Let's discuss the Enid
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Forum Description: General progressive music discussions
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=25672
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Topic: Let's discuss the Enid
Posted By: Zac M
Subject: Let's discuss the Enid
Date Posted: July 04 2006 at 01:44
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Amazingly enough, the Enid (RJG in particular) survived all trials and tribulations they had to face, and actually stayed a Prog band from the 70s onward, including the 80's, although there was some pop influence. Robert John Godfrey is perhaps one of my favorite keyboard players ever, the emotion, the intensity, the intracacy (sp?), amazing.
I would have never thought I would have liked the Enid, as I remember reading rather negative reviews of "Aerie Fairie Nonsense" a while ago, thinking they would not be to my liking. For some odd reason, I decided to listen to the streaming sample on PA and I was hooked to say the least. I must have listened to it I don't even know how many times, way too many for sure. I ended up buying the album which it came from, "Touch Me," and was blown away. "Albion Fair" is one of the most amazing pieces of music I have ever heard! Since then, I have a acquired more albums and have continuously been impressed, and on the search for more Enid releases.
So, how does everyone else feel about them? ------------- "Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression." -Merleau-Ponty |
Replies:
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: July 04 2006 at 01:55
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I only have one album, In The Region Of The Summer Stars, and its very good. I also heard they remade/remixed it, and i hear the original is much better then the remake/remixed version (and i have the original so i would like to know if this is true).
Either way, a great band that i should get more stuff by. ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: soundsweird
Date Posted: July 04 2006 at 02:02
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Yeah, the original LP of "Region..." on Buk Records is far superior to the re-recorded CD version, in my opinion.
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Posted By: Zac M
Date Posted: July 04 2006 at 02:02
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I have the rerecorded version of "Aerie Fairie Nonsense" released by Inner Sanctum, and it sounds good to me, albeit a bit 80's sometimes. Someday, I'll get the original vinyl version, too bad the record companies screwed them over. ------------- "Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression." -Merleau-Ponty |
Posted By: Tony Fisher
Date Posted: July 04 2006 at 08:25
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Aerie Faerie Nonsense is brilliant. I must review it.
I have ITROTSS in both original and rerecorded (not simply remastered, the arrangements are different) form and definitely prefer the original. I agree with the sleeve notes that some synth parts on the original were a bit naff, but I feel the original has nicer arrangements and a better cover. But neither is less than superb.
The Enid are one of a kind! Pompous, overblown but quite brilliant.
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Posted By: M. B. Zapelini
Date Posted: July 04 2006 at 10:11
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I have only one album by The Enid, which is "Touch Me". It's simply brilliant. I'm looking for other albums by this wonderful band. ------------- "He's a man of the past and one of the present" PETER HAMMILL |
Posted By: Teaflax
Date Posted: July 04 2006 at 10:19
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Let's discuss... Writing a better thread title. -------------  
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Posted By: Easy Livin
Date Posted: July 04 2006 at 10:58
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A bit blunt TF, but I was about to make the same point.
If someone searches for threads discussing The Enid, they won't find this one from the current title.
A well considered thread title can boost the popularity, and life of a thread.
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Posted By: rupert
Date Posted: July 04 2006 at 12:24
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I feel good about the Enid but I don't feel good about what R. Godfrey did with the likes of Barclay James Harvest... it was rather unfair !
Great musician and arranger, nonetheless ! ------------- ...I'm a musician/singer/songwriter, visit me on www.reverbnation.com/rupertlenz and there you can choose from 125 recordings you can listen to ( for free ) if you're not limited to prog-rock ! |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: July 04 2006 at 14:59
| I admire The Enid, because they really added something to prog, something new and original, and their musicianship and ideas are astonishing. I'm not a big fan of their music though. Something is missing for me in their music, and I can't really put the finger on it. But they're enormously talented, for sure! |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: July 04 2006 at 15:07
| I have a soft spot for them. Cheesy as hell, but there's something so persuasive about their sound when they were on track. |
Posted By: Mongo
Date Posted: July 04 2006 at 15:26
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Love 'em, warts and all. ------------- "The options are ever fewer on the ground these days" Fish |
Posted By: Zac M
Date Posted: July 04 2006 at 20:26
I'm sorry I wanted the thread to get more views. Everytime I start a thread it gets few hits, so I figured this time, if I made the thread title somewhat perplexing, making the potential viewer curious about what he may see, then I would perhaps get more views and therefore, possibly more responses. I don't want to get in an argument with you because almost every other person here who posts often has. People like you make me want to stop coming to this site, as much as I would like to help here. Maybe you'd like to share some of your thoughts instead of making rude comments. ------------- "Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression." -Merleau-Ponty |
Teaflax wrote:Posted By: Zac M
Date Posted: July 04 2006 at 20:28
------------- "Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression." -Merleau-Ponty |
Posted By: erik neuteboom
Date Posted: July 05 2006 at 03:24
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Watch out to react on the infamous Teaflax comments, within short time your thread turns into his thread
 ...OK, let's discuss Zac M, good to notice that this site has room for this amazing band! In the early Eighties I discovered The Enid and immediately I bought the albums from the early era like Region Of The Summer Stars, Touch Me, Aerie Faerie Nonsense, I love that orchestral sounding keyboards, very classically inspired, blended with flowing guitarwork, from sensitive to howling and fiery. The shifting moods are great, from almost fragile to very bombastic, very exciting. For me The Enid is an overlooked band with a very distinctive sound, just visit their site !
