Your own personal Top 10: the reasons!
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Topic: Your own personal Top 10: the reasons!
Posted By: Raff
Subject: Your own personal Top 10: the reasons!
Date Posted: August 16 2007 at 21:09
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Earlier at dinner, Micky and I were discussing the Top 30 published in Classic Rock magazine's Prog special. As neither of us agreed on either the choices or the placements, we started talking about our own personal Top 10, and the reasons behind our choices. Though we both agreed on CTTE as # 1(which we both think is one of the very few unflawed prog masterpieces), we had differing views on the other albums to be included in our list - in fact, we saw different reasons for including, for instance, ELP's debut (me) or "Brain Salad Surgery" (him). While we both think the debut is better musically, Micky said BSS represents the essence of prog - virtuosity to the nth degree. That gave us the idea for this thread - a new, hopefully stimulating twist on the old, weary "what are your favourite albums?" question. Instead of complaining about the latest # 1 in the Top 100, not to mention the debatable choices of some amateurish magazine, let's have our own Top 10 list, with our own reasons for choosing album X instead of album Y. It should make for an interesting discussion.  |
Replies:
Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: August 16 2007 at 21:20
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Nailing down 10 is hard. It's such a mood based question. I will try though.
Actually, before I start, is this prog only....or is it "Desert Island Disk" kind of scenario. Because I would have to mix it up a little. ------------- https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow">  https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: August 16 2007 at 21:27
| No, no 'desert island disk' this time... We intended it as a prog Top 10, since we were interested in learning the reasons for forum members' real preferences. As you may have noticed, the forum is full of "best of" and "your favourites" thread, but very rarely do posters explain why they think album X is a masterpiece of prog, and Y isn't. |
Posted By: sircosick
Date Posted: August 16 2007 at 21:32
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Agree with Tapfret. Such a matter of mood, really. But for me, the only sticky one is TAAB in first place.... no matter which mood I am, it's always my most beloved disc. I've reviewed CTTE one or two weeks ago, and I gave it four stars, mostly for a matter of tastes...... now if you ask me to place CTTE in the top ten, I'd say its actual place is quite OK ------------- The best you can is good enough... |
Posted By: DethMaiden
Date Posted: August 16 2007 at 21:44
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I'll have to think really hard then report back with my list, but if I've learned one thing from this thread so far it's this:
MARRY SOMEONE WHO CAN TALK ABOUT PROG WITH ME OVER DINNER!
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Posted By: Dim
Date Posted: August 16 2007 at 21:47
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Yessongs
Selling england by the pound
Peter Gabriel 3
Lateraus
Close to the edge
in the court of the crimson king
Nursery crime
signify (easily the best PT album ever
 )Larks tounges in Aspic
I guess I tried using a bit more popular, and more well known albums, which is probably good for any progger wanting some of the best. I doubt I would have changed it much anyway! ------------- 
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Posted By: andu
Date Posted: August 16 2007 at 21:50
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My own top favourites always have plenty of live albums - I wrote somewhere why I consider live recordings to be the true expression of what the art of music should be. So don't be surprised. Will I be able to squeeze 10 albums? I doubt it. so, YES - Close to the Edge; an essential disc to me, despite not liking it as much as when it first crash-landed in my world. It's a prog lesson. Pink Floyd - Live at Pompeii; the same as for CttE. The perfect equivalent of prog in images, or the synesthetic prog! Phoenix - Cantafabule; a huge masterpiece, obscured by provenience and spoken language of the lyrics Sfinx - Zalmoxe; another local favourite of mine, a disc which talks to my heart in a special way Genesis - Live; the most refreshing approach I know of King Crimson - Red; haunting personal experience of this masterpiece ELP - Welcome Back My Friends...; genius in pure state Weather Report - Black Market; PFM - Per un amico; italian essence of strong flavour, but rich bouquet; (could change any time with Storia di un minute) Nektar - A Tab in the Ocean; majesty & bliss, a minor masterpiece. Contenders: Talitha Qumi - Despre Cuvinte (the perfect modern blend between Phoenix and Sfinx) Pink Floyd - Animals; my favourite studio Floyd Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick; like it just as much as any of the chosen Anglagard - Hybris; it would have been in my top ten if it weren't for my Romanian choices Brand X - Unorthodox Behaviour Well it's pretty much obvious my choices are blatantly conventional; but I couldn't live with other stuff instead, on that deserted island... ------------- "PA's own GI Joe!" 
