SoaD – I was never really into “heavy Metal” I tend to shy away from it. I heard the song Chop Suey and decided to buy the album. I found it amazing. (Eventually owning all of their albums) The music just has a power behind it along with a message (Similar to Rage Against the Machine) . I love the guitar intro and the energy of this track.
CA – new to me. Very 60s 70s vibe. The voice seems a little echoey and muttled but maybe that was the intent. somewhat eerie. I couldn’t really make out the lyrics. Something about marching on a tower?
System of a Down – Toxicity
Kinda remember this from around when it came out (I had a pre-teen & this was on the radar of that age group). Musically it lights up the Dream Theater-liking part of my brain. The vocals are a little tough for me. It’s got some good, driving power, but it’s just not landing with me this morning. Maybe later.
Curved Air – Marie Antoinette
One of the few Prog bands with a female lead singer, Sonja Kristina, Curved Air was certainly an “Ed band.” I came to this album long after my initial love of a later record of theirs, Air Cut. This track has a bit of a Jefferson Airplane feel to it, but has that more complicated prog interplay. Really enjoying this on the head phones. It is certainly of-a-time, but there’s a warmth there for me. Gonna take another listen just for pleasure.
Note 1 (pearl 2): Stewart Copeland would later be a member of this band prior to Police-ing.
Note 2: I remember that my, significantly older, brother had their first album, Air Conditioning.
“Toxicity”/SOAD. So-ad? So aggro! I think of this type of heavy rock as the 90s offspring of Metallica — punk-influenced metal for sure, though mostly by hardcore and with some of the musical complexity of prog. An impassioned plaint about urban life. Is it all the same speaker? is the speaker asking if the unruly person owns the world, or is he being asked? The thick, fleshy textures of the drums and guitars are sensually appealing. of its time, I suppose, and though I didn’t hear it back then I dig it. “Eating seeds is a pastime activity.”
“Marie Antoinette”/Curved Air. Still kinda hard to feel sorry for old Marie. She continues showing up in movies and even in the last Olympics’ epic opening ceremony (as a severed head, but still). Yet no one’s sympathetic! Except maybe, a little, Curved Air. Herein, a poetic evocation of her circumstances. “The king and the gods have fled” is a not-terrible line to summarize the downfall of a theocratic monarchy. I don’t know much of Curved Air, but this is on the boogie side of proggy. It bustles along, and I like the singer’s airy voice.
What strikes me first is the quality of the production and the mix. I feel like the mix engineer is an equal member of the band here. 90’s rock vibe. I like his voice tremolo. The music strikes me as a bit performative but not necessarily sincere. This description may not be describing the feeling I am trying to describe so I will stop. Overall, I like it a bunch but must be in the mood.
“Marie Antoinette” by Curved Air: Very different style then the former. In this case the vocal tremolo may be a bit too much but her voice is beautiful. The organ sounded at first like a Theremin and I was bummed when it wasn’t for some reason. The guitar tone was a bit grating to my ears. Enjoyed the experience overall; a tad long but that is prog rock…..Be Patient Luke or is it Grasshopper?
post note: I realize I did not pay attention to the lyrics at all but assume they were about Rights Now: We Are Ones
I need to give both a fairer listen than my once through.
SOAD- I like the Rickenbacker guitar sound and riff at the beginning. Not too keen on the ramping up into the chorus. There is also a tambre(?) or tone to Serge’s voice that I never really liked very much. It is a very dry sound–not a lot of reverb or chorus–something that other vocalists are reluctant to do (Lennon was famously sensitive about his raw voice and tended to want to add a lot of effects). There are some racucous moments here that are catchy though.
Marie Antoinnette- Ok, not the Stewart Copeland era Curved Air. That’s fine. While I’m definitely a prog fan, this shade of fan is not my beg. Gimme a little more guitar noodling and synth-psychosis, maybe some deranged drumming. This light touch reminds me of a tune that would narrate a long journey in an early-70’s epic. As statED above, there is a Jefferson Airplane aroma to this one.
