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"A final add to the mix; In which other Genesis track, other than that of the same name, does Phil Collins sing "Tonite Tonite Tonite"? I've asked this question once before, ages ago, but I'm sure it was on another site. Didn't take long for the c...
"Hypnotized by Batman, TARZAN, still surprised?"
Blood on the Rooftops
My thoughts as to why they weren't in the first couple years of eligibility would be simply because of Phil's departure from the band... a bit untimely from the "let's get into the r n r hall of fame" point of view.
25 years after the release of ...
It would be really awful if Genesis wouldn't made there. Can someone tell why Genesis din't made rock and roll hall of fame in their first year eligible. So changes that they made there now is on their side,but you got to remember if These "expert...
From the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website:Performers
Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. Criteria include the influence and significance of the artists’ contributions to the development and per...
You are right, if it were about talent, KISS would have never made that list. Sure, they can breathe fire and hide their faces in sadomasochistic make-up and outfits but, they are awful musicians that can't produced nothing but childish songs. The...
Genesis doesn't need the recognition. Their true fans are aware of the influence and impact that they have had on music over the last 40 years. The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame is nothing more than an over blown high school homecoming court based sole...
Considering some of the past inductees, I sort of agree with that.
Profile Information
- Relationship Status:
- Single
- About Me:
- the single status is just for some of the bored members on another site - formerly members of the official PC forum.
- Genesis is:
- The greatest band
- Length of Genesis fandom:
- 16-20 years
hey everyone - new tribute project announced
February 14, 2009 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A Big Deal has just announced the GREATEST GENESIS/PHIL COLLINS tribute album project to come down the pipeline in the over 40 year history of the pioneering British rock band.
"I quite simply will be doing a tribute album that pays tribute to all the other acts currently paying tribute to Genesis and Phil Collins," he said during a Valentine's Day press conference.
My collection of songs will be completely authentic. What better way to pay tribute to some of these great tribute acts than to do live and recorded covers of them, who are already doing live and recorded covers of Genesis and Phil Collins songs and performances?"
When asked about how terrible the singing and general playing on the disc, which will be followed by an equally crappy subsequent live album and God-awful performance DVD, A Big Deal rest assured.
"Keep in mind, I am paying tribute to the tribute artists. My performances thankfully in no way reflect the members of Genesis or Phil Collins. With all due and earned respect to them, I am not paying tribute to them.
A Big Deal has just announced the GREATEST GENESIS/PHIL COLLINS tribute album project to come down the pipeline in the over 40 year history of the pioneering British rock band.
"I quite simply will be doing a tribute album that pays tribute to all the other acts currently paying tribute to Genesis and Phil Collins," he said during a Valentine's Day press conference.
My collection of songs will be completely authentic. What better way to pay tribute to some of these great tribute acts than to do live and recorded covers of them, who are already doing live and recorded covers of Genesis and Phil Collins songs and performances?"
When asked about how terrible the singing and general playing on the disc, which will be followed by an equally crappy subsequent live album and God-awful performance DVD, A Big Deal rest assured.
"Keep in mind, I am paying tribute to the tribute artists. My performances thankfully in no way reflect the members of Genesis or Phil Collins. With all due and earned respect to them, I am not paying tribute to them.
A Big Deal's Photos
A Big Deal's Blog
Lack of Genesis knowledge in Genesis fans
My single biggest pet peeve over the years of being an online Genesis fan is the massive amount of misinformation that gets passed on as gospel from fans of the band - and members complete insensitivity and uncanny ability to take it personally when being pointed out that they are misguided in their efforts.
Just imagine if Genesis themselves acted as childish towards fans who were wrong about their history/career.
It is a sad state since being online means the only two skills yo… Continue
Just imagine if Genesis themselves acted as childish towards fans who were wrong about their history/career.
It is a sad state since being online means the only two skills yo… Continue
Posted on September 4, 2009 at 5:05am — 5 Comments
A BIG DEAL to TRIBUTE the TRIBUTE ACTS
February 14, 2009 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A Big Deal has just announced the GREATEST GENESIS/PHIL COLLINS tribute project to come down the pipeline in the over 40 year history of the pioneering British rock band.
