Your 'Big Six' of Prog
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Printed Date: February 17 2025 at 02:24
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Topic: Your 'Big Six' of Prog
Posted By: Floydoid
Subject: Your 'Big Six' of Prog
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 14:02
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No not another debate about the so called 'big six' of prog, a topic that's raised its head many times over the years on these forums, but rather your personal 'big six', i.e. the six prog acts you enjoy the most / have inspired you the most over the years. Here's my personal list: 1) Pink Floyd 2) Yes 3) Emerson Lake & Palmer 4) Curved Air 5) Renaissance 6) Focus ------------- Is it any wonder that the monkey's confused? |
Replies:
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 14:03
That is correct!
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Floydoid wrote:Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 14:21
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1) Rush 2) Yes 3) Emerson Lake & Palmer 4) Dream Theater (led to Transatlantic) 5) Transatlantic (led to Spock's Beard, Marillion, The Flower Kings and all of their associated spin off and solo bands) 6) Big Big Train ------------- 
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 14:30
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1. Mostly Autumn 2. Renaissance 3. YES 4. Camel 5. Pink Floyd 6. The Moody Blues
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Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 14:31
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For me, the more bands/artists I know, the more difficult it is to establish a big six or just about any single digit "big" or "greatest" list. B) So not so long ago, I gave up on it. I can only say who's always been and is my all time favorite band. And it is The Flower Kings. That hasn't changed. So I guess that's it. Here's my "big one". 1. The Flower Kings. ------------- “On the day of my creation, I fell in love with education. And overcoming all frustration, a teacher I became.” — Ernest Vong |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 14:59
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Pink Floyd Neal Morse (Band) Devin Townsend Steven Wilson / PT Frank Zappa Mr. Bungle EDIT: Of course there's more ... these were the six that I thought of first. But here's an alternative six that I would rank equally high: Dream Theater Opeth Between The Buried And Me Haken Ayreon Magma EDIT: And there's more still. All on the same level, highly influential and on constant rotation: Symphony X Transatlantic VdGG Big Big Train King Crimson Pain of Salvation |
Posted By: jamesbaldwin
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 15:00
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I choose the ones that introduced me to listening to prog, the ones I listened to most in the early days and still listen to with pleasure (not necessarily the ones I now consider the best: I discovered later others that I now consider better or at least I like better). 1) Marillion 2) Van der Graaf Generator 3) Gentle Giant 4) King Crimson 5) Caravan 6) Jethro Tull I listened to Pink floyd from early on (when I was 15), along with Marillion, but I didn't consider them prog, as is the case with many in Italy. Perhaps Van der Graaf and King Crimson are still today my absolute favorites. ------------- Amos Goldberg (professor of Genocide Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem): Yes, it's genocide. It's so difficult and painful to admit it, but we can no longer avoid this conclusion. |
Posted By: essexboyinwales
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 15:13
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IQ Ayreon It Bites Dream Theater Marillion Devin Townsend From the acknowledged “Big Six”, Genesis and Floyd would be closest to breaking into my personal six…. ------------- Heaven is waiting but waiting is Hell |
Posted By: Magog2112
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 15:18
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1. Marillion 2. Echolyn 3. Genesis 4. Pain of Salvation 5. The Flower Kings 6. Gentle Giant
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Posted By: Nogbad_The_Bad
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 15:26
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Henry Cow Univers Zero King Crimson Pink Floyd Hatfield and the North Cardiacs VDGG ------------- Ian Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/ |
Posted By: progaardvark
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 15:55
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This is subject to change, as I expect many of you also have a more fluid big six rather than a solid big six. But at this moment in time, these are mine, no particular order: Genesis Present Koenjihyakkei Spock's Beard King Crimson Eloy I almost want to replace Eloy with ni, but maybe not just yet. Their Fol Naïs album from this year is probably, at least to me, one of the very best releases of the 21st century, rivalling Far Corner's Risk and All Traps on Earth's A Drop of Light. The moon is really a rolled up ball of underwear. ------------- ---------- i'm shopping for a new oil-cured sinus bag that's a happy bag of lettuce this car smells like cartilage nothing beats a good video about fractions |
Posted By: Hector Enrique
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 15:56
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Top 5: - Pink Floyd - Rush - Yes - Genesis - Tool and 6... - VDGG/ELP/Camel/Riverside Related Prog - Queen ------------- Héctor Enrique |
Posted By: omphaloskepsis
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 16:06
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YES King Crimson Pink Floyd Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson Jethro Tull Frank Zappa
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Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 16:12
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Frank Zappa Allan Holdsworth Pat Metheny Mike Keneally Dream Theater Echolyn And.. Rush |
Posted By: JD
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 16:40
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Personal Big Six (at least for today) ELP Peter Gabriel Spock's Beard Santana Deep Purple Thomas Dolby ------------- Thank you for supporting independently produced music |
Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 16:42
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Triumvirat Giger Lenz Marron (not accepted by PA, but I consider them very worthy) Dzyan Passport Dedalus Quatermass |
Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 16:42
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For a long time my personal big 5 have been: Can - Art Zoyd - King Crimson - Talk Talk - Cardiacs There are many candidates for the sixth spot, but going with what has recently been "hot" here, today I nominate Tangerine Dream. Could also be Swans, Camel, VDGG, Pink Floyd, Amon Düül II, Jethro Tull, Kong, North Sea Radio Orchestra,...
