Thank Phil, that really was essential viewing!! Brilliant stuff. 👍Here's my top ten of 2021 for what it's worth.. 1. Inglorious - we will ride 2. Dead daisies - holy ground 3. Greta van fleet - battle at gardens gate 4. Gary Hughes - decades 5. The night flight orchestra - aeromantics II 6. Iron Maiden - senjutsu 7. Thunder - all the right noises 8. La guns - checkered past 9. Eclipse - wired 10. Smith/kotzen - s/t 👍
Hi Shaun, thank you for watching and your postive comment. Thank also for sharing your top ten on 2021. That is one rocking list! I need to listen to the Eclipse album as I have several by them. Greta Van Fleet are another band I need to get to know more as well. Thanks Phil :)
Phil fantastic video. You are so right Layla Revisited album was great!! Thank you for the introduction to that & I’m fully with you on ELP. I saw them on the Works tour right after they released Works Vol. 2 Thank you again from Houston 🎼🎸🎶🇺🇸
Good on you Phil. Great show. Immediately put an order in for the Marillon box. In Australia it's the 4cd box ( I love the Tull format ) and it's $70 . A bargain. Cheers mate. A
Hello Mr. Aston. What a great video! Really difficult to just choose 10 or 20 yes it is true. I will listen this lady Nubya Garcia never hear about her befeore. Happy 2022! Be safe. Cheers.
Hi Jorge, thank you for watching and I am so pleased you like this review of 2021. Give Nubya Garcia a listen, it is a fantastic sounding album. Phil :)
Hi Jimmy, Thank you for watching and pointing that out. My confusion is down to when I bought the the album which was early 2021. To me it felt like a new album and I played it so much I felt I had to include it! Dead Daises is just stunning - Glenn Hughes is just a force of nature! Phil :)
Thanks so much for doing this video. I learned a lot here. Also, I'd appreciate any future videos that can post where you review the best sounding audio recordings of Import vinyl and CDS. Thanks & Keep Up The Good Work. Regards, D-
Hi Phil, thank you again for presenting this music in such an inspiring way. If there is one positive to come out of lockdown it was the opportunity to re-engage with music. Working in an office for over 40 years limits you in that respect. I will be following up some of your top 30 for sure. One example of what you have brought back to mind in the last 12 months was appreciation of ELP. In the 70s I never really 'got' them but listening now with a fresh outlook I realise how good they really were. It only took me half a century to get there! Best wishes, Paul.
Hi Paul, thank you for watching. It sounds like we are the same in our journey of appreciation with regards to ELP. As I say in the video and my other review I never really got them as I was so focused on guitar driven music. I understand now just how amazing they were and how their music deserves to be discovered by a new audience. Phil
Oh my goodness that Thin Lizzy Set is absolutely awesome. I paid around 110$ for it and I don’t regret it. Just amazing. Aside from Tangerine Dream’s 2019 boxset “In Search of Hades” the Thin Lizzy one really takes the cake. One of the very best boxsets I own.
What a terrific way to spend 30 miutes! Very enjoyable video. I like some prog-rock but generally it isn't my bag. Nonetheless, I still like listening to you talk about it because of how you engage with it. You are intelligent, well spoken, and passionate. I think I speak for a lot of us when I say you inspire that passion for engaging with physical copies of the music we love.
Wow, that is a wonderful thing for your to say. I am keen to cover a lot of different styles of music (old and new) as my collection covers such a lot of ground. I just want to try ands inspire others to the joy of owning and collecting physical music. Your comment is very inspiring to me! Phil :)
varied and interesting list Phil. Will explore some of them especially Lizzy, Riverside and ELP. May i point you to a band called Dirty Honey. They seem to be a cross between 70s Aerosmith, Zep and Guns 'n' Roses. Hope 2022 treats you and your family exceptionally well.
Hi Barrie, thank you for watching and your very positive comment. I am so pleased you enjoyed the video. Thank you also for the music suggestion, I will have to check them out ! Phil :)
Really enjoyed watching this. Quite a few surprises in there (which, thinking about it, makes sense, this being Now Spinning). Good to see Sarah McQuaid at number seven. The St Buryan Sessions is definitely in my top ten of the year too. Such a special record.