"I quite simply will be doing a tribute album that pays tribute to all the other acts currently paying tribute to Genesis and Phil Collins," he said during a Valentine's Day press conference.
"My collection of songs will be completely authentic. What better way to pay tribute to some… Continue
A Big Deal has just announced the GREATEST GENESIS/PHIL COLLINS tribute project to come down the pipeline in the over 40 year history of the pioneering British rock band.
"I quite simply will be doing a tribute album that pays tribute to all the other acts currently paying tribute to Genesis and Phil Collins," he said during a Valentine's Day press conference.
"My collection of songs will be completely authentic. What better way to pay tribute to some… Continue
Posted on February 14, 2009 at 9:32pm — 7 Comments
Comment Wall (15 comments)
- At 2:22pm on April 9, 2009,
Leon Alvarado said…
- "Buddy, you can't get the song titles right on YOUR OWN album's sales site without my input. Carry on, Leon."
WOW! YOU"RE RIGHT, YET AGAIN! IS THERE AN END TO YOUR WISDOM?
- At 2:45pm on April 3, 2009,
Leon Alvarado said…
- Ok,
Going to California, I lifted that form Led Zeppelin (just kidding don't go on tear on that one). Seriously I got to go but we'll continue this thing next week.
- At 2:35pm on April 3, 2009,
Leon Alvarado said…
- "it is the fact that every bit has a facet of something pre-existing." It is a tribute album, all the Genesis songs are pre-existing. They are only my interpretation of them, I do not claim to have written them and no matter from which angle you may look at it, they are still based on pre-existing material that is part of the whole point.
"but when you look at the Albert image along with everything else mentioned - it promotes a big bag of multiple cases of lifting from the world of Genesis." But the character itself wasn't even created for Genesis, it comes from a book that Koechlin did. Also, let me point out that Genesis is not the only band that Lionel Koechlin has done a cover for, check this link out: http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=834693
The only difference from the drawings in DUKE is the wording at top of the jacket. Like I said, he has nothing to worry about me.
"Yes - perfect example. Now, how much of the rest of And Then There Were Three smacks of things they have previously released? " The whole album has the same sound as ATOTT and W&W, the main difference is the absence of Steve's input which probably would have brought the whole thing even closer to the other albums (in my opinion).
"I would say that Trespass does not compared to the other two. It is also a byproduct of using the same artist more than anything else." I disagree, the three records look and sound like a trio. Just because he used more ink on one and more paint on the other does not take away from the visual feel that they evoke.
"they were relying purely on the name GENESIS - which in all honesty - is all you are relying on as well - as you are covering Genesis songs and your original songs are very Genesis-like." Agree only to the extent that it is a tribute album. Not some attempt to get rich on someone else's coat tails as somebody has suggested in the past. Let's be real here, I'm never going to get rich of this thing. That is why I have a regular nine to five job and don't count on using this to make my living. What is important to me is the acceptance of enough people who like what I've done and if possible a nod from Genesis themselves because after all, it is a tribute and that is some kind of flattering gesture towards them.
"On the separate issue of the Charisma label - you say you aren't pulling a Whitehead and tracing - but the difference is, even if Whitehead hadn't traced around Tenniel's work - as you pointed out - the rights were up for grabs."
First of all, I didn't quite put it the way you wrote up there (not with such harsh connotation). I do respect Paul Whitehead and don't wish to take anything away from what he has accomplished. Secondly, yes the rights were up for grabs in the legal sense of the word. However, and according to your point of view, a tracing is as close to a lift as you could get, specially if you don't change any of it. So, having the opportunity to use the image does not make you the creator. My images are my copyright and no one else's therefore they are indeed originals from an ethical and legal point of view. You see it as a lift but I (as well as others) just see some Genesis hints here and there. Lots of people happen to like it that way.
"Again, I'm repeating myself a bit - but the process behind the product is completely secondary - it is the finished product that is up on the pedestal - not the journey you took to get there."
