Untitled Bonus Track This is actually a little more along the lines of what I would kind have expected from Gouldman. This is actually a little bit of a joke song, somewhat poking fun at the, I imagine, constant questions about the band and writing and all that stuff that probably become tiresome to the performer. It isn't a real song, in terms of being of any length or particularly deep substance from a musical point of view, but it is quite clever, stripped back to bare bones and makes the point quickly and simply .... and it kind of makes me appreciate the album more too.
This is a very professional album. Well written, well produced and well worth the music fan leaning more towards gentle pop music checking out. It was a pleasant listen for me, and the first time I have heard anything off it before, and I can appreciate it for what it is, but it doesn't really interest me as something to seek out and purchase, but I cannot deny the professionalism that it represents.
Can Anybody See You Absolutely!. Graham's vocals are way too smooth and even sound a bit detached from the music. Your mind wants to hear Bob do several of his signature mid sentence slow downs and acceleration while simultaneously choosing a one or two octave higher and then lower voice ... mid-word.
Do Not Bend Studio album by Eric Stewart Released 2003 Recorded Templar Studios, France Genre Pop Length 63:51 Label Strawberry Soundtracks Producer Eric Stewart Do Not Bend is the third solo album by British pop musician and songwriter Eric Stewart, a founding member of 10cc. The album was recorded over five years at Stewart's Templar Studios in France, with final sessions for the female backing vocals done at David Gilmour's Astoria Studios in London. Stewart plays all the instruments himself although he is assisted with the backing vocals. Eriс Stewart has said the album's title was inspired by a label posted on a package being mailed by his son Jody.[1] Stewart also wrote a song using the same title that was released on his next solo album Viva la Difference.[2] Eric Stewart – vocals, guitar, bass, piano, synthesiser, drums and percussion, steel drums, brass Sam Brown – backing vocals Helen McRobbie – backing vocals Louise Marshall – backing vocals "You Can't Take It With You" – 4:04 "A Friend in Need" – 5:08 "The Gods Are Smiling" – 4:30 "Fred and Dis-Audrey" – 4:13 "I Will Love You Tomorrow" – 5:04 "Sleeping With the Ghosts" – 5:12 "Rappin' with Yves" – 3:21 "Norman Conquest II" – 4:18 "No No Nettie" – 3:13 "Mr Decadent" – 3:50 "Do the Books" – 5:37 "Set in Blancmange" – 5:55 "A Human, Being" – 4:18 "You Are Not Me" – 4:37 ------------------------------------ Another album I know absolutely nothing about. If any of you are familiar with this album, please fill us in with the details. Stewart normally makes something worth hearing so, I am looking forward to checking it out ..... hmmm we'll see. Cheers Mark
Same here, checked Discogs and the first edition is a 19 track double HDCD version that is pretty rare.
a very nice album...you are correct, the double CD version has 5 additional songs on the second disc and both discs are HDCD encoded (sounds great) the digipack is clearly marked HDCD and it also states that it is a 'STRSCD20031/2 FIRST EDITION" the extra 5 songs: i'm not in love (latino) the stars didn't show tek dis a woman a code of silence shine
You Can't Take it With You Ok, the first thing that strikes, is it has a very eighties kind of sound and feel to it, which just seems odd. The song itself is a pretty cool,uptempo kind of pop song. We get a nice lead break. For me,much like Graham Gouldman's album, this sounds well crafted and written. I don't really like some of the production choices for a 2003 track, but that is generally something that repeated listening's will soften. On the whole I don't dislike it, but I wouldn't seek it out.
A Friend In Need I prefer the sound of this one, it sounds a little more organic. We move into the Stewart moderate tempo ballad territory..... This is a pretty decent song, and has the traits of a good Stewart song. I actually have some of these track on the 2017 Anthology album..... and to a degree for the later stuff I think that Is all I would need.
You Can't Take it With You Just like a first violinist cannot suddenly replace all the other instruments in the orchestra, a rock musician cannot easily replace band members or session musicians. Stewart doesn't get away with the cheap synth, drum programming etc. This kind of exercise is best left to the dedicated pros, like Todd Rundgren or Steve Winwood. A Friend In Need Not as bad as the previous one, but tediously inorganic sounding. Pennywise and poundfoolish.
