If I'm voting for it too (big chance that I will, though I like the Softs too, and I want to give Hawkwind a fair chance) the later this week I'll quote from a brilliant Dutch review about the album. I have to climb the attic to find it in my old prog magazines. 

Wind produced by hawk.

Right, first my judgment of the albums.

We saw Twelfth Night at the final edition of NEARfest, in June 2012. People were leaving left, right and centre during their set, and I lasted only half an hour before I joined others in the lobby. Though I've seen worse bands, I was already tired (those festivals are not for the faint-hearted), and their music was not exactly my cup of tea.

Back to the poll, since the Softs don't seem to need any help, my vote goes to Magma's debut. It is not my favourite album by the band (that honour goes to MDK), but still it is one of the few truly ground-breaking albums of the original prog era. I also have a lot of time for Hall of the Mountain Grill, though I cannot call myself a Hawkwind fan like my other half.


Edited by Raff - June 30 2015 at 14:49

Moogtron III wrote: Right, I made a promise here in the thread. Former prog reviewer / magazine editor / record boss Willebrord Elsing once made for the Dutch prog magazine SI magazine, in april 1992, a great review of "Fact And Fiction", from which I will quote some parts (Dutch-English translation by me): "Of course I could start by explaining that singer Geoff Man sometimes sings badly out of tune, that guitar player Andy Revell, with a very ugly sound, often misses his notes, that drummer Brian Devoil on his drumset, which sound like a collection of shoeboxes, makes many mistakes, and that bass player Clive Mitten, because the original keyboardplayer Rick Battersby is absent, is swaying on his keyboards without any direction, while he's not hindered by any knowledge of his instruments. I could also try to explain that Fact And Fiction by Twelfth Night is a brilliant album, a milestone in the history of progressive rock and therefore an album that everyone should own. Of course I would bring the unsuspecting reading in a state of utter confusion, because how do we come from A to B? Let me try to explain. Constantly tormented by quarrels amongst each other and heavily affected by the constant changes in personnel, Twelfth Night never succeeded in making their definitive album. Mann out, Mann in again, Mann out again, Battersby out, Battersby in again... But if there's one Twelfth Night album that comes close to a definitive statement, it's Fact And Fiction. What if by a strange twist of fate not Peter Gabriel, but Peter Hammill would have joined the ranks of Genesis, than such a combination would have produced an album like Fact And Fiction. Very strong lyrics with social criticism, vocals that are so passionate that sometimes it becomes disconcerting, crazy vocal acrobatics, strange tempo and harmonic changes, music that goes the whole spectre from agressive pomp rock to romantic (in the good sense of the word). And on top of it an enormous originality, a big potential of four men in their early twenties who were at odds with themselves, each other and the world, and who had no other way of expressing themselves through their music. The aggressive "We Are Sane", the haunting "Creepshow" and the naive but heartrending "Love Song" are, for that matter, the best witnesses and therefore the highlights of the album. The rest of the band history was downhill; with Geoff Mann leaving, the soul left the band. Twelfth Night tried it again with another singer (Andy Sears)... and tried desperate to make things work till everything ended like a candle going out... Band members seeking comfort into alcohol and drugs... It's a sad story, but it explains a lot... About a complete lack of money for instance, which forced the band to make a low budget album during night hours. That's why the sound is so wretched, even when it has been repaired to a certain extent on the cd... In fact, the whole band is raving like madmen on the record, as if they have heard that the next day they will be executed before a firing squad, and try to put in 45 minutes everything they still wanted to say. That's why the album is so important for prog rock, and for that period of time. Like I said, the album is full of weak spots, but the band transcends all that easily, purely because of the strength, the energy and the originality of the material.  Music on the cutting edge... the epicentre of conflicting emotions... I always thought that this is quite an impressive review!

VERY IMPRESSIVE!!!  almost enough to inspire me to a fresh listen. 