It is ludicrous to think that the process doesn't matter at all. The process carries the history of the product and defines the decisions taken along the way in completing the project. A lot of fine artist where excluded in the world of art until the critics found out the explanations behind their work. Some critics still didn't like their work but understood their intentions and at least learned to respect them for it.
"And let me be clear - even if it was Gabriel's name on the poster (and to a lesser extent, Collins, only because he had more time fronting the band) I'd have the same problem."
I reckon so. But many people wouldn't and that is what Ray is banking on with that poster. There is nothing wrong in using the leverage of the existing name (Genesis). It is not like I'm going to get six Platinum albums out of this CD. But it does help in communicating what the CD is all about very quickly. Like you mentioned before I put my own money for the rights to those songs. Genesis are getting their cut (and ahead of time) weather I sell tons of CDs or just a couple hundred. If I were them I would think it is a nice form of flattery. Remember that I have said in the past that I would not have done this project should the band be still active. Part of the goal was to create something very genesis in nature but also unique. Even if we differ on the perception of what that entails, that is what I set out to do and some people feel I achieved it.
- At 10:11am on April 3, 2009,
Leon Alvarado said…
- One more for the road,
This one is just plain funny:
"Leon, for example, make the mistake of thinking my comments were intended to insult him personally. Let me be clear, I’m only criticizing his poorly done rank-sounding Genesis-wannabe CD of puffery."
Let's guess who is not doing the insults here. LOL!!!!
- At 9:27am on April 3, 2009,
Leon Alvarado said…
- I'm not worry much about the Koechlin thing, if I hear from him I'll deal with it then. I don't really think he has anything to worry me taking his money and destroying his career. My character looks like his but it is not a scan or photo-copy of his work and even the proportions change, yes very close indeed but not the same. As far as the character's name? Again, a well-intended nod to his work, he should see it as a complement but if he doesn't I would be more than happy to oblige (it is not the actual retail cover). My points on the links are that from a distance all you see is the word Genesis and not the track listings. In the second example, again the word Genesis in big letters which is the only thing that you could read from a distance. There are more examples out there, I just didn't want to spend much time looking for all of them. It's not about the content on those albums as much as how they look at first glance. That is, when you make any connection with what the imagery suggests (it is different on everybody but if you are familiar eye-track marketing studies then you know exactly what I'm talking about). Regarding your point of Genesis' own covers, you are right in the sense that their design of We Can't Dance doesn't have any connections to their past. You would have to point out that by then the band had a successful run for decades and built-up quite the name recognition and therefore, not being in need for those types of visual connections. However, Tresspass, Foxtrot and Nursery Cryme all say that they came from the same band. Even further, the logo on The Lamb Lies Down and the one on And Then There Were Three are indeed the same. The logo type on A trick Of The Tail, and Wind & Wuthering are the same type face with some tweaks (the banner treatment). Even their production company "Hit & Run" used the same logo-type and characters from ATOTT. In today's terms is what its called branding which is the repeated exposure of visual cues that connect the viewer with the product. In Genesis' case, the nuances and hints form the covers form the past and even in cues from their music. Scenes From A Night's Dream has a small instrumental percussive brake towards the end of the song which is in some way similarly used on One for the Vine. The sticker example (the bloke from Genesis, the band) is reaching a bit to far. However, I hope I made my point to you. As far as Mike and the Mechanics and Peter Gabriel choosing to distance themselves from Genesis is also part of their own strategy. It is obvious that if you can make it on your own you wouldn't have to rely on whatever faith may happen with your band of the past to still be relevant. I would have done the same. But my record is directly related to the Genesis music. If and when I release a record of my own compositions it will not look anything like this one because form the offset it would all be done with different goals in mind. Sometimes it bothers me to be compiled in the same pile with tributes acts. I think it is because of the word "Tribute". What I've done is to put my own spin on some Genesis songs (which regardless of how people feel about it, it is what I've done), on top of that I recorded four songs of my own music and added them to the mix. It is a completely different approach to the one used by tribute bands but that is another discussion.
