Joined: February 18 2004
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Posted: August 22 2011 at 12:47
KingCrInuYasha wrote:
Cactus Choir wrote:
I remember an interview with Queen's producer Roy
Thomas Baker where he said Brian May was a huge fan of Davy O'List's
guitar playing and would often be down the Marquee watching The Nice.
Baker produced an album by O'List's post-Nice band Jet - totally unlike
The Nice, sort of Glam rock with flashy guitar playing and almost a new
wave feel.
Never noticed that. That solo he does on "Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon" does sound like a bit like O'List's style of playing.
ExittheLemming wrote:
O'List handles the lead vocals on the title track (and single) from The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack album (and you can hear what a great singer he was but was reputedly so shy about singing live he steadfastly declined - shame really, as it would have applied a band-aid to their Achiles heel: the vocals on the song based material)
Personally, Lee Jackson wasn't a bad vocalist, however I admit the guy could be hit or miss. Compare say, the Live version of "Ars Longa Vita Brevis" during the show at Fairfield Hall (Sept. 29, 1968) to the studio version. The former has him delivering a larger than life performance, as if he was in some sort of swashbuckler flick. The energy on the studio version, on the other hand, is just gone.
BTW, O'List does some good singing on the original version of "Azrael" and the chorus of "Tantalising Maggie"
The studio version of Ars Longa Vita Brevis is totally useless compared to some of the bootleg live versions I've heard.
Jackson was a very good singer imo but his voice didnt really suit prog. I think they kept doing the Bob Dylan adaptions just to give him something he was good at singing. This is a good example
Joined: April 27 2004
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Posted: August 22 2011 at 13:33
The Nice were in my opinion the first full Symphonic band, but we are no longer in 1968, what was innovative on that year, sounds dated today, specially with bands that haven't aged well as The Nice.
When I make a review of their albums, I try to use a late 60's perspective.
The Nice were in my opinion the first full Symphonic band, but we are no longer in 1968, what was innovative on that year, sounds dated today, specially with bands that haven't aged well as The Nice.
When I make a review of their albums, I try to use a late 60's perspective.
Iván
Yep, I agree that context is important, but when I review an album I use a late 40's perspective.
Joined: December 01 2010
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Posted: September 05 2011 at 02:00
NickHall wrote:
I get fed up with people having a go at Emerson because he's the best. OK, Billy Ritchie was pretty good, but just because he was the first guy to do it, don't make him the best. Let's face it, he was boring next to Emerson.
I personally like both in their own ways. I don't think it's helpful or even fair to say Ritchie is boring because you prefer Emerson.
Joined: February 18 2004
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Posted: September 16 2011 at 01:37
jean-marie wrote:
Arts longa vita brevis could be the best one?....
disappointingly a very flat sounding album. I think part of the problem is that O'List left the band just before they recorded it and his guitar parts were not properly replaced. The earlier BBC radio session version of Ars Longa Vita Brevis when O'List was still present is exciting and dynamic. That excitemnt just didn't translate when they came to record it. Also they padded it out with a drum solo and an adaption of Bach's Brandenburger Concerto in order to call it a 'suite'. Its certainly an important milestone in prog history (as a statement) but the finished product was not good. Keith Emerson wasn't happy with it and that says it all.
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Posted: September 16 2011 at 02:41
richardh wrote:
jean-marie wrote:
Arts longa vita brevis could be the best one?....
disappointingly a very flat sounding album. I think part of the problem is that O'List left the band just before they recorded it and his guitar parts were not properly replaced. The earlier BBC radio session version of Ars Longa Vita Brevis when O'List was still present is exciting and dynamic. That excitemnt just didn't translate when they came to record it. Also they padded it out with a drum solo and an adaption of Bach's Brandenburger Concerto in order to call it a 'suite'. Its certainly an important milestone in prog history (as a statement) but the finished product was not good. Keith Emerson wasn't happy with it and that says it all.
Ars Longa is one of the three best Nice albums along with the debut and Five Bridges IMHO. I don't think the production is that bad, a bit quiet maybe but you can always turn the volume up and the drums sound great (listen to Brandenburger and the Karelia). Most sections of the Ars Longa suite are really good to my ears and I certainly wouldn't describe Brandenburger as 'padding', it's one of the band's strongest tracks. The melodramatic Hammond section on Prelude and the piano/percussion workout on Realisation feature some of the most exciting playing Emerson ever did. I'll agree with Richard that the dull Awakening percussion section is a major candidate for the skip button. The Karelia Suite is terrific as well, more subdued than the Five Bridges version but still with some great Hammond and drumming on it.
It's not a perfect album but it's very good. As for Keith's opinion of it, he was a musical wonder but his judgement wasn't always impeccable - he did pose for the cover of Love Beach after all.
