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What's everyone listening to...?

Started by Gonk, 01 February, 2012, 09:53:17 PM

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The Legendary Shark

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Colin YNWA

Significent progress. The girl child (she's 12) has started getting into music and see discovered Artic Monkeys by herself and was slowly turning into an Indie Kid (do they still have Indie Kids?).

Anyway this lead her to a band called Cage the Elephant (errr...???) anyway on Spotify they were compared to Pixies and Nirvana so... little Dad prompt later and she's now well into those two... one one small step to take and I think we'll get her into Throwing Muses (again she used to listen to them cos she knew I loved them!) and Sonic Youth and my work here will be done...

The Legendary Shark

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HdE

A very odd (and too lengthy to summarise) sequence events has recently led me to pick up a copy of Sam Brown's recently remastered album '43 Minutes.'

Sam Brown will either be a name you already know or find yourself asking 'why does that sound familiar?'

This is the same Sam Brown who had a chart hit in 1988 with 'Stop!' and went on to be a backing singer for Pink Floyd, Barclay James Harvest, Deep Purple and Gary Moore (among others.) She may be more recognisable for her frequent appearances on 'Later... With Jools Holland.' Being a massive Marillion-head, I was mostly aware of her due to her duet with Fish on 'Just Good Friends.'

Sadly, she lost her singing voice in 2007 as a result of a cyst on her vocal cords. Which is a tragic loss to music.

I've been investigating her solo albums recently, and 43 Minutes has proved to be a real surprise. While it's very much her own album, with her own stamp on it, it's reminiscent in places of Kate Bush and Tori Amos. There's some very strong song writing on it. It's a concept album, which comes as a surprise, and it deals with some HEAVY stuff (I'll not elaborate - but if folks are interested, everything's just a Google search away.)

Really great stuff. And probably the best album I've bought in ages. It's sent me down the rabbit hole of checking out everything she's done. And even though I always knew she was good, I'm having a lot of 'holy shit' moments where I discover certain performances.

If you guys appreciate truly great female vocalists, go check out her lead vocal on Pink Floyd's 'Great Gig in the Sky' from the Pulse tour. Or any of the live stuff she's done with the late Jon Lord.

She had vocal range that was a mile wide. And having seen interviews where she comes across as a very down to earth, likeable lady, I don't mind telling you that I've actually had a little cry over the thought that she'll never sing again.
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Colin YNWA

She's Joe Brown's daughter isn't she... or did I dream that...

HdE

Quote from: Colin YNWA on 11 August, 2021, 10:14:34 PM
She's Joe Brown's daughter isn't she... or did I dream that...

She is indeed!
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MumboJimbo

Quote from: HdE on 11 August, 2021, 09:24:30 PM
A very odd (and too lengthy to summarise) sequence events has recently led me to pick up a copy of Sam Brown's recently remastered album '43 Minutes.'

Sam Brown will either be a name you already know or find yourself asking 'why does that sound familiar?'

This is the same Sam Brown who had a chart hit in 1988 with 'Stop!' and went on to be a backing singer for Pink Floyd, Barclay James Harvest, Deep Purple and Gary Moore (among others.) She may be more recognisable for her frequent appearances on 'Later... With Jools Holland.' Being a massive Marillion-head, I was mostly aware of her due to her duet with Fish on 'Just Good Friends.'



Yes, Sam Brown had a lovely and very distinctive voice, and it's very sad she's lost it. I, too, found out about this recently after re-watching Pulse on youtube, and which got me thinking whatever happened to Sam Brown, and then googling. At least she seems happy, well and still making music.

I didn't know she duetted with Fish, I'll have to search that out. I've been getting into Marillion a lot recently, which is a big turnaround for me as I wasn't really a fan back in the day. When Incommunicado came out, I was a huge Genesis fan, and felt rather miffed that they'd clearly lifted the keyboard riff from Supper's Ready*, so after that I was rather anti-Marillion. Which, in hindsight, was silly really as they - unlike Genesis in 1987 - were making music close in style to be my beloved Gabriel-era Genesis, so I should  have celebrated them for that, at least.

Soon after I tactically withdrew from prog rock completely, as it was very much so the least fashionable thing to be into circa 1987 and I was convinced at a fundamental level it would be a contributing factor in my dying a virgin (luckily, a bullet I have subsequently dodged) and so got into quirky American fayre such as Talking Heads and REM, and then over to Pixies, Sonic Youth and that kind of thing. But I re-discovered the taboo, illicit joys of prog 5-10 years ago, and I've long since bled dry the classic albums of the original "big-6" prog groups, so I thought I'd give the Marillion boys a go a few months' back. And I'm very much enjoying their work. I've been going through their catalogue in order, and am so far up to Afraid of Sunlight, and that may just be my favourite yet. Definitely the best Hogarth-era album so far, IMO.

