The Corroseum forum (new design under construction)

Avenger wrote:Can anyone explain to me what the appeal of this band is?

"Endless Skies" has a lot more in common with 70's rock bands then anything metallic of the 80's.

Let's just say that some people also appreciate other styles besides tr00 heavy metal. I'm sure we have lots of Hawkwind lovers, closet Magnum aficionados (you know who you are!), Kängpunk maniacs and Tommy Denander disciples on the forum.

I really appreciate the musicianship, songwriting, atmosphere & particularly the use of light & shade in Ashbury's music.
For those of us of a certain age, Ashbury's music fitted right in to the heavy music scene as it was defined at the time of the record's release, but i can see how it might seem like a stretch to see it that way with modern eyes/ears.
Too much Metal nowadays is lacking the subtlety and sense of dynamics that some of those earlier pioneers of the style had.
For me, a great heavy riff always has more impact when it's introduced in contrast to something more melodic or downright mellow, something that a band like Sabbath for instance really understood and used to their (& our) advantage.
The way 'Children Of The Grave' charged out of the speakers straight after the acoustic noodling of 'Orchid' just gave it far more impact & gravity than would have been the case if they'd stuck rigidly to the rifferama for the whole album.
The Ashbury record probably tests the tolerance of younger listeners who grew up in a post-Thrash world, but in the context of the times it was written & recorded in, it makes perfect sense that it would find an audience in the Hard Rock/Metal community.
1983 feels like a long time ago.

Khnud wrote:

Avenger wrote:Can anyone explain to me what the appeal of this band is?

"Endless Skies" has a lot more in common with 70's rock bands then anything metallic of the 80's.

Let's just say that some people also appreciate other styles besides tr00 heavy metal. I'm sure we have lots of Hawkwind lovers, closet Magnum aficionados (you know who you are!), Kängpunk maniacs and Tommy Denander disciples on the forum.

I understand that but this was posted in "Into Battle"

Seems more like a "Land Of Mystery" topic to me.

bigfootkit wrote:I really appreciate the musicianship, songwriting, atmosphere & particularly the use of light & shade in Ashbury's music.
For those of us of a certain age, Ashbury's music fitted right in to the heavy music scene as it was defined at the time of the record's release, but i can see how it might seem like a stretch to see it that way with modern eyes/ears.
Too much Metal nowadays is lacking the subtlety and sense of dynamics that some of those earlier pioneers of the style had.
For me, a great heavy riff always has more impact when it's introduced in contrast to something more melodic or downright mellow, something that a band like Sabbath for instance really understood and used to their (& our) advantage.
The way 'Children Of The Grave' charged out of the speakers straight after the acoustic noodling of 'Orchid' just gave it far more impact & gravity than would have been the case if they'd stuck rigidly to the rifferama for the whole album.
The Ashbury record probably tests the tolerance of younger listeners who grew up in a post-Thrash world, but in the context of the times it was written & recorded in, it makes perfect sense that it would find an audience in the Hard Rock/Metal community.
1983 feels like a long time ago.

By 1983 the Metal movement was on the verge of Thrash. I could see this argument if it was a '79 or '80 release but by 1983 to call this metallic seems like quite an over statement. Don't get me wrong, I listen to varying degrees of heavy music. I'm not one of the super close minded "black metal or die" guys but I still don't consider this Metal at all. I would put it a shade under Demon in terms of heaviness. The record sounds like a '76 release, not an '83 one

bigfootkit wrote:The band who Ashbury remind me most of is The Outlaws, from the guitar sound to the vocals. Check out their epic track "Green Grass & High Tides".

It took me several years to figure out and I missed this post, but this is very true.

Musically very similar in most of the songs, except they have a Western theme. The above mentioned song is an exception, and possibly what influenced Ashbury the most.

If Endless Skies didn't have that typical 80s fantasy/wizards sleeve, this would never have been relegated to the heavy metal spectrum. It's basically a prog rock album thats about 8 years too late. Jethro Tull comes to mind, but nothing heavier. Just another supposedly cult album that alot of Misguided metal fans got conned into

lynx wrote:

bigfootkit wrote:The band who Ashbury remind me most of is The Outlaws, from the guitar sound to the vocals. Check out their epic track "Green Grass & High Tides".

