After the slight hiccup caused by the Rockfield/YouTube fiasco, it looks as though Jem is up to musical mischief again, albeit not under the Frost* moniker this time...
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jem-Godfrey/606082202779130
Yay! to the return of TBE and the Mad Fiddler ;D
Any music involving Jem is a good thing, music involving Jem AND TBE is even better! Quite looking forward to the fruit that comes from this experiment.
(Although, I must also confess to my remaining confusion surrounding the current state of the Frost* project. Hopefully it will be cleared up in the near future.)
The thing about the future is to let it happen.
When the organist pulls out one stop, he often pushes in another. That means he can pull it out again later, when he wants it. :)
I agree with Pedro, and as I said in another thread "time will tell".
I can't wait to see what the JG, TBE and MK come up with, I get the feeling that if it materialises it will be great.
After reading a few tweets I'm pretty sure Frost* is safe. Apologies for posting the footage etc. Seemed a positive exchange.
As for the new project I will not be surprised if a few more names are added to the list judging by the twitter talk.
Anyone know what the RPM album challenge is? Has it been mentioned before?
"Rapidly Produced Music"
I haven't seen any of the preamble to this in terms of Jem's current ideas, but I think it just stems from the notion of getting a bunch of people together into a studio and seeing what comes out, rather than taking a year or three over it.
Maybe others have seen more about it?
Jem tweeted this link on January 6th, and asked if anyone else was going to have a go...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RPM_Challenge
cool.
Quote from: DueyC on January 11, 2014, 09:01:10 PM
Yay! to the return of TBE and the Mad Fiddler ;D
I'm guessing TBE is Andy Edwards, but I must have missed what TBE stands for.
More tunes from the boss is always a plus, and any project of his has my support. Like others, I hope Frost* will still get taken out for a walk.
Quote from: Rook on January 13, 2014, 12:23:43 AM
I'm guessing TBE is Andy Edwards, but I must have missed what TBE stands for.
"The Boy Edwards", as I recall, but I also have a niggling feeling that it may have been something more creative / rude.
And it WILL be released apparently ;D
I seem to remember John M and Kavus Torabi (Cardiacs and Knifeworld) were in the tweet and seemed to be up for it too. That is a real interesting lineup.
Quote from: Fogeyspasm on January 16, 2014, 04:40:26 PM
I seem to remember John M and Kavus Torabi (Cardiacs and Knifeworld) were in the tweet and seemed to be up for it too. That is a real interesting lineup.
I think that is something different...... :o
It seems it's delayed (in terms of the RPM challenge)?
http://www.jemgodfrey.com/post/77104405821/feb-18th-2014
I was wondering how it was going last night as I walked past a towerblock on my way home. That the RPM Challenge will not be met is not a concern of mine, so whenever Clouda arrives I will be interested to listen to it.
Yeah, we'll have to be patient it seems! in fairness I can barely finish a track in one month, let alone a whole album!
I'll certainly be looking forward to any outputput from Jem in whichever outfit it my be. It seems a long time since Philadelphia came out and I keep thinking somethings gonna happen but it doesn't. That said, i'm sure it will be well worth waiting for, especially if the new track on the DVD is anything to go by.
Quote from: tigermoth on February 28, 2014, 08:40:56 PM
I'll certainly be looking forward to any outputput from Jem in whichever outfit it my be. It seems a long time since Philadelphia came out and I keep thinking somethings gonna happen but it doesn't. That said, i'm sure it will be well worth waiting for, especially if the new track on the DVD is anything to go by.
Have you heard Fathers & Heartstrings?
Yes indeed. Great stuff. Signs of more good things to come.
A few nice little Clouda updates today, all very interesting and dare I say exciting!
Ooh - Mike Keneally no less. The last post also answers the question about why there is no explicit credit for Jem on the Losers' album. 8)
Quote from: D S on March 07, 2014, 10:20:36 PM
Ooh - Mike Keneally no less. The last post also answers the question about why there is no explicit credit for Jem on the Losers' album. 8)
Fess up peeps, how many times did you click on the kllkll homepage? ::)
Er, quite a few until I realised that was it! 8)
heh
Quote from: D S on March 08, 2014, 08:21:22 PM
Er, quite a few until I realised that was it! 8)
Errrrrrrrrr............at least you noticed the link :-[
A Clouda track for you
https://soundcloud.com/jemgodfrey/eat
zowie.
:) :) :)
Looking forward to more of this
Downloadable too! ;)
Quote from: L33VEY on April 18, 2014, 09:23:05 AM
Downloadable too! ;)
Been there.....done that......nice :) :) :)
Very cool, crazy! 8)
He am one mad fella ;)
I love the bit where it goes all Diamonds Are Forever 8)
Quote from: Trapezium Artist on April 18, 2014, 11:46:15 AM
He am one mad fella ;)
I love the bit where it goes all Diamonds Are Forever 8)
Exactly! I almost commented about the Bond strings. ;D
It's ace! It makes me think of Imogen Heap.
