[FONT=Courier New, monospace]After listening to music for decades, and being raised on radio (no pun) thanks to my father being a radio DJ for half of my young life, I was exposed to a lot of different style at music.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]My list of favorite bands has changed and still changes overtime, in fact it has become damn near impossible to nail down one, two or even three bands I hail as the absolute best band ever. There is so many good acts, but also so many good bands with fragmented, hit-n-miss albums, it's seems impossible to say who is my favorite.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]Well, at this time today, I feel there are two underrated bands that deserve the "greatest band" award, but for different reasons. Ironically, neither band is considered metal, but I feel both have a strong influence on metal in one aspect or another, depending on how you look at it, and how open minded most metal fans and/or musicians are.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]Band #1 - TOTO [/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]I know some of the fans of our music, or the general metal fan will probably think I'm up in the night admitting to this, however, every musician must have roots, and I consider TOTO to be the Beatles of my generation. When you consider all the hit's they had/have and the level of integrity amongst the songwriters, and the constancy of their album releases and growth, they are one of the best bands of the past 20 years. It is sad they usually get written off as has-been pop drivel dinosaurs amongst most of today's generation and media. For shame. [/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]It all started with their greatest hits collection that I picked up in 92', which took me back to my youth. I forgot how cool they were after hearing them again. It's interesting, but sometimes when I would go back and hear bands or songs from my youth, I would say to myself, "I can't believe I actually liked this poppycock!". Not true with Toto, they are one of the few that stand the test of time. I started picking up album after album, one at a time as they were released from that point, and picking up the back catalauge. Every album is perfection, in both songwriting and production. No fillers, and the material sounds fresh with each release. For me, a band that has existed as long as them, deserves high accolades.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]If I ever did a solo album, (and could afford it) I would do anything it took to collaborate with David Paich, the man is a songsmith genius. I think I obviously gave away the direction I would take with my own material outside of Katagory V. [/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]Band #2 - GENTLE GIANT[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]How these guys slipped under my radar up until a few years ago is beyond me. I think it's due in part to only knowing of more well known prog rock acts like Yes, Genesis and ELP. After exhausting my reserves on these bands, I needed a bit "more" from this genre, I started digging for other bands, and this was one that I stumbled across via a best-of compilation entitled "Edge of Twilight". At that time, their albums were nearly impossible to find, but what I heard from the compilation (which entailed almost every song from the first 4 albums)absolutely blew my mind.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]This band was head of it's time, pioneers in the genre. They were multi-instrumentalists, extreme showmen (check out the Xylophone solo on their live DVD!!!), and the songwriting is jaw dropping. Here's the best part, not only would Gentle Giant create songs with disjointed structures and mathematical orchestration's, (2 - 3 decades before the days of metal acts like Watchtower or Spiral Architect), the songs were also melodic and more memorable than their popular piers. They would play off the Celtic, jazz, folk and classic influences, incorporate a bit of the Cantbury sounds, rock, and then often times borderline heavy metal.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]There is far more variety and intensity in their music than most of their progressive rock counterparts combined. It is nearly a crime that they never saw the success that many of the other bands of the genre received in the early-mid 70's. Often times, I feel they were far ahead of the game, musical savants, pure genius. Their album "The Power and the Glory" would probably be the best example of all of this, absolute brilliance. Even though the band took a more commercial side step with their latter two albums, there is no faulting them, as even those album still retain a good slab of musical integrity. A shame the band broke up in the early 80's, but thankfully left a legacy of amazing albums that get played consistently by yours truly.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]A few other notes: The bass playing on the earlier material is over the top, and is upfront in the mix, very raunchy and raw. I love it! These guys were doing the face-melting a capella vocals far before Spock's Beard or Kevin Gilbert... Where do you think these guys go the idea? I cannot tell you how underrated Gentle Giant is not only in their genre, but just in general. I only wish I could orchestrate like these guys; they were, excuse me...still are, over the top.