Sorry Jay just needed a bit more time for inclusuion

The Refreshments

If you are going to play tribute to a band then please do so but there are some rules that must apply.  If you are going to write a song about them that’s great, but shouldn’t it be something that draws the tribute artist to mind and not need to drop the artists name in order strengthen the reference.  Also if covers are your strategy for adulation shouldn’t one song be enough.  If you must do a whole cd well then at least one song should be as good or if not better than the original.   That said The Refreshments fail on both counts, but not by much.  A nice tribute cd is created here, but it just leaves the listener wanting to pick up the originals instead.  2.0

Marillion

There is an argument in Marillion camps that which cd is the best cd that Fish put out with the band, this or Misplaced Childhood.  I always thought Misplaced was better but not by much.  This is truly a Fish cd.  It’s his point of view on how Germany/Europe was terrible and why his band is breaking up at the time. Both things let the band reach a creative peak that I believe they were never able to reach again either musically.  A straight up prog rock that has Gabriel’s Genesis overtones but is profoundly Marillion. This is a cd that has some of Carillion’s best musical work be it either Fish’s vision and lyrics or Steve Rothery’s guitar work.  Who by the way is a guitar god, blinding fast when needed but also one who searches for the perfect note too.  Just listen to the last song to see what I mean.  Again neither have come close to this since.  Incommunicado, Slainte Mhath, and Sugar mice are brilliant songs but there are no weak points throughout this cd 4.5

The Sugarplastic

A quirky pop collection that owes as much to cuteness as to the music they play behind it.  Found myself liking it more with each listen, but also found myself not being able to listen to it all in one sitting.  There is Beatles, there is Jonathan Richman and from following both some interesting song structure and lyrics.  Some nice songs throughout but for every Oh Charlene and Montebello, we must stomach a Say Katie.  But hey 2 out of three is pretty good. 3.0

Mother Hips.

There is something familiar about these guys and I wish I could put my finger on it.  Maybe if I go back and listen to my tapes it will come to me.  That is the problem with these guys.  When they make me forget just how much they like the dead and let their other influences they are a very good Jam band who write catchy pop songs with a bit of an edge to them but not enough to piss off there H.O.R.D.E concert going followers.  Well piss those people off because those are the best songs.  Overall a nice collection of a band I have never heard of.

A good name will get you noticed.  Then it’s up to the music to keep you.  Now what’s a good name?  Is it catchy a pun or happy word play that causes one to think, or is it shocking say like Nashville Pussy that causes one to ask why would anyone name their band that? What could they possibly sound like?   Again either way works but you are eventually going to have to rely on your music or like Nashville Pussy people will realize the music sucks.