There are two eras of my life: before I heard Cardiacs and after I heard Cardiacs. So happy that you mentioned them. To say I love them is an understatement. God bless Tim Smith, The Leader of the Starry Skies.
I absolutely love Todd Rundgren, one of my favorite artists of all time, and his music is so heartfelt and fearlessly honest while being quirky, innovative and creative.
I'm a big fan of TR but it's almost like a roulette if a new album will be any good from him but I respect that he doesn't want to keep doing the same music...but he's done imo 4 or 5 solidly great albums
I realize that I’m commenting on an old video, but having seen many of them at this point, I’m surprised that there is no mention of TOOL. Absolutely a paragon of contemporary Prog/Metal. Also, Traffic! In my broad view, Traffic were very much a progressive rock band. From your neck of the woods as well, no? Anyway, love your channel. Thanks for pushing the improvisational and philosophical elements.
So happy to hear John Martyn mentioned on this Couldn’t Love you More I played for my girlfriend She Painted me copy Of the cover of One World We had it played at our wedding , and 30 years later we still listen to him A singular talent And huge part of my life
Yay, Great you mentioned Captain Beefheart. On leaving school and starting work in 1973, I bought 3 albums over about a month. The spotlight kid. Birds of fire. And No pussyfooting. All new to me, all blew my mind and particularly with Birds of fire, set me on the path I've been on till this day.
Leprous 🤘 Their albums are all different but you can still recognise them. Few bands have the ability to change that much without losing their identity and signature.
As an afterthought, what about the very wonderful Ozric Tentacles? They've been going to my knowledge since the 80's. First time I heard them, I thought I was listening to Gong. They're basically a psychedelic "jam" band. However, imo along the way, they've produced more than just a few gems. My personal favourites are "Become the Other" and "The Hidden Step". Both of those CDs are immaculate throughout. Some worthy mentions are Erpland and Curious Corn. There are a few others that escape me for now, but their catalogue is huge and they are still a going concern with Ed Wynne (Guitar and Keys) leading the way. 👌
Dregs! Outstanding! Lucky enough to meet Steve Morse back in 1992, a completely overlooked and forgotten band. I agree 100%. Strange how some bands age better than others. Thank you.
The Dregs were absolutely amazing. Night of the Living Dregs is a truly unique album, and not just because of the one side live, one side studio format, which had been done before. There's just something about the composition of those songs, where one from the live side ties into one from the studio side and back & forth. And fortuitously enough, the live set from that album, recorded at Montreux in '78, I think, is recorded for all posterity in delicious black & white film. "Leprechaun Promenade" is immortal.
I’ve seen Steve Morse and the Dregs many times. Morse is an awesome guitarist, and the band is really interesting and unique. They played homecoming at my college when I was a sophomore in ‘79-‘80. Jazz, fusion, rock, country, blues, bluegrass, southern rock…. Rod Morganstein was/is a great drummer. A buddy of mine in college was the spitting image of Andy West, the Dregs’ bassist. Allen Sloan is now a doctor and still plays occasionally, but he was replaced for a bit by Jerry Goodman from Mahavishnu Orchestra. Wow, Goodman was good! Morse used to teach Sloan his violin parts on the guitar. LOL. There are not many better guitarists than Morse, if any…. They and Kansas ARE part of my DNA.
@@reidwhitton6248 Really? I will look it up...but I really, really love the black & whiteness of the original. It just fits on so many levels. We all know the essential sh*tty-ness of on-demand, full Technicolor Americana. Please let the ancient Black & White be the demise of that still undigested colon blockage...
The Dream Theatre gig mentioned, I attended as well. Halfway through the Dream Theatre set I decided get a breather from the gut wrenching base that was attempting to rearrange my lungs. While I was in the toilet I became aware of Steven Wilson standing next to me. He glanced around at me and mouthed the word 'loud' which my lungs could verify. I never expected to meet one of my music heroes in the urinals of a public convenience. Your comments on Camel are spot on and I'd include Barclay James Harvest and The Enid in that soft prog category as well. Keep up the insightful work.
I love John Martyn and Pentangle for the same reasons you do. I recall all those BBC college shows he did in the 70s.. just magical. Like you say when you reach 54 (which I am next month) you know there isn't time to waste and there is so much out there.... e.g. Brazilian music (which I adore ever since I bought the Brazilica LP on Talkin Loud) , classical and so on... I still come across the odd bit of magic here and there... like an undiscovered LP on ECM, JAPO or Enja or some modern pop music with unusual chord changes... and its all on TH-cam... all at our fingertips... though I do miss that feeling of getting LPs from the local library... :)
OMG! Captain Beefheart!! I don't know how I fell into that rabbit hole, but I did, and I was hooked. For me, Trout Mask Replica and Clear Spot were my favorites. Glad to hear him mentioned.
I'm a big Todd Rundgren fan. The trio of albums of "A Wizard A True Star/Todd/TR's Utopia" is just killer. And all feature one of my favorite drummers from that time, Kevin Ellman. Actually, I don't think he's credited on "AWATS", but some of the playing on that album sure sounds like him. After the Utopia album, he left both the band and music, becoming a financial planner. Funny thing, I happened across an interview with Neil Peart a couple of years ago where he was asked about some of his favorite drummers. I was floored when mentioned Kevin Ellman.
A Wizard a True Star was John Siomos for drums. Kevin Ellman! What a great player - he still plays great today as evidenced on the Utopia reunion back in 2011. John Siegler on bass was fantastic too. They still play just not for all of their living.
You're so right that certain music means particular things to us at a certain time in our lives. I think in the end it's not even about the music... it's about us and what we are needing at the time. It's just a question of whether or not what we are needing to hear is available. We're made to need certain things at certain times in our lives.
This is a great video - and thanks for it! As a subscriber who has been watching (gladly and learning a lot) every video you upload, I demand: you have to make at least one more video on artists you never mention on your channel! 1) Henry Cow: they are British like you! You've never even mentioned (as far as I can tell) Fred Frith and Chris Cutler, when talking about guitar players and drummers. 2) Can, Faust, Neu! (to mention only the main ones): you've said on some video they are not progressive bands, but "alternative". I don't get it, but ok. I'd welcome your thoughts on them (and other German bands like Cluster, Popol Vuh, Embryo, Tangerine Dream, Guru Guru, and so on)! Best regards and keep the videos coming, because we love them!
You, (Andy) and I look at music in many similar ways. Sometimes it hits you just right. Sometimes you have to work with it. We love a lot of the same bands. A good word for Camel, I think is, "safe." I like them. but they don't blow your socks off. Cardiacs are absolutely, one of my favorite bands. "Sing to God" is the album I would start with. Porcupine Tree, love 'em. Magma is hard to get into. Same with Trout Mask Replica. But I understand their value. I really dig Bat Chain Puller though.
Hawkwind are my go-to band if I can't think of what to play. Their extraordinary longevity, Their originality and their exploration of genres. Space Ritual is, in my opinion, the greatest live rock album ever made. It wasn't just album tracks or singles. It was an event; an experience, with new tracks that had never appeared on studio albums, extended jams and abject weirdness. Oh! And there was Stacia. Truly great.
Yes, Space Ritual is incredible. I am seeing Hawkwind in Chepstow in August..50 years and 2 months after I first saw them play the Space Ritual live in Barnstaple Queens Hall. No way would I have believed it back then to see them 50 years on and Dave Brock would not have believed it either.. he is 81..Long live Hawkwind .
Another great list, Andy! Given that I was familiar with all the artists except for Cardiacs, I'm taking that as a sign that I need to investigate them, so thanks for that as well. Happy to hear you mention Beefheart, Todd and the Dregs in particular. Keep up the great work - really enjoy your channel!👍🏼
The Cardiacs are a great band. Yes, they did create their own world and it’s a wonderful musical world to live in for a time. Try to start with the album “A Man and a house and the whole world window”. R.I.P. Tim Smith.
Yes, tragic irony concerning Tim Smith. He had a big influence on a lot of musicians as far back as the 70’s. Steve Wilson had mentioned him, if I recall correctly.
@@monsieurlehigh4912 You are absolutely right. Even today, at the age of almost 75 years , he still is a charismatic personality and a brilliant musician.
One of the best music dissectors doing this...please keep it up! -Trout Mask Replica is almost entirely pre scripted (basically no improv) executed by players who, in an early stage of development are learning and rehearsing exhaustively to make the album. Bitches Brew was made by much more experienced players who were pushed to improvise in an environment where they could be fired for practicing solos. I think Van Vliet branched out after TMR, but there are things on that album that don't show up later on. It may also be one of those albums where many would contend that improvement isn't really possible. He's been all over the place, but a compilation of Beefheart instrumentals does a good job of backing up claims of him being a genius. -Won't claim Camel is apex stuff, but it's hard to believe you'd think they don't rock if the first album you heard was Mirage instead of Snow Goose. -Maybe check out the Lockwood /Vander /Top /Widemann Fusion disc if Magma doesn't click for you, (Dun is great too). -Get the first Long Hello album to catch a good VDGG extension. -Univers Zero, Can, Thinking Plague, Tipographica and maybe quite a few others deserve some future coverage from you as well.
