COMING SOON: Monkees Album Release Dates (comparing them with The Beatles, Beach Boys...)

It likely won't take days or all that many hours, but after seeing the common quote from media interviewing some of The Monkees, talking about how they outsold The Beatles and BB's (or The Rolling Stones?) combined.

It makes me want to look back at release dates of The Monkees albums and when certain Beatles, Beach Boys, Rolling Stones..maybe Hendrix and The Who (and Pink Floyd and Zeppelin perhaps)

Also some of the British Invasion and West Coast Psych/Jam bands. CSNY for example per Peter Tork's friendship with Stephen Stills.

I know the Monkees guys went over to England when The Beatles were making Sgt.Peppers, so the thought might be, what was the latest Monkees album out at that time?

I also may try and look at TV Air Dates with the likes of Star Trek (TOS) and maybe Batman as those are 2 shows The Monkees show sort of get associated with. I think some of the scenes were shot at the  same studio, and the same production company? etc.

I may even check out the ole tviv.org with TV Lineups when the show aired.

Curiosity and recreational research I guess.

hopefully sooner than later (maybe before the Mike and Micky show on 3/14?)

Cloud Cult - The Seeker (2015-2016) [Album+Film] 1st Single 10/23/15

2/12/16 10:19AM
I just wanted to bump this as the album is released finally today.
Here's Amazon's link

And I saw the film actually the other night at The Riverview Theater, which was beautiful yet incredibly heart-wrenching.

Per time of course, I should try and film a video or 2 about Cloud Cult, 1 about The Seeker album and especially the film.

The other, hopefully about their history/my history, which is somewhat well documented in this blog, but obviously not on YouTube.

This new album and the film has gotten me back thinking about them the last few days. I'd say maybe what I just wrote on their Facebook Wall has something to do with that.

here

hey, I just wanted to congratulate you guys on Album release day today. And seeing the film the other night. I honestly cannot get many parts of it out of my head. Namely "You Never Were Alone," totally gets me every-time I hear it now. That scene in the film where Grace is running and seeing her dad is breathtaking. I was in tears at the theater the other night, and still find myself in the same way when listening to it. You guys may have written and filmed one of the saddest/most melancholy things I've ever come across.

12/4/15 6:21AM
Stream "Through the Ages"

Really good tune. I haven't been able to even see every update via the Pledgemusic campaign that I should have due to time and discipilne, but I mean, namely during the week I have off coming up in a little over a week. But I'm pretty excited for this record and film, more than I was before.

10/23/15 6:10AM
Story with Stream to "No Hell"

It also says Josh Radnor of How I Met Your Mother, will be in the film, which has no dialogue. I imagine it'll be a bit like the Marillion Brave film, with the music on with the actors going through the story. That story has some quotes from Craig Minowa and the story or concept behind The Seeker being about the life of a girl.

Josh Radnor of course, is a noted big fan of Cloud Cult, so that doesn't come as a huge surprise.

"No Hell" of course, also is download-able with a preorder/pledge.

10/22/15 2:07PM


The Seeker, Looks and sounds intriguing, I doubt it has any reference to the song by The Who though. The Seeker is coming out in multiple formats, including for the 1st time ever, VINYL (recycled..CC have been noted as to against Vinyl per the environmental issues that the manufacturing can create, but maybe Recycled is more friendly?..I'd love to see/purchase a lot of their more recent albums, on recycled vinyl at least..Light Chasers namely).

A New song is coming tomorrow 10/23, so I'll have to bump/edit this entry when that happens tomorrow.

February 2016 is when this sucker drops though. I did *love* a number of tracks on their last record Love from 2013...Pretty excited.

http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/cloudcult


Preorder “The Seeker” and you'll get weekly downloads from our forthcoming album and film starting now! http://www.cloudcult.com/seeker

Cloud Cult presents “The Seeker”, a new studio album and feature length fiction film coming February 2016. But those who participate in our Preorder Campaign will get an “All Access Pass”, where every Friday, starting now until the release date, you will get one song from the album and/or get to watch one “chapter” of the movie in chronological order and gradually watch the story unfold. Also see behind the scenes footage, and buy exclusive Preorder merch not available anywhere else: Signed props from the film, one on one time with the band, autographed recycled vinyl records, handwritten lyric sheets and more… Profits of the preorder are donated to environmental charities.
Preorder “The Seeker” and get your All Access Pass now! 
www.cloudcult.com/seeker

WatchMojo.com: Top 10 Concept Albums

Not a bad list

for what it's worth, here's the actual link/with the site's voting results

I guess I have no issue with them having Thick as a Brick (as I happen to love that record) and Sgt Pepper's as well..; the Volta, Queensryche, The Who and even Rush and Dream Theater titles I would personally take a different record from

Frances the Mute
Promised Land
Quadrophenia
Hemispheres
Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

but I like more or less all of those albums at least. Although I consider Quadrophenia a MUCH better album in general to Tommy, I still enjoy Tommy, but maybe not the concept nearly as much as Quad's.

