jamesg1213

Jonbouy
Ahh, a passionate debate about prog. rock and a fallout as to whether Russ Conway or Rick Wakeman were the greater of the 20th century keyboard innovators.
 

 
This must be the Sonar forum I know and love.

Joe Bravo, Mike McCue and Roflcoptor will be along any minute to have a protracted argument on a point-by-point basis with you about that.
 
Or will they....

Who is/was Joe Bravo, or should I even ask?
 
Anyhow to the matter at hand to my mind I guess Rick Wakeman joining Yes would have been analogous to Vannesa Mae joining Curved Air and replacing Daryl Way.
 
A huge and influential change no doubt but not one that would have suited all of Curved Air's following.
 
For me Close to the Edge was the definitive Yes album and I didn't like anything much that followed and I'm pretty sure that had to do with personnel changes Wakeman's arrival and Brufords departure more than anything else and of course not everyone agrees with me.  And whilst I respect Rick's undoubted ability I've not personally enjoyed anything else he's done.
 
 

craigb

Jonbouy
Anyhow to the matter at hand to my mind I guess Rick Wakeman joining Yes would have been analogous to Vannesa Mae joining Curved Air and replacing Daryl Way.
 

Hi, 
 
Or Steve Hogarth taking over for Fish in Marillion? 
 
Actually, I thought the weirdest was when the two guys who made up the Buggles (Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes) replaced Wakeman and Anderson in Yes.
 
Good times!
 
:-)

Ya.
 
Close to the Editdge
 

 
 

Hi,
 
I kinda wish there was more critical works/studies about more musicians. Too many of these is all about the fame and nothing else, and too many folks get left behind. Here's is my list, that I would like to listen to and yap with:
  
Manuel Gottsching (Ash Ra Tempel/AshRa/Cosmic Couriers) There are a couple of bits and pieces in the net, but no one talks about his music and story.
 
Mani Neumeier (Guru Guru)
 
Christian Decamps (Ange) Incredible number of albums and stories and was doing theatrical music before Peter Gabriel found a costume. Was inspired by Jacques Brel and Weill/Brecht.
 
Mike Heron/Robin Williamson (Incredible String Band) Probably one of the least known of all the folks crazies, and yet, they were the most psychedelic and progressive of them all. They mixed and matched music, theater and poetry, not to mention 100 eastern instruments, to create some fun, strange, and awesome works.
 
Manfred Mann (Earth Band) Well known keyboard player that became an institution for making hits of other' work. Bob Dylan, Mike Heron, Bruce Springsteen, had their music turned into massive hits by Manfred Mann, and the band is still around.
 
Neil Innes (Bonzo Dog Band, Grimms, Monty Python) The history needs to be taken into consideration, but no one knows him from the two groups before Monty Python, and the work there was massively better, than MP's stuff. (Have not seen Rick's version yet!)
 
Vangelis Nothing else needs to be said, but the two albums that were released for radio stations promotional work, are still not available for folks to hear and learn about this guy and his music. And Bapu and Craig probably don't believe me about the spoons! And this needs to be thrown to a Rick Wakeman, who will never talk to Vangelis, because originally, Vangelis was rumored to have replaced him in YES.
 
Patrick Moraz (Refugee, YES, Moody Blues) In some ways, he never got credit for his work in any band, and he always did a really good show and had quality to his part of the equation. I am not sure that YES, could have toured with him playing Rick Wakeman's parts, specially TFTO, but it would have been definitly different!
 
Renate Krotenschwans (Amon Duul 2) Has appeared briefly in the English special about the German music at the time, and her comments show that she is much more intelligent and capable, than what we heard. Considering the many themes and ideas that their music offered, the amount of work put together and how it used satire (check out De Guadaloop, an anti-femisomething or other), this would become a very strong discussion and tribute to a great band's work.
 
Damo Suzuki (Can) Has never discussed his work, and sadly, there are a lot of similarities to it and the scene in the German Theater and Film at the time. I would like to see if he is capable of discussing more than some kind of ... sub-conscious ... idea for improvisation, which he has failed to replicate its immediacy and excitement. But his stuff with CAN is incredible, and not something that "rock singers" would normally consider.
 
Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane) She has told a story in her bio, that is incomplete, and even stated that she did not want to be some kind of a geriatric hippie trying to sing in her 60's. But there was a lot more to Grace than just ... whatever ... that helped create music and make their band sound so unique and strong for so long, and then the work with Paul Kantner, at the time her husband (I think), with whom she obviously could easily harmonize with. There might be some anger here, but the amount of history, deserves to be out in some form.
 