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Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 16:57
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Jethro Tull King Crimson Pink Floyd Yes Genesis ELP ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: mathman0806
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 17:04
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Rush Marillion Yes King Crimson Porcupine Tree Pink Floyd |
Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 17:07
 ------------- “On the day of my creation, I fell in love with education. And overcoming all frustration, a teacher I became.” — Ernest Vong |
Posted By: Frets N Worries
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 17:12
![Star Wars: The 10 Most Hilarious "A Surprise To Be Sure, But A Welcome One" Memes](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/a-surprise-to-be-sure-but-a-welcome-one-when-55157418.png "Star Wars: The 10 Most Hilarious "A Surprise To Be Sure, But A Welcome One" Memes") ------------- The Wheel of Time Turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the shadow. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time... |
Posted By: TheGazzardian
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 17:26
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According to the first 6 that come to mind, using the vague definition of Prog Rock as "anything on Progarchives in a prog genre" Yes Phideaux VDGG Major Parkinson Mew Devin Townsend Using my LastFM scrobbles Yes Devin Townsend Deerhoof Genesis Mew The Dear Hunter Not so different |
Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 17:38
Eager to see your list Cristi!
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Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 17:49
you must have wondered, how could it be? |
Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 17:50
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Posted By: David_D
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 17:51
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If any, that would be Big Three, as I'm fond/very fond of the largest number of albums by Emerson, Lake & Palmer - debut, Tarkus, Pictures, Trilogy and BSS Genesis - Trespass, Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, SEbtP and The Lamb Pink Floyd - allmost all the albums from the years '67-'79 ------------- quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond |
Posted By: David_D
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 18:11
------------- quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 20:35
I won't do artist names, just bands. And have an approach similar to this:
Can Cardiacs Magma Radiohead Swans Van der Graaf Generator Sorry, seven popped so quickly into my mind and I did not have the heart to drop one out of it. |
Posted By: Hugh Manatee
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 21:06
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I like this game so I'll play again: 1. Yes 2. Pink Floyd 3. Emerson, Lake and Palmer 4. Peter Gabriel 5. King Crimson 6. Jethro Tull ------------- I should have been a pair of ragged claws Scuttling across the floors of uncertain seas |
Posted By: Frets N Worries
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 21:09
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Let's See.... mine will probably be a more generic one, but ah well (in no order) Van Der Graaf Generator Genesis Jethro Tull Pink Floyd Yes King Crimson ------------- The Wheel of Time Turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the shadow. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time... |
Posted By: Octopus II
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 22:53
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Gentle Giant ELP Jethro Tull Yes Genesis Pink Floyd
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: January 24 2024 at 23:01
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Important to me ELP Yes Rush Tangerine Dream IQ Eloy If I was only picking bands by album releases in this century then I would present Big Big Train, Porcupine Tree, Anathema, Glass Hammer, Wobbler and IQ as a more 'modern' Big Six. |
Posted By: dr prog
Date Posted: January 25 2024 at 00:29
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Jethro Tull Gentle Giant Le Orme Camel Oblivion Express Yes, Crimson, Floyd, Elp are not in my top 10 bands. Magma, Caravan, Van der Graaf are in my top 10. Genesis are too thanks to Trick and Wind. Maybe Eloy, Rush or Zappa are in there too ------------- All I like is prog related bands beginning late 60's/early 70's. Their music from 1968 - 83 has the composition and sound which will never be beaten. Perfect blend of jazz, classical, folk and rock. |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: January 25 2024 at 01:53
no, thank you.
