Bonus Poll: How do you rate Zee's "Identity" album?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Johnny Reb, Jan 2, 2018.

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  1. Johnny Reb

    Johnny Reb Résident du forum Thread Starter

    Location:
    MA
    Welcome to bonus poll #1 of 2, the only album by Rick Wright's band Zee.

    The rules for this series: this poll is designed for people familiar with the album in question and with at least some familiarity with some of their other catalog (for comparison purposes). If the poll doesn't interest you, please kindly move on to a thread that does. Please simply consider how YOU would rate the album in question, in comparison with the rest of the Floyd's discography! And as always, a shout-out to member mrjinks for creating all the groundwork for this series.

    Note: while this is an album with a more limited involvement of Floyd member(s) than most of the others in this series, the same rating options are used here. This is to ensure we can compare the results of this poll and the others without comparing totally different data sets, but it might result in some skewed results for this album. This is why it's a "bonus" poll.

    So, how do YOU rate this album?

    Album history: "Identity is the only album by Zee, a short-lived side project of Pink Floyd keyboardist Rick Wright, a duo partnership consisting of Wright and Dave Harris of New Romantic outfit Fashion, released in 1984. Wright later stated that he felt Identity was an "experimental mistake" that should never have been released.[2] The album was written and produced by Wright and Harris and all the lyrics were penned by Harris.

    The album makes heavy use of the Fairlight CMI, a musical synthesizer popularized in the 1980s. This creates a very electronic sound that persists through every track.

    "Confusion" was released as a single with "Eyes of a Gypsy" as the B-side." It will be re-released in the upcoming months for the first time officially on CD, in a remixed form with bonus tracks.


    Tracklist:
    1. Confusion 4:17
    2. Voices 6:21
    3. Private Person 3:36
    4. Strange Rhythm 6:36
    5. Cuts Like A Diamond 5:36
    6. By Touching 5:39
    7. How Do You Do It 4:45
    8. Seems We Were Dreaming 4:57

    [​IMG]


    Previous polls (updated 12/18 unless noted):
    Pink Floyd (updated 11/13):
    The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Currently 674 people have voted, with an average of 4.23.
    A Saucerful of Secrets. Currently 377 people have voted, with an average of 3.80.
    More. Currently 310 people have voted, with an average of 3.38.
    Ummagumma. Currently 447 people have voted, with an average of 3.09.
    Atom Heart Mother. Currently 482 people have voted, with an average of 3.73.
    Meddle. Currently 525 people have voted, with an average of 4.70.
    Obscured by Clouds. Currently 463 people have voted, with an average of 3.86.
    The Dark Side of the Moon. Currently 644 people have voted, with an average of 4.75.
    Wish You Were Here. Currently 785 people have voted, with an average of 4.77.
    Animals. Currently 750 people have voted, with an average of 4.62.
    The Wall. Currently 861 people have voted, with an average of 4.02.
    The Final Cut. Currently 600 people have voted, with an average of 3.09.
    A Momentary Lapse of Reason. Currently 451 people have voted, with an average of 2.97.
    Delicate Sound of Thunder. Currently 263 people have voted, with an average of 2.87.
    The Division Bell. Currently 508 people have voted, with an average of 3.29.
    Pulse. Currently 357 people have voted, with an average of 3.36.
    Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 1980-81. Currently 257 people have voted, with an average of 3.67.
    The Endless River. Currently 483 people have voted, with an average of 2.51.

    Syd Barrett:
    The Madcap Laughs. Currently 244 people have voted, with an average of 3.82.
    Barrett. Currently 171 people have voted, with an average of 3.80.
    Opel. Currently 96 people have voted, with an average of 3.42.

    Nick Mason:
    Fictitious Sports. Currently 69 people have voted, with an average of 2.59.

    David Gilmour:
    David Gilmour. Currently 247 people have voted, with an average of 3.85.
    About Face. Currently 121 people have voted, with an average of 3.31.
    On An Island. Currently 142 people have voted, with an average of 3.43.
    Rattle That Lock. Currently 114 people have voted, with an average of 3.36.

    Richard Wright:
    Wet Dream. Currently 75 people have voted, with an average of 3.40.
    Broken China. Currently 39 people have voted, with an average of 3.26.

