"Present" 3 years later
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=47479
Printed Date: April 08 2025 at 05:51
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Topic: "Present" 3 years later
Posted By: BaldJean
Subject: "Present" 3 years later
Date Posted: March 30 2008 at 00:34
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Friede and I just listened to VdGG's reunion album "Present" again and are of the opinion that it is an amazing album, fully worthy of 5 stars. while on first listening the tracks "Every Bloody Emperor" and "Nutter Alert" stood out on the first disk, it has to be said that the rest of the songs are on the same level. "Abandon Ship!" with its deliberately tottering rhythm is a wonderfully self-ironic song. "In Babelsberg" shows Hammill strumming the guitar like Ricky Nadir, and we just love the pumping bass guitar of Banton here; it is definitely refreshing to here him play that again for a change. "On the Beach" is a nice chill-out for the first disc. the second disc is disliked by many, but very unjustly so; it is just fantastic to hear the band flex the musical muscles a bit. and they are obviously having a lot of fun, which definitely carries over to the listener. actually we like this second disc even more than the first. but I admit it is certainly not for everyone. next week we will go and buy "Trisector" (what, you don't have it yet?); expect a review by one of us then -------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Replies:
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: March 30 2008 at 00:45
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Regarding the songs, not improvs, I feel it is excellent with a few slow, plodding bits. I can find no fault in "Every Bloody Emperor," "Boleas Panic," "Nutter Alert," and "On the Beach." "In Babelsberg" and "Abandon Ship!" are much better than I originally thought, but do plod in a few spots.
------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: N Ellingworth
Date Posted: March 30 2008 at 04:21
| Present is indeed an excellent album, it took me a while to get into it but it's now a definite favourite. I don't listen to the improv CD very often though as I really miss Hammill's vocals. |
Posted By: salmacis
Date Posted: March 30 2008 at 05:19
| Glad to see a thread like this- can't believe it's three years already! Honestly, I haven't played it for some time- perhaps I should give it another listen. I thought only two tracks- 'Every Bloody Emperor' and 'Nutter Alert'- really stood up in comparison to what they are capable of. Nothing all that objectionable on 'Present', but for me 'Trisector' is more focussed. |
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: March 30 2008 at 06:51
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I'm going to agree with what James said about Present and Trisector, Every Bloody Emperor and Nutter Alert are the clear stand outs on the first disc and though the other songs are good, they just dont stand up to their best output from the 70's like the previously mentioned two do. Thouroghly agree with you about the second disc, though, Jean.
------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: March 30 2008 at 07:03
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I still think Present is a solid 4 star effort, not a masterpiece but a very powerful album with two VDGG classics in Every Bloody Emperor and Nutter Alert. Trisector never quite hits those peaks, but feels like a more coherent piece of work. I suspect it may stand up rather better to the test of time - let's bump this thread in 2011 to settle the question once and for all. ------------- 'Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how much to contribute to the already rich among us...' Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: March 30 2008 at 07:39
| 'Trisector' is on my shopping list so cant comment yet, but 'Present' is indeed an excellent comeback album. 4 stars. |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: March 31 2008 at 07:40
What good ol'Chris says!!
I would even add Boleas' Panic to the really good category. ------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Syzygy wrote:Posted By: sean
Date Posted: March 31 2008 at 17:46
| I just got Present, so I haven't had three years to absorb it, but I do feel that it's a very strong album from the few listens I've been able to give it. My copy of Trisector just shipped so I'm hoping to get it soon, but I can't give the comparison many can at the moment. |
Posted By: Duncan
Date Posted: March 31 2008 at 19:21
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3 years on? For a start I've got a nagging feeling that Every Bloody Emperor isn't really very good - it doesn't have much in the way of the manic, eruptive energy that's so crucial to the band's sense of fun, or the carefully balanced faux-naivety that marks their more musically straightforward, anthemic excursions in the post-75 period. (The other songs are more or less all great and the second disc compensates for their brevity.) So boy, do Hurlyburly/Interference Patterns ever make a good opening combo, to my taste! I've yet to really digest some of the bigger, more ambitious chunks of the new one, but I'm very positive. |
Posted By: Zargus
Date Posted: April 04 2008 at 05:43
it hasent changed that much for me, its still a very good 4 star album, maybe even 4.5 but not 5. And yes i love the second disc to, havent heard thier new one, but i can almost imagine what it will be like by reading others description and i look forward to hear it.  ------------- 
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Posted By: Man Erg
Date Posted: April 04 2008 at 05:51
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The one thing that has changed on 'Trisector' (other than Jaxon's departure of course) in comparison to 'Present' is Hammill's voice.
To me,he now sounds 'younger'.I think that this is because he has packed up smoking owing to his heart attack. Now,and this is only my opinion,if only Hammill's voice on 'Present' was how it is now on Trisector... Other than that,'Present' was/is an amazing comeback.Much better than anyone expected.It is only comparable with other VdGG/Vdg albums and stands up along side any of their canon.Trisector on the other hand has,in my opinion,the worst VdGG track ever in 'Drop Dead'.I really do not like this track for the guitar sound.It really reminds me of Dire Straits','Money For Nothing'. ------------- 
Do 'The Stanley' otherwise I'll thrash you with some rhubarb. |
Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: April 04 2008 at 07:23
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There's no doubt that Present was a superb comeback album; way better than many expected after so many years & far better than many other bands could have managed (especially when you take into account the acclaim they garnered for the tour & the live album which followed).
Trisector's a good album, without doubt, but to my mind the writing misses Jackson's input. ------------- 
Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: April 04 2008 at 07:36
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we will buy "Trisector" today, then we will be able to utter our opinion
------------- A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |