The Gathering

+1

Also I think she needs a band with REAL musicians, not those really, really bad guys. I almost cried when they played Alone here

-->G

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A celibate clergy is an especially good idea, because it tends to suppress any hereditary propensity toward fanaticism.

I know I am new to these forums and here but..

Have you thought that possibly her "solo" album(s) and the gigs that she is doing now, is what she may actually WANT to be doing? It is entirely possible, even probable...
Its also entirely possible that that is all the gigs she can get, but in that case she could also very well turn them down.
(I dont know which it is. I prefer to think the first, especially in the case of her own released works.)

I am not particularily liking her "solo" stuff (Agua de Annique), nor am I liking the new The Gathering CD. Both are major disappointments to ME. Its the directions that they (either "band"/"side" now) want to go now. It just means to me as a fan of both that I only have their old body of work to listen to, I will still remain a fan of both. (I do like some of the acoustic stuff Anneke has done with Danny from Anathema that I have seen on youtube, but thats about it.)

(Some people say it takes a few listenings to really get into the West Pole, im up about 14 or so total listenings to the CD, how many more would it take? The vocals seems flat and uninspired to me except for 2 tracks, the only 2 I moderately like, Capitol of Nowhere and Pale Traces.) That said I have bought both The West Pole and AdA's Air to support them, but neither is even in my CD changer anymore sadly.)

The only thing that should matter to EITHER (and ANY) band, is that they are happy with their chosen direction, efforts and performances. A band that plays what makes them happy just seems to have more life to it to me. Even if I dont agree with it.

I dont think they are bad, I just think overall that they are kinda "weak" in sound. As in they just dont have a loud sound a "wall of sound" or the like.

Ideal to me would be a reunion, but thats not ever going to happen from the sound of it. As it is now I have hopes for snippets of good songs from both of my true loves in music (Annekes voice and The Gatherings overall "sound".) but given both sides first efforts "apart" I am disappointed overall with both. Thankfully the old body of work is still alive and kicking for me.

I never said she shouldnt do what she does... I mean if she likes in stores, why not, I'm not against in stores... they can be pretty cool...
When I saw Anneke playing live in the living room 3 years ago, I was thrilled!! And she had played lot of AdA material... It's just that so far, the emotions I felt during this gig in front of 40 people didnt come back... I saw Anneke doing 2 songs around Xmas 2007 without being touched by the performance... and on studio it misses an element (god knows what for me to appreciate fully...) And it's nothing to do with the musicians and their skills.. I dont know Joris nor Jacques but I saw Rob drumming many times and I was always impressed by his way of playing.

I still hope to catch the band live once so I can see how the live rock version of the tunes really sounds (cause whatever is on youtube even if good quality remains a combination of images and sounds... which is not what live is about).

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Maybe i'm paranoid, yeah that's my problem
You almost have to be when you look like me

With regard to the individuals and their objectives, it really isn't up to us to second-guess.

If Anneke wants to be a housewife and mother who still sings occasionally, that's up to her. If she wants to be an international superstar, that's up to her - and any shade in between.

If TG want to continue to invent the kind of layered, textured music that we've become used to, that's up to them. If they want to go minimal, "indie" (a daft label), post-rock or whatever, that's up to them - and they can and will choose any position they like.

What we're left talking about is what we make of it. If we approach the music with our metal heads on, we're likely to be disappointed right now. But in the meantime, I wonder ... it seems to me that Anneke has popped up on Dutch TV quite a lot recently, perhaps more than when she was "a singer in a metal band", and that may well be "success". However, if "success" is what she wants, I'll wait and see if she pops up on, say, British TV. For example, if Anneke could ever find her way on to one of Jools Holland's shows, that would be quite something. There's some kind of "received wisdom" going on in the Jools Holland camp. Goodness knows what it takes to penetrate the protective shield.

My suggestion to Anneke would be "Keep on writing songs, and if you're going to record covers try to make them distinctly different from the originals" - but that's just me expressing my personal opinion.

My suggestion to TG would be "Don't abandon complex layered music", but ditto.