Yes, suitably bonkers and a little Heap-ish. :) Is there perhaps a slight nod to Frost* with the buzzing fly at the end, like The Other Me? 8)
It's actually quite reminiscent of the early Frost* tracks in a way. It wouldn't sound completely out of place on Milliontown alongside the likes of 'the other me' in my opinion, although it would make the old-school prog heads furious(which would be all the more reason to do it).
Brilliant!
Very different! Looking forward to hearing more of this.
Mmmmm....not entirely sure about this to be honest. It reminds me a little bit of some of the proto Frost stuff like the Creatures of Distinction recordings, only more extreme in terms of production I think. I wasn't expecting it to be prog at all, that's not colouring my perception of the track, but after 3 listens it's not doing it for me I'm afraid. Still, I'm in a very small club of one here going by previous comments so i'll give it another go when I can sit down with a pair of headphones and give it a proper thrashing - maybe it'll be a grower.
Although absolute top marks to Jem for trying something new and pushing things along :)
I don't think my post got through, but what I said was thats some crazy sheeeet! Definitely different, and thats all we can hope to be i guiss. Guiss? Guess. Sorry, spilling mistake. I do like it and its probably a grower. Must say I laughed a bit when there was a sort of shal we say seductive noises, followed by a cough! Hmm, lovely. Haha. Looking forward to the rest of the work. Come on Gem, have a lion bar. You deserve it.
Quote from: tigermoth on April 23, 2014, 10:16:49 AM
I don't think my post got through, but what I said was thats some crazy sheeeet! Definitely different, and thats all we can hope to be i guiss. Guiss? Guess. Sorry, spilling mistake. I do like it and its probably a grower. Must say I laughed a bit when there was a sort of shal we say seductive noises, followed by a cough! Hmm, lovely. Haha. Looking forward to the rest of the work. Come on Gem, have a lion bar. You deserve it.
:o
(http://upload.drarok.com/uploads/thumbs/24230-toast-beer.jpg)
Warming greatly to this choon now after loads more listens.
I think the off-putting thing for me was - and still my most un-favourite bit - the vocal noise that, for want of a better description, sounds like a creaky door or maybe a zombie throwing up! Makes me feel very odd....
Quote from: sawtooth on May 04, 2014, 08:11:32 PMI think the off-putting thing for me was - and still my most un-favourite bit - the vocal noise that, for want of a better description, sounds like a creaky door or maybe a zombie throwing up! Makes me feel very odd....
Well then you probably wouldn't like
my singing then...
New song up on Soundcloud - Lights Out - search for Jem Godfrey.
For release on 1 Jan 15 apparently - anyone takings bets? It could be earlier ;)
Quote from: L33VEY on July 14, 2014, 07:15:15 PM
New song up on Soundcloud - Lights Out - search for Jem Godfrey.
For release on 1 Jan 15 apparently - anyone takings bets? It could be earlier ;)
It took a while for me to generate an emotion even slightly akin to warmth regarding 'Eat'. Which I suppose is OK really, each to their own and all that. It was genuinely the first - and only - thing I've ever heard from Jem which pushed me away rather than attracted me.
But Lights Out? Absolutely stunningly beautiful, I LOVE it. If Clouda is as eclectic as the difference between Eat and Lights Out hint at, it will be a marvellous thing to behold ;D
I like. 8)
There's a touch of Secret Song about it with the chords and the rhythm.
Quote from: D S on July 14, 2014, 08:37:42 PM
I like. 8)
There's a touch of Secret Song about it with the chords and the rhythm.
Indeed; a whiff of EIMA, especially towards the end, and absolutely none the worse for it ;D
Certainly towards the poppier end of Jem's oeuvre, but I have no problem with that whatsoever. Lovely, lovely piece.
The only thing I'd do is slightly modify the female singer part so that on the line that follows "You'll be fine" (can't quite make it out; "Life of mine"?), she inflects (higher) up then down on "mine", instead of just up. For some reason, that's what I expected when she first came in ...
Listen to me; micro-managing The Godfrey's song writing now too ... :o ;)
You'll be checking his lyrics for proper punctuation, next :P
Well, it seems that Jem re-uploaded the track afterwards and changed that description so possibly.
The song is really lovely, a nice soft electronica kind of vibe. Makes me all the more excited to hear the rest of the album.
Quote from: owen on July 14, 2014, 11:51:45 PM
You'll be checking his lyrics for proper punctuation, next :P
I can't help myself: I suffer from a disease ("nitpickeryness") that forces me to spot errant spelling and punctuation from 3,000km ... unless it's in my own writing 8)
And don't even get me started on fonts and typography.
Quote from: Trapezium Artist on July 15, 2014, 07:58:51 AM
Quote from: owen on July 14, 2014, 11:51:45 PM
You'll be checking his lyrics for proper punctuation, next :P
I can't help myself: I suffer from a disease ("nitpickeryness") that forces me to spot errant spelling and punctuation from 3,000km ... unless it's in my own writing 8)
And don't even get me started on fonts and typography.
Fonts? What can be wrong with fonts?
https://soundcloud.com/jemgodfrey/lights-out (https://soundcloud.com/jemgodfrey/lights-out)
Mmmmmmmm.
