More Fool Me vs. For Absent Friends
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Polls
Forum Description: Create polls on topics related to progressive music
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=69560
Printed Date: July 19 2025 at 22:28
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: More Fool Me vs. For Absent Friends
Posted By: Lark the Starless
Subject: More Fool Me vs. For Absent Friends
Date Posted: July 25 2010 at 17:33
Just curious to see which of the two songs sung by Phil during the PG era the folks here enjoy most  ------------- 
|
Replies:
Posted By: seventhsojourn
Date Posted: July 25 2010 at 17:36
|
More Fool Me For Absent Friends |
Posted By: UndercoverBoy
Date Posted: July 25 2010 at 17:37
| "For Abesnt Friends." Neither are great songs, but "For Absent Friends" is a nice breather between the two monumental masterpieces that are "The Musical Box" and "The Return of the Giant Hogweed." "More Fool Me" is just filler, and SEBTP would be better without it. |
Posted By: KingCrimson250
Date Posted: July 25 2010 at 17:40
| No question. For Absent Friends is often a skipper for me, but at least it's got some charm. More Fool Me is just absolute rubbish. I would argue that it's not filler, as the album is a good 50 some minutes long - they could've easily cut the song out and still have nice, long album. A shot at a radio ballad, maybe? Phil wouldn't stop whining about how he never got to sing lead so they through him and Mike into a studio and just laid to track whatever came out? Who knows. |
Posted By: Lark the Starless
Date Posted: July 25 2010 at 17:40
For some inexplicable reason, I really enjoy "For Absent Friends". Quite the beautiful, short song. "More Fool Me" I like as well, but not as much...I tend to think it complements the whole of SEBTP quite well.  -------------
|
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: July 25 2010 at 17:46
|
Both excellent songs, But More Fool Me sounds a little more substantial. Hence it gets my vote. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow"> 
|
Posted By: migdal
Date Posted: July 25 2010 at 17:52
| I don't like Phil Collins... |
Posted By: The Truth
Date Posted: July 25 2010 at 18:01
This ------------- http://blindpoetrecords.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow">  
|
UndercoverBoy wrote:Posted By: Lark the Starless
Date Posted: July 25 2010 at 18:08
And Phil Collins doesn't like you...  -------------
|
Posted By: DisgruntledPorcupine
Date Posted: July 25 2010 at 18:19
|
Both from overrated albums, but For Absent Friends isn't that bad. More Fool Me however... |
Posted By: Anthony H.
Date Posted: July 25 2010 at 18:43
More Fool Me. I'm guess I'm the only one who's actually a fan of that song. 
|
Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: July 25 2010 at 18:51
|
I don't what's people problem with 'For Absent Friends', I think it works splendidly in Nursery Cryme. 'More Fool Me' while decent, it doesn't fit in the album at all, similar to 'Your Own Special Way' that is OK but doesn't fit Wind & Wuthering.
Obviously I voted for 'For Absent Friends'.
|
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: July 25 2010 at 18:52
Either you can't read or can't count..........................or both. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
|
Posted By: DisgruntledPorcupine
Date Posted: July 25 2010 at 18:56
Be nice now. |
Posted By: kardios
Date Posted: July 25 2010 at 18:56
| none! |
Posted By: Anthony H.
Date Posted: July 25 2010 at 19:00
I obviously wasn't being entirely literal.  |
Posted By: EatThatPhonebook
Date Posted: July 25 2010 at 20:05
|
I guess For Absent Friends. But More Fool Me isn't that bad... ------------- 
|
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: July 26 2010 at 05:05
Sounds like you obviuosly weren't being literal at all! ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
|
Posted By: progman2010
Date Posted: July 26 2010 at 05:30
|
For absent friends is the 3rd best song on NC behind Hogweed and Salmacis
|
Posted By: The Wrinkler
Date Posted: July 26 2010 at 06:15
I too enjoy For Absent Friends. It's fun to sing a long to 
|
Posted By: yanch
Date Posted: July 26 2010 at 06:37
| Two so-so songs, but I'll go with For Absent Friends, never liked More Fool Me much. |
Posted By: TheGrandWazoo123
Date Posted: July 26 2010 at 07:38
Ohhhh, "More Fool Me", definitely.  ------------- "When God created Republicans, he gave up on everything else." - Frank Zappa |
Posted By: twostikks
Date Posted: July 26 2010 at 19:19
|
I like 'em both ... they're both fun to sing along with. With "More Fool Me", you got at least 3 different melody/harmony parts to choose from; and with "For Absent Friends", you got 2. Softer, folkier songs (not prog), but they've both got their charms. ------------- Gary "... people will always be tempted to wipe their feet on anything with WELCOME written on it" Andy Partridge |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: July 26 2010 at 19:28
|
I honestly thought this would be closer.