You Can't Take It With You Funny you say that, that was the first person I thought of. Sounds like something Rundgren would do on his laptop with Reason. Except this sounds more like Soundblaster SoundFonts. It's a Karaoke machine backing track. But the vocals are recorded well! And for a computer band, this thing manages to have a real swing, clearly from Eric's vocal performance. It's got that Good Morning Judge swing, I don't mind it! I'm pleasantly surprised. A Friend In Need Alright I'm just gonna pretend this whole album was released in 1986.
Up until this point, I have usually loved Eric’s productions, but the overall sound of his 2003 “Do Not Bend” really compares poorly to Graham’s more organic sounding “And Another Thing” just three years prior. So far, “Do Not Bend” sounds dated ... and a bit twee. Just because you can play and produce everything, doesn’t mean you should (cough, Jeff Lynne, cough).
Well I guess I'm lucky. I love a MIDI arrangement. The sounds are never good, but boy can they be. I'm a fan of Ministry and Depeche Mode as much as the Terminator 2 soundtrack. I love hearing the choices the arranger makes. And this is arranger is Eric Stewart! (right?!) I'm sure he would've loved to have it performed by musicians, but that's cost and time and work prohibitive. So appreciate this for what it is!
The Gods Are Smiling It is interesting reading your posts regarding the making of this album. I was completely unaware of the fact that he just did this at home.... basically .... and that completely explains the somewhat poor sound, and I think to some degree it would have made a huge difference to the album if it had been recorded and produced properly. I know from my experiences, even when my home studio was very good, it didn't measure up to recording with other people being involved and a proper studio being involved ... so this is a little puzzling to me. Was Eric somewhat reclusive by this stage? Did he just not want to mix with people? Is he suffering some form of Agoraphobia? This again is a decent enough song, it just sounds really cheap.
Fred and Dis-Audrey Again the song sounds pretty good. It has a bit of that cheeky 10cc thing going on. We have a bit more of an uptempo thing going on. We have some guitar, and many of the things that made Eric such a great artist, but we have that produced at home sound, that takes the edge off. I like the song, quite a bit, on this first listen.
The Gods Are Smiling Agreed Fred And Dis-Audrey Better uptempo attempt that also drowns in the dominant programmed drums and synths. The songs in fact lack pleasant production sound so much one isn't even interested in lyrics, you mainly want it over with.
That is interesting re: the thought that Eric might be reclusive. I know that he seems very reluctant to release any new music theses days, but .... due to this great thread ... I did check & he seems to currently have no real social media presence. His book seems to be only available on Apple services (which I don’t have), with no physical or other type of digital availability. Bottom line: it makes it tough to currently learn more about a guy who was a relatively major pop musician. Graham, on the other hand, seems to still really enjoy his chosen life. In interviews he comes across as both affable and appreciative of his continuing relationships with his mates and his fans. Heck, he’s even got a new album coming out soon. This is not a put-down of Eric. Just an observation from a fan who is also often prone to too much introspection. I do think that Do Not Bend truly suffers from the lack of Graham’s strong pop sensibilities & having other musicians to ground him & provide a little more ooomph. The dynamic between the core four (strong) personalities in this band is/was fascinating.
I think Eric is just basically retired. He said in the liner notes of his anthology he has no plans to put out another solo album (though he also says never say never in a manner of words). He did some interviews in 2017 with the book coming out and then this is the last one I remember seeing: Eric Stewart's wife’s grumble made him write 10cc’s I’m Not In Love | Daily Mail Online It shows that he and his wife are just enjoying their lives together. As much it would be nice to hear some new music from him, he seems very happy relaxing at this point.
I heard this on the radio in the early hours last night. IMO it’s still the greatest groundbreaking music video ever made. The song is fabulous but only 25% the other 75% that truly makes this amazing is the film. I’ve got two mint original copies of the 12” singles one is signed.
Not a problem. I still have family that lives In and around Tenterden in Kent Where they were signed. I’ll dig them out of my racks over the weekend . Would you like to see my original Gizmo as well ?
That would be a lovely extra, I was curious to see their autographs, something they probably didn't do that much.
