Genesis and Helen of Troy
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Forum Name: Prog Music Lounge
Forum Description: General progressive music discussions
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=127949
Printed Date: April 26 2024 at 15:49
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Topic: Genesis and Helen of Troy
Posted By: BaldJean
Subject: Genesis and Helen of Troy
Date Posted: December 05 2021 at 07:27
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Genesis made two songs in which Helen of Troy is mentioned. one is "Blood on the Rooftops" with the line "seems Helen of Troy has found a new face again". in the other song the reference is not so obvious. I could name it, but I would like to play a little guessing game with you. so what song am I talking about and what is the reference? -------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Replies:
Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: December 05 2021 at 07:37
| Honestly, I have no clue, but I’m quite curious to find out. I’ll dig some Genesis lyrics out, to try to guess. |
Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: December 05 2021 at 07:58
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The face that launched a thousand ships Is sinking fast, that happens you know The water gets below Seems not very long ago Lovelier she was than any that I know ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: December 05 2021 at 08:14
very well done. the line "the face that launched a thousand ships" is actually from the play "The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus" by Shakespeare contemporary Christopher Marlowe (some literature buffs actually believe Marlowe wrote Shakespeare's plays). here the citation from the play: Was this the face that launched a thousand ships And burnt the topless towers of Illium Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss...
------------- A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
The Dark Elf wrote:Posted By: Tuzvihar
Date Posted: December 05 2021 at 11:50
^ Hey, happy birthday, Jean!  ------------- "Music is much like f**king, but some composers can't climax and others climax too often, leaving themselves and the listener jaded and spent." Charles Bukowski |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: December 05 2021 at 12:31
Outstanding! I saw them do an excellent live version of this song on the "ATTWT" tour, one of my favorites! ------------- I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!! |
Posted By: JD
Date Posted: December 05 2021 at 12:33
Hope you have a wonderful day.
 ------------- Thank you for supporting independently produced music |
Posted By: Rednight
Date Posted: December 05 2021 at 12:38
------------- "It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno |
Posted By: Rednight
Date Posted: December 05 2021 at 12:43
------------- "It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: December 05 2021 at 13:53
thank you very much to both of you. Friede will call me "old woman" for 53 days now until she has birthday herself and we are of the same age again. I will call her "young chicken" during this time. it is a routine we have been doing for years now  ------------- A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: December 06 2021 at 02:36
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Although not Genesis, there is a great song by Al Stewart called Helen and Cassandra which appeared on the Last Days of The Century album from 1987. Probably the most prog thing he ever did. |
Posted By: Hugh Manatee
Date Posted: December 13 2021 at 21:03
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If we are moving this thread into songs citing Helen of Troy territory then I would like to trot out John Cale's take: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0JUKmfXETk" rel="nofollow - John Cale - helen of troy (album version) - YouTube ------------- I should have been a pair of ragged claws Scuttling across the floors of uncertain seas |
Posted By: nick_h_nz
Date Posted: December 14 2021 at 01:12
That’s the first song that comes to my mind if ever Helen of Troy is brought up in relation to music. Those three Island albums are easily among the best things Cale has released. ❤️ ------------- https://tinyurl.com/nickhnz-tpa" rel="nofollow - Reviewer for The Progressive Aspect |
Posted By: Hugh Manatee
Date Posted: December 14 2021 at 01:32
I totally agree, and would add that "Guts" is a fine concise collection of highlights from that period. I do think those early albums tower over his later output and although I do appreciate Cales subsequent releases, particularly "A.I." and "HoboSapien" I tend to find his albums after the Island years can be very spotty.
------------- I should have been a pair of ragged claws Scuttling across the floors of uncertain seas |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: December 14 2021 at 02:37
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I wouldn't have found the answer myself. 
Mmmmhhhh!!!!.... When
Ken & I tried to get him included as Prog-related, we didn't use
that album, but the trilogy before Year Of The Cat album. sounded way
proggier to us.
TBH, that was my only thought into this thread. I'm more of Church Of Anthrax man myself, but the five from Academy until Troy are OK to my neurones.
------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: Hugh Manatee
Date Posted: December 14 2021 at 02:54
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Sean Trane posted: "When
Ken & I tried to get him included as Prog-related, we didn't use
that album, but the trilogy before Year Of The Cat album. sounded way
proggier to us." ...and I agree. "Past, Present and Future" and "Modern Times" at least seem very prog, and even "Time Pasages" sounds proggy to me.
------------- I should have been a pair of ragged claws Scuttling across the floors of uncertain seas |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: December 14 2021 at 16:06
^ yep the 'Folk Prog' trilogy although Nostradamus and Roads to Moscow stand out a mile. There is a trickle of prog from Al 'I took a guitar lesson off Robert Fripp once' Stewart up to and including Last Days Of The Century. That album has the title track plus Helen and Cassandra , Fields Of France, Where Are They Now and Ghostly Horses of The Plain which have plenty of prog credentials but the album is quite largely overlooked. In fact every song is a gem. Puzzles me to death that one..
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Posted By: Hugh Manatee
Date Posted: December 14 2021 at 16:53
Yes, I was thinking about including "Last Days of the Century" but I didn't really know how far I could push the point. I consider "The Road to Moscow" an acoustic precursor to "The Gates of Delerium". ------------- I should have been a pair of ragged claws Scuttling across the floors of uncertain seas |