Ryuichi Sakamoto (Yellow Magic Orchestra) Now famous, and with an Oscar in his closet, he has not really, ever, discussed his work with anyone. And considering he also did many movies, acted in them, and provided music for it, we have the makings of someone either super talented, or just simply crazy ... I think he would tell you he was a Japanese David Bowie? His solo work is stupendous. His classical works are insanely beautiful. His soundtracks have magic all over it. And he did the western music to David Byrne's Oriental music! And they both got the Oscar! Go figure what talent can do!
 
Klaus Schulze Needs a "real" interview, with someone that knows his music, and let him simply discuss what he sees in it ... with a career that huge, it's almost like a Picasso, with so much work that no one could figure out how to identify it any more. The interview that Steven Wilson has in "Rheingold" is nice, but not knowledgeable enough, and he didn't really know anything about the early music scene that brought him and Tangerine Dream and others out. However, Klaus is picky and his "manager" is pick'ier and getting this done before Klaus leaves us ... is not likely ... and it will be sad. he has stories and a lot of art inside of him that helped create so much music!
 
Todd Rundgren The "runt" is probably not a good one to interview, but if someone knows the music and his history and the music he produced, the interview would be a nice and fun one ... so we want to make sure we ask about Jean Yves Labat and the M.Frogg fun dates, which would lighten up the whole thing. But him talking about his duality ... the star and the wizard, would be nice, and I think that by now, he has grown up enough that he should have mellowed out his silly fights with that Ted guy! 

Hi,
 
Just watched the Jon Lord episode and then the Ian Anderson episode.
 
Both excellent in every way.
 
And it was nice to see these done so wide open and with a lot of historical bits and pieces in them, which helps identify the history of the form even better. 
 
Ian has shown many times an opinionated side of things, but I tend to agree with a lot of it. Albeit when it comes to composing and putting things together, it's harder to listen to the outside when you are doing your thing ... you can not be considering an audience when you are trying to identify what it is that is coming down from your inner self ... it's later during the presentation that some of this material may incur changes for its performance abilities and appreciation.
 
Could not find the one on Chappo (Roger Chapman) and Neil Innes ... the two I wanted to watch the most ... still looking .. if anyone finds those links please let me/us know.

As for Pink Floyd, I always loved Meddle.  Thought it was always underrated. Nursery Crime is excellent, but also love Selling England by the Pound. Trick and Wind not bad either.

SF_Green
 
Patrick did tour with Yes.  He's on Yesshows

I have the triple album from the early days (Yessongs), not that one, and never noticed that ... I'll have to listen to that part, though, this would not be a complete version of the side 4 which is 21 minutes long ... so it was likely towards the end when it becomes all melodic, I bet. Which would be easier to duplicate.

Glyn Barnes
Thanks for posting this, a great interview, two of my heros talking to each other! I have had to save the last bit for later and will try to find the others.
 

(Didn't notice this until now ... )
 
I have tried to email and talk to Rick, to see if we can get these interviews on DVD, because they are too nice and well done. Even Ian Anderson's is good, despite him not sounding very positive, but in almost all of these, the folks are very intelligent and communicate really well. 
 
There are some interviews that I have not found, and the list is actually amazing. Many of these I do not know at all, but Neil Innes, Roger Chapman, Dave Cousins, Snowy White, Phil Manzanera, Rod and Colin ... would be really nice for me. Also Andy Fairweather-Low would be interesting since he not only backed up Eric, but Roger Waters.
 
Rod Argent & Colin Blunstone (The Zombies)
Bruce Welch (The Shadows)
Hugh Cornwell (The Stranglers)
Jeff Wayne (War Of The Worlds)
Justin Hawkins (The Darkness & Hot Leg)
Rob Halford & Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest)
Jon Lord (Deep Purple, Whitesnake & More)
Jazz & Blues Legend Chris Barber
Brian Bennett (The Shadows)
Whispering Bob Harris (Old Grey Whistle Test & Radio DJ)
Andy Fairweather-Low (Amen Corner, Eric Clapton's Band & More)
Brian May (Queen)
Dave Cousins (The Strawbs)
Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull)
Neil Innes (Bonzo Dog, Monty Python Music & The Rutles)
Roger Chapman (Family)
Phil Manzanera (Roxy Music & More)
Snowy White (Pink Floyd, Thin Lizzy & More)
Steve Harley (Cockney Rebel)
Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy)
The 5th Dimension Jerry Donahue (Fairport Convention, Fotheringay & The Gathering)
Dennis Locorriere (The Voice of Dr. Hook)
Biff Byford (Saxon)
Joe Brown
Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath/Heaven &     Hell)
Luke Morely & Danny Bowes     (Thunder)
 

Close To The Edge - just discovered believe it or not.
 
You and I is now a personal favorite!