Artists you have sadly neglected ....
Posted by: Guido Fawkes on 05 June 2011
Now I like folk, progressive rock, psych and other music too; I have around 3,000 albums and have been collecting them since Ipswich Town won the old first division under the greatest manager of them all: Sir Alf Ramsay (apologies I digress).
However, I sometimes start listening to an artist that I had never really bothered about before and realised what a mug I've been.
The artist in question this time is Roy Harper. Having bought Stormcock I'm amazed at how good this record is both lyrically and musically: I must have been living in Receded to have missed this all those years.
So are there artists you have discovered decades after you could have done? If so who are they?
And if you happen to be a Roy Harper fan then please could you recommend some of his other studio outings.
Many thanks to you kind sirs, and m'ams too
All the best, Guy
Guido,
not many Roy Harper fans here. However I am.
Other studio albums worth a mention, where to start.
Come out Fighting Genghis Smith
Flat, Baroque and Beserk
Lifemask
HQ
the live album : "Flashes from the Archive of Oblivion" is a must
any of the early ones really
Thanking you - I shall have a listen these albums.
So are there artists you have discovered decades after you could have done? If so who are they?
Many thanks to you kind sirs, and m'ams too
All the best, Guy
Hi Guido-
I'm a big fan of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, jazz, blues. So you would think, the following band would be a no brainer, and not sadly neglected.
Last month I bought a few albums by Led Zeppelin, had one of those OMG-what have I been missing all these years moments. What a great band. Writing really powerful, beautiful, bluesy, powerhouse rock songs, they have to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time!
A great moment of discovery, decades after the fact. Sadly, I believe there is not enough time on this green earth to fully investigate every artist who might remotely be of interest to someone. There is so much music out there . . . so little time.
Best, Max
Interestingly Max - there is some superb guitar work on a track on Harper's Stormcock - the player is uncredited, but turns out it is Mr Jimmy Page. I guess it is a good sign when you think that is pretty good and subsequently find out who it provided it. Ritchie Blackmore contributes to other records of Roy's, but apparently it is not well known on which tracks.
Led Zeppelin were a fine band, but as you say there were others to explore and so little time
Of course my favourite track is Battle of Evermore, which features the wonderful Sandy Denny on vocals - though overall, I think III is my favourite Zep record.
All the best, Guy
Two albums spring to mind, the first being Mike Oldfield QE2, the second is again Mike Oldfield Crises both came out in the early 80's and is the transitional period between contemporary folk and synth based experimentation. Both are beautiful, with crises being more ethereal, haunting. When I found them, they were all I played for months, completely disregarded everything else I had. I still love them.
Listening to EMI TV 11 on vinyl as I type (Hollies 20 golden greats) wonder what became of Jennifer Eccles?
Ah Ms Eccles perhaps she met King Midas in Reverse
I used to carry her satchels.
She used to walk by my side.
But when we got to her doorstep,
Her dad wouldn't let me inside.
All the best, Guy
The Kinks 2011 release of Arthur on vinyl
The Kinks 2011 release of Arthur on vinyl
Not just me it seems, those awfully nice Amazonian folk seem to have overlooked my copy too - perhaps this deserves another thread: what is the longest you have waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited and waited for somebody to fulfil an order.
I didn't listen to Judee Sill at all until about 4 years ago when I got the 2CD compilation. Wonderful stuff (despite the occasional analogue tape distortion, noted on the sleeve). I can see why she was ignored at the time though.
Also, the Left Banke were obviously masters of 60s baroque pop, but I only discovered them in the 90s (in a shop in Glasgow)
Hi Guido!
I'm from Russia.
By chance I've read your post and remembered Baker Gurvitz Army. called neglected by All Music.com. I'm sure you know them very well because of your 3000 albums collection. But everything may be.
This year Esoteric issued their three remastered CD that I've received recently.
I've never listened to them before. They are very accomplished guys.
I'd be glad if it helps you.
Best, vvg.
Sorry for my English.
Queens of the stone age, managed to find two of their cds in a charity shop, very very good.
Hi Guido!
I'm from Russia.
By chance I've read your post and remembered Baker Gurvitz Army. called neglected by All Music.com. I'm sure you know them very well because of your 3000 albums collection. But everything may be.
This year Esoteric issued their three remastered CD that I've received recently.
I've never listened to them before. They are very accomplished guys.
I'd be glad if it helps you.
Best, vvg.
Sorry for my English.