For Absent Friends ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: July 26 2010 at 19:29
I quite like being in the minority. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
|
Posted By: Lark the Starless
Date Posted: July 26 2010 at 19:33
As did I  -------------
|
Posted By: Anirml
Date Posted: July 26 2010 at 19:38
|
"For Absent Friends"is much better than "More fool me" imo. ------------- 
|
Posted By: Queen By-Tor
Date Posted: July 26 2010 at 19:43
uuuuuuuh, "Horizons" 
|
Posted By: Lark the Starless
Date Posted: July 26 2010 at 19:45
Um, from the two mentioned? -------------
|
Posted By: genbanks
Date Posted: July 26 2010 at 21:03
Good songs but no more than this. I will vote for Absent Friends. The reason is the that this track constructs a nice atmosphere between the music and the lyrics. Something magic, that transports me to a nostalgic evening in a little town, many years ago, in which old people goes to the church remembering their golden past.
|
Posted By: esky
Date Posted: July 26 2010 at 22:59
| As Flintstone used to say - "Hub-boy." |
Posted By: faldyreyzandi
Date Posted: March 19 2011 at 07:05
| According to me,both of more fool me and for absent friends, and time table too, is better than harold the barrel or counting out time. |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: March 19 2011 at 07:22
I'm going to greet For Absent Friends with a courteous nod. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
|
Posted By: Prog Geo
Date Posted: March 19 2011 at 07:30
|
For absent friends!!!Richard Sinclair's version is awesome too.
------------- Sonorous Meal show every Sunday at 20:00 (greek time) on http://www.justincaseradio.com |
Posted By: Zargus
Date Posted: March 19 2011 at 08:50
|
For Absent Friends by far, it fits the album great More fool me dont fit at all, and destroys the album alitle. ------------- 
|
Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: March 19 2011 at 17:04
I wouldn't say that More Fool Me destroys the album a little, but it is, beyond doubt, the weakest track on the album; this cannot be said about For Absent Friends. There is no more contest than the current score (40-7) indicates. ------------- 
|
Posted By: wilmon91
Date Posted: March 19 2011 at 18:07
|
They shouldn't even be compared! One is great, the other is lame. ------------- http://www.lastfm.se/user/wilmon91" rel="nofollow - last.fm |
Posted By: Harold-The-Barrel
Date Posted: March 19 2011 at 18:23
|
For absent friends
------------- You must be joking.....Take a running jump...... |
Posted By: akamaisondufromage
Date Posted: March 19 2011 at 18:48
Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong!
 ------------- Help me I'm falling! |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: March 20 2011 at 00:21
| Even though not a prog masterpiece, I find "For absent friends" to be a very enjoyable little piece of music... really beautiful. "More fool me", though not a particularly bad or annoying piece of music, is really rather neglectable... I don't think it adds or takes anything away from "Selling England" (if it were longer, it would hurt the album more, but as it is, it might just as well be part of the album or not, I don't care - for me the one that really hurts "Selling England" is "Battle of Epping Forest", which is much more annoying and much longer). |
Posted By: Steven Brodziak
Date Posted: March 20 2011 at 03:14
|
How strange, I was just thinking exactly about these 2 songs just an hour or so ago.
This is truly bizzare!
I choose the underdog "More Fool Me". Both are heart wrenching but the vocal on "More Fool Me" IS also wrenching.
------------- Well, there it is. (Amadeus) |
Posted By: Steven Brodziak
Date Posted: March 20 2011 at 03:17
Have you ever heard of the song "The Musical Box"? ------------- Well, there it is. (Amadeus) |
Posted By: Steven Brodziak
Date Posted: March 20 2011 at 03:20
------------- Well, there it is. (Amadeus) |
Posted By: Steven Brodziak
Date Posted: March 20 2011 at 03:24
|
Oh it just irks me when people knock and mock songs. Battle of Epping Forest is annoying? Give me a friggin break. That has tobe the dumbest thing I've seen anyone write on prog archives to date.
Go turn on your Dixie Chicks or Boys to Men or something. ------------- Well, there it is. (Amadeus) |
Posted By: Ruby900
Date Posted: March 20 2011 at 15:19
|
FAF for me. MFM is the real low point of SEBTP for me, always skip it.....
