Riverside

[Rob W]

Right then, these Riverside people. Riverside... firstly I thought of a load of Irish people tap dancing. Then I thought of the home of Middsboro FC and not as well known, except round these parts, but also the home of Ramsbottom United. Incidentally, I used to go out with a Miss Ramsbottom, which unfortunately for me was an adjective!!

Oakers the Legend. The sender to me ,unrequested, always the best way, of a Riverside album, nicely packaged in a way Valerie Singleton and John Noakes would be proud. But, sorry, not a fan at all. And it won't grow on me as the Mostly Autumn sounding Diagonal did. Sorry!

And Oakers, when you go to the trouble and expense of purchasing a mobile phone. When it goes 'briiiiing briiiiing', pick it up, press the little button with a picture of a phone on, and speaking into the phone, say "Hello Oakers speaking". Amazingly, the other person will then speak to you. That's how it works....

What a self indulgent post, but that's prog rock message boards for you!

[Mark Oakley]

I know we're all different, but I point-blank refuse to accept your write-off based on one spin only!
Anything with more depth to it than a Cliff Richards album requires at least three listens before being consigned to the 'not for me' pile.
Golden rule mate. I look forward to your consumption of humble pie once the penny drops...or vice versa whichever may be the case!
Had a similarly disappointing reaction from another music pal...but he also listened only once, and now he's also sampled 'Second Life Syndrome' he's realised how wrong he was and wants to borrow 'Shrine' again. I'm going to keep him dangling.
As regards the mobile phone...so that's how it works! I've always regarded it as a device to keep safely out of earshot and reach in order to avoid being pressed into out-of-normal-hours professional duty! Actually...I generally answer it when it rings between 9am and 5pm.
Left it in a drawer in the office last night!

[Rob W]

In deference to Lord Oakers of Mark, I have listened to the album twice. Other than I think track 10, which in my humble opinion, is the first time, the band 'stretch' themselves into a lovely jazzy type number, everything is straight forward rock, from the opening track's Black Sabbath riff. Nothing out of the ordinary as I see it. Shows how different we all can be. Certainly surprised you are that much taken by Riverside.

On a related note, interesting Oakers mentions  this and on another thread about getting into an album after 3 spins or so. I'm sure we've discussed this before on these boards, but generally speaking, should the everyday punter have to play an album 3 times or more to enjoy it? I'm sure we all have albums that the more times we listen to them, the better they sound (first time I heard BGTY thought I won't be listening to tjat again, now my favourite! But what is the protocol here? If I hear my daughter's *dele album, should I listen to that 3 times before dismissing it? My thoughts are one instinctively knows immediately whether they like an album. Then the more listens, the more we may see in the album. Or am I just very shallow?

[Mark Oakley]

You are right of course. I guess what I mean is...if it's in a genre you favour and it's sufficiently complex to be a potential grower, then it should be aired three times minimum. It was Steely Dan who taught me this lesson. I absolutely loved Can't Buy A Thrill...couldn't get Pretzel Logic off the turntable and thought Countdown To Ecstasy was pure gold. Then Katy Lied came out, and after playing it once I convinced myself they'd mislaid the pixie dust...and I just abandoned them. I gave Gaucho and Aja the similar once-only treatment which merely served to confirm my worst fears...or so I thought. Then 20 years after putting Katy Lied aside, another Dan fan persauded me to listen again. It took just a couple more plays to open my eyes, and to have me re-visiting all the subsequent Dan albums. I now realise that far from having lost their way...they continued to improve. It took 'six' spins of Everything Must Go for it to permeate, but it's their finest work. Sadly, almost every time one of those early Dan tracks comes on at a gig venue I hear other music fans commenting how good they were in the early days and what a shame it is they 'lost it.'
Re' Riverside. The more I listen the more convinced I am that I haven't heard anything better in the last 30 years. The musicianship and vocals are great (I think the percussion is particularly outstanding throughout), but in the end it's all down to melody...and the crucial difference for me between these guys and many other exceptional bands, is that they infuse almost every track with multiple infectious melodies that just continue to grow and grow on you with each airing. T'would be a dull world if we were all the same, of course...but when something impresses me this much I always struggle to accept that others won't necessarily agree. Doesn't mean I don't still think your a top bloke though Rob!

[William Rait]

I AGREE WITH YOU BOTH!!! Certainly, Oakers , you make a very valid point about how we form views and then, like crabs , we cling to them tenaciously with the litttle grasping claws in our minds. However, we have changed over time and our views may well no longer be relevant and we may now think quite the opposite. Aren't minds wonderful. A case in poit for me is a newly discovered love of the Grateful Dead. When young I liked Truckin' Casey Jones and Uncle John's Band and was underwhelmed by the rest, despite repeated attempts by my friend Ronnie. Now, I'm downloadin' albums all over the place Maybe, I'll listen to this Riverside after all.

[Rob W]

Hey Oakers...

and one for Pete T as well.


I've just listened to 'Kangaroo'  7 consecutive times.


It's still sh*te I'm afraid......

 

 

[William Rait]

Hey Oakers...

and one for Pete T as well.


I've just listened to 'Kangaroo'  7 consecutive times.


It's still sh*te I'm afraid......

 

 

AND LAUGHABLY BAD

[Mark Oakley]

Hey Oakers...

and one for Pete T as well.


I've just listened to 'Kangaroo'  7 consecutive times.


It's still sh*te I'm afraid......


 

 

There's one thing we agree on then Rob.

[Rob W]

On a more serious note,  probably much to Oakers chagrin (sorry pal),  I think we both agree!

And I did conveniently ignore your reference to Cliff Richard within your earlier post, which was equivalent to my comparison with Adele.

Now Middle of the Road I would listen to consecutively all day and all night every day and every night.

Providing it's a DVD taken with early 70's footage.

Mind you, just a photo will do.     

 


 

[Arjayay]

Like this one in black and white?
She is 68 now 

[Mike Morgan]

68?  But how old is Rob W?

[Allan Heron]

Rob's just waiting for her to be a year older 

[Rob W]

Great photo, RJA.

I see she was pole dancing in the early 70's . Trend setter or what?

Sorry Allan. 68 is a little too old for me, now, never mind waiting another year. Why would I want to do that?  Allan?

By the way, a bit off topic. But does anybody think that people who retire before they reach age 60 are 'lazy bone idle good for nothing b*st*rds'?

Which incidentally is what my missus used to call me. My kids grew up thinking it was a job

    

(Thank you Roy Chubby Brown)



   

[Allan Heron]

By the way, a bit off topic. But does anybody think that people who retire before they reach age 60 are 'lazy bone idle good for nothing b*st*rds'?

Yup 

[Pete T]

By the way, a bit off topic. But does anybody think that people who retire before they reach age 60 are 'lazy bone idle good for nothing b*st*rds'?

Nope, stopped working at 50, and probably working harder now for myself on the croft, than I ever did at work.. Different work really, this is a lot more physical.. Just waiting for the pension to kick in in five years time..