I do agree with you about the Dregs being somewhat of a more straightforward version of Mahavishnu Orchestra, but for me it's not just the "darkness" in the sound of the Orchestra that sets them apart, I actually think the way they blended indian music in their jazz rock is the most unique aspect of their sound (and the dark mood of it is a byproduct). The fact you are not that into Camel and Floyd yet you like Crimson, Genesis, Wilson, Miles and Coltrane sounds a bit like the noodling around is not necesarily what turns you off, but the more straightforward blues sound of such noodling. Goes to show how subjective tastes are, big kudos for always acknowledging it in your vids.
I have a band that I discovered 20 years ago. It's Californian it's early prog rock and they have vibes. It's the group Spirit. Listen to 12 Dreams of Dr Sardonicous.
Andy, King Crimson's Larks Tongues in Aspic did exactly the same for me as Birds of Fire did for you as I went through a mid-teen breakdown. High school is a mass crime against humanity. Birds of Fire was also a favourite at the time, but it had a more organic and less neurotic kind of darkness.
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer I first encountered BoF because I couldn't concentrate on schoolwork . The lyrics distracted me. So I asked the guy in the record shop to recommend an instrumental album and it was Birds of Fire. Loved the title track and One Word but I didn't get most of it. Still, it was the only instrumental album I had and my ear adjusted, softening me up for LTIA. LTIA Pt 1 was so important to me that I had to cover it (a "noise" version haha)
Never apologize Andy. I know nothing about jazz and truly don’t know the difference between jazz and jazz fusion, but I can binge watch your videos. You love this stuff so deeply and it’s so important in your life and it’s just a treat to hear you rant and rave and explain your feelings and thoughts about it all. Thanks again.
Here's something I dug up: "One of the highlights of Captain Beefheart’s 1968 tour of the UK was the concert at Frank Freeman’s Dance Club in Kidderminster. Fortunately, legendary DJ John Peel brought his tape recorder and recorded four brilliant numbers from the show which appear on this album along with four other tracks from that era. Pride of place on the front cover of the LP goes to one of the recently discovered 1968 screen printed posters for the Frank Freeman’s Beefheart show. With Beefheart coming from a country where band names like Quicksilver Messenger Service and Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen were de rigeur, when Peel told Captain Beefheart he was driving him to a concert venue in Kidderminster called Frank Freeman’s Dance Club, Beefheart said 'What a groovy name' thinking it was in the same hippy west coast vibe as the aforementioned bands. Peel explained it wasn’t a groovy name but simply a Dance Club run by Frank Freeman." So it's actually on record. Neat.
Thank you, Andy, for the time you dedicate to your educational mission. We should all be so incredibly grateful for the intimate, honest, and detailed insights of someone who is INSIDE the Prog/Fusion world! MEGA KUDOS and eternal thanks, Mr. Edwards!
Ah, the Victoria Hall! Seen so many bands there in my misspent youth. Magnum was one, and there was another one that was really sodding loud and I can remember my ears ringing afterwards. Can't remember the band though, probably something my boyfriend wanted to see.
I too have only got into Cardiacs more recently (very recently actually) and they are a tough nut to crack, but I keep coming back to the A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window album. I think as an aside to what you were talking about towards the end of the video is that between the ages of say 15-25 (give or take a few years either side) is when we'll discover our favourite bands/artists and a lot of favourite albums of all time will be heard in that time; it certainly is the case for me as my top 10, actually probably my top 20 favourite albums haven't really changed in the last 15 years (I'm 40 now). I'd say that's the time when people that really love music are developing their personal taste, broadening their palette and everything is new and exciting, and it's also when you're discovering who you are as a person. But when you get older it's much harder for "new" music (be it actually new or just older music you hadn't heard before) to impress, to reach that favourite status as by this stage you've heard so much music of all kinds that it all becomes comparable to something else; "this is alright but it kinda sounds like this band mixed with that band but not quite as good", cause when you're young you don't really have anything to compare things to and you're hit by the wow this sounds like nothing I've ever heard before. Speaking of sounding like nothing I've ever heard before what's your opinion on the band Talk Talk? I think they have a very interesting career arc: some decent synth pop on their early albums (that had a few hits), a great art pop/rock album in The Colour Of Spring (which contains one of my favourite songs Life's What You Make It), and finishing with an incredible pair of albums that indeed sound like nothing else, especially Spirit Of Eden which is an all time classic.
I got into Captain Beefheart late too. A guy I’ve seen a few times, and has always blown me away is Brazilian Hermeto Pasqual. A guy music oozes out of but not many seem to know…also Eugene Mc Daniels whose Horsemen of the apocalypse album is wild..
Great video, Cardiacs are indeed an incredible band and I’ve loved them for many years. In terms of recommendations I would start with their classic line up and the album On Land and In The Sea, it’s amazing from start to finish and ends with my favourite song of theirs, the Everso closely guarded line. I would also recommend the album Sing To God which is the band as a four piece with a heavier sound in places but still very varied and regarded by many as their masterpiece. To be honest there’s good reason to recommend all of their albums but be warned, once you start listening it will be very hard to listen to anything else!
Camel squarely falls into the Canterbury genre of Prog Rock. Yes on the other hand was Symphonic Prog. If Canterbury is not your taste, that’s fine, but Drummer Andy Ward is a stellar musician and gentlemen. I’m certain you don’t own his solo album., but if you did you would agree. I totally agree with you on The Dixie Dregs, I really like their stuff and it is a 'tip of the hat' to Mahavishnu with a Southern Rock & Fusion blend. No question. I too came to them a bit later in my life as well, certainly not as early as I came to Brand X who were 'the end all be all' for my ears.
I disagree, despite Rinchard Sinclair's occasional participation Camel did not have any of the Canterbury quirkiness, little of the experimentation, and limited jazz influences that define the Canterbury bands. I wouldn't classify Camel as a Canterbury band at all.
Another good one Andy. When I was younger, I didn't listen to a lot of folk music ('six chunky jerseys singing about dead lifeboatmen' as Billy Connoly memorably described it) but always loved John Martyn and Pentangle and I later discovered other artists that were well worth a listen, Martin Simpson for example was a real find for me. I hope in the future you might explore some of the artists on your list a bit more and there are plenty others you haven't covered so lots of material out there for future videos. Some profound insights towards the end there, made all the more powerful by the encroaching darkness! It's good to see your subs growing, you deserve it with all these excellent videos (and it's not like we are going to get any useful biscuit guidance from the likes of Beato!) Bring on the silly, the crazy and the love of wonderful music.
Andy, something I would like to mention realated to this Vid. And its about a certain Album which never get mentioned, on any site, it is often missed. And the album is called Marscape, some sort of side kick from Brand X. I think it is a worthwhile to mention. Great Album
One World by John Martyn is a very interesting concoction which I still listen to. Also I was very happy to hear that you rate A Wizard A True Star so highly, along with the 1st Utopia LP.
Me too .. I do not listen to much which is 12 bar blues .. blues standards .. I just listened to it and rock based blues for decades and decades and just didn't need to hear another 12 bar pentatonic based piece. Happily some of the artists I liked were aso going there .. as Bowie brought in Fripp and so on. Classical music became a must .. Now I have gone almost full circle at 62yrs old. I think you are correct (and it's an interesting thing, imo) it's the timing of when you hear what you hear at that time in your life. Your channel has turned me back onto Camel after all these years .. lol. Great stuff .. "Keep ringing that bell" .. dah de dah, keep ringing that bell.
@@tinderproductions Yes, I think that added to the improvisatory feel on the album. I love all of John's stuff but if I had to pick just one for the desert island it would be this one.
A top top video you delivered For all those who listen to TMR by the Beefheart Magic Band after the video or quickly put it aside after listening to it once: You don't "understand" TMR with a single listen. It almost takes a small workshop with yourself. But for those who are seriously interested in music, it's worth the time. Samuel Andreyev has some videos on his youtube channel about TMR and other Beefheart stuff that can help.
John Martyn's 'Solid Air' is something I go back to from time to time. Like Nick Drake his music is both of its time and yet still transcends its time. Early Hawkwind (especially 'In Search of Space') is something else I really enjoy going back to when the mood hits me. They had this great groove going on and gave off this vibe that's like, 'love us or don't, whatever, we're gonna have a great time anyway!'
Since you mention Nick Drake, is it true that the song "Solid Air" is about Nick Drake? I'm not sure why I think this. So just wondered if it is correct.
@@dimsylsodium1 Hadn't thought about that for a very long time but yeah, that was my understanding. I think Martyn was a little discreet at the time about who the song was dedicated to. Island had an incredible group of artists back then...
As a lifelong Hawkwind fan I have all the albums including the Masters Of The Universe compilation, which really is great and my first Hawkwind gig was actually the Levitation tour. My favourite is still Warrior On The Edge Of Time. The bonus track being the bands version of Motorhead. Also wanted to mention that I don't remember the VDGG version of Theme One (I've just listened to it) but I grew up with Cozy Powell's version with Jack Bruce and Don Airey on Cozy's solo album and it was a firm favourite. Just checked out the Cardiacs. That is just plain weird.
