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Joined: April 05 2006
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Points: 35951 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Spirogyra Actual Top Prog Folk
    Posted: December 15 2011 at 13:16
I love Spirogyra -- one of my favourite bands in the archives, and one of my favourite acid folk acts.  That Spirogyra has two albums in the Prog Folk category top ten in nothing to sneeze at.

Cover Ratings Title
Artist		 Genre
(Record Type)		 BUY
1 4.64 | 1309 ratings
QWR = 4.6212
 Thick As A Brick
Jethro Tull		 Prog Folk
Studio, 1972		 Buy
2 4.29 | 938 ratings
QWR = 4.2720
 Aqualung
Jethro Tull		 Prog Folk
Studio, 1971		 Buy
3 4.46 | 57 ratings
QWR = 4.2131
 St. Radigunds
Spirogyra		 Prog Folk
Studio, 1971		 Buy
4 4.33 | 86 ratings
QWR = 4.1784
 Mice And Rats In The Loft
Jan Dukes De Grey		 Prog Folk
Studio, 1971		 Buy
5 4.26 | 133 ratings
QWR = 4.1623
 Alturas de Macchu Picchu
Los Jaivas		 Prog Folk
Studio, 1981		 Buy
6 4.24 | 125 ratings
QWR = 4.1422
 Grave New World
Strawbs		 Prog Folk
Studio, 1972		 Buy
7 4.14 | 505 ratings
QWR = 4.1183
 Songs From The Wood
Jethro Tull		 Prog Folk
Studio, 1977		 Buy
8 4.27 | 84 ratings
QWR = 4.1182
 Stormcock
Roy Harper		 Prog Folk
Studio, 1971		 Buy
9 4.14 | 252 ratings
QWR = 4.0926
 Red Queen to Gryphon Three
Gryphon		 Prog Folk
Studio, 1974		 Buy
10 4.36 | 43 ratings
QWR = 4.0859
 Bells, Boots And Shambles
Spirogyra		 Prog Folk
Studio, 1973


As has been said, there are limitations to this website as we don't have album tagging.  Even if one considered Aqualung prog folk, which I do not, St. Ragidunds has a higher average rating than it, but the algorithm for placement factors in numbers of ratings, and of course Jethro Tull is hugely better known than Spirogyra.

Personally, I would kind of support Jethro Tull's move to, say, Eclectic, in which case St. Radigunds would be in the number one position, but I don't really care about album placement,  The only category which has an album I really like to see in the top spot is Indo/ Prog Raga rock with Mixtus Orbis, though I love the top albums in say,Krautrock, Prog Electronic, Zeuhl, Canterbury, Avant Prog, and RPI, they just wouldn't be my top picks from the category, but I digress.

What kind of surprises me is that Comus' First Utterance doesn't make the top ten.  I know there are those who hate it, but that would be my choice for Prog Folk's top album if I controlled the list, with St. Radigunds at number two (though I love Bells Boots and Shambles as much, sometimes more, and also love old Boot Wine).  Is nicce to Jan Dukes de Grey's also rated so high, wheeich is an excellent album too.  And I adore Stormcock -- think I might put it at number three.  Also loike the ethnic folk of Los Jaivas, and Gryphon is largely what got me into Prog in the first place long ago (great album that, if a bit too formulaic).

For those that don't know Spirogyra, which is a lot of people at PA, even if it has quite a few fans in the fora:
Duos for fave acts
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Points: 32524 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 09 2011 at 16:02
Gotta disagree about Songs from the Woods and Heavy Horses being the only two Jethro Tull albums that can be considered Prog Folk: Minstrel in the Gallery fits the category ("Baker St. Muse" is one of the definitive prog folk songs in my opinion).
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Points: 19535 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 09 2011 at 09:32
Originally posted by faeryking faeryking wrote:

Your intro to Prog Folk written by Hughes Chantraine says:

"Although JETHRO TULL had some definitive folk roots right from the start, their only albums that can be regarded as Prog Folk are 77's Songs From The Woods and 78's Heavy Horses." 

ISN'T IT TIME TO ADMIT THAT TOO LONG IGNORED 'SPIROGYRA' ACTUALLY HAVE THE TOP PROG FOLK ALBUM? THE TWO ALBUMS POSTED ABOVE 'ST RADIGUND'S' BY JETHRO TULL ARE NOT IN FACT PROG FOLK - BY YOUR OWN ADMISSION! BESIDES WHICH THEY ARE A MAINSTREAM VERY FAMOUS BAND PLAYED ALMOST DAILY ON THE BBC AND WORLDWIDE WHILST SPIROGYRA ARE PLAYED PRECISELY - NEVER! NOT FAIR 

As Easy Livin' pointed before, the ranking of the albums is product of the ratings given by members and visitors to the albums.

Now, there's  a huge difference between Folkloric Music and Prog Foilk, the first one is 100% ethnic music from different regions and countries (not only British pastoral Celtic rooted), while Prog Folk is Progressive Rock with some determinant and clear folk elements.

Jethro Tull falls precisely in that category, because except This Was and partially Stand Up (this last one had Bouree and Fat Man which are clearly Folk Prog), all the albums are full of Folk references, in other words blends Folk and Prog.

