Musical tastes?

[NealIsGod]

I'm a big fan of Kansas and Steve Walsh mentions Kate Bush all the time. I haven't heard much of her stuff, though.

You will either love her or hate her. There is no in between.

Check out Running Up That Hill. Her best song, IMO.

[Jeremey]

How big a fan are you of King Diamond? I've tried listening to some of his stuff and I just can't stomach his vocals, not to mention his over-top-occult imagery (which is even more so with Mercyful Fate).

Back when I was 15/16, doing thrash metal covers, etc, I loved King Diamond, had all the Mercyful Fate stuff, etc. Since then, I don't listen to any of that stuff anymore except maybe Judas Priest and King Diamond's Abigal. It's such a musical, melodic record, unlike anything I've ever heard before. However, for me it's season music, like Christmas music for Halloween. I listen to a lot more King Diamond this time of the year!!

[NealIsGod]

How big a fan are you of King Diamond? I've tried listening to some of his stuff and I just can't stomach his vocals, not to mention his over-top-occult imagery (which is even more so with Mercyful Fate).

Back when I was 15/16, doing thrash metal covers, etc, I loved King Diamond, had all the Mercyful Fate stuff, etc. Since then, I don't listen to any of that stuff anymore except maybe Judas Priest and King Diamond's Abigal. It's such a musical, melodic record, unlike anything I've ever heard before. However, for me it's season music, like Christmas music for Halloween. I listen to a lot more King Diamond this time of the year!!

You gonna be KD for Halloween this year, J?

[ddregs]

1 - Kansas comes pretty close to Journey in my book. I've actually seen them in concert more times than anyone else. They're phenomenal musicians.

Well, what a lucky man you are. I only saw Kansas one time, last year, opening for Styx. Unfortunately the opening slot had a running time of 30 minutes and left me wanting MUCH more.
The old VHS I bought a long time ago is the John Elefante fronted lineup, so far I've never seen the original Steve Walsh fronted Kansas. Those were their best times.
I would have seen the Steve Morse version, still wondering how they sounded live.

[itsjustme]

oooh, Satrianni! he is great

and Spock's Beard, lol. I'll have to check them out for the name alone...

(and NealisGod, what about 2,3 & 4? lol, you will be graded!
jk. KB is on your list, so automatic A++)

You want me to name the top 4 in order?

Journey
VH
Steely Dan
Kate Bush

Weird, huh?

I'm a big fan of Kansas and Steve Walsh mentions Kate Bush all the time. I haven't heard much of her stuff, though.

Try Hounds of Love, one of the all time greatest albums!

[conversationpc]

How big a fan are you of King Diamond? I've tried listening to some of his stuff and I just can't stomach his vocals, not to mention his over-top-occult imagery (which is even more so with Mercyful Fate).

Back when I was 15/16, doing thrash metal covers, etc, I loved King Diamond, had all the Mercyful Fate stuff, etc. Since then, I don't listen to any of that stuff anymore except maybe Judas Priest and King Diamond's Abigal. It's such a musical, melodic record, unlike anything I've ever heard before. However, for me it's season music, like Christmas music for Halloween. I listen to a lot more King Diamond this time of the year!!

I love Judas Priest. Just haven't been able to get into King Diamond. Actually, now that I think about it, King Diamond's vocals are a lot like Halford's on the "Painkiller" album, only even shriekier...If that's even a word.

[Matthew]

Okay...here goes:

1) The bands I've loved to the point of obsession are....Journey, Yes, Crosby, Stills and Nash, America, Metallica, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, KISS, Rush and UFO.

Other than that the top genres/types of music for me are....

70s/80s rock music right across the board from wimpy AOR ballads to thrash metal....

House/techno/electronica

Country/country-rock....

Hundreds of 'gulity pleasures' from the charts since the late 60s....


2) Bands I hate? Well, Talking Heads, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard and Linkin Park are the first acts which come to mind....plus most rap/hip-hop since 1990....and soul/ rn b usually leaves me cold...and most indie/alernative/grunge 'complaint rock' gets on my nerves.

3) Best live shows I've ever seen......Metallica in '84 and '86....CSN in '91....KISS in '99....Rush in '04.

4) New releases I'd recommend.....The Feeling's new album is pretty good....and there are a number of female singer-songwriters who have released great albums in the last three years....such as Mindy Smith, Gemma Hayes and Emmylou Harris....plus I love the last three albums by System of a Down.

[conversationpc]

1 - Kansas comes pretty close to Journey in my book. I've actually seen them in concert more times than anyone else. They're phenomenal musicians.

Well, what a lucky man you are. I only saw Kansas one time, last year, opening for Styx. Unfortunately the opening slot had a running time of 30 minutes and left me wanting MUCH more.
The old VHS I bought a long time ago is the John Elefante fronted lineup, so far I've never seen the original Steve Walsh fronted Kansas. Those were their best times.
I would have seen the Steve Morse version, still wondering how they sounded live.

