Mostly Autumn
 

OK I've looked back and see no thread on them, so here goes.
Who likes this band? I have all their stuff now, and find it a physical effort to stop listening to them and listen to something else! Every single album is gold, and though I haven't got to listen to their new one, "Glass Shadows", yet, I have it added to a playlist and have heard a few tracks, and what I have heard leads me to believe that they're on to another winner, especially with "Tearing at the faerytale".
Anyone else like/know of them?

Ahh yes, Mostly Autumn...forgot about them.
The only album i have is 'The Last Bright Light', but its really an excellent album! Folkish prog?! Whatever it is, some beautiful songs in there and great atmosphere.
What else should i get besides that?

Do you by any chance listen to a lot of 80s/90s prog?;)
I've been meaning to explore it a bit more...you know, stuff like Marillion, IQ, Pendragon(Especially their latest release) etc.

Oh my friend! I was the very same: TLBL was the only of their albums I had, and it was SO good that I worried about buying others, as I did not believe it was possible they would be as good.
How wrong I was!
The Spirit of Autumn Past
For all we shared
Passengers
Heart full of sky
Storms over still water

all fantastic albums, and I'm sure the new one is going to be just as good (haven't managed to get to listen to it yet).

And yes, I'm a progger --- into Marillion, Genesis, Pendragon (LOVE "Believe"!), Pallas, Arena, Fish, Edenbridge, Leaves' Eyes... so many good bands.
We must talk! :)

Yeah Mostly Autumn are, well, mostly good. I enjoy their albums, a great and sometimes unique sound. I especially liked how there first few albums followed on from one another (i.e. the last track led on to the first of the next one), though they have stopped that now.

Definitely a great band that gets overlooked.

I had heard the name and the only download I could find was a damn xmas album, so that idea got nixed. I still would'nt mind hearing them though.

Twelfth Night made a couple of good 80's prog albums and Fish era Marillion I just love. Pallas is a name I have'nt heard for years.

Arena, Marillion, Genesis and Pendragon are definitely some stuff i love :D
You should really get Pendragon's Pure(which released this month!). The vocals still aren't all that great, but it has some of the most stunning guitar work ever.
I'll definitely try and get 'The Spirit of Autumn Past' next.

Twelfth Night? Pallas? Never heard of them...I may listen to them...if i find anything.

I only have Twelfth Night's debut 'Fact Or Fiction' which is definitely worth a listen but I am desperate to find their self titled release from '86. I used to have it on cassette way back when. It is similar to early Genesis/Marillion.

Pallas were from Scotland but I only had a few tracks from them and no real knowledge of the albums they were taken from.

Twelfth Night were a fantastic band, and Fact or Fiction was truly excellent, especially "Creep Show". I have the vinyl version of "Live at the Target" somewhere, and also "Live and let live", which is a more recent live album, done after F&F. Contact me if you want to hear.
I had Pallas' "Arrive alive" and I must say "Queen of the deep" and "Crown of thorns" are two brilliant tracks, as is "Ripper". Haven't got any of their other stuff yet but may do so.

OK then, since this gets the forum's blessing, here goes with my first compilation. This is for Mostly Autumn, a selection from their albums to date, including the new one. Very hard to make, as I had to stuggle to choose the best --- they're all great!
But anyway, here's what I came up with. It's 30 tracks in all, split into four links, so hope you like 'em!
Incidentally, are you allowed do "various" compilations, or have they all to be of the same artiste?

http://www.mediafire.com/file/yyhnvnmzyok/mac1.ace

http://www.mediafire.com/file/gdtz1ezwmyq/mac1a.ace

http://www.mediafire.com/file/hgnivuikniv/mac1b.ace

http://www.mediafire.com/file/h2n2utgu4mn/mac1c.ace

TRACKLISTING:

1. Fading colours (Heart full of sky)
2. We come and we go (The last bright light)
3. Pocket watch (Heart full of sky)
4. The last climb (For all we shared)
5. Half the mountain (The last bright light)
6. Heroes never die (For all we shared)
7. Broken soldier (Heart full of sky)
8. Evergreen (The spirit of autumn past)
9. Further from home (Heart full of sky)
10. Hollow (The last bright light)
11. Bright green (Heart full of sky)
12. Dreaming (Heart full of sky)
13. Shrinking violet (The last bright light)
14. The night sky (Heart full of sky)
15. The spirit of autumn past, part 1 (The spirit of autumn past)
16. The spirit of autumn past, part 2 (The spirit of autumn past)
17. The gap is too wide (The spirit of autumn past)
18. Mother nature (The last bright light)
19. Flowers for guns (Glass shadows)
20. Paper angels (Glass shadows)
21. Tearing at the faerytale (Glass shadows)
22. Glass shadows (Glass shadows)
23. Pure white light (Passengers)
24. First thought (Passengers)
25. Passengers (Passengers)
26. Distant train (Passengers)
27. Answer the question (Passengers)
28. Out of the green sky (Storms over still water)
29. Carpe diem (Storms over still water)
30. Storms over still water (Storms over still water)

All sorted and thread tidied.

