If you like Todd . . . . try Astral Drive

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Tgreul, Jul 12, 2018.

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  1. Tgreul

    Tgreul Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Charlotte, NC USA
    Amazing (to me anyway) new album by Phil Thornalley (who has some stellar writing and producing credits) under the name of Astral Drive. He wanted to create a long lost album from the mid-70s - and succeeds. He draws heavily on various Todd-isms throughout the album. I was blown away. A very nice, well crafted and sincere homage.

    https://www.amazon.com/Astral-Drive...pID=51nb6ujQG9L&preST=_SX342_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
     
  2. Tgreul

    Tgreul Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Charlotte, NC USA
  3. Terrapin Station

    Terrapin Station Master Guns

    Location:
    NYC Man/Joy-Z City
    Tell him to put it on Amazon streaming and I'll check it out.
     
  4. Kevin j

    Kevin j The 5th 99

    Location:
    Seattle Area
    todd snider rules!!!
     
  5. jmpatrick

    jmpatrick Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit, MI
    I trust the reception this guy gets here will be as warm as the one Greta Van Fleet has received.
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2018
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  6. Tgreul

    Tgreul Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Charlotte, NC USA
  7. Terrapin Station

    Terrapin Station Master Guns

    Location:
    NYC Man/Joy-Z City
    Hmm I see the Amazon page says that it is on streaming. I asked Alexa to play it and she said she didn't have it. Let me try it again..........

    Ah, the problem was that I asked for Astral Drive by Phil Thornalley. Astral Drive is the band ( "band"?) name, too.

    Anyway, pretty cool to start although it's maybe a bit too self-consciously Todd-like.
     
  8. Tgreul

    Tgreul Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Charlotte, NC USA
    I can see why some people may not like it for that reason, but it's just so well done
     
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  9. Terrapin Station

    Terrapin Station Master Guns

    Location:
    NYC Man/Joy-Z City
    So, I just listened to the whole album. I like it, but very obviously it was approached with the intention of mimicking Todd. It's the sort of thing you come up with when you analyze someone's characteristics, then make sort of a checklist to make sure that you're including enough of them in each tune so that it sounds like a lost song by the other artist. It gives you "simulated Todd," like you might have simulated wood furniture , a simulated leather jacket, etc. (And I do own a couple simulated leather jackets (they're for sports teams).)
     
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  10. dance_hall_keeper

    dance_hall_keeper Forum Resident


    "Summer Of '76" - Astral Drive.
    I like this.
    Mr. Rundgren on the tv and Todd on the turntable in the video.
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2018
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  11. rodentdog

    rodentdog Senior Member

    I am streaming it on Tidal right now. Eerie.
     
  12. jwb1231970

    jwb1231970 Ordinary Guy

    Location:
    USA
    Todd who??
     
  13. dance_hall_keeper

    dance_hall_keeper Forum Resident

  14. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

    Location:
    Marple, PA, USA
    "Odd, Toddly enough"

    Edit: I like. Did he master the cd as crappy as Todd did in the early 70's?
     
  15. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    Rundgren? Or the Bill Murray character from SNL?
     
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  16. John Rhett Thomas

    John Rhett Thomas Forum Resident

    Location:
    Macon, GA, USA
    Huge fan of Sweeney Todd but I'm not hearing much of it in the sound clips, sorry...
     
  17. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

    Location:
    Marple, PA, USA
    sorry, not a hijack, but a coda

     
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  18. anonsequitur

    anonsequitur Forum Resident

    Location:
    CA

    To my ears, this track borrows a lot more from New Radicals “You Get What You Give” than any specific Todd song.

    Granted, “You Get What You Give” sounds quite Todd influenced on its own.
     
  19. Tgreul

    Tgreul Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Charlotte, NC USA
    Simulated Todd is a good description for this, but again it’s just so well done. It’s not a total rip off - there are some borrowed bits and pieces, but it’s definitely “inspired by”. Am really enjoying this.
     
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  20. Reggie Sears

    Reggie Sears Int’l Recording Artist, Mix Engineer and Producer

    I am and have been a big fan of Phil Thornalley for my whole life since I heard his album "Swamp." That album has been my #1 since I was 4 years old. I hold his album "Swamp" and the album he did with Johnny Hates Jazz "Tall Stories" as my two top albums I've ever heard. When Phil told me he was working on new music I was excited and also nervous, as I wanted it to be as good as Swamp. Phil sent me a few mp3s of what he was working on a few years ago and I fell in love with them. Now, his whole "Astral Drive" album is finished and has been released for a few months and it is GREAT. It definitely did not disappoint. I sincerely hope everyone reading this will check it out and give it a chance. It is definitely an excellent album and just to let everyone know, it is an homage to TR who is Phil's musical hero.
     
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  21. Tgreul

    Tgreul Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Charlotte, NC USA
    Yep, still loving this album. So good.
     
  22. mr.datsun

    mr.datsun Incompletist

    Location:
    London
    Do these guys remember the summer of '76? I don't get it. Faux-nostalgia for an era when they hadn't been born.
    It's well executed, and at least he's straight-up about what he's doing but I do wonder why.

    'Todd' wasn't on orange vinyl.
     
  23. Tgreul

    Tgreul Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Charlotte, NC USA
    Ummmm, I believe that Phil was indeed 17 during the summer of '76.
     
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  24. mr.datsun

    mr.datsun Incompletist

    Location:
    London
    Oh My mistake. I checked his age and background and thought I'd deleted that comment!
     
  25. markshan

    markshan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    If you have to ask there is no point in answering.
     
    jwb1231970 likes this.
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