The Enid

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The Enid. Now there was a band. I can remember going to a gig of theirs in some god forsaken school in the countryside down in Devon, England and everyone promptly sitting on the floor when they started to play. Strange bunch. Can someone remind me what I appeared to have forgotten in the angry years since, ie what they sounded like?

― tolstoy (tolstoy), Tuesday, 19 July 2005 19:17 (twenty years ago)

Aren't they a kind of proggy-folk band. "Six Pieces" is an album of theirs I remember someone owning once, a long, long time ago.

― everything, Tuesday, 19 July 2005 19:58 (twenty years ago)

Yeah. It was a long, long time ago.

― tolstoy (tolstoy), Tuesday, 19 July 2005 20:01 (twenty years ago)

Mainly, if not entirely, instrumental orchestral Prog. I've been thinking about them lately, as I remember only very brief snippets on the Friday Rock Show. Are they lush and dreamy or intricate and pompous? I could do with some lush and dreamy right now.

― Scream! Scrovula, Scream! (noodle vague), Tuesday, 19 July 2005 20:01 (twenty years ago)

http://www.actionfigurecollectors.com/images/news/diamond/GhostWorld_Enid_Doll.jpg

― PappaWheelie (PappaWheelie), Tuesday, 19 July 2005 20:03 (twenty years ago)

I think 'Six Pieces' is the album I had. Can't for the life of me understand what got me into them. I'm not sure the excuse "I was young at the time" is good enough.

― tolstoy (tolstoy), Tuesday, 19 July 2005 20:04 (twenty years ago)

It all comes round again 'tis true. I've been thinking of tracking down some of their stuff lately too. I think 'pompous' is probably the word you'd be looking to stick on them, but I'm kinda twitching anyway.

― tolstoy (tolstoy), Tuesday, 19 July 2005 20:07 (twenty years ago)

Before someone comes on here who knows all about them, I'm going to guess that they sound a bit like Gentle Giant.

― everything, Tuesday, 19 July 2005 20:18 (twenty years ago)

What worries me is that a number of the earliest LPs were "reworked" in the 80s and I'm not sure that the very glossy production is the best thing for the music.

Not at all like Gentle Giant to my ears.

― Scream! Scrovula, Scream! (noodle vague), Tuesday, 19 July 2005 20:24 (twenty years ago)

Nope, not a Gentle Giant sound-alike. Robert John Godfrey & Co. made what was sometimes called "Pomp Rock" - they sounded & behaved as though they were a symphony orchestra. I think they should be put in a labor camp for mucking about with their best work: "In The Region Of The Summer Stars" - not only does the 80's re-working wreck the 'sound' - they changed the bloody cover as well! So, go out and buy an LP of it on the Buk label (yes, it was released that way in both the US & UK), and see what the fuss was all about.

― SoHoLa (SoHoLa), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 13:09 (twenty years ago)

seven years pass...

I saw them on Wednesday, my first gig in well over a year. My thirst for music has never stopped, but most times I went to gigs, I often felt the money may have been better spend on more cds. The fact that Godfrey is very old and that I rarely see any bands touring who are that kind of obscure but have a powerful cult appeal, helped me decide on going.

The support band were just okay-ish. Like any number of modern prog bands, I couldn't detect much individual character that I think really lacks in the genre today. Then on comes The Enid, full of everything the last band lacked. I had only heard their first two albums (reissued recently) and a newer instrumental, so I was struck by the exceedingly camp singers beautiful falsetto voice. This guy appears to have a background in theatre and Godfrey said he was kind of fulfilling a role that an early Enid member was to play but died before they got to record.
Godfrey said he was dying of Alzheimer's and said he was giving the band the option to carry on without him when he dies, I think he is writing lots of music before he goes. The band looked odd bowing together because 3 of them were in their 20s and the other 3 going from middle age to Godfreys age.

It was wonderful. Amazing how close they sound to an orchestra.

― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 26 April 2013 21:33 (twelve years ago)

I may not have made it clear that Godfrey is dying of Alzheimer's now, but I don't know how that earlier member died at the start of the band

― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 27 April 2013 18:49 (twelve years ago)

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