------------- "I always say that it’s about breaking the rules. But the secret of breaking rules in a way that works is understanding what the rules are in the first place". Rick Wakeman |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: March 20 2011 at 22:57
Well, it is annoying to me, I don't have to like every song Genesis ever wrote. If you like that song, then that's great for you, because that means you can have a better time listening to Selling England than me. I wouldn't ever dream of calling anyone dumb because they do like Epping Forest, that's just their taste and their choice. |
Posted By: Steven Brodziak
Date Posted: March 20 2011 at 23:05
I don't like every Genesis song either. I'm soory if I came off harsh. I didn't say you were dumb. It's like saying "I hate people that bite their nails" compared to, "I hate it when people bite their nails". 1. You hate the person. 2. You hate the action. I don't hate people for anything (unless they voted for Obama) but! I digress. Have you ever listened to it and read along the lyrics to understand it better? ------------- Well, there it is. (Amadeus) |
Posted By: Lark the Starless
Date Posted: March 21 2011 at 12:09
Still can't believe "More Fool Me" is way behind  -------------
|
Posted By: Syzygy
Date Posted: March 21 2011 at 14:51
Well I generally skip The Battle of Epping Forest (which probably works better if you're not English; to English ears - well, certainly to my English ears - it's about as convincing as the Eagles singing in the personae of New York street gang members) but I never skip More Fool Me.
------------- 'Like so many of you I've got my doubts about how much to contribute to the already rich among us...' Robert Wyatt, Gloria Gloom |
Posted By: esky
Date Posted: March 21 2011 at 22:42
Battle of Epping Forest pointed the way quite nicely to the next item in the Genesis catalog, 'Lamb,' and I love the guitar work in the finale by Mr. Hackett.
|
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: March 22 2011 at 23:41
| ^ However, I don't really like The Lamb very much either... somehow it sounds as a departure from what I liked best from the sound on "Nursery Crime", "Foxtrot", and "Selling England... " |
Posted By: esky
Date Posted: March 23 2011 at 09:02
Not a big fan of 'Lamb' either as it was spotty. It did, however, have its moments of brilliance. You are right, though - it was a grand departure from the previous three (Foxtrot being my favorite). Gabriel must have really wanted to go out with a bang.
|
Posted By: DisgruntledPorcupine
Date Posted: March 23 2011 at 10:59
| Well I chose For Absent Friends. It's okay. More Fool Me is one of the worst prog songs I've heard. Everything about it is godawful. |
Posted By: Olias Bro
Date Posted: March 23 2011 at 17:41
|
I'm looking forward to my first vote after being a member for 4 years .... LOL More Fool Me (vocals Phil), is what really makes you enjoy the song. They felt the need to tell you Phil was singing on the album cover!! Like, let's give this guy a shot. Great lyric, great hook, "and yes I'm sure it will work out all right" beats "the bus that ambles down the street".
------------- "So in an instant, you're story-bound" - Jon Anderson, Song of Seven |
Posted By: The Truth
Date Posted: March 23 2011 at 17:51
|
For Absent Friends by a small margin. Both songs undeserved hatred for being written/sung by Collins IMO. ------------- http://blindpoetrecords.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow">
|
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: March 23 2011 at 22:52
I don't think More Fool Me could be considered a Prog Song. |
Posted By: esky
Date Posted: March 24 2011 at 09:24
Phillip Collins had already had his shot with Flaming Youth and as the Artful Dodger on the West End. More Fool Me is rather a comedown - a real softball of a song that would have been interesting as a duet with Gabriel singing lead. As it stands, it's just an odd little tune that doesn't go well with all that adorns the rest of the album. Thank God for his real shot two albums later. It's grand!
|
Posted By: MonsterMagnet
Date Posted: March 25 2011 at 11:58
| I think that Selling England by the Pound would have been better without More Fool Me |
Posted By: esky
Date Posted: March 30 2011 at 16:46
| Does the turnout here kinda' give you the idea that there's a lotta' More Fool Me haters? |
Posted By: akamaisondufromage
Date Posted: March 30 2011 at 17:14
|
Not really. ------------- Help me I'm falling! |
Posted By: TheLionOfPrague
Date Posted: March 30 2011 at 18:57
|
I really love "More Fool Me". It's an awesome ballad, i don't understand why it receives so much criticism. ------------- I shook my head and smiled a whisper knowing all about the place |
Posted By: Fox On The Rocks
Date Posted: March 31 2011 at 19:08
Exactly  .------------- 
|
Posted By: Mista-Gordie
Date Posted: April 04 2011 at 20:25
| Not a hard choice. For absent friends is pretty good and More Fool me is a total mess |