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Man Overboard
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 07 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Status: Offline
Points: 3830
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Topic: Pure Reason Revolution Posted: May 07 2007 at 14:57 |
Decided to take the plunge and pick up The Dark Third the other night, gave it a listen last night. Now surely it'll take several listens to really sink in, but it felt like pretty standard "new prog" space-rock with no real identity, and more than a few spots taken directly from Porcupine Tree of all people (I distinctly remember hearing the ending of Mellotron Scratch in there, as well as some generic PT riffs), not to mention a pretty blunt reference to the opening of Krimson's Moonchild. This was the album that so many people say is bringing prog back, best album of '06? Can someone clue me in on what I'm missing?
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Prog-jester
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 05 2005
Location: Love Beach
Status: Offline
Points: 5777
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 15:05 |
I liked only "He tried to show them Magic" there, and few other songs like "Goshen Remains","Voices in Winter" and "Nimos and Tambos" caught my attention.A 2.5 stars album, nothing completely mind-blowing. Same goes to this year's GAZPACHO which I also picked because of PA hype. Relax and better concentrate on bands recommended by Assaf or Erik (some true gems here! ) But I like Modern Prog, don' get me wrong...
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Snow Dog
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: March 23 2005
Location: Caerdydd
Status: Offline
Points: 32995
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 15:07 |
Man Overboard wrote:
Decided to take the plunge and pick up The Dark Third the other night, gave it a listen last night.
Now surely it'll take several listens to really sink in, but it felt like pretty standard "new prog" space-rock with no real identity, and more than a few spots taken directly from Porcupine Tree of all people (I distinctly remember hearing the ending of Mellotron Scratch in there, as well as some generic PT riffs), not to mention a pretty blunt reference to the opening of Krimson's Moonchild.
This was the album that so many people say is bringing prog back, best album of '06? Can someone clue me in on what I'm missing?
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I really don't know........I'm missing it too.
Have you read Teaflax's review? Didn't convince me, but it may help you.
Edited by Snow Dog - May 07 2007 at 15:09
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VanderGraafKommandöh
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 04 2005
Location: Malaria
Status: Offline
Points: 89372
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 15:09 |
I've only heard their EP and that was severely disappointing. Not heard Gazpacho yet. P-J, Assaf did recommend Pure Reason Revoltion to me, so he's not always right.
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Padraic
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: February 16 2006
Location: Pennsylvania
Status: Offline
Points: 31165
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 15:11 |
Count me in the group that couldn't find anything particularly special about this record.
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Man Overboard
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 07 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Status: Offline
Points: 3830
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 15:15 |
Snow Dog wrote:
I really don't know........I'm missing it too.
Have you read Teaflax's review? Didn't convince me, but it may help you. |
All it does is give me another reason to disagree with Teaflax on everything
Edited by Man Overboard - May 07 2007 at 15:16
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Prog-jester
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 05 2005
Location: Love Beach
Status: Offline
Points: 5777
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 15:16 |
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VanderGraafKommandöh
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 04 2005
Location: Malaria
Status: Offline
Points: 89372
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 15:18 |
Are Gazpacho as bad as Frost*?
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Snow Dog
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: March 23 2005
Location: Caerdydd
Status: Offline
Points: 32995
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 15:19 |
Geck0 wrote:
Are Gazpacho as bad as Frost*? |
Frosted Gazpacho is very refreshing!
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Prog-jester
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 05 2005
Location: Love Beach
Status: Offline
Points: 5777
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 15:31 |
Geck0 wrote:
Are Gazpacho as bad as Frost*?
| GAZPACHO = moaning Steve Hogarth + worn out RADIOHEAD + some average post-rocky spots FROST = pop harmonies + cheesy soundproducing + neo-prog-metal pointless rumble Both are bad
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Tony R
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
Joined: July 16 2004
Location: UK
Status: Offline
Points: 11979
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 15:34 |
Geck0 wrote:
Are Gazpacho as bad as Frost*? |
you only dislike Frost* because the music has recognisable melody...
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VanderGraafKommandöh
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 04 2005
Location: Malaria
Status: Offline
Points: 89372
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 15:35 |
Sounds like I'll positively hate it, maybe I should listen to it!
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VanderGraafKommandöh
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 04 2005
Location: Malaria
Status: Offline
Points: 89372
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 15:36 |
Tony R wrote:
Geck0 wrote:
Are Gazpacho as bad as Frost*? |
you only dislike Frost* because the music has recognisable melody... |
So does Jethro Tull, but you hate them.
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avestin
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: September 18 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 12625
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 15:55 |
Man Overboard wrote:
Decided to take the plunge and pick up The Dark Third the other night, gave it a listen last night.
