Eclectic YesFan-ism...

[JohnPaul]

How to explain this...?...

Are you a YesFan who is typically a country fan?

If YES is your favorite band, are number 2 and 3 like.. Englebert Humperdink and Peter, Paul and Mary?

It's reasonable that a YesFan is into ELP, Genesis, Gentle Giant..
It's very eclectic if YES is your favorite, but your number 2 is Osark Mountain Dare Devils...

The reason I ask is .. in 12 years of playing classical guitar, I've had 2 instructors - my best instructors - one who loved all classical guitar music, and Funk! The other loved all classical guitar music, and R&B.

Assuming YES is your favorite, what is your alternative.. and how eclectic is that? However, it maybe also that YES is your second favorite and the eclecticism is your favorite..

Me?.. not that you asked.. I'm not that eclectic.. YES, Beatles, Genesis, Gentle Giant, Classical Guitar music, hard rock, soft rock, folk, fusion, jazz, electronic music, techno, country.. (no, rap never makes the list... although it keeps trying..)

You?

[upbgirl]

well, i have to say weird al is quite underrated-we saw him a few years ago, and even tho the music is already written and he mimics it to make fun of stuff, HE IS HILARIOUS!! and puts on a helluva show, too!! i sometimes find it weird that i love yes so much when my true nature is 'smart ass'. [thanx to mad magazine] AND, he plays a MEAN rock n roll accordian too!! [i am not sure how i will feel if he stops making fun of fat people and starts joking about skinny chicks who wear glasses, tho] hhmmm

[yarstruly]

Believe it or not my "other" favorite band is KISS.

[Dances w/PURPLE]

I like bluegrass, raw and live. It hits a cord in me. others would be jazz, and R & B played by daughter's friend who went to the YES concert with us. Incredible musician. What he can make his guitars do is beyond descripton.

[yarstruly]

I was ging to elaborate more earlier, but wasn't able then...

As I said my "other favorite" band is KISS, along with Yes. I know they seem polar opposites, but they both appeal to me for different reasons.

I also love Zeppelin, Rush, Queen, Kansas, The Beatles, Van Halen, "classic rock", "80s Metal"...I also listen to Classical music & Jazz or just about anything if the mood strikes me. I am not crazy about the "post-Nirvana-sound" that has been popular since the early 90s, or the modern pop sound, or Rap/Hip-Hop...

[tardistraveler]

Yes is definitely my all-time favorite band!

And yea, my tastes are maybe not that eclectic. Enjoy other 70's prog rock - also classical, some new age.

Growing up in Nashville I've come to hate country as a genre! Enjoy an occasional song, but that's about it.

Rap is right out.

The about comment about Weird Al reminded me that I do love demented music! Used to listen to Dr. Demento during the 70's & early 80's until the Nashville stations quit carrying it. Grew up listening to my dad's collection of old 78's - Spike Jones, Victor Borge, and the like - fun stuff! I also saw Weird Al a couple of years ago and it was a hysterical show. I was also struck by how talented and energetic he is.

[ycantibu]

My favourite band is The Cure. I listen to a lot electronic type music too, like gothic, ebm, new wave, etc.

[BrianD]

Originally posted by yarstruly
Believe it or not my "other" favorite band is KISS.

Well you wouldn't want to be in Melbourne on February 28 next year - Yes and Kiss (with an orchestra?!?!) are playing at different venues.

[Andersonic]

KISS was my very first favourite band, then came Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, King Diamond...

If I had to choose I would say Ozzy Osbourne is my other favourite...ROCK 'N ROLL

[YYY]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by JohnPaul

Me?.. not that you asked.. I'm not that eclectic.. YES, Beatles, Genesis, Gentle Giant, Classical Guitar music, hard rock, soft rock, folk, fusion, jazz, electronic music, techno, country.. (no, rap never makes the list... although it keeps trying..)
__________________________________________________