"***I understand your justification for wanting to make a quick connection - however I don't think that is justification for the image lifts.***"
Look, it is a lift to you. I have explained the thought behind it and showed you the alternate cover and now I'm bidding you to go to my page and look at the pictures from the work-ups to get a clearer idea of how the creative process went in making the cover. I say it has some similar elements strategically placed and you say it is a lift. Let's just acknowledge us disagreeing on that point and move forward. As far as Paul Whitehead goes, I have spoken with him myself, he is a lovely man who lives in the San Francisco Bay area. He's done a gallery based on characters inspired by the songs from Genesis including the mad hatter (the old Charisma Records logo) which it came from an illustration by Sir John Tenniel. It is in the true sense, a tracing of the original done in 1866. The copyright had expired on the image and therefore it was, in the legal sense, for "grabs" sort of speak. But that illustration is more related to the Famous Charisma Label than to the original book from where it came from. I haven't done anything that closely related but no one seems to be complaining about the other. If, of course, I would have had even the smallest of stints in Genesis, then most likely this conversation would not have been happening. I understand that to some people having their heroes work being re-created by someone is some sort of sacrilege. I obviously differ from that thought. Like you have mention many times, even Phil Collins has his shares of covers (with apparently more on the way I may add). He can put horns, violins and even timpani drums if he wishes but it still is somebody else's music. I've done the same thing and I can guarantee you that if my name would have been Robert Fripp, there would be a ton of people with less objections to what I've done. I'm not saying that you personally are one of them but you have to know what I'm speaking of.
Also, Abacab & Three Sides Live, same look just ike their logo form We Can't Dance to this day. The box sets also all look the same, you'll recognise one of those box sets even if they stood up on their sides because they all have the same patterned background with just a different color. The fact that the fills on the logo type is made out of the album covers inside the box eludes most people who see it at first glance even though it is essentially the only thing that differs from one to another.
I got to go for now but we'll keep this up. I'll check here once or twice again but later I got to catch a plane and I'll be out of touch until Tuesday. If I don't get to answer your upcoming post, have a nice weekend and I'll catch you next week.
- At 9:02pm on April 2, 2009,
Leon Alvarado said…
- "I'm sure the contention would be that by handing over the product to the radio, your expectation is that they will play it, resulting in people listening and in turn buying your product" Yes it is, however the cover that the public sees when buying it is not the one that looks like Koechlin's but the only one available to the public which is mine. As far as the connection with Genesis fans go, try this link for example: http://www.bandstores.co.uk/shop/kanyewest/proddetail.php?prod=30437904&cat=238
Or this one: http://www.en.game-ost.ru/info.php?id=772
They both have the word Genesis very prominently, specially the second one. I wanted to make a quick connection and I think the cover does that well. I understand it is not to your taste but it does work. Part of what I'm trying to explain is that regardless of what the whole project may seem to you, it is not an exercise in self-agrandisement as noted on the thread but more of a thought out approach to releasing some familiar great songs with a new spin as well as others done in the same vain. That is what my website says, that is what you and I have been discussing here. There is no point in me trying to make myself bigger than the original composers of the material. I've been e-mailing back and forth with Steve Hackett who just today send me an e-mail telling me that he got his copy. I told him that I was interested in what his opinion of it would be an he told me that he'll let me know as soon as he gets to listen to it. Now, I suspect he is not going to come back with a detailed version of what he liked and what he didn't. But I'll know for sure if he indeed like it overall or hate it. We have been conversing since prior to him going to his Italian tour and he seems very receptive.