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Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: January 25 2024 at 02:31
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Thanks for the thread... The Six I listened to most, growing up (probably): Genesis (now? often) Yes (now? often) Rush (now? sometimes) Marillion (now? rarely) Kansas (now? can't remember the last time) Hawkwind (now? the early stuff mostly) The Ones I listen to most these Days: Tangerine Dream Mike Oldfield Eloy Camel Pink Floyd (still) VDGG although, I wonder if there is a reflection on the number of albums I own by them! ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: David_D
Date Posted: January 25 2024 at 03:51
Okay, some more of my Big ones (alphabetically): Banco - Darwin!, Io Sono Eloy - Inside, Floating, Ocean Focus - Moving Waves, 3, Hamburger C. King Crimson - ItCotCK, Larks' Tongues, Red Czeslaw Niemen - Enigmatic, Aerolit, Katharsis Mike Oldfield - TB, Hergest Ridge, Ommadawn VdGG - H to He, Godbluff, Still Life ------------- quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond |
Posted By: suitkees
Date Posted: January 25 2024 at 06:41
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It's probably the same for most of us, but my personal Big Six changed over time. And apart from that, there could be eight or nine or ten bands in the Big Six... In my "formative" years (end 70s, 80s) my Big Six would have been: Yes, Pink Floyd, ELP, Focus, Ange, Eloy (with Marillion, Banco, Grobschnitt and Twelfth Night knocking at the door...).My entry into King Crimson was Discipline and that didn't do it for me, so it wasn't until that 90s that I began to explore their work after hearing a wonderful track on the radio. Today, my Big Six would be much more difficult to establish, but I guess when sticking to what was all labeled "Symphonic Prog" back then, it would be King Crimson, Yes, Pink Floyd, Ange, Eloy, VdGG. If/when including acts that were then considered jazz-rock, avant-garde or anything else than prog, I guess it would be King Crimson, Yes, Frank Zappa, Pink Floyd, Art Zoyd and one spot left for the many of those who deserve to be mentioned... (Focus, Marillion, Saga, IQ, Univers Zéro and some other...) So, all this is rather arbitrary. ------------- The razamataz is a pain in the bum |
Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: January 25 2024 at 06:48
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mine is superbasic hehe Marillion Genesis King Crimson Dream Theater Van der Graaf Generator and this band with a really long name, you know them - The Mars Volta Anekdoten Porcupine Tree Oceansize Pink Floyd Camel Rush Tool IQ etc |
Posted By: AlanB
Date Posted: January 25 2024 at 07:05
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Camel Yes Pink Floyd Transatlantic Neal Morse Mostly Autumn
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: January 25 2024 at 07:39
We have a match on four "Big Six" bands.
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Posted By: Steve Wyzard
Date Posted: January 25 2024 at 15:05
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1. Yes 2. Genesis 3. Saga 4. Alan Parsons Project 5. Moody Blues 6. Rush
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Posted By: Boojieboy
Date Posted: January 25 2024 at 18:31
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Genesis Gentle Giant Camel Curved Air Moody Blues Renaissance |
Posted By: Jaketejas
Date Posted: January 25 2024 at 19:35
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I’ve attempted this several times and got it trimmed to less than 20. The problem is that I appreciate different types of Prog. These are very rough wobbly categories. Some bands morphed into various forms. Great songwriting: Yes, Rush, Alan Parsons Project, Kansas, Saga Highly technical venturing into jazz: UK and Allan Holdsworth Pushing boundaries: ELP, King Crimson, and anything Ron Jarzombek Weaving in the old with the new: Jethro Tull and Caravan Takes time to breathe: Pink Floyd and Camel Sophisticated textures: Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Tori Amos, and Dead Can Dance Today’s Big Six: Yes Rush Alan Parsons Project Allan Holdsworth Camel ELP |
Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: January 26 2024 at 03:47
Very nice categories!  I don't necessarily agree with all listed bands, and I can imagine qualities to add (mysterious, hypnotic, sharp energy), but it's a great approach, and the "takes time to breathe" category is just wonderful capturing a quality that is all too often neglected, and that I treasure a lot also in post rock and electronic.