I thinks it unfortunate that alot of people who enjoy such an eclectic assortment of music can't appreciate hip-hop. I'd be the first to say that 99% of the commercial rap fed to the mass public is unoriginal & repetitous. But if you look under the surface there's alot of interesting, poetic, complicated and mind-provoking artist out there. In the 70's most of the music in my record collection had nothing to do with the mainstream music market. The music I like combined elements of Jazz, Fusion, Prog, Rock, Funk, R&B, Reggae, Indigenious, Blues, Foreign, Electronic, Classical & World (Latin, Brazilian, Caribbean, African, Indian, Asian, Hawaiian, etc.. And by the early 80's, 90% of my new albums were mostly instrumentals of all sorts. The point being that there are alot of artist creating interesting hip-hop that is fused with various other forms of music, especially coming from other parts of the world. Many of them can be extremely hypnotic, sophisticated, polyrythmic, insightful, spiritual as well as politically and socially informative. Much of it, not all is based on a funk rhythm and is directed towards people who love to dance. If you're into that energy then good hip-hop can be extremely intoxicating. There are many styles of music on this planet and I like finding the best ones in ANY genre to enjoy. Even non-commercial blue-grass but I prefer Zydeco because it is like country with a large dose of blues & funk mixed in. Its not the genre, it is what's being marketed. The origins of Rap are quite ingenious in many ways. People with little money, talent & nothing but a record player creating poetry, sounds & music from scratch (no pun intended).

Believe or not, Now when I hear CTTE and Jon sings that funky syncopated verse against the beat:

"My eyes convinced, eclipsed with the younger moon attained with love.
It changed as almost strained amidst clear manna from above.
I crucified my hate and held the word within my hand.
There's you, the time, the logic, or the reasons we don't understand.
Sad courage claimed the victims standing still for all to see,
As armoured movers took approach to overlook the sea.
There since the cord, the license, or the reasons we understood will be."
Yes-Si-ede!

Now that’s YES STYLE HIP-HOP!

[YESiDrum]

i guess i'm pretty eclectic...my 2 other fav bands include dream theater and rush...but i also dig hard rock, some primus (it's funny), the cure, a bit of classical, jazz (my friends and i used to worship dave weckl...lol)

[JohnPaul]

Originally posted by YYY
I thinks it unfortunate that alot of people who enjoy such an eclectic assortment of music can't appreciate hip-hop.

True.. but, as you pointed out, what's in the public eye is not the best. I'm not a Rap fan but I do respect it's presence. I really liked LL Cool J's I NEED LOVE.. but apsolutely hated Blondie's RAPTURE.

I think it's really hard to do GOOD Rap... but easy to just do Rap or HipHop just to do it. Interestingly though, I've heard people say that about ProgRock.. go figure.

However, on the topic of eclectic, Charolette Church, who I admire, was interviewed during which she said she really like Rap and HipHop - even sang a verse... (ut-oh, I think I just gave myself away for watching Oprah!)

[Genevive]

I very much like some techno music. Prodigy has some great hard core stuff that I like to listen to on occasion (and it is also good driving music, though it makes me speed!). Their music tends to pop up in movies often as well, the Matrix and Charlie's Angels being two recent examples.

[RobAdams]

My musical tastes have developed from three distinct periods of my life:

EARLY YEARS 1962-1971
These years were almost entirely devoted to my closed minded belief that the ONLY good music was The Beatles. My Mom had their records and it wasn't long before I became obsessed. If it wasn't The Beatles, I didn't want to know about it!

PRE-TEEN YEARS 1971-74
About this time I realized The Beatles were no more, and their solo albums weren't enough for me. I needed a new favorite band. THE WHO came along and filled the need nicely...WHO'S NEXT blew me away. The next phase? Someone made me listen to Zappa's OVER-NITE SENSATION in '73 and I was an FZ fan for life. I think in '74 I started smoking weed....I really loved Elton John's music and actually listened to top 40 radio!

I WAS A TEEN AGE HIPPIE 1974-80
This period saw my exploration of recreational chemicals and eventual psychological dependence. This is the period of major discoveries. Enter: Yes, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, Be Bop Deluxe, Gentle Giant, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Jefferson Airplane/Starship, Jimi Hendrix, CSNY, ELP, Van Der Graaf Generator, Genesis, Heart, Jean Luc Ponty, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Santana, etc... A very important influence came over my record collection - my friends. I tried to get music my friends didn't have. My friends were mostly into the louder 4 chord early heavy metal type stuff, and I'd be the one who'd make everyone turn off Black Sabbath to hear Tales From Topographic Oceans. I also found myself enjoying Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Harry Chapin and Janis Joplin in this period.