"And now...on the drums...Mick Underwooooooooood!!!"
Joined: February 18 2004
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Posted: September 16 2011 at 15:32
Cactus Choir wrote:
richardh wrote:
jean-marie wrote:
Arts longa vita brevis could be the best one?....
disappointingly a very flat sounding album. I think part of the problem is that O'List left the band just before they recorded it and his guitar parts were not properly replaced. The earlier BBC radio session version of Ars Longa Vita Brevis when O'List was still present is exciting and dynamic. That excitemnt just didn't translate when they came to record it. Also they padded it out with a drum solo and an adaption of Bach's Brandenburger Concerto in order to call it a 'suite'. Its certainly an important milestone in prog history (as a statement) but the finished product was not good. Keith Emerson wasn't happy with it and that says it all.
Ars Longa is one of the three best Nice albums along with the debut and Five Bridges IMHO. I don't think the production is that bad, a bit quiet maybe but you can always turn the volume up and the drums sound great (listen to Brandenburger and the Karelia). Most sections of the Ars Longa suite are really good to my ears and I certainly wouldn't describe Brandenburger as 'padding', it's one of the band's strongest tracks. The melodramatic Hammond section on Prelude and the piano/percussion workout on Realisation feature some of the most exciting playing Emerson ever did. I'll agree with Richard that the dull Awakening percussion section is a major candidate for the skip button. The Karelia Suite is terrific as well, more subdued than the Five Bridges version but still with some great Hammond and drumming on it.
It's not a perfect album but it's very good. As for Keith's opinion of it, he was a musical wonder but his judgement wasn't always impeccable - he did pose for the cover of Love Beach after all.
My favourite is the self titled The Nice. The track For Example is for me just about the best thing they ever recorded. After that I would say The Five Bridges Suite is very underrated.Much prefer that to Ars Longa Vita Brevis.In general though The Nice were by all accounts an exciting live band that struggled to replicate the same intensity onto their studio recordings. A decent compilation or box set is all thats really needed to cover their career. They had their moments but thats all.
^ have to agree with this in the main. The Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack is a decent collection of psychedelia addled pop/rock tunes plus a peek at what was to come (Rondo) Ars Longa suffers from some flimsy song material on side one and the title suite is more admirable for its spirit and daring than its execution (but it certainly contains some of Emerson's finest organ playing) The third album (The Nice or As Nice as Mother Makes It in the US) is a five star belter for me and the adoption of the half studio/half live hybrid format probably indicates they knew they hadn't been able to replicate their live magic in the studio. Five Bridges is rather unjustly neglected as there's not a weak track on the critter and it's probably the most successful rock/orchestral fusion vehicle from that era. The posthumous Elegy seems to attract a lot of flak but I love that album (and who cares if Charisma wanted to cash in on the lucrative juggernaut that was ELP in 1971?)
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Posted: September 16 2011 at 17:22
Well, It'd be a dull world if we all agreed! Re the third album I actually much prefer the studio side to the live one, particularly Azrael and For Example. She Belongs to Me gets a bit repetitive and Rondo pales next to the studio original and later ELP versions. If I had to rank the original albums it would be: 1. Five Bridges 2. Ars Longa/Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack 3. Nice
[big gap]
4. Elegy
"And now...on the drums...Mick Underwooooooooood!!!"
Joined: February 18 2004
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Posted: September 17 2011 at 04:02
Cactus Choir wrote:
Well, It'd be a dull world if we all agreed! Re the third album I actually much prefer the studio side to the live one, particularly Azrael and For Example. She Belongs to Me gets a bit repetitive and Rondo pales next to the studio original and later ELP versions. If I had to rank the original albums it would be: 1. Five Bridges 2. Ars Longa/Thoughts of Emerlist Davjack 3. Nice
[big gap]
4. Elegy
I had a listen to that version of Rondo last night. I really like Lee Jackson's bass technique which I think is more sorted to the peice than Greg Lake's. Admittedly Brian 'Blinky' Davison ,although a fine drummer, was not in the class of Carl Palmer but it still stands up as a decent version imo
Joined: July 26 2008
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Posted: September 17 2011 at 04:49
ExittheLemming wrote:
^ Yep, Lake never quite mastered the finer nuances of Lee's rumpity dumpity dump* riff with ELP
*Apologies to the laymen amongst us for the arcane and technical music theory verbiage here
I wouldn't quite describe it as a 'rumpity dumpity dump', it's more of a 'dum diddy dum diddy dum'.
I think Lee's 'dum diddy dum diddy dum' is heard to maximum effect on the studio version of Rondo, serviceable though the live version is. How he keeps that galloping bass riff going for 8-plus minutes is unbelievable.
"And now...on the drums...Mick Underwooooooooood!!!"
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