Anthony Phillips Appreciation |
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Raccoon
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 17 2012 Location: 444 Grove St RZ Status: Offline Points: 763 |
Topic: Anthony Phillips Appreciation Posted: July 25 2012 at 05:24 |
For those who turn to Anthony when you wanna be relaxed, awe-inspired, or just merely impressed by his classical piano playing. Your favorite Private Parts & Pieces, or just your favorite Ant album altogether!
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Master of Time
Forum Senior Member Joined: January 30 2012 Location: UT, USA Status: Offline Points: 374 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 05:33 |
Anthony Phillips is the reason I got really deep into prog. I was a Yes fan for awhile, and one day I decided to plug Yes into Last.FM and see what came up. After a while the song "Master of Time" by Anthony Phillips from his debut album (the name sake of my username) came on and I was blown away. It was such beautiful and emotional song, I had to hear more. I got a hold of his debut album and thought I have to find more musicians like this. I ended up trying out Steve Hackett, getting his two most recent albums and loving them. However I for some reason was stubbornly avoiding Genesis, and even got a Brand X album before I finally decided it was time. Now I am completely obsessed with the genre.
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Raccoon
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 17 2012 Location: 444 Grove St RZ Status: Offline Points: 763 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 05:38 |
Fantastic!! It's the kind of music you can't just find anywhere. Nearly every album by Anthony is great, though with the few reviews I thought there would be one big fan somewhere around. He has such a huge discography, you have to work your way through it. But oh so worth it.
I never went through a lot of Hackett's stuff, though his best rated albums are the BEST. Also Please Don't Touch has some amazing songs, but overshadowed by weak ones. Just listen to Narnia by Steve Hackett, all the proof you need. Honestly once I tried out some of Ant's Private Parts & Pieces, I was hooked. And I got them all. Including HIS WHOLE DISCOGRAPHY. So he's now one of my favorite artists. (artist? I guess you'd call him an artist) Edited by Raccoon - July 25 2012 at 05:43 |
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Raccoon
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 17 2012 Location: 444 Grove St RZ Status: Offline Points: 763 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 05:48 |
Matter 'a fact, Master of Time is just a bonus song on that album! Hard to believe THAT was a bonus track. He has all flavors, if you like Mike Oldfield, you try Slow Dance. Genesis, you get The Geese & The Ghost. Don't know what I could compare 1984 to, but you get the idea. The rest, pure ambiance Anthony. |
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Bj-1
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: June 04 2005 Location: No(r)Way Status: Offline Points: 31157 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 06:01 |
Hmm.. long time since I last heard a complete Ant album. I remember hearing Private Parts Pt 2 when I was a kid and was mesmerized by the beautiful and quirky tunes on it, "Scottish Suite" springs first to mind but the whole album was really good. Slow Dance is great as well, recalls Oldfield's works indeed but with Ant's own peculiar style all over it. He's released a solid bunch of solo albums so I have some investigating to do now! |
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RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on!
EXERIOR Experimental tech/death/progmetal from Norway! |
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Raccoon
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 17 2012 Location: 444 Grove St RZ Status: Offline Points: 763 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 06:11 |
Honestly they're ALL good except IMO the first Private Parts, Twelve, Invisible Men (that's a no-brainer), Sides (only half good, so not quite worth it when there's albums full of innovative music), the 1st Missing Link, Gypsy Suite, and Battle Of The Birds is pretty bad despite the good reviews. The rest (and there's a LOT) are classics, since you know some of his guitar workings you could try Soiree. Soooo beautiful, and it's just one piano! I swear, nearly every song makes my heart skip a beat |
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam Joined: April 29 2006 Location: Atlantais Status: Offline Points: 29625 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 07:45 |
He needs to put out more albums though.
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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HolyMoly
Special Collaborator Retired Admin Joined: April 01 2009 Location: Atlanta Status: Offline Points: 26133 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 08:05 |
I'm still exploring his music. I recently fell in love with Wise After the Event (though I had it for years, it only recently got my attention).
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TODDLER
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: August 28 2009 Location: Vineland, N.J. Status: Offline Points: 3126 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 09:04 |
First stumbled upon the "Geese and the Ghost" in an old "Listening Booth" record store back in the late 70's sonny? I read the credits and bought the LP. Collected every LP upon it's release and then in the digital age, I collected almost all of his works. I love "Tarka" and "Field Day". Some of his acoustic pieces along with the frightning fingering stretches will bust your left hand in half I love his early releases that feature old members of King Crimson. I still have the old VH1 special he hosted in the 80's. He plays the music of Penguin Cafe Orchestra and others. He tells the old stories of his life in Genesis, pronouncing their name "Ga-knee-sis" He mentions 1 particular gig where the band played on a huge stage outside for 1 person. He says that after their first number, Peter Gabriel turned to the 1 and only person in the audience and said..."Any requests?" He performs 2 of his original compositions on Classical guitar.
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam Joined: April 29 2006 Location: Atlantais Status: Offline Points: 29625 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 09:06 |
My favorite album so far next to TG&TG is the PPP III with Enrique Barro Garcia.
