's why I clicked on Walrus, and I have not regretted it. This (and that and some more of those) are in my full-album list, and the more I listen, the more interesting album covers YT throws my way! To be honest, album covers do play a large part in which get added tho.
I had a phone conversation with Alfred Collinsworth this afternoon. As it happens, we were discussing a possible reissue of the Pre album from 1973. After the conversation ended, it occurred to me to do a search on RU-vid to see if our music had been posted and I wound up here. I’m pleasantly surprised by the response the album has received. Of course, there are the inevitable “Yes clone” comments, and I understand. We were all young - I was 21 when we recorded Ascetic Eros and Ballet for a Blind Man only five weeks into the band’s existence. It amazes me that these recordings turned out as well as they did. It was a combination of our youthful enthusiasm for progressive rock, a fortuitous coming together of players, and a friendly engineer who was able to get the best sound out of the little 16-track studio where we recorded in Lexington. We originally got together to do covers, but became frustrated because the songs weren’t sounding like we wanted. Larry Collinsworth, the guitarist, mentioned that he and his brother had some originals that we might want to try. It wasn’t long until we began working on the arrangements for AE and Ballet and then went into the studio. After a few days of sessions, we had a two-track demo tape to play for record companies. (We always intended to go back into the studio and properly record the songs if we got a record deal.) Although there was interest from a couple of labels, they wanted to hear more. We did a second session later that summer, but no offers were forthcoming. The band broke up in October of the same year. We all went on to other pursuits - I wound up a partner in a musical instrument dealership, from which I retired a couple of years ago. The demo tapes that we recorded in 1973 became this album 21 years later when we were approached by a small independent label in Louisville. ZNR sold all of the CDs that were pressed (I hear some made it overseas) and the album promptly went out of print. So I hope that we get a chance to reissue it sometime soon. If that happens, I’ll post something here to let anyone who is interested know about it. It was a fun time. I learned a LOT about being in a band, the record business, and music in general. I wouldn’t trade the experience, or the friendships, for anything. Steve DeMoss - Pre bassist
Great musicianship, truly great album. Back in the 60's and 70's we spent half the day listening to music, one great release after another, but hey! we missed so many.. like this one!
Pre - Pre 1973 FULL VINYL ALBUM (progressive rock)Studio Album, released in 1994 Songs / Tracks Listing 1. Path (1:33) 2. Who's Laughing Now (3:33) 3. Water Meeting (5:28) 4. Bowing Down (3:37) 5. Ascetic Eros(11:19) a)Ascetic Eros b)Hymn Of Transfiguration 6. Firmer Hand (9:05) 7. Child Of Sorow (3:40) 8. Ballet For A Blind Man (19:06) a)Fields Of Darkness b)Is It You Who's Caught The Blues? c)Must Have Been Ten Years Total time 57:30Line-up / Musicians Alfred Collinsworth /vocals, 12-string guitars Larry Collinsworth /electric 6- and 12-string guitars Brian Paulson /Hammond organ, electric and acoustic pianos, Mini-Moog Steve DeMoss /bass, vibes, glockenspiel Dwight Dunlap /drums, percussion
Why do some people critcize this?This is such a beautiful sliver of time that very few know about. It's not a ripoff of anything.its like a rose that found its way out of a foot of concrete runway. Beautiful.
I found myself wondering how I’ve never heard of this. It’s super good! Some Yes similarities, but everyone has influences, and there’s some beautiful playing & originality on display here 👍
Tracklist/Timestamps 0:00 Path 1:37 Who's Laughing Now 5:14 Water Meeting 10:42 Bowing Down 14:27 Aescetic Eros 25:50 Firmer Hand 34:59 Child Of Sorrow 38:43 Ballet For A Blind Man
Perfect songs to read the subjective forms of the clouds and to follow with a tender eye the grooves of the stems of the trees; appreciate the complex writing of the nested branches, taste the colors of the decomposition of light into water droplets in a garden, and strongly feel the wet soil of ancestral forest to perceive the traces of animals from deep past 🍍🌴
The mark of a musician who truly understands the soul of the organ is one who understands how to work with the resonance of his space... too many organists continue to play at a rhythm without respect for the resonance of a room. The following echo and silence are part of the performance as a brilliant fanfare. Without silence, the fanfare just becomes noise¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Superb album -- obviously early Yes or Flash are influences (great!). Ascetic Eros is my fave. I got the CD release (on ZNR) back in the 90s -- never knew it had a vinyl release too!
Based on the first track alone, I was thinking, "What are all these Yes comparisons??" Well, the REST of the tunes on here definitely earn some of those Yes comparisons...especially the vox. All-in-all, still some great performances, and for me, all the better if they can decently pull off sounding like a band I like.
Love this album, seriously needs a vinyl release. As much as I want to obtain even a CD copy, I refuse to pay some of the absurd amounts people are asking for it!!
