psuvm%d3u@psuvax.UUCP (04/07/84)
you about other alternatives to three minute rock'n'roll.Of course we are all
aware of Yes and Renaissance,but perhaps the best art rock group was Gentle Gi-
ant.They mixed hard and soft rock with classical from Mideval to avant garde
and produced soft,intriguing impressions and really burned out heavy metal-even
in the same song.One of the best things about them was their Baroque vocals.The
album Free Hand is a good intro to GG.It features 20th cent,Baroque,and good ol
rock'n'roll freaked out Giant style.The live album is also recommended.For head
bangers Aquiring the Taste has acid abrasive metal mixed with chamber music and
changes from gentle to loud.Octopus and Glass House are good,too.
Now to New Age Music.This is an overly broad catch-all term.Some of it is
"neo-ethnic"progressive folk and some is totally synthesizer.Most of it is not
well known and would not fit well on most commercial radio.You'll have to look
for imports and independent labels.
Vangelis and Jean Michel Jarre are among the more popular artists.Listen
to Heaven and Hell or Albedo by Vangelis.Beaubourg is recommended for lovers of
abstract electronic music.
Steve Hillage is good for rock'nrollers,covering space,folk,Eastern,new
wave,and jazz.He used to be with Gong (similar mix of styles),RECOMMENDED are
Fish Rising,Live Herald(rockier),L(Todd Rundgren and Utopia),and Rainbow Dome
(space,meditation) by Hillage.From Gong,You,Angel Egg,Flying Teapot,Live,and
Floating Anarchy are good.Also David Aellen's solo albums are fun.
Tangerine Dream is more classical sounding,especially early albums.Highly
recommended is the Alpha Centauri/Atem double set.lots of synthesized orchestra
sound,AC has some jazz influence and is meditatively spacey,Atem is tighter and
more rhythmic. Midperiod lp's have are less like space symphony.Rubicon is Mike
Oldfieldish.Phaedra is less so.Stratosfear is a step toward wider audience but
portions still sound like Environments records.Force Majeure and Encore are
good.Thief and Exit are good for those with more mainstream tastes and think PF
The Wall is a space album.But PF Atom Heart Mother,Echoes,Saucerful,UmmaGumma
influenced Tangerine Dream.
That's it for now.More to come.
(Normally,I'm a vector but sometimes
I lack direction)Ray