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Which self-indulgent album is your favourite?
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WJA-K View Drop Down
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    Posted: March 29 2022 at 02:22
A common theme involving prog - especially in the 70's - is that most acts fell into the trap of self-indulgence. This would be one of the main reasons for the rapid decline of prog in the second half of the seventies.

I have to admit I don't hate most of these albums. On the contrary, I applaud the bands for trying to push the envelope.

So this brings me to my question: What is your favourite self-indulgent album? And why?

Mine is Focus III, a double album. I especially like the track Anonymous Two as is it packed with brilliant solos from all the members (considered needless noodling by many).
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probably Tales from Topo, but there are many--  Meddle, Passion Play, SRtS.

What a glorious time for music.
"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."   -- John F. Kennedy
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Mine is what I believe to be the original and best self-indulgent album of all time, Tubular Bells!
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Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

probably Tales from Topo, but there are many--  Meddle, Passion Play, SRtS.

What a glorious time for music.


For Pink Floyd, I'd argue The Wall and The Final Cut are great contenders too!
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Originally posted by Ronstein Ronstein wrote:

Mine is what I believe to be the original and best self-indulgent album of all time, Tubular Bells!
Great choice!
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If we're not including strictly prog albums, I would have to go with Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins. An extremely self-indulgent 2-hour record that, despite its pretentious nature, is an incredibly solid prog-influenced alt-rock record. Billy Corgan might have overextended his reach, but there are only a few songs on the album that I'd actually cut despite its length
Take me down, to the underground
Won't you take me down, to the underground
Why oh why, there is no light
And if I can't sleep, can you hold my life

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Works Vol. 1 - not 'arf!
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Originally posted by Necrotica Necrotica wrote:

If we're not including strictly prog albums, I would have to go with Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins. An extremely self-indulgent 2-hour record that, despite its pretentious nature, is an incredibly solid prog-influenced alt-rock record. Billy Corgan might have overextended his reach, but there are only a few songs on the album that I'd actually cut despite its length
Mellon Collie counts for me! I agree it's heavily prog-influenced. That mellotron on the opener!


Edited by WJA-K - March 29 2022 at 05:08
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Probably my fave piece of OTT self-indulgence has always been 'Relayer', to be honest...
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Originally posted by Rick1 Rick1 wrote:

Works Vol. 1 - not 'arf!

Works for me too! My favourite ELP album. Alright? Not 'arf! Smile
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"A frequent criticism at the time was of 'self indulgence'. In practice, when you let rip this is always a risk. In principle, to consider acting in accordance with one's musical sense-of-rightness as indulgent is a terrifying commentary upon the extent to which our culture has become aberrant in its values and out-of-touch with its innate humanity. Young musicians of the time who were self-indulgent were not, as far as my perception went, playing what was true for them but what they believed to be in fashion."

--Robert Fripp, 1992
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Originally posted by Neu!mann Neu!mann wrote:

"A frequent criticism at the time was of 'self indulgence'. In practice, when you let rip this is always a risk. In principle, to consider acting in accordance with one's musical sense-of-rightness as indulgent is a terrifying commentary upon the extent to which our culture has become aberrant in its values and out-of-touch with its innate humanity. Young musicians of the time who were self-indulgent were not, as far as my perception went, playing what was true for them but what they believed to be in fashion."

--Robert Fripp, 1992
You can't argue against Fripp :-)
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A Passion Play and Tales top my list, and I really love them.
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I back all of the albums suggested here but for "favorite" I'm gonna second the Focus III LP as it has steadily and continuously grown in my estimation since I first purchased it back in 1977. For example, I used to find most of it intolerable, despite absolutely upholding "Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers!" as one of my absolute favorite songs. (I adore Jan Akkerman.) Now I listen with reverence and awe through every song, even the two "Anonymous" pieces that I used to hate (precisely for the endless self-indulgent noodling and pseudo-cerebral form).

So much of Neo Prog feels self-indulgent because the "epic" form feels so unnecessary or forced--as if the musicians decided, "Let's do a prog epic" instead of having a song/story idea that required an epic form in order to satisfy it's telling.


BTW: Nice idea for a discussion thread! Kudos, man!



Edited by BrufordFreak - March 29 2022 at 06:12
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Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:

BTW: Nice idea for a discussion thread! Kudos, man!

Thank you!

I like your points involving how many bands want to "do prog" nowadays and how this puts the 70's bands in a different light. 
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Probably Atom Heart Mother.
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when It comes to at least the title track of Atom Heart Mother, I would have to then say that it’s Ron Geesin’s self-indulgence, and what a glorious thing it is.

From the classic era, I would mention Can’s Tago Mago, Magma’s double-album debut, MDK and others, Soft Machine’s Third and Tangerine Dream’s Zeit. In 90s Prog, Swans’ Soundtracks for the Blind (love this album) and Cardiacs’ Sing to God, and of the past decade, various Swans although Glowing Man is my favourite.
Duos for fave acts
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Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

Probably Atom Heart Mother.
Nice one! I love this one too.
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I suppose any double album of prog could be considered self-indulgent, and with that in mind, I vote for Tales from Topographic Oceans. 
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Hi,

Weird. 

Strange.

Odd.

I guess that Shakespeare is the most self indulgent of them all!

Ohhh wait ... Mozart ... too many notes!

Beethoven and Tchaikovsky ... too many instruments doing the same thing and also doing different things!

Stravinsky ... why all the weirdness and changes?

Tangerine Dream. Take the dreamer (EF) out and the music sounds machine-like, and not fluid! 

Oh, forgot the most self indulgent of all ... KLAUS SCHULZE. I guess that over 75 CD's of music is not enough!

Tongue

Wink


Edited by moshkito - March 29 2022 at 08:20
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