Haken thread v. "Evening With" tour (some set spoilers)

[Nick]

I expect to hit up the NYC show, but I've got a business trip floating over my head and it worries me that I won't be able to see some of the May shows I have on my calendar so I haven't bought a ticket yet  I'm still tentatively planning on going though. I've got 5 May concerts between 8th and 27th that I'd like to see but have held back on purchasing.

Assumed you'd be doing that one as well, hopefully it all works out!

[King Postwhore]

Me, me, me!!

Figured as much! I'll likely make my way towards Philly after the Boston show, but if you and Lisa want to do something the evening before the Boston show on May 8 let me know!

Once Lisa's schedule is out, I'll let you know.

[frogprog]

Sadly, this will be my first time passing up an opportunity  to see the lads in Philly. Show is at the Theater Of Living Arts (crappy venue) on a work night with no one to go with. That area of Philly, South Street, used to be cool but its getting quite dangerous and not the best place to go solo.
I'm digging the new album and hopefully they will be back around before too long.
Enjoy the shows!

[cramx3]

Sadly, this will be my first time passing up an opportunity  to see the lads in Philly. Show is at the Theater Of Living Arts (crappy venue) on a work night with no one to go with. That area of Philly, South Street, used to be cool but its getting quite dangerous and not the best place to go solo.
I'm digging the new album and hopefully they will be back around before too long.
Enjoy the shows!

I didn't hate that venue when I saw Devin Townsend with Haken there in 2020, but I do agree that the South St. area is not the best place to be these days at night. I do plan on going to a show there soon though.

[Nick]

Sadly, this will be my first time passing up an opportunity  to see the lads in Philly. Show is at the Theater Of Living Arts (crappy venue) on a work night with no one to go with. That area of Philly, South Street, used to be cool but its getting quite dangerous and not the best place to go solo.
I'm digging the new album and hopefully they will be back around before too long.
Enjoy the shows!

When it comes to safety and things of that nature, I have a hard time tracking and making judgment calls on that, but I will say as a destination, South St. used to be amazing.

I'd go down from shows in the 2005-2010 range and there were cool record shops everywhere. We'd go down at like 2 in the afternoon and spend hours walking around and browsing before going to an actual show.

[frogprog]

Yeah...not like that anymore, which is a shame.

[me7]

I think I've had enough listens to attempt a serious ranking of the songs on Fauna:

A-tier:
everything except "Elephants never forget"

B-tier:
Elephants never forget

[NoFred]

Initially had this as 4th out of 7 of their LPs, but have just forgotten it since and it has sunk hard. Plus-plus songs might be Sempiternal Beings and Beneath the White Rainbow, but they sound noisy/unfinished and don’t hold up to the best songs from any previous album. Very frustrating (as a loyal listener (.001% per spotify)) Someone upthread described it as glitch-prog, and that’s apt. Lots of cut/copy/paste to my ears. Glitchy. A couple nice riffs and melodies, but where did the song and album composition go? Lots of interesting song parts here, just missing… songs. Will probably revise after seeing them played live in a few weeks. In ranked order:

Nightingale - predictably perfect
Lovebite - almost as good as Lapse, an in-between track that’s a gem
Beneath the White Rainbow - nearly great, but that intro it’s like toddlers throwing a random fit wth, actively ruins things
Alphabet of Me - cool expansion of their sound, hope they keep up this style on future albums
Eyes of Ebony - love the Telephone Tel Aviv and Pearl Jam influences here, very cool
Elephants Never Forget - most fun song, bet this one plays best live
Sempiternal Beings - best vibe, chorus, and solo on the album but overall sounds like an early demo. Too noisy and random should’ve been much better. Let Ross sing the chorus, don’t need extra jam session material to beef things up
Taurus - good song but is intro limited
Island in the Clouds - no complaints but not my jam

Affinity
The Mountain
Vector
Aquarius
Visions
Virus
Fauna

[Zydar]

The band members takes a Haken quiz. How well do YOU know Haken?

https://youtu.be/pyMGMMMOWSs

[Revenge319]

Nightingale has grown on me immensely. If it's not a Top 10 Haken song, it's very close.