You're 100% right Andy. It's not just about the music itself .... it's about where we are/were in our lives and what we are/were going through and what that music means/meant to us then. I listen to Yes, Pink Floyd, Camel, Coliseum, Focus, Caravan, Jethro Tull all of the time but I do not listen to Genesis simply because, in the early 70's, I tried Genesis and it didn't gel with me for some reason like those other bands did. Although I can listen to Genesis now and appreciate that they were/are a fantastic prog band, it still doesn't hit my emotional sweet-spot simply because it did not do so 50 years ago. Strange ..... but true. Richard
Cardiacs used the Mellotron of a certain Martin Orford to record their first proper full length album in 1988 called A Little Man And A House And The Whole World Window. That was my starting point when it came out and I can highly recommend it as your entry to their complete back catalogue!
Really nicely done video, Andy. In particular, your explanation of timing when it comes to hearing bands, and that likely being a determining factor as to how into them one is going to be is cogent stuff. I thought that perhaps (the) Soft Machine might make it onto this list. I have heard you mention them two or three times in passing, but they are for many prog and fusion fans one of THE seminal bands. As I wrote in a previous comment (can't remember which video it was appended to), The Soft Machine 'Volume Two' (on the proggier side) and Soft Machine's 'Third' (the beginning of their fusion incarnation) together, and equally, changed the direction of my musical life. Incidentally, I appreciate some of the silly quotient in your videos. For instance, I enjoyed the silliness at the end of the video that engendered the biscuit video; though, I have to admit, I didn't watch the stand-alone biscuit video. Anyway, keep up the great work!
No matter how inclusive, expansive and eclectic you might try to be, there are always great bands who remain weirdly peripheral. You like them well enough, but they somehow never penetrate your circle of most loved bands. Camel was always like that for me. Porcupine Tree was also kind of peripheral...until I happened to see the new line up a few months ago here in the States. Absolutely blew me away. And I too grew bored with Floyd. I know every note of Dark Side, and I love many other tracks, but eh...and Todd is another one always on the periphery, going all the way back to his time with the Nazz. He shook up my assessment with two things: Faithful, his exquisite album of cover songs, and then "Princess of the Universe" from Utopia, a straight up but deeply cynical rock song, where he seems to channel the exuberance of that Pursuit of Happiness album that he produced ("I'm an Adult Now"). And thanks so much for talking about Uncle Frank, Hawkwind and Gong, three bands that have colonised & monopolised so much of my musical interests, from the first time I piloted a bus full of hippies while tripping balls to a bizarro world Hawkwind concert in Chicago in 1977...
The mystery of music indeed. I had a very short period in my early twenties when out of the blue - I was completely engrossed by Dixieland jazz. It resonated with me, I understood totally what it is all about etc. That period lasted only for, maybe 6 months, and then the feeling, digging was gone. Lost. Weird . (No never done drugs lol)
I sold an old fretless Ibanez to one mr Colin Bass of Camel fame. He needed to rent 2 basses for his solo shows i Poland several years ago, and a friend of mine who played with him contacted me about it. I drove to Progresja club with my Japanese Jazz Bass "lawsuit copy" and the 80s Ibanez. Colin played several notes on it and asked me how much I wanted for it :D Some time later, I came to Camel gig in Warsaw and saw him with that very bass. Quite an experience. He's a really lovely man, to be honest. I still have him on my Facebook contact list.
Cardiacs is kinda unique, because besides being proggy, they are also very catchy/poppy and very energetic. I hear prog (Yes, Gentle Giant), punk (vocals, drumming), ska (some of the riffs), new wave (XTC) and avant garde (Residents, Henry Cow). It's just as random as Mr. Bungle, but they sound a lot more cohesive (and more British). Albums I would recommend are "A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window (1988)", "On Land and in the Sea (1989)" and the double album "Sing to God (1996)". I think those three are their best albums. For a lot of their older songs I would recommend "Special Garage Concerts Vol I & II (2005)". That's a live album, but it sounds almost like studio quality. "Some Fairytales from the Rotten Shed" is a brilliant live recording from a rehearsel the band had in the early 2000's.
I don’t think an artist’s job is to make music that a lot of others like. I think their job is to make music that they themselves like. May not always make money doing this, but we are referring to art here.
Thanks Andy. Music is personal it’s kept me sane when life tried to take me. I have found that I have a greater appreciation of music than ever before. Your channel has helped alongside a few other’s. I am a massive fan of Porcupine Tree and I believed that you would be to, but I understand how your passion for Jazz Fusion and Prog from the 70’s has been your focus. I am eternally grateful to you for that. Opening my ears to Eleventh House and Larry Corryel! Also helping me understand Frank Zappa. We tend to love what we hear in our early teens for me Prince and Genesis, helped me avoid bands like Marillion etc Rush were a game changer for me. Thanks again
Here's a couple of other great and influential bands worth mentioning, Colosseum and Henry Cow. Would also be great to mention some of the wonderful Japanese jazz fusion wizards like Ryo Kawasaki and Jiro Inogaki.
In 1969 I was so narrow minded when it came to music that if a record did not consist of guitar solos, bass drums and keyboards then I was not interested. I accidently heard some Charlie Parker in '69 and thought it was horrendous crap. I was given TMR on vinyl and absolutely hated it. I thought it was a piss take. But over the years my musical tastes changed and broadened until suddenly I was enjoying jazz, and bands like Soft Machine and Hatfield and The North. So I dug out TRM and it happened. Now it is one of my favourite albums of all time.
Waited to hear you talk about Todd. We were listening to him as each thing was coming out from the early days when a good friend's older brother showed us Nazz, through every iteration as it was happening. Todd built his own pop/rock/soul/prog alternate universe, including an alternate Beatles, meanwhile producing a raft of great records, made Bat Out Of Hell happen, interactive music, interactive virtual concerts, solo-wise challenging himself with an all a capella album, one man band albums, a musical , ive in the studio album (Nearly Human) followed by the most amazing live album that makes no compromise next to his studio wizardry (Second Wind). He has made a permanent dent in some of our music minds... cheers!!
Have you ever mentioned Can? I'm new to the channel. I've been addicted to their album 'Tago Mago' for years. Strangely, I can't get into their other albums.
Lick My Decals Off Baby, Clear Spot and Doc At The Radar Station are all fantastic albums by Captain Beefheart and all are more accessible than Trout Mask Replica. Doc was the first one I bought and I fell in love with it.
Andy, everything you said about Camel, I feel about Barcley James Harvest. I have TRIED. I really wanted to become a fan. Just a bit too soft. Captain Beefheart - “Mirror Man” was my introduction and it is still my favorite Beeefheart album. Frank Zappa - for some reason, I got "Hot Rats" and "Uncle Meat"...and then I stopped. Still love those two albums, but that is it. Magma - you may want to try the 17 minute track by Offering called "Joia". Christian Vander sings like a John Coltrane solo. I cannot think of another song like it. It is hypnotic. Hawkwind - "Space Ritual" is fantastic but you may also find "Live Seventy Nine" interesting. The version of "Spirit of the Age" on this album is one of my favorite tracks. Prog - Not Prog? Try The "Incredible String Band". Folk? Prog? Unique!!! Tim Buckley - there is such variety, prog, pop soul????? Tim Buckley's voice was special and performed on some great tracks. The Necks - Sex. This is a jazz album like nothing I have heard and would strongly recommend you give it a try. Are you the man to mention some more on British Jazz - Nucleus (Ian Carr) - Neil Ardley - Mike Westbrook - Elton Dean - Norma Winstone etc By the way, if you want to “nail some smoke” with regards to the greatness of music, you may want to consider something like this: I personally judge my music based on, HEAD, HEART, TIME and PLACE. Keep up the good work.
I think you really nailed it with the conclusion about the time when we need it. So many times, friends played me an album. i was not emotionally or intellectually ready for them , and I later heard it and became became one of the enduring favorites. Also, some music that doesn't fit into your normal category just hits you in a way you can't fully explain. For me, these are bands like Strawbs or Jade warrior, Edgar broughton Band, and others like Roy Harper. I no longer am quick to dismiss what i hear, but I think not now, maybe later.
'Levitation' is a fantastic album. I only decided to explore Hawkwind 4 years ago and I can't get enough of them. There's a wry sense of humour that runs through their music and Dave Brock sounds like a man who's just having a blast. I must check out Cardiacs from what you say. A fun video, Andy, as always! Cheers, Ian
Yeah. Always wondered why I don't care for certain bands whilst other people really like them. Some were push backs because the person who insisted greatness was annoying. That being said I never disparage bands because I don't hear what you hear. Excellent vid and not too silly.
A couple of videos back, I left a off-topic comment asking your thoughts on the band Phish and their album Junta in particular. So, I was just slightly disappointed that they didn't make this list either. But, that's fine. I hope you'll talk about them sometime. From your list, I will definitely check out Cardiacs. Never heard of them. Also, I had the same experience with Camel - heard it too early and was somewhat unenthused. Kinda getting into them now. And I loved Van der Graaf after hearing their album H to the He... You might wanna check that out. Anyway, nice video.
Lick my Decals off is just the more concise Version of Trout Mask Replica, and together with Doc at Radar Station and Safe as Milk one of the 3 Records to start with the Captain.
John Martyn! Yes!! Todd Rundgren - 1st Utopia album is a landmark prog album. Wizard a True Star is his best IMO. My theory/harmony professor in college taught Zappa, Beefheart, and Eddie Van Halen before I took his classes. Greatness should have rubbed off on me, but it didn't. Are you a Throbbing Gristle fan? Hawkwind has always sounded a bit too much like a pentatonic scale jam band with sound effects for me.