Hi vvg
Your English is excellent. I have two BGA albums - the first with three horseman on the cover and called simply Baker Gurvitz Army and one called Elysian Encounter. I think they are both very good records. I have some of Ginger's early work when he was with John Mayall, Graham Bond Organisation and Cream. I also have the first two albums by Gun which feature Adrian and Paul Gurvitz, although they are credited as Adrian and Paul Curtis on my records.
In my youth there was a children's TV programme called Magpie and occasionally they featured new groups. The two I remember seeing make their debuts on TV were Gun and Yes. I remember thinking Gun were much more likely to be successful than Yes and thought I was right when their stunning single Race with the Devil stormed in to the charts. However, Gun's albums didn't quite match the quality of this early single although there were great moments. Yes, of course, went on to massive acclaim with my favourite of theirs being the third album known as The Yes Album. I liked most of the Yes material up until Topographic Oceans, which I never quite got the hang of.
However, Adrian and Paul Gurvitz left Gun to form Three Man Army and I have none of their records, so perhaps worth investigating. However, when the brothers joined Ginger then it had to be worth checking out and indeed it was.
Thanks for reminding me about BGA - I've just dug out the albums and started to have a listen again and they sound as good as ever.
All the best, Guy
I have the first two BGA albums on vinyl.
I played one to death when it came out brilliant album.
Magpie,That takes me back.I sold Susan Stranks a system in London in 74.
Also my girlfriend went on the Magpie filmed summer tv break African safari.
Stu
Thanks for reminding me about BGA - I've just dug out the albums and started to have a listen again
Have you got, like, everything?
Hi Guido!
I'm from Russia.
By chance I've read your post and remembered Baker Gurvitz Army. called neglected by All Music.com. I'm sure you know them very well because of your 3000 albums collection. But everything may be.
This year Esoteric issued their three remastered CD that I've received recently.
I've never listened to them before. They are very accomplished guys.
I'd be glad if it helps you.
Best, vvg.
Sorry for my English.
Hi vvg
Your English is excellent. I have two BGA albums - the first with three horseman on the cover and called simply Baker Gurvitz Army and one called Elysian Encounter. I think they are both very good records. I have some of Ginger's early work when he was with John Mayall, Graham Bond Organisation and Cream. I also have the first two albums by Gun which feature Adrian and Paul Gurvitz, although they are credited as Adrian and Paul Curtis on my records.
In my youth there was a children's TV programme called Magpie and occasionally they featured new groups. The two I remember seeing make their debuts on TV were Gun and Yes. I remember thinking Gun were much more likely to be successful than Yes and thought I was right when their stunning single Race with the Devil stormed in to the charts. However, Gun's albums didn't quite match the quality of this early single although there were great moments. Yes, of course, went on to massive acclaim with my favourite of theirs being the third album known as The Yes Album. I liked most of the Yes material up until Topographic Oceans, which I never quite got the hang of.
However, Adrian and Paul Gurvitz left Gun to form Three Man Army and I have none of their records, so perhaps worth investigating. However, when the brothers joined Ginger then it had to be worth checking out and indeed it was.
Thanks for reminding me about BGA - I've just dug out the albums and started to have a listen again and they sound as good as ever.
All the best, Guy
Hi Guido.
Thanks a lot for such an informative post.
Especially about so legend groups featuring on the children's TV program.
I guess you know all regarding music and it's very difficult to find something you don't know.
I've just thought about one more person. It's Barbara Dennerlein. May be you know her too.
I like her jazzy "Love Letters" very much.
Best regards, vvg
Thanks for reminding me about BGA - I've just dug out the albums and started to have a listen again
Have you got, like, everything?
He has no Neil Young/Dire Straits/Phil Collins/Steely Dan/ Porcupine Tree/Fink and a few other albums.
He is always open to try music he has never heard before though.
Guido is a great musical mind for albums one had in the past and forgotten about.
Over the last six years he has cost me a load of money.
But given me so much music to dig up and enjoy again.
I have alot to thank him for.
He has become a good friend off forum also.
Stu
If anyone has not heard one of the two Dan Arborise albums?
Do not neglect this mans work.
This is his first album.His second is as good if not better ,Linn now have him and are doing a Hi Deff download of the second album.
Stu
Please dont neglect this man.
Thanks for reminding me about BGA - I've just dug out the albums and started to have a listen again
Have you got, like, everything?
He has no Neil Young/Dire Straits/Phil Collins/Steely Dan/ Porcupine Tree/Fink and a few other albums.
.....