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]Even thought a reunion/new album is highly unlikely (According to Derrick Shulman) we can only hope.... Just one more go at it would be nice though. Damn good think Derrick re-released and remastered a majority of there back catalauge for some of us younger and newer fans![/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]My list of favorite bands has changed and still changes overtime, in fact it has become damn near impossible to nail down one, two or even three bands I hail as the absolute best band ever. There is so many good acts, but also so many good bands with fragmented, hit-n-miss albums, it's seems impossible to say who is my favorite.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]Well, at this time today, I feel there are two underrated bands that deserve the "greatest band" award, but for different reasons. Ironically, neither band is considered metal, but I feel both have a strong influence on metal in one aspect or another, depending on how you look at it, and how open minded most metal fans and/or musicians are.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]Band #1 - TOTO [/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]I know some of the fans of our music, or the general metal fan will probably think I'm up in the night admitting to this, however, every musician must have roots, and I consider TOTO to be the Beatles of my generation. When you consider all the hit's they had/have and the level of integrity amongst the songwriters, and the constancy of their album releases and growth, they are one of the best bands of the past 20 years. It is sad they usually get written off as has-been pop drivel dinosaurs amongst most of today's generation and media. For shame. [/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]It all started with their greatest hits collection that I picked up in 92', which took me back to my youth. I forgot how cool they were after hearing them again. It's interesting, but sometimes when I would go back and hear bands or songs from my youth, I would say to myself, "I can't believe I actually liked this poppycock!". Not true with Toto, they are one of the few that stand the test of time. I started picking up album after album, one at a time as they were released from that point, and picking up the back catalauge. Every album is perfection, in both songwriting and production. No fillers, and the material sounds fresh with each release. For me, a band that has existed as long as them, deserves high accolades.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]If I ever did a solo album, (and could afford it) I would do anything it took to collaborate with David Paich, the man is a songsmith genius. I think I obviously gave away the direction I would take with my own material outside of Katagory V. [/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]Band #2 - GENTLE GIANT[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]How these guys slipped under my radar up until a few years ago is beyond me. I think it's due in part to only knowing of more well known prog rock acts like Yes, Genesis and ELP. After exhausting my reserves on these bands, I needed a bit "more" from this genre, I started digging for other bands, and this was one that I stumbled across via a best-of compilation entitled "Edge of Twilight". At that time, their albums were nearly impossible to find, but what I heard from the compilation (which entailed almost every song from the first 4 albums)absolutely blew my mind.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]This band was head of it's time, pioneers in the genre. They were multi-instrumentalists, extreme showmen (check out the Xylophone solo on their live DVD!!!), and the songwriting is jaw dropping. Here's the best part, not only would Gentle Giant create songs with disjointed structures and mathematical orchestration's, (2 - 3 decades before the days of metal acts like Watchtower or Spiral Architect), the songs were also melodic and more memorable than their popular piers. They would play off the Celtic, jazz, folk and classic influences, incorporate a bit of the Cantbury sounds, rock, and then often times borderline heavy metal.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]There is far more variety and intensity in their music than most of their progressive rock counterparts combined. It is nearly a crime that they never saw the success that many of the other bands of the genre received in the early-mid 70's. Often times, I feel they were far ahead of the game, musical savants, pure genius. Their album "The Power and the Glory" would probably be the best example of all of this, absolute brilliance. Even though the band took a more commercial side step with their latter two albums, there is no faulting them, as even those album still retain a good slab of musical integrity. A shame the band broke up in the early 80's, but thankfully left a legacy of amazing albums that get played consistently by yours truly.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]A few other notes: The bass playing on the earlier material is over the top, and is upfront in the mix, very raunchy and raw. I love it! These guys were doing the face-melting a capella vocals far before Spock's Beard or Kevin Gilbert... Where do you think these guys go the idea? I cannot tell you how underrated Gentle Giant is not only in their genre, but just in general. I only wish I could orchestrate like these guys; they were, excuse me...still are, over the top.[/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New, monospace]Even thought a reunion/new album is highly unlikely (According to Derrick Shulman) we can only hope.... Just one more go at it would be nice though. Damn good think Derrick re-released and remastered a majority of there back catalauge for some of us younger and newer fans![/FONT]
