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Topic ClosedSo Close... Albums that just missed the mark

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AmericanKhatru View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: So Close... Albums that just missed the mark
    Posted: July 29 2008 at 17:24
I'd been thinking about this for a while. There's always that one album by that one band that could just be so totally unbelievable if they only did this one thing. My question is, what albums, in your opinion, just missed the mark of being truly one of a kind?

I'd have to go with Tales From Topographic Oceans. The concept was there, the talent was there, and Yes truly seemed ready to take prog in a new direction. But, they just seemed to stretch the material a little too thin. If it had been just 60 minutes, I think this would've been the greatest prog album ever. Period.

So, what do you guys think?


Edited by AmericanKhatru - July 29 2008 at 17:27
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 29 2008 at 20:04
I have to say, if they're close enough to the mark, I round up.  Take Tales for example.  I think it hit the mark but was victim of character assassination.


Edited by Slartibartfast - July 29 2008 at 20:05
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 29 2008 at 20:11
^I agree
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 29 2008 at 20:46

Probably Tarkus , and I am not talking about the music.Such an album needed a much better cover and inner sleeve. But I consider it a masterpiece anyway.

Another case could be Fragile , it's lack of cohesiveness makes it a 3 star record to me.Or TAAB , it has a gap in the 25 th to yhe 27 th minute when it feels like the guys wonder: Well what do we do now?

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 09 2008 at 22:53
I was surprised when I first got the internet years ago to find out how Tales from topographic oceans gets such a hard time,  I thought it was a classic double album in every regard a true listening experience ... I honestly thought of it as one of Yes's best albums the trick for me to fully enjoying this album is I break it into parts when I listen to it , I never listen to the whole thing in one sitting I play disk 1 and leave it a awhile  then play disk 2   ...


Edited by Yorkie X - August 09 2008 at 22:57
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 10 2008 at 01:15
Originally posted by Yorkie X Yorkie X wrote:

I was surprised when I first got the internet years ago to find out how Tales from topographic oceans gets such a hard time,  I thought it was a classic double album in every regard a true listening experience ... I honestly thought of it as one of Yes's best albums the trick for me to fully enjoying this album is I break it into parts when I listen to it , I never listen to the whole thing in one sitting I play disk 1 and leave it a awhile  then play disk 2   ...


Yeah, I still love listening to it too but my mind gets to wandering way too easily and I think about things like that. It's still probably my 2nd favorite album ever. It's not a bad album, I just think it could have been so much more...
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 10 2008 at 07:10
Pain of Salvations BE would be an undisputed modern clasic if they had cut out some of the narative parts that served lttle purpose, particularly Animae Partus that opens and closes the album and Omni.

Lateralus with out the noisy interludes between songs would have been unberlievable.

Maudlin of the Wells Bath without the uneccassery inclusion of Uncovering the Gift, or at least re-recording that song rather than leaving it in its garage recording form from 1996.

The Last Rose of Summer on White Willows Sacrament needed more acumpniment than and acoustic guitar.

The Wall shortened by half.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2008 at 17:30
Frances The Mute for me. Same as Lateralus, it had the potential to be one of the greatest prog albums ever, with Cygnus, L'via, Miranda and Cassandra. I've said it before: if they would have replaced The Widow with the actual TRACK Frances the Mute and cut out all the unecessary noise, it would have been flawless in my opinion.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2008 at 20:51
Originally posted by kibble_alex kibble_alex wrote:

Frances The Mute for me. Same as Lateralus, it had the potential to be one of the greatest prog albums ever, with Cygnus, L'via, Miranda and Cassandra. I've said it before: if they would have replaced The Widow with the actual TRACK Frances the Mute and cut out all the unecessary noise, it would have been flawless in my opinion.


I agree entirely with Frances the Mute. I absolutely love all the other 3 TMV albums to death, but Frances barely misses the mark for exactly the reasons you stated.

Nursery Cryme fits this for me... I usually can deal well with production and I do here. I just think the album would have had that extra little bump with a wonderful production like Selling or the Lamb.

Hmm... If I think of any more I'll have to add them.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2008 at 21:36
PAWN HEARTS comes first in mind; great songs, great musical athmosphere, even some great vocals (Man Erg).....only destroyed by unnecessary chaotic noise in between
.....but that's meWink
 
I am sure a few people will come up with IN THE COURT OF CRIMSON K. and the minimalist instrumental section of Moonchild, but i am not one of them.
 
ELP might be guilty with the ALMOST perfect Tarkus and BSS thanks to Jeremy Bender and Are you ready Eddy,
 
Yes, i like a lot ANDERSON BRUFORD WAKEMAN HOWE, would have been perfect without ''Teakbois''
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2008 at 21:39
Originally posted by sleeper sleeper wrote:

The Wall shortened by half.

