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Post by unomusette on Apr 4, 2015 22:32:45 GMT
Surprise! I'm back again with another band to delight you with. Time for some brilliant '90's guitar music with a definite Beatley flavour, it's Cast. They have a way with a good tune and are a busy live band, still touring nice small venues and very well worth seeing. To give you an overview I've gathered some of their best as a Greatest Hits package, I could only get Free Me as a live cut but you do get a bit of the concert vibe from it. Hope you enjoy Alright She Sun Shines Magic Hour History Free Me Walkaway Fine Time Live the Dream Guiding Star
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Post by jrmugz on Apr 5, 2015 1:26:00 GMT
Ok, will check it out this week unomusette; look for a review later this week. Looking forward to it! Don't forget, you still got a couple hours to check out mine before my week is up. Jim
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Post by unomusette on Apr 5, 2015 8:36:56 GMT
I'm on the case with yours, Jim, began listening last night and hope to post a review later on. One day I'll get a review in early - I do cling to this hope but it's probably a slim one Happy Listening to Cast anyway, hope you like them
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Post by Chippa on Apr 6, 2015 23:33:47 GMT
Alright- The Who meets early Oasis. Very catchy. I ‘m a big “jangle pop” fan, so I really like this one.
She Sun Shines – More Oasis influence, here. Good groove. Definitely evocative of the early 90’s.
Magic Hour – Very swirly, if you can put swirly in musical terms. Nice melody. Remember the band Starsailor? That’s what this song reminds me of.
History – Cool techno sound to kick it off. Very typically Brit-pop track. Wish it had a better melody, though.
Free Me – I like the urgency of the music. Great guitars, here.
Walkaway – Nice, atmospheric track. Sounds a bit underdeveloped, though.
Fine Time – A cool stomper. Reminds me of some 70’s bubblegum with an edge.
Live the Dream – The opening acoustic guitar put me in mind of Neil Young. Very folky vibe, here. Not bad.
Guiding Star- More ear candy. Cool use of the slide guitar in the chorus.
Never heard of this band until today, but I’m glad I gave it a listen. Strong 7/10, for me.
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Post by queenofthehours on Apr 7, 2015 15:24:52 GMT
Cast!
Now there's a blast from the past .
They were one of my very favourite bands when I first got into music during the Britpop era. Sadly, like most Britpop groups, they were forgotten after the scene ended and I haven't listened to them since.
Looking forward to appreciating some of my favourite tracks with a new eye almost 20 years on!
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Post by unomusette on Apr 7, 2015 22:07:01 GMT
Thanks for your detailed review @chippa, I'm especially pleased if I've introduced you to something new and worthwhile queenofthehours - liking that sneaky poetic opening there - I had a feeling you might be a bit biased towards Cast after discovering you knew (and approved)of The Music. I think they had a bit of a hiatus and John Power definitely released a couple of solo albums, but now they're back on the road, hurray!
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Post by jrmugz on Apr 10, 2015 3:56:54 GMT
I'll get to this tomorrow or Saturday, Uno!
Jim
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Post by jrmugz on Apr 12, 2015 2:03:10 GMT
OK, here is my review of the Cast songs posted by unomusette. 01. "Alright" - Instantly likeable, very solid pop rock song. Sounds like everyone does their part, if anyone stands out from the rest, maybe the vocalist. 02. "She Sun Shines" - Good straightforward rocker, these guys are good. 03. "Magic Hour" - Very nice, kind of dreamy 70s. My fave track so far, great stuff! 04. "History" - Good groove, for sure, other than that a tad blah-zay(sp) for my tastes. 05. "Free Me" - Doing what they do best, good straightforward rocker. 06. "Walkaway" - Has a nice Claptonesque kind of feel to it; the guitar solo in the middle really knocks it out of the park! Like the interesting twist at the end of it. 07. "Fine Time" - I think this one trumps even "Magic Hour" for me, has all the hooks, majesty, conviction, and harmonies of a pop masterpiece! I agree with Chippa's assessment of 70's bubblegum with an edge. The Archies with a tad of attitude. The guitar and bridge part, is really good. I'll be MP3ing this one. 08. "Live the Dream – " - Unique folky song, it really tries, but I'm not sure if even the guitar solo and bridge keep me that interested. Seems like it's begging for a harmonica. In other word, it seems a tad more electric than it needs to be. 09. "Guiding Star" - Decent persistent rocker song, maybe it's their quintessential song as far as I've heard so far, in that it seems to fully encapsulate their acoustic/electing sound and song style very well. I do like the slide guitar in the chorus, as well. Star Rating: 4 our of 5 Prime Cuts: "Magic Hour", "Fine Time", "Walkaway", "Guiding Star" Bottom Line: Nice refreshing sound, with a usually perfect blend of acoustic and electric. Thank you unomusette for sharing a cool group I never heard before. They definitely offer something enjoyable and unique, and I will be MP3ing "Fine Time" for my regular playlist, like I did "Geno" from the Dexy's Midnight Runners that HW put up a while back. Thanks again for taking the time and effort to do this, and your patience waiting for reviews. My week was insane, I was in training all week so no opportunity for headphones, and my day today was slammed to the hilt with birthday parties, grocery shopping, etc. etc. etc. ... Jim
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Post by queenofthehours on Apr 12, 2015 19:23:36 GMT
1. Alright – Ooh, this takes me back. It’s strange hearing it right from the start and to the very end – so used am I to hearing this on the radio and on Top of the Pops. A typical Britpop anthem which was played too death in the mid 90s but sadly never gets much of an outing these days. Great guitar. I shouldn’t be surprised how much this sounds Beatle-y, as Cast are also from Liverpool, but I swear I never heard the similarities in the 90s.
2. She Sun Shines – This is a new one to me. Very good. I like the bouncy drums.
3. Magic Hour – Lovely song. I like the strings. I think this track came out just as Britpop was fading and bands were trying to add new things.
4. History – Another one I’m not familiar with. I love the drums. As I remember most Cast songs had good drums. 5. Free Me – One of the best Britpop songs, it has everything. Very guitar-y guitars, drummy-drums, bass – a proper band’s band song. The kind we are missing today.
6. Walkaway – One of my absolute favourite 90s songs. Like ‘Wonderwall’ it is a classic. Lovely acoustic and electric guitar. I really miss guitar music these days .
7. Fine Time – Another classic Britpop anthem. At one time you couldn’t move in Britain for hearing this in the 90s. It’s making me feel slightly dizzy with nostalgia, hearing this many guitar-filled songs!
8.Live the Dream – Another one I’m not too familiar with. I love it, love the rhythm and the acoustic guitar. Lovely melody.
9. Guiding Star – Yet another classic. I can remember singing along to this when I was young. Who could watch Cast play this on Top of the Pops and not want to form a band? A simle guitar classic.
I very much enjoyed going down memory lane with Cast. I really haven't heard any of their tracks since, ooh, 1999. They made great pop songs with guitars and hearing them again has made me wish for Britpop to happen all over again. They really do put today's chart music to shame.
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Post by unomusette on Apr 12, 2015 21:14:38 GMT
I'm quite sniffly reading the reviews of queenofthehours and jrmugz - it's such a great feeling to hear that other people whose opinions you value have enjoyed the music you love too. Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts, I shall feel an extra buzz whenever I listen to Cast in future thanks to all the positive reviews they've received here
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