Thanx man! :)

Nice up!
I'll give it a listen in a few days.

You can post various compilations as well i guess, either in this section or Here.

Sorry, but this one isn't going all that well I'm afraid.
It's not that the instrumentation or melodies are bad - The vocals are more or less killing it. That's also one big problem i had with The Last Bright Light as well. I've listened only to part 1 though. I'll give the second one a listen. Sometimes, I do tend to get used to bad vocals after a while.

Weird that you should say bad vocals --- I think Brian's singing is great and surely you can't fault the angelic voice of Heather? :) Just wondering, what exactly do you find "bad" about the vocals?

Well, I have already listened to it again, and even little bit of the second compilation. Maybe "bad" wasn't the right word :p:. Anyways, from what I remember -

First Thought - A nice mid paced track and the intro sounds very familiar. The vocals were quite good here and I actually liked it. Has a nice solo as well. Parts of it didn't work all that well, but overall, an 8/10.

Passengers - A very dull song and nothing much happening here. Heather's vocals were good, but even that fails to save it I'm afraid. Didn't like it at all :(

Out of the Green Sky - The male vocals were alright, but Heather's vocals didn't work at all here.

Answer The Question - I didn't like the whispers for some reason, but the keyboards/solo definitely does save it a bit.

Distant Train - A nice Instrumental, although a bit dull to begin with.

Carpe Diem - A very calm song, with great singing and a simple piano backing. Great solo as well. Definitely my favorite from the comp.

Storms Over Still Water - Wasn't as good as carpe diem, but definitely one of the better tracks. Especially the solo. But again, the male vocals didn't work for me for some reason.

So overall, a mixed feeling. Almost every track has a dull part, and some great parts as well. Bryan Josh's vocals seems a bit too contrived at times. Anyways, I'll give the second compilation a listen soon!
Pendragon is another band I love, except for the vocals. I have gotten around it by now, but It definitely was something I didn't like. And by any chance, have you heard their latest release, "pure"?(released a month back)
I have feeling you'll like it a lot! It's been growing on me for a while, and I'm loving some of the tracks.(especially the opener, "Indigo", a 13 minute odd epic)
The vocals again, did take me a while to get used to, but anyways, let me know if you can't find the album anywhere. I've already bought it and ripped most of the tracks.

Okaaayy.. well personally for me, if I didnt like the vocals on a track I wouldn't listen to it. Vocals are perhaps the most important part of a song for me (unless it's instrumental, of course!), which is why although I love some of the music of the likes of Opeth, Haggard etc, once I hear the singing I hit STOP. If I can't enjoy the vocals, I can't enjoy the song, but that's just me.

As far as your list goes, my own thoughts would be as follows (and I'm not saying you're wrong; this is just how I see it) ---

First Thought --- I remember this as being a fairly laid-back track, not particularly special.

Passengers --- Well I love it, don't find it boring, and love the soaraway guitar ending...

Out of the green sky --- Agree wholeheartedly here. Heather's vocals sound more like screaming, and do not in any way counterpoint the somewhat softer tones of Bryan. I also don't like the way it ends on her vocals and not his, and the abrupt ending is something I could have done without.

Distant train --- Again, I love this, for me it really puts into music the feeling of being on a train (yeah well it does for me), and again I love the guitarwork in it.

Carpe Diem --- Nothing to add here. Beautiful, simple, haunting track. Perfect. Written, did you know, about the tsunami victims? And by Heather?

Storms over still water --- Love this. The changes the song goes through, the sentinments experessed in it, the power and passion, and again the excellent guitar. Fitting title track to a powerhouse album.

I'll write my recommendations for their best tracks in another post soon.

As for Pendragon, I have downloaded "Pure" but haven't had a chance to listen to it yet, though I absolutely love "Believe", and have also their discography to listen to! So much music, so little time! :) I'm sure I'll be blown away by it...

Talk soon, hope the second comp is better for you than the first.

Hi, I have all discography of Mostly Autumn and I really like it :)
Well, some albums aren't so good, especially some live don't have good production but I guess it's not a fault of this band.

I recommend albums Passengers and The Spirit of autumn past. Or Catch the spirit - something like best of.
My fave songs are Nowhere to Hide, We Come and We Go, The Spirit of Autumn Past, Evergreen, Shindig, Which Wood.

Heather from this band sings also part Love in Ayreon's album The Human Equation.