It should be noted on here that the vocal trio on Godley & Creme's "Goodbye Blue Sky" are the 3 singers of English pop group Londonbeat: Jimmy Helms, Jimmy Chambers and George Chandler. They have had a few hits with a dance beat in the late 80s and early 90s such as "I've Been Thinking About You". "One World One Voice", the all-star "chain tape" that Kevin Godley instigated and that Rupert Hine produced, should have been included on this thread, like the Alan Parsons Project album has.
One World one Voice Compilation album by various artists Released 1990 Genre World music Length 52:51 Label Virgin Records Producer Rupert Hine One World One Voice is a world music album intended to raise awareness of environmental issues, produced by Rupert Hine in 1990. A video of the entire album was produced for television together with a "Making of" documentary. It was created as a “chain tape” started by Kevin Godley. The multitrack tape was sent to various studios around the world where local artists added their contributions to it. Sections of the video were also filmed in the performers' home countries and edited together. Artists participating were Afrika Bambaataa, Laurie Anderson, A Velha Guarda Da Portela, Bagamoyo Players, Cedric, The Chieftains, Clannad, Johnny Clegg & Savuka, Cy Curnin, Terence Trent D'Arby, Dred, Marc Ducret, Peter Gabriel, Bob Geldof, David Gilmour, Egberto Gismonti, Kevin Godley, Eddie Grant, The Great Muungano Cultural Troupe, Richard Galliano, The Gipsy Kings, Rupert Hine, Chrissie Hynde, Howard Jones, Salif Keita, The Kodo Drummers, Hélène Labarrière, Leningrad Symphony Orchestra (conductor Aleksandr Dmitriyev, orchestration Simon Jeffes), Ray Lema, Roger Ludvigsen, Maria McKee, Milton Nascimento, Native Land & Themba, New Frontier, New voices of freedom, Nu Sounds, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Remmy Ongala & The Super Matimala Orchestra, Geoffrey Oryema, Hermeto Pascoal, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Mari Boine Persen, Courtney Pine, Hossam Ramzy, Enrico Rava, Lou Reed, Robbie Robertson, Michael Rose & Junior, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Clara Sandroni, Shakespear's Sister, Steve Stevens, Dave Stewart and The Spiritual Cowboys, Sting, Joe Strummer, Steven Van Zandt, Suzanne Vega, Venice, Christopher Warren-Green, Adam Woods and Guo Yue Robbie Robertson - Chief Seattle Speaks Kevin Godley, Sting, Courtney Pine, Gypsy Kings, Ark - (Instrumental) Gypsy Kings, Nusrath Fateh Ali Khan - Este Mundo Laurie Anderson & Pool - (Instrumental) The Chieftains, Guo Yue, Bagamogyo Players - (Irish Instrumental) A Velha Guarda Da Portela - Brazilian Party Steven van Zandt, Peter Gabriel - Foreplay To One Heart Steven van Zandt, Peter Gabriel & Street-People - One Heart Dave Stewart And The Spiritual Cowboys - One Music From Another Junior, Steve Stevens - One World Michael Rose, Steel Band - One World Clannad, Chrissie Hynde, Geoffrey Oryema, Mari Boine - Ri Na Cruinne, Gula Gula Native Land & Themba - Oh Ya Milton Nascimento - De Fira Peter Gabriel, Suzanne Vega, Geoffrey Oryema - One White Field Great Muungano Cultural Troup - (Drum Instrumental) Lou Reed, Richard Galliano. Penguin Cafe Orchestra - One World, One Voice Salif Keita, Penguin Cafe Orchestra - Nami Watah Laurie Anderson - The Whale Johnny Clegg & Savuka, Eddie Grant, Long Shawah - Free World Christopher Warren-Greene, David Gilmour, Venice, Howard Jones, Bob Geldof, Terence Trent D'Arby, Clara Sandroni - Meet Again (A Hole To Fill)(Portuguese: A gente vai se encontrar de novo) Kodo-Drummers & Leningrad Symphony Orchestra - Finale ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have never heard of this .... hence it not being included. So if someone has something to say about it, let us know.
I’ve got loads of Rolling Stones albums photos and memorabilia all signed by Band and family members. Every English Test Match Cricket programme signed by Mick from 1975 onwards
