I know links to other stuff probably get deleted, but I just wanted to say GREAT review and for the most part I agree! ESPECIALLY about F&C! But since you LOVED Better Off Better Off kicks it right out of the gate with that staccato, tight hard funk riff that recalls the tone of Come Again era Thornley. It’s a call back to Come Again, but instead of stomping it has a pinchier, funkier rhythm. I immediately thought of Nuno Bettencourt and Extreme, but pre-Extreme was Steve Morse and the Dixie Dreggs. It is evident Ian has been a Morse fan forever. PERFECT hot licks, compressed, limited, pinchy, however you want to describe it, that teases in the left channel. That zippery middle flourish and bounce to the right channel which then explodes echoey wide, full force as the drums drop. That’s detail that probably gets lost on a single bluetooth speaker in the yard, but on headphones or a quality audio setup grabs your head and turns it. That world class production is just ANOTHER layer of hooks. The stammering funk rhythm of course reminds me of passages of Kings X, drops it hard. The way Dave, Ian and Sekou lock in brings to mind the three X’rs explicitly and Zeps proto funk breakdowns historically. How that hard, chunky movement turns so buttery smooth into the chorus is a wonder! In an instant we’re dipped into the sweet chorus river of vocal melody, listening to syrupy “oooooo words” and “ding dongs” that draw deep from U2! The transition from hard to soft, pointed to soothing and the way the bass line and drumming shifts to a near shuffle is GREAT! And that chorus ending line “Better off with than without” FINALLY just hit me! I am pretty dense so I guess until I could actually READ it I didn’t get it. The way Ian thinks rhythmically and sound shape first on the lyrics and how he sings it masked the meaning for me. We are better of WITH the thing, than WITHOUT the thing.... whatever that thing is! So it repeats with more layers adding Tyler and Dave and more lush ding dongs.... and then the breakdown funk bounce. They go full Morse-meets-Ty-Dug interspersed with the chimey Edge rhythm foolery. Those deep drop D? bends add that wooziness that loosens the funk. I swear Ian writes like a dancer. Then comes the full U2 treatment that builds and builds around that echoed delay pattern.... like a frilly towering confectionery creation rising to an Ian scream only to be chopped down with that buzzing sharp staccato riff. After that head-turning-neck-breaking funk and syrup sandwich we get Sekou’s Easter egg . Like he just looked up from that furious exercise and saw the audience in full jaw-on-the-floor mode.... and casually drops his “Oh, hi there!”.
the song missing from the discussion is If All Else Fails - the first song on the first of the three EPs. The intro is great - reminiscint (not a word i can spell) of Shine On You Crazy Diamond and the background spins forward - sounds excellent. The intro riff was talked about by Rick Beato a good year or two before it became the sogn we know. video here: th-cam.com/video/eMhbhH-tR5s/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=RickBeato if i had any complaint - is that after the intro riff it goes into familiar power chord territory where I would have loved to see ian take this song on a more arpeggionic (i just made that word up) journey. But the chorus is phenomonal and after it - the song heads back into the intro riff which is brilliant song writing. all in all, i think If All Else Fails deserves some recognition from the batch '7' songs.
My favorite band for the last 25 years! There isn’t even a close second. I agree with most of your takes. Only tune that you didn’t mention that has absolutely destroyed me…Haunted. These EPs are nothing less than epic! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on them!
My favourite style of music is progressive, favouring neo-prog for the strong melodic content. I fit Big Wreck in there because I categorize them for myself as "neo-prog-hard rock". The best progressive music for me has to take influences from everywhere. They can do Zeppelin style, RUSH style, Genesis style, and yes even Marillion style (All My Fears In You). Then throw in Sting, Rolling Stones, ZZ Top, AC/DC, Ry Cooder etc... Good music is good music, and Ian Thornley lets it all filter through himself to create his own brilliant hybrid that sounds different than anything else. He's like a master fusion chef. Then he gets other great musicians who feel the same way to play in his band. Who has more fun on stage than Dave MacMillan?! The joy of music. No labels, no limits. If it feels good do it, and do it right. Hangers On, Haunted, Rye Bread, High On The Hog, The House, are current favourites. This opinion brought to you by the letter "H", mostly. "Wreck-On"!
I know links to other stuff probably get deleted, but I just wanted to say GREAT review and for the most part I agree!
