Mostly Autumn @ the Cambridge Rock Festival

OK. My turn to be contoversial....

Firstly, I like Pocket Watch - especially studio/original version. I want it back. I also think Dreaming is one of the best things they've done. Most of all I like Mother Nature, especially with Echoes ending, and Shrinking Violet. So I guess this just shows it's impossible to keep all the fans happy. There are a number of songs I'm not mad on but I'm still happy to listen to and they'll be other people's favourites or at least on their wish list...

Now, on behalf of Lynda. would someone like to draw up a set list that doesn't involve any songs relating to death or destruction (and that is absolutely NOT meant as any sort of slight on what those songs are about and the meaning that they have for the people that wrote them or like them, which includes me - I say that following on from the debate about writing words that are misinterpreted...). It's just that Lynda commented on it during the set.

AstralEnigma wrote:

OK. My turn to be contoversial....

Firstly, I like Pocket Watch - especially studio/original version. I want it back.

Prog warriors! Burn the Heretic!

AstralEnigma wrote:

Now, on behalf of Lynda. would someone like to draw up a set list that doesn't involve any songs relating to death or destruction (and that is absolutely NOT meant as any sort of slight on what those songs are about and the meaning that they have for the people that wrote them or like them, which includes me - I say that following on from the debate about writing words that are misinterpreted...). It's just that Lynda commented on it during the set.

That's a difficult one, given that so many of their most emotionally powerful songs are inspired by personal tragedy and heartbreak (not that MA are unique in this respect)

Winter Mountain
Simple Ways
Another Life
Distant Train
Out of the Inn (OK, so it's an instrumental)
The Night Sky
Until The Story Ends
Mother Nature

All song that have been played live over the past three years.

BTW, since this thread has drifted away from the CRF, does this forum software allow the moderators to split the MA setlist posts into another thread?

Tim

I like your set list.

And yes I'm sure that this thread can be split accordingly.

Over to you Dave.

H

'Pocket watch' is only surpassed in its awfulness by 'open road' for me. The only 2 MA songs I don't like at all. And I like bands to rotate as much of their material as possible from gig to gig, except at big events, when it makes sense to play a greatest hits set or classic album set.

Yes, I agree with you Colin about Pocket Watch and Open Road - as you already know.

H

Can't even think how Open Road goes - it was on a bonus disk wasn't it? I'll listen again some time!

I'm no great lover of Pocket Watch either. It starts off OK, but I think it's the chorus that I don't really like. I normally make a grab for the remote control to skip to Faerytale when I play the live album. I do play the rest of the album in its entirity without skipping any other tracks. Both the live albums are likely to get surpassed in their brilliance when the Leamington Spa show gets released.

What I heard you say, I'm sure is not really what you said, and certainly not what you meant to say -- electronic toings and froings are notoriously dodgy -- so well done all for not actually calling for a fatwah on this thread!

Personally, I still believe that MAs greatest problem is the strength of so much of their material. The honesty from Bryan in his playing, writing, and "Heroes" being in every set, is for me what sets them apart from every other band. There will always be particular tracks that we would prefer to pass by, but lets get over it, wait a few minutes and another "classic" comes along.

BTW -- Breathing Space were damn good -- looking forward to the new material and I suppose hoping that it will not be too dependent on the vocals, good as she is it would be great to hear them stretch themselves musically!

Cheers All
Kevin

I thought the instrumental break on Open Road was OK (is that Liam on slide?) Rest of the song is pretty forgettable, as Trevor has demonstrated

Never liked Bright Green much either; ranks below Pocket Watch in my estimation.

Have you posted this in the correct topic Wasdale?

Certainly have'nt! I cannot get to grips with this site -- cannot get onto it without Dave's "frig" password and I have no idea how I came to post on this thread ---
It should of course be on the MA thread --
And only one glass of wine - must be good stuff!
Cheers
Kevin

I am afraid I am very boring I enjoyed all the CRF10 related band sets Panic Room / Breathing Space / Mostly Autumn. £35 for a day ticket was a bargin, it was a great day's worth of entertainment. I have seen MA quite a lot all over England in the last few years, BS at Hadenham, Cambrigde, Norwich and York, PR at Bedfiord and cambridge. MA have only been disapointing twice, CRF08 when their set was cut short, CRF09 when the PA was crap, neither was their fault. It is great to go and see a band for sub £20 for a gig and get great enertainment, that is what we get from all the related bands PR, MA & BS.