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I guess this is the sort of thing that may be regarded as "success" :

Agua de Annique - Air entered the Dutch charts at #89
http://www.3fm.nl/page/3fm_hitlijsten/A ... 2007-11-04

and

"2008 was also the year that Anneke, for the first time, was strongly present in the Dutch music scene. Her duet, "Als je ooit nog eens terug kan", with RACOON singer Bart van der Weide and Artists for Tibet, made it to No. 1 in the Dutch chart. Together with C-MON AND KYPSKI she made a vibrant television appearance during the "Fifty Years of Dutch Pop Music Quiz". Anneke also did an overwhelming version of ALANIS MORISSETTE's "Ironic" during the '90's Request Week on Giel Beelen's morning show on national radio."

Oh dear. That chart just shows you that "mainstream" tastes are just as in The Netherlands as they are in the UK. There are subtle differences (such as classical singers - Andrea Bocelli, Cecilia Bartoli and Luciano Pavarotti - getting into the line-up), but you have to get down to Nightwish at number 56 before you get into the kind of territory that we're likely to be discussing here. The classical artists are just the people you'd expect to be doing well at the moment ... except that the late Mr Pavarotti isn't doing so well any more.

And ... Eric Clapton? Springsteen? Queen? Bee Gees? Look: there's no harm in old favourites continuing to sell, but the charts should be a showcase for new emerging music. Of course, they're not, because the new emerging music usually emerges out of very dark corners into comparative shadow, and then gradually creeps out into the light.

When I stop to think about it, I'm furious (in a quiet sort of way) about how Porcupine Tree have been received in their own home country until very recently. OK, so just now I'm "raising consciousness" concerning Steven Wilson's solo album. That's because I realised that I was completely unaware of it. As a bit of plugging, that banner is no worse than repeatedly listing Cranes, Rush or some other band, complete with album covers, in the "Now playing" topic.

On this, see a very interesting and quite long interview with Steven, recorded at the Download Festival in 2007: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU17ygGemw0. Had PT been around in the 1970s, they'd be just as famous as that old Pink floyd outfit that they're always being compared with.

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Anyone see the news? She's making an album with Devin Townsend. Should be good.

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Geezers need excitement.

For a good impression you should go to two gigs, one shorter electric show and one extended semi-acoustic show.

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Well well, how can I heed you?
I wish you did not exist..

Well, seeing that I'm really septical about the shows, I'll start with one... For the acoustic thing I had Anneke solo before she left TG, and I seriously think she might have difficulties to top that...

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Maybe i'm paranoid, yeah that's my problem
You almost have to be when you look like me

Good combination. I'm looking forward to the new Devin Townsend-album with her vocals on one (ore maybe more) tracks. And I'm curious about Devins contribution to the next AdA-album.

But I don't join the VIP-area...

Sooner or later the VIP videos will be on youtube, like the community videos of TG in the past...

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Maybe i'm paranoid, yeah that's my problem
You almost have to be when you look like me

I think you missed the point. They are making a whole record together.

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Geezers need excitement.

"In the daytime we record vocals for Devin's album. [...] In the evenings we jam, write new songs and demo them for my new album." writes Anneke on the AdA-Site. Sounds to me like she is doing some vocals on Devin's new album and he is working out some songs with her for AdA, nothing more. Can you post some more infos, please?

But it's Devin Townsend. You never know what comes next...

On the ADA site it says:



There's going to be a collab album between Townsend and van Giersbergen.

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Geezers need excitement.

I still think it's for the new AdA-album. But a completely new project with Townsend/van Giersberen would be great.

I absolutely disagree... Both shows that I saw were pretty tight. I really enjoyed Rob's playing. I mean, the music is simple, so there's nothing very flashy... but they did what was expected from them well.

Anyway, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDMv1g7Un6o

Pause for thought. Has Anneke escaped from a single way of doing things, into a world of possibilities?

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Pure Air is a very good album to me.
very relaxing and nostalgic, energy is different.. more minimalist, but pure this time.

great for evening or before going to bed.

good night!! lol

I'm agree with you, I always put it on my computer or my ears to fall asleep...

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