#517: Waiting 4 the snow....

Waiting 4 the season's 1st snow 2 hit. It reportedly spat snow all around us on Sat, in some places it even stuck. Nothing here yet, tho lotsa people R panicky. Last time it snowed here a coupla years ago, we got a foot & 1/2 overnite & everything STOPPED. & then the snow hung around 4 a week & 1/2....
Meanwhile, I've bn inflicting the following music on unsuspecting members of the general public while at work. I vouch 4 the high quality of almost all of the following -- especially the stuff you don't recognize....

Happy the Man -- Service with a Smile, Wind-Up Doll Day Wind, Open Book.
Group 87 -- Future of the City, Magnificent Clockworks, One Night Away From Day.
Scarlet Rivera -- Day of the Unicorn.
Synergy -- S-Scape.
The Nice -- America.
Nektar -- Do You Believe in Magic?, The Dream Nebula Parts 1 & 2, It's All in Your Mind, King of Twilight, Wings, It's All Over.
The Who -- I'm One, 5:15, Love Reign O'er Me, Bell Boy, I've Had Enough, Doctor Jimmy, You Better You Bet, Long Live Rock, Life With the Moons I, Naked Eye, University Challenge, Slip Kid, Poetry Cornered, Blue Red and Gray, Life With the Moons II, Eminence Front, The Relay, Bag O'Nails, Call Me Lightning, Let's See Action, Baba O'Riley, Behind Blue Eyes.
Pete Townshend -- Give Blood, A Little is Enough.
The Waterboys -- A Life of Sundays.
Marvin Gaye -- What's Goin' On?
Rush -- The Big Money, Manhattan Project, Force Ten, Time Stand Still, Mystic Rhythms (live).
Pat Metheny -- Ozark, New Chatauqua, The Search, Praise.
Lyle Mays -- Ascent.
Aaron Copland -- El Salon Mexico, Simple Gifts.
Steve Tibbetts -- Ur.

Response 2 this Xperiment has bn comparatively thin. Is it possible NE muzak at all is ignorable by most folks? Maybe it's just the wrong week. Maybe I'm not playing the stuff LOUD enuf....
The Happy the Man, Nice & Nektar trax did cause a few people's eyes 2 pop open, & a couple Who fans seemed 2 B enjoying those pieces, but no comments were received. Research will nevertheless continue....

...While I will vouch 4 the high quality of American progressive-rock band Happy the Man's trax listed above (which R from their Xcellent 2nd album CRAFTY HANDS, 1978), while waking up on Sat & continuing 2 break-in the new CD player, I spun Happy's 1st album from back in 1977 & was (again) mildly disappointed. Tho it sounds fine (it should, Ken Scott produced & they spent Ghod knows how much $$$ on it), the material is kinda thin & it's programmed sideways.
They shoulda led with the gorgeous "On Time as a Helix of Precious Laughs," which is by FAR the best thing here & the only track that can stand with any of the work on CRAFTY HANDS. It's also the 7th track of 9 on the CD, so I wonder how many folks have actually HEARD it.
Tho the 2 trax that follow wrap-up the album pleasantly enuf, they're not Xactly stunning. There R gorgeous guitar, sax & keyboard textures thruout, & guitarist Stan Whitaker's kinda mechanical & nasal voice fits right in.
But some of this stuff is background muzak at best ... & I LIKE these guys. The leadoff track, "Starborne," is lite soundtrack music. "Stumpy Meets the Firecracker in Stencil Forest" has some nice sax work from Frank Wyatt. 2 bad that Wyatt's lyrics 4 "Upon the Rainbow (Bifrost)" R a mouthful that don't help that piece NE. Only "Precious Laughs" is worth playing repeatedly.
If you like Yes or Genesis's more lyrical instrumental moments, you might like these guys. But start with CRAFTY HANDS. & watch out 4 the inflated album prices some folks R asking 4 these guys' work....

(PS, 16 Jan 12, 1:35 am -- We got Xactly 1 INCH of snow, just enuf 2 make things wet & intresting. But now we're in2 a hard freeze, so all the roads R skating rinks -- great times! At least I've got a coupla days off....)