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Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: July 05 2006 at 03:33
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It's about time we discussed this great band! Brilliant symphonic prog.
'In the region of the summer stars' as far as I know was partially re-made. The drums, certainly were re-recorded in 1984, along with some synth parts as Tony Fisher points out. I've not heard the original, but would love to. It's a prog masterpiece and in my top 5 prog albums of all time. 'Airee Fairee Nonesense' is also superb, as is 'Six Pieces' (I have a signed vinyl copy!  ) and 'The Spell' 'Summer' is one of my favourote Enid tracks, combining Reggae beats, with Beach Boy harmonies, Floyd-esque lead guitar work, and spacy ambience. Wow! The live version of 'Song of Fand' on the 'Spell' is also masterful. They are truly classically inspired and I think RJG trained to be a concert pianist before becoming a 'rock star'...  ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Rocktopus
Date Posted: July 05 2006 at 04:16
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I have the LP Aerie Faerie Nonsense. Beautiful cover, great title, but the music bores me to death, Im afraid. I remember many years ago downloading some tracks from thier supposed best album In the Region... I couldn't believe this was the same band I've read about on several progsites. I threw all the mp3's all in the recycle bin long ago. It must have been the re-recording. Before I decide to get it framed and hang my albumcover on the wall instead. To me it sounds just like these compositions written for openings and endings of sports arrangements like the Olympics. Is that what some of you like about it, or is saying this an insult? Am I ignorant and not listening properly? ------------- Over land and under ashes In the sunlight, see - it flashes Find a fly and eat his eye But don't believe in me Don't believe in me Don't believe in me |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: July 05 2006 at 04:27
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^ No, it's just not for you.
The only time I heard the Enid being in anyway cheesy was when I saw them live at a festival back in '87, and they played 'Land of Hope and Glory' It didn't do much for me.. However, 'Summer Stars' is a fantastic album IMO, full of emotion and beutiful ambience. I'm hearing it differently to you, I guess. To me ELP sound 'cheesy' a lot of the time, but to some they sound very grandiose and impressive. Thats how I hear The Enid. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Joolz
Date Posted: July 05 2006 at 08:39
| I owned Something Wicked This Way Comes on vinyl, but apart from Raindown and the title track I can't remember much about it except I didn't really connect much with it. Was this album typical? |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: July 05 2006 at 09:44
No, this album was nothing like their 70's output at all. 'Something wicked..' is the one Enid album I still dont get on with. It was their first to include vocals, not their strongest conponant, although 'The Spell' which did have vocals was a much better album. I would go with 'In the Region of the summer stars' 'Airee Fairee Nonesense' and 'Six Pieces' It helps if you like instrumental, symphonic prog. A liking for classical music would help too. They are a very strange band, and not everyones cup of tea. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Empathy
Date Posted: July 05 2006 at 10:06
This is the only Enid release I own (although I own the CD re-release). I didn't connect much with it at first myself, but with more listens I find myself appreciating them more and more (although I'll agree with Trouserpress that the cheese quotient can be on the higher side). The vocals don't bother me all that much, but then again, I'm not familiar with the rest of their output. To my ears, it's very romantic-era classical influenced. It's like Brahms meets prog. ------------- Pure Brilliance: 
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Posted By: Joolz
Date Posted: July 05 2006 at 12:55
Unless the old brainbox is playing tricks on me again, I seem to recall they used to be based in a commune somewhere in Suffolk, and my copy of Something Wicked was made privately by them, and I ordered it directly from the band. Only several years later did it finally get released by a traditional record company. Thanks for the advice. I do like classical music and Symphonic Prog though I often find modern instrumental music to be unsatisfying and lacking in focus. Might give them another try though .... |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: July 05 2006 at 13:09
I think you're right aout the commune. The band themselves were formed at a school for gifted, but 'troubled' youngsters. RJG was an older boy from the school. He returned to visit and heard the rest of the band rehearsing. He liked what he heard and worked with them from then on - in numerous forms. Did you ever hear RJG's solo album 'The fall of Hyperion'?? I've never heard it, and it's difficult to get your hands on. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: erik neuteboom
Date Posted: July 05 2006 at 14:37
My favorite album is The Six Pieces  ! While watching the wonderful The Enid site, I noticed that some remastered CD albums contain re-arranged/re-recorded songs, reading the reviews on this site, not everybody is pleased with this. In my opinion the LP version of In The Region Of The Summer Stars is superior to the remastered version, what do you think about this?