Hi Clive, Thank you for watching. I am trying to ensure that this channel and Now Spinning Magazine is seen as open to all genres of music not just another Rock Channel. I love rock music and could talk about it for hours on end, but my collection covers so many different styles that I want to share that as well. It is also important to me that I feature lesser know acts especially if it is something that has really touched me (Like the Sarah McQuaid album). Your feedback is very important in helping me know I am on the right path! Phil :)
@@NowSpinningMagazine Hi Phil. You're definitely on the right track. The variety of music featured here at NS - the fact it's not just about rock music - is one of the reasons the channel is so special. As you mentioned, it's good to be challenged by new music and artists outside of your comfort zone. Among my favourite albums of 2021 are at least three from the Analog Africa label. Fantastic collections of (mostly) African music from different regions, rare or little-known recordings from the 60s, 70s or 80s. Most LPs come with booklets stuffed full of informative liner-notes, rare pics, etc. There were also tonnes of fantastic jazz reissues last year, many on the Blue Note label, including a fabulous, previously unreleased live recording by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, 'First Flight To Tokyo'). Box set of the year...? For me, quite possibly, it was 'Live! In the Air Age' by Be Bop Deluxe. Oh, and I've just received Bill Nelson's latest collection, My Private Cosmos (6-CDs of new material!). So much to listen to... : ))
The VDGG individual albums have and are being released individually as three disc sets comprising of two CD's and one DVD comprising stereo, new stereo and 5.1 mixes. Porcupine Tree looks like a stop gap. Steven Wilson has announced a load of solo related projects including a full on prog album for 2023.
The VDGG Box set seems to be disappearing now so I guess the next stage is to release the albums separately. It will be interesting to see if any of the albums that get the 5.1 treatment were not included in the box set. Thank you for the extra info on Steven Wilsons next steps! Phil :)
Hi Sir Phil. Happy New Year. Ah box sets... what would we do without them. Such a beautiful list. You have exquisite taste in music. I will need to check out a few of these. Rare bird may be up my alley. My top acquisitions this year are Thin Lizzy Rock legends. One of my all time favorite box sets. Have the Fanfare . Steppenwolf box sets. Loving the idol as well. ALSO getting all the Tull and Marillìion reissues. Best value. I agree Fugazi is a revelation and a delight. Cannot wait for the new Mariilion album and the tull box set coming. Keep them coming. I may really seriously need to work overtime or get a part time job yo accomodate my music passion. Haha. Keep them coming dear sir. Wishing you more delightful acquisitions for 2022. God bless and keep shining your beautiful light on this great medium.
Hi Tino, thank you for watching and your very kind and inspiring comment! It looks like we share a a lot of the same thoughts and tastes when it comes to music. The Thin Lizzy Box set is very special. It must have the best book out of all of them. I think you would really like the Rare Bird Set, it is not too expensive either. Take care - Phil :)
Hi Phil, Thanks for offering a wide range of music to explore though I must say I did not make much venture last year. Only two of my purchases made your top 30 and they were Jethro Tull and Black Sabbath. I would like to share with you some of the stuff I bought and they are nothing "new" but something I enjoy a lot: Dylan's Springtime in New York, Lou Reed's Rock and Roll Animal, Who's The Who Sell Out, Leonard Cohen's Commander Cohen, Barry Dransfield's Dransfield and Joni Mitchell's Archives Vol.2. Also I need more time for Live in Houston by Trapeze and the Redux Box by Henry Cow as the first listens were very promising indeed.
Hi Captain, thank you for watching and for sharing your top purchases of 2021. The Joni Mitchell, Trapeze and Henry Cow releases are on my radar and if funds allow I might try and get them soon! Phil :)
Hello again Phil, You're wide range of music appreciation continues to amaze me. It is always good to hear such positivity and your objective reviews are "educational" and enlightening. Keep up the great work , and a very Happy New Year to you..cheers!!
