On 05-28-97 DAVID MARHEINE wrote to KENNETH NEWMAN... 
 
 DM>  KN> On 08-26-96 TONY RIGBY wrote to KENNETH NEWMAN... 
 
        Digging up ancient messages? Slipped into a time warp 
        again have you, Billy? Is this the one where you get to 
        horizontal mambo with Valerie Perrine while the 
        Tralfamadorians watch? 
 
 DM> I received a 2 CD _Giant For A Life_ tribute album yesterday... 
 
        Ug, tribute albums, a pernicious evil which, like pierced 
        navels, is something I hope will be entirely contained to 
        the 1990's which, thankfully, hasn't much left to go. 
 
 DM> Inasmuch as I only own their first 4 albums (_GG_ & _Acquiring The 
 DM> Taste_ on CD, _Three Friends_ & _Octopus_ on LP), plus the 
 DM> _Civilian_ cutout LP, much of the material is far less familiar 
 DM> to me than a Yes or Genesis tribute would be... 
 DM> 
 DM> So, can you review for me which other GG albums to look for 
 
        You need to get _In a Glass House_. 
 
        In a slightly more rock vein, but not much less excellent, 
        are _Power and the Glory_ and _Free Hand_. The 
        double-live _Playing the Fool_ is excellent and well 
        worth having. IMO, the last good album is _Interview_. 
        It's a good album, but the writing is on the wall. The 
        following _Giant for a Day_ and _Civilian_ are hideous 
        tragedies, redeemed only by a few moments here or there, 
        worth getting for completion sake but only if you pay no 
        more than a quarter for them. 
 
        There have been some new releases of older live material 
        but I recommend you avoid them until you own all the 
        regular releases. They are really more for completists/ 
        fanatics, than for people who are less committed. 
 
        And if you like GG try checking out the Quebec band Et 
        Cetera some time, if you can find anything by them. 
 
 DM> I'm somewhat leery of '70's live albums since the main sonic goal 
 DM> often seemed to be to mix the audience real loud, to the same end 
 DM> as canned laughter on sitcoms... 
 
        I'm thinking of writing a book about the 70's double 
        lives. They are an art form that's come and gone, brought 
        about mainly by the need to have something to clean out
        stems and seeds. Try doing that with a jewel case, Mr. 
        Progress. 
 
        Anyway, there were some fine and classic prog double 
        lives: 
 
        Genesis _Seconds Out_ 
        Ange _Tome VI_ (which I highly recommend to George
            Erdener) 
        Gentle Giant _Playing the Fool_ 
        Tangerine Dream _USA_ 
        Gong _Gong Est Mort_ 
        Magma _Live_ (Hhai, Hawaii, I'm Fine) 
        Zappa _Roxy and Elsewhere_ 
        Jethro Tull _Bursting Out_ 
        Kraan _Live_ 
        Flairck _In Concert_ 
        Renaissance _Live at Carnegie Hall_ 
        Barclay James Harvest _"Live"_ (probably their best) 
 
        I'm sure there's plenty I've left out. Heck, Even Rush 
        _Exit Stage Left_ is a pretty decent album. 
 
 DM> And ELP sure put out some stinkers. 
 
        THey tell me the CD re-release of the ELP live album is 
        better. Certainly the LP had atrocious sound. 
 
 DM> Though some would disagree, I find _Yesshows_ to be on the redundant 
 DM> side of useless or the useless side of redundant. 
 
        Yes and no. On the surface I agree, but I think it's also 
        nice to have a memento of that tour which I saw them on 
        (RFK stadium in Washington), so the long tracks from 
        _Relayer_ and _TfTO_ are nice to have. On the other hand, 
        _Yessongs_ is a fine triple live (another category 
        entirely, see Santana _Lotus_, Hawkwind _Space Ritual_), 
        and a nice package. I find the video for it slightly 
        disappointing, though it would be good if they would do 
        digital remastering of both the sound and picture. 
 
 DM> OTOH, the live 
 DM> BBC recordings of Nils Lofgren and Sensational Alex Harvey Band 
 DM> I've got seem to work pretty well on CD... 
 
        I just bought the LP of SAHB _Live_ which is nice. And on 
        topic since they do a cover of Tom Jones' "Delilah." You 
        know my motto, "if it's Welsh, it's weird!" 
 
 DM> And I guess I'll reprint the rest of this old message just as an 
 DM> example of a future interim moderator keeping digressions 
 DM> semi-topical.. 
 
        Hmmm, trying to take the mickey out of the moderator, eh? 
        I must remember to tell Santa to put a lump of coal in 
        your stocking this year. 
 
        IAE AFAIC, people can write about virtually anything they 
        want here as long as: 
 
        1. It's interesting to read (fun *must* be had) 
        2. It's at least remotely related to prog 
        3. Non-topicality doesn't drag on too long 
        4. People don't become a pain in the ass about it 
 
                                Cheers, 
                                Kenneth 
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