Lost/Forgotten Album #10

[Jon]

 

 

Along with rock, I've always liked classical music as well. Hearing smatterings of classical music in rock music (see: Accept) has always made me smile. Don't know why, maybe it's because it makes it seem that some of the music I listen to isn't just noise like my parents claim cause there's some classical stuff in there, baby! Or maybe I'm just strange.

 

About 15 years ago I went on a major kick trying to find hard rock/heavy metal that mixed a lot of classical elements, could probably blame that on TSO/Savatage I suppose. So I went to the ultimate music site, www.allmusic.com and spent hours and hours trying to find groups that mixed classical with rock and found Therion from Sweden. Along with the classical element, they also had operatic choirs! How cool is that?

 

So I went to www.amazon.com and listened to some uts from a Therion album, got hooked and since then have picked up every Therion release, whether it be a studio or live (and I'm not a big fan of live albums). Hell, I even picked up a DVD set of them in concert, wanting to know how they looked on stage with an orchestra. Sadly, they were playing in small venues on this DVD set, so the orchestral parts were pre-taped. No big deal, they had the band and the singers so it was cool anyway. Luckily, last year they released a live album which included a DVD where they played with a full orchestra, so I was happy as a rabid clam.    

 

Whew.

 

So this week, I've picked their 1997 release titled "Theli". It's deinitely not for all tastes, might take some a couple listens to get into, but after awhile they may find some wonderful surprises. I personally don't think this is their best album, but it's very good nevertheless. 

 

What's really fun to do is make a playlist of songs, and throw some Therion in with the more mainstream music. It will definitely peak someone's interest as well as having someone look at you like you're some kind of freak. This I know as fact since I had some Therion blaring while working outside in the yard and the neighbors were looking at me as if I were from outer space. Fun times! Beats having to listen to them play that "Spider Pig" song from "The Simpsons Movie" over and over and over and over again during a block party (which, I'm happy to say, is the last one we were ever invited to.)   

 

Give it a listen...if you don't like it, what do you know? If you do, you're one of my newest and bestest friends. (Those that may not like this, check out track #9 since it's a bit more "accessible")  

 

And Cookie Monster does make an appearance!

 

 

Theli

 

1. Preludium*

2. To Mega Therion*

3. Cults Of The Shadows*

4. In The Desert Of Set*

5. Interludium*

6. Nightside Of Eden*

7. Opus Eclipse*

8. Invocation Of Naamah*

9. The Siren Of The Woods*

10. Grande Finale/Postludium* 

 

 

Availability: In print, should be no problem finding.

 

MSoTW is easy this week. Thought last week's would be hard, but someone guessed within two hours, so we'll go with easy. Then, when nobody guesses, I can laugh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Niels (Mod)]

"Someone"?! Do ya mean: your good ol' pal Niels??

[Jon]

Yes, exactly what I meant!

[Scott]

ok... need help on the MSoTW... It definitely Greg Lake in one of his many bands... Not sure if its him solo or ELP?

[Jon]

Kinda maybe.....anything else I say just might give it away.

[Scott]

ok, I googled it... I know who it is now.... not the 'P' I thought meant in my first reply either... Didnt this also hit Mtv for a short while? I seem to recall a video as well...

[Jon]

There is a video, I don't remember it being played on MTV, but it could have. It was played quite a bit on the radio when it came out.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Okay, I was finally able to listen at the midnight feeding of my son. I'm on the fence with this one. Musically, I like it. I'm not crazy about the vocals, probably because I don't understand most of it. I like to be able to sing along with the song, and I don't think I could do so with this.

I would like to offer up some praise for Jon. Week in and week out you bring us music that most of us are not familiar with. You have a wide variety of taste and you have a great and probably enormous music collection that you share with everybody on Classic Rock Bottom, and I for one thank you.

And I don't know the MSoTW. I know you are surprised.

[Jon]

Thankyou kind sir. Sad thing is, I've almost went through my hundred albums. What do I do? WHAT DO I DO?????

And forget singing....you can hum the songs!

[TageRyche]

I listened to some other Therion CD in the past when I wrote reviews. What I heard was okay but nothing that really made me want to grab up their back catalogue and spin my way through it all.

[Jon]

It's not for everyone, that's for sure.

[Scott]

ok, so MSoTW needs resolution and I am here to do exactly that... I had heard the song before, I swear it was on Mtv back in the 80's, but I cant confirm thats where I heard it first. I knew it was Greg Lake from the voice and my recollection of the tune, so one could deduce from the clues... 80's, Greg Lake, and ELP werent really recording back then, that it is a Greg Lake solo tune. I was wrong, it really is an ELP tune, but the P is not Palmer as one would assume. A quick look at Wikipedia and you will find that Palmer was under contract with Asia and therefore didnt record this. The P, on this effort, is Cozy Powell - The man himself.. So ELP for this tune is Emerson, Lake and Powell.

Nice twist Jon... Thank goodness for google...

And as for Therion, really odd to listen too. The music is not bad, the vocals really throw me off though, I mean really really off.... I think this one time Therion experience was enough for me...

[Jon]

That'll teach me to introduce folks to different music. Sheesh. And yes, Emerson, Lake and POWELL. Tee hee!