"what is rael doing on the ATTWT cover." I don't know but, the guy on my cover is waiting for people to buy the album. LOL
- At 4:51pm on April 2, 2009,
Leon Alvarado said…
- All I can say about the subway shirt is WOW!!! I have never seen that before. But hey at least is not on a Genesis album cover. You are right about the Koechlin character however that is why it has the "NOT FOR RETAIL" type on it and not because of what others have suggested before. Besides, the character is not used in a book context and is not quite exactly as his. The name of the song just mentions the name Albert. There are no lyrics to the song focusing on the character or anything like that. The only way Koechlin could come up after me is if I were profiting from the use of his art which I'm not. It might be close and he could make the case but in the end, I'm not profiting from it at all because the character with the likeness of his only appears on an item that was given as a free gift and not for profit. I'm not arguing the resemblance on the single. It was obviously meant to have a similar look and feel to the DUKE cover because the song is done in a similar style. How would Koechlin feel? I assure you not threatened at all. Now, if I were making money off it that would be different but I just drew an illustration inspired by his style that can only be seen on the web and if you go to my page. i get where you are coming from but believe me, there is no ill meaning behind the promo single's artwork. So that cover could be said is an emulation, no problem with that it is not meant to be sold and it was a transient cover that I used to give away a few singles to some college radio stations. The main album cover however, has a strong nod to the Genesis covers but it is an entire different thing. You may feel that it is a knock off of sorts and that is okay, I see it as a nod to the artistry of Storm Thorgerson which it is how it was intended. But there is no legal chance for any one claiming that I used their cover because it is still unique. You say even Collins mixes up his covers up. Well, I do too. My cover is of Times Square in NYC, my cover has a man that glows in the dark is not a cut-out, my cover has its own original type treatment in the form of a sign, some of my trail lights are white and flow in opposite direction, if you look closely at the backgorund you will see the blurred silhouettes of hundreds of people moving about the sidewalk, my back cover has an actual lamb sitting in the middle of Broadway and a face rising from the steam. My cover is composed of an image that turns from color to black and white signifying the parallel changes within the main character's personality. If I decided to make the cover stylisation to seem as if it were created by Higpnosis it is because they where the studio that held the standard for great covers. The ones to aim at if you will. No one in the music industry would complain of having a cover that would look as if it was done by Higpnosis and any design that can draw a comparison to that would be considered very good by most designers. Once again I think we failed to see the intention here. The cover still original and nobody has it but my CD. Yes, there are hints and references to the Genesis work but it is because it was meant to be in order to make a stronger connection. The artwork still original weather you agree with it or not. I even had alternate covers that looked completely different but I nixed them to go with something that would give me a faster connection to the material inside. You can go on my page and browse through my photos and see the alternate cover there. Please do, then tell me your thoughts on that one. I'm curious to see how you feel about an image where the only connection is the "Genesis" name. As far as presto goes, you are more than welcome to come up with your own CD, design and everything else attached to it to see how presto that is. Don't misinterpret my work by assuming that it was an easy thing to do. It is always easier to be on the side of the observer because there is no involvement other than to watch and comment. However, in our conversations you are finding out first hand my motivations and explanations for my actions. In my mind that places you in a better position than just somebody looking in from the outside. You got the advent of interacting with me and questioning me for answers. So please, regardless of how you feel about the project, don't underscore the amount of work that went behind it. Instead, please check the other cover and give me your thoughts. I wasn't kidding when I said I was interested on your opinion. Otherwise I wouldn't be still here talking to you.
- At 12:15pm on April 2, 2009,
Leon Alvarado said…
- I may add to my last point that the internet also carries grave consequences. One of them is the ability for people to get their hands on music they did not purchased. If I had to make my living through my music this would be devastating to me. I have seen a couple of my tracks already making the free rounds in Russia. The worst of it is that there is nothing I can do about it. If I were Mick Jagger I could possibly stand to loose a few hundred thousand copies from my vast catalogue of music without breaking the piggy bank. However, the toll is much greater on the independent musicians who don't have the bankroll to weather such loses. At the end of the day, I'll be just happy if I could make my investment back so that I could get back and do something again.
Cheers,
Leon
- At 9:19am on April 2, 2009,
Leon Alvarado said…
- Once I get the reviews posted in the website there will be some that are as detailed as yours. The comments form the people I highlighted are not "reviews" per se, but they do come from people who bought the CD (I know because they have all e-mailed me). Not everyone needs to write a review to appreciate something they like. Most people will simply state it. The reviews I am getting around come from fansites and publications. As far as the album artwork goes, each person's representation of a visual will differ according to their own perceptions. You don't see any originality. I see a cover that does bring the Genesis influences in it's own unique way, just like the music inside. The photography is totally original and shot by me (not Genesis). The fact that the sky resembles the one in ATTWT is the same as saying that if I would have shot a sky at noon, it would then resemble the one on "Atoms Heart's mother".