[me7]

I enjoy it more sandwiched between Taurus and Alphabet then I did on it's own.

[NoFred]

Nightingale has grown on me immensely. If it's not a Top 10 Haken song, it's very close.

Agreed, haven’t thought through top 10 but Nightingale would be closest.

[KevShmev]

Maybe it's a case of Haken fans not participating, but I am a bit surprised at the lack of support they have gotten in the countdown threads I have done. Ross Jennings got barely any support in the favorite singers thread, and in the current favorite guitarists countdown, neither from Haken has been listed on anyone's top 25 list.  That surprises me.

[Nick]

With the guitarists specifically, I think it's tougher when you don't really have a clean sense of who plays/writes what. People are more likely to say that they like the guitar work in Haken versus they like Charlie's guitar parts.

[ReaperKK]

With the guitarists specifically, I think it's tougher when you don't really have a clean sense of who plays/writes what. People are more likely to say that they like the guitar work in Haken versus they like Charlie's guitar parts.

Well said. As far as vocalists are concerned I never cared for Ross and I get the impression he can be pretty divisive

[ariich]

Yeah that's an interesting observation, and I'd agree with Nick on the whole. Haken's music is obviously intricate and often technically complex, but it's not about flashy playing.

That said I'd definitely have Hen in my top 25. Both are very talented but Hen's playing is superb and more distinctive.

Not really thought about singers. I love Ross but not sure if I'd have him in my all-time top 25.

[Nick]

I have no clue where I'd rank Ross, but hearing him more clearly in his more natural style on stuff like Troika and his solo album has definitely put him higher up now than where he otherwise might be.

[cramx3]

Ross is a fine singer, but I wouldn't put him in my top 25.

And as stated, I think having two really good guitarist kind of muddies the waters when you think of top guitarists.  I want to say I like both, but I'm not sure I can even segregate them.  Charlies's solo album is pretty good, but I don't think I've listened to anything from Hen outside Haken. Having seen the band, they are both impressive live.  I kind of lean towards liking Hen more, I don't know why, maybe because of appearances in the way he feels more like the main guitarist, but I don't know.  I do think, because of all that, niether likely makes my top 25 guitarists (but I haven't even thought about that so maybe one or both would).

[ReaperKK]

I have no clue where I'd rank Ross, but hearing him more clearly in his more natural style on stuff like Troika and his solo album has definitely put him higher up now than where he otherwise might be.

Funny enough I don't care for Ross and I really don't like Neal Morse as a singer but they really killed it on that Troika album.

[gzarruk]

I'd say Hen has a more distinctive personal style vs Charlie who is more of a "conventional" shredder/technical player.

[KevShmev]

I get that about the guitarists, but I guess I figured enough Haken aficionados would know who plays what and when. 

As for Ross, I have never hidden the love/dislike relationship I have with his voice, so he had no chance of making my top 25 singers. 

[goo-goo]

Ross is a fine singer, but I wouldn't put him in my top 25.

And as stated, I think having two really good guitarist kind of muddies the waters when you think of top guitarists.  I want to say I like both, but I'm not sure I can even segregate them.  Charlies's solo album is pretty good, but I don't think I've listened to anything from Hen outside Haken. Having seen the band, they are both impressive live.  I kind of lean towards liking Hen more, I don't know why, maybe because of appearances in the way he feels more like the main guitarist, but I don't know.  I do think, because of all that, niether likely makes my top 25 guitarists (but I haven't even thought about that so maybe one or both would).

Check out Hen's solo album The Cocoon. There are two versions: with vocals and without them. Very tasteful stuff. The music style is not even close to Charlie's solo album.

[jammindude]

I do think Haken is one of those bands where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. At this point, they are probably my number three all-time favorite band. (Although they are duking it out with IQ) But I don’t know if I would consider any one individual member to be in my top five or six all time of anything.

