Rock - what are you listening to?

[cybot]

Cheers, Cybot - hope you find them interesting.

Have a good Paddy's weekend.

You too Rob!

[Rob]

'Fighting' (Thin Lizzy's first full on hard rock album with the classic twin-lead guitar) seems to have been dismissed by a fair number of critics, as just crude heavy metal or a work in progress, who favour the classic triology of Jailbreak, Johnny the Fox, and Bad Reputation, but I can't see much of a quality drop compared to those albums. Highlights include 'Silver Dollar', 'Spirit Slips Away', 'Suicide' and the very heavy title track, but 'Wild One' has to be one of Thin Lizzy's greatest tracks of all.

[cybot]

'Fighting' (Thin Lizzy's first full on hard rock album with the classic twin-lead guitar) seems to have been dismissed by a fair number of critics, as just crude heavy metal or a work in progress, who favour the classic triology of Jailbreak, Johnny the Fox, and Bad Reputation, but I can't see much of a quality drop compared to those albums. Highlights include 'Silver Dollar', 'Spirit Slips Away', 'Suicide' and the very heavy title track, but 'Wild One' has to be one of Thin Lizzy's greatest tracks of all.

Very valid points Rob. Just looking at the cover now and I'm struck by the rugged pose as if by a new struggling band on the cusp. Reminds me of a Who album cover. Of course I only started to notice Lizzy around the time of Live and Dangerous. Some of the albums mentioned above then infiltrated itself into my psyche to suddenly disappear into the ether for the usual reason: moving on to more esoteric and challenging fare. I regretfully did the same with our Rory. But you've got to remember these bands were a constant presence in the weeklies so I kind of got bored. In time I made up with Rory and (re)discovered a whole world of fantastic music but by then it was too late as he was already gone to pastures new. At least I did see him live only the once at the Temple Bar Blues festival. What an experience! Forever burned in my brain. The man in black played an astounding set that night.

Is now the time to rediscover the Gorham/Robertson axis? 'Fools Gold' here I come? Wonder too if the reissues are decently done or would I be better off with the originals? We'll see......

[PatD]

Alan Parsons Project.One of my fav prog bands.

[Rob]

'Fighting' (Thin Lizzy's first full on hard rock album with the classic twin-lead guitar) seems to have been dismissed by a fair number of critics, as just crude heavy metal or a work in progress, who favour the classic triology of Jailbreak, Johnny the Fox, and Bad Reputation, but I can't see much of a quality drop compared to those albums. Highlights include 'Silver Dollar', 'Spirit Slips Away', 'Suicide' and the very heavy title track, but 'Wild One' has to be one of Thin Lizzy's greatest tracks of all.

Very valid points Rob. Just looking at the cover now and I'm struck by the rugged pose as if by a new struggling band on the cusp. Reminds me of a Who album cover. Of course I only started to notice Lizzy around the time of Live and Dangerous. Some of the albums mentioned above then infiltrated itself into my psyche to suddenly disappear into the ether for the usual reason: moving on to more esoteric and challenging fare. I regretfully did the same with our Rory. But you've got to remember these bands were a constant presence in the weeklies so I kind of got bored. In time I made up with Rory and (re)discovered a whole world of fantastic music but by then it was too late as he was already gone to pastures new. At least I did see him live only the once at the Temple Bar Blues festival. What an experience! Forever burned in my brain. The man in black played an astounding set that night.

Is now the time to rediscover the Gorham/Robertson axis? 'Fools Gold' here I come? Wonder too if the reissues are decently done or would I be better off with the originals? We'll see......

Great point - the cover of Fighting does indeed look like a hard bitten take on 'Who's Next'.

I similarly took Lizzy for granted (just liked a couple of tracks) until I listened again to Greatest Hits, their two disc set from circa 2004 - and realised what a comprehensively great band they were!

A very introspective track - Fools Gold - timely for the period.

[cybot]

'Fighting' (Thin Lizzy's first full on hard rock album with the classic twin-lead guitar) seems to have been dismissed by a fair number of critics, as just crude heavy metal or a work in progress, who favour the classic triology of Jailbreak, Johnny the Fox, and Bad Reputation, but I can't see much of a quality drop compared to those albums. Highlights include 'Silver Dollar', 'Spirit Slips Away', 'Suicide' and the very heavy title track, but 'Wild One' has to be one of Thin Lizzy's greatest tracks of all.

