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richardh

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Topic: Glass Hammer "Ode To Echo"
Posted: February 16 2014 at 06:38

^That's Rob Low (not Rob Reed) in case there is any confusion

verslibre

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Posted: February 15 2014 at 22:13

Nice to hear Michelle Young is back (in a sense). What's she been up to?

richardh wrote:

"With Rob I did something I very rarely do: I emailed him as a fan. To my surprise he replied and confessed to being a GLASS HAMMER fan..."

Whoa!

eBay

richardh

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Posted: February 14 2014 at 01:51

Sounding amazing , could this be the best GH album to date I wonder.

btw Fred - ''breaking bad'' LOL

yam yam

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Posted: February 12 2014 at 03:22

Here's another trailer from the new album, posted on the 'Prog' magazine website two days ago: http://www.progrockmag.com/news/glass-hammer-offer-ode-to-echo-clips/

Edit: Release date has been set for March 11th, preorders via http://www.glasshammer.com/, with a t-shirt bundle offer alongside the chance to have your album signed by the band. More info on the above progrockmag link.

Edited by yam yam - February 12 2014 at 03:27

richardh

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Posted: February 12 2014 at 01:20

johnobvious wrote:

I am on the fence on this and will wait for the reviews. The last three have all been good but have not really stuck with me like Culture or TIS and back to Shadowlands. I have so much music and so little time to listen to it that tons of it gets listened to a couple of times and then sits there. I just ordered the new Ozric Tentacles Box Set and Transatlantic special edition so there's 8 Cd's worth of music. I love Babb and Schendel and wish them well always but we will wait and see on this one.

I know exactly what you mean . I had to work much harder with If than I normally have to do with most GH albums which 'hit home' immediately. Its a lot denser though in terms of composition though so I think it will eventually become for me a loved album given time.

johnobvious View Drop Down

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Posted: February 11 2014 at 20:26

I am on the fence on this and will wait for the reviews. The last three have all been good but have not really stuck with me like Culture or TIS and back to Shadowlands. I have so much music and so little time to listen to it that tons of it gets listened to a couple of times and then sits there. I just ordered the new Ozric Tentacles Box Set and Transatlantic special edition so there's 8 Cd's worth of music. I love Babb and Schendel and wish them well always but we will wait and see on this one.

Biggles was in rehab last Saturday

richardh

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Posted: February 11 2014 at 14:09

a bit more information which I received from the ever reliable CD services (based in Dundee):

CD SERVICES NEWS

E-Mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
On-Line Store: http://www.cd-services.com/

GLASS HAMMER are preparing to release their 14th studio album 'Ode To Echo' - and leading light Steve Babb has said the material focuses on "some very dark ideas."

Jon Davison, who also fronts YES, has laid down vocal tracks alongside returned 'live' singer Carl Groves and former member Susie Bogdanowicz. Guest musician include Rob Reed of MAGENTA, David Ragsdale of KANSAS and Randy Jackson of ZEBRA.

The album marks GLASS HAMMER's first-ever collaboration with an outside lyricist in the track 'Crowbone', penned by British historical fiction novelist Robert Low.
Babb says: "We turned a corner last year when Carl rejoined to fill in for Jon, who was touring with what we call 'the other band.' We knew it wasn't a good thing to have Carl only front us on stage, but we'd always said how much we would love to have him in the studio, as well as Susie - so, back she came as well In our minds, they'd never really left."
"Jon hasn't quit just because he's working with YES, so 'Ode To Echo' features all three of these singers, and even a couple of others from years gone by."
"Lyrically we're dealing with mythology, using it to call attention to some very dark ideas. Narcissus is seen on the cover; fans can expect to hear our thoughts on narcissism. 'Ozymandias', 'I Am I' and the oddly-titled 'Misantrog' are three tracks that deal with narcissism specifically."
Babb became a fan of Low's books after reading his Oathsworn series, which deals with a group of Vikings as they battle their way across Europe in the tenth century. He explains: "Rob's work is very gritty and down to earth, but he doesn't shy away from the supernatural; and he does an outstanding job of putting you into the action. You can smell the fear, the sweat and blood of battle."
"With Rob I did something I very rarely do: I emailed him as a fan. To my surprise he replied and confessed to being a GLASS HAMMER fan. He sent me a poem he'd written for his novel Crowbone that he hadn't used. He recently heard a rough mix of the track, and seems genuinely thrilled with the direction it has taken."
And the experience has been a positive one for Babb: "Rob and other authors are absolutely welcome to send me verses or poems. There's a very good chance we would do this again. HAWKWIND had Michael Moorcock - GLASS HAMMER could have Rob Low. But anyone who has a spare bit of poetry lying around that wouldn't mind having it 'progged up' should send me something soon!"

Babb reports: "Expect an album that sounds nothing like the last three or four, and yet sounds precisely like GLASS HAMMER. That seems like a contradiction, but will make much more sense to fans once they've heard the album."

Track List:
01. Garden Of Hedon (6:57)
02. Misantrog (10:00)
03. Crowbone (7:22)
04. I Am I (8:15)
05. Grey Hills (4:47)
06. Porpoise Song (3:37)
07. Panegyric (4:11)
08. Ozymandias (8:12)

TPT - 53:21

Who else is getting excited about this? Big smile

richardh

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Posted: January 30 2014 at 15:07

ProgVanWinkle View Drop Down

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Posted: January 30 2014 at 13:50

richardh - I can't thank you enough for pointing to the Compilations CD.