And Kev, I’m really glad that you didn’t do a Haken countdown right away, but I’m starting to feel like with everything that’s going on with my granddaughter I’m just going to be too busy to do one myself. I do hope that you will consider doing one in the near future and including the new songs. And PLEASE do a top 50. I do feel like you can get enough support around here to warrant it.

Personally, I think Haken countdown might be the most difficult one yet for me. The pain that some of you mentioned in this thread trying to choose a top 10 is going to be me trying to come up with a top 20 for the Haken thread.

[Evermind]

I do think Haken is one of those bands where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Absolutely! Missed the vocalists countdown but there's no way Ross would've made it in mine; and I've got none of Haken guitarists in the guitar countdown also. Btw I need to submit it tomorrow and I've only got 21/25. Maybe I'll just add the Haken guys.

[KevShmev]

I do think Haken is one of those bands where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. At this point, they are probably my number three all-time favorite band. (Although they are duking it out with IQ) But I don’t know if I would consider any one individual member to be in my top five or six all time of anything.

And Kev, I’m really glad that you didn’t do a Haken countdown right away, but I’m starting to feel like with everything that’s going on with my granddaughter I’m just going to be too busy to do one myself. I do hope that you will consider doing one in the near future and including the new songs. And PLEASE do a top 50. I do feel like you can get enough support around here to warrant it.

Personally, I think Haken countdown might be the most difficult one yet for me. The pain that some of you mentioned in this thread trying to choose a top 10 is going to be me trying to come up with a top 20 for the Haken thread.

I cannot promise I will do the Haken one any time soon. I am finishing the Queen one tomorrow and then will do the guitar one, but I have no more planned at this time.  I think I am burned out a bit on doing them, plus it feels like the more prog-driven ones have less interest, and those are the ones I'd want to keep at (vs the more metal ones). Of course, I say that now, and then I will wake up one day and get an idea for a new one, so stay tuned!

[jammindude]

I do think Haken is one of those bands where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. At this point, they are probably my number three all-time favorite band. (Although they are duking it out with IQ) But I don’t know if I would consider any one individual member to be in my top five or six all time of anything.

And Kev, I’m really glad that you didn’t do a Haken countdown right away, but I’m starting to feel like with everything that’s going on with my granddaughter I’m just going to be too busy to do one myself. I do hope that you will consider doing one in the near future and including the new songs. And PLEASE do a top 50. I do feel like you can get enough support around here to warrant it.

Personally, I think Haken countdown might be the most difficult one yet for me. The pain that some of you mentioned in this thread trying to choose a top 10 is going to be me trying to come up with a top 20 for the Haken thread.

I cannot promise I will do the Haken one any time soon. I am finishing the Queen one tomorrow and then will do the guitar one, but I have no more planned at this time.  I think I am burned out a bit on doing them. Of course, I say that now, and then I will wake up one day and get an idea for a new one, so stay tuned!

Ok. Well I’m leaving it there for now. But if it gets to be July and my circumstances have calmed down (significantly down) and I find a pocket of time, and no one’s done it yet, I might change my mind. But for now, it just sounds overwhelming. 

[KevShmev]

Ok. Well I’m leaving it there for now. But if it gets to be July and my circumstances have calmed down (significantly down) and I find a pocket of time, and no one’s done it yet, I might change my mind. But for now, it just sounds overwhelming.

I get it, sir. I hope things improve soon! No need in giving yourself unneeded stress.

[Mosh]

I think Richard Henshall has contributed a lot more to the prog genre than he gets credit for. He should be up there with Tosin Absasi and the other heavy hitters. He gets less recognition IMO because he's really gone for substance over flashy style on the last few albums. There aren't even many solos on Fauna, but the guitar arrangements are so captivating and unlike anything else around right now.

Btw I'm loving Fauna. It might be my second favorite Haken after The Mountain. They knocked it out of the park! Favorite tracks are Lovebite, Alphabet of Me, Elephants Never Forget. Also feel like Ross took a big step up on this album, surprised to see such a mixed reaction to the vocals.

[mike099]

Ross is a fine singer, but I wouldn't put him in my top 25.