I've been wanting to find a Cardiacs album for years but I live in the United States and I can tell you, as a chronic crate diver, record & cd collector, that I have never come across a single piece of music by that group, vinyl, cd or anything. In fact, I was able to find an album by Swedish prog band Samla Mammas Manna, as obscure in this country as that is, but no cardiacs.
I've been looking at that but I'm reluctant to order on it due to uncertainty about (possibly exorbitant) shipping charges. But if that's my only option...
Only a third of the way through & I have to stop to say how lovely it is to hear you mention John Martin, Beefheart, Pentangle, Japan?! Brilliant…can’t wait for the rest
Nice show again... Some notes i took: I love John Martyn. Solid Air, Grace and Danger...etc I also love Captain Beefheart. Genius. Never got into Porcupine Tree... Maybe i should. I only know Rain Dances when it comes to Camel. I like that record. Todd´s Something/Anything is beautiful... Great musician. Never heard of Cardiacs... Well, now i have. Hawkwind i´ve just started to get into. Crazy ass band. Great. Haven´t heard a sound made by Magma. Never. I like Van Der Graaf Generator, but have no albums by them... Where do i start? The Dixie Dreggs and Steve Morse is great, but i haven´t listen to them since the late eighties. Thanks for an interesting episode. PS: To Pimp a Butterfly is awesome, and i know little or nada about hiphop.
I totally get what you mean about the importance of hearing certain bands at a certain point in your musical development. If there are bands that you missed out on the first time around you can often go back and appreciate them but they don’t become part of your psyche. (You could say the same thing about reading books…)
'Its like nailing smoke to a wall' - fantastic , so its a bit like knitting fog. Martin Popoff has said similar thkngs about why we like wht we like, in that there are some things that you had to be there at the time and if you come across them later youmay just not get it like you would have if you'd heard it earlier. I also think that subconsciously as we grow and develop we take things on board that develop our tastes. I believe that I heard Jeff Beck's Love is Blue when I was around five or six years old and that stuck in my subconscious so that when I heard Camel's Lady Fantasy it triggered a positive response and may also be a reason why I love instrumental music and hearing guitar and keyboard solos. As for Camel, I'm a big fan - Igot into them on Rain Dances and as a result of their appearance on Sight & Sound in Concert - in particular when Andy Latimer rips into Rhayader which was shown as a trailer - however that you just like but dont love them is your prerogative and I wont get the hump about it😆. They are also one of those bands I listen to when I dont want to be challenged but do want a nice comfortable enjoyable listen,which is possibly why you didnt go overbaord in them in the first place? I'd not heard any John Martyn, so as I am wont to do I've streamed One World, and have to say on first listen its rather good, may take me a while to get used to his voice though - Voice being one of the things that causes me not to appreciate Captain Beefheart or the Cardiacs - I have tried , but older than you at age 60 I'm not sure I have the time or inclination to spend hours on them when theres a ton of other great music to be listening to? Voice nearly put me off Zappa but I've got past that now. Looking forward to your Tommy Vance vdeo - like you I also loved the use of Take it off the top and Theme 1. I never delved into VDGG though as I had Theme 1 on the Cozy POwell over the Top album, but when I did eventually get Pawn Hearts it didnt stick with me in the same way, say, as getting later into Gentle Giant did - that's again, possibly down to the voice. A neo-prog video sounds like fun and sounds like it could be nicely contentious even maybe a bit contrarian? Bring it on. And as for silly videos, yes please, your biscuits ranking is a classic of the genre and in the current climate a bit of silliness goes a very long way. After all, he, or she, or they, who laughs, lasts.
Great to hear you talk about Captain Beefheart. For anyone checking him, try Clear Spot, Shiny Beast (bat chain puller) and Doc at the Radar Station. Safe as Milk is one of my favorite debut albums. I love the Devil in him!
This is all very interesting and I will tell you why. You have mentioned 3 acts in particular who I was personally very into but very few of my mates really were. These are John Martyn, Camel, and everything Todd Rundgren. When I used to play their stuff no one seemed to possibly dislike it but no one was really into them either and I was the only one who bought any of their albums. I could also add Tangerine Dream, Nick Drake, Dave Greenslade, Caravan, The Tubes, Hatfield plus a few others. As you say these did not seem to be in their DNA. Maybe it was all a bit too introspective-college-boy for my group of mates, who as you implied preferred to have their heads pulled off by people such as Chris Squire, rather than try to use it themselves at that particular time in their lives. I always seemed to be a few years more mature than most. I bought everything Rudgren either did or was remotely connected with as he could put his hand of genius on everything he touched. I totally agree Utopia was not just the best American Prog band, IMO they were the only true American Prog band. However great Zappa was, and he was, I didn't consider Zappa to be Prog. Only Zappa seemed to know what Zappa was up to. Zappa disowned the title and is said to have hated bands like Pink Floyd, Yes, and Genesis. Utopia on the other hand was Rudgrens American trip into English Progland. Rundgren seemed not to know what he was at any one time. IMO Rundgren processed so much musical genius he was unable or unwilling to bottle it up and send it in any particular direction. Therefore it blew off in all directions and blessed everything it touched. Rundgren may have been a one-off. Maybe there never has been or ever will be anyone quite like him. Maybe, you can think of someone, but I can't. As for John Martyn, what more can I say than you have already said? OK, I will have a go. IMO John Martyn is the single most underrated musician, performer, and songwriter these islands have ever produced. Not, the best, but the most underrated to the point that hardly anyone seems to have even heard of him, which is rather sad.
Rundgren : alltime favorite musician and personal hero. Utopia : both TR's Utopia and Oblivion are part of my, say, 15 alltime favorite albums. Also love POV. Talking about the Tubes ( favorite american rock band along with Steely Dan ), I've tried to convince him that they are indeed a great band as he said once he had tried to listen to them and thought they had no melodically satisfying songs... Although I made him acknowledge that Tip of my Tongue ( Outside Inside album ) was very good ( he's a fan of EW&F ). Love Bomb is one of my 15 alltime favorite albums.
Porcupine Tree I saw them for the first time in Vilar dos Mouros Portugal in 2005 ... what a nice surprise! They were opening for the great great Robert Plant!
Every decade has had amazing prog. They are called King Crimson. :)
There are two eras of my life: before I heard Cardiacs and after I heard Cardiacs. So happy that you mentioned them. To say I love them is an understatement. God bless Tim Smith, The Leader of the Starry Skies.
Andy, In 1978, I got John Martyn
ONE WORLD. There is a double remastered One World - original disc and a recent concert to the release!
Fabulous!
I absolutely love Todd Rundgren, one of my favorite artists of all time, and his music is so heartfelt and fearlessly honest while being quirky, innovative and creative.
I'm a big fan of TR but it's almost like a roulette if a new album will be any good from him but I respect that he doesn't want to keep doing the same music...but he's done imo 4 or 5 solidly great albums
I realize that I’m commenting on an old video, but having seen many of them at this point, I’m surprised that there is no mention of TOOL. Absolutely a paragon of contemporary Prog/Metal.
Also, Traffic! In my broad view, Traffic were very much a progressive rock band. From your neck of the woods as well, no?
Anyway, love your channel. Thanks for pushing the improvisational and philosophical elements.
So happy to hear John Martyn mentioned on this
Couldn’t Love you More
I played for my girlfriend
She Painted me copy Of the cover of One World
We had it played at our wedding , and 30 years later we still listen to him
A singular talent And huge part of my life
Your enthusiasm and appreciation for music in general is so inspiring and I love it.
Glad you enjoy it!
A brilliant album, produced by Todd Rundgren. I'm astonished I never hear anything from you about them. XTC, and the Skylarking album in particular.
I'm going to have to do another video like this...English Settlement!!! One of my favourite albums
Yay, Great you mentioned Captain Beefheart. On leaving school and starting work in 1973, I bought 3 albums over about a month.
The spotlight kid. Birds of fire. And No pussyfooting. All new to me, all blew my mind and particularly with Birds of fire, set me on the path I've been on
till this day.
Leprous 🤘
Their albums are all different but you can still recognise them.
Few bands have the ability to change that much without losing their identity and signature.
As an afterthought, what about the very wonderful Ozric Tentacles? They've been going to my knowledge since the 80's.
First time I heard them, I thought I was listening to Gong.
They're basically a psychedelic "jam" band. However, imo along the way, they've produced more than just a few gems.
My personal favourites are "Become the Other" and "The Hidden Step". Both of those CDs are immaculate throughout.
Some worthy mentions are Erpland and Curious Corn. There are a few others that escape me for now, but their catalogue is huge and they are still a going concern with Ed Wynne (Guitar and Keys) leading the way. 👌
Yes... love to hear Andy's take on Ozric Tentacles.
The Hidden Step is my favorite album from them.
I prefer steve hillage. He is everything ozric tentacles want to be. I am missing some edge and find the ozrics a bit middle of the road.
Dregs! Outstanding! Lucky enough to meet Steve Morse back in 1992, a completely overlooked and forgotten band. I agree 100%. Strange how some bands age better than others. Thank you.
