So once again in accordance with my new blog schedule I am way behind! I was supposed to write a post about the prog album that I had picked on Tuesday. The problem is I didn’t pick a prog album on Tuesday! So what I did yesterday was pick a prog album to be the soundtrack of my run. It’s Nostalgia for Infinity by Hats off Gentlemen, It’s Adequate.
So, when checked the Weather Channel for Saturday and Sunday’s running conditions on Friday, I saw that both days would be great. However, I chose to run yesterday because I wanted the steps for last week! I had four days straight with over 10,000 steps for the first time in a while and I wanted five! Actually, I toyed with idea of runningf four miles, but decided to stay with my usual 5K course.
The Run
I started the run comfortably and ran the first mile at a 10:56 min/mile pace. Thanks to the coolness of the morning I was able to maintain the same pace through two miles. I was actually able to run the last mile slightly faster (10:51 min/mile) and still felt I was running comfortably. The old man sprint over the last 0.16 miles at a 9:56 min/mile pace resulted in an overall pace of 10:52 min/mile for the run! The second run at under an 11 min/mile pace!
The Nerdy Details
Total Dist: 3.16 miles Time 34:18 Pace:10:32 min/mile
Splits
Mile 1: 10:56 Mile 2: 10:56 Mile 3 10:51 0.16 9:52
Avg HR 129 Max HR 137 Cals Burned 389
The Soundtrack: Nostalgia for Infinity -Hats Off Gentleman It’s Adequate
I believe this is the first time I’ve listened to Hats Off Gentleman, It’s Adequate.(HOGIA) Since I’m not sure, I’ll need to go back and look at their discography to be sure. One reason I don’t listen to them before is that based on how much I like this album, I think I really would have remember them.
I would say that 80-90% percent of the time I really like a prog band, they fall into either the Neo-prog or Crossover Prog subgenres. In the case of (HOGIA) they are a crossover prog band from the United Kingdom.
About Hats Off Gentlemen, It’s Adequate
From ProgArchives
HATS OFF GENTLEMEN IT’S ADEQUATE is the creative vehicle of composer and musician Malcolm Galloway together with Mark Gatland (bass). Both in the studio as well as on stage he has a fairly regular cast of fellow musicians that helps out, depending on what’s needed for the occasion…..
The band’s musician line-up on Nostalgia for Infinity the band’s fifth release is consists of the following:
Malcolm Galloway / vocals, guitar, keyboards/synths, programming
– Mark Gatland / bass, additional guitars, keyboards/synths, Chapman Stick
– Kathryn Thomas / flute (1,2,9-11) vocals (10)
About Nostalgia for Infinity
In a review of Nostalgia for Infinity at ProgArchives the reviewer writes….
…As I have come to expect from HOGIA, this album is a combination of lengthy instrumental passages, plus songs with interesting and intriguing lyrics. One of the prevailing themes of the album is the fragility of human civilisation, with tracks exploring this from a science fiction perspective. Galloway states he has been massively influenced by the works of Alastair Reynolds in particular and has set some of the tracks within worlds Reynolds created.
For me, the song which has the most impact is “Ark”, which is an instrumental depicting the story of the famous aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. Galloway has a personal link with the ship, as his grandfather served with the Fleet Air Arm and was based on the ship for a while, and he now has Richard Galloway’s flight logs and I am sure this link is what has assisted in creating an incredibly dramatic piece of music..
You can check out the full review here at ProgArchives.
Final Thoughts About Hats Off Gentlemen, It’s Adequate
One of the draw backs of running with music and then trying to write about it is that I never really get to concentrate on the lyrics. I tend to catch pieces of the song as I run. One of the lyrics that I caught were from “Nanobotoma”…..”tiny machines spreading through me …” so the idea was planted that this album may be a bit sci-fi in nature.
Anyway, today was really the first time I listened to a large portion of the album, when I was not running and I really enjoyed it.The instrumentals are varied and interesting with different instruments leading the way on various tracks. It’s also a plus when, I can understand most of the lyrics!
So Check it Out. As for me I know I will listen to the album a lot over the next few weeks. I also want to check out their discography so you may be reading more about the band!
Links for the Further Exploration of the Music of Hats Off Gentlemen, It’s Adequate
Band’s Website
ProgArchives
Bandcamp
Twitter
YouTube
Here’s “Century Rain” the opening track from Nostalgia for Infinity – live from lockdown.
Many thanks for listening to our music. Best wishes, Malcolm