Now with The Wall, like Tommy, I like a lot of the music (probably about 2/3), but find both with the concept to be too overblown and preachy; and just doesn't work as a whole.

I noticed Animals relatively high on the voting list, and I would easily choose it over both in terms of the music of course and the CONCEPT in fact. Less is definitely A LOT MORE with Animals vs The Wall.

The David Bowie I can take or leave. I enjoy Bowie and that album, while not my favorite Bowie record, I still can understand why it may make this list.

Green Day? so typical, but blech..terrible concept and maybe even more terrible music from a terrible band; but I suppose it hardly is surprising to see based on the voters and what kinds of picks WMJ tends to include in these lists.

It was nice to see in the HM's Genesis The Lamb among a few others.

What albums did they miss? for my personal taste, I would look no further than basically my 4 favorite albums of all-time

-Marillion - Brave (or Misplaced Childhood I would have had no issue with still)
-Kevin Gilbert - The Shaming of the True
-Soundscape - Discovery (no chance it'd ever make this list, but it is a concept album and it is an all-time favorite. I suppose if Fates Warning had been included, something like A Pleasant Shade of Gray or Awaken the Guardian I'd be satisfied at least in a way)
-Apes and Androids - Blood Moon

The Who - Quadrophenia tour Fall/Winter 2012-13

Billboard story

of course as I posted a few weeks ago, here. The BBC documentary is airing in select theaters next Tuesday, July 24th.

Coincidence? I doubt it.

I can claim however to have seen the band perform the whole thing back in 1997 with John Entwistle. This clearly is their best album, and the closest they ever found themselves doing progressive rock.

I guess the cheapest tickets for the Target Center show are $37.50. I guess I wonder if that factors in fees. Otherwise, I'll likely do what I did the last time I saw them, hehe.



"Quadrophenia" Tour Dates:

Nov. 1: Sunrise, FL (BankAtlantic Center)
Nov. 3: Orlando, FL (Amway Center)
Nov. 5: Duluth, GA (The Arena at Gwinnett Center)
Nov. 8: Greenville, SC (Bi-Lo Center)
Nov. 9: Greensboro, NC (Greensboro Coliseum)
Nov. 11: Pittsburgh, PA (CONSOL Energy Arena)
Nov. 13: Washington, DC (Verizon Center)
Nov. 14: Brooklyn, NY (Barclays Center)
Nov. 16: Boston, MA (TD Garden)
Nov. 20: Montreal, (QC Bell Centre)
Nov. 21: Ottawa, ON (Scotiabank Place)
Nov. 23: Toronto, ON (Air Canada Centre)
Nov. 24: Detroit, MI (Joe Louis Arena)
Nov. 27: Minneapolis, MN (Target Center)
Nov. 29: Chicago, IL (Allstate Arena)
Dec. 2: Nashville, TN (Bridgestone Arena)
Dec. 5: New York, NY (Madison Square Garden)
Dec. 6: Newark, NJ (Prudential Center)
Dec. 8: Philadelphia, PA (Wells Fargo Center)
Dec. 9: Uncasville, CT (Mohegan Sun Arena)


Jan. 28: Anaheim, CA (Honda Center)
Jan. 30: Los Angeles, (CA STAPLES Center)
Feb. 1: Oakland, CA (Oracle Arena)
Feb. 2: Reno, NV (Reno Events Center)
Feb. 5: San Diego, CA (Valley View Casino Center)
Feb. 6: Glendale, AZ (Jobing.com Arena)
Feb. 8: Las Vegas, NV (The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino)
Feb. 12: Denver, CO (Pepsi Center)
Feb. 14: Tulsa, OK (BOK Center)
Feb. 16: Louisville, KY (KFC Yum! Arena)
Feb. 17: Columbus, OH (Schottenstein Center)
Feb. 19: Hamilton, ON (Copps Coliseum)
Feb. 21: Uniondale, NY (Nassau Coliseum)
Feb. 22: Atlantic City, NJ (Boardwalk Hall)
Feb. 24: Manchester, NH (Verizon Wireless Arena)
Feb. 26: Providence, RI (Dunkin' Donuts Center)

7/24/12: The Who's Quadrophenia Documentary Movie Screenings

Complete List of Theaters Showing It Link to the Screenings in Minnesota.