 
Please , don't shorten it for meLOL.....i still want to enjoy my 4 LPs sides or my 2CDs set the way it is....even add me another cd of Wall music anytimeLOLWink...i'll take it1 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 15 2008 at 00:42
Originally posted by sleeper sleeper wrote:

Pain of Salvations BE would be an undisputed modern clasic if they had cut out some of the narative parts that served lttle purpose, particularly Animae Partus that opens and closes the album and Omni.

Lateralus with out the noisy interludes between songs would have been unberlievable.

Maudlin of the Wells Bath without the uneccassery inclusion of Uncovering the Gift, or at least re-recording that song rather than leaving it in its garage recording form from 1996.

The Last Rose of Summer on White Willows Sacrament needed more acumpniment than and acoustic guitar.

The Wall shortened by half.

 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 15 2008 at 08:19
Flower Kings' "Stardust We Are" would have been a masterpiece if they'd only kept it at one disc instead of two.  The title song is so amazing but the rest of the tunes are just so-so.  There's more than enough greatness on there to make one single astounding album but they just got overindulgent.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 15 2008 at 08:37
I agree about The Wall deserving truncation.

Colosseum II's Strange New Flesh could have hit the mark perfectly if it weren't for some of the Moore backing vocals, and a couple of over-stretches on the guitar.

Relayer, in my mind, had way more potential than it used, and could have done with a little more in the lyrical interest department.

McDonald And Giles has a couple of more vulnerable sections on the Birdman Suite that mar an otherwise briliant album.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 15 2008 at 09:36
Fates Warning's Awaken the Guardian. In theory I should find it the greatest thing since sliced bread, in practice it only has three songs (out of eight, mind you) that don't put me to sleep.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 15 2008 at 19:22
Originally posted by Chicapah Chicapah wrote:

Flower Kings' "Stardust We Are" would have been a masterpiece if they'd only kept it at one disc instead of two.  The title song is so amazing but the rest of the tunes are just so-so.  There's more than enough greatness on there to make one single astounding album but they just got overindulgent.
 
Even with Church of the Heart and Compassion as well as a couple other gems, you are right, a little trimmed fat would have catapulted this already excellent album into eternity.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 17 2008 at 09:35
Originally posted by febus febus wrote:

PAWN HEARTS comes first in mind; great songs, great musical athmosphere, even some great vocals (Man Erg).....only destroyed by unnecessary chaotic noise in between
.....but that's me



Not only you! Me too. Yeah the noisy stuff on The Lighthouse.. and Lemmings are really unnecessary.

Jesus Christ Superstar taking out the HORRIBLE(with the scary mean) Crucifixion. DAMN! that song scares me to hell! Very daring and "sentimental". The album in it's entirety really touches you, if you know what I'm talking about...

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 18 2008 at 22:46
Originally posted by MisterProg2112 MisterProg2112 wrote:

Originally posted by sleeper sleeper wrote:

Pain of Salvations BE would be an undisputed modern clasic if they had cut out some of the narative parts that served lttle purpose, particularly Animae Partus that opens and closes the album and Omni.

Lateralus with out the noisy interludes between songs would have been unberlievable.

Maudlin of the Wells Bath without the uneccassery inclusion of Uncovering the Gift, or at least re-recording that song rather than leaving it in its garage recording form from 1996.

The Last Rose of Summer on White Willows Sacrament needed more acumpniment than and acoustic guitar.

The Wall shortened by half.

 
Yes Clap
I don't get the Lateralus hate here. I mean, there's only 3 tracks. Eon Blue Apocalypse is beautiful and goes great into the Patient. Mantra is only a minute long, and Faaip de Oiad is noise but it's the last track so you don't have to really listen to it. Unless you're listening to the alternate tracklist.
 
I guess I'd have to go with Bedlam in Goliath. I guess a concept album about an Ouija board is pretty interesting, and I was just getting into the Mars Volta music. It came out around my birthday so I got it and although I'd heard "Goliath" and thought it was just fantastic, the rest of it seemed like noise. I hardly ever get distracted by crappy lyrics, and I definetely thought the BIG lyrics were distracting.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 18 2008 at 23:39
Green Carnation's "Acoustic Verses"  ... I absolutely love the album till the last track "Head Above Water" ...  just misses for me, don't care for repetitive choruses to begin with, but I don't like how he sings it either.  I'm slowly getting accustomed to it, but ruined a great, great album for me.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 19 2008 at 05:55

Twelfth Night's "Fact and Fiction".

If it wasn't for the abominable "Love Song", that album would never leave my top 10. or 20. 30, possibly...
 
Astonishing and hugely original 1980s Prog album otherwise.
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