Like it
[/font]
Quote from: Mikey on July 15, 2014, 09:18:06 AM
Quote from: Trapezium Artist on July 15, 2014, 07:58:51 AM
Quote from: owen on July 14, 2014, 11:51:45 PM
You'll be checking his lyrics for proper punctuation, next :P
I can't help myself: I suffer from a disease ("nitpickeryness") that forces me to spot errant spelling and punctuation from 3,000km ... unless it's in my own writing 8)
And don't even get me started on fonts and typography.
Fonts? What can be wrong with fonts?
This. This is what can be very wrong with fonts. Aaaaarrrggghhh ...
No need to shout ;)
Quote from: Trapezium Artist on July 15, 2014, 07:58:51 AM
And don't even get me started on fonts and typography.
Yeesh. This is exactly the reason I have kept myself ignorant of fonts; ignorance is bliss. I have enough trouble with bad kerning.
Quote from: Rook on July 15, 2014, 05:57:39 PM
I have enough trouble with bad kerning.
Too much information Rook! ;)
Quote from: Trapezium Artist on July 15, 2014, 07:58:51 AM
Quote from: owen on July 14, 2014, 11:51:45 PM
You'll be checking his lyrics for proper punctuation, next :P
I can't help myself: I suffer from a disease ("nitpickeryness") that forces me to spot errant spelling and punctuation from 3,000km ... unless it's in my own writing 8)
And don't even get me started on fonts and typography.
I thought of you, T.A. :)
http://youtu.be/8Gv0H-vPoDc
ooooh Weird Al :)
Never mind that. Did you know that Lights Out was an electronic game released by Tiger Toys in 1995? The game consisted of a 5 by 5 grid of lights. When the game started, a random number or a stored pattern of these lights was switched on. Pressing any of the lights would toggle it and the four adjacent lights. The goal of the puzzle was to switch all the lights off, preferably in as few button presses as possible.
A similar electronic game Merlin was released by Parker Brothers in the 1970s with similar rules on a 3x3 grid. Another similar game was produced by Vulcan Electronics in 1983 under the name XL-25. Tiger Toys also produced a cartridge version of Lights Out for its Game.com handheld game console in 1997, shipped free with the console. A number of new puzzles similar to Lights Out have been released, such as Lights Out 2000, Lights Out Cube, and Lights Out Deluxe.
& a track by UFO
Quote from: Mikey on July 16, 2014, 07:57:20 AM
& a track by UFO
which was supposedly a song about throwing off shackles/ The Man, etc, which came as a shock to their keyboard player, who assumed it was about a power cut
I love the UFO song but I've never fathomed out what it's about.
QuoteLights Out Cube
Surely Jem would have had a hand in this one???? :D ;D
Gr8gonzo, I totally have that game in my house!
It reminds me of a piece of tech that Jem had in one of the Frost* Reports, though I forget the name. It was a 16x16 sort of pad thing that you could make rhythm patterns on the horizontal and melody on the vertical.
Anyone remember?
What you mean the errr.....
thingymajig........
began with a T, I think
Tenori on ? :-\
yep, he used it at ROSFest.
Yep, Tenori On. Used it on Snowman to very cool effect.
I also had the Lights Out game once upon a time, but whenever I hear the term, I immediate think of THIS (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poZME16l_nM)
Lol. I think of Savatage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12j1qVt2ncQ)
Lights Out. This is great. Listening now and it's an instant grabber. :)
Quote from: Rook on July 17, 2014, 12:15:57 AM
Lol. I think of Savatage (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12j1qVt2ncQ)
The "Year: 1993" bit makes me feel old though :(
Only just got around to getting back to this place, really like Lights Out.
Also, hello!
Summer is Over! Blog..
http://jemgodfrey.tumblr.com
Well, I still like Frost*! ;)
He could always change to middle aged grumpy bastard angst. Although I can't remember much of the teenage angst in Frost* anyway. Of course these days I'm lucky to remember what day it is.... :-X
"They sound like Frost*," said no one ever.
Nothing compares. The unique blend of Jem's pop sensibilities with lush composition and musicianship have made Frost* one of the most significant musical discoveries of my lifetime. It'd be a shame if he stopped because he no longer recognized the value of it. Still relevant? Absolutely.
Agreed.
Quote from: gr8gonzo on September 01, 2014, 06:30:51 PM
"They sound like Frost*," said no one ever.
Nothing compares. The unique blend of Jem's pop sensibilities with lush composition and musicianship have made Frost* one of the most significant musical discoveries of my lifetime. It'd be a shame if he stopped because he no longer recognized the value of it. Still relevant? Absolutely.
More than agreed.
Quote from: gr8gonzo on September 01, 2014, 06:30:51 PMStill relevant? Absolutely.
The world needs Frost* to make sure the world of prog doesn't rest on its laurels.
And I also didn't notice the teenage angst.
Anyway, Clouda! Woo!
Quote from: JemIf only I could meet that version of me now I'd slap myself up good and proper
If you need a volunteer? Just pop round :)
Quote from: gr8gonzo on September 01, 2014, 06:30:51 PM
"They sound like Frost*," said no one ever.
