Diamonds in the Rough - May 2022 FAN FAVORITES (Episode 4)
Added 2022-06-01 19:05:19 +0000 UTCI'm back with the next Fan Favorites installment. This month's focus was Diamonds in the Rough...overlooked and underappreciated songs and bands. I included 13 songs in this jam-packed video. And, I had previously heard only one! I had a blast recording this one. So, sit back and enjoy!
Included Songs:
- Common Ground (IQ)
- Fountains (Starcastle)
- Five Rooms (Wobbler)
- Bijou (Queen)
- Out of the Silent Planet (King's X)
- FXMLDR (Thank You Scientist)
- Glory of the Empire (Circus Maximus)
- White Rhino Tea (Ozric Tentacles)
- Nuclear Burn (Brand X)
- Mother Russia (Renaissance)
- Evidence of Autumn (Genesis)
- Never the Same (Echolyn)
- Birdland (Weather Report)
Comments
Great selection of tunes, going back to work now and will listen intently. Genesis made some cracking B-sides back then- Vancouver, Open Door, Evidence, The Paperlate EP, Inside And Out...
Ralph Darvill
2024-03-21 15:03:27 +0000 UTCLove Brand X, definitely need to hear some more of them on the channel!
Wolverale12
2024-02-28 04:37:22 +0000 UTCDoug, thank you so much for the reaction to echolyn. I am new to the Council of Dougs and one of the first things I did was search for a reaction to anything echolyn since I could not remember you doing any. I was very happy to see Never the Same. I cannot listen to that song without crying. It helped me so much when my Father passed over 13 years ago and it will always be with me. I hope you get a chance to listen to more of their music. They are one of my favorites. I know Mei has been on your radar, but I would also suggest anything from The End is Beautiful or their self titled album from 2012. Thanks again Doug!
David Durbin
2023-05-16 20:31:43 +0000 UTCWow, I knew Birdland by Weather Report in my youth somehow even though I was not particularly into jazz. I knew Manhattan Transfer did a vocal version (which is very good) but I had totally forgotten Weather Report did the original version. Thanks for reacquainting me with this gem.
Paul Halicki
2022-06-19 01:17:16 +0000 UTCBeing from Philly, I'm very familiar with echolyn... symphonic and emotional, kinda majestic and certainly nothing mainstream about them. They had a very passionate and loyal local following but definitely for the hard-core progressive audience. Mei may be their 'epic', but for me, their 'statement' is the Suffocating The Bloom album. 'Memoirs From Between' is the track that will be my lasting echolyn memory. "set a course... up ahead... straight into heaven..."
Christopher Arters (relative timeworx - Mr.A)
2022-06-09 21:09:41 +0000 UTCKing's X has a catalog well worth your attention. They were a combination of elements that the average listener had trouble deciphering, but they've always gotten rave reviews from musicians. Start with ornate three-part harmonies from three very different vocal styles; one a soulful powerful singer, the next a soft airy voice and the third able to find the perfect harmonic placement almost to become individually invisible outside of the overall impact. Add this vocal tapestry to a very heavy motif - that alone was beyond what the average listener could handle - a combination not seen since early Queen (and yet, not at all like early Queen). Then there's the added element of fantastic tonal orchestration from the guitar and bass. No one sounds like Ty Tabor with his mastery of effects and alternative chord voicings or Dug Pinnick with his signature tone, both on four-string and 12-string bass. Often copied, never captured. In a word, musicians were attracted to the overall sophistication of every aspect of their music - it just was a bit beyond the mainstream. They are legendary in musical circles.
Christopher Arters (relative timeworx - Mr.A)
2022-06-09 20:50:20 +0000 UTCThis was a great episode. We'll do more of your Diamonds in the Rough in future months.
R. Douglas Helvering
2022-06-07 23:16:34 +0000 UTCin the poll for this session, I had not heard of the band Exploring Birdsong, but I did check out the suggested song "Downpour" and I was blown away! I bought their six-song EP after hearing the 2 or 3 other songs that were on Youtube. I played it every day for the next 5 days or so. It went straight into my soul. I was a little wistful that the song didn't make it to the channel but that's alright, this was a terrific session anyway!
Richard Rathbun
2022-06-07 17:06:25 +0000 UTCRegarding King's X, they started out as a band comprised of Christians and most of the lyrics were like this. However, as the years went on they moved away from these types of lyrics as they became more disillusioned with Christianity and today none of them are Christians anymore. But good job catching that, anyone who grew up in that faith would recognize the religious symbolism used.
Christopher Rapier
2022-06-07 01:51:00 +0000 UTC"Do not stand at my grave and weep/I am not there, I do not sleep" is a poem from which the last lines were quoted by Echolyn. It is by Clare Harner, written in 1934 and I had it at my father's funeral.
Chris Ramsbottom
2022-06-05 13:04:13 +0000 UTCI love Bijou, to me it's almost like a hand cut gemstone. The Red Special is Brian May's home made guitar, built with his father in the 1960s. There are actually 3 CDs of Queen deep-cuts, simply titled Deep Cuts, Volume 1, 2 and 3. All worth exploring for less well known tracks.
Les Mable
2022-06-05 00:55:10 +0000 UTCMy thought exactly. Especially apparent around the 23:30 mark of this video
Old Rocker
2022-06-04 20:02:21 +0000 UTCI could not agree more.