Hi Chris, thank you for watching and for all your support. This started as a top 10 and I had to stop at a top 30. You could see from the albums I said did not make the list there were so many to choose from. If I did this tomorrow a fair few would change positions. The VDGG box deserves to be at number one because of the content and presentation. I imagine Caravan would be in your top 5? Phil
@@NowSpinningMagazine Thanks Phil. A pleasure. Actually the Caravan box is one of my favourites but struggling to get in the top five. Those "bootleg" live CDs somewhat spoil the feel of the package for me and, while the rest of it is excellent, I feel that Madfish has to get some bad marks for allowing poor quality recordings to pad out the package into something of a ridiculous numbers game. 37 discs, for goodness sake. Actually I feel stronger about this now than when I did the review.
Nice list! - I'll check out Toyah's and Billy Idol's new albums. I like how you are open-minded about music & have a diverse list. - Heat's vocalist Erik has left the band and he now fronts his own band "New Horizon", it has a more Heavy/Power Metal kind of style.Their new album will be out soon. - I think it'll be better if you do seperate lists for New Albums and Reissues/Boxsets , it can be confusing for the listener to know if it's a new album or a reissue. - My suggestions from 2021: - Inglorious - We Will Ride (Great Hard Rock from UK) - Wayward Sons - Even up the Score. (Toby Jepson on vocals. Another cool Hard Rock band) - Seven Sisters - Shadow of a Fallen Star (A new Traditional Metal band from London )
Hi Lucha, Thank you for watching and for your very useful suggestion. I will aim to do as you say a top 10-20 for new releases and the same for reissues / box sets. Thank you also for your music suggestions which I will also check out. Phil :)
@@NowSpinningMagazine Interesting. I go on a site called Vintage Prog quite often. On that site, Epic Forest didn't get a great review. However, if Steve says that it's great, I believe him. I got the Rare Bird set that you mentioned, bit I haven't listened to it yet.
Hi Phil. This is a great review. I'll have to check out Walter Trout, Rare Bird, Heat and Beast in Black. I have not heard any of their material. Perhaps Walter Trout is extremely popular in the UK, but not in the USA. I love Steve Wilson, and I like the fact that he does not stay with a certain style. 'The Future Bites' is excellent, even though it's nothing like 'The Raven That Refused to Sing'. However, that's a good thing to me. Music can be progressive without being prog. To me, artists who challenge themselves and create material that sounds unique throughout the course of their careers are truly progressive. I have the last Riverside album with the original guitarist, but I haven't heard anything by the new guitarist. I'll have to check out their new live album. Since you're a guitarist, how would you compare the new guitarist in Riverside with the original guitarist who died? (Sorry I didn't name them, but I would have to copy/paste their names, since I can't spell Polish names.) Heat sounds like great music for working out at the gym, so I'll definitely have to stream them on Spotify the next time I'm working out. I like energetic and uplifting music during exercise. stay with a certain style. 'The Future Bites' is excellent, even though it's nothing like 'The Raven That Refused to Sing'.
Hi Laura, if I had to choose my favourite Steven Wilson album then The Raven That Refused To Sing would be my favourite followed closely by Hand Cannot Erase. Phil
Very sad news that Burke Shelley (Budgie fame) has died. Saw this band > 20 times in my youth and were instrumental in introducing me to rock music. Maybe a wee tribute at some stage Phil?
I have just posted in the community section. I will definitely be doing a tribute to Burke Shelly. Very sad news and a band that should have been a lot bigger. I am playing Zoom Club now :(
Thank Phil, that really was essential viewing!! Brilliant stuff. 👍Here's my top ten of 2021 for what it's worth..
1. Inglorious - we will ride
2. Dead daisies - holy ground
3. Greta van fleet - battle at gardens gate
4. Gary Hughes - decades
5. The night flight orchestra - aeromantics II
6. Iron Maiden - senjutsu
7. Thunder - all the right noises
8. La guns - checkered past
9. Eclipse - wired
10. Smith/kotzen - s/t
👍
Hi Shaun, thank you for watching and your postive comment. Thank also for sharing your top ten on 2021. That is one rocking list! I need to listen to the Eclipse album as I have several by them. Greta Van Fleet are another band I need to get to know more as well. Thanks Phil :)
Phil fantastic video. You are so right Layla Revisited album was great!! Thank you for the introduction to that & I’m fully with you on ELP. I saw them on the Works tour right after they released Works Vol. 2 Thank you again from Houston 🎼🎸🎶🇺🇸
Good on you Phil. Great show.