Of course the approach would work better in a big 30 than in a big 6 thread... |
Posted By: Jaketejas
Date Posted: January 26 2024 at 12:59
| ^ Thank you! 😊 I’m sure my list will change tomorrow as I gravitate here and there and my music tastes morph. I’ve really been on a Camel kick lately. I mean I wasn’t kicked in the head by a camel, but rather I’ve been enjoying their highly organic style. It is a little jazzy at times … or sometimes spacey. But, they are very tasteful in what they’ve done. I like their slow build approach, almost like the music is telling a story. I think they are underrated and should’ve made it to the Big 6. The Snow Goose (based on an interesting book) and Moonmadness are top notch. As I strive to improve my own guitar phrasing, I’m looking more at artists like Andrew Latimer. He doesn’t rush things, and he puts a great deal of complexity in even the slow solos that he plays. I think of Pink Floyd with David Gilmour in a similar way, while their earlier work was more experimental (Syd Barrett). Also great, but different. Piper at the Gates of Dawn is something I listen to when I want something more chaotic. |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: January 30 2024 at 00:14
| For me it would be five. Pink Floyd, Yes, Dream Theater, Rick Wakeman, and Mike Oldfield. |
Posted By: enigmatic
Date Posted: January 31 2024 at 06:00
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Gentle Giant King Crimson Van der Graaf Generator Pink Floyd Yes Genesis (up to W&W) HM: ELP, Jethro Tull, Rush, Camel, Soft Machine |
Posted By: Error Code 864G
Date Posted: January 31 2024 at 06:07
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Van der Graaf Generator King Crimson Anekdoten Pink Floyd Bubu Yes ------------- A Human Being, Existing. |
Posted By: TheGazzardian
Date Posted: January 31 2024 at 08:19
I'd argue they probably made sense at time of inclusion when '...and the glass handed kites' was their newest album. It was the fact that they were included here that even made me aware they existed / want to check them out, so whether they are prog or not, their inclusion here directly lead to me enjoying them as much as I have :)
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Posted By: Dapper~Blueberries
Date Posted: February 01 2024 at 11:20
This is a great list of bands! I love Mew and The Dear Hunter! As for me I would say 1. King Crimson 2. Genesis 3. Marillion 4. Between The Buried and Me 5. Magma 6. Motorpsycho ------------- D~B |
Posted By: Big Sky
Date Posted: February 01 2024 at 12:30
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Here are three separate lists and based on different reasons. First one is obvious and kind of boring as it includes your typical 8-10 bands that typically makes up these type of lists. Therefore, I added a second and third list for a Big 6 tackling the OP thread question from a different angle. Personal All Time Big 6: 1) Yes 2) Genesis 3) Rush 4) Gentle Giant 5) Emerson Lake and Palmer 6) King Crimson More Modern List: 1) Steven Wilson 2) Big Big Train 3) Spocks Beard 4) Porcupine Tree 5) Pure Reason Revolution 6) Plini Big 6 based on popularity and making Prog a significant genre instead of an asterisk in Rock history: 1) Pink Floyd 2) Yes 3) Rush 4) Jethro Tull 5) Emerson Lake and Palmer 6) Kansas * Genesis outside of Pink Floyd sold more albums than any of the other bands in the Prog category. The vast majority of those albums sold, however, came during their 80s pop-rock period. The other bands had most of their significant success during their Prog Rock heyday with albums going Gold, Platinum or Multi-platinum within few years or less of their release and packed arenas and stadiums wherever they toured. |
Posted By: AJ Junior
Date Posted: February 01 2024 at 15:25
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1) Genesis 2) Pink Floyd 3) ELP 4) King Crimson 5) Yes 6) Rush ------------- "Together We Stand, Divided We Fall" |
Posted By: TenYearsAfter
Date Posted: February 01 2024 at 16:00
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1) Rush 2) 70-77 Genesis 3) Yes 4) ELP 5) Pink Floyd 6) Camel
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Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: February 01 2024 at 21:27
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King Crimson Yes Genesis ELP Pink Floyd Jethro Tull (These have always been influential for me though for the last 25 years or so I could easily put in Porcupine Tree/Wilson to replace Floyd) ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: February 02 2024 at 00:28
Thanks for the explanation about Genesis although they did become one of the biggest bands in Europe in the late seventies (not sure about the States at that time) when I would argue they will still a prog band. I know many argue they stopped being that after W&W but they still easily fit what we call Crossover nowadays and someone like Jem Godfrey takes his cues more from Duke than other Genesis albums (just check out Frost*- Falling Satellites where there is some serious Duke homaging going on!). I would still be inclined to put Genesis above Kansas at 6) but it's close. Also if we are trying to be anywhere near objective then Dream Theater should be popping up in lists a lot more!
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Posted By: LAM-SGC
Date Posted: February 04 2024 at 10:10
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1. Kate Bush 2. Cardiacs 3. Arena 4. Mike Oldfield 5. Camel 6. Mike Batt 7. Jethro Tull |
Posted By: Big Sky
Date Posted: February 04 2024 at 11:34
Richard, In the late 70s Genesis was gaining a fair bit of popularity in the Northeast of the U.S. Beginning with And Then There were Three, Genesis, because of the song "Follow You Follow Me" began to expand their base in the US. Probably with Duke and certainly by Abacab, they were a National act in the US. I always saw ATTWT and Duke as Prog albums. Abacab straddles the fence or just falls on the side of the fence of not being Prog. I still like Abacab though. I wished they would have done the Dodo / Lurker suite by including Naminanu and Submarine. That would have made for a nice 16 minute suite. Certainly would have been a Prog album then and allowed them to jettison the awful Who Dunnit? |