Now surely it'll take several listens to really sink in, but it felt like pretty standard "new prog" space-rock with no real identity, and more than a few spots taken directly from Porcupine Tree of all people (I distinctly remember hearing the ending of Mellotron Scratch in there, as well as some generic PT riffs), not to mention a pretty blunt reference to the opening of Krimson's Moonchild.
This was the album that so many people say is bringing prog back, best album of '06? Can someone clue me in on what I'm missing?
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Hi MOB,
Don't know if you are missing anything.
Although I added PRR to PA last year, it's one of the bands which to me are connceted to prog but not so tightly as others (but they do have proggish tendencies) along with some other on the site here, such as..... (take a guess....).
If it's the modern prog, I don't know.
And I wouldn't say they bring anything new or that they bring back prog. Nor would I say it is one of 2006 best. There are so many better albums from that year from all genres.
Other than that, I like the melodies, the vocals harmonies, the spacey mood, the long mellow riffs (of course I heard several influences and more than that in the songs, but it didn't bother me much).
When I first listened to it, I did know anything about it and did not expect anything, so that is perhaps why I was hooked with the music.
I think you should not put any hopes or expectations to it as you did (as you said, you heard/read people raving it as the album that brings prog back) but as a rock album, with nice melodies, etc.
As such, it's a more than decent album.
When you add the expectations, the album does not deliver those, at least for me and apparentely to you too.
Oh, and I don't particularly like Gazpacho as well, and here I can say that I had my hopes high which caused the initial disappointment. Then when I listened to it again and without those expectations, it did sound better. And overall it's a nice 3 stars (2.8-3.2 if you will) album. Not too exciting, but not that bad as well.
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salmacis
Forum Senior Member
Content Addition
Joined: April 10 2005
Status: Offline
Points: 3928
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 15:56 |
I felt the same way on first listen, didn't get it at all but it's an album which I really warmed to. A very nice laid back album and one I find very atmospheric. Stick with it...
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Atomic_Rooster
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 26 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 1210
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 15:57 |
I get to see them at NEARFest, so I'll see if they're any better live
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I am but a servant of the mighty Fripp, the sound of whose loins shall forever be upon the tongues of his followers.
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stonebeard
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 27 2005
Location: NE Indiana
Status: Offline
Points: 28057
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 16:02 |
I like it. It's different from everything I have, and I hear no PT in there at all. It's spacey, but unusually so. It can be boring at times.
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Man Overboard
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 07 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Status: Offline
Points: 3830
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 16:03 |
Atomic_Rooster wrote:
I get to see them at NEARFest, so I'll see if they're any better live
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Do you know if there are any more tickets available? Robby and I want to go, but we missed the initial sales
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Uroboros
Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 25 2006
Location: Oxford
Status: Offline
Points: 912
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 16:10 |
Prog-jester wrote:
Geck0 wrote:
Are Gazpacho as bad as Frost*?
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GAZPACHO = moaning Steve Hogarth + worn out RADIOHEAD + some average post-rocky spots
FROST = pop harmonies + cheesy soundproducing + neo-prog-metal pointless rumble
Both are bad |
Cool equations. However, you're also the guy who said, in a review of Djam Karet's Live at Orion,
"Nice late KC-inspired instrumental Prog. I guess we all have heard dozens of bands of that kind, and I must admit DJAM KARET didn't impressed me that much (I know two bands which are usually compared with DM, and they're better ;) ). (...) Recommended mostly for KC-devotees."
--> so why should anyone trust you?
Frost is a classy band, with extremely proficient musicans whose delivery on the album is, to my ears, stunning. Not everyone has to like them, of course, but they are about a dozen times better and more refreshing and tasteful than the myriad of half-fainted neo-prog combos that have been lurking in the shades for twenty years now.
I also think highly of PRR. They're not virtuosos, they don't vary their approach too much from one song to another, and they tend to stay in 4/4 most of the time, but their music is very colourful, expressive. There's something charming about them - could be the naivity of Brit-pop and Beach Boys reminiscences, could be the intense electronic framework that holds some songs together, could be the dreamy, somewhat Floydian atmosphere, probably a combination of all... They're very good at creating their moods, and there's something passionate and youthful about their songs - this is how I feel them. The vocal harmonies are omnipresent, sometimes impressive and always beautiful and the kind that sticks to your brain for some time. I got to like them after a few listens, because I chose to trust them and let them sink in. Anyway, regardless of personal opinions, there clearly isn't any other band that sounds like them today, which is a pretty nice starting point for a career. If Porcupine Tree had sounded like this in '91, it wouldn't have taken them so long to get to where they are today.
Edited by Uroboros - May 07 2007 at 16:11
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Tous les chemins qui s’ouvrent à moi ne mènent à rien si tu n’es plus là
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Atomic_Rooster
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 26 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 1210
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Posted: May 07 2007 at 16:12 |
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I am but a servant of the mighty Fripp, the sound of whose loins shall forever be upon the tongues of his followers.
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