Immediately put an order in for the Marillon box.
In Australia it's the 4cd box ( I love the Tull format ) and it's $70 .
A bargain.
Cheers mate.
A
Hello Mr. Aston. What a great video! Really difficult to just choose 10 or 20 yes it is true. I will listen this lady Nubya Garcia never hear about her befeore. Happy 2022! Be safe. Cheers.
Hi Jorge, thank you for watching and I am so pleased you like this review of 2021. Give Nubya Garcia a listen, it is a fantastic sounding album. Phil :)
Thank you so, so much, Phil, I'm honoured and delighted!
You are very welcome - it is a stunning and very moving album. Phil :)
@@NowSpinningMagazine ❤️
Great video I was surprised to see HEAT in there as it was released in Feb 2020. Dead daisies is worthy of it position - my favorite of 2021.
Hi Jimmy, Thank you for watching and pointing that out. My confusion is down to when I bought the the album which was early 2021. To me it felt like a new album and I played it so much I felt I had to include it! Dead Daises is just stunning - Glenn Hughes is just a force of nature! Phil :)
Thanks so much for doing this video.
I learned a lot here.
Also, I'd appreciate any future videos that can post where you review the best sounding audio recordings of Import vinyl and CDS.
Thanks & Keep Up The Good Work.
Regards,
D-
Hi Phil, thank you again for presenting this music in such an inspiring way. If there is one positive to come out of lockdown it was the opportunity to re-engage with music. Working in an office for over 40 years limits you in that respect. I will be following up some of your top 30 for sure. One example of what you have brought back to mind in the last 12 months was appreciation of ELP. In the 70s I never really 'got' them but listening now with a fresh outlook I realise how good they really were. It only took me half a century to get there! Best wishes, Paul.
Hi Paul, thank you for watching. It sounds like we are the same in our journey of appreciation with regards to ELP. As I say in the video and my other review I never really got them as I was so focused on guitar driven music. I understand now just how amazing they were and how their music deserves to be discovered by a new audience. Phil
Oh my goodness that Thin Lizzy Set is absolutely awesome. I paid around 110$ for it and I don’t regret it. Just amazing. Aside from Tangerine Dream’s 2019 boxset “In Search of Hades” the Thin Lizzy one really takes the cake. One of the very best boxsets I own.
What a terrific way to spend 30 miutes! Very enjoyable video. I like some prog-rock but generally it isn't my bag. Nonetheless, I still like listening to you talk about it because of how you engage with it. You are intelligent, well spoken, and passionate. I think I speak for a lot of us when I say you inspire that passion for engaging with physical copies of the music we love.
Wow, that is a wonderful thing for your to say. I am keen to cover a lot of different styles of music (old and new) as my collection covers such a lot of ground. I just want to try ands inspire others to the joy of owning and collecting physical music. Your comment is very inspiring to me! Phil :)
varied and interesting list Phil. Will explore some of them especially Lizzy, Riverside and ELP. May i point you to a band called Dirty Honey. They seem to be a cross between 70s Aerosmith, Zep and Guns 'n' Roses. Hope 2022 treats you and your family exceptionally well.
Hi Barrie, thank you for watching and your very positive comment. I am so pleased you enjoyed the video. Thank you also for the music suggestion, I will have to check them out ! Phil :)
Really enjoyed watching this. Quite a few surprises in there (which, thinking about it, makes sense, this being Now Spinning). Good to see Sarah McQuaid at number seven. The St Buryan Sessions is definitely in my top ten of the year too. Such a special record.
Hi Clive, Thank you for watching. I am trying to ensure that this channel and Now Spinning Magazine is seen as open to all genres of music not just another Rock Channel. I love rock music and could talk about it for hours on end, but my collection covers so many different styles that I want to share that as well. It is also important to me that I feature lesser know acts especially if it is something that has really touched me (Like the Sarah McQuaid album). Your feedback is very important in helping me know I am on the right path! Phil :)
@@NowSpinningMagazine Hi Phil. You're definitely on the right track. The variety of music featured here at NS - the fact it's not just about rock music - is one of the reasons the channel is so special. As you mentioned, it's good to be challenged by new music and artists outside of your comfort zone. Among my favourite albums of 2021 are at least three from the Analog Africa label. Fantastic collections of (mostly) African music from different regions, rare or little-known recordings from the 60s, 70s or 80s. Most LPs come with booklets stuffed full of informative liner-notes, rare pics, etc. There were also tonnes of fantastic jazz reissues last year, many on the Blue Note label, including a fabulous, previously unreleased live recording by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, 'First Flight To Tokyo'). Box set of the year...? For me, quite possibly, it was 'Live! In the Air Age' by Be Bop Deluxe. Oh, and I've just received Bill Nelson's latest collection, My Private Cosmos (6-CDs of new material!). So much to listen to... : ))
Thank you so so much Clive!