The Dregs were absolutely amazing. Night of the Living Dregs is a truly unique album, and not just because of the one side live, one side studio format, which had been done before. There's just something about the composition of those songs, where one from the live side ties into one from the studio side and back & forth. And fortuitously enough, the live set from that album, recorded at Montreux in '78, I think, is recorded for all posterity in delicious black & white film. "Leprechaun Promenade" is immortal.
I’ve seen Steve Morse and the Dregs many times. Morse is an awesome guitarist, and the band is really interesting and unique. They played homecoming at my college when I was a sophomore in ‘79-‘80. Jazz, fusion, rock, country, blues, bluegrass, southern rock…. Rod Morganstein was/is a great drummer. A buddy of mine in college was the spitting image of Andy West, the Dregs’ bassist. Allen Sloan is now a doctor and still plays occasionally, but he was replaced for a bit by Jerry Goodman from Mahavishnu Orchestra. Wow, Goodman was good! Morse used to teach Sloan his violin parts on the guitar. LOL. There are not many better guitarists than Morse, if any…. They and Kansas ARE part of my DNA.
There's a DVD in color.
@@reidwhitton6248
Really? I will look it up...but I really, really love the black & whiteness of the original. It just fits on so many levels. We all know the essential sh*tty-ness of on-demand, full Technicolor Americana. Please let the ancient Black & White be the demise of that still undigested colon blockage...
@@haeuptlingaberja4927 You can watch it on TH-cam for free.
So glad you shouted out Cardiacs!
Camel Mirage is fantastic.
When you got to number one I thought it was going to be Soft Machine for some reason. Another great video Andy.
The Dream Theatre gig mentioned, I attended as well. Halfway through the Dream Theatre set I decided get a breather from the gut wrenching base that was attempting to rearrange my lungs. While I was in the toilet I became aware of Steven Wilson standing next to me. He glanced around at me and mouthed the word 'loud' which my lungs could verify. I never expected to meet one of my music heroes in the urinals of a public convenience.
Your comments on Camel are spot on and I'd include Barclay James Harvest and The Enid in that soft prog category as well.
Keep up the insightful work.
I love John Martyn and Pentangle for the same reasons you do. I recall all those BBC college shows he did in the 70s.. just magical. Like you say when you reach 54 (which I am next month) you know there isn't time to waste and there is so much out there.... e.g. Brazilian music (which I adore ever since I bought the Brazilica LP on Talkin Loud) , classical and so on... I still come across the odd bit of magic here and there... like an undiscovered LP on ECM, JAPO or Enja or some modern pop music with unusual chord changes... and its all on TH-cam... all at our fingertips... though I do miss that feeling of getting LPs from the local library... :)
Martyn and Pentangle , common d3nominator , Danny Thompson , genius .
OMG! Captain Beefheart!! I don't know how I fell into that rabbit hole, but I did, and I was hooked. For me, Trout Mask Replica and Clear Spot were my favorites. Glad to hear him mentioned.
I'm a big Todd Rundgren fan. The trio of albums of "A Wizard A True Star/Todd/TR's Utopia" is just killer. And all feature one of my favorite drummers from that time, Kevin Ellman. Actually, I don't think he's credited on "AWATS", but some of the playing on that album sure sounds like him. After the Utopia album, he left both the band and music, becoming a financial planner. Funny thing, I happened across an interview with Neil Peart a couple of years ago where he was asked about some of his favorite drummers. I was floored when mentioned Kevin Ellman.
A Wizard a True Star was John Siomos for drums. Kevin Ellman! What a great player - he still plays great today as evidenced on the Utopia reunion back in 2011. John Siegler on bass was fantastic too. They still play just not for all of their living.
Thank you so much for mentioning the dregs, finally!! THE ALBUM, btw, is Night of the Living Dregs.
Now Pentangle got on my radar because of you mate. Absolutely brilliant and the English aestitic in spades .thanks boodles!
You're so right that certain music means particular things to us at a certain time in our lives. I think in the end it's not even about the music... it's about us and what we are needing at the time. It's just a question of whether or not what we are needing to hear is available. We're made to need certain things at certain times in our lives.
You're inspiringly genuine.
A pleasure to listen to.
This is a great video - and thanks for it! As a subscriber who has been watching (gladly and learning a lot) every video you upload, I demand: you have to make at least one more video on artists you never mention on your channel!
1) Henry Cow: they are British like you! You've never even mentioned (as far as I can tell) Fred Frith and Chris Cutler, when talking about guitar players and drummers.
2) Can, Faust, Neu! (to mention only the main ones): you've said on some video they are not progressive bands, but "alternative". I don't get it, but ok. I'd welcome your thoughts on them (and other German bands like Cluster, Popol Vuh, Embryo, Tangerine Dream, Guru Guru, and so on)!
Best regards and keep the videos coming, because we love them!
You, (Andy) and I look at music in many similar ways. Sometimes it hits you just right. Sometimes you have to work with it. We love a lot of the same bands. A good word for Camel, I think is, "safe." I like them. but they don't blow your socks off. Cardiacs are absolutely, one of my favorite bands. "Sing to God" is the album I would start with. Porcupine Tree, love 'em. Magma is hard to get into. Same with Trout Mask Replica. But I understand their value. I really dig Bat Chain Puller though.
Best gateway Porcupine Tree: In Absentia and/or Fear of a Blank Planet.
Hawkwind are my go-to band if I can't think of what to play. Their extraordinary longevity, Their originality and their exploration of genres. Space Ritual is, in my opinion, the greatest live rock album ever made. It wasn't just album tracks or singles. It was an event; an experience, with new tracks that had never appeared on studio albums, extended jams and abject weirdness. Oh! And there was Stacia. Truly great.
Every band should have a Stacia. My go to band too.
Yes, Space Ritual is incredible. I am seeing Hawkwind in Chepstow in August..50 years and 2 months after I first saw them play the Space Ritual live in Barnstaple Queens Hall. No way would I have believed it back then to see them 50 years on and Dave Brock would not have believed it either.. he is 81..Long live Hawkwind .
Another great list, Andy! Given that I was familiar with all the artists except for Cardiacs, I'm taking that as a sign that I need to investigate them, so thanks for that as well. Happy to hear you mention Beefheart, Todd and the Dregs in particular. Keep up the great work - really enjoy your channel!👍🏼
The Cardiacs are a great band. Yes, they did create their own world and it’s a wonderful musical world to live in for a time. Try to start with the album “A Man and a house and the whole world window”. R.I.P. Tim Smith.
Yes, tragic irony concerning Tim Smith.
He had a big influence on a lot of musicians as far back as the 70’s. Steve Wilson had mentioned him, if I recall correctly.
MAGMA 🤐 ... ☝🧐 "I think this extraordinary, brilliant and style-defining French band should be mentioned more often in the future... !!! "👌 🤓👍
Vander in the 70's was a monster in every sense.... composition, drumming and vocals
@@monsieurlehigh4912 You are absolutely right. Even today, at the age of almost 75 years , he still is a charismatic personality and a brilliant musician.
I agree with this statement. I think Vander is a wonderful musician and Magma is a tremendous band.
I always try to slip Magma into everyday conversations as much as possible, wish I had more friends.
Zeuhl Rules 🤠😎
I feel like I have waited so many years to hear another person state they think Shine On You Crazy Diamond is just boring. Thank you for that.
Pink Floyd are boring full stop. A few good ideas stretched to breaking point but beautifully-played
Cardiacs sounds like a great rabbit hole to go down. Thanks. Every chance I would have gone the rest of my life without knowing they existed.
One of the best music dissectors doing this...please keep it up!
-Trout Mask Replica is almost entirely pre scripted (basically no improv) executed by players who, in an early stage of development are learning and rehearsing exhaustively to make the album. Bitches Brew was made by much more experienced players who were pushed to improvise in an environment where they could be fired for practicing solos. I think Van Vliet branched out after TMR, but there are things on that album that don't show up later on. It may also be one of those albums where many would contend that improvement isn't really possible. He's been all over the place, but a compilation of Beefheart instrumentals does a good job of backing up claims of him being a genius.
-Won't claim Camel is apex stuff, but it's hard to believe you'd think they don't rock if the first album you heard was Mirage instead of Snow Goose.
-Maybe check out the Lockwood /Vander /Top /Widemann Fusion disc if Magma doesn't click for you, (Dun is great too).
-Get the first Long Hello album to catch a good VDGG extension.
-Univers Zero, Can, Thinking Plague, Tipographica and maybe quite a few others deserve some future coverage from you as well.
Nice analysis of Beefheart
I do agree with you about the Dregs being somewhat of a more straightforward version of Mahavishnu Orchestra, but for me it's not just the "darkness" in the sound of the Orchestra that sets them apart, I actually think the way they blended indian music in their jazz rock is the most unique aspect of their sound (and the dark mood of it is a byproduct). The fact you are not that into Camel and Floyd yet you like Crimson, Genesis, Wilson, Miles and Coltrane sounds a bit like the noodling around is not necesarily what turns you off, but the more straightforward blues sound of such noodling.
Goes to show how subjective tastes are, big kudos for always acknowledging it in your vids.
I have a band that I discovered 20 years ago. It's Californian it's early prog rock and they have vibes. It's the group Spirit. Listen to 12 Dreams of Dr Sardonicous.