Nothing compares. The unique blend of Jem's pop sensibilities with lush composition and musicianship have made Frost* one of the most significant musical discoveries of my lifetime. It'd be a shame if he stopped because he no longer recognized the value of it. Still relevant? Absolutely.
Word.
Quote from: JakeWorrell on September 01, 2014, 08:27:08 PM
Quote from: gr8gonzo on September 01, 2014, 06:30:51 PMStill relevant? Absolutely.
The world needs Frost* to make sure the world of prog doesn't rest on its laurels.
And I also didn't notice the teenage angst.
Anyway, Clouda! Woo!
Wot Jake said! 8)
"Never mind that. Did you know that Lights Out was an electronic game released by Tiger Toys in 1995?"
They also produced 2-xl for a time. Anyone have one of those? Lol. Really liking lights out now. It grabbed me in the first listen, but then I went back after a couple of weeks and heard a lot more depth to it. Really great.
I used to have a 'lights out', it was a great game
This requires that I resurface for a moment.
I could not agree more with what gr8gonzo said and everyone else who followed.
Mr Godfrey: you need a good slapping from us. FFS man, Frost* was, is, and always will be an absolute revelation. There is no substitute.
I mean, I'm very pleased that you mentioned North Atlantic Oscillation as an example of a brilliant band with outstanding music; I'm a huge fan. [Edit: ooh, ohh, new album out in October; must buy]
But age is totally irrelevant; I'm just as much a fan of CHVRCHES (younger still) and Snowbird (I can assure you, Simon Raymonde is no spring chicken), for example, and Mahler's dead, for crying out loud. So stop it with the middle-aged angst already.
Frost* forever.
(Yes, I know I'm coming across as a fanboi, but not without very substantial reason. I don't assign my loyalties lightly.)
Edit again: re-reading this, I must admit that it sounds a little OTT, but really, it's meant in the best possible way. Of course, Jem doesn't really deserve a slapping ::), but rather he needs a giant hug, to tell him quite how much he and all of his music mean to us here. Please don't doubt the relevance of Frost*, Jem: we're all here, hoping for more, very much convinced that it is music for today, for now.
Perhaps I should stop now ... ;)
Have I missed something here? Has Jem said something disparaging about Frost? The only thing I've seen is yet another change of mind about Six Minutes in Sep, to make it a double album. Another change of mind, but in away I think this is a biproduct of modern communication. In decades gone by, we probably wouldn't hear of a new album from a band until about 3 months before it came out because we didn't have facebook and the facility to broadcast to the world our every thought to be taken as gospel. :) But I'm agreeing with everyone here. Frost, or more specifically Million town, what really got me excited about getting in to modern prog. It was also one of the major influences on my decision to write a prog album. It was a new standard, and it bridged the gap between geeky prog and cool. The great writing and production with all that pop influence and Jem's excedllent vox, together with kick ass hard to play, proper rock hard prog, it's a real winner of a concept. If any of that makes grammatical sense i'll eat my hat, which will mean having to go and buy a hat! Why do I make these rash promises?
Anyway, where was I? Well if Jem has been disillusioned with Frost, I can understand it from his point of view. It's easy to under estimate your own work, and for someone who is clearly so talented in so many areas of music it could be easy to start wondering if it were time to move away from one particular area. I just hope he's not contemplating doing an album for Shayne Ward or something radicle like that. ;) But I really think Million town is something pretty epic, and I don't use that word lightly, not in a serious context anyway. That's not to dis EIMA, but Million town is the one for me. But, however long it takes for Six Minutes to arrive, in whatever form it ends up in, I have a feeling we will be in for something very special. :)
Quote from: Trapezium Artist on September 02, 2014, 06:21:37 PM
Edit again: re-reading this, I must admit that it sounds a little OTT, but really, it's meant in the best possible way. Of course, Jem doesn't really deserve a slapping ::), but rather he needs a giant hug, to tell him quite how much he and all of his music mean to us here. Please don't doubt the relevance of Frost*, Jem: we're all here, hoping for more, very much convinced that it is music for today, for now.
Nothing wrong with a little tough love sometimes, Trapezium Artist :)
Here's what he posted, tigermoth:
Quote from: JemHello again.
So that's summer out the way, hope you had a superb one. Things have been good here. I decided to take a complete break from making my own music over the last 3 months and very quickly realised that it was a looong overdue decision. Up to that point, I'd effectively been running 2 careers side by side for 10 uninterrupted years and although I didn't really appreciate it, I was completely fried. I needed some time to regroup creatively and rediscover the joys of being a musician again. Frost's mad roller coaster of a decade had also really taken it's toll I have to say. However much of the stress was of my own making I now realise and if I could have my time again, I would have stuck to my original plan of giving out 1,000 copies of Milliontown at various high profile gigs in anonymous cardboard sleeves and then vanishing into the ether forever leaving everyone wondering what the hell had just happened. It would have been glorious, however my know-nothing-poxy 32 year old ego got in the way. If only I could meet that version of me now I'd slap myself up good and proper. Ah well, one lives and learns...
