Tír Na HiFi

cybot wrote:This is my first ever listen to this Lp!! Believe it or not it's on blue (unofficial?) vinyl!? I would have loved to have seen the original gatefold version....

I actually have it on vinyl, Dermot, with the original gatefold cover (black vinyl only). I picked it up in Virgin in 1987/8, I think. A little disappointing after In The Court Of The Crimson King but still a good one. Best moments are Pictures of a City and the fabulous Cat Food. It's a pity that Fripp didn't do more work with Keith Tippett. Have you heard Islands? Very underrated, in my view.

mcq wrote:

cybot wrote:This is my first ever listen to this Lp!! Believe it or not it's on blue (unofficial?) vinyl!? I would have loved to have seen the original gatefold version....

I actually have it on vinyl, Dermot, with the original gatefold cover (black vinyl only). I picked it up in Virgin in 1987/8, I think. A little disappointing after In The Court Of The Crimson King but still a good one. Best moments are Pictures of a City and the fabulous Cat Food. It's a pity that Fripp didn't do more work with Keith Tippett. Have you heard Islands? Very underrated, in my view.

My first listen ended in shock! Shock at how bloody good it was. My view will probably change with time but it's a more challenging and modern listen than Court which really sounds of it's time (I have absolutely no problem with that!). It's like a cross between Holst, Brahms (first movement of Ist Symphony) and God only knows what else! - a warped Jazz Fusion effect? I'll probably change my mind when I give it another listen....but I'm really excited with it.

I was always led to believe that Islands was very much an inferior live album. Don't worry I'll be keeping a very close eye out for a copy now that mentioned it in passing :-)

cybot wrote:Paul,

Nice to see you're still alive :-) Yeah, you're right, Dagmar and company are definitely next on the 'to find' list....would you believe,in all my years of buying second hand vinyl I have never once come across a Henry Cow Lp!?!?

Re: Anthony Phillips: the one thing that struck me while I was listening to the PPAP series was how old fashioned and positively ancient the music/sonics sounded! Almost like a long lost relic one usually finds in some dusty corner up in the attic :-) Still that is the wonder of music, I suppose.....and equally, the sheer wonder that I still have time for these ancient relics :-)

Yes, Anthony Phillips' music is very old-fashioned and, as a result, very easy to mock. But there is a lot of whimsical charm to the albums he made in the late 1970s. I haven't listened to Wise After The Event in 20 years but that was the one album of his I really loved. How nice it is to turn to YouTube and listen again to this music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuMudtfcjyA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5swNulKcgo


By the way, I see that Henry Cow's Leg End and Unrest have been reissued on 180g vinyl. Here are some links:

http://www.jazzloft.com/p-53320-unrest-180g.aspx
http://www.jazzloft.com/p-52733-leg-end-180g.aspx

mcq wrote:

cybot wrote:Paul,

Nice to see you're still alive :-) Yeah, you're right, Dagmar and company are definitely next on the 'to find' list....would you believe,in all my years of buying second hand vinyl I have never once come across a Henry Cow Lp!?!?

Re: Anthony Phillips: the one thing that struck me while I was listening to the PPAP series was how old fashioned and positively ancient the music/sonics sounded! Almost like a long lost relic one usually finds in some dusty corner up in the attic :-) Still that is the wonder of music, I suppose.....and equally, the sheer wonder that I still have time for these ancient relics :-)

Yes, Anthony Phillips' music is very old-fashioned and, as a result, very easy to mock. But there is a lot of whimsical charm to the albums he made in the late 1970s. I haven't listened to Wise After The Event in 20 years but that was the one album of his I really loved. How nice it is to turn to YouTube and listen again to this music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuMudtfcjyA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5swNulKcgo


By the way, I see that Henry Cow's Leg End and Unrest have been reissued on 180g vinyl. Here are some links:

http://www.jazzloft.com/p-53320-unrest-180g.aspx
http://www.jazzloft.com/p-52733-leg-end-180g.aspx