@@NowSpinningMagazine And thank you Phil, that's lovely to hear!
Wow…Rag n Bone Man is amazing!!
The VDGG individual albums have and are being released individually as three disc sets comprising of two CD's and one DVD comprising stereo, new stereo and 5.1 mixes.
Porcupine Tree looks like a stop gap. Steven Wilson has announced a load of solo related projects including a full on prog album for 2023.
The VDGG Box set seems to be disappearing now so I guess the next stage is to release the albums separately. It will be interesting to see if any of the albums that get the 5.1 treatment were not included in the box set. Thank you for the extra info on Steven Wilsons next steps! Phil :)
Hi Sir Phil. Happy New Year. Ah box sets... what would we do without them. Such a beautiful list. You have exquisite taste in music. I will need to check out a few of these. Rare bird may be up my alley. My top acquisitions this year are Thin Lizzy Rock legends. One of my all time favorite box sets. Have the Fanfare . Steppenwolf box sets. Loving the idol as well. ALSO getting all the Tull and Marillìion reissues. Best value. I agree Fugazi is a revelation and a delight. Cannot wait for the new Mariilion album and the tull box set coming. Keep them coming. I may really seriously need to work overtime or get a part time job yo accomodate my music passion. Haha. Keep them coming dear sir. Wishing you more delightful acquisitions for 2022. God bless and keep shining your beautiful light on this great medium.
Hi Tino, thank you for watching and your very kind and inspiring comment! It looks like we share a a lot of the same thoughts and tastes when it comes to music. The Thin Lizzy Box set is very special. It must have the best book out of all of them. I think you would really like the Rare Bird Set, it is not too expensive either. Take care - Phil :)
Great stuff Phil, very entertaining !!
Hi Luyton, thank you for watching. Hope you are both settling into the UK ok - Phil :)
Hi Phil, Thanks for offering a wide range of music to explore though I must say I did not make much venture last year. Only two of my purchases made your top 30 and they were Jethro Tull and Black Sabbath. I would like to share with you some of the stuff I bought and they are nothing "new" but something I enjoy a lot: Dylan's Springtime in New York, Lou Reed's Rock and Roll Animal, Who's The Who Sell Out, Leonard Cohen's Commander Cohen, Barry Dransfield's Dransfield and Joni Mitchell's Archives Vol.2. Also I need more time for Live in Houston by Trapeze and the Redux Box by Henry Cow as the first listens were very promising indeed.
Hi Captain, thank you for watching and for sharing your top purchases of 2021. The Joni Mitchell, Trapeze and Henry Cow releases are on my radar and if funds allow I might try and get them soon! Phil :)
VDGG was my number 1 release of the year too, I shall post a couple of things soon, great video and now I must find my wallet!!😄
Thank you for watching and great minds think alike ! If you do get anything else I mention please let me know what it is - Phil :)
Hello again Phil, You're wide range of music appreciation continues to amaze me. It is always good to hear such positivity and your objective reviews are "educational" and enlightening. Keep up the great work , and a very Happy New Year to you..cheers!!
Hi Stan, thank you for watching, I am so pleased you enjoyed the video and found it interesting. Take care - Phil :)
Excellent presentation Phil. I had a feeling VDGG would be your #1. Definitely one of my best purchases last year.