For the record, Frost isn't dead, but I do struggle to see how it's still relevant. I hear lots of great new music from young bands like Stark and North Atlantic Oscillation and so forth and wince a bit at what we've done in the same timeframe. Fair play to bands like Dream Theater who can throw shapes with total conviction and rawk until the cows come home, but personally speaking I feel uncomfortable peddling teen angst amidst an extended furry of 32nd notes whilst also having a mortgage. I'm not sure teen angst and a mortgage can co-exist.
Anyway, with Autumn now kicking in I feel totally rejuvenated and ready to get back to the coalface. My mission for the next 3 months is to get Clouda done and dusted at long last. So much for it being a February challenge eh?! I also need to get my website up and running. This is just a holding blog really although the text will form a part of the site proper.
There will be more to come in the run up to Christmas in the form of videos and audio and an actual album all sorts. For now though, it's just good to be back and loving it all once more.
Till then then.
He gives credit to Dream Theater for cranking out album after album, and I've been a DT fan since before Mr. The Cheese joined, but let's be honest - they've been essentially putting out the same album over and over, which isn't the same thing as being prolific, is it? *cough*Neal Morse*cough*
The music Jem creates, whether it's Frost*, Creatures of Distinction, Clouda, the occasional cover song, his cameo appearances on other albums, hell - I even like the Peter Gabriel version of Snowman, it all taps into something within me that few bands will ever do.
There's a profound awe that comes with expensive chords. Throw in a bassoon, a CR-78 and a left-handedist stylophone and who even comes close to matching what he brings to the table?
Quite! The question however is, given that Jem doesn't appear to visit this forum any longer, how can we let him know that he does still have a loyal fan base who enjoy all that he has done and do still feel that Frost* remains relevant, for the very reasons set out above? Difficult to put all that in a Tweet!
Quote from: D S on September 03, 2014, 07:25:35 AM
Quite! The question however is, given that Jem doesn't appear to visit this forum any longer, how can we let him know that he does still have a loyal fan base who enjoy all that he has done and do still feel that Frost* remains relevant, for the very reasons set out above? Difficult to put all that in a Tweet!
So put it in three tweets :-)
But as one who in fact eschews the 140 character Tower of Babel, I feel compelled to quote the good Doctor:
The Doctor: Human souls. Trapped like flies in the World Wide Web. Stuck forever. Crying out for help.
Clara: Isn't that basically Twitter?
Thanks Gonzo. :) Well you could always send jem a message with a link to this page I guess, whilst stressing that the threat of violence is purely hypothetical. Lol. As for whether Frost is "relevant", is Night At The Opera stil relevant? Sergeant pepper? Bridge over Troubled Water? I'm implying yes, just to clear up any doubt. I think both albums are outstanding, but Million Town has something special. I don't think I can put my finger on it, but it does. And as for being prolific, I understand the pressure of thinking one needs to get an album out there, and to be honest there's so much talk on this forum saying "Come on where the hell's this new album FFS" or feelings to that effect. I've said it myself. On one hand Jem might feel pressured to put out something substandard for the sake of getting it out there, but if he doesn't visit this forum any more it might be that he's just trying to distance himself for a while to not be influenced by those feelings. But, the old saying stil stands, quality over quantity. I agree with you Gonzo about DT and NM. I've been collecting their stuff for a while, but I kind of stopped because the stuff is great, but it's kind of the same stuff. Even Kaiper who I love, well I sometimes find myself thinking "Which album is this?". :) What ever I think about EIMA, it was certainly different from MT, and TDL was something else too. I wish we could assure Jem that Frost is stil relevant, and further more, his contribution to music in general but Prog inparticular canot ever be ignored. And while we all want a new awesome Frost album, I don't care if it takes another 5 years, as long as its the album they want to make. I think Clouda will be great, and will definitely make our minds work.
Not to make disparaging comments about the illustrious Mr G but he can be a bit of a weathercock. How many times has he broken up? I'd suggest just letting him get on with it. Frost was originally done because he wanted to get away from his day job of rhyming love with dove or bruv as I recall. I doubt many on this website would turn down a JG solo album instead of Frost one, and I doubt either would sell by the bucket load, so if he's in an optimistic frame of mind then fine, press record. If he feels Frost is becoming a millstone that's not good for him at all. Mind, I'd agree about the comments that no one sounds like them. Here's hoping Clouda is out before Xmas. Preferably this Xmas
Sorting the wheat from the chaff, I think there are 3 main points in there
Quote from: Jemrunning 2 careers side by side for 10 uninterrupted years
Quote from: JemFor the record, Frost isn't dead
Quote from: Jemit's just good to be back and loving it all once more
Good point - although I'm not sure about the "uninterrupted" bit. Seem to remember Frost* getting binned on 2 or 3 occasions for lengthy periods until Jem decided to resurrect it... ;)
I don't ever really understand the music as being "relevant"?
ELO Out Of The Blue, one of my favourite albums, was it relevant at release or is it now?
I don't care because it puts a smile on my face when I play it.
Good music will always be good music. Sometimes the lyrics date it (Yes), sometimes the sounds(80's Simmons drums etc), but who cares?