Thanks for the links Paul. Haven't heard of Jazz Loft. It looks really good and I see some albums there I got recently. Great to see Henry Cow and Art Bears being reissued on vinyl again :-) No excuse now! Anyway I must have a look at our Anthony before I switch off the light :-)

cybot wrote:

jadarin wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2EIS_iETE8

Have seen this loads of time in Tower and despite admiring the sleeve I wasn't tempted; after hearing the little clip you posted I will most definitely be first in the Q next time I'm in :-) What a gorgeous sound.....and thank you jad for letting us into your secret....

That's one of the most beautiful sleeves I've ever seen!

JAW wrote:

cybot wrote:

jadarin wrote:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2EIS_iETE8

Have seen this loads of time in Tower and despite admiring the sleeve I wasn't tempted; after hearing the little clip you posted I will most definitely be first in the Q next time I'm in :-) What a gorgeous sound.....and thank you jad for letting us into your secret....

That's one of the most beautiful sleeves I've ever seen!

It really looks gorgeous on vinyl Johnny - and it's a gatefold too with more lovely stuff inside and rearside.

A review :

I've never written a review before, but felt compelled to do so for this particular album. I've been a fan of PT for a couple of years now and now own all there albums, both Blackfield albums and Steven Wilson's solo album. I got into PT because I love Pink Floyd and was looking for a modern, similar sounding band, and thanks to Amazon I came across PT.
Signify is a strong album that puts together all that came before to create there strongest album at this point in there existence. A short spoken intro begins the album before Signify kicks things off. I recommend turning the speakers right up for this one. It's a light metal sounding instumental, which is a small nod in the direction of where the band would be headed in much later in the future. The Sleep Of No Dreaming brings things down to a lighter level and is a strong 2nd track that builds from the impressive work of Richard Barberi's spacey synths. Waiting is up next, one of the albums highlights with it's laid back acoustics, superb harmornies and excellent guitar solos. Sever is a good pounding track, followed by the acoustic led Every Home Is Wired. Intermediate Jesus and Light Mass Prayers are the next two tracks and I find both a little boring. The best is saved for last in Dark Matter, this is a nod to Pink Floyd and builds and builds to a magnificent climax with a fantastic guitar solo. The bonus disk is a compilation of demo's and left overs. Highlights are Wake As A Gun 1, Waiting, Smiling Not Smiling (which sounds like a Syd Barrett song) and Nine Cats (Acoustic).

Have been listening to this cd from Anthony Phillips.
It is similar to early Genesis.

cybot wrote:

mcq wrote:

cybot wrote:This is my first ever listen to this Lp!! Believe it or not it's on blue (unofficial?) vinyl!? I would have loved to have seen the original gatefold version....

I actually have it on vinyl, Dermot, with the original gatefold cover (black vinyl only). I picked it up in Virgin in 1987/8, I think. A little disappointing after In The Court Of The Crimson King but still a good one. Best moments are Pictures of a City and the fabulous Cat Food. It's a pity that Fripp didn't do more work with Keith Tippett. Have you heard Islands? Very underrated, in my view.

My first listen ended in shock! Shock at how bloody good it was. My view will probably change with time but it's a more challenging and modern listen than Court which really sounds of it's time (I have absolutely no problem with that!). It's like a cross between Holst, Brahms (first movement of Ist Symphony) and God only knows what else! - a warped Jazz Fusion effect? I'll probably change my mind when I give it another listen....but I'm really excited with it.

I was always led to believe that Islands was very much an inferior live album. Don't worry I'll be keeping a very close eye out for a copy now that mentioned it in passing :-)

Islands is a studio album. Earthbound is the bootleg live album. Very rough recording but thrilling energy. The CD/DVD re-issues are excellent and cheapest from burningshed.com There are plans to reissue more KC vinyl as the response to ITCOTCK 200gram edition was very positive.