Crystallized Movements C/D S/D

vermonster on the other hand...

The thing is, all of their albums are quite different, and as it was Wayne Rogers' first major project, there are various elements of his musical psyche crammed onto the LPs which he would later take the more reasonable step of creating different bands for. So Mind Disaster (1983) and Dog Trees, Satellite Seers (1987) follow this route, with some glorious psych-pop confections interspersed with stoned freak-outs and dirges. Search ‘Spinning Around’ from the 2nd LP fer sure, that song makes me feel awesome whenever I hear it.

This Wideness Comes (1989) was perhaps an attempt at college rock stardom (with a proper release on No.6 after a miniscule pressing on Twisted Village), but it makes few concessions to this and manages to be slightly folkier but worse-produced and pretty gnarly overall. Damaged Lights (1991) I've never heard because it's almost impossible to get hold of, but as far as I know it's all improvised with no songs. Revelations from Pandemonium (1992) is the glorious swansong; a glowing example of Wayne's song craft and the massed sound of his and Kate's guitars. The lead guitar at the end of 'Knowing the Sunshine’ is one of my favourite things ever. Here things are definitely moving towards the direction that they would continue with Damon & Naomi in Magic Hour (also fantastic and massively underrated - all three albums for sure).

Major Stars can be seen in the same lineage also, until the recent line-up change which means that Wayne no longer sings, so although I love what they do now (especially live, as I finally got the chance to see at ATP and I can't wait to see again), there is a definite shift to a full-on righteous rock behemoth rather than the noisy, song-based, guitar freak-out group of yore. And I really miss Wayne’s voice.

Whatever, I love this shit. Wayne and Kate just don’t get enough props. Where’s the love, people?!

wow. see, his voice is one of the main problems i've got with... uh... everything he's ever done. so bland and college rock-y.

Sometimes I think I prefer Magic Hour to Galaxie 500, but I know I'm in the minority there. I think Naomi's bass playing sounds awesome with Wayne and Kate's guitars feeding back and everything. It gives a kind of measured pacing that creates a great clarity. I loves it.

I'm also in the minority that loves Wayne's voice. Used to bug the shit out of me, and it is "college rock-y", but I think it suits his songwriting very well. That sing-songy nasal whine isn't at all out of place in pastoral folk/psych and gives the quieter passages a kind of awkward delicacy. Contrasts nicely with the inevitable noise meltdowns, too.

Are Crystallized Movements as good as Major Stars/Magic Hour? No. but I like 'em about as well as as Vermonster or Galaxie 500. Vermonster have the endless, bonged-out noodle-war, of course, but that gets on my nerves after a while, and G500 are usually too tepid to endure.

That's cool that other people do rate his voice, now I know I'm not wrong. Having never seen any Wayne Rogers project before, it would've been great to hear him sing, but to be fair, it did allow him greater freedom to righteously storm around the stage at ATP, and his massive run-up and dive on to his guitar at the end of the set was one of the greatest things I've seen. They totally slayed. How were they last Sat, Dan?

Also, there are seven proper WR solo albums that I know of.