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The Hemulen View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Gnidrolog
    Posted: June 30 2005 at 18:13
These chaps' '72 album "Lady Lake" defines the term "lost classic". Powerful, complex, packed with emotive playing, distinctive vocals, interesting instruments and clever arrangements it's wall-to-wall genius - symphonic prog at it's best. Why then, are they never ever mentioned? Lord knows, but they never made it big and as a result will forever remain an obscure footnote in the history of progressive rock. Footnotes don't get much better than this though.

Haha! I've just realised how much this sounds like a review! I may have to adapt it!  Anyway, who else knows their work? Am I alone in my adoration for them? I've had Lady Lake for about two years now and I still stick it on once every three weeks or so. It never fails to hit the spot.


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2005 at 18:19

I don't know much about them, but that's a bloody excellent cover!

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2005 at 18:19
Great album indeed! I really like Colin Goldring's vocals, although they probably are an acquired taste.

Unfortunately, that's the only album I have by them, I would really like to hear "In Spite Of Harry's Toenail".
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2005 at 18:20

The problem with "Lady Lake" (as with many prog albums) is that it's only the long songs that are really worth listening to. But overall a very interesting release

"In war there is no time to teach or learn Zen. Carry a strong stick. Bash your attackers." - Zen Master Ikkyu Sojun
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2005 at 18:21
In Spite is excellent but Lady Lake is an utter masterpiece - worthy of the top 100!! (Top 30 if you ask me!). And you're right goose - it's a gorgeous cover, I had to include it in my post! 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2005 at 18:23
Originally posted by Manunkind Manunkind wrote:

The problem with "Lady Lake" (as with many prog albums) is that it's only the long songs that are really worth listening to. But overall a very interesting release



I'll have to respectfully disagree with you there! I think "A Dog With No Collar" is utterly beautiful, and "Same Dreams" shows just how a broken heart can produce wonderous music.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2005 at 18:27
Originally posted by Manunkind Manunkind wrote:

The problem with "Lady Lake" (as with many prog albums) is that it's only the long songs that are really worth listening to. But overall a very interesting release


"A Dog With No Collar" is IMO the weakest track, but the rest of the stuff there are excellent!
 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2005 at 18:29
I have "Lady lake" (1971) and "In spite of Harry's toenail" (1972). Both of them are excellent, but still I like "Lady lake" a bit better 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2005 at 18:31
I think the cover's okay, but from what you've said and what I've read, I'll probably be picking this one upppppp.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2005 at 18:47
Grrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  THANKS Trouser.  Another band that I REALLY want to own. I have actually known about and heard about them for a year or so now. I really need to get this one soon.   Have you heard the band named "Lady Lake" that got their name from the title of this album? I have heard good things about them too...

Edited by dalt99
Best of 2006 that I've heard:
PFM-Stati Di Immaginazione
Zenit-Surrender (Best "unknown" album)
Oaksenham - Conquest of Pacific
2007:
Phideaux - Doomsday Afternoon
La Torre Del Alchimista - Neo
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2005 at 18:55
Originally posted by dalt99 dalt99 wrote:

Grrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  THANKS Trouser.  Another band that I REALLY want to own. I have actually known about and heard about them for a year or so now. I really need to get this one soon.   Have you heard the band named "Lady Lake" that got their name from the title of this album? I have heard good things about them too...


Sorry! No, I've not heard of them, actually. Mayhaps I should check them out! Argh! So much music, so few hours in the day!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2005 at 18:58
I would not call it "symphonic prog at it's best" but rather fusion with symphonic touches at it's excellence.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2005 at 18:58
Originally posted by Trouserpress Trouserpress wrote:

Originally posted by Manunkind Manunkind wrote:

The problem with "Lady Lake" (as with many prog albums) is that it's only the long songs that are really worth listening to. But overall a very interesting release



I'll have to respectfully disagree with you there! I think "A Dog With No Collar" is utterly beautiful, and "Same Dreams" shows just how a broken heart can produce wonderous music.

I may have exaggerated somewhat, but I still believe the longer tracks are the more interesting ones.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2005 at 19:01
Originally posted by eugene eugene wrote:

I would not call it "symphonic prog at it's best" but rather fusion with symphonic touches at it's excellence.


If VDGG are symphonic then so are Gnidrolog. And I agree with you Manunkind that the long tracks are the real killer ones - but I think the two short acoustic pieces help to lift the album and give it more variety. S'only about four minutes in total, so why complain at all?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2005 at 19:36

Trouserpress wrote

quote

If VDGG are symphonic then so are Gnidrolog

unquote

I cannot agree with this statement. I feel that difference between Van Der Graaf and Gnidrolog is of same scale as difference between symphonic prog and fusion. And although I do not want to start or to get you into arguments about useless categorisation of genres, I'd like to know what so similar you find in VDGG and Gnidrolog apart from using saxes, and what makes you think that they belong to same subgenre. Just out of curiousity.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2005 at 19:41
Originally posted by eugene eugene wrote:

Trouserpress wrote

quote

If VDGG are symphonic then so are Gnidrolog

unquote

I cannot agree with this statement. I feel that difference between Van Der Graaf and Gnidrolog is of same scale as difference between symphonic prog and fusion. And although I do not want to start or to get you into arguments about useless categorisation of genres, I'd like to know what so similar you find in VDGG and Gnidrolog apart from using saxes, and what makes you think that they belong to same subgenre. Just out of curiousity.



Melodramatic vocals, similar use of arranged songs with ocassional lapses into "jam territory", heavyness with touches of jazz without ever being truly "jazzy".

I really don't hear Gnidrolog as "fusion". Not at all. They're nowhere near jazzy enough!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: June 30 2005 at 19:50

Oh yes..I discovered Gnidrolog a few months back, i love their sound with a kind of medieval vibe and wondered why you rarely see them mentioned, they seem to  have VDGG (without the keyboards!) and Jethro Tull influences with a beautiful use of wind instruments.Their album 'In  Spite of Harry's Toenail' is up there with 'Lady Lake' but my favourite is their live 1972 album it's a more intimate affair and has the excellent tracks' In Spite Of Harry's Toenail' and 'I want to be a soldier'.  

It goes without saying that i was attracted to them by their album cover too

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 01 2005 at 02:38

In Spite of Harry's Toenail is definitely harder-edged than Lacy Lake. Both albums are superb.

 Careful to pick out the right version of In Spite , choose the one with four bonus tracks predating the first album. There is another version with two alternative takes from Lady Lake tracks. Less interesting.

Also much worth it is the live album full of unreleased tracks but plagued with poor sound quality.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 01 2005 at 03:48
Incredible album, reminds me alot of vdgg. The vocals are excellent and the instrumental segments are brilliant, one of the most underrated albums in prog. It's great that they can pull off an excellent symphonic sound without the use of keyboards. 

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 07 2006 at 00:39
I have just let my 2 albums on 1 CD In Spite Of Harry's Toenail/Lady Lake sink in ...

Lady Lake in particular is absolutely superb ... dashes of Gentle Giant/Jethro Tull/King Crimson, but really a sound that's all their own ... Highlights for me are I Could Never Be A Soldier, Ship and the title track ... what a pity the band collapsed after this ...

I haven't heard Gnosis (the 2000 comeback album) yet ... but am looking forward to it!
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