The first time I saw Kansas live was in '98, so I missed the Morse era by about 10 years. Anyway, I have their "King Biscuit Flower Hour" release, which is from their "In the Spirit of Things" tour in '88. Of course, at that time, they were more of an AOR band than their original more progressive sound from the 70s. Morse actually played some of the simpler violin parts in "Dust in the Wind", which was kinda cool, but other than that, it didn't sound like the classic Kansas that I love.

[Jeremey]

How big a fan are you of King Diamond? I've tried listening to some of his stuff and I just can't stomach his vocals, not to mention his over-top-occult imagery (which is even more so with Mercyful Fate).

Back when I was 15/16, doing thrash metal covers, etc, I loved King Diamond, had all the Mercyful Fate stuff, etc. Since then, I don't listen to any of that stuff anymore except maybe Judas Priest and King Diamond's Abigal. It's such a musical, melodic record, unlike anything I've ever heard before. However, for me it's season music, like Christmas music for Halloween. I listen to a lot more King Diamond this time of the year!!

You gonna be KD for Halloween this year, J?

This year probably won't party too hard, dressing up for Halloween is like eating chinese food to me - once you do it, you don't want to do it again for 2-3 years...

[ddregs]

Rush, Triumph, Aimee Mann

There you go again NeilIsGod.
Rush are another part of my life. I flowed into Dream Theater towards 1992 after being a huge Rush addict.
What about Triumph? I still buy regular Rik Emmett records, and think this guy is one of the most gifted musician all-over.
He can play everything and he showed even more, ranging from blues to classical to smooth-jazzy records. What a great guitar player he is!
Aimee Mann, got 3 solo records from the Lady , very intimate. But I still prefer (not judging by the looks, Aimee is a beautiful woman!) Suzanne Vega in the songwriting category.

[FormerJrnyFan]

My favs: Journey, JSS, Talisman, Kansas, Cheap Trick, Styx, Damn Yankees, Jack Blades, Foreigner, Colin Blades, Van Halen, Bo Bice, Billy Squier, Keith Urban, Bad Company, Brooks & Dunn, Hugo, Night Ranger, Soul SirkUS, Winger, Toto, Survivor...

[NealIsGod]

How big a fan are you of King Diamond? I've tried listening to some of his stuff and I just can't stomach his vocals, not to mention his over-top-occult imagery (which is even more so with Mercyful Fate).

Back when I was 15/16, doing thrash metal covers, etc, I loved King Diamond, had all the Mercyful Fate stuff, etc. Since then, I don't listen to any of that stuff anymore except maybe Judas Priest and King Diamond's Abigal. It's such a musical, melodic record, unlike anything I've ever heard before. However, for me it's season music, like Christmas music for Halloween. I listen to a lot more King Diamond this time of the year!!

You gonna be KD for Halloween this year, J?

This year probably won't party too hard, dressing up for Halloween is like eating chinese food to me - once you do it, you don't want to do it again for 2-3 years...

True dat.

[NealIsGod]

I'm in a Dan mood today. Taking Aja to work with me today. And Katy Lied.

[ddregs]

BTW: No Frank Zappa fan over here?

[AR]

I'm in a Dan mood today. Taking Aja to work with me today. And Katy Lied.

You'll have to meet my friend J.J. Niggy. I pop the Aja CD in and he just plays right along with it. Awesome guitar player. More of a jazz player than rock though.

[conversationpc]

BTW: No Frank Zappa fan over here?

I don't have any of his albums but I've got a few songs that I love by him: Big Leg Emma, Go Cry on Somebody Else's Shoulder, Invocation and Ritual Dance of the Young Pumpkin, My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Momma, Who Needs the Peace Corps, Bobby Brown, Broken Hearts Are for Assholes, and Don't Eat the Yellow Snow.

That guy was a musical genius AND comedian at the same time. Cool, funny stuff.

[Matthew]

But I still prefer (not judging by the looks, Aimee is a beautiful woman!) Suzanne Vega in the songwriting category.

Yes - me too. Plus Aimee Mann's lyrics are slightly too pretentious and whimsical at times. But I really like AM's "Lost In Space" album....

[Matthew]

BTW: No Frank Zappa fan over here?

No.

[Matthew]

I'm a big fan of Kansas and Steve Walsh mentions Kate Bush all the time. I haven't heard much of her stuff, though.

You will either love her or hate her. There is no in between.

Check out Running Up That Hill. Her best song, IMO.

Great song...but "Cloudbusting" edges it for me....

[AR]

BTW: No Frank Zappa fan over here?

