The Syndicate

Sorry I forgot to update this. Getting on it.

lol that you copied my whole ramble into the post

anyway I love this album!

I listened just now and it was enjoyable. I was focused on a task I was doing and it made good music to accompany that, though I ended up losing attention on the sound about halfway through it. I'll need to listen again to get a more proper take. I did like it though and would start it at 3 stars.

Recorded back in November:

Recorded back in November, too:

Great stuff as always, Rico! Would be intrigued to hear your take on the other stuff you missed, but would totally understand if you don't have the time to video them.

I'm listening to TGRS again tonight, and it's very pleasant. I wish I could offer more substantive or interesting feedback than that, but it's honestly all I've got. This is the sort of thing I'd be glad to play while I am busy with something, as it'd probably help me to maintain some focus, but beyond that I am not sure I'd listen much more. It's a good album though and I appreciate the submission nutella.

RIP SAW

Sorry, it's been a busy week. Just got done with The Goat Rodeo Sessions now. I'd give it a strong 3.5. Pretty damn enjoyable. Definitely will be revisiting it. Thanks for the suggestion, nutella.

Just dropping in to say I'm a huge Goat Rodeo Sessions fan. To my mind, Chris Thile's work with Punch Brothers has always been about breaking down the classical/bluegrass boundary — "Another New World" and "The Blind Leaving the Blind" are the best examples of that. Partnering with Yo-Yo Ma and Edgar Duncan makes that trend even more explicit. I think the album could have benefited from more time spent composing, but that's what you get when you have a supergroup trying to work together.

Boomslang wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07, 2018 8:35 pm Just dropping in to say I'm a huge Goat Rodeo Sessions fan. To my mind, Chris Thile's work with Punch Brothers has always been about breaking down the classical/bluegrass boundary — "Another New World" and "The Blind Leaving the Blind" are the best examples of that. Partnering with Yo-Yo Ma and Edgar Duncan makes that trend even more explicit. I think the album could have benefited from more time spent composing, but that's what you get when you have a supergroup trying to work together.

I agree with this.

Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer, Stuart Duncan, Yo-Yo Ma - The Goat Rodeo Sessions

really nice listening experience, and there's obvious talent in there but it got a little bit samey to me so it's something I'd listen to while working on something else and don't need to be distracted by the music, I guess. If I gave it all focus, it would lose points and get a bit tedious for not keeping my attention. I liked how the album sounded almost unrehearsed though, like a huge improvisational gig. I dug that. I'll give it a 3/5.

CunninLynguists - A Piece of Strange

man, this takes me back to 2007. A piece of genius production and lyrics was unravelled before me by my dear friend at the time, Sunshine. A story being told, section by section. Amazing, well thought out collabs too with Immortal Technique, Tonedeff and the amazing Cee Lo Green. It was deep, and it really hit me and one of the reasons why I love rap. It's funny because Sunshine swore to me back then that the album would be a classic in 10 years and guess what, it is considered a classic today! Impossible to even pick a favorite off this album, they're all epic tracks and the fact they're all together is what makes them even more great: Never Know Why, Nothing to Give, Caved In, Hourglass, The Gates....ughhhh. I liked their funnier debut too, but this album was their introduction to the serious world of hiphop where people actually began to give 2 shits about them, underground hiphop critics and mainstream hiphop critics alike. The best southern hip hop album released in the last 15 years? yea. absolutely.

5/5 and a top album for me

sorry I'm inconsistent in contributing, I listen to most but sometimes I just don't have much to say what other people haven't already said and I don't need to be a parrot

Somewhere to Elsewhere is actually my second favorite Kansas album. Which is high on up there.

speedchuck wrote: ↑Mon Jan 08, 2018 9:26 pm Somewhere to Elsewhere is actually my second favorite Kansas album. Which is high on up there.

And first?

Epignosis wrote: ↑Mon Jan 08, 2018 9:31 pm

speedchuck wrote: ↑Mon Jan 08, 2018 9:26 pm Somewhere to Elsewhere is actually my second favorite Kansas album. Which is high on up there.

And first?

I'm a normie for saying this, but Leftoverture. Magnum Opus and Miracles out of Nowhere are a couple of my favorite songs.

speedchuck wrote: ↑Mon Jan 08, 2018 9:40 pm

Epignosis wrote: ↑Mon Jan 08, 2018 9:31 pm

speedchuck wrote: ↑Mon Jan 08, 2018 9:26 pm Somewhere to Elsewhere is actually my second favorite Kansas album. Which is high on up there.

And first?

I'm a normie for saying this, but Leftoverture. Magnum Opus and Miracles out of Nowhere are a couple of my favorite songs.

"Miracles Out of Nowhere" was the song that made me go, "I want to play music like that."

Nothing wrong with Leftoverture at all.

Somewhere to Elsewhere is my favorite Kansas album for a lot of reasons. First, it was a reunion of the original members. Second, Kerry Livgren wrote all the songs (and that's no offense to Steve Walsh- he's a great songwriter too- see Smackin the Clowns), but Livgren to me was always the creative genius in the group.

