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Topic: Saga vs. Art ZoydPosted By: Logan
Subject: Saga vs. Art Zoyd
Date Posted: April 22 2011 at 15:13
I recently did an Art Zoyd and Asia poll that was pretty much a wash-out in terms of discussion, and then it struck me like a lightning bolt through the brain (think my battery operated beer hat was on the fritz again) that perhaps, maybe just maybe, but probably not, Saga would have been a preferable choice to go up against the Zoyd.
Two very different bands musically -- Zoyd and Saga. Both released their first albums in the later half of the 70's and were prolific and venerated (at least by some) for the work in the 80's and both have contined to release albums until today. Both certainly adapted to the 80's with music but in different ways. There's an interesting similarity to album names: Generation Sans Futur and Generation 13; Phase IV and Phase One; Marathonerres and Marathon (it's almost freakish, like two sides of the same pandimensional coin) Various album covers have similar aesthetics to me, such as Le Mariage and Full Circle; the Pleasure and the Pain and Les Champs des Larmes.
../album.asp?id=4702" rel="nofollow">
4.10 | 38 ratings
../album.asp?id=4702" rel="nofollow - Symphonie Pour Le Jour Où Brûleront Les Cités 1976
../album.asp?id=4703" rel="nofollow">
4.04 | 30 ratings
../album.asp?id=4703" rel="nofollow - Musique Pour L'Odyssée 1979
../album.asp?id=16881" rel="nofollow - 10.000 Days 2007
../album.asp?id=22079" rel="nofollow">
3.46 | 27 ratings
../album.asp?id=22079" rel="nofollow - The Human Condition 2009
Please mention favourite albums and or pieces of music. You don't have to compare them or know both and I'll have to edit this post as soon as I post it to remove the code that will apper under the albums as soon as I post this.
Replies: Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: April 22 2011 at 15:18
You keep making these Art Zoyd polls, and they remain one of my favourite bands so I keep voting the same thing
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: April 22 2011 at 17:46
Triceratopsoil wrote:
You keep making these Art Zoyd polls, and they remain one of my favourite bands so I keep voting the same thing
Maybe at some time I'll pit Jean Louis first two albums against Art Zoyd's first two. It's ether that or an Art Zoyd and Magma tag-team battle against Spock's Beard and Frost. ;)
Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: April 22 2011 at 18:02
Logan wrote:
Triceratopsoil wrote:
You keep making these Art Zoyd polls, and they remain one of my favourite bands so I keep voting the same thing
Maybe at some time I'll pit Jean Louis first two albums against Art Zoyd's first two.
That will probably change my vote.
Posted By: Mellotron Storm
Date Posted: April 22 2011 at 22:03
Art Zoyd has some amazing records while Saga doesn't have even one.And i don't mean to disrespect the band because there's several Saga songs i still enjoy everytime they come on the radio but i just haven't heard an album by them that is good throughout.
------------- "The wind is slowly tearing her apart"
"Sad Rain" ANEKDOTEN
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: April 23 2011 at 00:27
A couple of reviews (stuck with five star ones which is why I didn't use your fine reviews for both of these particular albums, John):
Art Zoyd - Generation sans Futur
../Collaborators.asp?id=378" rel="nofollow - Cesar Inca Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator
The third studio effort by Art Zoyd (the first one with pianista Patricia Dallio in the band's line-up) is an
excellent sample of the gradually more aggressive approach to chamber-rock to be pursued, and then
re-invented in following albums. "Génération Sans Futur" goes to more obscure places than the notably
more ethereal preceding release "Musique Pour L'Odyssée": Art Zoyd's musical ideology has always
been focused on exploring the sinister sides of the human mind and the universe in an avant-garde
pattern, and this album finds the band delivering a special twist through its cohesive trend. 'La Ville'
occupies the album's first 17- minutes, getting started with mysterious whispers, piano beats and
nervous flourishes on violin, while the wind instruments relay a properly sustained climax. Right before
getting at the 2 ¾ minute mark, the track's main body is set upon a solid basis of bass and violin upon
which the trumpet and sax interact in delirious colors and the lead guitar displays controlled phrases.