Regarding the so called "censorship", didn't he started his own forum to whine about me? Did that get censored? Has he being stopped from continuing the insults even though he doesn't call them insults? It is very simple, he can write whatever he wants on these forums but not on my page. Sue me! I'm done with E Flat, don't really care and he can take all the adjectives that he used on me and add a couple more to describe himself. He is a non-issue, done.
Let me get back to our discussion which I still think has points worthy of discussing. My album jacket has a subway map that runs through the inside of the spread and the disk itself. There are no Genesis albums with anything like that on them but you didn't point that out. I guess my point is what I have stressed before. The coincidences between my product and Genesis are not coincidences. They cannot be if I am to call the thing Leon Plays Genesis. Whenever I'll release a CD of only original material then it will be something completely different in look and all (I'll probably still have a cover on it because they are fun to play and record and I have been toying with King Crimson's Red for sometime now and would love to finish that). I think the part I don't understand is why is it wrong to give your own spin to something that you like so much? People do it all the time. Phil Collins done it several times. I'm not claiming anything with my CD other than what it says on all the materials (CD package, website, networks and ads). I don't have a name recognition factor to fall on. I'm just a guy who acted on one of his passions by doing something that quite frankly, many of us have been wanting to do. I also made some very conscious decisions in my approach to the music and all things surrounding it. You don't put the time and money that it takes to make a product like that without given it some serious thought. So, going back to your review, I applaud the time you took to make your points clear but no, I don't expect everyone who likes the music to be so detailed. At the same time, I don't expect people to completely trash the project when they haven't even spend the time to really listen to it. It is not the same to say "I hated the movie because I didn't like the trailer" than somebody going to the movie and commenting on it. The worst thing a person who only saw the trailer can say would be "I'm not going to see that movie because I didn't like the trailer". Fair is fair.
I'm not against a spirited discussion so as long as we stand in the same turf and keep it to the issues at hand. What intrigues me a bit a bout your point of view is that you have noticed all the details and nuances that I created. We do strongly disagree on our perceptions of the outcome but, what it is really interesting is the fact that those who love the CD, do so for the same reasons you don't like it. It goes back to my earlier comment on the eye of the beholder.
Putting our differences aside, I have to tell you that this exercise in creating and marketing your own creation on a relative shoe-string budget has shown me a lot about people and people behaviours on the web. It is actually a fascinating study from a sociological point of view. It has certainly open my eyes to some things about how different people act and react to things on the web. It also has taught me how hard and how much work one has to put these days just to be noticed in a world that is over-exposed and bombarded with flashing info and images. Is very hard to capture an audience's attention when trying to compete with things like a hundred channels of television, satellite radio, video on demand, the internet, video games and even limewire and other download places. The internet itself has brought people much closer together just as the phone did at the beginning of last century. For example, if I would have released the album twenty years ago, I would have to pedal it through my local record stores (provided that I would be able to entice them into carrying it). Through the advent of the internet the album has been sold around the world and it is even in a record store in the middle of Tokyo. I've gotten e-mails from people in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Mexico and the UK who have bought the album. I think that is very rewarding from a personal point of view. My only wish is for most people to like it. I am well aware that not everyone will however, the idea is always to come up with something you think people like you will like. And that is what I have attempted and if I can gauge by the amount of positive vs negative comments, I think to a fair success.
