BRITISH PROG IS THE BEST!

richardh wrote: I don't think the eighties can be ignored entirely:

...And God knows I've tried!

Prog originated in the UK of that there is no doubt.The major innovators inspired and created all those who followed and there has been more than a few throughout the last four decades.But the great sadness for me being British/Scottish and (Jon Anderson's dad was a Scot from Paisley) is that the media ignore real music and push the drivel that is modern music.I saw Arena last Easter in Glasgow and there was hardly fifty people there.This once great rock country is seriously ill.

Emdiar all is not yet lost even though The Darkness do rip all the other great rock bands off.They are media friendly and there were more than just the one decent rock number on their 'Permission to Land' Album.For all their posturing they can at least play live and if they can write another decent rock album it might yet just catch on to the youth of today to enable them to expand their minds!Who am I kidding on?

Fragile wrote: Prog originated in the UK of that there is no doubt.The major innovators inspired and created all those who followed and there has been more than a few throughout the last four decades.But the great sadness for me being British/Scottish and (Jon Anderson's dad was a Scot from Paisley) is that the media ignore real music and push the drivel that is modern music.I saw Arena last Easter in Glasgow and there was hardly fifty people there.This once great rock country is seriously ill.

Carl Palmer's father was Scottish also... from Glasgow.  And last year, Carl's concert's were somewhat well attended... by a lot of tall bald men with ponytails in black leather jackets...  As far as women at these shows... I could count them on one hand.  Actually it was me and the 3 waitresses...  But the show at the Renfrew Ferry was great and there was a little better attendance at the Loch Gelly Leisure Center. 

I can't wait to go back to Loch Gelly this Nov. for Carl's show.  My B&B in Cowdenbeath was just excellent!

Your'e  far travelled for a concert Three Fates I was also at the Carl Palmer gig and like The Wishbone Ash gig the previous month it was choc a block but this was because these bands had links to the 70's.There must have been more than  4 women there as my 17 year old was there with me and others.Carl Palmer is back in November will you be over for that?Great to read that prog is getting played at school.Is this the school of Rock that Jack Black wanted?Good for you Shrinking Violet - great Mostly Autumn track is your moniker!

                                                 John

Dropforge wrote:

By "large"? Misconception. Those bands had but two studio albums apiece throughout the entire decade (one even split up). Yes, Anglagard made a big spash at the very first ProgFest, and I also like PLP. I've just never regarded Sweden as a hotbed like, say, Italy or Japan. In the '90s, tons of new/er groups sprung up, some embracing the past, some combining the best of old and new.

Well, thet's part of the old debate quality vs quantity, IMHO Hybris and Epilog are by far the best prog' albums from the 90's, I believe there's not a single album from the 80's and 90's that could be even close to this two masterpieces.

Par Lindh Project has released 7 albums (4 studio) exactly the same number as Genesis prog' era albums.

Anekdoten has relesed 6 albums (4 is studio).

So there are not so few releases as you mention, without counting other lesser known Scandinavian bands we're talking about 16 excellent albums.

But even if there were only 5 or 6, I chose quality berore quantity, and the quality in the 90's was in Sweden. I would be the most happy man on earth if Genesis would have changed the name after W&W, because the all the later albums don't represent the importance of the band.

To be precise, the 3 men Genesis are the best representation of the 80's, the decade I try to forget.

Iván

ivan_2068 wrote: So there are not so few releases as you mention, without counting other lesser known Scandinavian bands we're talking about 16 excellent albums.

Kerrs Pink, Landberk, Gjallarhorn, Ragnarök, Finnforest and Kaipa (just to point out a couple) would definitely fit into that description

Greenback wrote:

Of course, do not forget the 80's! You have to be ignorant to not consider this decade as important in prog history! Marillion, Pink Floyd, Rush, Yes, IQ, ELPowell.

Just a few days we were talking about this kind of posts, everybody is entitled to his opinion without having to be called ignorant.

I'm one of those who think the 80's is the worst decade of musical history for many reasons but I will only mention a couple.

I.- Pink Floyd, Yes,  ELP and most of the 70's monster's best days as composers had already passed, lets see:

1. Waters left Pink Floyd after "The Final Cut" (Which was not one of the band's best albums), and the later are not the same
2. Yes released "90125", "9012Live"," Big Generator", and that's all.
3. Genesis case is even worst: "Duke", "ABACAB", "Invisible Touch", "Shapes" (Genesis), "And the Word Was" (A new art cover for From Genesis to the Revelation) and of course their best work "Three Sides Live" (Sadly only the fourth side in the British version was decent).
4. Emerson Lake & Palmer didn't released a single album, and ELPowell is not precisely a masterpiece.
5. Kansas released their three worst albums.
6. Asia: You have the right to like them, but IMHO they only released third class prog and second class AOR.
7. Jethro Tull didn't released a single outstanding album in the 80's.
8. Camel released "Nude", "The Single Factor" and "Stationary Traveller", which are not even a shadow of "Rain Dances" or "Moonmadness".
9. Mike Oldfield didn't released a single album in the level of "Tubular Bells" or "Ommadawn".
10. Rick Wakeman released mostly New Age stuff, nothing even memorable, not even 1984.

It's obvious for me that there's not a single album from this decade that can be considered in the same league as "Close to the Edge", "Foxtrot", "Trilogy", "Wish You Were Here" or even "Leftoverture". But you have your own opinion and you're entitled to it.

II.- 90% of the other bands of this decade are Neo Prog' or AOR, two sub-genres which I don't really care very much for, and strongly influenced by POP, so I prefer to forget almost all the music released in the 80's.

III.- The Italian Bands were almost dead during the 80's,

1.  PFM only released "Come Ti Va in Riva Alla Citta" in 1981 and "Li' Album di PFM" in 1989, both simply mediocre if compared to Per un Amico, Storia di un Minuto or La' Isola di Niente.
2. Banco del Mutuo Soccorso didn't released a single album beytween 1976 and 1991.
3. Le Orme was only a shadow releasing only "Venerdi"; "Piccola Rapsodie Dell Ape" was released in january 1980 but recorded during 1979, it's a good album but not in the level of "Felona e Sorona" or "Florian".

The same can be said about prog' in the rest of the world.

IV.- Prog fans had to wait until 1992 to listen a new masterpiece like "Hybris", nuch better than anything released 12 or even 14 years before.

As you see, I strongly disagree with you Greenback, but I don't need to call you an ignorant, this is a civilized forum, try to keep it this way.

Iván