What may interest you is that I have read Livgren's biography, and some of these musical passages were written AGES ago- in fact, the middle section to "The Coming Dawn (Thanatopsis)" was performed by the original Kansas band (known now as Proto-Kaw) here:



Such a rich album with a lot of history in it.

Epignosis wrote: ↑Mon Jan 08, 2018 10:10 pm "Miracles Out of Nowhere" was the song that made me go, "I want to play music like that."

Nothing wrong with Leftoverture at all.

Somewhere to Elsewhere is my favorite Kansas album for a lot of reasons. First, it was a reunion of the original members. Second, Kerry Livgren wrote all the songs (and that's no offense to Steve Walsh- he's a great songwriter too- see Smackin the Clowns), but Livgren to me was always the creative genius in the group.

What may interest you is that I have read Livgren's biography, and some of these musical passages were written AGES ago- in fact, the middle section to "The Coming Dawn (Thanatopsis)" was performed by the original Kansas band (known now as Proto-Kaw) here:



Such a rich album with a lot of history in it.

That's fantastic.

I'm definitely giving Somewhere to elsewhere another listen this week.

On a side note: Icarus II is my alarm tone in the morning. So the opening has lost a bit of sheen.

I was never a huge fan of Somewhere to Elsewhere (though I always liked it in the OK to decent range), and over the last handful of years my tastes have grown further and further away from "classic" prog so to speak, but all of that said I'm excited to revisit this one. Haven't even listened to Kansas in general in way too long.

Somewhere to elsewhere starts with one of my favorite songs of all time. Icarus II is fantastic. I also love When The World Was Young, and Myriad. Perhaps you see the pattern. I like the faster or more power-driven tunes. The more ballad-y or slow tunes like Byzantium and Dissappearing Skin Tight Blues are merely amazing, and not my favorites.
To point out what I like about this music would be hard. It would be easier to say that these songs have nothing in them that I DON'T like. The instrumentation, alternately meaningful and clever lyrics, soulful (maybe that's the world I'm looking for) vocals and interesting rhythmic drum tracks that don't get too trashy or meaninglessly complex/noisy, all of it is what I want.
This is not my favorite Kansas album. It is my second favorite. If I took the half of this album I actually loved, or by itself with the additions of Down The Road, Icarus (Borne on Wings of Steel), Miracles out of Nowhere, Magnum Opus, and some classics like Wayward Son and Point of Know Return, it would not only be a 5.0, it would be my favorite album of all time.
So should I give this a 4.5 or 5.0? I lean toward 4.5. I want to save 5.0 for something that I come across that not only blows me away, but also does so consistently.
...
Giving it a 5.0 anyway.

Enjoyed my first listen. Loved the instrumentals right off the bat, less sold on the vocals.

nutella wrote: ↑Fri Jan 12, 2018 4:59 pm Enjoyed my first listen. Loved the instrumentals right off the bat, less sold on the vocals.

Steve Walsh didn't used to sound like that.

The main vocalist you're probably referring to (the one with the serious rasp) is seriously the same guy who sang "Dust in the Wind."

Same guy.

That's drugs and alcohol and crazy-ass stage theatrics over decades at work, children.

I listened earlier today and thought it was pretty good. The best brand of prog, in my opinion, is the one which embraces accessibility without also compromising the core sounds associated with the genre. Kansas seems solid in that role. 3.5 stars.

I should get to it tomorrow; I'm in the midst of a Tull discography run, but after that it'll be StE.

I'm thinking light 3.5 on StE. Steve Walsh's vocals definitely aren't what they used to be which is a shame and a bit distracting, but the compositions are generally good. Icarus II is the highlight. Maybe the album is a bit too long though.

Given I just finished Tull I'm not too far off from hitting Kansas in my reassessment/discography runs anyway, so it'll be cool to revisit it again alongside the rest of their discography.

Yay, dataplex! I love this album. I don't want to say anything about it in detail for now; it's unconventional and I'm curious to see how you all will take to it. I have plenty of thoughts on it though.

And as always, don't be afraid to be honest.

I'm halfway through it.

And, well... Ouch.

looking forward to dataplex, sounds like it'll be... different

still catching up on StE with a second listen, here are some thoughts
1. Icarus II: this track is 100% awesome. totally love it.
2. When The World Was Young: meh
3. Grand Fun Alley: meh
4. The Coming Dawn (Thanatopsis): lyrics are cheesy but pleasant enough melodically; I absolutely love the instrumental bridge (and parts of it strongly remind me of at least three different Muse songs lol I'm sure they took some inspiration from Kansas)
5. Myriad: nice instrumental intro, rest of the song is ok. lyrics (like much of the lyrics throughout the album) feel a lil pretentious to me
6: Look At The Time: this sounds super familiar was it in a movie or something? or does it sound a lot like a different song? anyway it's fine
7: Disappearing Skin Tight Blues: once again I love the instrumental intro but it's very separate from the rest of the song, and again the song is ok but not super special
8: Distant Vision: pretty solidly great all the way through
9: Byzantium: ehh...
10: Not Man Big: meh
11: Geodesic Dome: kinda fun but I don't really get why it's there

so... I only really liked... about two and a half tracks? Icarus II is fantastic and I like scattered instrumental tidbits throughout the album but the majority of it was just not very special. 3 stars I guess

I've finished dataplex.

