If Only...
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Bands, Artists and Genres Appreciation
Forum Description: Discuss specific prog bands and their members or a specific sub-genre
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=124795
Printed Date: February 26 2025 at 19:55
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: If Only...
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Subject: If Only...
Date Posted: December 08 2020 at 07:36
|
If only the British Jazz-Rock band "IF" had hit the big time, they could have been as big as Blood, Sweat & Tears or Chicago - two US bands who they're often compared favourably with. Maybe their uninspiring name, first four self-titled albums and bland album covers had something to do with their lack of success. If only... If's Albums  1970: If - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VMmBLucxhE&list=PLoIDt_C5y1Ls7Yk5WgJ0gYJfM12R37bTh" rel="nofollow - 1970: If 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zQ33_HYCCM&list=PLoIDt_C5y1LugF3MLxMqkEq1LtjmPmvKj" rel="nofollow - 1971: If 3 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWQiLsT8Z5c&list=PLoIDt_C5y1LvDueAUia5sptP9NRy_WlAt" rel="nofollow - 1972: If 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2yP-XT9TnU&list=PLoIDt_C5y1LuVO_B5tJvUI5rObhYh-Li0" rel="nofollow - 1972: Waterfall (US version of If 4) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umWZih7Znf8" rel="nofollow - 1973: Double Diamond - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJCxl8BaJ3I" rel="nofollow - 1974: Not Just Another Bunch of Pretty Faces - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9AdkBUJN4I&t=1s" rel="nofollow - 1974: Tea-Break Over, Back on Your 'eads - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDSJpkAgimw" rel="nofollow - 1997: Europe '72 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02SIrqikb7c&list=PLoIDt_C5y1LsiVrbAcC6lRjwX9fOWDyrR" rel="nofollow - 2010: Fibonacci's Number: More Live - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqwq3lNloHw&list=PLoIDt_C5y1LvFrCMkLihBTss91JdfmtB8" rel="nofollow - 2016: If 5 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnaZXJnH_NA" rel="nofollow - |
Replies:
Posted By: miamiscot
Date Posted: December 08 2020 at 07:58
|
Great band. ------------- The Prog Corner |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: December 08 2020 at 08:03
|
Solid band.....I remember buying Waterfall at college because of the cover...but I knew they were jazz rock also. I only have the 3rd and Waterfall...been meaning to pick up the first 2 on original vinyl at my friends vinyl store but he's been closed due to the plague. Oh..I also have the 5th with the beer bottle cover....just found it in the stacks. As always you have overrated the albums a bit but then you wouldn't be Psychedelic Paul if you didn't.  ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: December 08 2020 at 08:13
I'm not always so generous with my ratings..... I doubt if I'd be accused of overrating King Crimson and Van der Graaf Generator's albums, when I gave at least half of their albums 2-star ratings recently. At least they made some effort with the design of the album cover for "Waterfall" (the US version of "If 4"), unlike the original British version of the album, with its dull and boring grey cover.
|
dr wu23 wrote:Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: December 08 2020 at 13:15
A live performance of "Sunday Sad" from their imaginatively-titled second album: If 2  If - I Couldn't Write and Tell You (also from their second album) |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: December 09 2020 at 05:51
|
Having just finished listening to all eleven IF albums, I'd rate IF 3 as their best album, and here's the opening song from the album... If - Fibonacci's Number If - Forgotten Roads (the second track from IF 3, featuring a live Beat-Club performance in Germany) If - Seldom Seen Sam (also from IF 3) |
Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: December 09 2020 at 12:38
|
One of my all time favorites. I bought my first 'If' album ('If 2') at a record store a block away from the Fillmore East in NYC. The album was in the 'cutout' bin for $1. I liked the album cover. I loved that album so much I started a mad search for anything else by them. |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: December 09 2020 at 13:25
|
^ IF you're wondering why I didn't write one of my usual song titles intros to this IFfy thread, then take a look at some of the crazy song titles I had to work with, such as "Tarmac T. Pirate And The Lonesome Nymphomaniac" and you can see why I decided to skip the intro. It's a great song though.
|
Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: December 10 2020 at 00:49
Superb band and recommendation, Paul!  ------------- "I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021 |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: December 10 2020 at 01:44
Thanks! If only I'd known about this great band back in the 1970's, I might have gone out and bought their records.