Hi Chris, thank you for watching and for all your support. This started as a top 10 and I had to stop at a top 30. You could see from the albums I said did not make the list there were so many to choose from. If I did this tomorrow a fair few would change positions. The VDGG box deserves to be at number one because of the content and presentation. I imagine Caravan would be in your top 5? Phil
@@NowSpinningMagazine Thanks Phil. A pleasure. Actually the Caravan box is one of my favourites but struggling to get in the top five. Those "bootleg" live CDs somewhat spoil the feel of the package for me and, while the rest of it is excellent, I feel that Madfish has to get some bad marks for allowing poor quality recordings to pad out the package into something of a ridiculous numbers game. 37 discs, for goodness sake. Actually I feel stronger about this now than when I did the review.
Good list!
Hi Metalung, thank you for watching! Phil :)
Thank you for some great new music ideas! I’m going to try listening to one new band every day this year! Eclipse is awesome…have you heard them?
Hi Scott, Thank you for watching and your postive feedback. I love Eclipse and must do a feature on them soon. Take care - Phil :)
Nice list!
- I'll check out Toyah's and Billy Idol's new albums. I like how you are open-minded about music & have a diverse list.
- Heat's vocalist Erik has left the band and he now fronts his own band "New Horizon", it has a more Heavy/Power Metal kind of style.Their new album will be out soon.
- I think it'll be better if you do seperate lists for New Albums and Reissues/Boxsets , it can be confusing for the listener to know if it's a new album or a reissue.
- My suggestions from 2021:
- Inglorious - We Will Ride (Great Hard Rock from UK)
- Wayward Sons - Even up the Score. (Toby Jepson on vocals. Another cool Hard Rock band)
- Seven Sisters - Shadow of a Fallen Star (A new Traditional Metal band from London )
Hi Lucha, Thank you for watching and for your very useful suggestion. I will aim to do as you say a top 10-20 for new releases and the same for reissues / box sets. Thank you also for your music suggestions which I will also check out. Phil :)
Did I hear that right? Steve Harris likes Rare Bird, and his favorite album is Epic Forest? BTW, thanks for the Superfjord recommendation
You did! Steve Harris is a huge fan of UK PROG, especially the lesser know bands and Epic Forest is an album he mentions quite a bit. Phil
@@NowSpinningMagazine Interesting. I go on a site called Vintage Prog quite often. On that site, Epic Forest didn't get a great review. However, if Steve says that it's great, I believe him. I got the Rare Bird set that you mentioned, bit I haven't listened to it yet.
hi phil thanks for remembering walter trout i like !!!!
Hi Jean, I feel bad I have only just discovered Walter Trout, I have a lot of catching up to do. Phil
@@NowSpinningMagazine hi phil it's impossible too listening the records production in all style .....!
Hi Phil. This is a great review. I'll have to check out Walter Trout, Rare Bird, Heat and Beast in Black. I have not heard any of their material. Perhaps Walter Trout is extremely popular in the UK, but not in the USA.
I love Steve Wilson, and I like the fact that he does not stay with a certain style. 'The Future Bites' is excellent, even though it's nothing like 'The Raven That Refused to Sing'. However, that's a good thing to me. Music can be progressive without being prog. To me, artists who challenge themselves and create material that sounds unique throughout the course of their careers are truly progressive.
I have the last Riverside album with the original guitarist, but I haven't heard anything by the new guitarist. I'll have to check out their new live album. Since you're a guitarist, how would you compare the new guitarist in Riverside with the original guitarist who died? (Sorry I didn't name them, but I would have to copy/paste their names, since I can't spell Polish names.)
Heat sounds like great music for working out at the gym, so I'll definitely have to stream them on Spotify the next time I'm working out. I like energetic and uplifting music during exercise.
stay with a certain style. 'The Future Bites' is excellent, even though it's nothing like 'The Raven That Refused to Sing'.
Hi Laura, if I had to choose my favourite Steven Wilson album then The Raven That Refused To Sing would be my favourite followed closely by Hand Cannot Erase. Phil
Very sad news that Burke Shelley (Budgie fame) has died. Saw this band > 20 times in my youth and were instrumental in introducing me to rock music. Maybe a wee tribute at some stage Phil?
I have just posted in the community section. I will definitely be doing a tribute to Burke Shelly. Very sad news and a band that should have been a lot bigger. I am playing Zoom Club now :(
@@NowSpinningMagazine many thanks Phil. Blasting out my all time favourite album Bandolier.