    Roger Waters:
    The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking. Currently 229 people have voted, with an average of 3.20.
    Radio K.A.O.S.. Currently 148 people have voted, with an average of 2.89.
    Amused to Death. Currently 149 people have voted, with an average of 3.84.
    Is This the Life We Really Want?. Currently 177 people have voted, with an average of 3.74. Updated 1/2/'18.

    Bonus polls:
    Roger Waters & Ron Geesin: Music from The Body.

    Updated 11/13
    1. Wish You Were Here: 4.77
    2. The Dark Side of the Moon: 4.75
    3. Meddle: 4.70
    4. Animals: 4.62
    5. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn: 4.23
    6. The Wall: 4.02
    7. Obscured by Clouds: 3.864
    8. David Gilmour - David Gilmour: 3.860
    9. Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs: 3.81
    10. A Saucerful of Secrets: 3.80
    11. Syd Barrett - Barrett: 3.78
    12. Atom Heart Mother: 3.73
    13. Is There Anybody Out There?: 3.67
    14. David Gilmour - On An Island: 3.43
    15. Syd Barrett - Opel: 3.385
    16. More: 3.381
    17. David Gilmour - Rattle That Lock: 3.360
    18. Pulse: 3.359
    19. Richard Wright - Wet Dream: 3.35
    20. David Gilmour - About Face: 3.31
    21. Ummagumma: 3.091
    22. The Final Cut: 3.088
    23. A Momentary Lapse of Reason: 2.97
    24. Delicate Sound of Thunder: 2.87
    25. Nick Mason - Fictitious Sports: 2.65
    26. The Endless River: 2.51
     
  2. PJayBe

    PJayBe Forum Resident

    I loved Fashion before this, and as this album has that feel, I really like it too. Not earth shattering, but to my ears an extremely good album.
     
    AlphabetMan likes this.
  3. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident

    I'm going to be one of the few people giving it a "Pretty Solid." It's a little too "of its time" to say it's essential listening. Some people will reject it out of hand for the sonics.

    That said, hear me out on this, but I think the Fairlight programming here - similar to that done by Peter Gabriel on his early solo albums - creates a sense of mystery and vibe that the Floyd always cultivated on their albums. Obviously, this one is a lot more distant and icy, but I tend to treat that as a variation on a theme rather than a departure from that theme. Also, if the hairs on the back of your neck don't stand at attention for Rick's swirling keyboard work during the crescendo of "Seems We Were Dreaming," your heart isn't beating (I'm pretty sure that's the WebMD diagnosis).

    If I had a critique, it's that they probably could have cut down on the wall of reverb. It does sound a bit like they were cranking everything up to 11 on the effects boxes and a little restraint would have gone a long way on that front. Otherwise, I don't expect many people to rank this as highly as I do, but I think it's a great platter. Additionally, though Wright didn't rank this platter, given what we can piece together of his state at the time, I suspect it's got more to do with where he was and how this album reminds him of that more than anything else that soured his memory of the work. It may also solidify his place as the most "experimental" member of the Floyd, but that's for another thread. :D
     
    PJayBe and Johnny Reb like this.
  4. Felix Atagong

    Felix Atagong Forum Resident

    Location:
    Leuven, Belgium
    And meanwhile we are still waiting for the '2017'-release of this album, that hopefully will be a '2018'-release. According to Dave Harris Pink Floyd lawyers are very slow...
     
  5. plextor

    plextor Forum Resident

    I like it a bit, I know most don't but whatever my tastes are different and I think it's a pretty good album
     
    RonBaker likes this.
  6. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident

    Has he been commenting on the process?
     
  7. PretzelLogic

    PretzelLogic Feeling duped by MoFi? You probably deserve it.

    Location:
    London, England
    I have less to say about this than any other Floyd-related album. It's in one ear and out the other. I don't hate it, I'm just not moved by it in any way. Um..the font is daring, and the pink on the LP cover is very difficult to look at. How's that?

    It really does sound like Rick is singing lead on a couple of songs, even though he's only credited with backing vocals.
     
  8. PretzelLogic

    PretzelLogic Feeling duped by MoFi? You probably deserve it.

    Location:
    London, England
    Does this mean we'll get polls on Profiles and When The Wind Blows too?
     
  9. Sytze

    Sytze Senior Member

    On Facebook, he has:
    ZEE
     
    Runicen and Jerry Horne like this.
  10. Johnny Reb

    Johnny Reb Résident du forum Thread Starter

    Location:
    MA
    Definitely not the latter because a whole half of the album has no participation from Waters at all; Profiles might be interesting, but I don't think there'd be enough participation to justify starting one...
     