It took me several years to figure out and I missed this post, but this is very true.

Musically very similar in most of the songs, except they have a Western theme. The above mentioned song is an exception, and possibly what influenced Ashbury the most.

The Outlaws related Henry Paul Band are another act that shared plenty of common musical ground with Ashbury, though they had a similar country twang to the Outlaws as opposed to the more folky influence that permeates Ashbury's more reflective stuff.

HENRY PAUL BAND - Grey Ghost (1978)

[youtube]oKj4b2IEhYI[/youtube]

malegys wrote:If Endless Skies didn't have that typical 80s fantasy/wizards sleeve, this would never have been relegated to the heavy metal spectrum. It's basically a prog rock album thats about 8 years too late. Jethro Tull comes to mind, but nothing heavier. Just another supposedly cult album that alot of Misguided metal fans got conned into

Couldnt´t agree more with this. Now everyone has a weak spot for country music ( )

MEXDefenderOfSteel wrote:Now everyone has a weak spot for country music ( )

Of course we do, dagnabbit.


To get back on topic a little, there are many moments on the first 2 albums by Gypsy (the Minneapolis band) that somehow remind me of the atmosphere of Ashbury if not their actual sound. The song below from their S/T 1970 debut is probably the one which comes closest overall, but of course being far earlier it has a bit of a hippy vibe that isn't part of the Ashbury sound.

[youtube]TtVXsfkVADk[/youtube]

bigfootkit wrote:

MEXDefenderOfSteel wrote:Now everyone has a weak spot for country music ( )

Of course we do, dagnabbit.


To get back on topic a little, there are many moments on the first 2 albums by Gypsy (the Minneapolis band) that somehow remind me of the atmosphere of Ashbury if not their actual sound. The song below from their S/T 1970 debut is probably the one which comes closest overall, but of course being far earlier it has a bit of a hippy vibe that isn't part of the Ashbury sound.

[youtube]TtVXsfkVADk[/youtube]

That GYPSY band, sounds like good stuff. Didn't know them, thanks Bigfoot ! Actually they remind me a bit of HOMER: [youtube]TbOKEiwcvik[/youtube]

Back to topic, First part of Charlie Daniels Band's epic Rainbow Ride sounds a lot like Ashbury:

[youtube]goNWWSTDOfc[/youtube]

Astra Wally wrote:That GYPSY band, sounds like good stuff. Didn't know them, thanks Bigfoot ! Actually they remind me a bit of HOMER:

The first 2 Gypsy albums are really enjoyable, but thereafter they lost most of the progressive elements & wrote shorter more commercial songs. Whilst there are still some good tracks & excellent musicianship on their later records, to me it's not as interesting overall as the initial pair of albums.
Love that Homer album. Bought it just because Galen Niles of Ultra was on it & although it's a very different sound from Ultra, it's a very strong album that i play often.
You might not know, but after Homer split their former drummer Gene Coleman formed the harder edged Overload with Pat Hood from Heyoka & they re-recorded Homer's 'Survivors' on a 1977 demo:

[youtube]yHKhNj5MsQM[/youtube]

Funnily enough, with that harder sounding arrangement, i can imagine Ashbury doing the song.

Stumbled across this song on YT earlier & thought it had a heaped spoonfull of 'Endless Skies' era Ashbury vibe:

[youtube]wxAJfbpS3gY[/youtube]

Endless Skies is a masterpiece. Period.

Here's a compilation I made some days ago....



MAD MEN - Music In The Vein Of ASHBURY

01. Henry Paul Band - So Long
02. Missouri - Movin' On
03. Sunfield - Sunfield's Forever
04. Ironhorse - You Gotta Let Go
05. Albatross - After The Fire
06. Folly's Pool - West Of The Skies
07. Southern Cross Band - Outlaw (Josey Wales)
08. Bad Axe - Runner On The Wind
09. Loosely Tight - These Walls Between
10. Crossroads - Which Way From Here
11. Chevy - Skybird
12. Bandera - Loaded Gun
13. Legs Diamond - Woman
14. Axe - Battles
15. The Danny Joe Brown Band - Edge Of Sundown

Neat! The 2nd "mix-tape" this thread has generated..?

Edit: ...um? Download link?

Here we go:

https://we.tl/t-7ikYXx5Q6G