Holy, holy holy, the ORCHESTRAL version of Heroes and Dragons is "to die for"! I would pay the CD price for that alone.

richardh

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Posted: January 29 2014 at 14:44

..but rereading the opening post they now have a new drummer. However Carl has returned to the fold (he sang on Culture Of Ascent).

Remember the brilliant American sitcom of the eighties called Soap? Well that's Glass Hammer LOL

Edited by richardh - January 29 2014 at 14:44

richardh

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Posted: January 29 2014 at 14:41

Roj wrote:

^I take it you like Matt Mendians Wink

. I have almost all the recent GH releases and will have to have a special listen for his performances on those albums as I don't remember anything making me jump out of my seat, drumming wise. However recently the drumming has definitely been much better than on their earlier releases when the drumming was to be honest pretty lame.

I'll certainly be getting the new one Tongue

. One I am still to get is Cor Cordium which for some reason is missing from my collection - I must rectify that. I also really fancy getting the Lex Rex live dvd, Lex Rex is my favourite album by them so the live dvd is a no brainer for me.

Mendians only plays on the two albums (The Inconsolable Secret and Culture Of Ascent) and the two DVD's I mentioned. Fred and Steve then decided to make the album Three Cheers For The Broken Hearted with Susie. After that they returned to the symph prog with a new line up including Jon Davison and Alan Shikoh (guitars) as permanent members. The drummer for them since has been Randall Williams although the album credits suggest he is not a permanent member (it says 'With Randall Williams').

Roj

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Posted: January 29 2014 at 03:18

^I take it you like Matt Mendians Wink

richardh

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Posted: January 28 2014 at 16:59

I was also going to mention the DVD's Lex Live and Live At Belmont. Both include Matt Mendians and the former even has Walter Moore. Both are absolute pleasures to watch.

dcussen

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Posted: January 27 2014 at 21:56

"She, A Lonely Tower" off "Cor Cordium" is truly epic. Just beautiful. "At Last We Are" is actually my favorite song off of "If". "Heaven" is another song off of "Perelandra" that everyone has forgotten about, but is absolutely incredible. It's really hard to highlight stuff, because there's so much good stuff in all directions no one can agree on what's better. It's just a tremendous band with incredibly great music.

Dellinger

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Posted: January 27 2014 at 21:10

richardh wrote:

^ There are actually 3 albums with Jon Davison and all are great. Smile

. The album that is lowest rated of their half dozen or so albums is Three Cheers For The Broken Hearted which moved away briefly from their symphonic style towards a poppier approach. I love it though personally.

From 2000 in terms of line ups/approach I reckon you can group their albums thus

Chronomotree

Lex Rex

Shadowlands

<span style="line-height: 1.2;">those three feature Fred drumming</span>

The Inconsolable Secret

Culture Of Ascent

<span style="line-height: 1.2;">those are my favourite GH albums. They feature the superb Matt Mendians drumming</span>

Three Cheers For The Broken Hearted

mentioned above

Cor Cordium

Perilous

possibly their most consistent period and the middle one is my favourite although If is the one that gets the praise

They also released an excellent compilation album called ....wait for it.. 'The Compilations'. The big thing about this is that it includes the excellent long track In The Court Of Alkinoos that to the best of my knowledge is not available on any other GH album. It also includes one their best tracks Time Marches On from the album Perelandra (1995)

So, I guess I'll end up getting their Jon Davison albums, plus the compilation you recommended. Perhaps also the Tolkien based albums, sinc. But I'm afraid it may take me sover a year to get there.

ProgVanWinkle View Drop Down

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Posted: January 26 2014 at 16:08

Wow, what a great post on GH by richardh. You have this excellent band pretty well nailed IMO.

I also think the Davison era is by far the most consistent good work.

Personally, I would choose Lex Rex as their best overall album however. And I would choose "If the Sun" off the album If, for their best epic. With "She a Lonely Tower" in 2nd for me (both Davison era).

PS - thanks for the tip on The Compilations.

Edited by ProgVanWinkle - January 26 2014 at 16:20

richardh

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Posted: January 25 2014 at 05:41

^ There are actually 3 albums with Jon Davison and all are great. Smile

From 2000 in terms of line ups/approach I reckon you can group their albums thus

Chronomotree

Lex Rex

Shadowlands

those three feature Fred drumming

The Inconsolable Secret

Culture Of Ascent

those are my favourite GH albums. They feature the superb Matt Mendians drumming

Three Cheers For The Broken Hearted

mentioned above

Cor Cordium

Perilous

possibly their most consistent period and the middle one is my favourite although If is the one that gets the praise

Dellinger

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Posted: January 23 2014 at 20:55

dcussen wrote:

To all prog and non-prog fans alike: BUY THIS ALBUM This is some of the greatest music being written today - by anyone anywhere. I have almost all their albums to date and am continually amazed by the creativity and inspiration behind nearly every song they write. This album is guaranteed to be yet another masterpiece.

I haven't yet gotten any Glass Hammer, but eventually I want to get at least their last 2 albums (the ones with John Davison), which have had some very good revies. I'm also interested in the Tolkien based albums (I think they are two), but I've read rather bad revies about them... however, I wonder if at least I could get a few Tolkien related songs out of those albums.

Second Life Syndrome View Drop Down

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Posted: January 23 2014 at 20:52

I definitely want to get the chance to hear/review this! I've been meaning to get some of their older stuff, too, like Perelandra.

theprogmind.com

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Posted: January 23 2014 at 19:21

As usual - I am looking forward to a new GH release! This perhaps more so than other recent recordings, with the promise of one of the best GH lineups ever. Smile

"Music is the Wine that fills the cup of Silence"
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