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Posted By: Zac M
Date Posted: July 05 2006 at 17:59
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Kudos to everyone for keeping the thread going, I was sure it would drift away from the main page!
The Enid are surely an acquired taste as Blacksword and some others have stated, a love and appreciation of Romantic period music helps, but isn't exactly necessary. One could say the Enid are closer to Liszt or Holst or Mahler than any rock band. Some of the later albums, like "Seed and the Sower," are more difficult but equally rewarding experiences.
I haven't heard "In the Region..." yet, but I will get it very soon, along with hopefully all of their albums!
Blacksword's also right about the commune, that's how the band formed, even though RJG had already began working on a career for Charisma. He wanted the Enid to be on that label, but Charisma wouldn't sign them. The Enid were planning to do a "Voyage of the Acolyte" project, that Steve Hackett became interested and developed upon, as far as I know of. The Enid were on Harvest labels, but they screwed them in more than one way. Pye then signed them, but became defunct, so the band just created their own label, which is probably the best thing they could have done. Too bad Francis Lickerish left though. ------------- "Art is not imitation, nor is it something manufactured according to the wishes of instinct or good taste. It is a process of expression." -Merleau-Ponty |
Posted By: RoyalJelly
Date Posted: July 06 2006 at 03:53
| I had a piece of theirs in memory from the early eighties, on a cassette but later lost, but no idea who had done it. My brother vaguely remembered the name Enid, and we spent 6 months looking for it, until I found it on the Internet...it was "The Punch and Judy Man", from "Six Pieces", a brilliant neo-classical burner. We were even more shocked to see it was from 81, that good progressive was even happening then. Since then I've acquired "Summer Stars" and "Aerie-Fairy", and although it goes against my normal aesthetic, being too steeped in Romantic Classical, it's fascinating in that it's so well played and orchestrated, few bands can pull that off so elegantly, that a small rock ensemble sounds like an orchestra. "Six Pieces" is hard to find, but check it out, it's amazing. |
Posted By: rupert
Date Posted: July 07 2006 at 12:33
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Well, if what I have read is correct then it is infact RJG who got screwed, not BJH. After all, BJH became a hugely popular band in Europe, can't say the same for the Enid...[/QUOTE]
Godfrey came up very late with his demands, he should've known better about business-terms, you know... it really looked like "well, NOW BJH are BIG, see if I can get money". Him saying that "you have to take a tiger by the tail" is very revealing, guy... he could have had it in another way I believe, it was rather unfair the way he handled it... I think it was justice that he lost the case though in some respects the judges said he was right, see, BJH 1984 had got very,very little to do with the band / music of the early days...
I'm rather with Woolly Wolstenholme who suffered a nervous breakdown then( and never got "rich" with BJH cause he left the band just when things started gettin' BIG ), having to fear to lose the last piaster saved, y'know ?
 Nonetheless: NOTHING against the Enid ! ------------- ...I'm a musician/singer/songwriter, visit me on www.reverbnation.com/rupertlenz and there you can choose from 125 recordings you can listen to ( for free ) if you're not limited to prog-rock ! |
Posted By: Fitzcarraldo
Date Posted: July 07 2006 at 12:56
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Just to put in a good word for THE ENID's last studio album "White Goddess", released in 1998. If you like the 1970s THE ENID albums, you will probably be pleased with "White Goddess". It's more measured and not as OTT as "Aerie Faerie Nonsense" (which I like very much anyway). For anyone who has not heard THE ENID I would say it is as good a starting point as any, and for those who already know THE ENID's earlier albums, it should not disappoint. http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_CD.asp?cd_id=4100 - http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_CD.asp?cd_id=4100
------------- http://www.progarchives.com/Collaborators.asp?id=326" rel="nofollow - Read reviews by Fitzcarraldo |
Posted By: Tony Fisher
Date Posted: July 07 2006 at 14:15
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Another unusual thing about them is that they released The Spell as a vinyl album to be played at 45rpm, not 33 (better sound quality being the result, but it made it a double album). My friend owns a Linn LP12 which can only play 33rpm; my Pink Triangle Anniversary plays 33 and 45. So he can't listen to it, I can! Does anyone know of any other 45rpm albums? |