I don't think my tastes are too eclectic. BUT...I know what I like and I like what I know....

[Earl Grey]

Joni Mitchell... Bruce Cockburn... Richard Thompson... Bob Dylan... Suzanne Vega... All 'progressive', but in the realm of lyrics. I can't get enough of Joni Mitchell! I love that woman.

Then there's classical: I love chamber music (Beethoven's late string quartets!).
Symphonically, I love the three 'B's (Brahms Beethoven and Bach). Gustav Holst. Aaron Copeland. Mahler and Bruckner.
Stravinsky.

As to jazz, I love Miles... Jaco Pastorius & Weather Report. Return To Forever. Jon Luc Ponty. Pat Metheny. Larry Carlton and John McLaughlin. Vince Guaraldi!

Sometimes I just want to listen to 'loud' and will pop on Pearl Jam or Nirvana. An old LA band called Dream Syndicate.

I'm forever a Beatles fan! My first-ever musical obsession!
I'm a White Album kind of guy.

I enjoy blugrass, but mostly playing it. A 'Jazzgrass' band i enjoy: The Acousticats... I used to play with the fiddle player who heads up the band, Phil Salazar... an amazing fiddle player (He will toss his bow into the crowd and play with his fingers Jimi Hendrix style... on the fiddle! Oh my gawd!).

Jimi Hendrix, for that matter. The Band Of Gypsies album. And the late tracks from 'The Cry Of Love' and 'Rainbow Bridge'.

YES is my main 'prog' love... but I loved the dutch band from the 70s called FOCUS. Focus III was an amazing album! PFM and Gentle Giant and King Crimson. ELP. Starcastle and Hawkwind.

Newer bands?

Radiohead. Especially 'OK Computer'. And I'm enjoying Porcupine Tree's 'In Absentia'. Fun stuff!

[Earl Grey]

I've been listening to some 'new' prog...

A nice Yesfan sent me 'Snow' by 'Spock's Beard'.

Prog indeed, and quite enjoyable...
I had heard much about, but hadn't actually 'heard' them till now...

There is hope in the musical present afterall!
Always nice to hear refined musicianship in the world of no contemporary guitar-solos. A bit of Beatles in their sound: prog-Beatles... whattayaknow!

A fine listen... so there you are!

Earl

[illusion]

Earl - check out "V". It's far better than Snow, imo, and features a great 27 minute track.

Unfortunately Neil Morse, the lead singer, has given his life up for God, and has quit Spocks.

Read the full story here www.spocksbeard.com

[upbgirl]

beware of darkness was written by george harrison, and track # 3 is Wonderful.. called 'the doorway'.. great music with uplifting message, too....did someone say harry chapin?..''there's a cat in the kettle at the Peking Moon-the place that i eat every day at noon.. they say it's pork or chicken, but you'll never know when they wrap it up in dough., boys..they fry it real crisp in dough"

[YYY]

Earl,
I can't agree enough about Joni Mitchell. She is just too much.
Her voice is the best of her kind in the galaxy and her lyrics are nothing less than genious. I just bought her CD "The Misses". The music from various albums during her long career that didn't quite make the charts. She also has a compilation called "The Hits".

And you're correct "FOCUS III" is an incredible moving album. This album is not simply full of great songs but the emotion created in this release is transcendent.

How could I leave out Hendrix (or did I). An amazing man and another ground breaking tour-de-force album of the psycedelic blues era.

By the way, in the 80's, I shook John-Luc-Ponty's hand once after a concert in a small club in Santa Monica, CA. He's got really small hands. Better to play the violin with, I guess.

I've been trying to find 'Mystery Train" by Transatlantic" with no success. I heard it once & enjoyed it very much but I wasn't that impressed with the album that has the 'Blimp' Illustration on the cover.

[Faceintheplace]

I'm a fan of Yes and other classic rock bands, but I also enjoy some Punk music. I believe in trying everything once.