Stu
Not quite, but pretty close
Neil Young appears on Deja Vu which I have - it is an ex-Hollies Graham Nash record where he is supported by David Crosby and Stephen Stills as well as Neil. I also have a Buffalo Springfield record with Mr Young on it ... I don't dislike his songs and tunes, but not keen on his vocal, which I feel is an acquired taste - he does come across as a fine fellow though.
Dire Straits - think you are right there - only trace I can find is on a hi-fi test record - did have some records, but didn't like them so gave them away.
PC - he is on some Peter Gabriel/Genesis albums that I own and if you don't watch out he sneaks in on other recordings - he does not come across as a fine fellow though. I don't like his vocals at all and find his drumming overly intrusive; he is no Ringo.
Steely Dan - I have Can't Buy A Thrill, Countdown to Ecstasy, Pretzel Logic on vinyl and Graucho and Aja on CD. I quite like them even if they are not one of my most favourite groups.
PT - only a live album donated by a forum member () - unfortunately, I can't get in to them. Only modern prog-rock groups I've really got are the Ozric Tentacles and Nightwish. I can't explain this.
Fink - no I have nothing by them, but not really listened to them - who knows I may like 'em,
Frank Sinatra - no and don't suppose I ever will - sorry but crooner along with rap and hip-hop are musical genres beyond my comprehension as indeed are groups such as Mötley Crüe. Possibly says more about me than those artists
The artists that appear most frequently in my collection are The Beatles (especially Sir Paul), Sir Keith Emerson, Ray Davies, Christy Moore, Sandy Denny, Frank Zappa, HMHB, Scott Walker and Dame Shirley Collins, Robert Calvert and Chas & Dave - I think in that order, but not completely sure.
All the best, Guy
PS I think many forum members have far more extensive collections
Quote by Guido:- he is no Ringo
No PC can play more than one thing on the drums.
Have you tried Spock's Beard for a bit of modernish prog?
Gentle Giant. I listened to brief bits of them back then and thought htey were insubstantial and not to be bothered with. Then a few years ago the combination of relentless pressure from Stuart Maconie and Goose (late of this manor) persuaded me otherwise.
They take a lot of getting into (lots of tricky time signatures) but well worth it.
Kaleidoscope (UK psych version). Far too tuney (what? why?) for me back in the 60s. I tried them again in the 00s and was utterly bowled over by their (and their reincarnation as Fairfield Parlour) magnificence.
To both groups I humbly apologise for not buying their albums when it might have made a difference.
I love both Gentle Giant (it is all about Acquiring the Taste rather than casting them as Pretentious For the Sake of it) and especially Kaleidoscope (Tangerine Dream and Faintly Blowing are superb) and metamorphosing into Fairfield Parlour they are set to appear on TOTP playing the marvellous Bordeaux Rose, but then Teddy Teeth was PM and that meant 3 day weeks so Fairfield Parlour got the chop and a great song failed to chart.
Teddy Teeth is, of course, my reference to a song by another sadly neglected band - Third World War who released two fine elpees TWW and TWW 2. I think they are still available on CD as are some solo records by their main man Terry Stamp. The other song writer from TWW was Jim Avery who, if my memory serves me well, was with John DuCann in the Attack before John went on to form Andromeda and then join ex-Crazy World of Arthur Brown Man, Vincent Crane, in the second incarnation of the Atomic Rooster. John wrote Devil's Answer, which was such a great song it annoyed Vince that he had written it, so he sacked John even going as far as to edit his contribution out of some tracks on the In The Hearing Of sessions.
Another sadly neglected group is Nirvana - I mean the real Nirvana with Patrick Campbell Lyons (not the American band that came much later and took the same name; I haven't got any of their records by the way as not really that keen). However, the true Nirvana released some marvellous records including To Markos III.
All the best, Guy
Quote by Guido:- he is no Ringo
No PC can play more than one thing on the drums.
Have you tried Spock's Beard for a bit of modernish prog?
Ah, but Ringo was star ...
Haven't really listened much to SB - I'd kind of given up on modern prog (some say after being seen by my mates coming out of a Styx gig), but I'll give SB a listen
All the best Guy
Dear vgg
you say > I've just thought about one more person. It's Barbara Dennerlein. May be you know her too.I like her jazzy "Love Letters" very much.
I'm unfamiliar with her work, but will give it a go.
All the best, Guy
The real Nirvana were excellent, from an era when pop wasn't sneered at and boundaries were there to be broken. <sniffle>