That was unpleasant. Indeed, I have never struggled so much to finish a piece of music in my life. It was physically painful in the realest sense -- not because it sounded bad, but because it hurt. I can on some level respect what the artist was going for, because I am pretty sure that's the intent. He pushed the boundaries of the sound spectrum audible to the human ear and created sensations that others have not. That's fine. I didn't enjoy this though and I don't know that it's necessary to pound at it for 55 minutes when the same novelty can be achieved in 5. I don't even need to say that in terms of composition it was nigh pointless.

I gave it 1 star. The only thing preventing a lower grade is my understanding that the artist achieved what he set out to achieve. I'm going to go squeeze my head between two pillows for a few hours.

OK now I'm afraid to listen to it.

No.

Just no.

I did 13 seconds. Skipped around.

Alex, is this what you consider music these days?

Epignosis wrote: ↑Mon Jan 15, 2018 10:23 pm No.

Just no.

I did 13 seconds. Skipped around.

Alex, is this what you consider music these days?

It's absolutely music. You may hate it or call it pretentious, but it's music. Fight me.

nutella wrote: ↑Mon Jan 15, 2018 10:13 pm OK now I'm afraid to listen to it.

I have no issues listening to it, so as long as you're not sensitive to high frequencies or listening to it on super high volume, you'll be fine. Maybe I'm just a robot though.

I would encourage y'all to give it a chance.

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 15, 2018 10:45 pm

Epignosis wrote: ↑Mon Jan 15, 2018 10:23 pm No.

Just no.

I did 13 seconds. Skipped around.

Alex, is this what you consider music these days?

It's absolutely music. You may hate it or call it pretentious, but it's music. Fight me.

Besides, if you skip around, you don't get to hear how the piece develops, which is pretty awesome if I say so myself. That's part of the payoff.

But I realize how unconventional this kind of thing is, so if you all hate it or don't even want to give it a chance, I get it -- but I would suggest you all give it an honest try so long as you aren't even experiencing something very unpleasant. Considering Jay's feelings for it I'm surprised he decided to slog through the whole thing; I thought it would get some negative reactions or "Wtf", but was obviously hoping not to get anything overly negative. I didn't nominate it without realizing that or without serious consideration first. Nonetheless, I wanted to offer something different with this submission, especially because it's consistently blown my mind and been thoroughly enjoyable for me. I think it's incredible.

I may have hated it, but it's still a unique listening experience. I'd recommend it to people who I think have a taste for that sort of stuff.

Also, let's get those new submissions. I'm going to just call it another open submission period with no poll.

JaggedJimmyJay - Marina & the Diamonds - The Family Jewels / 2010 / Electropop / 13 tracks / 46:22

JaggedJimmyJay wrote: ↑Tue Jan 16, 2018 12:22 am I may have hated it, but it's still a unique listening experience. I'd recommend it to people who I think have a taste for that sort of stuff.

Hey, thanks for giving it a fair shot.

I'll nominate another, but don't feel obligated to put me in the order early again; just add me to the end.


My nomination:

MovingPictures07 - Madvillain - Madvillainy / 2004 / Abstract Hip Hop / 22 tracks / 46:13

I'm definitely going to give it a shot

My nomination:

speedchuck - Universal Migrator Pt I: The Dream Sequencer - Ayreon / 2000 / Rock Opera / 11 Tracks / 70:14 - Youtube

This is technically a playlist for both parts of the 'two part album.'

HOWEVER!

The album in question was made in two separate parts, at separate times, with different musicians, different themes, different tones, and a different (but related sequel-ish) story. They are two separate albums.

Thus, I am submitting only the first eleven tracks of the playlist. Part I.

dataplex is probably a 4/5 imo, i should relisten. i think the first time i heard him it was because someone used one of his pieces in a skate vid that was posted to reddit.

MovingPictures07 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 16, 2018 1:18 am I'll nominate another, but don't feel obligated to put me in the order early again; just add me to the end.


My nomination:

MovingPictures07 - Madvillain - Madvillainy / 2004 / Abstract Hip Hop / 22 tracks / 46:13

i'll nominate

dunya - Pescado Rabioso - Pescado 2 / 1973 / Psychedelic Rock / 18 tracks / 73:40 - YouTube

I'm trying to catch up. I'll dump reviews in spurts at some point soon. As for the new round of submissions:



G-Man- Local H / Pack Up The Cats / 1998 / Rock / 15 tracks / 47:38- YouTube & Spotify