Top 10 Prog Folk Albums

zwordser wrote: Logan wrote: zwordser wrote: Had to do a bit of re-listening for this one. I'm not on the TAAB bandwagon, mainly because I don't like side 2 so well. APP sounds somewhat disjointed, but is overall a more fascinating/likeable album. First Utterance - Comus (this one stands heads above the rest, beautiful, disturbing, innovative, moving, and jammin') St. Radigund's - Spirogyra (a couple of super strong tracks, plus excellent for the rest) The Hazards of Love - Decemberists (Their most progressive, concept album) Stormcock - Roy Harper (Prog Bob Dylan?) A Passion Play - Jethro Tull (see comment above) Mice and Rats in the Loft - Jan Dukes De Grey (the epic is awesome) Red Queen to Gryphon Three - Gryphon (a chess game in music, can't leave this out) Hero and Heroine - Strawbs (best of the two that I've heard from Strawbs) Fuchsia - Fuchsia (one-album band, but what an album) Holderlins Traum - Holderlin (in German, but fantastic music) Some runners up: Gudrun - Pierrot Lunaire (fascinating album, but is this really Prog folk??) (something) - Dead Can Dance (not sure which is best, but great band) Alturas De Maccu Piccu - Los Jaivas (Peruvian-sounding with a prog flair) Stand Up - Jethro Tull (a close 2nd to APP) Pentangle - Pentangle (I like it just a little better than Basket of Light) Dancer - Dancer (just some great songs) I guess I should not really have included Gudrun in my list. I second guessed and then forgot. It's Avant Prog with electronica. The first is more Prog Folk. Well, its classified as Prog Folk on this site, and has some folky elements, but certainly sounds more Avant than anything to me.

Well, of course we can't classify individual albums be genre, only put acts, including the complete discography, under one category-heading (a limitation of this site's architecture). I could understand Pierrot Lunaire being in Prog Folk based on the self-titled debut (it also has Avant Prog, as well as Psych qualities), but the next album, Gudrun, I would classify first as Avant Prog. I don't think I should have included it (that did occur to me then) in my list and maybe should change it to the debut.

Edited by Logan - March 17 2020 at 17:27

kenethlevine wrote: zwordser wrote: Had to do a bit of re-listening for this one. I'm not on the TAAB bandwagon, mainly because I don't like side 2 so well. APP sounds somewhat disjointed, but is overall a more fascinating/likeable album. First Utterance - Comus (this one stands heads above the rest, beautiful, disturbing, innovative, moving, and jammin') St. Radigund's - Spirogyra (a couple of super strong tracks, plus excellent for the rest) The Hazards of Love - Decemberists (Their most progressive, concept album) Stormcock - Roy Harper (Prog Bob Dylan?) A Passion Play - Jethro Tull (see comment above) Mice and Rats in the Loft - Jan Dukes De Grey (the epic is awesome) Red Queen to Gryphon Three - Gryphon (a chess game in music, can't leave this out) Hero and Heroine - Strawbs (best of the two that I've heard from Strawbs) Fuchsia - Fuchsia (one-album band, but what an album) Holderlins Traum - Holderlin (in German, but fantastic music) re Fuchsia, if you haven't heard it, listen to their second album(!).  Yes, 40 years later https://fuchsia.bandcamp.com/album/fuchsia-ii-from-psychedelia-to-a-distant-place truly one of the best comebacks I have heard.  It's just Tony Durant but he has managed to make this album tip it's hat to the past and yet sound fresh at the same time.  Do give it a try (and I'm not related to Tony!)

