Strange and Beautiful - Not what I was expecting...

[General Zod]

Not sure if this has been discussed here before... a search didn't turn anything up.

So... I was a big fan of Transcendence. However, I guess I lost track of the band in the three years that followed. Crimson Glory's inclusion in this year's festival has inspired me to go back and check out those discs I missed out on. Needless to say, Strange and Beautiful is not what I was expecting. It almost sounds as if the band relocated from Florida to L.A. during those three years and became influenced by Tora Tora, Junkyard and Babylon A.D.

A question for those who stayed connected to the band or are more familiar with their history... what happened? The music on Strange and Beautiful is quite cool, just completely out of left field.

Zod

 

[Sir Exar Kun]

This album gets so many bad knocks it isn't even funny! I was late to the CG party (all three original albums were out at the time I first heard them), and I bought S&B with the lowest of expectations, only to be pleasantly surprised. I love some of the tribal grooves they incorporate. I'm not sure I get the Tora Tora or Babylon AD comparisons, but it certainly was not the Queensryche vein of the first two albums.....

Definitely a disc to be experienced. Don't let the nay-sayers sway your opinion on this one!

 

[MysticX9]

My understanding is that Midnight was a big fan of Led Zeppelin and wanted the sound to go in that direction; I think also their record label was pushing them to do more "commercial" material. It's definitely different, wasn't what I was expecting at all either...

 

[TribunalRecords]

I don't recall the band's reason for changing, but having been in the "industry" for so many years now looking back i would have to agree that Atlantic wanted a more appealing vibe to the normal CG sound. When i first picked it up i was VERY disappointed, but as time passed the record really grew on me and though not classic CG sounding by any means it's still a stand out record within their catalog.

And hopefully one of the guest vocalists will take a bold risk an attempt a cover (and fitting tribute) of "Far Away"

 

[PurpleCrayonWriter]

Jon and I discussed Strange and Beautiful at length in the second half of our interview. It'll be in the program.

But, the answer to the question of where it came from isn't just Midnight's interest in Led Zeppelin. Jon and Midnight put that album together the way it was because of how and where it was recorded.

Tune in to Part Two to get the scoop!

Bill

 

[Justin G]

I love S&B about as much as I do the first two CG albums, but for totally different reasons. It's just a unique album.

 

[Metaldrumz]

Bang Goes The Beautiful??

 

[Creeps]

Not sure if this has been discussed here before... a search didn't turn anything up.

So... I was a big fan of Transcendence. However, I guess I lost track of the band in the three years that followed. Crimson Glory's inclusion in this year's festival has inspired me to go back and check out those discs I missed out on. Needless to say, Strange and Beautiful is not what I was expecting. It almost sounds as if the band relocated from Florida to L.A. during those three years and became influenced by Tora Tora, Junkyard and Babylon A.D.

A question for those who stayed connected to the band or are more familiar with their history... what happened? The music on Strange and Beautiful is quite cool, just completely out of left field.

Zod

They went for a more commerical sound. There used to be tons of write ups about it in the local rags around Tampa Bay.

Although, I'd suggest you listen to some Tora Tora, Junkyard and Babylon A.D. some more, because Strange & Beautiful sounds nothing like them guys .

To this day, I don't know why everyone hates that album. It's not the Transcendence, and Transcendence is not their debut. Each album has a different sound, granted S&B is more drastic a change. There are good songs on that album.

If you put a Blind Guardian logo on S&B would it have taken as many knocks?

 

[Ascension]

S & B is not bad...it's just that at the time it was released there were bands like Whitesnake, Kingdom Come, etc that were cloning Led Zep better. Original fans dropped off because it wasn't like the 1st 2...and they didn't pick up new fans with the new direction.

 

[TribunalRecords]

S & B is not bad...it's just that at the time it was released there were bands like Whitesnake, Kingdom Come, etc that were cloning Led Zep better. Original fans dropped off because it wasn't like the 1st 2...and they didn't pick up new fans with the new direction.

agreed. i didn't know ANYONE at the time who climbed aboard the CG ship with the release of that album. most like myself were confused and turned off, until of course i came to delve deeper into the material and actually give it a fair shake. it's like how i came back to Judas Priest's "Turbo" album later. such a great and misunderstood album as well.

 

[General Zod]

Although, I'd suggest you listen to some Tora Tora, Junkyard and Babylon A.D. some more, because Strange & Beautiful sounds nothing like them guys .