ESPECIALLY about F&C! But since you LOVED Better Off
Better Off kicks it right out of the gate with that staccato, tight hard funk riff that recalls the tone of Come Again era Thornley. It’s a call back to Come Again, but instead of stomping it has a pinchier, funkier rhythm. I immediately thought of Nuno Bettencourt and Extreme, but pre-Extreme was Steve Morse and the Dixie Dreggs. It is evident Ian has been a Morse fan forever.
PERFECT hot licks, compressed, limited, pinchy, however you want to describe it, that teases in the left channel. That zippery middle flourish and bounce to the right channel which then explodes echoey wide, full force as the drums drop. That’s detail that probably gets lost on a single bluetooth speaker in the yard, but on headphones or a quality audio setup grabs your head and turns it. That world class production is just ANOTHER layer of hooks.
The stammering funk rhythm of course reminds me of passages of Kings X, drops it hard. The way Dave, Ian and Sekou lock in brings to mind the three X’rs explicitly and Zeps proto funk breakdowns historically.
How that hard, chunky movement turns so buttery smooth into the chorus is a wonder! In an instant we’re dipped into the sweet chorus river of vocal melody, listening to syrupy “oooooo words” and “ding dongs” that draw deep from U2! The transition from hard to soft, pointed to soothing and the way the bass line and drumming shifts to a near shuffle is GREAT!
And that chorus ending line “Better off with than without” FINALLY just hit me! I am pretty dense so I guess until I could actually READ it I didn’t get it. The way Ian thinks rhythmically and sound shape first on the lyrics and how he sings it masked the meaning for me. We are better of WITH the thing, than WITHOUT the thing.... whatever that thing is!
So it repeats with more layers adding Tyler and Dave and more lush ding dongs.... and then the breakdown funk bounce. They go full Morse-meets-Ty-Dug interspersed with the chimey Edge rhythm foolery. Those deep drop D? bends add that wooziness that loosens the funk. I swear Ian writes like a dancer.
Then comes the full U2 treatment that builds and builds around that echoed delay pattern.... like a frilly towering confectionery creation rising to an Ian scream only to be chopped down with that buzzing sharp staccato riff.
After that head-turning-neck-breaking funk and syrup sandwich we get Sekou’s Easter egg . Like he just looked up from that furious exercise and saw the audience in full jaw-on-the-floor mode.... and casually drops his “Oh, hi there!”.
Thanks man! I really appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment. Especially leaving this written review, killer. Thank you 🤘🏻
the song missing from the discussion is If All Else Fails - the first song on the first of the three EPs. The intro is great - reminiscint (not a word i can spell) of Shine On You Crazy Diamond and the background spins forward - sounds excellent.
The intro riff was talked about by Rick Beato a good year or two before it became the sogn we know. video here: th-cam.com/video/eMhbhH-tR5s/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=RickBeato
if i had any complaint - is that after the intro riff it goes into familiar power chord territory where I would have loved to see ian take this song on a more arpeggionic (i just made that word up) journey.
But the chorus is phenomonal and after it - the song heads back into the intro riff which is brilliant song writing. all in all, i think If All Else Fails deserves some recognition from the batch '7' songs.
My favorite band for the last 25 years! There isn’t even a close second.
I agree with most of your takes. Only tune that you didn’t mention that has absolutely destroyed me…Haunted. These EPs are nothing less than epic! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on them!
Thanks for taken the time to watch and comment Marc!
Great video. My top 5 from 7 are...
1. Haunted
2. Haunted
3. Haunted
4. Haunted
5. The House
My favourite style of music is progressive, favouring neo-prog for the strong melodic content. I fit Big Wreck in there because I categorize them for myself as "neo-prog-hard rock". The best progressive music for me has to take influences from everywhere. They can do Zeppelin style, RUSH style, Genesis style, and yes even Marillion style (All My Fears In You). Then throw in Sting, Rolling Stones, ZZ Top, AC/DC, Ry Cooder etc... Good music is good music, and Ian Thornley lets it all filter through himself to create his own brilliant hybrid that sounds different than anything else. He's like a master fusion chef. Then he gets other great musicians who feel the same way to play in his band. Who has more fun on stage than Dave MacMillan?! The joy of music. No labels, no limits. If it feels good do it, and do it right. Hangers On, Haunted, Rye Bread, High On The Hog, The House, are current favourites. This opinion brought to you by the letter "H", mostly. "Wreck-On"!
"the letter "H"" I noticed that HA!
They're just the best aren't they!??
Great band. Excellent live.