  11. Johnny Feathers

    Johnny Feathers Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Went with "not bad". No, it's not essential for Floyd fans. But being a big fan of Rick, and being desperate to hear anything from him, I didn't find this album to be anywhere near as dire as was rumored. There are definitely moments that recall Peter Gabriel as well as David Bowie, and a few moments that would fit right in on a Pink Floyd release. I'm also not as averse to the 80's/synth-pop sonics on the record as some.

    I truly, honestly thought that Voices featured Rick on vocals, as well as Seems We Were Dreaming. It's disappointing to hear they aren't him, and I'm still half-convinced they are.
     
    Felix Atagong and Runicen like this.
  12. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident

    The track list on offer for the re-release has me excited. Hoping the mastering is solid (hey, it needs to be said :winkgrin:).
     
  13. Johnny Reb

    Johnny Reb Résident du forum Thread Starter

    Location:
    MA
    Yeah, a tasty tracklist for sure! I've never heard the album, but I'm meaning to change that when the re-release comes out. I only wish the original mix (and original cover) was included as well, but it looks nice overall.
     
    Runicen likes this.
  14. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident

    What I have is a needledrop of the original album paired with the extended cut of "Confusion." That this offers the lot digitally along with material that I wasn't even aware of ups the interest level considerably. Again, here's hoping the mix/master are good, but it's not like Harris has any incentive to brickwall this thing. I highly doubt it'll even be available to stream. Then again... I'd best watch my mouth.
     
    Johnny Reb likes this.
  15. Sytze

    Sytze Senior Member

    I hope this isn't the definitive artwork. It looks bootleg-ish, has some clumsy spelling and one error ('Eyes of a Gypsy' is not by Wright/Harris, but by Harris alone). The fact that the label is Gonzo Multimedia worries me a bit as well.
     
  16. RonBaker

    RonBaker Forum Resident

    Location:
    Jackson, Ohio USA
    It's a fairly decent album. I liked it when I first bought it...still like it, but I don't love it. I also bought the single that came out at the time "Confusion"/"Eyes of a Gypsy".
     
  17. Johnny Reb

    Johnny Reb Résident du forum Thread Starter

    Location:
    MA
    Summary thread coming a week from today... Stay tuned! In the meantime, it would be nice to get some more votes for this... :wave:
     
    Runicen likes this.
  18. Johnny Reb

    Johnny Reb Résident du forum Thread Starter

    Location:
    MA
  19. FWIW, IMHO When The Wind Blows is one the best things Roger ever did, post-Floyd.
     
    oneslip17 likes this.
  20. Johnny Reb

    Johnny Reb Résident du forum Thread Starter

    Location:
    MA
    A Zee bump - hopefully we can get a few more votes here, this has the fewest by far. Still only one vote for the top option!
     
  21. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident

    Any updates on the re-release that was supposed to be in the works? Color me crazy, but that would be something to celebrate.
     
  22. m20gull

    m20gull Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kent
    There is an update on the Facebook page (link in post #9 above) but it doesn't say much other than ordering details for Pledge are a few days away. I wasn't thinking and ordered a used CD from Amazon which I have yet to listen to, vote to come soon.
     
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  23. m20gull

    m20gull Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kent
    OK. I have voted. I went for Lower-tier Floyd because this is rating against Floyd generally. This, however, is a bit unfair on this album which is clearly not intended to be Floyd-like and is very led by Dave. I like it but I could not see me listening to it very often. Of course, as a completist I will be in the queue for the re-release (is it a re-release? I know I have a CD but I am not confident it is that official)!
     
  24. Runicen

    Runicen Forum Resident

    I think it's a brilliant little album. What's interesting (to me) is that it's hard to distinguish Wright's voice from Harris'. I assume Harris is on leads for everything, but their voices are really so similar that I keep thinking I'm hearing Rick all over the place beyond just the backing vocals.

    One of my favorite moments is the huge crescendo in "Seems We Were Dreaming" that is 100% Wright in terms of the sound. Excellent stuff.
     
    pantofis and Felix Atagong like this.
  25. Jerry Horne

    Jerry Horne WYWH (1975-2025)

    Location:
    NW
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