper.
I have Codename Wildgeese too, but it's not really a proper Eloy album.
Deeply envious of everyone who's seen them live, especially in the 80s. I never have - if they ever pop over to England, I'll be there like a shot.
Joined: July 01 2004
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Posted: January 25 2017 at 18:21
Codename Wildgeese is like a Tangerine Dream album without Edgar Froese, i.e. it was recorded by Hannes Arkona, Hannes Folberth and Klaus-Peter Matziol. I like it, though!
Joined: November 03 2006
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Posted: January 26 2017 at 01:23
I agree that Destination is their weakest album.It was my second. I first bought Planet and was sold. I liked Destination because of it's heavy metal approach.
But there's only a handful of songs that really stuck with me; Eclipse of Mankind is really one of the best songs they ever did. Fire and Ice, Prisoner in Mind, Call of the Wild are decent hardrocktracks (love the flute in Call of the Wild), but the album also has the weakest tracks they ever did: Silent Revolution is really silly.
Destination also has the first Jeane d'Arc song. On The Tides Return Forever, there's the second part, called Company of Angells.
The biggest problem with Destination and Ra is the voice of Frank. His falsetto(?) is really used too much and it's a pain to listen to.
On Ocean 2 and Tides Return Forever and Visionairy he uses his normal voice again.
Joined: May 28 2005
Location: Germany
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Posted: January 26 2017 at 05:48
I like the old Eloy albums like "Inside" and "Floating" best. I think after "Dawn" they became too pompous. the German accent of Frank Bornemann is horrible though, so the vocals make me wince
A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta
Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: February 07 2017 at 01:56
I had a listen to Poseidon's Creation from Eloy Live this morning. Jurgen has some serious chops. Pity he couldn't have stayed with the band a bit longer.
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The Eloy appreciation thread
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kenethlevine wrote:
