Conference marvin::uk_music

    
    errrr, all good _record_ shops still do !
    
    Graham

    I thnk its a phase we all go through...
    
    I even formed a band, called Pentateuch  at first (then after some
    demon that features in Pentateuch of the Cosmogony, can't remember the
    name).  We had a track called Warlords in White Coats, and all wore
    white lab coats.  Did 20 minute versions of Master of the Universe
    (only coz we didnt know how to end it).
    
    We should have carried on, we'd have ridden the wave of the the Prog
    revival in the 80s, and rivalled Marillion.  Or something.
    
    Isn't it odd how, when you are young, grand themes appeal to you - the
    harmony of the universe, the state of cosmic oneness, travelling the
    solar system to populate other planets... , but as you get older,
    you spend more itme worrying about the cost of double glazing.
    
    
    Mikef

>>>>Isn't it odd how, when you are young, grand themes appeal to you - the
>>>>harmony of the universe, the state of cosmic oneness, travelling the
>>>>solar system to populate other planets...

errr.....grew up in the sixties did you?

Matt$who_was_obviously_passed_by_by_all_that_stuff.

    
 >>>   name).  We had a track called Warlords in White Coats, and all wore
 >>>   white lab coats.  Did 20 minute versions of Master of the Universe
    
    very 'Doctor Technical' eh Mike?
    
    one of my mates used to have a white lab coat with the Space ritual
    album cover painted on the back - signed by all the band too...
    probably worth something now if he's still got it 
    
    this talk of progressive rock reminds me of one of the reasons i
    dislike CD's - they've effectively killed cover-art. You can't put a
    decent piece of artwork on on a jewel case (not unless you fold it
    several times). Progressive Rock requires good cover-art, coz if the
    covers no good who's gonna buy it ? So as CD's replace Lp's Progressive
    Rock will presumably fade away (if it hasdn't already).
    
    Graham
    
    BTW, I used to buy LP's by bands I'd never heard of _just_ because the
    artwork was good; I rarely even look at the covers of CD's, just pick
    up a handfull and read the spines to see if I recognise the artist - if
    I don't, I don't buy it.
    

    Oh God, it all comes flooding back...
    
    It was 1985 when myself, a friend called Pat, his brother and
    girlfriend formed a band called Athansor - after a bl**dy horse from
    the novel 'A Winters Tale' by Mark Helprin. It was a milk horse that
    somehow learned to fly and disappeared for about 80 years, in New York,
    loads of mystical imagery - and wallowed in indulgent progressive
    rock. We played self-material and rarely managed to keep track length
    under 20 minutes, in fact the only demo tape we ever did filled a C90
    and only contained 4 tracks. In fact if I remember rightly, the running
    order was something like:
    
    Outside In    - 19 minutes
    Dying in Time - 23 minutes
    Symbols       - 27 minutes
    Cave In       -  3 minutes
    
    We were one of the more static bands around, no prancing about or stage
    histrionics (we only played live a couple of times coz our favourite
    track was Symbols and it needed a church organ. Ever tried lugging a
    church organ from gig to gig? I thought not. Don't bother. Anyway it
    sounded crap without the organ so we stopped playing live), although we
    did display a sad selection of double neck guitars, Moog synths and
    recorders, flutes, clarinets, etc.
    
    For the sack of humanity (and the fact that bands like Twelfth Night
    and Marillion were doing it better) we called it quits. It was all very
    masturbatory, done more (I think, with hindsight) for
    self-gratification than any real desire to entertain people. 
    
    �Isn't it odd how, when you are young, grand themes appeal to you - the
    �harmony of the universe, the state of cosmic oneness, travelling the
    �solar system to populate other planets... , but as you get older,
    �you spend more itme worrying about the cost of double glazing.
     
