YTSEJAM Digest 6991 Today's Topics: 1) First impressions on Fates Warning X by "Dr. Scott Mosher" 2) Speaking of Fates Warning... this is a long one. by "Dr. Scott Mosher" 3) Live at Budokan by "Jonin" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 06 Oct 2004 19:10:53 -0700 From: "Dr. Scott Mosher" Subject: First impressions on Fates Warning X Message-ID: After the inaugural listen to FWX, here's my first impressions: Everyone that mentioned it resembles the offspring of DISCONNECTED and APSOG I would definitely agree. But it's probably even more diverse and experimental than both. And maybe even heavier, though I tend to think that may be for the reason that the guitar sound is big and up front. The keyboards and secondary guitar parts are more subtle and mixed lower. The bass is reasonably loud, more so than on any Fates CD in recent memory, and this is a good thing. The drum sound and performance? Mark Zonder... 'nuff said. A master. Vocals? Great... as expected from Mr. Alder. Very melodic and powerful. Some complaints.. on FIRST listen is nothing really hit me over the head, song-wise, like "One" did from DISCONNECTED. Also, I actually MISS the textures of keyboard and synth work, and I"m not talking about the industrial-sounding drum programming or synth bass spread throughout, which I quite enjoy (though the CD tends to lose some of it's organic progressive edge). I also am starting to miss the guitar contributions of Frank. A second guitar player who is NOT Jim would be a step in the right direction, well... in my opinion. I likewise expressed my misgivings about the merely "good" design/layout. The cover painting by Ioannis is great, I love it, but the rest of the layout is merely "good". I'll have to express to the guys that I am always available for additional work and I"m at least as nice a guy as Ioannis, heh heh. NO band pictures either! But that's not a serious complaint. Atleast Waldo isn't hiding in the details and for once, I'm quite graphically disturbed that Times Roman (or a derivative) rears it's ugly head as the main font. Anyhow... For the songs, I really enjoy the acoustic guitar spread through out, which is interesting. Elements of Engine and Jim's solo work are now quite obvious, and add to the delight of the diversity of sound and structure on the CD. "Left Here" has one of the best vocal melodies on FWX, and "Simple Human" sounds, surprisingly or not, much better here than the mp3 that was circulating previously. The song has also grown on me quite a bit. I'm also quite taken with "Stranger With a Familiar Face" and "Wish" (with Matheos' dreary but reflective lyrics, quite good), a somewhat somber ending to the CD. One problem is the proliferation of mid-tempo songs like "Heal Me" and "A Handful of Doubt" that seem to drag on, the pacing and placing of these tunes seem to drive a wedge in the musical proceedings. It's a great thing that a song like "Stranger..." picks up the tempo towards the end.I was waiting for something to kick my arse, like "Pieces of Me" but it never came, and no big 10+ dramatic epic to featured, but... Oh well... And in conclusion... I'm also glad to hear Jim performing official "guitar solo's" once again. Likewise, it's always welcome to see Ray writing song lyrics. The CD covers all the bases, progressive, heavy, melodic, textured, and well-produced. And that guy Nick Van Dyks's name in the credits, who the heck is this guy? heh heh... Overall, it's a great CD, i'd have to give it an 7.5/10. Now whose head is that on the back cover? Mark? Glen Benton's brother (from Deicide)? Karl Rove? Your friendly neighborhood allroundniceguy Scott Mosher | http://www.theambientmind.com/inferno Inferno at CD Baby: http://www.cdbaby.com/all/scottmosher ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 06 Oct 2004 19:10:57 -0700 From: "Dr. Scott Mosher" Subject: Speaking of Fates Warning... this is a long one. Message-ID: My excursion to obtain FWX. Strap yourselves in! So here's my story, the exanded version: So I head out to BEST BUY (trip 1) after work and a doctors appointment, get to the store, rush past HERDS of stampeding DT fans, DBowie enthusiasts, Nelly connoissuers and Tesh wannabe's but guess what, NO Fates Warning, not even a place card. Ok, not a problem. Not much of a loss, decide, well... let's head over to a alternate BEST BUY, the one I entered