Psychedelic Paul wrote: Seeing as it's a long time between now and the next international A-Z list in January, who would you choose for your own international A-Z list of prog favourites?

These are one act per letter from around the world curated from my polls of personal favourites based on which one for each letter I would feel most in the mood to play right now. By the way, while I was pleased to delve into lots that I like, I do much prefer this topic to my series. It gives everybody an easy way to list favourites, or a favourite, for every letter (better than a poll methinks to get an overview of everyone's tastes).

Not all of my choices below are in PA (Boards of Canada, Fishmans, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Xiu Xiu). I could have gone with all that are of course, but all of these are applicable to me for this site. Too lazy to want to try to get everything, or most, in that I think applicable by suggesting and then adding if accepted.

Art Zoyd
Boards of Canada
Cardiacs
Dead Can Dance
Eskaton
Fishmans
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Hammill, Peter
Incredible String Band, The
Jan Dukes de Grey
Kayo Dot
Leprino, Franco
Magma
North Sea Radio Orchestra
Oneohtrix Point Never
Pink Floyd
Quicksilver Messenger Service
Radiohead
Swans
Tangerine Dream
Univers Zéro
Van der Graaf Ganerator
Wyatt, Robert
Xiu Xiu
Yatha Sidhra
Zao

Edited by Logan - October 09 2024 at 10:47

Jester's Joke is a major prog band? Is this a joke? 

AFlowerKingCrimson wrote: Jester's Joke is a major prog band? Is this a joke?

Blue Öyster Cult began life in New York in 1967 with a mixture of Tyranny and Mutation. Having signed the Secret Treaties with the Columbia record label, the band became Agents of Fortune with the success of their fourth album, which included the all-time classic (Don't Fear) The Reaper. Blue Öyster Cult were able to put the Spectres of years of struggle behind them, with gleaming polished Mirrors reflecting a bright future ahead.  There was now no danger of Blue Öyster Cult becoming extinct like the Cultosaurus Erectus dinosaur. The band were lit up and burning with success in a Fire of Unknown Origin and ready to take the world by storm with a  Revolution by Night down at the Club Ninja. Imaginos was a modern Cult Classic album and a real return to form, but Heaven Forbid that Blue Öyster Cult should end their long career with the Curse of the Hidden Mirror. Never fear though, because the release of their most recent album in 2020 guarantees that the Blue Öyster Cult  Symbol Remains forever!  

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - January 30 2025 at 12:54

Deep Purple    There've been many Shades of Deep Purple over the years with various line-up changes along the way that reads like The Book of Taliesyn. Deep Purple are almost as enduring as the U.S. Presidents engraved In Rock on Mount Rushmore. Their storming brand of Hard Rock has all the fiery energy of a Fireball and the tempered steel hardness of a Machine Head. The band asked "Who Do We Think We Are?" as they prepared to Burn up the world stage with their thunderous live act of Stormbringer songs. Crowds flocked in their thousands to Come Taste the Band live. Fans of Deep Purple who began as Perfect Strangers became lifelong friends as they watched the band perform together in The House of Blue Light. The Battle Rages On to determine the best British Rock band of all time, with Deep Purple being Purpendicular to Led Zeppelin in the vast pantheon of Rock. There's nothing quite as thrilling as seeing A-Band-On a crazy world tour, no matter whether they're going  Bananas in Brazil, Crackers in Caracas, or Nuts in the Netherlands. For anyone lucky enough to have experienced the Rapture of the Deep Purple Live, they may wonder Now What can possibly better that in the Infinite universe of Hard Rock!? One thing's for sure, you can bet Deep Purple will do it with a bang and a Whoosh. It beats Turning to Crime. 

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - January 28 2025 at 11:46

^ I love Eloy but I think I would struggle to back up so many albums receiving 5 and 4 stars! If 'correct' then Inside to Silent Cries is one of the great 7 album runs in prog. Sweet!

The Flower Kings   🌼  A Swedish Progressive Rock band who began life as a backing group for Roine Stolt's solo "Flower King" album, but then blossomed into a fully-fledged band in their own right. The Flower Kings have more roots, offshoots and branches than a herbaceous border full of rhododendron bushes, so it may take a while to list all of their many related albums here. I think this calls for a series of Flower Kings-related polls sometime in the not too distant future. 

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - February 10 2025 at 03:19

mellotronwave wrote: Hey Paul, When do you sleep ? Take a rest .? Eat ? Drink ? and so on ?

It’s been ages since I stopped by PA. But it’s 2025 now, so I figured I’d pop in for a look-see at what my buddy Psychedelic Paul has been up to. He keeps me updated on
what he’s been doing, whether it’s compilations, polls or highlights of a certain artist. But seeing is believing and he’s really put his nose to the grindstone with these Mega Lists. He’s so familiar with each artist and because he’s been working on them for years, he’s uploaded tons of terrific examples of their work so I can pick and choose which appeals to me. My knowledge of Prog is minimal I’ll admit, but he’s helped enlighten me as to his favorite bands, vocalists, albums and songs which have mostly become my favorites as well. So I can say without a doubt that I’m quite satiated dining on his scrumptious playlists posted here like a musical buffet. I can fill my plate with lots of tempting musical morsels daily and never get tired of the selection. I can even stop in at his Soul Kitchen! Lol. He told me he added Chicago and then Deep Purple and now I see he’s added Gong among others. One comment says that FLYING TEA POT was a favorite album among Prog Archives members although not Paul’s. But upon listening to that album “Aeroplane” and “Flying Teapot,” on YouTube I had to reconsider joining the throng of enthusiastic fans. I did enjoy their 1974 album YOU and songs “A Sprinkling” and “Perfect Mystery” although not as much as another artist in the Mega Lists. Eloy, and their album SILENT CRIES MIGHTY ECHOES and the songs “Apocalypse “ and “Pilot to paradise.” These to me had the musical flavor of the soundtrack from the movie HAIR. Now that’s prog I can really dig!! Hope I got the names of material right. Psychedelic Paul might be the King of Phraseology but I’m definitely the Queen of typos. Guess I’ll log in again soon to SING 🎤 the praises of my buddy since I am his number one fan. TIL then
Be calm and prog on!!