what were the early FOTN influences?

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foreverremain
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Re: what were the early FOTN influences?

Post by foreverremain » Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:58 pm

Watched a couple of youtube videos, must post links on here...anyhow in one Carl McCoy says he's into Gary Numan, and in another Bad Brains.
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Re: what were the early FOTN influences?

Post by Dravid » Fri Aug 28, 2015 1:43 am

A bit late to this one, but here's what I can contribute:

Phobia - obviously Ace of Spades as has been mentioned

almost equally obvious but rarely mentioned:

Sumerland - Eagle's Life in the Fast Lane

Last Exit - The End by The Doors (struck me when Pete mentioned it)

Endemoniada - Ry Cooder's Southern Comfort (also according to Pete)

Psychonaut does exhibit more than just superficial similarities with Simple Minds' Theme For Great Cities, but apparently this is only by coincidence. Some structural similarities also with Madonna's Like a Prayer, and these are not coincidental, apparently (Pete posted that Bill Buchanan played it while at Gabriel's studio)

General influences? Together with the immense talent of the band members, this is what explains why the Nephs were so special, I believe. Not focused on goth and similar primarily (even though I don't believe the denials about Laura and the Sisters), but an astonishingly broad range. Way beyond the evident Floyd links, which exceed the input of Andy Jackson and Jon Carin (whose contribution might be underestimated). As well as Carl's metal liking already showing through on the second album.

Tony's Ska roots are obvious. Pete frequently posts on his prog influences and much more. No idea as to the origins of Paul's arpeggios. But he already had developed this style prior to the Nephs (the second part of Laura II actually originating from an unreleased Perfect Disaster track from 83). And I have even less of an idea about Nod (he did talk about drummers that influenced him in an issue of Rubicon's Phoenix, if memory serves). But after watching a few live shoots again recently, I fully comprehend why some commentators called him better than Nick Mason. As inventive and more precise.
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Re: what were the early FOTN influences?

Post by Ngie » Fri Aug 28, 2015 4:09 pm

Nice finds Dravid, thanks for sharing, especially those two : Southern Comfort - Ry Cooder and Eagle's Life in the Fast Lane which I had never heard as original songs, I mean otherwise but throughout Sumerland or Endemoniada :) .

Now that Ry Cooder's mentioned the title Feelin bad blues made me think of Hollow Doll lyrics " living a bad dream", after listenning both it seems there are some similarities musically as well.
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Re: what were the early FOTN influences?

Post by Dravid » Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:45 am

Happy to share, Ngie.

To me the biggest surprise of these was Madonna.

Ry Cooder influenced Pete who was responsible for the slide parts in the Nephs, but not involved in Hollow Doll (which on Fallen is attributed to the Zoon lineup with Simon Rippin only being thanked, however, and the other two also receiving credits).

I checked the Phoenix fanzines. Pete talks about his musical roots extensively in issue 4. Nothing on Nod's influences, though, apart from the short bio in issue 2.

I'll have a look at my Kia zines and check there sometime.
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foreverremain
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Re: what were the early FOTN influences?

Post by foreverremain » Sat Jan 02, 2016 11:34 pm

Thanks alot guys. Sorry I can't contribute anything. Interesting stuff and good it's not all things we'd expect.
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Re: what were the early FOTN influences?

Post by pDiddly » Tue Jun 21, 2016 2:12 pm

Has anybody else ever thought that the "Burning the Fields" era reminded them of this bands early period:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl7HdDiAhTU
No? Just me? :-)
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Re: what were the early FOTN influences?

Post by ThomasB » Wed Jun 22, 2016 8:25 am

pDiddly wrote:Has anybody else ever thought that the "Burning the Fields" era reminded them of this bands early period:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl7HdDiAhTU
No? Just me? :-)
Apparently, about 90% of the bands at the time were influenced by the Doors… and/or Bowie (See Bauhaus !)
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Re: what were the early FOTN influences?

Post by Elsye » Tue Jul 25, 2017 2:59 pm

I read back in 1988 that Carl really liked Magazine, The Doors , Velvet Underground and Joy Division. That was the first thing that drew me to them because I liked similar music.
I also thought they liked Echo and the Bunnymen, though the Wright Brothers weren't as keen on them as I'd expected around the early 90s. Which kind of shattered my dreams a little. They did admit at the time to liking SOM, much to our amazement.
I also remember reading that there were some reggae influences as well. I think that's how Tony met Carl because he hit a vibraslap and it exploded. In that same interview Tony mentioned being amazed that Brain May had only recently learnt to create holes in his music, which was something the Nephs did right from the beginning, thanks to the reggae influences.
though I could have dreamt it.
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Re: what were the early FOTN influences?

Post by ThomasB » Wed Jul 26, 2017 8:45 am

Elsye wrote:I Tony mentioned being amazed that Brain May had only recently learnt to create holes in his music,
Which means, for the non-musicians ?
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foreverremain
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Re: what were the early FOTN influences?

Post by foreverremain » Wed Jul 26, 2017 10:08 pm

ThomasB wrote:
Elsye wrote:I Tony mentioned being amazed that Brain May had only recently learnt to create holes in his music,
Which means, for the non-musicians ?
I think it refers to the silent bits being as important as the notes. You know, it's what you don't play as much as what you do.
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Re: what were the early FOTN influences?

Post by ThomasB » Thu Jul 27, 2017 8:34 am

foreverremain wrote:
ThomasB wrote:
Elsye wrote:I Tony mentioned being amazed that Brain May had only recently learnt to create holes in his music,
Which means, for the non-musicians ?
I think it refers to the silent bits being as important as the notes. You know, it's what you don't play as much as what you do.
Ah, yes. Just like Neubauten's "silence is sexy" whch is ponctuated by stretches of, well, silence…
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Re: what were the early FOTN influences?

Post by Hat_Shades » Tue Sep 15, 2020 11:58 am

Elsye wrote:I They did admit at the time to liking SOM, much to our amazement.
No. Impossible.

Wait. Where did the hats come from.

And those backlights/smoke machines? Gasp.

Surely the '85 SOM imagery had NOTHING to do with it.

And the shades? Coincidence.

Hilarious thread. All possible (and some impossible) influences mentioned, but for the blatantly obvious.

Not that music journalists of the time were any better. '85 Sisters were dubbed "the new Led Zeppelin" (lol) whereas by '90 "goth" was a staple term of insult amidst the tabloids of the time like NME and Melody Maker [not having to read any of that garbage is probably one of the few reasons for being happy NOT to have been there and then]. And by the time of Elizium... "the new Pink Floyd".. though this wise "judgement" had also been passed on the Cure , around the Picture Tour..

It would have been nice to be around those whimps when Zoon was released. I'd like to see them Pinkfloyd that one, he he

Of course they dubbed it Morbid Angel if i remember correctly. Ha. Trey only wished he'd come up of anything remotely similar.

Still, better than being the new "doors" or a third-rate variation of the Cult.

Woops.
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Re: what were the early FOTN influences?

Post by Wolfangel » Wed Feb 17, 2021 11:13 am

The Watchman / Sympathy for the Devil with the rolling drums and the lyrics: "I´ve been around since Jesus Christ/Moses"
The original song is inspired by the book: The Master and Margarita by M. Bulgakov, read it while you can before it is cancelled in this culture war for the 2nd time.
First time by Stalin, nowadays, just watch the news and you´ll know by whom.
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