Old Rocker
2022-06-04 19:57:34 +0000 UTCI just recommend Blood on the Radio for the YT channel. I love the message and how fun their music is.
Arrow2theACL
2022-06-03 14:56:23 +0000 UTCThis is from 2017, I believe. I love Annie. One of my favorite singers. There are, though, many other versions of this song (both studio and live) that are better. More representative of what Annie can do. That being said, it's a classic song.
Martin Broten
2022-06-02 20:02:47 +0000 UTCCan’t wait to hear more thank you scientist on the channel. Especially since I think that’s one of their weaker pieces. I’d highly recommend blood on the radio or psychopomp.
Keenan Bartlome
2022-06-02 18:52:32 +0000 UTCI missed Doug stating the year of the live Mother Russia recording, but to my ear it almost has to be post 1990 or 2000. Annie's voice is the tell. She's still really really good but the way she belts it out in the original studio version when she was much younger is stunning. The entirety of the arrangement is so very true to the record!! Terrific.
Richard Rathbun
2022-06-02 15:39:03 +0000 UTCBrian May's part coupled with the keyboards in Bijou remind me so much of two Jeff Beck songs -- "Where Were You" and "Two Rivers." I bet Doug would like those two as well.
Richard Rathbun
2022-06-02 13:56:59 +0000 UTCWobbler is notable also for using period equipment -- 70s instruments and amps. For "that sound."
Richard Rathbun
2022-06-02 13:30:15 +0000 UTCFinally, some more Renaissance! Still, Doug, I really can't wait for your reaction in the EPL to the Carnegie Hall live version of Ashes are Burning.
Dave Cohen
2022-06-02 13:23:49 +0000 UTCFinally Doug got to kosten to Echolyn! I love this dan favourite format! Keep up the good work! Tonight the Neal Morse Band will light up my birthday by playing live in Tilburg!!
Jan Heerschop
2022-06-02 10:21:05 +0000 UTCDescribing Starcastle, I would venture more Yes meets CSN.
Craig Higgins
2022-06-02 03:02:20 +0000 UTCGlad to hear IQ in here (finally), they have more fantastic songs than I can count (and Common Ground barely scratches the surface of their repertoire). They're easily among my favorite few bands (along with a lot of others never seen here like Pendragon, Arena, Magic Pie, Magenta, RPWL, and others) or almost never seen (Flower Kings). Really glad to see Echolyn as well (and Never The Same IS one of my favorites of their songs!)
Neale Brassell
2022-06-02 01:16:10 +0000 UTCA few of these bands I had not heard of before so this was a wonderful exploration. Starcastle I'd heard -- to my ear beyond the Yes-Boston sandwich, they remind me also of Styx, when Styx exercised their more proggy muscles. All around great listen, though. I have some new bands to explore!!
Richard Rathbun
2022-06-01 23:28:15 +0000 UTCI can't count the number of times we suggested Thank You Scientists, lol.
Frank Katzenberger
2022-06-01 23:11:31 +0000 UTCReally great selections. Bijou is very effective, for me personally it's a proper Mercury farewell song, not Mother Love or Show Must Go On. By far favorite track on Innuendo. Wobbler is an excellent prog band, really worth diving into. It's been a long time since I've heard Mother Russia, it still sounds beautiful to me. I'm really glad Echolyn made the cut. Never The Same is not the favorite track, but I'm looking forward to mei. That is the biggest (in more than one way) reason to like Echolyn. And finally, really happy to see some jazz fusion. Brand X and Weather Report are both excellent bands. These two along with Mahavishnu Orchestra are my favourite three bands of the genre, I believe, and you're already introduced to all of them! Cool!
Einaras Sipavičius
2022-06-01 23:09:43 +0000 UTCBeen a fan of IQ since the late early 00's. Been a fan of King's X since the late 80's. Lovely! I highly suggest looking at IQ's 2004 album Dark Matter. Truly a wonderful production and lovely song writing.
Aaron E Austin
2022-06-01 22:10:44 +0000 UTCLoved it!
Jeannine Doyle
2022-06-01 22:10:31 +0000 UTCWill be interested in your take on some of the jazz pieces here, specifically Nuclear Burn and Birdland. Jazz is underrepresented on the channel so far. Maybe that can change???
Jeffrey Rohrbach
2022-06-01 21:54:19 +0000 UTCLooking forward to this. I already love Mother Russia and Birdland and probably the Brand X, but never knew the names of their songs.
MrWondrous David Beckwith
2022-06-01 21:43:21 +0000 UTCOzric Tentacles rule
Kevin Marcinek
2022-06-01 20:21:10 +0000 UTCCommon Ground - thank you so much for including that one. Such an important song, too, and sadly relevant again in this time...
Make Latvanen
2022-06-01 20:15:16 +0000 UTCGreat Episode so far doug! Thanks as always! Echolyn - Mei for an EPL or Masterpiece Friday would still look great :)
Jordan
2022-06-01 20:05:14 +0000 UTCCorrection: Meg heard Echolyn at Music Club 4. Edit: You got it.
Ray Sincere
2022-06-01 19:42:05 +0000 UTCThanks to Meg for all the behind the scenes work.
Arrow2theACL
2022-06-01 19:19:48 +0000 UTC