Assuming I can go, I probably will try Oakdale. I got see to see the feature length film in the theatre last year for the 1st time, and now this. For my favorite record of theirs.

Pepe Deluxé - Queen of the Wave (2012)

1. Queenswave 4:54
2. A Night And A Day 4:04
3. Go Supersonic 4:44
4. Temple of the Unfed Fire 2:48
5. Contain Thyself 3:52
6. Hesperus Garden 4:08
7. Grave Prophecy 4:33
8. In The Cave 1:51
9. My Flaming Thirst 3:48
10. Iron Giant 2:22
11. The Storm 3:43
12. Riders Of the First Ark 7:22

I have probably a lot more to say about this record, than I have time at the moment to (how many times have I said that? countless :p), but I guess I'm going to just do the ole as brief/quick review as possible and if necessary, edit in more later.

I am really digging this album. I discovered it and this group 1 day a few weeks ago scanning the rateyourmusic.com 2012 Chart, and this was #1 at the time. That and given the style being "Art Pop" and "Psychedelic Rock" I was at least curious what they may sound like.

So, now after listening to this new album of theirs, at least half a dozen times, I'm following why it was and still is rated/ranked so high. It's a rather impressive and cohesive album start-to-finish.

Specifically, I'd say the styles or comparison that come to mind are the *vintage* late 60's/early 70's tones. With instrumentation, production in some ways, and especially songwriting. This album is one of those records that I seem to romanticize about from that period. It sounds like it was made in 1967. Hammond organs, rhodes keyboards, harpsichord, flute, fuzz-guitar, tribal drums, horn, and the like.

Also a very big part of this album's style is the cinematic/soundtrack like element. Ennio Morricone is very likely a big influence on this band. Also I read one comparison to James Bond soundtracks, which I definitely can hear. But also specific artists, like Janelle Monáe come to mind. The orchestral parts that are very theatrical, namely the vocals.

edit: one other pretty obvious side to their sound is their Dick Dale Surf-Rock/Surf-Guitar. The arrangements/phrasings totally work on a bunch of these tunes. The riff on "The Storm" for example, sounds right out of the Dick Dale school.

The videos below seem pretty obvious, they are going for a cinematic or soundtrack-esque approach when they composed this record. It definitely tells a story (or stories?). Science Fiction perhaps, but also what reminds me of stories about Ancient or just biblical tales.

Other names to add might be the likes of Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, and Carlos Santana and even perhaps The Who and Cream, specifically the lead basslines I have thought of John Entwhistle or Jack Bruce even on more than one occasion.

This record has balls, and upfront riffs. It's catchy, namely the track "Go Supersonic" which could easily fit on a James Bond soundtrack. It has a fair amount of groove and soul to it, perhaps coming from the female vocals especially. It's also a rather *thematic* album as some of those tales or adventures the band is offering up, seem to take me in. The 7+minute closing track "Riders of the First Ark" maybe most, as it's epic and rather *big* sounding. Even just the baritone? vocals about the Big Blue Ocean and a voyage "out of the blue" give a deep impression.

I would say this now has become my top record of 2012. It's not extensively long, but it offers a lot. It is consistent from track to track, including little interludes between some tracks. The layers, twists, energy, themes and many other parts of it have sucked me in. Will it end up on top by the end of the year? doubtful, but as of right now I haven't heard anything better or more interesting, and addictive in fact.

Adding to it, they have a decent history, going back to the mid 1990's, and having checked out their previous 2 records Beatitude and Space Time Machine, I would definitely say this is a breakthrough album of sorts, but it also seems they have transitioned their style, as less than 10 years ago, they were doing more electronic, trip-hoppy drum'n bass kind of stuff. Maybe a reinvention of their sound, that at this point I'm really happy to have heard. Although I'll confess those other records I've heard aren't bad, and I need to spend some more time with them. It's just they may have finally found a style that works for my taste with this latest of theirs.

I also am rather curious how they produced these videos. I gotta believe the cost was not cheap. But impressive no matter. I wonder if seeing them live might be as impressive, although they are kind of spread throughout the globe, with some members in Finland, but others in other parts like the US.