Yesterday

And while we're about it, I think the only good thing to come out of Tolkien was the Led Zeppelin Tolkien-influenced song 'Ramble On'. I will go to my grave believing that Led Zeppelin II was/is the best rock album of all time.

 

Spot on. Standing up makes such a difference too. The view was pretty ***** from the away end but i've not heard such a wider array of songs for ages...great away day.

 

That, my friend, has actually made me larf out loud. Actually. Not inwardly but loud proper larfing so much so that my missus has just come into the room wanting to know why I'm laughing so much. Not lol cos people put that and they're not. This was actually proper. So it was aplol. Aplol.
Quality lad! Top quality!......and although we've never met I am genuinely Abso bloody lootly delighted that you're happy at work. You deserve it.

 

Ps my wife thinks it's well funny also. Burning arse cheeks

 

My bad.

I didn't see him. I did see Marcus Gayle though. And Dr Zazlos.

 

Please tell me that you are a progressive rock fan. I am dying here for want of such a conversation, and an added bonus would be that I will not be talking football.

 

FMR coming soon....and I don't know what's up with the OP, I had a comfortable commentary position, a cracking view of a great performance and no red top journos bellowing in my ear oil

 

Great post Whitey thanks.

 

Yes

 

Cracking read......was just like old times.....this board lights up when whiteys around....and i dont mean with the reflection from his forehead......lol

 

Pat`ll fix it for you, Pat`ll fix it for you. See all them Dear Pat letters paid off sithi, al bet tha like a kid set free int spice shop.

Things like this should be int programme where Pat meks some kids dream come true, be it training wit first teeam, travelling to an away game ont teeam coach or being first to wear a new kit when its revealed etc etc etc.

Anyways good luck pal and by the way shunt tha be livin back in Tarn narr.

 

In these days of greater enlightenment and more open-mindedness I think it's now OK to openly admit that you were a 'Yes' fan! I saw them live twice - once at Stoke City's old ground where the legendary Alex Harvey Band supported. I also saw Rick solo at Sheffield City Hall. Joint best gigs I've seen though (among many, many) were James Taylor at Blackpool Winter Gardens and U2 (360 degree Tour) at the late Don Valley Stadium. Oh, and Sir Tom after racing at York a couple of years ago!

 

My mentor, the guy who introduced me to proper music sadly died about 3 years ago, but the memories of those early days still linger. I got into that sort of music via the folk scene and like you James Taylor was one of my early favourites. Bands like the Strawbs and Stackridge lead me towards Wishone Ash, Pink Floyd and Genesis though I found both the later bands a difficult listen during their early years. I did not come to appreciate Yes until much later, but I now think that Jon Anderson was one of the great voices.

That scene seemed to run its course though and apart from the infrequent mega gigs, I was convinced that the genre was dead. My interest was re-awakened by the Classic Rock Society. We noticed that the Strawbs were playing for them in Rotherham at the old Herringthorpe Leisure Centre. My wife phoned to book tickets and Martin Hudson, who ran the society at the time, persuaded her to join. It opened my eyes to a new wave of Progressive Rock and the next 10 years were real eye openers. I became a real fan of the many bands that continue to fly the flag for the type of music that I love. Rick Wakeman and Dave Cousins of the Strawbs were two patrons of the society and both played for them a couple of times during that 10 years.

Sadly, the CRS is now in different hands and it has lost its way somewhat, but it opened my eyes to a lots of great bands and to the huge amount of information that can be found on the internet and I have continued to unearth yet more bands by listening on Spotify and Progstreaming and by reading The Prog Report and Prog Realeases. It is a genre that is still loved dearly by is devotees and which still produces new band and new music, the link between them still being the excellent players that the genre still attracts.

 

Never attended the CRS, Red Rain but working in Rotherham as I did for 17 years (until work became a thing of the past in 2013) I was aware of it. One of my colleagues and her partner were attenders of their gatherings. I recall her mentioning Rick Wakeman playing on at least one occasion. Rick was an unlikely link between The Strawbs and Yes, as well as playing that beautiful piano accompaniment on Cat Stevens' (now Yussuf Islam) Morning Has Broken - and the piano bits on Bowie's Hunky Dory, and I'm sure much much more stuff. I was always interested in Yes, ELP and later the Floyd. As for Jon Anderson, I agree about his distinctive voice. I also recall reading that he had trials with his beloved Accrington Stanley but although not without talent, was considered too small to pursue a career with them.

 

Very interesting, Red Rain.

Like you, I was a massive Yes fan in my late teens and was fortunate enough to see them twice whilst at University in Liverpool. The second time was when they launched "Tales from Topographic Oceans" which was badly received for being too pretentious, and which seemed to be the beginning of the end for Yes.

I also saw the Strawbs - in Sheffield, I think it was.

When on a walk in Buckinghamshire, I passed a house in the middle of nowhere, and in the garden were parts from sets used by bands, including the "Topographical Oceans" set! There was also a Dalek and a Tardis. A woman went past with 6 goats and climbed into an old London taxi. Sounds like a weird dream, but it was real!!

 

Good report, Andy. Thanks for that.

Glad to hear that you're enjoying your new job.

 

Rick has graduated from the ultra serious musician interested only in his art, to the all around entertainer and comic. His shows seem to have as much banter as music these days. His bass player, who was also the bass player in the band that supported Robbie Williams at the time, sported a bass with a finger board that illuminated with multi-coloured lights.

His final gig for the CRS was at the start of a long tour. Martin Hudson arranged for the band to rehearse in Rotherham for the week prior to their first gig. His singer at the time was Damian Wilson, who is a bit of a lovey and somewhat temperamental, but who possesses a staggeringly good voice. Anyway, the day before the gig, with Martin an interested observer, Wakeman and Wilson had a spectacular fall out. Something about Rick refusing the change the key of some pieces to accommodate Damian's voice, although I think Rick's sense of humour might also have played a part. Damian stormed off, never to return, although he does perform with at least one of Rick's boys, who are also keyboard players. The gig was played without any singer, which gave Rick even more opportunity to tell us about his many divorces.

Happy Days.

 

Walking is another of my interests, although I am getting a bit old now for the long distance variety that I love. To mark my 60th year, I decided that I would try to follow the watershed for the length of Britain. I caught a train to Exeter and from there a bus to Sidmouth. The day after I began walking. It was fantastic and after 21 days I had reached Birmingham. Later in the year, I went back to Birmingham and took another week to reach Edale having spent days here and there walking higher up the trail which ended for the year at Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

I am 65 now, but I have still not completed the trail. I have got as far as Rannoch Station in the north, but there is a big gap in the Scottish lowlands.

Walking, music and the garden are my other great passions besides Barnsley FC and I could talk all day about any one of those things. I regularly watch the eyes of the person that I am talking to slowly glazing over when I have gone on that bit too long. Just like on here.

 

I'm saying yes to Yes.

 

One of Rick's favourite lines is that 'Tales From Topographic Oceans' was a very emotional record, because every time they had to play it he felt like crying!