    Not so much odd, more sad. I used to spend hours writing obscure lyrics
    about the onward rise of intelligence and life from first self-aware
    organisms to machine intelligence, the perception of life when viewed
    backwards starting with death (Martin Amis obviously nicked the idea
    for the novel Time's Arrow from the Athansor track Dying in Time), and
    a view of the Universe from the perspective of an angst-ridden
    super-being from other dimensions. 
    
    These days I spend hours writing COBOL, Pascal and Datatrieve programs
    to calculate contract revenues for MCS. From the glorious to the
    mundane, or what.
    
    Balders

    
 >>>   It was 1985 when myself, a friend called Pat, his brother and
    
    I thought we were talking about the 70's !
    
 >>>  did display a sad selection of double neck guitars, Moog synths and
 >>>  recorders, flutes, clarinets, etc.
    
    sounds a bit like Eloy - esp with the Church organ... 
    
 >>>   Not so much odd, more sad. I used to spend hours writing obscure lyrics
 >>>   about the onward rise of intelligence and life from first self-aware
 >>>   organisms to machine intelligence, the perception of life when viewed
 >>>   backwards starting with death (Martin Amis obviously nicked the idea
 >>>   for the novel Time's Arrow from the Athansor track Dying in Time), and
 >>>   a view of the Universe from the perspective of an angst-ridden
 >>>   super-being from other dimensions. 
    
    
    ....ah ha, Balders the secrets out you _are_ Eloy !
    
    G.

    Sixties!!! Oy - I'm not that old.  Its just that my angst ridden
    teenage years were spent trying to save the world...
    
    
    mikef
    

Sign of the times, I suppose.  Mine were spent trying to avoid the law (still 
are, come to think of it).  Is this where we start talking about Jon and 
Vangelis?

> Is this where we start talking about Jon and 
> Vangelis?
    
    That would'nt be half as much fun as dwelling on Jon Anderson's
    abysmal wardrobe and how much of a plonker he looked, especially
    on his solo albums.
    
    barry.
    
    

    re .9
    
    Don't knock Jon Anderson. Olias of Sunhillow is one of my all-time
    favourite albums (of all-time). Song of Seven is pretty good too.
    
    If you think he looked a plonker on his solo albums, you should have
    seen him live. Actually, when Yes performed live it looked like the
    musical finale at a plonkers convention.
    
    Balders

    
 >>   seen him live. Actually, when Yes performed live it looked like the
 >>   musical finale at a plonkers convention.
    
    ...I saw them in 1976or was it 1977? November 3rd anyway at Bingley
    Hall supported by Donovan ! you're right about the plonkers convention
    bit , the whole audience (10-12,000 of us) was a sea of afghans and
    flared denim - great gig tho %^)
    
    G.

    Sad question time. Does anyone know the connection between the
    following bands:
    
    King Crimson
    ELP
    Bucks Fizz
    
    Balders

    err.. you have a 'best of' compilation cd by each of them in your car
    today?
    
    
    mikef

    
    errr, Carl Palmers daughter/son is in Bucks Fizz ??
    
    G

    The answer is
    
    Pete Sinfield wrote lyrics for all three bands.
    
    There you are, a sad and obscure fact you all wanted to know.
    
    Balders$extremely_sad

>    Pete Sinfield wrote lyrics for all three bands.

I would have said whoever wrote ELP's lyrics was on some serious drugs,
in the light of this the Buck's Fizz ethos becomes clear.

Guy

Here's a poser for prog rock know-alls then:

In an attempt to recapture my lost youth (and hairline) I've looked high and
low for a Van Der Graff CD with the song "Lizard Play" on it.  Any
suggestions / album names etc?

Thx,

Guy

    Hmmm..
    
    Have you seen the Radio 1 sessions cd?  Is it on that one?
    
    about the best I can come up with I'm afraid.
    
    
    mikef

  Another interesting thing they have in common, is that they all appear in
  note #1298.12

  Also, none of them feature in my record collection - except for King Crimson.


  Surely there should be some sort of penalty for including the Bucks in
  a Progressive Rock section.



  /Ian