Hey Andy, Do you dig this? Options

[donavan]

I do. Very pretentious but who cares? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPdHgSpgqgE

This post has been edited by donavan: Jun 4 2012, 05:58 AM

[Lenin McCarthy]

I do. Very pretentious but who cares? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPdHgSpgqgE

I'm not Andy but...

I've bought the first three Cockney Rebel albums on vinyl recently, and they're great sounding records that leap out of the grooves. The songs are fun, creative, complex and well-performed. I could see a sticking point being Steve Harley's voice, but I find his delivery and lyrics really playful. 'The Best Years Of Our Lives' is probably the easiest entry point, even if it features a different backing band from the first two. There's a couple of non-album singles like 'Judy Teen' that are worth seeking out too. I can't vouch for anything after that - the reviews are usually negative.

And 'pretentious'? It's only pretention if you don't have the intelligence and talent to back up your affectations.

[donavan]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I think it's a bit pretentious on purpose, that's Harley's great quality. He doesn't take himself too seriously. Maybe pretentious is the wrong word.

I could see a sticking point being Steve Harley's voice

To me that's not a sticking point but rather a highlight. But I agree his delivery and lyrics are really playful. There have been many comparisons with Andy. And Judy Teen is one of my all time fave records.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)


Posted this in the song of the day thread but it's worth another look. And he makes a right porridge of words at the begining. Brilliant. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkdHVZxy9HI

This post has been edited by donavan: Jun 6 2012, 03:00 PM

[Lenin McCarthy]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) I think it's a bit pretentious on purpose, that's Harley's great quality. He doesn't take himself too seriously. Maybe pretentious is the wrong word.

No, actually, you're correct. It's tongue-in-cheek pretentiousness, whereas Bowie was oh-so-serious about his Burroughsian cut-ups and namedropping Crowley and Nietzsche.

His 2005 album 'The Quality Of Mercy' got good reviews, but I haven't heard it. Can you recommend it?

This is one of the most full-on covers of the Beatles I've ever heard. I want whatever the keyboard player is obviously on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13g0ydSquR0

[donavan]

His 2005 album 'The Quality Of Mercy' got good reviews, but I haven't heard it. Can you recommend it?

I don't have it and have not knowingly heard it. But like you say it has great reviews.

[Andy Partridge]

I must say that I rather liked Cockney Rebel and would go so far to place my early singing style somewhere between Steve Harley and Buddy Holly. Mister Soft and Sebastian are my favourite tracks.

[Mr Tein]

Massive fan of his album timeless flight. Mixture of reasons but even now it brings and emotional fullter to my being when I hear it. the pwoer of the context of listening and the fact it doesnt get played to death and spoilt.

I think he was unlucky to kick off his career on the back of Glam/prog and got cast as one of the dinosaurs punk was replacing and so was dismissed and damaged. if he had started in 1977 he could have been ???????