|
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: December 10 2020 at 02:39
dare i ask what were you listening to in the 70s that the whole prog passed you by?
  |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: December 10 2020 at 03:30
^ The band "IF" may have passed me by in the 1970's, but prog in general didn't pass me by. I was listening to Barclay James Harvest, Camel, Genesis, Mike Oldfield, Renaissance, Tangerine Dream and Yes, amongst many others, as well as the Glam Rock of David Bowie, the Rubettes, Slade, Sweet & T.Rex. There's also a few other artists I listened to back then who I'm too embarrassed to even mention now. 
|
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: December 10 2020 at 04:05
why mention it then? what could it be, can't be worse than Xanadu, Bee Gees, did you listen to the disco duck or something? afternoon delight? bubble gum pop, scooby doo music?
|
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: December 10 2020 at 04:45
Okay, it was David Cassidy, Gary Glitter, Donny Osmond and the Bay City Rollers, but don't tell anyone. Okay? We'll keep my guilty secret just between the two of us.
|
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: December 11 2020 at 05:19
|
Iffy YouTube Album Links If (1970) :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VMmBLucxhE&list=PLoIDt_C5y1Ls7Yk5WgJ0gYJfM12R37bTh" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VMmBLucxhE&list=PLoIDt_C5y1Ls7Yk5WgJ0gYJfM12R37bTh If 2 (1970) :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zQ33_HYCCM&list=PLoIDt_C5y1LugF3MLxMqkEq1LtjmPmvKj" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zQ33_HYCCM&list=PLoIDt_C5y1LugF3MLxMqkEq1LtjmPmvKj If 3 (1971) :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWQiLsT8Z5c&list=PLoIDt_C5y1LvDueAUia5sptP9NRy_WlAt" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWQiLsT8Z5c&list=PLoIDt_C5y1LvDueAUia5sptP9NRy_WlAt If 4 (1972) :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2yP-XT9TnU&list=PLoIDt_C5y1LuVO_B5tJvUI5rObhYh-Li0" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2yP-XT9TnU&list=PLoIDt_C5y1LuVO_B5tJvUI5rObhYh-Li0 Waterfall (1972) :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umWZih7Znf8" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umWZih7Znf8 Double Diamond (1973) :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJCxl8BaJ3I" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJCxl8BaJ3I Not Just Another Bunch of Pretty Faces (1974) :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9AdkBUJN4I&t=1s" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9AdkBUJN4I&t=1s Tea-Break Over, Back on Your 'eads (1974) :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDSJpkAgimw" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDSJpkAgimw Europe '72 (1997) :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02SIrqikb7c&list=PLoIDt_C5y1LsiVrbAcC6lRjwX9fOWDyrR" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02SIrqikb7c&list=PLoIDt_C5y1LsiVrbAcC6lRjwX9fOWDyrR Fibonacci's Number: More Live (2010) :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqwq3lNloHw&list=PLoIDt_C5y1LvFrCMkLihBTss91JdfmtB8" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqwq3lNloHw&list=PLoIDt_C5y1LvFrCMkLihBTss91JdfmtB8 If 5 (2016) :- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnaZXJnH_NA" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnaZXJnH_NA
|
Posted By: triptych
Date Posted: December 11 2020 at 10:52
|
A great band with great production and arrangements to boot
|
Posted By: tigerfeet
Date Posted: December 11 2020 at 16:47
You forgot to add Boney M to your list, don't be shy ;) ------------- I'm sorry, if you were right, I'd agree with you. Robin Williams. |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: December 11 2020 at 21:32
|
I've heard a few tracks here and there I think and they seemed like a capable early fusion/jazz rock band but ultimately I'm not very familiar. I like the Pink Floyd song called "if" though.
|
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: December 11 2020 at 21:33
Hey, at least Boney M did a cover of a Mike Batt song.
|
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: December 12 2020 at 01:21
|
^ You're right! I DID forget to include Boney M in my list.
|
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: December 19 2020 at 08:48
| IF you haven't yet heard IF 5 (2016), then you're in for a big but pleasant surprise. It's unlike any of their previous ten Jazz-Rock albums:- - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnaZXJnH_NA" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnaZXJnH_NA |