Leon
- At 8:58pm on April 1, 2009,
Leon Alvarado said…
- You raise interesting issues however, the" Leon in Neon" thread implies a negative connotation just by the sarcasm on the title itself. About 80% of the comments are indeed negative and posted by only two people. The rest of the comments come from people who liked what I did or were voicing their opinions about how silly the whole thread looked to them. For example Paul D'Adamo wrote "I think Leon has done a wonderful job of promoting and recording not only his music, but the music of one of the greatest bands that exists to this day. He should be proud of the efforts he is putting forth". Fly On A Windshield posted this: "I feel that, like his music, it is Leon's own artistic choice and part of the total experience. I happen to like the marketing and artwork and, for me, it takes nothing away from the music but instead enhances it. ( I especially like the percussion work! )". On the other hand,it seems like at times it went well beyond voicing opinions and more into a personal attacks. E Flat was indeed the first one to directly insult a fellow member by calling him a wanker. Then insulted another one (HRM) after they posted that they liked the CD by the following statement: "There's really no accounting for taste." but that would be rather rude, wouldn't it?" That sort of infantile sarcasm is exactly one of the things that he complaints about. Here is a set of adjectives used by E Flat to describe me on the thread: pretentious, unmerited, pompous, overblown, self-aggrandizement, puffery, self-important, fraudulent, lack of integrity, HACK, Leon-in-Neon, mediocre, shameless, pathetic, disingenuous, etc. (All that from seven 30 seconds snippets and the fact that he got pissed because I wouldn't let him write that on my page). Yet he this is how he describes his subject matter "provocative or seemingly controversial nature" and goes further to add the following in reference to others: "the propensity for attempts to insult or assassinate the character of other forum members seem to be the sole, or at least chief, occupation of some here." Indeed, he is the main culprit at that.
I have had enough positive feedback from people including well respected musicians like the guys in YES (who loved what I have done) for me to feel solid about my efforts. As far as the censorship goes, I explained the reasons as to why nobody (not just you or E-flat) can write on the blog. After all, this may be a public forum but your page is your page and you are allow to mange it's content any which way you like. Sorry but that is the way it is. When you go to a Chinese restaurant you don't ask for a hamburger. Is it worthy of writing a thread and be one of two people posting 80% of the posts? Also, you haven't seen any threads with your name in the title used as a derogatory. You don't have to like the music but there is no need to insult the integrity of the artist. E flat just got pissed because I blocked him from my page and decided to rant about it as if I went to his town and instituted communism. However, that is the last thing I'll say about the guy. After reading your review I realised that you may be looking at the thing with a more objective vision. Obviously I don't agree with everything you said but to be honest, I was expecting something childish like the comments on the thread. The fact that it wasn't is what compelled me to write to you here and to let you know that I don't have any objections to reviews that do not necessarily paint a good light on my project. A lot of it rides in the eyes of the beholder. For example, you sum it up by calling my album "Vangelis does Genesis". E flat agreed whole heartedly by saying it was a perfectly description of it (or something like that). So I take it that you both see that as a negative. I myself see it as a positive because I do love Genesis and I do love Vangelis so it seems obvious that the influences show. I don't necessarily see that in a bad light. You also wrote " To me it is more Genesis-like than any Genesis album in the band's actual entire canon" in reference to the artwork. I felt from the beginning that the cover had to be sort of ultra-Genesis like for people to take the tribute seriously. Many tribute bands have covers that look like high school kids did them and that usually turns me off those records. I designed the thing with what I would like to see from a tribute band in mind. I didn't use any Genesis logos or typefaces, I did my own photography and the fact that it was shot in NYC was purely intentional since two out of the three songs came out of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. So, in short, what I liked about your review is that it was honest and it pointed out exactly the reasons as to why others do like the album. The website, the myspace and facebook, etc., are just supporting elements to create interest. You don't have to like them neither but I tried to put enough content to explain things with a fair amount of detail. One cannot imagine how hard it is to sell a record as an independent artist until one makes a record. People that haven't have the luxury to insult those who have and for a while there (up until your review of my album) you yourself seemed to be playing that along. Your review is what actually showed me that there was more to you than what shows on that thread. As far as E Flat goes, he shows his flaws all by himself, there is no need to add fuel to a man already on fire.
Perhaps with this explanations you could at least see where I'm coming from regarding that particular forum and why will I never think that some people's ranting even matter one bit. We may not like some people's music but there is no need to insult people because of it. Furthermore, I will reiterate that EVERYONE has the full right to control the content over their personal page. The forums are listed as that, personal pages are listed as that. On my personal page, I do the writing and I do the updating just as is my full right to do so. Just because he doesn't do it, doesn't mean that he has more rights than the rest of us.
Leon
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