Frost* = Awesome melodies that are catchy (A rarity in "Prog" ), modern soundscapes and sounds but with enough "widdle" to keep the "Proggies" happy without resorting to a DT note fest.
As A.J. said. Frost* sound like Frost*. Nobody else.
Blimey!
I don't think I have ever done a post with so many " and ? in it.
I need to sit down with a biscuit and a big mug of tea.
Note to Mr Godfrey if you are passing through. Crack on when the time feels right. We can wait (a bit ;) )
Frost*, is, was, and will still be relevant to us all.
Now what was all that bollocks i was going about music being relevant. I have just contradicted myself above.
Must give my head a shake and have a word with myself!
Agreed on the majority of the above. As most of us know and respect, he's stated on many occasion that Frost* is a hobby. Life doesn't revolve around hobbies. The man's got an angel of a wife and a shoe full of kids to think of. He shouldn't feel pressured to produce a damn thing. Sometimes he's become disenchanted with it and taken a step back, but he's thus far come back, rejuvenated and inspired. The problem is that, in his excitement, he often announces his intentions which in turn creates expectation. The man has always been extremely generous with his fans, so it's appalling to me that anyone would gripe for him changing his mind on a project. I've seen it happen. Those people need to find something better to do with their time - like write and record a quality album. Let's see how quickly they manage it. While some have and will certainly become impatient waiting for new material from him, I'm content with whatever timetable that suits him. Always have been. You can't rush that level of quality. We're all our own worst critic. He can't objectively look at his own material and feel how we do about it, because he wrote it. Whether 6MIS sees the light of day in whole, in half or in pieces, next year or next decade, you know it's going to be good. And that's worth the wait.
Quote from: owen on September 03, 2014, 09:53:47 AM
Not to make disparaging comments about the illustrious Mr G but he can be a bit of a weathercock. How many times has he broken up?
I had noticed this, and it got me thinking.... not that I'm much in the way of a psychologist you understand.
It can't be easy having a hobby which is technically the same as your day job. Either at the end of the day, it's not that really that much fun to do as it's too close to what you've been doing all day and most folk have had enough of that by 5 o'clock, or it makes your day job seem less attractive - and as that's what pays the bills, so you have to keep at it whatever.
Add to that having a family to raise and the associated distractions, I can easily see why the above might happen.
EDIT - And I've now read Gonzo's post above which more or less says the same as wot I did. Teach me to dive in head first! :-[
Quote from: Brom on September 04, 2014, 12:57:55 PMIt can't be easy having a hobby which is technically the same as your day job. Either at the end of the day, it's not that really that much fun to do as it's too close to what you've been doing all day and most folk have had enough of that by 5 o'clock, or it makes your day job seem less attractive - and as that's what pays the bills, so you have to keep at it whatever.
Hmm, I dunno. I have a hobby which is also the same as my day job (which is why I aimed my life in that direction in the first place – I knew I enjoyed it). Some days, you're definitely right; coming home and thinking about doing some hobby time is out of the question after a long/bad day. Other days, I'm actually willing my work day to hurry up and end so I can work on my own thing. And sometimes (just sometimes) I find myself working on my personal stuff at work and have to put in the equivalent hours of actual work from home to make up for it.
I guess what I'm inadequately trying to say is "sometimes". ;)
Quote from: Fogeyspasm on September 03, 2014, 03:20:36 PM
I don't ever really understand the music as being "relevant"?
ELO Out Of The Blue, one of my favourite albums, was it relevant at release or is it now?
I don't care because it puts a smile on my face when I play it.
Good music will always be good music. Sometimes the lyrics date it (Yes), sometimes the sounds(80's Simmons drums etc), but who cares?
Frost* = Awesome melodies that are catchy (A rarity in "Prog" ), modern soundscapes and sounds but with enough "widdle" to keep the "Proggies" happy without resorting to a DT note fest.
As A.J. said. Frost* sound like Frost*. Nobody else.
I've never understood this relevant bit either.
Should I bin any albums that are over, say, 5 years old?
Quick answer to that one is easy. No! it would include Milliontown.
In fact does it mean all bands should pack up after a few years?
Quote from: Mikey on September 08, 2014, 09:22:09 AM
In fact does it mean all bands should pack up after a few years?
If so, clearly nobody has told the Rolling Stones... ;)
Quote from: D S on September 08, 2014, 01:11:11 PM
Quote from: Mikey on September 08, 2014, 09:22:09 AM
In fact does it mean all bands should pack up after a few years?
If so, clearly nobody has told the Rolling Stones... ;)
The window of opportunity before they became decrepit was rather narrow: they're all deaf now, so can't hear you suggesting that they hang up their cardies.
I mean, not that it applies to Frost* in any way, shape, or form ('cos they're too young :-), but it is interesting that almost the earliest generation of rock and pop musicians is generally still alive and just about kicking (as opposed to individuals, many of whom have gone).
Any many of them, 50+ years on, are still performing live.