Andy, King Crimson's Larks Tongues in Aspic did exactly the same for me as Birds of Fire did for you as I went through a mid-teen breakdown. High school is a mass crime against humanity. Birds of Fire was also a favourite at the time, but it had a more organic and less neurotic kind of darkness.
For me it was Birds then Larks...two albums that are linked in my psyche...this might make a great video...
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer I first encountered BoF because I couldn't concentrate on schoolwork . The lyrics distracted me. So I asked the guy in the record shop to recommend an instrumental album and it was Birds of Fire. Loved the title track and One Word but I didn't get most of it. Still, it was the only instrumental album I had and my ear adjusted, softening me up for LTIA. LTIA Pt 1 was so important to me that I had to cover it (a "noise" version haha)
Never apologize Andy. I know nothing about jazz and truly don’t know the difference between jazz and jazz fusion, but I can binge watch your videos. You love this stuff so deeply and it’s so important in your life and it’s just a treat to hear you rant and rave and explain your feelings and thoughts about it all. Thanks again.
Here's something I dug up:
"One of the highlights of Captain Beefheart’s 1968 tour of the UK was the concert at Frank Freeman’s Dance Club in Kidderminster. Fortunately, legendary DJ John Peel brought his tape recorder and recorded four brilliant numbers from the show which appear on this album along with four other tracks from that era. Pride of place on the front cover of the LP goes to one of the recently discovered 1968 screen printed posters for the Frank Freeman’s Beefheart show. With Beefheart coming from a country where band names like Quicksilver Messenger Service and Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen were de rigeur, when Peel told Captain Beefheart he was driving him to a concert venue in Kidderminster called Frank Freeman’s Dance Club, Beefheart said 'What a groovy name' thinking it was in the same hippy west coast vibe as the aforementioned bands. Peel explained it wasn’t a groovy name but simply a Dance Club run by Frank Freeman."
So it's actually on record. Neat.
I absolutely love that quote...thanks for finding that. Check this out...vimeo.com/166837777
Thank you, Andy, for the time you dedicate to your educational mission. We should all be so incredibly grateful for the intimate, honest, and detailed insights of someone who is INSIDE the Prog/Fusion world! MEGA KUDOS and eternal thanks, Mr. Edwards!
I remember going to the Victoria Hall in Stoke about 1977 and seeing Camel. I remember it was really loud, busy and impressive. I was about 14.
Ah, the Victoria Hall! Seen so many bands there in my misspent youth. Magnum was one, and there was another one that was really sodding loud and I can remember my ears ringing afterwards. Can't remember the band though, probably something my boyfriend wanted to see.
I too have only got into Cardiacs more recently (very recently actually) and they are a tough nut to crack, but I keep coming back to the A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window album.
I think as an aside to what you were talking about towards the end of the video is that between the ages of say 15-25 (give or take a few years either side) is when we'll discover our favourite bands/artists and a lot of favourite albums of all time will be heard in that time; it certainly is the case for me as my top 10, actually probably my top 20 favourite albums haven't really changed in the last 15 years (I'm 40 now). I'd say that's the time when people that really love music are developing their personal taste, broadening their palette and everything is new and exciting, and it's also when you're discovering who you are as a person. But when you get older it's much harder for "new" music (be it actually new or just older music you hadn't heard before) to impress, to reach that favourite status as by this stage you've heard so much music of all kinds that it all becomes comparable to something else; "this is alright but it kinda sounds like this band mixed with that band but not quite as good", cause when you're young you don't really have anything to compare things to and you're hit by the wow this sounds like nothing I've ever heard before.
Speaking of sounding like nothing I've ever heard before what's your opinion on the band Talk Talk?
I think they have a very interesting career arc: some decent synth pop on their early albums (that had a few hits), a great art pop/rock album in The Colour Of Spring (which contains one of my favourite songs Life's What You Make It), and finishing with an incredible pair of albums that indeed sound like nothing else, especially Spirit Of Eden which is an all time classic.
I got into Captain Beefheart late too. A guy I’ve seen a few times, and has always blown me away is Brazilian Hermeto Pasqual. A guy music oozes out of but not many seem to know…also Eugene Mc Daniels whose Horsemen of the apocalypse album is wild..
Great video, Cardiacs are indeed an incredible band and I’ve loved them for many years. In terms of recommendations I would start with their classic line up and the album On Land and In The Sea, it’s amazing from start to finish and ends with my favourite song of theirs, the Everso closely guarded line. I would also recommend the album Sing To God which is the band as a four piece with a heavier sound in places but still very varied and regarded by many as their masterpiece. To be honest there’s good reason to recommend all of their albums but be warned, once you start listening it will be very hard to listen to anything else!
might be wrong but have not heard any mention of..Curved Air, Bebop deluxe, Wishbone Ash, Focus, Gary Boyle, Brian Auger, PFM, Caravan
Camel squarely falls into the Canterbury genre of Prog Rock. Yes on the other hand was Symphonic Prog. If Canterbury is not your taste, that’s fine, but Drummer Andy Ward is a stellar musician and gentlemen. I’m certain you don’t own his solo album., but if you did you would agree. I totally agree with you on The Dixie Dregs, I really like their stuff and it is a 'tip of the hat' to Mahavishnu with a Southern Rock & Fusion blend. No question. I too came to them a bit later in my life as well, certainly not as early as I came to Brand X who were 'the end all be all' for my ears.
I disagree, despite Rinchard Sinclair's occasional participation Camel did not have any of the Canterbury quirkiness, little of the experimentation, and limited jazz influences that define the Canterbury bands. I wouldn't classify Camel as a Canterbury band at all.
Another good one Andy. When I was younger, I didn't listen to a lot of folk music ('six chunky jerseys singing about dead lifeboatmen' as Billy Connoly memorably described it) but always loved John Martyn and Pentangle and I later discovered other artists that were well worth a listen, Martin Simpson for example was a real find for me. I hope in the future you might explore some of the artists on your list a bit more and there are plenty others you haven't covered so lots of material out there for future videos. Some profound insights towards the end there, made all the more powerful by the encroaching darkness! It's good to see your subs growing, you deserve it with all these excellent videos (and it's not like we are going to get any useful biscuit guidance from the likes of Beato!)
Bring on the silly, the crazy and the love of wonderful music.
I do have some really silly stuff up my sleeve. Watch this space.
Andy, something I would like to mention realated to this Vid. And its about a certain Album which never get mentioned, on any site, it is often missed. And the album is called Marscape, some sort of side kick from Brand X. I think it is a worthwhile to mention. Great Album
Split Enz? Major influence on Cardiacs, check out their early work.Also Hammills seventies solo albums are just awesome prog.
One World by John Martyn is a very interesting concoction which I still listen to. Also I was very happy to hear that you rate A Wizard A True Star so highly, along with the 1st Utopia LP.
I'm currently downloading about 4 Cardiacs albums in lossless FLAC. Never heard of them, thanks! 👍
Me too .. I do not listen to much which is 12 bar blues .. blues standards .. I just listened to it and rock based blues for decades and decades and just didn't need to hear another 12 bar pentatonic based piece. Happily some of the artists I liked were aso going there .. as Bowie brought in Fripp and so on. Classical music became a must .. Now I have gone almost full circle at 62yrs old. I think you are correct (and it's an interesting thing, imo) it's the timing of when you hear what you hear at that time in your life. Your channel has turned me back onto Camel after all these years .. lol. Great stuff .. "Keep ringing that bell" .. dah de dah, keep ringing that bell.
Love John Martyn..Inside Out is another overlooked gem.
Inside Out is a fantastic record. Everything that made John unique turned up to 11. Maximum Martyn!
@@devereauxclandestine1272 completely off the cuff too. He had no songs on day 1 of the sessions.
@@tinderproductions Yes, I think that added to the improvisatory feel on the album. I love all of John's stuff but if I had to pick just one for the desert island it would be this one.
Really enjoyed listening to your lectures. Have you considered kevin ayers?
A top top video you delivered For all those who listen to TMR by the Beefheart Magic Band after the video or quickly put it aside after listening to it once: You don't "understand" TMR with a single listen. It almost takes a small workshop with yourself. But for those who are seriously interested in music, it's worth the time. Samuel Andreyev has some videos on his youtube channel about TMR and other Beefheart stuff that can help.
John Martyn's 'Solid Air' is something I go back to from time to time. Like Nick Drake his music is both of its time and yet still transcends its time. Early Hawkwind (especially 'In Search of Space') is something else I really enjoy going back to when the mood hits me. They had this great groove going on and gave off this vibe that's like, 'love us or don't, whatever, we're gonna have a great time anyway!'
Since you mention Nick Drake, is it true that the song "Solid Air" is about Nick Drake? I'm not sure why I think this. So just wondered if it is correct.
@@dimsylsodium1 Hadn't thought about that for a very long time but yeah, that was my understanding. I think Martyn was a little discreet at the time about who the song was dedicated to. Island had an incredible group of artists back then...