The augmenting neurosis does not take too long to manifest itself, but it indeed makes an unforgettable
momentum. A new motif emerges on a less frantic note, albeit not less demented: the pulsating
dissonant sounds on brass and strings and bassist Zaboitzeff's chanting state a very surreal, disturbing
landscape. Before the arrival of minute 10 comes a very relaxing passage, bearing a minimalistic aura
full of mysterious undertones. Actually, this passage serves as a bridge toward the track's final section,
which retakes one previous motif with an enhanced pomposity, leading the track's development to a
terrific grand finale in a most cerebral way. 'Speedy Gonzalez' takes its name from a cartoon mouse, a
very funny character whose cocky nature and Latin lover manners helped him to overcome any trouble
that came his way. Regarding the Art Zoyd piece itself (written by saxophonist Renard), this is a very
gracious one, bearing a colorful playfulness that comes to show that avant-rock (even in the guise of
chamber-rock) can also provide optimistic moods. Well, the album's second half gets started with the
title track, whose initial ceremonious ambience set on a lyrical framework states an unequivocally
evocative mood. But there must come a time when the Art Zoyd standards of neurosis and tension
emerge and take hold of the whole situation, and when this moment comes for this specific track,
things get really dense and disturbing, even enhanced with jazzy leanings. The environment gets dark
and somber, and Daniel Dennis' participation as a guest drummer/percussionist happens to be a major
asset at this. The last 90 seconds are focused on a set of syncopated deliveries on strings and
woodwind that might as well resemble 73-75 King Crimson. In comparison, 'Divertissement' brings less
emphasis on the disturbing and enhances the majestic, giving a protagonist role to the stringed
instruments' interventions. 'Trois Miniatures' (penned by Eckert) closes down the album with a taste of
modern jazz-fusion in this mini-orchestral context. Eckert's phrases are exquisite beyond words, with
his partners being the perfect accomplices in the elaboration of subtle nuances through the basic
harmonic scheme. There is a vital interlude that sets things on fire toward a climax, but basically the
track is focused on its well-defined main body. "Génération Sans Futur" has a special importance in Art
Zoyd's history, since it signifies the tendency to create an ever-robust sonic source in the rams of RIO.
Being Alan Eckert's swansong in the band (besides the re-recording of the first album), this is a great
way to depart and go through a different road.
../Collaborators.asp?id=10195" rel="nofollow -
../Collaborators.asp?id=10195" rel="nofollow - King By-Tor Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator
Tonight they're on the loose!
1981 was a very good year for Canadian progressive rock, two of our best known bands of the time
released their most critically acclaimed and commercially successful work, despite the hard times
for the progressive scene. Many people know that Canadian progressive megalodons Rush
released their hyper-hit Moving Pictures in this year, but here's another gem that may have
been overlooked. Saga had been kicking around in the mid to late 70s, never quite getting the
recognition they deserved until this album broke them into the mainstream. Worlds Apart
continues the band's Queen-meets-Rush kind of sound with their unique blend of
keyboards and guitars in harmony, except this time they got everything right, and everything fell
into place.
The band has a very large and uneven output, calling them anything but prolific would be a crime,
but this is arguably their most solid release to date. With three hits and a number of great
supporting songs this is a must for any progressive music collector, assuming you don't mind a bit
of commercial rock in your music. In which case, the elistests should probably steer clear ? those
still interested are in for a great treat.
Right off the get go this album snags the listener and pulls them in, never letting go. On The
Loose gets things started with a trademark keyboard riff before exploding into full motion,
Sadler's vocals mixing perfectly with Ian Crighton's engaging riffs and solos. Saga may not have
been the wisest when it came to the placement of slow songs, many times the tracks on their albums
are out of place, ruining the momentum and overall flow. Time's Up defies that logic by
offering a slow song as the second track and manages to keep attention through the whole thing. It
may be the interesting use of voice effects on the chorus or just the overall beautiful melodies
throughout, but this one's a killer. Wind Him Up is a song that every Canadian knows by
heart, thanks to the CanCon radio restrictions (all stations must play 30% Canadian Content on any
day) we've all heard this one a billion times, perhaps never knowing who it was by! Crighton's
instantly recognizable riff off the top makes this one worth every second, especially with Sadler's
more delicate vocals and backing keyboards in the breakdown nearing the end.