Edited by Slartibartfast - July 25 2012 at 09:06 |
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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TODDLER
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: August 28 2009 Location: Vineland, N.J. Status: Offline Points: 3126 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 09:09 |
I have those as well. I liked playing that series, sitting in my cottage drinking coffee and staring out the window.
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TODDLER
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: August 28 2009 Location: Vineland, N.J. Status: Offline Points: 3126 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 09:11 |
That's an interesting album of guitar duets. The writing is excellent.
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam Joined: April 29 2006 Location: Atlantais Status: Offline Points: 29625 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 09:22 |
I will offer up a criticism and it is that scricking sound when you're sliding your fingers along the wound strings.
Edited by Slartibartfast - July 25 2012 at 09:22 |
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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TODDLER
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: August 28 2009 Location: Vineland, N.J. Status: Offline Points: 3126 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 09:52 |
It happens mostly on the steel string acoustic guitar. I've always had that problem. When he switches his chords, he is basically leaving a position where his fingers appear to be almost twisted. If he releases his fingers before changing to the next chord, ..he might actually fumble. Some of the open strings must be sustained during the chord change or the piece will not sound right. The second chord he is switching to is a 6 or 7 fret stretch...so he slides his hand and fingers to the next position creating an annoying scricking sound. At first, I didn't understand why he was doing this? However..some of his pieces are a nightmare from hell. I noticed right away how I couldn't keep my fingers from creating the scricking sound. Although I was able to at times. It's the style and fingering of his pieces that almost force your hand to do that. It's very strange because when you play Gary Green or Steve Howe's acoustic pieces , your hand is not automatically forced to create that annoying sound. This is hilarious...that you brought this particular detail up!
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TODDLER
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: August 28 2009 Location: Vineland, N.J. Status: Offline Points: 3126 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 10:43 |
I recall reading in the "Field Day" booklet how he damaged his left hand. To my knowledge he had been working with software and recording library music and not giving much attention to the daily routine of guitar practice. He plunged into it suddenly, playing some of the most beautiful pieces he had ever written, forcing his left hand to do long stretches and as a result had to wrap an ace around it and not go near the guitar for at least a few weeks. When he picked up the guitar again, he nailed those pieces and recorded Field Day. I believe that was the order of events ..although I haven't read the booklet in years. He is a little monster of a player. He is not a speed demon lead guitarist who attempts to impress by being all flash, but his left hand chord shapes combined with his sustaining of open strings and melodic note passages are a nightmare to play and depending on what specific piece you choose to learn. Some pieces sound very pretty and people get the impression that they are easy to play...but it's not true at all.
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Slartibartfast
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam Joined: April 29 2006 Location: Atlantais Status: Offline Points: 29625 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 11:11 |
I kind of figured it was unavoidable. The technical explanation is interesting. Maybe if he used lard on his fingers it might help...
It's kind of cool when I put it into words you know exactly what I was talking about. I haven't noticed that as much with later albums. No doubt he was aware of it and worked to reduce the effect. There has to be a technical term for it but I don't know what is. Steve Hackett has used it as a deliberate effect with his pick while playing electric. Edited by Slartibartfast - July 25 2012 at 11:36 |
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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TODDLER
Forum Senior Member VIP Member Joined: August 28 2009 Location: Vineland, N.J. Status: Offline Points: 3126 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 11:45 |
very true
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Raccoon
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 17 2012 Location: 444 Grove St RZ Status: Offline Points: 763 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 15:05 |
I never minded it, It had that 'natural' sound. Just straight from his guitar. Though after a while it does get a bit annoying, especially on a high volume and it distracts you from the actual song. If you listen to his piano work, that doesn't happen!! I always liked his later Private Parts (god that sounds weird to shorten it ) after A Catch At The Tables his work is solid. Always had a soft side for Dragonfly Dreams. And no sliding! I think I remember that Ivory Tower was supposed to be a joke? Don't quote me on that.. But it always sounded immensely serious. Epic. That Suite-Sea Dogs Monitoring is fantastic. |
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Mirror Image
Forum Senior Member Joined: December 13 2011 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2111 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 15:26 |
I've always admired Phillips' work on Genesis' Trespass. I haven't followed his solo career at all and bought my first Phillips album a couple of days ago: The Geese and the Ghost. Looking forward to hearing it. Many claim this is his finest effort.
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“Music is enough for a lifetime but a lifetime is not enough for music.” - Sergei Rachmaninov
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Raccoon
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 17 2012 Location: 444 Grove St RZ Status: Offline Points: 763 |
Posted: July 25 2012 at 16:04 |
It's definitely a one-of-a-kind album from Anthony. The only thing similar with that album and his others, is his unique guitar-playing. But a great place to start. That's where I, and I'm sure MANY others started. Actually, I suppose Wise After The Event is similar in the aspect that there's lyrics. Then if you like what you hear, perhaps head over to Slow Dance. Has that calm, relaxing feel while still being pure proggy bliss. Much like Geese |
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