I am personally deeply ambivalent about this, and could wax lyrical for hours on what it means for the generations that have grown up with them. At least when they were young, they more or less only appealed to the contemporary generation, but by now, if and when the Stones play, it's not only to their contemporaries (in their zimmer frames), but also to all of the subsequent generations, to whom they're not "just" a band, but also "legends".
What does this say about music in general, I wonder. I mean, younger generations still go and listen to Mahler, of course, but it's really not the same thing as seeing the Stones (or any of many such bands) themselves actually "playing".
'Nuff said: don't get me started ...
Some of the best bands I've seen recently have starred some "old fogeys"
Carl Palmer
Geoff Downes
John Wetton
Manfred Mann
Note the Frost* connection :)
Quote from: Mikey on September 08, 2014, 06:56:37 PM
Some of the best bands I've seen recently have starred some "old fogeys"
Carl Palmer
Geoff Downes
John Wetton
Manfred Mann
Note the Frost* connection :)
But Mikey, that's because you're an old fogey trapped in a miasma of nostalgia yourself: you can't let go of your youth, even though in reality, it left the building years ago.
I speak from a position of self-knowledge ;)
The critical point, I think, is that the first rock and pop generation in the late 50's introduced the idea of eternal youth and we all bought into it. In previous generations, it seems as though there was a much more significant divide between adolescence and adulthood, but those demarcations are deeply blurred now, and every subsequent generation has been able to remain 18 in some form or other.
A confluence of many phenomena, including longer lives and easy access to an all-encompassing audiovisual media library spanning decades of culture have, it seems, made us all into Peter Pans, neither wanting or needing to accept growing old (yet). And as we cling onto the past, we also drag in younger generations into our churning maelstrom of old and new, each subsequent generation keeping the music of its youth around too, with pretty much every genre of music still keeping its niche audience.
Of course, many of us would claim that we cling on to the musical past because it's palpably better than the musical present. Even if that's true, to what extent is radical and revitalising development in modern music hampered by the cobwebs of the every generation since the 1950's still draped all over the curtains?
I suspect that a key transition will come when the original bands of our youth really do call it a day or simply die of old age. It's one (debatable) thing to go and watch Yes play now with a substitute younger lead singer, but what happens when they're all gone, and it's essentially a completely ersatz tribute band? Will people really go and see them play live in the numbers that people flocked in the 1970s? The recorded music may well carry on, but live music will be something else.
Classical music never really had this problem: the link between the composer and the performance was generally weaker and could more easily survive the departure of the composer. But rock and pop has always had a much more significant link between studio band / recording artist and live gig ...
Yes, there are many exceptions to my theory and I'm sure it's possible to shoot holes in it from all angles. Maybe once the early generations of rock bands finally pop their clogs, music will finally experience a revitalising epiphany. Or perhaps rock and pop will in fact prove to be an ~50-100 year ephemeral phenomenon whose time may be up sooner rather than later.
I could go on; I often do 8)
Rockosophy! Love it!
Quote from: rogerg on September 08, 2014, 11:59:24 PM
Rockosophy! Love it!
See what I mean about the older generation still thinking they're young? My novella gets a tweet (and a short one at that) in return ... ;)
The Stones are an interesting case. I think they keep playing because (in no particular order)
1. They're still good at it
2. They still can
3. They still like doing it
4. There is still a demand for them
I don't really like The Rolling Stones, so I'm not posting here with anything-my-fave-band-do-is-allowed-fanboy shades on in any way. I actually really dislike some of their stuff. But they are an amazing live act, and really not relying on being legends.
I think they keep going, like, say, Jaguar cars do, because their effort-at-being-good has been maintained over the years, whether that's by the artists themselves or by the business behind the artist (or the car brand).
As much as we want aspects of our past (and our past is not solely possessed by our youth, nor justified by relevancy) to survive, the evolving nature of everything means that some things live on, and some things die off. It's not that bands *should* pack up, it's just that it is inevitable that some bands *will* pack up. Just as "species A" could not survive a 1 degree change in temperature or the moving of a continental plate and died out whilst other less interesting things lived on, so "band A" may have to pack it in because of similar forces uncontrollable by the band.
I don't think the Frost* thing sounds dated at all, but I can see how it feels strange looking back on lyrics and music you wrote when you were in a totally different place.
Frost* defintely changed my life in a massive way though, although I feel like at least 50% of that was in discovering the community surrounding it rather than the music itself.
Having said that, I still reckon Milliontown and EIMA are about my favourite albums ever.
Either way, I don't reckon slapping the label 'Frost*' is going to make anything a million(town) times better, I just think he's a good writer, and good writers will write good songs :)
Look forward to hearing new stuff, wherever it comes out.
Not anatomically, obviously...
Quote from: RobRideout on September 10, 2014, 01:32:04 AM
Look forward to hearing new stuff, wherever it comes out.
Well, those that follow Jem on ye olde Twitter might have seen this which was posted yesterday - https://twitter.com/JemGodfrey/status/509450359472132096. It's all about the Radio 2 jingle but I reckon a whole bunch of Frost*ies will like it because it's just like some of the Frost* reports used to be! Tech info, stories behind songs and silliness :D
ooh, thanks for that!!