While the rest of the album may not be quite as recognizable as the first three songs (all regularly
rotated on radio) there is no drop in quality at all. Amnesia is a quirky rocker, as is
Frames. Conversations provides a nice instrumental break in the ending trio of songs,
proving that while it may not be a YYZ, Saga can still break out the impressive instrumental
weaponry. No Stranger (Chapter 8) is the impressive opus that finishes off the album with an
emotional bang while carrying on the ''Chapters'' series that the band began on their first album
(and would not revisit until Full Circle in 1999) along with the considerable slower No
Regrets (Chapter5). However, it's The Interview that steals the show, thanks to Sadler's
amazingly emotional delivery and the incredibly true and eerie story told by the lyrics.
Overall this is a solid album, one that no progger should be without. Canadians too, you should all
have this one. While it may often be frowned upon to give a Prog-Related
album 5 stars this is an album that would be more comfortable in the
Crossover Category. Not to argue the place of the band on the website, just this album in
particular. And with that somewhat unrelated rant out of the way I award this album 5 glowing stars
out of 5 to give it (and the band) the recognition and respect that it (/they) deserve. Do yourself
a favor and check it out!
King By-Tor |5/5 |
And a couple of tracks from these albums. I think I would have liked to use "La Ville" and "No Stranger", but not available (whole Generation album is great, I think), and to be fair the compositions I used are the first to come up for the albums so I can say I chose the albums, but not the songs (though I certainly knew both well as this Saga song really does get a helluva lot of airtime in Canuckistan).
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: April 23 2011 at 02:53
Art Zoyd.
I actually prefer Asia to Saga.
------------- 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: someone_else
Date Posted: April 23 2011 at 04:40
Mellotron Storm wrote:
Art Zoyd has some amazing records while Saga doesn't have even one.And i don't mean to disrespect the band because there's several Saga songs i still enjoy everytime they come on the radio but i just haven't heard an album by them that is good throughout.
Worlds Apart was one of the best albums of the '82 vintage.
Of Art Zoyd I know nothing but the name (yet). No vote.
-------------
Posted By: wilmon91
Date Posted: April 23 2011 at 17:46
What a cool thread! I just love to see Saga and Art Zoyd mentioned together.
Logan wrote:
There's an interesting similarity to album names:
Generation Sans Futur and Generation 13; Phase IV and Phase One;
Marathonerres and Marathon (it's almost freakish, like two sides of the
same pandimensional coin) Various album covers have similar aesthetics
to me, such as Le Mariage and Full Circle; the Pleasure and the Pain
and Les Champs des Larmes
Wow I havent thought of that! Interesting observation!
I didnt vote in the other Saga threads - it just feels silly to vote for saga because I happen to be a big fan of them. But in this case I can easily vote "both".
I still only have Faust and Berlin, but have heard "le champ des larmes" , some of Häxan on internet radio, and samples of most of their material of which the eralier material seems extremely promising. I have postponed buying their albums for several years, because they're quite expensive. And I dont want to download anything or listen on youtube.
But this thread is a reminder that I reeeeally must get Generation Sans Futur which has been on my "to buy" list for too long!
The thing with Saga is that prog people may think it's not "proggy" enough, I guess they oversee the relevant substance of the music and are blinded by specific details. Pop-people might think it's not enough pop-oriented. It's hard to describe the "point" of some music, like explaining why a certain chord sequence is so good or something like that. It's definitely something you cant easily put a label on. Many varied aspects of quality is combined into what they are, and they are not quite like anything else, despite not sounding strange in any way.
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: April 24 2011 at 19:25
I think if Art Zoyd were bananas, they wouldn't be able to play their instruments...unless they were bananas in pajamas, in which case they'd just be creepy.