zee - identity: found a copy!

[Hudini]

Zee - Identity, on CD
finally found this Floydian rarity last weekend
in a shop in Montreal, on the seediest stretch of Rue St Catherine

Wow, you actually spent money on that!

[moom]

And time

[J Ed]

if I ever find it on vinyl I'll spend the $$$ again

[moom]

And time, again At least I'm glad money goes to Rick's family.

[Atom Heart Sun]

It's not so bad. I listened again after years. I used the myspace site but I do have an original vinyl copy somewhere in my brother's attic.
Methinks you lot listen to too much rock music and not enough other stuff. Sure it's dated, but the first track is actually pretty good and Rick's vocals and keyboards - even Floydian at times - can be heard throughout.
I listened to it twice over, back to back and I must say it's not nearly so bad as I expected, remembered or that you people make out. Also, props to Rick for doing something remotely different and not making more soft rock or Dark Side/Shine On rip off crap like it sounds some of you might have been happy with.

Good for Rick is what I say. Goes to show he was more than a one-trick pony with tastes and influences far wider than the safe route. There's even a track towards the end that's reminiscient of what Jon Michel Jarre was doing around the same time with Zoolook, another album many mainstream fans don't get.

Having heard this again I just respect him even more.

I think I'll post this in the other thread, especially if it's full of people bashing and dissing it.

[J Ed]

youre right my original review was harsh
I was just trying to organise my thoughts and share them with folks who probably had never heard the record before
I might even give it another listen tonight

one point I was trying to make was that within the context of the style of the time it was not outstanding
there were great synth heavy "beep beep" records in the 80s, I just heard Soft Cells version of Tainted Love again the other day and that still sounds as good as ever, but I admit in general I never liked the style much in the first place, and it was fairly dominant when I was in high school

but you know Im not one of those who only listens to "Rock", in fact I usually cant stand that genre either (all that illiterate neanderthal macho posturing, grrrr), Im the guy who keeps trying to work Miles Davis and Duke Elington into our musical discussions

[Atom Heart Sun]

Yes I know that, particularly the change from Kind Of Blue. You are not really who I am directing my words at really, in fact nobody is to be honest. I actually posted this in the other Dee thread with more extensive - ahem - criticisms of PF fans' impatient/inexperienced reaction to it.

[moom]

I've found some kind of alt cover on a disc of mine

[J Ed]

having listened again last night Ive reassessed my opinion
as an attempt to adapt to the 80s, its aged better than Blue Light or Radio Waves,
its got a more slow creepy pace to it and lots of wierd syncopated electronic effects, no desperate attempts at a hit single
theres even guitar that may be deliberately aping Gilmours style (Cuts Like A Diamond)
in fact that track and Strange Rhythm Id say I positively like
my issue is I keep wondering what Rick is contributing? the Fashion dude is credited with vocals, lyrics, guitars and artwork, theyre both credited with keyboards and percussion
it sounds nothing like Wet Dream but the electronic textures may sort of anticipate Broken China, I'll have to dig that one out to compare

[Atom Heart Sun]

O noes triple post!

[Atom Heart Sun]

Sorry Keith & crew I must have hit quote instead of edit and then whilst trying to sort the mess I must have made even more!

*offers chocolate biscuits*

[Atom Heart Sun]

I definately recognise his playing, and also in some areas even something like his keyboard sound. His vocals are well in there too.

My thoughts after a third listen are:

I think over all it's a little tinny and could have benefitted from some phatter bassier textures, but this is easy to say post '90s.

Also it's rather busy, which is probably more to do with his collaborator than it is to do with Richard since as we all know he was much about the spaces inbetween the sounds, so in a way that's very unlike Richard and yet perhaps could be seen as yet another way in which he was doing something different.

The percussion let's it down a little, but I've heard far worse programming and drum sounds and we must remember it predates drum & bass by nearly a decade.

Much of it is excellently atmospheric in it's way. Also it's a very adult album, although this is entirely Richard: despite Remember A Day through Paintbox to Summer '68... nearly everything Rick wrote was very adult. Because of this it's a sophisticated record too.

I really like the first track Seems We Were Dreaming, and this is almost undoubtedly Richard introducing those first chords.
I think you're right J Ed: Cuts Like A Diamond is a really nice track, and I do think this is very Richard. Strange Rhythm is like something off Jarre's Zoolook, it really is.

I think it was definately more about Mr Harris though. I get the impression Rick tagged along and gave Harris the driving force to go with it. It seems maybe Richard, as always, tried to take the back seat compared to Dave, that it was just a side project to him providing a platform where he could shake off all the bad vibes associated with Floyd at the time, whilst remaining active still doing what he was good at and was used to and quite simply giving him something to fill the void.

Seems We Were Dreaming is definately my favourite track though. To me it's like something off Wet Dream translated into electronica. I like Wet Dream and I like electronica (particularly Warp Records mid-late 90s output) so for me there's nothing at all alien about it.

In fact, having said all that I am inclined to think as a part of the Floyd-related canon it is actually a huge breath of fresh air.


Soft rock tards need not apply

[oz1701]

its heavily driven by fairlight synths - what do you expect

[Hudini]

if I ever find it on vinyl I'll spend the $$$ again

Not if you find it in a dumpster.

[Atom Heart Sun]

Well I'm still waiting to see if J Ed has anything to add once he's revisited Broken China (which unfortunately I don't have a copy of, and for my sins, have not yet heard).