Quote from: Mikey on September 08, 2014, 06:56:37 PM
Some of the best bands I've seen recently have starred some "old fogeys"
Carl Palmer
Geoff Downes
John Wetton
Manfred Mann
Note the Frost* connection :)
i mention the devil's spawn of Yes........ & off he goes ;) ;)
This RPM challenge sounds really interesting. It's not entirely unlike my Bad Idea Band thing that I do in Huddersfield. It's a lot of fun :)
Relevance
Sporting analogy
The current England team think they are good.
The crowd for the Norway game would suggest otherwise.
Is the current England team relevant? aka Crap?
It's about performance. Frost* in this case can perform, as can older bands, they have learnt their craft. How many of the current chart artists go and perform live? (Rhetorical - I have no idea what the answer is) I posted about the Kaiser Chiefs, it had the atmosphere of a contractual obligation album.
Wow, Thanks For posting this. Dont know how I missed it in the Twitterverse.. So Frost* report-esque... :'(
Quote from: D S on March 07, 2014, 10:20:36 PM
The last post also answers the question about why there is no explicit credit for Jem on the Losers' album. 8)
I never followed this up, and now can't find the answer anywhere.
I initially loved the Losers album, then it went through a short period of "so so" but it's now back as a firm fave! They are on tour soon, planning myself to see them in MK on Oct 11th. Anyone else going to any gigs? :)
Not going to any gigs at the moment but that quote from March had me digging back through the board to the original source, and I ended up listening to "Eat" and "Lights Out" again. Praise be they are good!
Quote from: JimD on September 19, 2014, 10:50:44 AM
Not going to any gigs at the moment but that quote from March had me digging back through the board to the original source, and I ended up listening to "Eat" and "Lights Out" again. Praise be they are good!
Ohh, those two are not on the "And so we shall never part" CD. I'll have to dig back myself, or maybe you could shine a torch in that direction :D ;)
On ASWSNP 'Don't waste your life away' is my (current) fave with its Ultravoxian rhythm sequence.
Quote from: Brom on September 19, 2014, 11:35:19 AM
Ohh, those two are not on the "And so we shall never part" CD. I'll have to dig back myself, or maybe you could shine a torch in that direction :D ;)
No, these are Clouda songs, links to Soundcloud are earlier on in this thread.
How do i download it ??/
PM me your email address & I'll send you "eat" as it was downloadable at some point.
Not sure about Lights out, maybe someone else has it
Quote from: Mikey on October 06, 2014, 09:03:32 PM
PM me your email address & I'll send you "eat" as it was downloadable at some point.
Not sure about Lights out, maybe someone else has it
Both available at http://www.drarok.com/frost/files/view/Jem :)
Quote from: Mikey on October 06, 2014, 09:03:32 PM
PM me your email address & I'll send you "eat" as it was downloadable at some point.
Not sure about Lights out, maybe someone else has it
Done it :)
Alan
OK, I'm a bit confused... (easily done), but wasn't the Clouda "project" more or less a done deal? if not, and if it was Jem's decision to cut 'n' run during the process, wouldn't the other parties be a tad miffed? Is it still going? Is it officially binned?
I'm not sure anyone currently knows the answer to that other than Jem - and he's in 'radio-silence' mode at the moment. :-\ The same applies to Six Minutes in September. Other than 3 tracks which surfaced in early formats / on the DVD (Heartstrings, Fathers, & Lantern), there is no word as to whether it's been binned totally, put on ice or is being worked on silently when he gets inspiration / a spare minute from the day job and 4 kids. There were guest appearances in the can from Joe Satriani and Jordan Rudess (amongst others) for that album too.
All we can do is be patient and hope I guess.
Did the RPM challenge thingy/jobbie become Clouda?
I've forgotten
Yup, that's right.
Hmmm... so, all still in limbo for the foreseeable? Bummer. :(
Yes, that's the new album title, Limboland >:(
I know Jem has a lot on, and these are really just his hobby projects, but it seems like he sometimes needs an outside producer; someone who can impose discipline and deadlines (although I appreciate they're not very fashionable words when it comes to music!)
So many unfinished products and loose ends, with no album since 2008.
I'm not moaning (much). It'd just be nice to see something finished and released.
Anyway, I see there have been a few tweets about a new Frost* website recently, so maybe something's happening after all and we're all going to be very surprised.
I think that a person imposing discipline/deadlines would more likely turn Jem off from a project (though I say this as a person who doesn't know him personally, which makes it purely conjecture on my part).
It would be a tremendous surprise if something Frost* related came bursting out of the silence but we mustn't get our hopes up.
Just think of the number of jingles and pop songs you could make out of the notes in Milliontown..............................................could that be the financial answer?
Quote from: Mikey on April 22, 2015, 09:05:29 PM
Just think of the number of jingles and pop songs you could make out of the notes in Milliontown..............................................could that be the financial answer?
I'd certainly listen to that radio station :P
I heard Jem started a Zamfir tribute band, grew all his hair back, traded a Kronos for a White Pony and impersonates Fabio in Vegas on the weekends..
He'd make more money with that than Frost* :-\