* In particular from Part 3 - Ikhnaton and Itsacon and Their Band of Merry Men, prog fans.

HdE

Quote from: MumboJimbo on 12 August, 2021, 12:56:35 PM

I didn't know she duetted with Fish, I'll have to search that out.

Yeah - it's a weird one. Just Good Friends was on the album Internal Exile, I believe. But the album version is sung entirely by Fish. I've no idea why, but the version with Sam Brown seems to be a single-only type deal. Maybe in this age of endless digital remasters and repackaged editions there's another way to get hold of it? It's quite nice.


Quote from: MumboJimbo on 12 August, 2021, 12:56:35 PM
I've been getting into Marillion a lot recently... I've been going through their catalogue in order, and am so far up to Afraid of Sunlight, and that may just be my favourite yet. Definitely the best Hogarth-era album so far, IMO.

Afraid of Sunlight is one of my favourite albums of all time! Some truly fantastic songs on there. Out of This World and Gazpacho are particular favourites of mine.

I have especially fond memories of Afraid of Sunrise as well. I played that a couple of times at gigs during my spell as a no-name local musician. Really lovely song. As much as Marillion still seem to be a bit of a laughing stock to those who have no real knowledge of their music, it ALWAYS used to get a great reaction from folks.
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MumboJimbo

That's cool that you used to play it live! Which albums after AoS stand out for you?

HdE

Quote from: MumboJimbo on 13 August, 2021, 01:48:19 PM
That's cool that you used to play it live! Which albums after AoS stand out for you?

Gaahhhhd, that's a tricky one...

Truthfully, I kind of tuned out after 'Somewhere Else,' so I've yet to properly listen to anything they've put out since that. I'm telling myself I'll catch up on them all when their next album releases. I've heard bits and pieces of 'Sounds That Can't Be Made' and quite liked those.

Of the albums I can give a qualified opinion of since AoS, 'Anoraknophobia' is probably my favourite. I think there are some really strong songs on there, and I love how the band sound. 'This is the 21st Century' is probably my favourite track from it.

That's another one folks would do well to look up on YouTube / Spotify or whatever. It's hard to believe it comes from the same bunch of musicians who knocked out Kayleigh and Lavender in the 80s!
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MumboJimbo

Thanks, Hde, I'm 3 albums away from Anoraknophobia, so I'll be getting around to that one soon. That's the one that invented crowd funding!

HdE

Quote from: MumboJimbo on 18 August, 2021, 08:26:17 PM
Thanks, Hde, I'm 3 albums away from Anoraknophobia, so I'll be getting around to that one soon. That's the one that invented crowd funding!

I need to dig it out again now that my new CD player's arrived.

Since you asked me about the post AoS albums, I've actually picked up Sounds That Can't Be Made and F.E.A.R. on CD. Figured it'd be rude not to have something completely fresh to listen to on my completely fresh player.

So far, I have to say I'm a bit mystified by the claims some have made that these represent Marillion's best work. They're good albums, but neither of them have got that hook that drew me into my favourite albums of theirs. F.E.A.R. leans a bit too heavily into ambience for my liking on a first listen. But I reckon it could grow on me.

Still listening to Sam Brown's 43 Minutes more than anything else right now, though. That album's so, so good!
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repoman

Here's some good stuff.

Bob Vylan - a sort of mix of punk and grime with a good anti-racist message.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFqhJyvly1g


Twelve Foot Ninja - decent modern metal band. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC3lfCk7qnE


WH Lung - really good indie band.  I'm addicted to this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIuOXYkdLv4


Jim_Campbell

Been re-listening to 'Zoon' by short-lived Fields of the Nephilim off-shoot/side project The Nefilim. It's a very different beast to the standard FotN sound. Released in 1996, this is an album that didn't get much traction, but punches well beyond its weight in terms of how much you can hear its influence in black/doom/death metal subsequently.

I'll be honest: I think it's quite brilliant. Insistent, propulsive, and furious, it's a work fuelled by a genuine sense of rage. For me (a big FotN fan, amongst whom this album doesn't get much love) it's probably my second favourite thing that Carl McCoy has done. An album that deserves and rewards repeated listenings right through it's running time — a vast, black, metal monster of epic proportions.

For my money, one of the best tracks McCoy ever recorded: Shine.

And, here, one of the album's heaviest offerings: Pazuzu.

Worth a listen, even if you're not a fan of the traditional Fields sound.
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Definitely Not Mister Pops

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard's latest album Butterfly 3000. I must have missed the first 2999....ZING!

You never know what these boys will do next, this time they've served up some polyrhythmic synth-pop.

Today they finished off releasing a video for every tune on the album. My personal favourites have been  Interior People with a video that gives a nod to Moebius, and Catching Smoke with its slightly weird yet wholesome video.

The final titular track leaves you wanting more.
You may quote me on that.