Canterbury

[Jon Jarrett]

On Tue, 21 Aug 2001, Craig Shipley wrote:

 [Osibisa]
> I was very fond of this band back in the early '70's, having first heard
> them in a disco in Ankara, Turkey. The fact that the first two LP covers
> were done by Roger Dean might have also had something to do with it. Also
> enjoyed their contribution to Uriah Heeps' LOOK AT YOURSELF title track
> (three percussionist guested). Found a little classic fun cover tune on
> Napster by them a few months ago, "The Coffee Song", also covered by Stan
> Ridgway on his hard-to-find covers CD, "The Way I Feel Today". Didn't know
> that they were still active...

        Active they certainly were but I think time has taken away their
novelty. They were at their most interesting when there was nothing but
percussion going on; I'm not convinced I'd recognise any of their songs
again, even the `hit' and I didn't particularly like them. Quite competent
but for me coming to them now, it doesn't sound that unusual or inventive.

> > Porcupine Tree - well, I really tried to like these guys, having been told
> > many times by others in these here parts how good they were, but...  Yes,
> > they were technically capable, and there was nothing actually "bad" about
> > them, but I thought that they exemplified the worst pretentious excesses
> > that gave "prog" a bad name, and Steve Wilson(?) seems to be so far up his
> > own fundament that he's in danger of choking on his own hair and getting
> > his specs wrapped round his tonsils: all in all, too precious by half...
> >
> I think that the key word here is "were". PT _was_ good, up until STUPID
> DREAM. I have tried and tried to like that release and LIGHTBULB SUN, but
> they just don't have the appeal that the classic PT releases have. Like
> Chris said, the band is technically competent and there is nothing really
> bad about them, but the creative weirdness and spark is gone, replaced by an
> AOR desire for a "hit". All the best luck to Steven Wilson and crew, but I
> think that I have spent my last dime on them... (Richard Barbieri is an
> excellent keyboardist; check out his work with the band Japan, especially
> the first one, ADOLESCENT SEX. A little punky and if you have never heard
> David Sylvan's vocals from that period, you will be shocked at the
> difference, but highly recommended...)

        I think it's safe to say that Chris would find something to like
about _Up the Downstair_ or the complete _Voyage 34_. I only wish there
was any real relation between that and the current material. I can
actually find time for the new stuff, _Lightbulb Sun_ much more than
_Stupid Dream_, and I think there's the seeds of something more exciting
there yet but at the moment I agree with Craig; their interesting light is
firmly dimmed. They're always _good_ and I thoroughly enjoy Steven's
playing every time I go and see them; I have to remember afresh each
exposure to it why I love them, but they don't seem to be doing it for fun
now and that's deadly dull to watch. Yours,
                                            Jon

--
                Jonathan Jarrett          01223 514989
                     jjarrett at chiark.greenend.org.uk
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                "Wilhelm Reich died for your sins"  (ST37)