Very valid points Rob. Just looking at the cover now and I'm struck by the rugged pose as if by a new struggling band on the cusp. Reminds me of a Who album cover. Of course I only started to notice Lizzy around the time of Live and Dangerous. Some of the albums mentioned above then infiltrated itself into my psyche to suddenly disappear into the ether for the usual reason: moving on to more esoteric and challenging fare. I regretfully did the same with our Rory. But you've got to remember these bands were a constant presence in the weeklies so I kind of got bored. In time I made up with Rory and (re)discovered a whole world of fantastic music but by then it was too late as he was already gone to pastures new. At least I did see him live only the once at the Temple Bar Blues festival. What an experience! Forever burned in my brain. The man in black played an astounding set that night.

Is now the time to rediscover the Gorham/Robertson axis? 'Fools Gold' here I come? Wonder too if the reissues are decently done or would I be better off with the originals? We'll see......

Great point - the cover of Fighting does indeed look like a hard bitten take on 'Who's Next'.

I similarly took Lizzy for granted (just liked a couple of tracks) until I listened again to Greatest Hits, their two disc set from circa 2004 - and realised what a comprehensively great band they were!

A very introspective track - Fools Gold - timely for the period.

This was the Who cover I was thinking of Rob :)

[Rob]

This was the Who cover I was thinking of Rob :)

Excellent - never heard the actual album but it was certainly one of the better 'Oo compilations - for some reason a lot of the later compilations ignored the wonderful tracks "The Kids are Alright" and "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" - the latter was especially important IMHO in the development of their sound.

Seems a fair few albums featured impages of the consequences of urban renewal, which appears to have been a big deal at the time - its like the fairly desolate introduction to 'Whatever happened to the likely lads?"

[cybot]

This was the Who cover I was thinking of Rob :)

Excellent - never heard the actual album but it was certainly one of the better 'Oo compilations - for some reason a lot of the later compilations ignored the wonderful tracks "The Kids are Alright" and "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" - the latter was especially important IMHO in the development of their sound.

Seems a fair few albums featured impages of the consequences of urban renewal, which appears to have been a big deal at the time - its like the fairly desolate introduction to 'Whatever happened to the likely lads?"

It's the best Who compilation. Period. The tracks you've mentioned are inexcusable omissions. My favourite Who album by a mile though I do have a soft spot for A Quick One, The Who Sell Out, Live at Leeds and the BBC sessions. I've avoided Tommy and Quadraphonia like the plague! My favourite track? 'I Can See For Miles' by miles ;)

Ah the Likely Lads! Another one that passed me by alas......I remember a friend of mine loved the series. He told me about an episode that featured MOTD I think which made me laugh because it's exactly what I do! You know the one where they do their best to avoid hearing the final score. That night they gather round the tv to watch the highlights only to discover it was cancelled :)

[cybot]

A Tower recommended vinyl reissue with a whole rake of extra tracks on Fire Records.....
Looking at the images especially the rear brings to mind the previous post about urban renewal ;)




http://www.firerecords.com/the-bevis-frond/

[Rob]

This was the Who cover I was thinking of Rob :)

Excellent - never heard the actual album but it was certainly one of the better 'Oo compilations - for some reason a lot of the later compilations ignored the wonderful tracks "The Kids are Alright" and "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" - the latter was especially important IMHO in the development of their sound.

Seems a fair few albums featured impages of the consequences of urban renewal, which appears to have been a big deal at the time - its like the fairly desolate introduction to 'Whatever happened to the likely lads?"

It's the best Who compilation. Period. The tracks you've mentioned are inexcusable omissions. My favourite Who album by a mile though I do have a soft spot for A Quick One, The Who Sell Out, Live at Leeds and the BBC sessions. I've avoided Tommy and Quadraphonia like the plague! My favourite track? 'I Can See For Miles' by miles ;)

I probably like 'The Who Sell Out' best - even most of the bonus tracks are very good. 'Live at Leeds' is outstanding although I like the similar Isle of Wight CD too - Townshend seems to play looser freer guitar on some of the latter's rock tracks but the singing on the full rendition of Tommy is often very out of tune. A Quick One is a fun listen - especially Moon's tracks but I reckon Run, Run, Run is the hardcore successor to My Generation!!

Agreed that Tommy is overrated - it is at times very good on the first disc of the album but the second is pretty rough, as if the music took second place to the fairly garbled story. Quadraphenia is pretty good at times because it rocks out hard on some tracks - e.g. 5.15 - but yeah it is also quite bloated, shouty and indulgent.

Ah the Likely Lads! Another one that passed me by alas......I remember a friend of mine loved the series. He told me about an episode that featured MOTD I think which made me laugh because it's exactly what I do! You know the one where they do their best to avoid hearing the final score. That night they gather round the tv to watch the highlights only to discover it was cancelled :)

Yeah know that episode well - then there's the fiendish guy who tries to tell them the score! lol If you have satellite, its quite often repeated on the Yesterday channel.