Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

I woke up in the middle of the night with this on my mind. I have no idea why...

I remember when this band 1st came out, & they were touted as sounding just like the Beatles. Some ppl actually thought they WERE, but I never did. They did have some George Martinish productions on a song or two, though, & the one singer sounded quite a bit like Paul McCartney.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeUMpAy1NK0
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One of thier songs you may recognize, even if you never heard of this band, cuz it was covered by the Carpenters, of all ppl!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcgZCXHPkCo&NR=1

I love the way this starts, with the fade in of an electronic forest, the guy crunching through, & then he puts the needle on a record. This is how the LP began. I thought it quite Floydish & way cool.

I wonder why they never caught on in the states...
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Across your open mind
I trace erratic lines
In motion and in time

I fought a battle won
To the surface of the sun
Through fires on and on

It's only you
It can't be me
For I myself refuse to be
I am someone you'll never know
I am the little neutrino

Solus is not far away
It's face is brighter than a day
So don't turn me away

It's only you
It can't be me
For I myself refuse to be
I am someone you'll never know
I am the little neutrino

And now I'm passing through
The one who's known as you
And yet you'll never know I do

"Good-night"

This was another fave off of that LP.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpCNP7pf ... re=related
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This was the one ppl pointed to & said "this IS the Beatles!" Of course, they were totally wrong!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFsuHhgo ... re=related

I think they recorded the vocals backwards on this one. It sure sounds like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKwDB1gFAS4
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I love this one! "Older"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIr4u3YHtkk
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Silly stuff

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXHgl4ug9Kw
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They could tell a good story, too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN9kLcdi ... L&index=55
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I know I'm putting a helluva lot out there but I loved this band! I'd all but forgotten them...

I thought that was the robot that stood out front of Mothership? Yah know.... Weird wandering laser eyes that kill 'n' all that....

WTH ??

LOL HELLLLL NOOOOOOOO

Did you even listen to any of this? I'll admit, "Anus Of Uranus" is a lil dated &...well...odd. "Older" could still be played, & updated a tad, though. Good commercial rockish stuff, imho.

They played with the vocal effects a lot, that's to be sure, esp on "Little Neutrino" & "Silly Boys."

Still, all in all, I think they had a VERY progressive sound for thier time. They were unique, anyway.

"The day the Earth stood still"
I have to admit no Phil. I've been tied up today but I will once I get speakers back on my linux box. Bit 'o' mess in here right now.

Soz

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_th ... 51_film%29

philbymon wrote:
One of thier songs you may recognize, even if you never heard of this band, cuz it was covered by the Carpenters, of all ppl!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcgZCXHPkCo&NR=1

Did you smoke a bowl before posting this?

No. As a matter of fact, I didn't, Craig.

There actually was a point to this thread, though. (It WAS the middle of the night, though, & I got a lil carried away with Klaatu's stuff...)

Every time there's a buncha hype about how a band "sounds like the Beatles," that very phrase is the kiss of death for them. It's happened more than once, & it always seems to describe a particular band's Martinish productions, &, at times, McCartneyish vocal styles.

Remember the Rembrandts? I guarantee you know ONE of thier songs.

"The Way She Smiles" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6F3Lm58yYU

"Johnny Have You Seen Her" (live) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUWRnSpBqb8 (you might remember this one. I think it had about a week's air play.)

"Someone" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR3vd2sz434

"Johnny Have You Seen Her" had this really nice production on the studio version, which was rather Beatlesque, but I can't find it on youtube. Thier harmonies are great, & thier voices are way high up there, like some of the early Lennon-McCartney vox, & they really reach for that special sound.

But the only song you're likely to recall by this band is the theme to "Friends" which is called "I'll Be There For You," which was also used in one of the Terminator movies, I think. If you wanna hear that one, there's a gazillion copies of it in youtube.
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"Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft," by Klaatu, is still a pretty cool tune, in my opinion, even when it was covered by the Carpenters.

After 30+ years, I still like quite a bit of thier stuff, & find it relevent. I can't say that for most music.

Yep, just like the Beatles. Actually I think the Beatles sounded like KLAATU, not the other way around. Or maybe KLAATU sounds more like Badfinger, which sounded a lot like the Beatles. But then again the Beatles sounded more like Badfinger. When I first heard Badfinger I thought they WERE KLAATU...

The Carpenter's version of "Calling Occupants..." -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2-blWgVk-A

OMG this is cheesy, now that I look at it! Esp when compared with the original. Way too "pretty" for what the song asks for, isn't it?
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Here's another band that was touted as "the next Beatles" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBn2ux5vRHk

EW! Yeah, the kiss of death was definitely called for, here!
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There will never be another act with the impact of the Beatles, though. We're too inundated with music, now, & they were lucky enough to have come at that special point in history which cannot be repeated.