As a lifelong Hawkwind fan I have all the albums including the Masters Of The Universe compilation, which really is great and my first Hawkwind gig was actually the Levitation tour. My favourite is still Warrior On The Edge Of Time. The bonus track being the bands version of Motorhead. Also wanted to mention that I don't remember the VDGG version of Theme One (I've just listened to it) but I grew up with Cozy Powell's version with Jack Bruce and Don Airey on Cozy's solo album and it was a firm favourite. Just checked out the Cardiacs. That is just plain weird.
I wonder what Andy think of the group Sea train. And Randall's Island the album by Elliott Randall aka the guitar player of Reeling in the Years.
I'm Listening to the Cardiacs in YT - they are bloody fantastic. Who knew?
You're 100% right Andy. It's not just about the music itself .... it's about where we are/were in our lives and what we are/were going through and what that music means/meant to us then.
I listen to Yes, Pink Floyd, Camel, Coliseum, Focus, Caravan, Jethro Tull all of the time but I do not listen to Genesis simply because, in the early 70's, I tried Genesis and it didn't gel with me for some reason like those other bands did.
Although I can listen to Genesis now and appreciate that they were/are a fantastic prog band, it still doesn't hit my emotional sweet-spot simply because it did not do so 50 years ago.
Strange ..... but true.
Richard
Cardiacs used the Mellotron of a certain Martin Orford to record their first proper full length album in 1988 called A Little Man And A House And The Whole World Window.
That was my starting point when it came out and I can highly recommend it as your entry to their complete back catalogue!
Cardiacs also supported IQ too
In what way did they support IQ? They did play some festivals together but I don’t know of any support act gigs. Or was it musical/artistic support?
Really nicely done video, Andy. In particular, your explanation of timing when it comes to hearing bands, and that likely being a determining factor as to how into them one is going to be is cogent stuff.
I thought that perhaps (the) Soft Machine might make it onto this list. I have heard you mention them two or three times in passing, but they are for many prog and fusion fans one of THE seminal bands. As I wrote in a previous comment (can't remember which video it was appended to), The Soft Machine 'Volume Two' (on the proggier side) and Soft Machine's 'Third' (the beginning of their fusion incarnation) together, and equally, changed the direction of my musical life.
Incidentally, I appreciate some of the silly quotient in your videos. For instance, I enjoyed the silliness at the end of the video that engendered the biscuit video; though, I have to admit, I didn't watch the stand-alone biscuit video.
Anyway, keep up the great work!
Andy, have you ever talked about Henry Cow.
The TopTen Never Stops
I can appreciate your passion.
I saw Hawkwind live at Wolverhampton civic hall with Ginger Baker, must have been 1980, was incredible.
No matter how inclusive, expansive and eclectic you might try to be, there are always great bands who remain weirdly peripheral. You like them well enough, but they somehow never penetrate your circle of most loved bands. Camel was always like that for me. Porcupine Tree was also kind of peripheral...until I happened to see the new line up a few months ago here in the States. Absolutely blew me away. And I too grew bored with Floyd. I know every note of Dark Side, and I love many other tracks, but eh...and Todd is another one always on the periphery, going all the way back to his time with the Nazz. He shook up my assessment with two things: Faithful, his exquisite album of cover songs, and then "Princess of the Universe" from Utopia, a straight up but deeply cynical rock song, where he seems to channel the exuberance of that Pursuit of Happiness album that he produced ("I'm an Adult Now").
And thanks so much for talking about Uncle Frank, Hawkwind and Gong, three bands that have colonised & monopolised so much of my musical interests, from the first time I piloted a bus full of hippies while tripping balls to a bizarro world Hawkwind concert in Chicago in 1977...
Marillion's drummer (Ian Mosely) is great. You should give them another try. You ever heard their album "Brave" from the '90s?
The mystery of music indeed.
I had a very short period in my early twenties when out of the blue - I was completely engrossed by Dixieland jazz. It resonated with me, I understood totally what it is all about etc. That period lasted only for, maybe 6 months, and then the feeling, digging was gone. Lost. Weird . (No never done drugs lol)
I haven't watched all of your videos, just a handful. But, have you ever mentioned Lindisfarne? Alan Hull?
As always a fun essay
Some musicians / bands considering were
Daryl Way - Wolf
Bela Fleck
Traffic
I sold an old fretless Ibanez to one mr Colin Bass of Camel fame. He needed to rent 2 basses for his solo shows i Poland several years ago, and a friend of mine who played with him contacted me about it. I drove to Progresja club with my Japanese Jazz Bass "lawsuit copy" and the 80s Ibanez. Colin played several notes on it and asked me how much I wanted for it :D Some time later, I came to Camel gig in Warsaw and saw him with that very bass. Quite an experience. He's a really lovely man, to be honest. I still have him on my Facebook contact list.
Cardiacs is kinda unique, because besides being proggy, they are also very catchy/poppy and very energetic. I hear prog (Yes, Gentle Giant), punk (vocals, drumming), ska (some of the riffs), new wave (XTC) and avant garde (Residents, Henry Cow). It's just as random as Mr. Bungle, but they sound a lot more cohesive (and more British). Albums I would recommend are "A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window (1988)", "On Land and in the Sea (1989)" and the double album "Sing to God (1996)". I think those three are their best albums. For a lot of their older songs I would recommend "Special Garage Concerts Vol I & II (2005)". That's a live album, but it sounds almost like studio quality. "Some Fairytales from the Rotten Shed" is a brilliant live recording from a rehearsel the band had in the early 2000's.
Check out my interview with Jon Poole
I don’t think an artist’s job is to make music that a lot of others like. I think their job is to make music that they themselves like. May not always make money doing this, but we are referring to art here.
Haven’t heard Pentangle in years. Thank you for reminding me.
Thanks Andy. Music is personal it’s kept me sane when life tried to take me. I have found that I have a greater appreciation of music than ever before. Your channel has helped alongside a few other’s. I am a massive fan of Porcupine Tree and I believed that you would be to, but I understand how your passion for Jazz Fusion and Prog from the 70’s has been your focus. I am eternally grateful to you for that. Opening my ears to Eleventh House and Larry Corryel! Also helping me understand Frank Zappa. We tend to love what we hear in our early teens for me Prince and Genesis, helped me avoid bands like Marillion etc Rush were a game changer for me. Thanks again
Here's a couple of other great and influential bands worth mentioning, Colosseum and Henry Cow. Would also be great to mention some of the wonderful Japanese jazz fusion wizards like Ryo Kawasaki and Jiro Inogaki.
Great recommendations. I also enjoy early Split Enz, Hatfield and the North, Egg, Albert Marceour, and This Heat/Camberwell Now.
In 1969 I was so narrow minded when it came to music that if a record did not consist of guitar solos, bass drums and keyboards then I was not interested. I accidently heard some Charlie Parker in '69 and thought it was horrendous crap. I was given TMR on vinyl and absolutely hated it. I thought it was a piss take. But over the years my musical tastes changed and broadened until suddenly I was enjoying jazz, and bands like Soft Machine and Hatfield and The North. So I dug out TRM and it happened. Now it is one of my favourite albums of all time.
Thanks for mentioning Chris Maitland - I'd wondered what happened to him after his time in Porcupine Tree. Great drummer!
First on time on your channel, since Strawbs was not mentioned here I guess you have talked about them earlier? Guess I have to binge watch...
Thanks for mentioning Cardiacs! A truly amazing band. I’d try On Land And In The Sea first and then Sing To God.
I will....
Exactly this. On Land And In The Sea is the way in, Sing To God is the magnum opus.
Waited to hear you talk about Todd. We were listening to him as each thing was coming out from the early days when a good friend's older brother showed us Nazz, through every iteration as it was happening. Todd built his own pop/rock/soul/prog alternate universe, including an alternate Beatles, meanwhile producing a raft of great records, made Bat Out Of Hell happen, interactive music, interactive virtual concerts, solo-wise challenging himself with an all a capella album, one man band albums, a musical , ive in the studio album (Nearly Human) followed by the most amazing live album that makes no compromise next to his studio wizardry (Second Wind). He has made a permanent dent in some of our music minds... cheers!!
Have you ever mentioned Can? I'm new to the channel. I've been addicted to their album 'Tago Mago' for years. Strangely, I can't get into their other albums.
Lick My Decals Off Baby, Clear Spot and Doc At The Radar Station are all fantastic albums by Captain Beefheart and all are more accessible than Trout Mask Replica. Doc was the first one I bought and I fell in love with it.
Everytime I listen to Trout Mask it gets better and YES it is a hard listen the first 30 times.
Andy, everything you said about Camel, I feel about Barcley James Harvest. I have TRIED. I really wanted to become a fan. Just a bit too soft.
Captain Beefheart - “Mirror Man” was my introduction and it is still my favorite Beeefheart album.
Frank Zappa - for some reason, I got "Hot Rats" and "Uncle Meat"...and then I stopped. Still love those two albums, but that is it.
Magma - you may want to try the 17 minute track by Offering called "Joia". Christian Vander sings like a John Coltrane solo. I cannot think of another song like it. It is hypnotic.
Hawkwind - "Space Ritual" is fantastic but you may also find "Live Seventy Nine" interesting. The version of "Spirit of the Age" on this album is one of my favorite tracks.
Prog - Not Prog?
Try The "Incredible String Band". Folk? Prog? Unique!!!
Tim Buckley - there is such variety, prog, pop soul????? Tim Buckley's voice was special and performed on some great tracks.