SoaD – I was never really into “heavy Metal” I tend to shy away from it. I heard the song Chop Suey and decided to buy the album. I found it amazing. (Eventually owning all of their albums) The music just has a power behind it along with a message (Similar to Rage Against the Machine) . I love the guitar intro and the energy of this track.
CA – new to me. Very 60s 70s vibe. The voice seems a little echoey and muttled but maybe that was the intent. somewhat eerie. I couldn’t really make out the lyrics. Something about marching on a tower?
System of a Down – Toxicity
Kinda remember this from around when it came out (I had a pre-teen & this was on the radar of that age group). Musically it lights up the Dream Theater-liking part of my brain. The vocals are a little tough for me. It’s got some good, driving power, but it’s just not landing with me this morning. Maybe later.
Curved Air – Marie Antoinette
One of the few Prog bands with a female lead singer, Sonja Kristina, Curved Air was certainly an “Ed band.” I came to this album long after my initial love of a later record of theirs, Air Cut. This track has a bit of a Jefferson Airplane feel to it, but has that more complicated prog interplay. Really enjoying this on the head phones. It is certainly of-a-time, but there’s a warmth there for me. Gonna take another listen just for pleasure.
Note 1 (pearl 2): Stewart Copeland would later be a member of this band prior to Police-ing.
Note 2: I remember that my, significantly older, brother had their first album, Air Conditioning.
“Toxicity”/SOAD. So-ad? So aggro! I think of this type of heavy rock as the 90s offspring of Metallica — punk-influenced metal for sure, though mostly by hardcore and with some of the musical complexity of prog. An impassioned plaint about urban life. Is it all the same speaker? is the speaker asking if the unruly person owns the world, or is he being asked? The thick, fleshy textures of the drums and guitars are sensually appealing. of its time, I suppose, and though I didn’t hear it back then I dig it. “Eating seeds is a pastime activity.”
“Marie Antoinette”/Curved Air. Still kinda hard to feel sorry for old Marie. She continues showing up in movies and even in the last Olympics’ epic opening ceremony (as a severed head, but still). Yet no one’s sympathetic! Except maybe, a little, Curved Air. Herein, a poetic evocation of her circumstances. “The king and the gods have fled” is a not-terrible line to summarize the downfall of a theocratic monarchy. I don’t know much of Curved Air, but this is on the boogie side of proggy. It bustles along, and I like the singer’s airy voice.
“Toxicity” by System of a Down:
What strikes me first is the quality of the production and the mix. I feel like the mix engineer is an equal member of the band here. 90’s rock vibe. I like his voice tremolo. The music strikes me as a bit performative but not necessarily sincere. This description may not be describing the feeling I am trying to describe so I will stop. Overall, I like it a bunch but must be in the mood.
“Marie Antoinette” by Curved Air: Very different style then the former. In this case the vocal tremolo may be a bit too much but her voice is beautiful. The organ sounded at first like a Theremin and I was bummed when it wasn’t for some reason. The guitar tone was a bit grating to my ears. Enjoyed the experience overall; a tad long but that is prog rock…..Be Patient Luke or is it Grasshopper?
post note: I realize I did not pay attention to the lyrics at all but assume they were about Rights Now: We Are Ones
I need to give both a fairer listen than my once through.
SOAD- I like the Rickenbacker guitar sound and riff at the beginning. Not too keen on the ramping up into the chorus. There is also a tambre(?) or tone to Serge’s voice that I never really liked very much. It is a very dry sound–not a lot of reverb or chorus–something that other vocalists are reluctant to do (Lennon was famously sensitive about his raw voice and tended to want to add a lot of effects). There are some racucous moments here that are catchy though.
Marie Antoinnette- Ok, not the Stewart Copeland era Curved Air. That’s fine. While I’m definitely a prog fan, this shade of fan is not my beg. Gimme a little more guitar noodling and synth-psychosis, maybe some deranged drumming. This light touch reminds me of a tune that would narrate a long journey in an early-70’s epic. As statED above, there is a Jefferson Airplane aroma to this one.