It's true that bands like Fairport Convention or Spirogyra are almost pure Folk with some Prog, but Jethro Tull is a faithful representative of the fusion of two genres...And the reviewers believe better ones.

And if we talk of pure Prog Folk,I believe LOS JAIVAS and SUPAY are purest expressions of Prog Folk than the excellent Spirogyra, because Andean Folk can also be Prog, and both are outstanding.

Iván
 


Edited by Ivan_Melgar_M - December 09 2011 at 09:41
            
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Points: 8955 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 09 2011 at 09:09

welcome to the weird and wonderful world of prog folk.  Beer
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Points: 37575 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 02 2011 at 10:09
Here Hugues: www.progarchives.com/subgenre.asp?style=6 5th paragraph
What?
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Points: 20251 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 02 2011 at 09:25
Originally posted by faeryking faeryking wrote:

Your intro to Prog Folk written by Hughes Chantraine says:

"Although JETHRO TULL had some definitive folk roots right from the start, their only albums that can be regarded as Prog Folk are 77's Songs From The Woods and 78's Heavy Horses." 

ISN'T IT TIME TO ADMIT THAT TOO LONG IGNORED 'SPIROGYRA' ACTUALLY HAVE THE TOP PROG FOLK ALBUM? THE TWO ALBUMS POSTED ABOVE 'ST RADIGUND'S' BY JETHRO TULL ARE NOT IN FACT PROG FOLK - BY YOUR OWN ADMISSION! BESIDES WHICH THEY ARE A MAINSTREAM VERY FAMOUS BAND PLAYED ALMOST DAILY ON THE BBC AND WORLDWIDE WHILST SPIROGYRA ARE PLAYED PRECISELY - NEVER! NOT FAIR 
 
Hi there!!
 
Thanks for quoting me, Wink
 
and if I remember writing this, I have no memory of publishing this in the database.
 
Did you take this quote from the forum, or from the database itself???
 
 
 
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Points: 16952 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 01 2011 at 19:53
'Tis a very good album k.
Crushed like a rose in the riverflow.
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Points: 4659 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 01 2011 at 19:52

I think it is much more interesting that the Decemberists' 'Hazards of Love' is our highest rated Prog Folk album released in the past 30 years.....


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Points: 31169 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 01 2011 at 14:44
Do as I do:  continue to ignore Jethro Tull and enjoy Spirogyra.
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Points: 15585 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 01 2011 at 14:41

Me thinks there is some confusion here.

Within this site, Jethro Tull are classified as a Prog folk band. This means that all their albums will appear under the prog folk banner, regardless of their actual style. We do not have a facility to classify albums individually (yet).
 
The algorithm which automatically extracts the top folk albums will therefore look at all the albums by all the bands classified as prog folk, and extract those which have the highest ratings (based on the number of ratings and the number or stars allocated).
 
As Lazland says, you are free to post reviews and ratings of the albums you think are under-recognised to boost their position. Remember though that in the end it is all about opinions.
 
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Points: 13635 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 01 2011 at 13:32
Originally posted by faeryking faeryking wrote:

Your intro to Prog Folk written by Hughes Chantraine says:

"Although JETHRO TULL had some definitive folk roots right from the start, their only albums that can be regarded as Prog Folk are 77's Songs From The Woods and 78's Heavy Horses." 

ISN'T IT TIME TO ADMIT THAT TOO LONG IGNORED 'SPIROGYRA' ACTUALLY HAVE THE TOP PROG FOLK ALBUM? THE TWO ALBUMS POSTED ABOVE 'ST RADIGUND'S' BY JETHRO TULL ARE NOT IN FACT PROG FOLK - BY YOUR OWN ADMISSION! BESIDES WHICH THEY ARE A MAINSTREAM VERY FAMOUS BAND PLAYED ALMOST DAILY ON THE BBC AND WORLDWIDE WHILST SPIROGYRA ARE PLAYED PRECISELY - NEVER! NOT FAIR 

Welcome to the site, although there is no need to shout.

I have no problem with Hughes introduction whatsoever. As a long term Tull fan, this is spot on the money. This two albums are, rightly, the top of the PA ratings, by dint of many members reviewing/rating them as such.

Why don't you start an appreciation thread for Spyrogyra, or do some reviews, whixh would be a little more constructive?
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Points: 3 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 01 2011 at 13:21
Your intro to Prog Folk written by Hughes Chantraine says:

"Although JETHRO TULL had some definitive folk roots right from the start, their only albums that can be regarded as Prog Folk are 77's Songs From The Woods and 78's Heavy Horses." 

ISN'T IT TIME TO ADMIT THAT TOO LONG IGNORED 'SPIROGYRA' ACTUALLY HAVE THE TOP PROG FOLK ALBUM? THE TWO ALBUMS POSTED ABOVE 'ST RADIGUND'S' BY JETHRO TULL ARE NOT IN FACT PROG FOLK - BY YOUR OWN ADMISSION! BESIDES WHICH THEY ARE A MAINSTREAM VERY FAMOUS BAND PLAYED ALMOST DAILY ON THE BBC AND WORLDWIDE WHILST SPIROGYRA ARE PLAYED PRECISELY - NEVER! NOT FAIR 
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