I believe there was only one release because the label they were working with had to make a choice between PRE and another little 3-letter band. That little 3-letter was called YES.
This, and Atmosphera's Lady of Shalott are the musical equivalent of Yes fan fiction. Funny how both records are better than real Yes in the later years. This is stylistically, at least, more like Yes in their prime.
We used to go through all the album covers in the music stores and would have bought this based on how weird the cover was, but it was a lot of money back then. The only way to get to hear it was to ask the record store owner to play it. They weren't always keen because they knew we couldn't afford to buy. It's a gem. Not sure how they reckon it was only released in 1990s because it was for sale in the UK in the 1970s. Unless they were selling pirate copies?
Tenho muitos discos que comprei simplesmente olhando a capa, as vezes não tínhamos como escutar nas lojas, por incrível que pareça, nunca me enganei, todos que comprei assim são preciosidades, até hoje escuto admirando as capas belíssimas e olhando os encartes para vê a ficha musical, só quem realmente gosta sabe a sensação.
Love it! My bro and I listened first time last night and wondered, maybe, Jon Anderson had a side project? Reading comments not so and sad PRE only did this and I didn't hear when I was young. Thanks for putting on RU-vid. Cranking it up again and again ❤it! Cheers 🍻
True, but the first half and some is only so so. Last bit is rather ELP like, but the first half is a bit tiring. Even so, it has a few good licks in the first half, sort of like Yes had unatural issue with King Crimson with a few accents of Tull and ELP, but while there are a few hot licks in there, it's the second half (side I should say...) That really sounds better. If they had been able to get a few more albums out, they might have been a contender. Probably sound better with some enhancement, if you know what I mean. 🤯😎
Here's a reminder that bluegrass is not all that Kentucky produced. If life were fair all recording artists who made sincere music would be household names and endure and the ones who made formulaic music would be obscure flops.
I believe there was only one release because the label they were working with had to make a choice between PRE and another little 3-letter band. That little 3-letter was called YES.
@@holysmokes0714 Major record label executives then and today have made strong cases for going indie. A coworker in the mid 2000s said she saw an interview of Prince wherein he said major record label executives mostly have no musical backgrounds: They haven't played musical instruments or studied music.
The band sounds exactly like Yes, from the bass to the guitars and vocals. I kept expecting Roundabout or Long Distance Runaround to play next after each track. Nice little funky dose of prog 28:00
I believe there was only one release because the label they were working with had to make a choice between PRE and another little 3-letter band. That little 3-letter was called YES.
@@briane.paulson This comment was up for a year with apparently no one noticing one of the band members commented in the thread! Brian, this is great stuff. How old were you guys at the time? Did you continue on with music? How were you all able to figure out how to play in this style at a young age? It's complex music, and was current at the time, and there were no youtube instructional videos :D Atmosphera were very similar and were also very young (teens).
This is excellent! beyond a doubt , it is so technically sound but I recentlty heard Druid and was wondering how they compared to Yes and Pre to those who are hearing this.. the sound quality of Pre is Superior but I am not sure that makes the band better..I honestly prefer them though only slightly.. American radio missed way too much.. and I am sure the world missed much as well...I hear no Genesis similarity but I would like to.... this band is a superb Yes copycat...!!
I'm so conflicted in that I'm glad to have found out about this amazing album, but saddened by the fact that that's all there is. Did any of the members go on to do anything else of note?
I believe there was only one release because the label they were working with had to make a choice between PRE and another little 3-letter band. That little 3-letter was called YES.
@@holysmokes0714 That’s sad. I actually kind of prefer this band over YES. At least judging by this album. I own a lot of YES albums, but this is just way more enjoyable to me.
What if you took Robert Plant, and had him sing on Trespass by Genesis. That is exactly how this record opens. Then, we flow into Yes territory at 5:28 in, but Carl Palmer is the Drummer and Keith Emerson is on keys. What a bizarre mix. I better stop yapping, as I got more of this Prog Oddity to enjoy.
@@briane.paulson Hey Brian, any chance you can make a copy for me as well, or link me to a Dropbox with the files or something? I’ve given up trying to find a physical copy at this point haha. A shame, the CD was designed very cleverly and beautifully, unfortunate it hasn’t been reissued at the very least on CD again.
@@briane.paulson Hi Brian, Is there somewhere I could download this album? I'm very happy to pay for it. I'd much prefer it on Vinyl or even CD, but apart from very expensive used copies on Discogs I can't find it for sale anywhere. Please help. Thanks.
I managed to get the CD on Discogs just recently, but it set me back nearly $300 AUD!!! Put in your wanted list, another copy may pop up, that's how I managed to get it.
Possibly the same artist? I don't know what label this album was recorded for, but maybe it was the same as Journey, and the label hired the same artist to do the cover. Atlantic, possibly?
