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Oneiromancer
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Joined: July 25 2006
Location: Brazil
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Posts: 64
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Topic: Kultivator vs. National Health Posted: September 04 2008 at 18:38 |
I was listening to this obscure Swedish Zeuhl band streaming on PA, when I got the very strange feeling these guys are actually copying National Health.
The keyboardist sounds like Dave Stewart, the guitarist gets really close to Phil Miller and the drumming is not far from Pip Pyle's. And, what's more, there is a bass riff that sounds just like an excerpt from Elephants. If Dave Stewart knew the band, and had it made a huge success, could he sue them?
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Padraic
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Canterbury Scene Team
Joined: February 16 2006
Location: Pennsylvania
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Posted: September 04 2008 at 19:39 |
Wow, what timing! This album just arrived for me today. When I listen to it, I'll render an opinion. I wouldn't be too hard on stealing riffs - listen to Phil Miller's playing in "the Collapso" and then listen to "Theme One" off VdGG's Pawn Hearts (the remaster with bonus tracks).
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Oneiromancer
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Posted: September 04 2008 at 21:04 |
yeah... it's tough to live with only 12 notes.
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Padraic
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Canterbury Scene Team
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Posted: September 04 2008 at 21:12 |
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To answer your question, though, a similar sounding riff and sort of sounding like National Health wouldn't rise to the level of a copyright violation and a civil suit, though I don't know precisely how the law works in either England or Sweden. The band would have to rip off pretty much an entire song - see George Harrison and "My Sweet Lord". of course, neither band really gained any commercial success of note.
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VanderGraafKommandöh
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Zeuhl/RIO-Avant Specialist
Joined: July 04 2005
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Posted: September 05 2008 at 12:05 |
And Patrick, please also note that Van der Graaf Generator didn't write Theme One either.  I wouldn't call them a clone band at all though. There's a lot of differences, such as the female vocals (well I know NH had some but they sound different), some slight Zeuhl influences and some other subtle changes too. I also happen to hear In Cahoots (another Phil Miller project), Soft Heap (a Pyle band) and Hatfield and the North (another Miller/Pyle band) in there. However, they're bloody marvellous!
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Padraic
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Canterbury Scene Team
Joined: February 16 2006
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Posted: September 05 2008 at 13:36 |
Originally posted by James
And Patrick, please also note that Van der Graaf Generator didn't write Theme One either. 
I think I knew they didn't, but I didn't know who did and was too lazy to look it up. 
I wouldn't call them a clone band at all though. There's a lot of differences, such as the female vocals (well I know NH had some but they sound different), some slight Zeuhl influences and some other subtle changes too. I also happen to hear In Cahoots (another Phil Miller project), Soft Heap (a Pyle band) and Hatfield and the North (another Miller/Pyle band) in there.
However, they're bloody marvellous!
They are indeed! Now that I've listened, there's definitely an allusion to a NH sound but they still sound original enough.
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