Thanks for the suggestion, but I've listened to all three bands hundreds of times. If you don't hear the same blues-based stylistic leanings in tracks like "Promised Land" and "Chant" perhaps you should revisit. Cheers.

Zod

 

[jaimek]

I couldn't get into Strange & Beautiful either. I liked the intro to the title track ("Welcome to the stars"), and that was ... about it.

 

[Creeps]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I've listened to all three bands hundreds of times. If you don't hear the same blues-based stylistic leanings in tracks like "Promised Land" and "Chant" perhaps you should revisit. Cheers.

Zod

I listen to those bands as well, Tora Tora the most out of the 3, I just don't hear it. But most metal and hard rock is blues-based.. so let's agree to disagree

 

[General Zod]

I listen to those bands as well, Tora Tora the most out of the 3, I just don't hear it. But most metal and hard rock is blues-based.. so let's agree to disagree

I also like Tora Tora best out of the three, so there's something we can agree on. Next time you spin those two tracks, see if you can't hear what I'm talking about. Then again, I'm not a guitar player, so it could just be something I associate with those bands, that's not quite as distinct as I perceive it to be. Cheers.



Zod

 

[edgeofthorns]

Zod, I'm new to S&B as well, but I'm new to the band all the way around. With that said, I like all four of the band's albums. The last one is my least favorite, I have to be honest. IMO, S&B isn't bad at all if you like the early 90's melodic hard rock that was popular at the time. There's no question that the band was trying to lean more toward a "commercial" sound at the time.

~Brian~

 

[JenniferLynn]

I am one of the ones that loved S&B for what it was and loved chattin' with Mid about some of the songs...

"Starchamber" seemed to be the closest to the "expected" CG sound but I really enjoyed "In the Mood" as well.. not to discount the other songs - I liked them all... 'Song For Angels' took on a whole new meaning a couple years ago...

it's a disc that I really really really still enjoy to this day - for me, the bass & drums on it were just flat out sick... in a good way...

 

[Prog_Muse]

I thought S&B was definitely different, but not in a bad way at all.
In fact, as I've said before, by sheer definition of "progressive" the band did just that: new, different, unexpected.
"The Chant" really stuck out in a sore thumb way, and I'm sorry but anyone who thinks that the band wrote that song is clearly not familiar with Crimson Glory; that was classic record company tripe and it's pretty obvious: We fans all know the lyrical and musical stylings of Drenning, Lords and of course Midnight, and "The Chant" falls far short.
Unfortunately, that song really screwed the S&B album; once people heard it they turned up their noses to CG as yet another kickass band that sold out to the man.
How sad and ignorant... :-(
Songs like "Starchamber," "In The Mood," and of course the title track are unarguably awesome IMHO.
"Song For Angels, "Far Away," and Deep Inside Your Heart" are beautiful, passionate ballads.
So Midnight's natural voice combined with some cool, bluesy good old rock and roll somehow translates into a cloning of Led Zeppelin?
Well, so it goes.
True, that album didn't pick up a lot of new fans.
True, that album was a completely blindsiding left turn on what seemed to be a divinely forged road straight through the heart of heavy metal.
But at the end of the day, that album was exactly what it claimed to be: Strange and Beautiful.
Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[Ascension]

So Midnight's natural voice combined with some cool, bluesy good old rock and roll somehow translates into a cloning of Led Zeppelin?

In CG's case....the answer is yes.

nothing less.

As it turned out...it was alot less.

 

[edgeofthorns]

So Midnight's natural voice combined with some cool, bluesy good old rock and roll somehow translates into a cloning of Led Zeppelin?

I'm not getting the whole Led Zeppelin comparison either. Virtually, the music sounds similar to their previous two efforts, but a little more straight forward melodic. In other words, not as many time changes, etc. Quite honestly, it sounds to me like the "change in direction" thing has been over blown throughout the years.

~Brian~

 

[General Zod]

I'm not getting the whole Led Zeppelin comparison either. Virtually, the music sounds similar to their previous two efforts, but a little more straight forward melodic. In other words, not as many time changes, etc. Quite honestly, it sounds to me like the "change in direction" thing has been over blown throughout the years.

Brian... both the Zeppelin influence, as well as my comments about some of late 80s Metal bands, were about their sound becoming a lot bluesier. Queue up the two songs I mentioned above and see if you don;t hear it.

Zod