I agree with Tim, Bright Green is not good! However I do actually like Open Road in a cheesey sort of way; the same way I love Map of the World by Marillion (infact it's one of my favourites!

Pocket Watch is ok too, not amazing though

I'm not keen on Bright Green either. I can't recall anything about Open Road.
They are only two M.A songs I really dislike.

I'm actually agreeing with Tim!!


Kalyr wrote:
"Never liked Bright Green much either; ranks below Pocket Watch in my estimation."

Surely, most of their songs rank below Pocket Watch?

MikeFoley wrote:

Surely, most of their songs rank below Pocket Watch?

If that were true, there would surely be no Mostly Autumn fanbase...

Pocket Watch is thoroughly unpleasant - turgid, self-conscious sub-Oasis indie rawk with a ridiculous lyric. Easily MA's recorded nadir for me and the worst track on an album already jammed with stinkers. Seriously, I am amazed to hear that some folks preferred Heart Full Of Sky to Glass Shadows (although I do agree that the latter album sounds more like a collection of songs by different people than the work of a cohesive band). Even before you get down to the songs, the production is so much better for a start! Mind you, that probably has as much do with the proven track record of John Spence, who always seems to bring out the best in the bands he works with, as it does with a better mastering job.

Bright Green is decidedly average. I never liked Open Road, either - a fair chorus in search of a better (and less repetitive!) song, IMO.

Wasdale wrote:

Certainly haven't! I cannot get to grips with this site -- cannot get onto it without Dave's "frig" password

My what password?!

Have you tried resetting your password again? I could change your password to whatever you like, but the general idea is that no-one else knows what it is!

Wasdale wrote:

I have no idea how I came to post on this thread --- It should of course be on the MA thread

Posts now moved (obviously!) - no problem!

Think we have it now. It seems that the information contained within this site is so important that my old password is no longer long enough! Not that that explains some of the problems I have had here, maybe this is the "pocketwatch" of forums

Kevin

Wasdale wrote:

Not that that explains some of the problems I have had here, maybe this is the "pocketwatch" of forums

Well, I can't speak for my fellow admins/moderators, but frankly I take great offence at that!

Glad things appear to be sorting themselves out, Kevin!

Sorry to hear that you're having problems with our forum Kev. I hope that you get sorted out soon, as it's really busy at present. We shall not mention the "P" word again

H

But I'll mention "Pocketwatch" - superb track - I love it !!!

All continues to be working well - maybe it was technophobia - but I suspect some hidden gremlin!

Whilst not a favorite I don't mind Pocketwatch either, HFOS was for me a good album, though my top track was probably "softer than brown", a bit of a Bryan classic I thought.

So there we are Happy Dave, dont feel too hurt or take too much offence, just remember the old software creators response "mine works" & all will be well!

Cheers
Kevin

HippyDave wrote:

I am amazed to hear that some folks preferred Heart Full Of Sky to Glass Shadows

Worse, there were people who preferred it to Storms Over Still Waters!

Saying that, I don't think HFoS is anything like the turkey some people claim it to be. I've already posted at length back in the days when I was still welcome on the official MA forum about my frustrations with the album and why it fell short of the album it could and should have been. Yes, there's some filler, especially on the second disk, but in Fading Colours, Silver Glass and Find the Sun it's got three absolute classic songs. Half a World and Further from Home are good too. The frustrating thing about songs like Dreaming is they had the potential to be great songs (that opening refrain is sublime), but the whole thing sounds like it needed more time to work on the arrangements.

Quote :

(although I do agree that the latter album sounds more like a collection of songs by different people than the work of a cohesive band).

Now Heather has left the band to go solo, that's very obvious in retrospect. Her two sole-credit songs (Unoriginal Sin and Above the Blue) are very different stylistically from the rest of the album. I think it does still flow as an album, though.

Quote :

I never liked Open Road, either - a fair chorus in search of a better (and less repetitive!) song, IMO.

I'd call it a good instrumental break in search of a song myself.

{edit for minor typo}

Every one be careful with those opinions "Its easy to lose control when you are out on the open road!"

I've been following this lively thread with interest over the past few days and despite the differences in opinions it's great to collectively share our passion for the top drawer music and performances bands like Breathing Space, Mostly Autumn and the like create.

It's time to ask the controversial question - have MA peaked with their best days now behind them?

GDog wrote:

It's time to ask the controversial question - have MA peaked with their best days now behind them?

It's all hanging on the new album, isn't it?