All in all, though, I think Klaatu was pretty damned impressive, for a 3 piece band that refused to do interviews or tour...& definitely the best of the bands touted as the next Beatles, or sounding like...

philbymon wrote:No. As a matter of fact, I didn't, Craig.

(snip)

Every time there's a buncha hype about how a band "sounds like the Beatles," that very phrase is the kiss of death for them.

I think these guys would have kissed themselves to death anyway, even without the comparison.

LMAO!

But I'm just teasing... I have no room to talk... I still like Flock of Seaguls' "I RAN" and Gary Neuman's "CARS"

philbymon wrote:
Remember the Rembrandts?

Yeah, I do actually. Somewhere in the 90's? Late 80's?

They were good though.

No anus songs that I can recall.

LOL

I really don't quite understand the "I think these guys would have kissed themselves to death anyway, even without the comparison" remark. Sorry, but that one went over my headbone.

If they're used some other word, would you have liked the song? I thought "Anus From Uranus" was kinda stupid, too, frankly, but it was also a little bit funny. Howzabout "Seamus From Uranus," to give it that Scottish feel? LMAO

Although I always laughed at Cary Neuman's "Cars," it still rings as a fairly cool song for the genre. Never liked the Flock, though. A local radio station uses "Cars" as its intro for its traffic report, & every time I hear it I get a lil PO'd that they won't play the damned song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldyx3KHO ... PL&index=1

Omg wadda cheese-fest!

philbymon wrote:I really don't quite understand the "I think these guys would have kissed themselves to death anyway, even without the comparison" remark. Sorry, but that one went over my headbone.

Oh alright. I'm being too rough on them bro. They sound really whimsical, which is fine, we need whimsical sometimes, but they don't out-whimsical early Beatles. I am thinking I would have a different opinion if I had heard them, early on, when you did. It's funny how things that mean something to us, when we first hear it, gets dated or seems silly to others, who only hear it a decade or two later. I've noticed this with my kids. I turn them on to old stuff all the time, so they will grow up with a broad musical experience, but it's sometimes hit or miss. Some stuff they go nuts over, and others they can take or leave.

One of their faves from the past, is Peter Frampton Live "Do You Feel Like We Do" They almost get the same vibe many of us did, when it became an instant classic, way back when. They eat it up, and think his use of the talk-box is the coolest thing ever!

philbymon wrote:If they're used some other word, would you have liked the song? I thought "Anus From Uranus" was kinda stupid, too, frankly, but it was also a little bit funny. Howzabout "Seamus From Uranus," to give it that Scottish feel? LMAO

LMAO!

Yeah... Ur-anus, My-anus... It's still anus.

LOL

philbymon wrote:Although I always laughed at Cary Neuman's "Cars," it still rings as a fairly cool song for the genre. Never liked the Flock, though. A local radio station uses "Cars" as its intro for its traffic report, & every time I hear it I get a lil PO'd that they won't play the damned song!

Yeah, "Cars" is just one of those ALL-TIME great/memorable riffs. We should start a thread on that. All time most memorable riffs! I like a driving or catchy riff... and the thing about coming up with one, is that if they are unique, they are not easily duplicated. Yes, rappers turn them into other songs, but it's not the same as how 100 songs have the same chord progression... you can disguise that in various instruments, different rhythms... but to come up with one of those CLASSIC and UNFORGETTABLE riffs... No one can come up with that riff, AFTER YOU. You were the FIRST to do it.

Think of DEVO'S riff in "Whip it!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIEVqFB4WUo


You KNOW what that song is, from the moment that riff starts!

Cheesy yes, but fun and danceable, and MEMORABLE! That damn riff has made those guys a FORTUNE for decades now... they are still reeling in the dough now!

The movie "Raising Helen" a few years back, uses the song, and the characters put the flower pots on their heads in the movie, imitating Devo. BOOM! A whole new generation of kids seeing this band again... from the 70's!!!


btw...

TRVIA TIME!

I'm sure everyone knows that DEVO is short for DE-EVOLUTION which they believed society was undergoing, rather than continuing to evolve, but DID YOU KNOW...

That the incident at KENT STATE where 4 students were killed by the National Guard, is almost directly responsible for them becoming a band? They had played together as a JOKE previously, to be funny. But after that incident, it changed their outlook, and they started taking their music more seriously... and the rest is history. The name of the band is a political statement, and their stuff is still finding it's way onto radio, and in movies!

Pretty amazing career I would say.

Yep. A good riff... some upside down flower pots on your head...

Ya never know where it could take you!