originally and inquired about the CD a few weeks earlier and their computer inventory system indicated they'd have 2 on hand by the 5th of October. So I motor on down the highway, make a break for the 2nd BEST BUY of the night and rush over to the F section. Again, to my dismay... NO FATES WARNING placecard or FWX. Or any FW CD's. Ok, I'm starting to get a little more than mad now, as the inventory computer indicated previously they'd have 2 on hand, and some assclown employee said, when I wanted to pre-order it a few weeks back, "the computer indicates we'll have atleast 2 on hand, but we'll probably be getting in more like 8-10." Yeah right, FATES WARNING, 8-10 new CD's in BEST BUY which doesn't even have a placecard for the band or any of their CD's (or any of MORDRED, CYNIC, SPIRAL MENINGITIS ARCHITECT, SCATTERBRAIN or yours truly, even! What a nincompoop! And he didn't even look like Dick Cheney... The clueless, but semi-helpful dude at BEST BUY 2 even had the audacity to type in "FACES WARNING" until I corrected him with a grunt, moan and roundhouse kick to the head. Anyhow I inquired with an employee, he looked on the inventory cart, no dice, and made a trip into the back to browse the back stock and undistributed CD stock. Comes back in 10 minutes (a looooooooong 10 minutes mind you), "Sorry, nothing" so as I'm turning red and about to beat him down with his beige pants and blue shirt across the GEEK PATROL Car, I mention my previous foray into the store and discussion with the employee, to no avail. I figure, I'd better leave before I implode all over some innocent pedestrian (unless they took the 2 FW CD's **SUPPOSED** to be in stock IN THE STORE). Headed out, incredibly frustrated, aggravated and hostile, to CIRCUIT CITY on whim (yeah, they'll have it, I convinced myself) only because of it's proximity to the big SMITH HAVEN MALL, my final destination in the madness. Suffice to say CC didn't have it, didn't have any clue, looked in an order BOOK not even on a computer, and that was that. No harm, I didn't expect much, got that much back. Last attempt in desperation and I was frantic mad and ready to go postal on some poor unsuspecting REM Fan (new CD out yesterday too, hoggin up all the retail space for NO FATES WARNING!) head into the big mall, barge into FYE, the local expensive somewhat expansive, ENTERTAINMENT store. Browsed ROCK/POP?R&B CD's and... NO FATES WARNING PLACE CARD! Nothing! I was going to grab an employee and strangle them, but I walzed by the HEAVY METAL section and VOILA! FATES WARNING! AND FWX CD's! In stock! *****2***** of them for.... *gasp* $9.99 And the back stock was almost full (Parallels, $17.99, Inside Out $17.99). Well... Wow! FINALLY! FWX and at a lower price than I anticipated at BEST BUY EVEN. So, after almost 2 hours of driving, cursing, and being dropkicked by the man, I found the darn CD, and for less than I expected to pay. Needless to say, I'll be playing this CD all day and it better be worth the time trouble and amount of discourse, disdain and death I dished out to random clueless employee-stocked Corporate music stores. Moral of the story... ALWAYS shop at THE END Records online, PRE-ORDER the CD, gloat about in on the Board, and carry a nice dozen or so Chinese throwing stars into corporate music stores... PS: The only Mom and Pop stores weren't even close to my planned "road trip". Ok, opinions... LATER. And everyone elses opinions are pretty insightfull and tendered. Peace, y'all! Your friendly neighborhood allroundniceguy Scott Mosher | http://www.theambientmind.com/inferno Inferno at CD Baby: http://www.cdbaby.com/all/scottmosher ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 6 Oct 2004 19:31:33 -0400 From: "Jonin" To: Subject: Live at Budokan Message-ID: <001c01c4abfc$9ec73460$8f029904@joninsrig> Picked it up today myself.Only got to watch a few minutes at work.I'll be giving it a view tonight for sure. ---YTSEJAM FILTER: Rest of message skipped because of attachment ------------------------------ End of YTSEJAM Digest 6991 ************************** === Contributions to ytsejam: ytsejam@torchsong.com === === Send requests to: ytsejam-request@torchsong.com === === More information at: http://www.dreamt.org/local/ytsejam.php === === Brought by the ghost of ytsejam@arastar.coms past === === Reach the owner of this list at: ytsejam-owner@torchsong.com ===