hsut@ecn-ee.UUCP (09/04/84)
#N:ecn-ee:17400005:000:1557 ecn-ee!hsut Sep 3 11:58:00 1984 While this is still a hot topic, here are more good bands nobody seems to have heard of... Marillion Plugged often as " the Genesis of the 80's ", they combine complex song structures and raw energy and instrumental virtuosity in their first two albums 'Script for a Jester's Tear' and 'Fugazi'. They have brought early 70's style Art Rock up-to-date with contemporary concerns and a much wider palette of sounds. Fans of the old Art Rock will enjoy the Steve Hackett-type guitars and the layered keyboards. Any Trouble Pure infectious fun and bouncy rockers on their first album. Their sound is clean, stripped-down "pop rock". Their later albums are supposed to be inferior, but I haven't heard them... Renaissance Back when art rock was still respectable, there was a band called Renaissance with a wonderful female vocalist and a brilliant keyboard player who rivalled Keith Emerson on the piano. They made great albums with orchestra (which put the Moody Blues to shame) like 'Sheherazade' (excuse spelling) and 'Song For All Seasons'. Unfortunately they tried to change their image in the late 70's and seem to have degenerated into mediocrity... Bill Hsu pur-ee!hsut
marantz@null.DEC (Josh HL01-1/S07 DTN 225-4835) (09/07/84)
While this is still a hot topic, here are more good bands nobody seems to have heard of... Marillion Plugged often as " the Genesis of the 80's ", they combine complex song structures and raw energy and instrumental virtuosity in their first two albums 'Script for a Jester's Tear' and 'Fugazi'. They have brought early 70's style Art Rock up-to-date with contemporary concerns and a much wider palette of sounds. Fans of the old Art Rock will enjoy the Steve Hackett-type guitars and the layered keyboards. Anyone have any more information on Marillion? This is just the kind of band I like to investigate. Your description sounds a lot like descriptions I've read about Gentle Giant, which is my entry in the great unknown bands parade. They're not really unknown, they definitely have (had) a substantial cult following. I think their musical virtuosity and their unique style place them in a class with the likes of King Crimson. They never seemed to enjoy the popularity of other art/progressive rock bands of that era, for a variety of reasons. The main reason is that much of their material was SO bizzare and eclectic that even a Crimson fan couldn't listen to it. A good example of this is the aptly named "Knots" on Octopus. Nevertheless, they produced a lot of music which I think is comparable to the best art rock of that period, particularly Free Hand and most of Octopus. You have to listen to it with an open mind, though, and even then, one listen may not be enough to begin to appreciate it. My other explanation for their relative obscurity was that their band members were mostly unknowns. I know I only learned about King Crimson because of John Wetton and Bill Bruford. Back to Marmillion, are their albums in print? What label and what year are they? Anyone know? -Joshua D. Marantz USENET decvax!decwrl!rhea!null!marantz ARPA "decvax!decwrl!rhea!null!marantz"@berkeley DEC ENET NULL::MARANTZ
nxs@fluke.UUCP (Bruce Golub) (09/17/84)
In reference to the mention of finding great (if unknown) bands by the listing of personel, I would like to suggest that you listen to U.K. and the Bill Bufford band. U.K. featured: Bill Bufford; on drums and percussion. Allen Holdsworth; guitars. John Wetton; bass and vocals (vocals?). Dave Stewart (Oringinally polanned to be Rick Wakemans replacement in YES); on keyboards. Bill Buffords band featured: Jeff Berlin; on bass (the man is awesome). Eddie Jobson(sp?); on keybords and violin. Well thats all for now. Bruce Golub John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.
gmk@uicsl.UUCP (09/21/84)
> /**** uicsl:net.music / nxs@tpvax / 1:36 pm Sep 19, 1984 ****/ > U.K. featured: > > Bill Bufford; on drums and percussion. > Allen Holdsworth; guitars. > John Wetton; bass and vocals (vocals?). > Dave Stewart (Oringinally polanned to be Rick Wakemans replacement in YES); > on keyboards. > > Bill Buffords band featured: > > Jeff Berlin; on bass (the man is awesome). > Eddie Jobson(sp?); on keybords and violin. > > Bruce Golub > John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc. First of all, the man's name is *Bruford*, not Bufford. Second of all, you have the personnel mixed up: U.K.: Eddie Jobson: Keyboards, Violin Bill Bruford: Drums (later replaced by Terry Bozzio) Allan Holdsworth: Guitar (left to join Bruford; not replaced) John Wetton: Bass, Vocals. Bruford: Bill Bruford: Drums Allan Holdsworth: Guitar (later replaced by "the Unknown" John Clarke) Dave Stewart: Keyboards Jeff Berlin: Bass, Vocals Annette Peacock did the vocals on the first Bruford album, "Feels Good to Me". Their second album, "One of a Kind", was totally instrumental and also their best. Jeff Berlin started singing on their third album, "Gradually Going Tornado" (the first album to feature Clarke); he shouldn't have. The band has one other album, "The Bruford Tapes", which comprises new versions of old material. I agree with your assessment of Jeff Berlin as one of the finest rock bassists around. I didn't know that Stewart was ever in the running for YES, but U.K. evolved out of a proposed "super group" to be called Wakeman, Bruford, and Wetton. The proposal was killed when the three different record companies involved got wind of it. I had heard that Vangelis was YES' first choice for the job that eventually went to Patrick Moraz. -------------------- "You'll see...Perpetual Change!" Gary Koob pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsg!gmk
myers@uwvax.ARPA (Jeff Myers) (09/23/84)
While not exactly unknown, most people I know (even those older than my meager 25 years) have never heard of Mountain, with Leslie West and Felix Papalardi (sp?). Puts all heavy metal after them to shame.
ag4@pucc-h (Jeff Lewis) (09/25/84)
> Annette Peacock did the vocals on the first Bruford album, > "Feels Good to Me". Their second album, "One of a Kind", > was totally instrumental and also their best. > Jeff Berlin started singing on their third album, > "Gradually Going Tornado" (the first album to feature Clarke); > he shouldn't have. The band has one other album, "The Bruford > Tapes", which comprises new versions of old material. Hey, don't listen to this guy, I like Jeff Berlin's voice, it has a nice texture that, I think, adds to the songs he sings on (esp. 'Plans for Judgement Day' and 'Gothic 17' and 'Age of Communication' and ... well you get the idea). I heartily recommend the album, it has a very unique feel that's somehow not bizarre-sounding (of course that's coming from a guy with a strong background in 'art' rock (e.g. Yes, Genesis, etc). O.k., o.k., lot's of vague subjective words: I don't know how to describe it, I just like it! -- Jeff Lewis {decvax|ucbvax|allegra|seismo|harpo|teklabs|ihnp4}!pur-ee!lewie