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The best prog album of all time?
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Chaser View Drop Down
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Agree with most of the comments here. There is no right or wrong answer, it's completely down to personal opinion.

My opinion has always been clear on this question.

The answer is Close to the Edge.

I'm sure there are many gems of prog rock that I've not yet discovered, but, of all the albums I've listened to, Close to the Edge is the only one that I regard as 100% perfection and I would not change a single note on the album.

So, on that basis, it is, for me, undoubtedly the best prog album of all time.
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"Close to the Edge" is an o.k. album; I would give it 4 stars. "Relayer" is much better; it is a lot more daring. "Close to the Edge" is just too conventional to be a 5 star album


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This is a meaningless question.

The correct answer is Burnt Weeny Sandwich by the Mothers.

Edited by Mascodagama - May 18 2019 at 04:44
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Originally posted by siLLy puPPy siLLy puPPy wrote:

No such thing. Exists in the mythical universe of the individual mind.


"Exists in the Mythical Universe of the Individual Mind" is an excellent prog album and should be considered one of the greatest of all time.
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Originally posted by Mascodagama Mascodagama wrote:

This is a meaningless question.

LOL true
I so wanna troll this topic, but I won't (though struggling Big smile)
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Originally posted by BaldJean BaldJean wrote:

"Close to the Edge" is an o.k. album; I would give it 4 stars. "Relayer" is much better; it is a lot more daring. "Close to the Edge" is just too conventional to be a 5 star album

Conventional compared to Magma maybe. LOL
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CTTE, conventional?
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Originally posted by jamesbaldwin jamesbaldwin wrote:

Ok, well, 

We have to understand what it means best prog album of all time. 

It could mean 

1) the most progressive opera, or 
2) the most beautiful progressive opera.



It could also mean the most popular album, in terms of sales -- in which case Pink Floyd's DSOTM would win.
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Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Originally posted by BaldJean BaldJean wrote:

"Close to the Edge" is an o.k. album; I would give it 4 stars. "Relayer" is much better; it is a lot more daring. "Close to the Edge" is just too conventional to be a 5 star album

Conventional compared to Magma maybe. LOL

I like a challenge when listening to an album. "Relayer" is definitely more challenging to listen to than "Close to the Edge".

now "Pawn Hearts" - that is an album I could agree upon. but many don't like it, or VdGG in general. which is one of the reasons I could agree upon it. the best works of art are often controversial.

but generally speaking there is no such thing as "best prog album", simply because de gustibus non est disputandum

Edited by BaldJean - May 18 2019 at 11:25


A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta
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Pawn Hearts...with the The Lamb and Topographic Oceans rounding out the top 3 Wink
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Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

I'd say Close to the Edge.   It was a "perfect storm," a band of amazingly talented musicians who found their groove together & captured lightning in a bottle.  

Bruford's drumming on the album is under-appreciated in my opinion, it is some of his very best work!  

I saw them on the Yessongs tour, Sept 22, 1972.   I was expecting to hear the AM radio hit "America" and hadn't heard a single song off of CTTE, so imagine my surprise!!  They played like the devil was chasing them.  

There are many worthy albums to mention (Foxtrot, SEBTP, etc.) but they all have some minor weak point or slow song....CTTE had none.  


I guess when you saw them it was already with Alan White? Did the band even get a chance to play the album live before Bruford left? I think I remember he didn't.
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I am fine with it being Close to the Edge, a most creative and impressive album.
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Yeah, Close to the Edge is hard to beat.
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So I have to eliminate Brain Salad Surgery (damn that weak Karn Evil 9 track) and go for CTTE.

Anderson, Wakeman, Bruford , Squire and Howe were the ultimate prog line up. However Fragile does have higher musical peaks imo just not as consistent.
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"And You And I" is a bit too sugarcoated for my taste, which is why "Close to the Edge" is not the masterpiece that most people think it is. I prefer pepper to sugar.


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Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

The one that probably influenced more musicians than any other to get into prog -

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Although Tarkus is high on my list of favourite albums, it is not a perfect album because it has "Are You Ready Eddy?" at the end, which is short enough and positioned not to affect the greatness of the album, but it does prevent it from being perfect (as required by the opening post).
 
 
 
 
 
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I consider Pawn Hearts to be not just a perfect album, but a step above all other albums (that I know). That is because there is something about Pawn Hearts that I don't get from other albums.
 
 
 
 
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Originally posted by I prophesy disaster I prophesy disaster wrote:

Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

The one that probably influenced more musicians than any other to get into prog -

Related image

 
 
Although Tarkus is high on my list of favourite albums, it is not a perfect album because it has "Are You Ready Eddy?" at the end, which is short enough and positioned not to affect the greatness of the album, but it does prevent it from being perfect (as required by the opening post).

I don't object to "Are Your Ready, Eddy?". To quote Frank Zappa: "Does humor belong in music"? Answer: Yes it does! So I like tracks like "Are You Ready, Eddy?" and the equally disliked "Jeremy Bender".


BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue.
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Originally posted by BaldFriede BaldFriede wrote:

Originally posted by I prophesy disaster I prophesy disaster wrote:

Although Tarkus is high on my list of favourite albums, it is not a perfect album because it has "Are You Ready Eddy?" at the end, which is short enough and positioned not to affect the greatness of the album, but it does prevent it from being perfect (as required by the opening post).

I don't object to "Are Your Ready, Eddy?". To quote Frank Zappa: "Does humor belong in music"? Answer: Yes it does! So I like tracks like "Are You Ready, Eddy?" and the equally disliked "Jeremy Bender".
 
I don't object to the humour (the subject matter). I just don't like the track for whatever reason. And yet I don't have a problem with "Jeremy Bender" (or "Benny The Bouncer" from Brain Salad Surgery).
 
 
 
 
No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man.
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