zwordser wrote: Had to do a bit of re-listening for this one. I'm not on the TAAB bandwagon, mainly because I don't like side 2 so well. APP sounds somewhat disjointed, but is overall a more fascinating/likeable album. First Utterance - Comus (this one stands heads above the rest, beautiful, disturbing, innovative, moving, and jammin') St. Radigund's - Spirogyra (a couple of super strong tracks, plus excellent for the rest) The Hazards of Love - Decemberists (Their most progressive, concept album) Stormcock - Roy Harper (Prog Bob Dylan?) A Passion Play - Jethro Tull (see comment above) Mice and Rats in the Loft - Jan Dukes De Grey (the epic is awesome) Red Queen to Gryphon Three - Gryphon (a chess game in music, can't leave this out) Hero and Heroine - Strawbs (best of the two that I've heard from Strawbs) Fuchsia - Fuchsia (one-album band, but what an album) Holderlins Traum - Holderlin (in German, but fantastic music) Some runners up: Gudrun - Pierrot Lunaire (fascinating album, but is this really Prog folk??) (something) - Dead Can Dance (not sure which is best, but great band) Alturas De Maccu Piccu - Los Jaivas (Peruvian-sounding with a prog flair) Stand Up - Jethro Tull (a close 2nd to APP) Pentangle - Pentangle (I like it just a little better than Basket of Light) Dancer - Dancer (just some great songs)

I guess I should not really have included Gudrun in my list. I second guessed and then forgot. It's Avant Prog with electronica. The first is more Prog Folk.

Had to do a bit of re-listening for this one. I'm not on the TAAB bandwagon, mainly because I don't like side 2 so well. APP sounds somewhat
disjointed, but is overall a more fascinating/likeable album.

First Utterance - Comus (this one stands heads above the rest, beautiful, disturbing, innovative, moving, and jammin')

St. Radigund's - Spirogyra (a couple of super strong tracks, plus excellent for the rest)

The Hazards of Love - Decemberists (Their most progressive, concept album)

Stormcock - Roy Harper (Prog Bob Dylan?)

A Passion Play - Jethro Tull (see comment above)

Mice and Rats in the Loft - Jan Dukes De Grey (the epic is awesome)

Red Queen to Gryphon Three - Gryphon (a chess game in music, can't leave this out)

Hero and Heroine - Strawbs (best of the two that I've heard from Strawbs)

Fuchsia - Fuchsia (one-album band, but what an album)

Holderlins Traum - Holderlin (in German, but fantastic music)


Some runners up:

Gudrun - Pierrot Lunaire (fascinating album, but is this really Prog folk??)
(something) - Dead Can Dance (not sure which is best, but great band)
Alturas De Maccu Piccu - Los Jaivas (Peruvian-sounding with a prog flair)
Stand Up - Jethro Tull (a close 2nd to APP)
Pentangle - Pentangle (I like it just a little better than Basket of Light)
Dancer - Dancer (just some great songs)

Hi,

Psychedelic Paul wrote: Latest poll update with SteveG and Lewian's votes added   1. JETHRO TULL - Thick as a Brick (202 points) 2. COMUS - First Utterance (112 points) 3. ROY HARPER - Stormcock (97 points) 4. JETHRO TULL - Songs from the Wood (60 points) 5. DEAD CAN DANCE - Within the Realm of a Dying Sun (55 points) 6. JAN DUKES DE GREY - Mice and Rats in the Loft (53 points) 7. ALAN STIVELL - Renaissance on a Celtic Harp (52 points) 8. SPIROGYRA - St. Radigunds (50 points) 9. PENTANGLE - Basket of Light (47 points) 9. NORTH SEA RADIO ORCHESTRA - I Am Moon (47 points)    Just under the radar:-   11. TIM BUCKLEY - Starsailor (40 points) 11. PTARMIGAN - Ptarmigan (40 points) 13. PENTANGLE - Cruel Sister (36 points) 14. CARMEN - Dancing on a Cold Wind (35 points) 15. PERRY LEOPOLD - Christian Lucifer (33 points) 16. PERERIN - Teithgan (30 points) 16. JETHRO TULL - Minstrel in the Gallery (30 points) 16. JETHRO TULL - A Passion Play (30 points) 16. THE DECEMBRISTS - The Crane Wife (30 points)  16. THE GHOST - When You're Dead - One Second (30 points) 21. STRAWBS - From the Witchwood (29 points)

Edited by Lewian - March 16 2020 at 09:25

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - March 16 2020 at 02:48

Latest poll update:-

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - March 15 2020 at 13:34

Pentangle are included in the Prog Folk section of PA and they're currently in 9th & 12th place in the poll with "Cruel Sister" and "Basket of Light" respectively. 

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - March 15 2020 at 08:09