Is Selling England really the greatest prog album?

SEBTP, CTTE, DSOTM, ITCOTCK... they're all pretty much archetypal progressive rock albums - ones people refer to if anyone doesn't know what prog is.

Whether that makes them the best or not is a moot point - sure, they're going to get the highest number of reviews, as a vast majority of prog fans own them & it's easy to review an album everyone knows, so chances are, they're the forst ones they review when coming here in the first place.

Edited by Jim Garten - March 26 2009 at 12:34

Jim Garten wrote: SEBTP, CTTE, DSOTM, ITCOTCK....

  Can't argue with the point about Dancing with the Moonlit Knight and Firth of Fifth, those two songs are excellent and among Genesis' best. Personally, there probably is a perfect progressive rock album out there, but why bother worrying about it. Its like splitting hairs when one considers how many truly remarkable albums have been cut over the years. Any discussion of the sort is superfluous to me...

Edited by mr.cub - March 26 2009 at 14:17

yes, it probably is the greatest prog album..  sorry

IMO it's a great prog album that I like very much, but to me not the greatest.

I actually don't like it that much.  I tried.  It's not even in my top five Genesis albums, much less top albums of all time.  I really don't understand it's appeal.  However, many people disagree, so what do I know?

I agree with most everyone here, a great album but not the best.

Roj M30 wrote: progrocker2244 wrote: Nightfly wrote: A truly beautiful album. Perfect in execution and composition (okay More Fool Me is not fantastic) and a great production too. Never ceases to enthrall me. Totally desrving of the no 1 spot. I'm not sure I'd cite Selling England as having great production quality. It's not bad, but it's definitely not noteworthy either.   I agree pr2244.  Whilst the production on SEBTP is much better than the earlier ones (they really did have DREADFUL production), just compare it to the production on Floyd's DSOTM which was released around that time.  There's no comparison.   I emphasise I'm not comparing those album's content, just the production.

production does definitely NOT enter my judgment when listening to an album, unless it is truly horrible so that you can hardly hear the music at all.
did you read the Genesis book by Armando Gallo? the story of the production of "Foxtrot" should open your eyes about the situation rock groups were in in the early 70s. the album was recorded in a small studio, and kids came rushing in all the time, disturbing the recording, until Genesis decided to let them sing the "we will rock you, little snake" chorus in "Supper's Ready". from then on the kids felt important and remained absolutely silent while the group recorded.
you can't expect great production under circumstances like these, and most groups were fighting similar circumstances back then. it is not like today, where a record company offers you a week of studio time and the best gear so you can produce your album (provided your albums sell well)

Atavachron wrote: it's far too easy to simply say "it's great but not the best"   ..the question is begged: what is the greatest prog album?  According to the posts here, there is no right answer.  But that's not really addressing the question.  If there is an album worthy of Best Prog Record, then why not try to figure out which one it could be.  I mean, there aren't really that many that would qualify, maybe 10 to 20 on a given person's list, or a collective list.  And when held up against musical history, I think Selling England is an easy contender for Best and would support a compelling argument for it.

In my eyes? Absolutely not. In general? It seems that way.