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Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: August 16 2007 at 22:07
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ok, let´s start then, although, I would like to hear your and Mike´s Top 10 as well. For starters, I must make clear that I understand that personal taste is not equal to what is considered "best" from a more objective point of view, this is by no means the best albums ever made, just my favorite. If, instead, an objective list is asked, let me know, I will try to make it... though it is damn hard!
------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
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Posted By: tuxon
Date Posted: August 16 2007 at 22:27
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ok. my top 10 including reasoning. 1. Queen : A Night At The Opera. The ultimate prog record, with connecions between contemporary pop and great progressive rock. Totally brilliant album, even the seaminlgly simple songs have some quirks and inovative use of rock equipment that it can only be described as progressive rock (deal with it lady's and gentle people, Queen was a pogressive band, like it or not).
2. Yes. Close To The Edge. Needs no introduction really, one of the few Hallmark albums. Fusing symphonic (rock) orchestration to rock songs and expanding those idea's beyond the scope of rock music, while still deeply embedded within the rock genre.
3. Marillion. Misplaced Childhood. Complete fusion of all elements of music, lyrics, emotion and diction, and reinvegerating a dead genre while creating a new way of delivering music.
4. Dream Theater. Metropolis part II. Creating a new version of progressive rock within the metal genre, be it on the ideas of Queensrhyche, Metallica, Yes and marillion, they combined those elements very well and forged one of the best albums ever.
5. King Crimson. Court Of The Crimson King. One of the first trully progressive albums, and very influential in the early stages of progressive rock as a genre, better albums have folloed, but this album is a landmark, unquestionable linked to the birth of progressive rock.
6. Pink Floyd. dark side Of The Moon, certainly not my favourite PF album, but one of the few albums that commercialised the prog genre and a first link to prog for many new members of our small community.
7. ELP. Brain Salad Surgery, though basically it's a boring album, it displays all there is to love and hate about progressive rock. Great keyboard works, The organ and synth works of Keith Emerson as the pivotal element. First listen to this, before judging Prog, though all your negative prejudgemental thoughts come true, there can only be admiration for the skill and soundscapes that are created.
8. Magma. Meckanic Destruktiw Commandoh. An odd band, fusing symphonic rock, with opera, classical music and sci-fi elements, most imprtant aspect is their link as creators of the zeuhl gene, but their influence is heard very strongly in RIO and soem avant-Garde. Great music if you like drum-bass, with operatic vocals and classical elemets in a grave dense symphonic/space setting.
9. Frank Zappa. We're Only In It for The Money. Maybe not his best wok , but very informative f how Zappa music works, highly skilled, with many ideas and just a thrill to the ears.
10. Many bands and albums i havent mentioned can fit this place. examples are. Moody Blues (one of the early birds), Genesis (highly revered, but only in retrospeck I believe), Hawkwind (great, but Pink Floyd was beter), VDGG, (odd and a bit too much for most), GG (only great if you like them) and off course many bands from all over the world (Banco Dell Mutuo Soccorso, Focus, Tangerine dream, PFM, etc.)
But for m the best remains Arena, maybe not in this list, and maybe it doesn;'t belong there as well, but still it's the best of the bunch.
so give Arena (The Visitor, Pride or Contagion) a try and se if they can compare with previous menioned bands, for me, they stand well above all, but that's just me.
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Posted By: Mellotron Storm
Date Posted: August 16 2007 at 22:31
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My top ten in no particular order.
TOOL-"Lateralus" it's heavy,dark with amazing drumming.
PINK FLOYD-"Dark Side Of The Moon" a timeless record about life that's a dreamy masterpiece.