The Necks - Sex. This is a jazz album like nothing I have heard and would strongly recommend you give it a try.
Are you the man to mention some more on British Jazz - Nucleus (Ian Carr) - Neil Ardley - Mike Westbrook - Elton Dean - Norma Winstone etc
By the way, if you want to “nail some smoke” with regards to the greatness of music, you may want to consider something like this: I personally judge my music based on, HEAD, HEART, TIME and PLACE.
Keep up the good work.
I think you really nailed it with the conclusion about the time when we need it.
So many times, friends played me an album. i was not emotionally or intellectually ready for them , and I later heard it and became became one of the enduring favorites.
Also, some music that doesn't fit into your normal category just hits you in a way you can't fully explain.
For me, these are bands like Strawbs or Jade warrior, Edgar broughton Band, and others like Roy Harper.
I no longer am quick to dismiss what i hear, but I think not now, maybe later.
'Levitation' is a fantastic album. I only decided to explore Hawkwind 4 years ago and I can't get enough of them. There's a wry sense of humour that runs through their music and Dave Brock sounds like a man who's just having a blast. I must check out Cardiacs from what you say. A fun video, Andy, as always! Cheers, Ian
Yeah. Always wondered why I don't care for certain bands whilst other people really like them. Some were push backs because the person who insisted greatness was annoying. That being said I never disparage bands because I don't hear what you hear. Excellent vid and not too silly.
Hey Andy. What do you think of Tom Waits? And the brilliant album Rain Dogs?
He is a very interesting artist...jazz fusion in a completely different sense of the meaning
A couple of videos back, I left a off-topic comment asking your thoughts on the band Phish and their album Junta in particular. So, I was just slightly disappointed that they didn't make this list either. But, that's fine. I hope you'll talk about them sometime.
From your list, I will definitely check out Cardiacs. Never heard of them. Also, I had the same experience with Camel - heard it too early and was somewhat unenthused. Kinda getting into them now. And I loved Van der Graaf after hearing their album H to the He... You might wanna check that out. Anyway, nice video.
Lick my Decals off is just the more concise Version of Trout Mask Replica, and together with Doc at Radar Station and Safe as Milk one of the 3 Records to start with the Captain.
John Martyn! Yes!! Todd Rundgren - 1st Utopia album is a landmark prog album. Wizard a True Star is his best IMO. My theory/harmony professor in college taught Zappa, Beefheart, and Eddie Van Halen before I took his classes. Greatness should have rubbed off on me, but it didn't. Are you a Throbbing Gristle fan? Hawkwind has always sounded a bit too much like a pentatonic scale jam band with sound effects for me.
I've been wanting to find a Cardiacs album for years but I live in the United States and I can tell you, as a chronic crate diver, record & cd collector, that I have never come across a single piece of music by that group, vinyl, cd or anything. In fact, I was able to find an album by Swedish prog band Samla Mammas Manna, as obscure in this country as that is, but no cardiacs.
Dont know if the sire posts to the u.s. but Cardiacs own website has most of their catalogue for sale.
I've been looking at that but I'm reluctant to order on it due to uncertainty about (possibly exorbitant) shipping charges. But if that's my only option...
Only a third of the way through & I have to stop to say how lovely it is to hear you mention John Martin, Beefheart, Pentangle, Japan?! Brilliant…can’t wait for the rest
Thanks for listening
Beefheart ace, saw him twice in England back then, once in a tiny room back of The Star, Croydon. Still a few great songs on Trout Mask.
Nice show again... Some notes i took:
I love John Martyn. Solid Air, Grace and Danger...etc
I also love Captain Beefheart. Genius.
Never got into Porcupine Tree... Maybe i should.
I only know Rain Dances when it comes to Camel. I like that record.
Todd´s Something/Anything is beautiful... Great musician.
Never heard of Cardiacs... Well, now i have.
Hawkwind i´ve just started to get into. Crazy ass band. Great.
Haven´t heard a sound made by Magma. Never.
I like Van Der Graaf Generator, but have no albums by them... Where do i start?
The Dixie Dreggs and Steve Morse is great, but i haven´t listen to them since the late eighties.
Thanks for an interesting episode.
PS: To Pimp a Butterfly is awesome, and i know little or nada about hiphop.
I totally get what you mean about the importance of hearing certain bands at a certain point in your musical development. If there are bands that you missed out on the first time around you can often go back and appreciate them but they don’t become part of your psyche. (You could say the same thing about reading books…)
Try and check out Tim Smith's solo album 'Extra Special OceanLandWorld'. It's very uplifting
I will...he was a genius
@@AndyEdwardsDrummer Seconded Extra Special OcealLandWorld. To me it's just as good as the best Cardiacs albums--if not better.
'Its like nailing smoke to a wall' - fantastic , so its a bit like knitting fog. Martin Popoff has said similar thkngs about why we like wht we like, in that there are some things that you had to be there at the time and if you come across them later youmay just not get it like you would have if you'd heard it earlier. I also think that subconsciously as we grow and develop we take things on board that develop our tastes. I believe that I heard Jeff Beck's Love is Blue when I was around five or six years old and that stuck in my subconscious so that when I heard Camel's Lady Fantasy it triggered a positive response and may also be a reason why I love instrumental music and hearing guitar and keyboard solos.
As for Camel, I'm a big fan - Igot into them on Rain Dances and as a result of their appearance on Sight & Sound in Concert - in particular when Andy Latimer rips into Rhayader which was shown as a trailer - however that you just like but dont love them is your prerogative and I wont get the hump about it😆. They are also one of those bands I listen to when I dont want to be challenged but do want a nice comfortable enjoyable listen,which is possibly why you didnt go overbaord in them in the first place?
I'd not heard any John Martyn, so as I am wont to do I've streamed One World, and have to say on first listen its rather good, may take me a while to get used to his voice though - Voice being one of the things that causes me not to appreciate Captain Beefheart or the Cardiacs - I have tried , but older than you at age 60 I'm not sure I have the time or inclination to spend hours on them when theres a ton of other great music to be listening to? Voice nearly put me off Zappa but I've got past that now.
Looking forward to your Tommy Vance vdeo - like you I also loved the use of Take it off the top and Theme 1. I never delved into VDGG though as I had Theme 1 on the Cozy POwell over the Top album, but when I did eventually get Pawn Hearts it didnt stick with me in the same way, say, as getting later into Gentle Giant did - that's again, possibly down to the voice.
A neo-prog video sounds like fun and sounds like it could be nicely contentious even maybe a bit contrarian? Bring it on.
And as for silly videos, yes please, your biscuits ranking is a classic of the genre and in the current climate a bit of silliness goes a very long way. After all, he, or she, or they, who laughs, lasts.
Great to hear you talk about Captain Beefheart. For anyone checking him, try Clear Spot, Shiny Beast (bat chain puller) and Doc at the Radar Station. Safe as Milk is one of my favorite debut albums. I love the Devil in him!
This is all very interesting and I will tell you why. You have mentioned 3 acts in particular who I was personally very into but very few of my mates really were. These are John Martyn, Camel, and everything Todd Rundgren. When I used to play their stuff no one seemed to possibly dislike it but no one was really into them either and I was the only one who bought any of their albums. I could also add Tangerine Dream, Nick Drake, Dave Greenslade, Caravan, The Tubes, Hatfield plus a few others. As you say these did not seem to be in their DNA. Maybe it was all a bit too introspective-college-boy for my group of mates, who as you implied preferred to have their heads pulled off by people such as Chris Squire, rather than try to use it themselves at that particular time in their lives. I always seemed to be a few years more mature than most.
I bought everything Rudgren either did or was remotely connected with as he could put his hand of genius on everything he touched. I totally agree Utopia was not just the best American Prog band, IMO they were the only true American Prog band. However great Zappa was, and he was, I didn't consider Zappa to be Prog. Only Zappa seemed to know what Zappa was up to. Zappa disowned the title and is said to have hated bands like Pink Floyd, Yes, and Genesis. Utopia on the other hand was Rudgrens American trip into English Progland. Rundgren seemed not to know what he was at any one time. IMO Rundgren processed so much musical genius he was unable or unwilling to bottle it up and send it in any particular direction. Therefore it blew off in all directions and blessed everything it touched. Rundgren may have been a one-off. Maybe there never has been or ever will be anyone quite like him. Maybe, you can think of someone, but I can't.
As for John Martyn, what more can I say than you have already said? OK, I will have a go. IMO John Martyn is the single most underrated musician, performer, and songwriter these islands have ever produced. Not, the best, but the most underrated to the point that hardly anyone seems to have even heard of him, which is rather sad.
Rundgren : alltime favorite musician and personal hero.
Utopia : both TR's Utopia and Oblivion are part of my, say, 15 alltime favorite albums. Also love POV.
Talking about the Tubes ( favorite american rock band along with Steely Dan ), I've tried to convince him that they are indeed a great band as he said once he had tried to listen to them and thought they had no melodically satisfying songs... Although I made him acknowledge that Tip of my Tongue ( Outside Inside album ) was very good ( he's a fan of EW&F ). Love Bomb is one of my 15 alltime favorite albums.
Porcupine Tree I saw them for the first time in Vilar dos Mouros Portugal in 2005 ... what a nice surprise! They were opening for the great great Robert Plant!