Yeah as Raff noted we saw them at Nearfest.. however what she didn't say is while many left including Raff (likely to go shag Patrick Forgas in the women's bathroom while I was still in my seat ) .. a certain neo-baiting.. neo-hating forum hooligen actually stayed through the whole of their set, and you know what.. I actually.. enjo.. well.. lets not get carried away. I almost enjoyed it. How is that for high praise. 

micky wrote: Moogtron III wrote: Right, I made a promise here in the thread. Former prog reviewer / magazine editor / record boss Willebrord Elsing once made for the Dutch prog magazine SI magazine, in april 1992, a great review of "Fact And Fiction", from which I will quote some parts (Dutch-English translation by me): "Of course I could start by explaining that singer Geoff Man sometimes sings badly out of tune, that guitar player Andy Revell, with a very ugly sound, often misses his notes, that drummer Brian Devoil on his drumset, which sound like a collection of shoeboxes, makes many mistakes, and that bass player Clive Mitten, because the original keyboardplayer Rick Battersby is absent, is swaying on his keyboards without any direction, while he's not hindered by any knowledge of his instruments. I could also try to explain that Fact And Fiction by Twelfth Night is a brilliant album, a milestone in the history of progressive rock and therefore an album that everyone should own. Of course I would bring the unsuspecting reading in a state of utter confusion, because how do we come from A to B? Let me try to explain. Constantly tormented by quarrels amongst each other and heavily affected by the constant changes in personnel, Twelfth Night never succeeded in making their definitive album. Mann out, Mann in again, Mann out again, Battersby out, Battersby in again... But if there's one Twelfth Night album that comes close to a definitive statement, it's Fact And Fiction. What if by a strange twist of fate not Peter Gabriel, but Peter Hammill would have joined the ranks of Genesis, than such a combination would have produced an album like Fact And Fiction. Very strong lyrics with social criticism, vocals that are so passionate that sometimes it becomes disconcerting, crazy vocal acrobatics, strange tempo and harmonic changes, music that goes the whole spectre from agressive pomp rock to romantic (in the good sense of the word). And on top of it an enormous originality, a big potential of four men in their early twenties who were at odds with themselves, each other and the world, and who had no other way of expressing themselves through their music. The aggressive "We Are Sane", the haunting "Creepshow" and the naive but heartrending "Love Song" are, for that matter, the best witnesses and therefore the highlights of the album. The rest of the band history was downhill; with Geoff Mann leaving, the soul left the band. Twelfth Night tried it again with another singer (Andy Sears)... and tried desperate to make things work till everything ended like a candle going out... Band members seeking comfort into alcohol and drugs... It's a sad story, but it explains a lot... About a complete lack of money for instance, which forced the band to make a low budget album during night hours. That's why the sound is so wretched, even when it has been repaired to a certain extent on the cd... In fact, the whole band is raving like madmen on the record, as if they have heard that the next day they will be executed before a firing squad, and try to put in 45 minutes everything they still wanted to say. That's why the album is so important for prog rock, and for that period of time. Like I said, the album is full of weak spots, but the band transcends all that easily, purely because of the strength, the energy and the originality of the material.  Music on the cutting edge... the epicentre of conflicting emotions... I always thought that this is quite an impressive review!  VERY IMPRESSIVE!!!  almost enough to inspire me to a fresh listen.  Yeah as Raff noted we saw them at Nearfest.. however what she didn't say is while many left including Raff (likely to go shag Patrick Forgas in the women's bathroom while I was still in my seat ) .. a certain neo-baiting.. neo-hating forum hooligen actually stayed through the whole of their set, and you know what.. I actually.. enjo.. well.. lets not get carried away. I almost enjoyed it. How is that for high praise.

For me it comes down to Soft Machine and Hawkwind. I kind of like, and I use like in a totally inappropriate manner, 12th night just that little bit more than Magma. To be honest if I didn't hear either of them ever again I'd not be overly distressed. When I was a young bloke I'd have bopped along at a live preformance but I suspect the records would not venture far from their sleeves.

Wyatt is however a true hero of mine. Mad as a meataxe he may well be but a god nonetheless.

I suppose it doesn't really matter all that much cos obviously SM and HW will go through but being the honourable chap wot eye iz i have to go HW cos I like that album a wheeeeee bit betterer than Thoid.

I saw Magma exactly two months ago today, it's a sign I should vote for them 

Voted Magma as the album needed the vote while Third had plenty.