Top 10 Prog Folk Albums

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)

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.

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: 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

Edited by Cactus Choir - August 16 2020 at 17:18

^^ It's good to see this poll back again. There's a Top 10 Crossover Prog list out there somewhere too.

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - August 16 2020 at 17:33

Top 10 update after the latest three rounds of voting:-

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - August 17 2020 at 07:12

1. Harmonium - Les Cinq Saisons

Psychedelic Paul wrote: David_D wrote: Interesting to see this one, Paul. It was a surprise to me too. I'd forgotten this poll even existed until it popped up again today over 16 months after the previous post.