RUSH-"Permanent Waves" My favourite album of all time.A lot of this has to do with the time in my life i listened to this.It was the soundtrack to the best times in my life.And besides it has "Freewill","Jacobs Ladder" and "Natural Science" on it. ANEKDOTEN- "Waking The Dead-Live In Japan" an amazing,mellotron drenched masterpiece. MARILLION-"Misplaced Childhood"- An emotional roller coaster,with Fish at his absolute best.
FATES WARNING-"Awaken The Guardian" a dark and heavy monster,with the best metal vocalist i have ever heard.
PORCUPINE TREE-"In Absentia" my favourite from this amazing band.
GENESIS-"Selling England By The Pound" is perhaps my second all time favourite album.It's beyond reproach.
KING CRIMSON-"Red" or "In The Court Of The Crimson King" the latter would be my choice if i HAD to choose.Mellotron masterpiece.
OPETH-"Damnation" is so eerie and haunting.Incredible!
This last one could be replaced by GREEN CARNATION-"Light Of Day,Day Of Darkness" or IN THE WOODS...-"Omnio" It seems silly to me to just pick ten,even though it's fun to try.This list i'm sure will be different a year from now. ------------- "The wind is slowly tearing her apart" "Sad Rain" ANEKDOTEN |
Posted By: 1800iareyay
Date Posted: August 16 2007 at 22:34
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Here's my stab at it: 1. Yes- Close to the Edge As Raff and Micky have already stated, it is an flawless masterpiece, from the fiery intro of the band on the title track to the final notes of Siberian Khatru, the band explores seemingly every possible mood, ranging from Mahavishnu-like fiery fusion to the soft moments of And You and I. Every member of the band shines, and no one man gets the spotlight. Bruford's impossibly complex yet masterfully subtle kit work, Jon's piercing vocals, Steve's jaw-dropping displays of everything from fingerpicking jazz to soft classical, Rick's inspiring keyboard solos and textures, and Chris Squire's springy basslines all fuse into an album that has stood the test of time better than any of the early prog masterpieces, save perhaps Dark Side of the Moon. 2. Pink Floyd- Dark Side of the Moon Couldn't resist. Meddle is where the band got serious, but DSOTM blew the doors off of space rock. Waters' lyrics are his best, and they are some of the most brilliant written pieces in all of rock. Gilmour combines the experimental sounds of prog guitarists with an emotion that only true kings of blues can conjure. Every moment is a classic, with the highlights being the sax on Money, Gilmour's solo on TIme, and Clare Torry's aria on The Great Gig in the Sky. it stayed on the Billboard Top 200 for over a decade, proving that, despite our best efforts, Americans can occasionally recognize talent. 3. Genesis- Selling England By the Pound Nursery Cryme and Foxtrot showed how Hackett and Collins were moving the band forward, but nobody could have predicted SEBtP. Gabriel's lovely vocals and flute, Hackett's dazzling yet tasteful guitar, Tony's lush keyboards, Mike's simple bass, and Phil's complex rhythms make this a must. The only fly in the ointment is More Fool Me, the standard Gabriel-era Collins penned tune that fails to match the power of the rest of the album. However, it cannot detract from the rest of this superb set enough for me to rank it lower. 4. King Crimson- In the Court of the Crimson King Fans of every genre of music tend to get off arguing about which band/album started that particular genre. Personally, I think the most important band is the one that everyone agrees is fully a member of that genre, which makes KC my pick for prog pioneers. ITOTCK gave direction to a fledgling genre with psychedelic takes on jazz and classical that would have profound influence on the formation of progressive rock. the guitar tones are so experimental that they shame the entire psychedelic movement, who never could envision such a spacey sound. 21st Century Schizoid Man is arguably the single most important song in progressive rock, and it contains something for everyone: weird lyrics that would become a staple of early (and modern for that matter) prog, Fripp's laser-beam guiar solo, a driving bassline from Lake, and Giles' terrific drum performance. The title track oozes with a majesty that had been hitherto unheard in rock. Only the most bombastic moments of the Beatles' A Day in the Life had anyone came close. I Talk to the Wind and Epitaph show that Fripp has a gift for lush melody in addition to his mastery of dissonance. Moonchild's extended improv break gets bogged down, but no one can truly be a prog fan without this. 