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My Biggest Issue With Refugee...
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JD View Drop Down
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    Posted: December 23 2023 at 09:43
...is it came 4 or 5 years too late.
I think everything about that album belonged in 1968, '69 and maybe 1970 at the latest, not 1973. It feels like it should have predated Mainhorse. By 1973 epics like Tarkus, Trilogy and BSS as well as Fragile, Close To the Edge and Tales, not to mention King Crimson or Genesis, had left this sound in the dust.
Now don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the album and I think the best parts are when Moraz is on the piano.
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If I was going to write a book about prog, I'd care more about such things. I don't really understand how such things can be a genuine issue for a music listener fifty years later though. I hope proggers in 2073 will care a little less, and simply enjoy what they enjoy.
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The sentiment is understandable. It really boils down to Lee Jackson's voice. He sounds like a man slightly out of time, and he is, since Refugee is essentially The Nice Again.
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I think that was the entire point of it. By 1973 Emerson was heavily into the synthesiser and the organ had been pushed further and further back in his overall tapestry of sound. 
Refugee's album was way more symphonic than any Nice album. Moraz is one of the greatest. Back in the UK it was all Emerson v Wakeman and no one else got a look in accept that Moraz replaced both these legends in their respective bands and made them better. I just happened to listen to Gates Of Delirium yesterday when travelling and played at full blast. Without doubt Yes's finest moment IMO. 
Back to Refugee, another great feature of that album is Davison's drumming. Very technical and precise and more on the fusion side of things he had grown up quite a lot as a drummer and it shows. I am still very fond of The Nice's debut album though but that was entirely a psychedelic work out. Refugee is entirely symphonic prog. (love Jackson's vocals btw)


Edited by richardh - December 23 2023 at 21:06
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Quote I think everything about that album belonged in 1968

Certainly not the Minimoog (released circa '71 but not very widely used until '73), which Moraz used excessively on the album! :P Also the production and mixing is wayyyy too advanced for '68.

EDIT:

Quote it came 4 or 5 years too late.

I personally think the music on Refugee's album is timeless. And that's mostly thanks to the snappy captivating melodies and clever songwriting/arrangement! I think that in the end only good compositions stand the test of time with grace. I'm really glad I discovered prog in the 2010's and thus I look at any classic era album retroactively without the need of gluing the music to its "correct" time period!

Edited by Hrychu - December 23 2023 at 22:18
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Still haven't heard the group but i love this song :)


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Edited by siLLy puPPy - December 23 2023 at 23:23

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Lumenko View Drop Down
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Points: 1191 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lumenko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 24 2023 at 00:11
Refugee's only LP's album cover is a disaster. Well, it was the year 1974, and disco music was about to take off, so I believe that when they saw this, prospective prog consumers most likely fled. Lee Jackson's attire is particularly disco-like and awful.



But the record's music is really great, and it was created by a trio that was much more than just The Nice reunion. Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz, who was equally talented as Keith Emerson, wrote most of the album's songs and played a variety of keyboards.
Lee Jackson and Brian Davison provided extremely experienced rhythm accompaniment. Thus, anyone who appreciates mid-70s keys-driven, technically perfect, and adventurous progressive rock can't ignore "Refugee." It's unfortunate that the band disbanded before honing their distinctive sound. 


Edited by Lumenko - December 24 2023 at 00:52
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Floydoid View Drop Down
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This is another one of those one-off albums from back in the day that passed me by. Time to explore it out of curiosity.
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Points: 5346 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hrychu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 24 2023 at 07:57
Originally posted by Silly Puppy Silly Puppy wrote:

Still haven't heard the group but i love this song :)

Ummm, I believe it's unrelated.
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Hrychu View Drop Down
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Points: 5346 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hrychu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 24 2023 at 18:07
Anyway, that ambience/echo on the phrase "down will faaaaaallllll" in the Canyon song I find to be cartoonishly hilarious! xd
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