The only Zappa I have is the "Does Humor Belong in Music?" Live DVD. It's a great performance I must admit.

[Chevypv]

oooh, Satrianni! he is great

and Spock's Beard, lol. I'll have to check them out for the name alone...

(and NealisGod, what about 2,3 & 4? lol, you will be graded!
jk. KB is on your list, so automatic A++)

You should check out Spock's Beard...Great band, kinda prog-pop-rock with alot of kansas-like keyboard action going on....

[ddregs]

OK then. Saw some Zappa friends even here, nice to know
I love some of his material while I can't stand some other parts. But the complicated stuff he created is like God's gift for a drummer. Hearing drummers like Ainsley Dunbar/Chester Thompson/Terry Bozzio/Vinnie Colaiuta/Chad Wackerman playing with him is like the quintessential drummer's manual.
Spock's Beard, I saw them live 10 years ago. They were great and Neal Morse was still with the band. Talk about Genesis meets Dream Theater meets Yes meets Kansas. Great band

[itsjustme]

oooh, Satrianni! he is great

and Spock's Beard, lol. I'll have to check them out for the name alone...

(and NealisGod, what about 2,3 & 4? lol, you will be graded!
jk. KB is on your list, so automatic A++)

You should check out Spock's Beard...Great band, kinda, prog-pop-rock with alot of kansas-like keyboard action going on....

I will!

(OT: geek break. Does anyone remember Mirror, Mirror (which is obviously the inspiration for the name) It was my favorite Star Trek episode. haven't seen it in years, but I remember Spock was pretty cool w/his goatee. lol)

& "Don't eat the Yellow snow!" Zappa was something else. VERY smart.




.

[conversationpc]

Spock's Beard, I saw them live 10 years ago. They were great and Neal Morse was still with the band. Talk about Genesis meets Dream Theater meets Yes meets Kansas. Great band

I don't hear any DT influences in Spock's Beard but definitely Yes and Kansas, maybe some Gentle Giant and King Crimson as well. I've got a good bit of their music and Neal Morse's solo stuff is good also. Actually, since he wrote much of the music for Spock's Beard, his solo stuff is more like them than current Spock's Beard.

[ArnelRox]

3) Best live shows I've ever seen......Metallica in '84 and '86....CSN in '91....KISS in '99....Rush in '04.

Where is the Journey ROR concert in this post? Something is very wrong here.

[ArnelRox]

Oleta Adams' cover of Don't Let The Sun go Down on Me is breathtaking.

Allison Moyet! she was great. What was the name of her band?

Yaz in the US. Yazoo in the UK. I have no idea why tho.

[dcvader]

Love: (not in any particular order) Journey, Steve Perry, 311, Audioslave, Brides of Destruction, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Chesney, Lennon Murphy, Liz Phair, Motley Crue, Neal Schon, Queensryche, Shania Twain, Soul Sirkus and Vince Neil.

[Matthew]

3) Best live shows I've ever seen......Metallica in '84 and '86....CSN in '91....KISS in '99....Rush in '04.

Where is the Journey ROR concert in this post? Something is very wrong here.

I wish it was! Unfortunately, Journey didn't tour the UK in '86...or '83....or '81....so I missed out on the glory years. And I was just a bit too young to rustle up £1,000 and get on a plane to America. I should have tried harder though..

[Chevypv]

Spock's Beard, I saw them live 10 years ago. They were great and Neal Morse was still with the band. Talk about Genesis meets Dream Theater meets Yes meets Kansas. Great band

I don't hear any DT influences in Spock's Beard but definitely Yes and Kansas, maybe some Gentle Giant and King Crimson as well. I've got a good bit of their music and Neal Morse's solo stuff is good also. Actually, since he wrote much of the music for Spock's Beard, his solo stuff is more like them than current Spock's Beard.

Definitely, the only complaints ive heard about his latest stuff (which i own and love) is that some people dont like his overtly christian lyrics that he now writes.

* on a side note, I saw Neal Morse live in a very very small church...there was maybe 40 people there (it wasnt advertised, I have connections ) , I walked into the bathroom before the thing started, and there he was washing his hands, and he just started chatting with my buddy and I. The concert was more of a concert/church service but it was awesome...had about a 20 minute talk with him afterward. He's a great guy. Even got his kids autographs (that made them happy, and his son was talking about Mike Portnoy, and saying "Uncle Mike has a blue beard...it looks wierd". Great Time

[itsjustme]

Oleta Adams' cover of Don't Let The Sun go Down on Me is breathtaking.

Allison Moyet! she was great. What was the name of her band?

Yaz in the US. Yazoo in the UK. I have no idea why tho.

YAZ! That's right. Thanks. (Lol, what was their "big hit"?)

goodday to ya ROX & gang!

(anyone remember Maria McKee? man, what a voice)