Yesesis´s & Mortte`s Album Thread

YESESIS wrote: That's what I'm talking about!!! Wow! That album is POWERFUL and rhythmic. From the slow build in the beginning... to that female chorus singing their lungs out.. It's just so good. That album is dominating. To me it's obviously Magma's best album. To me their first album sounds a lot like Zappa's Waka/Jawaka(very jazzy and satisfying, but not really special in the way MDK is). I like Magma's second album 1001° Centigrades a lot too. They're a special band, no question. And to me this one.. is the Jewel in the Crown.

I think it´s little bit hard to explain why I think their first album is their best. I believe Vander listened some Zappa and was influenced by him also, but I think that album is absolutely much more greater than Waka/Jawaka, as a matter of fact to me greater than any Zappa-albums! I think there is very special, really spiritual feeling in this Magma´s album, that has also something in their second album (you know it was at first just Magma 2) and also that Univeria Zekt-album, but not fully! It reminds me a little bit same than in Dr. John`s Gris Gris and also Funkadelic first album have. I believe also that great story, where they go to the planet has something to do with it. Also, it was the first Magma album really hit me, somebody has put also in it great film about volcanic eruption behind that first albums music in youtube when I listened it first time, so I think that also made it very special in the first moment. And also my fav prog is from that same time (1969-72), really love the sounds in those albums!!

Edited by Mortte - June 12 2020 at 22:37

I've got a truly great one for this afternoon.. Bach: Greatest Hits. 

Alright tonight I feel like Progging Out, so no better band to that with than Gentle Giant.

YESESIS wrote: Yeah Bach's the man, no doubt. I'd put him even ahead of Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Haydn... whoever you can name.  Ok, too many great tracks to name them all. I don't like the ones as much that are mainly organ/piano although a couple of them are really good like III. Presto from Italian Concerto in F Major, BWV 971 and especially Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29: I. Sinfonia.  Overall my favorite tracks are Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068: II. Air, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140 "Sleepers Awake": I. Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, I. Allegro from Concerto for Two Violins, Strings and Basso Continuo in D minor, and BWV 1043, Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major, BWV 1048: III. Allegro.  I like classical music that is mostly strings(violins, cellos) the best. Not really any other kind of music that beat that for me.

I don´t listen much classical, my faves are Sibelius & Mussorgsky. But I have some vinyls also from Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Liszt, Schubert & Tchaikovsky (got them cheap or for free). I have listened from Bach mostly his organ and classical guitar works, I really like that famous Toccata & Fugue in D minor, also Pastorale is great (both really aren´t most cheerful pieces in the world but I like gloomy music), naturally like also that classical guitar version of Bouree that Jethro also made. Of course I have heard Air.

Mortte wrote: 4 lazy summer Sunday´s albums: Liekki: Magio This is one of the most beautiful albums of 2000`s! Really sounding so much just seventies! There was some kind of prog boom in Finland in the begin of 2000`s, prog was a short time even more popular here than in the seventies. This progrelated band started then and made this very great first album. In their later albums the leader and songmaker Janne Kuusela changed his acoustic guitar to 12-string electric guitar. In this album with it´s acoustic sounds has also really great keyboard playing! There really are many seventies prog influences here, but still band sounds of it´s own. For example "Francesca Maalaa" got really much Gabriel-era Genesis sounds and melodies. The most prog pieces are last two instrumentals, in this vinyl version is also bonus piece "Saunapiru" that I think owns a lot to Oldfield "Tubular Bells". So sad this band seems today quite forgotten, although was really popular at it´s time! J J Cale & Eric Clapton: the Road To Escondido I think this collaboration album is weaker than Cale´s solo albums, on the other hand much better than any Clapton´s solos after seventies that I have heard. Mostly it´s really sounding Clapton´s seventies albums, but really lacks the personality of Cale´s solos. Although Cale has mostly composed the tracks, I believe it has been Clapton who has been in the lead in the production and arrangements. There has also been Alan Douglas, a man who made those horrible Hendrix albums in the middle of seventies, so it´s possible he has also influenced to how album sounds. Best track is the last most Cale-sounding "Ride the River". Pekka Airaksinen: Inner Galaxies This reminds a little my yesterday Pekka album, but this is much versatile and reminds more his great albums. Specially best tracks "The Ship Which Travels On the Bottom Of the Sea" & "Sounds In the Mirror" has lots in common with his great album "Afrodipankara". Also in this album most pieces has at least simple rhythm in back, when there was no rhythm in "Milk Sea". Surprise Surprise two last pieces are electric versions of Bach compositions, really don´t know which ones, their names are "JSSX" & "JSFF". Traffic: John Barleycorn Must Die Although I think their first album the best and their three first albums their greatest albums, I really understand why many say this their best! After their wild adolescent years the band mature into adult and made this very balanced album. From the very jammy & groovy "Glad" to the sunny "Every Mother´s Son" feeling in this album is very positive and there are no weak tracks. Have to mention really great title song, it is really old English trad song where Winwood & Capaldi sing very beautiful together. Also have to mention Winwood`s musicianship in this album, he plays all the other instruments except drums & woodwinds & horns, really this still is very band sounding album!

That was really good. I can definitely see why you like this band so much Mortte, they're very soulful. 

Good 60's folk music, I like it. 

YESESIS wrote: Good 60's folk music, I like it.  Fotheringay - Acoustic, sounds very folk music.  Mr Lacey - More rockin. Even a guitar solo.  The Lord is in This Place...How Dreadful Is This Place - Sounds like a spiritual.  No Man's Land - Energetic fun song.  I'll Keep it with Mine - Sounds really good, very 60's. Best song so far.  Eastern Rain - Very folk music, good.  Nottamun Town - This has an interesting, almost early Bolan feel to it.  Tale in Hard Time - This one's really good.  She Moves Through the Fair - Good 60's folk.  Meed on the Ledge - Good sing-along, sounds almost like it should be on Spooky Two.  End of a Holiday - Short acoustic filler.

This is really great, but next "Unhalfbricking" is even greater, it´s my fav! Also "Liege & Lief" is really great, I think most respected album of theirs specially among proglisteners.

Mortte wrote: the Red Krayola: God Bless the Red Krayola And All Who Sail With It Have to mention again that one B-guy with this album. Haven´t read anywhere, does he listened this album before making his Trout-masterpiece, but I really wouldn´t wonder, if he had. There are lots in common with many pieces musically in this and specially sounds are same kind of very dry and clean. Thompson vocals are of course totally different. All the way this album is really different as their first psych-classic and comparing to that Trout-album this is much more minimalistic. And when it sounds so totally different than anything else in 1968, I just don´t wonder at all it was post-punkers of the seventies that found the greatness of this album.