And as stated, I think having two really good guitarist kind of muddies the waters when you think of top guitarists.  I want to say I like both, but I'm not sure I can even segregate them.  Charlies's solo album is pretty good, but I don't think I've listened to anything from Hen outside Haken. Having seen the band, they are both impressive live.  I kind of lean towards liking Hen more, I don't know why, maybe because of appearances in the way he feels more like the main guitarist, but I don't know.  I do think, because of all that, niether likely makes my top 25 guitarists (but I haven't even thought about that so maybe one or both would).

Check out Hen's solo album The Cocoon. There are two versions: with vocals and without them. Very tasteful stuff. The music style is not even close to Charlie's solo album.

I bought Hen’s solo album and really enjoy especially when I want to chill out.  I need to listen to Charlie’s solo album some more.

[Cocopjojo]

Ross is a fine singer, but I wouldn't put him in my top 25.

And as stated, I think having two really good guitarist kind of muddies the waters when you think of top guitarists.  I want to say I like both, but I'm not sure I can even segregate them.  Charlies's solo album is pretty good, but I don't think I've listened to anything from Hen outside Haken. Having seen the band, they are both impressive live.  I kind of lean towards liking Hen more, I don't know why, maybe because of appearances in the way he feels more like the main guitarist, but I don't know.  I do think, because of all that, niether likely makes my top 25 guitarists (but I haven't even thought about that so maybe one or both would).

Check out Hen's solo album The Cocoon. There are two versions: with vocals and without them. Very tasteful stuff. The music style is not even close to Charlie's solo album.

Wow, I didn't know about this and it is very good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=truq83RHW2k

Vocals aren't his strong suit, but the riffs are very strong and the solos are out of this world.

[me7]

I think Richard Henshall has contributed a lot more to the prog genre than he gets credit for. He should be up there with Tosin Absasi and the other heavy hitters. He gets less recognition IMO because he's really gone for substance over flashy style on the last few albums. There aren't even many solos on Fauna, but the guitar arrangements are so captivating and unlike anything else around right now.

This.

[Kram]

I do think Haken is one of those bands where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Absolutely! Missed the vocalists countdown but there's no way Ross would've made it in mine; and I've got none of Haken guitarists in the guitar countdown also. Btw I need to submit it tomorrow and I've only got 21/25. Maybe I'll just add the Haken guys.

I'd agree with this as well, and all the other posts really about Haken's guitarists and Ross.  I didn't participate in either the singer or guitarist threads (lack of time), but I don't think they'd have made my top 25.  I would say though if I did a top 25 drummers list, Ray would easliy make that.  His drumming, on the 3 albums in particular, has been insanely impressive!!

[Lonk]

This video is pure gold.

Gold.

https://youtu.be/vSamK9zyIi8

DT version of this video

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9N040fuHkyo

The ending made me laugh 

[Fritzinger]

Ross is a fine singer, but I wouldn't put him in my top 25.

And as stated, I think having two really good guitarist kind of muddies the waters when you think of top guitarists.  I want to say I like both, but I'm not sure I can even segregate them.  Charlies's solo album is pretty good, but I don't think I've listened to anything from Hen outside Haken. Having seen the band, they are both impressive live.  I kind of lean towards liking Hen more, I don't know why, maybe because of appearances in the way he feels more like the main guitarist, but I don't know.  I do think, because of all that, niether likely makes my top 25 guitarists (but I haven't even thought about that so maybe one or both would).

Check out Hen's solo album The Cocoon. There are two versions: with vocals and without them. Very tasteful stuff. The music style is not even close to Charlie's solo album.

This, this this.

Hen's solo album took a while to get into because of the way Hen uses his vocals. But this album is just insane. The rhythmic ideas and the whole band are just crazy good. Interestingly, I don't hear a lot of metal on that album. It's very fusiony/jazzy.

[CrimsonSunrise]

I'm on the fence about going to the Orlando show. It's a 3 hour drive each way. I'll wait and see what the setlist looks like next week and I'm sure there will be plenty of tix available.  Last year in Orlando with Symphony X the place was NOT crowded.  Anyone else hitting shows this leg?