5. Jethro Tull- Thick as a Brick A concept album that mocks concept albums? I'm game. Tull's foray into the world of Little Milton is a deliciously tongue-in-cheek look at the pressure for Tull to make a concept album. Bunker's chaotic rhythms, Hammond's thundering bass, Evans' organ, Barre's understated guitar, and Ian Anderson's flute and vocals all mesh into one 43 minute ride that is hands down the most enjoyable folk album ever made. You can almost hear Ian traipsing around in his usual manner as he gleefully spins his yarn. 6. Van Der Graaf Generator- Pawn Hearts In a genre infamous for being dense and inaccessible, VDGG stand out for seeming to excel in making albums that even prog fans have a hard time getting into. Pawn Hearts is a masterpiece of darkness; only 70s Crimson and Black Sabbath have ever captured the dark feel present on this and other VDGG releases. Norweigan black metallers wish they coulod compose things this haunting. Fripp's guest solos only add to the unsettling nature of the music. The preference of sax and organ over guitar makes them unique, and the fact that they conjure such heaviness (not in the sense of volume and sound, but in terms of feel) without the benefit of heavy, distorted guitars (excepting Fripp's input) is amazing. 7. Gentle Giant- Octopus It's hard to choose between In a Glass House and this, but Octopus gains the slightest edge with it's masterful compositions and vocal harmonies that shame the Beatles. Gentle Giant can do in 4 minutes what band like Yes, Dream Theater, and other prog titans take 20 minutes to achieve. Knots has to be the most complex song under 5 minutes in the history of music. GG makes their music sound simple, until you actually listen and realize these guys could embarrass Berklee grads. The only thing that gives Octopus an edge over IaGH is that Octopus has aged slightly better. 8. Anglagard- Hybris Like the neo-prog scene, Anglagard shaped their sound taking pieces from various prog giants. Unlike the neo-prog scene, Anglagard sounded unique. Even though I can't understand the lyrics, the music overwhelms me in the same way that Harmonium good RPI does. The music transcends language and appeals to that primal voice inside us all. The band almost sounds like an amalgamation of the best aspects of prog: Squire-like bass, Frippian guitar, Tull-like flute, heavy, almost prog metal keyboards, and some stunning drum work. Despite all this, they manage to combine these elements i a way that doesn't sound like their 70s heroes, which makes Hybris a classic worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as 70s masterpieces. 9. Queensryche- Operation Mindcrime Picking the album that most shaped prog metal is difficult. Early QR was essentially a more operatic version of Iron Maiden, and Fates Warning bore too much resemblance to the power metal scene. However, these two bands fed each others' creativity, and the best result was Operation Mindcrime, the first fully progressive QR album and the first concrete prog metal album. Chris DeGarmo's inventive compositions mesh with Geoff Tate's best vocals to date. There are some better individual performances on The Warning, but this is where he achieved the perfect balance of technique and emotion. His duet with Pamela Moore on Suite Sister Mary sends shills down the spine upon every listen. The smart concept gets a little far fetched, but the band keeps it all together wonderfully. Socially aware songs like Revolution Calling, Speak, and Spreading the Disease mix with more personal songs like I Don't Believe in Love and Eyes of a Stranger. All in all, the most important progressive metal album of all time, and a highly enjoyable and unique concept album. 10. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum- Of Natural History A Zappa album should probably represent avant-prog, but no single album fo his captures the brilliance displayed on SGM's magnum opus (that's not to say SGM is smarter than Zappa, he just spaces out his genius). Of Natural History is a concept album even more unique than Operation Mindcrime, as it deals with the theories postulated by members of the original Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. The lyrics are superb as they focus on the ruination of the planet at the hand of man, and the compositions are masterful using conventional and custom made instruments. The music is always abrasive and challenging, and the band doesn't seem to want to give off moments of beauty, which makes sense as it would takes away from the mood of the album. This is meant to point out our flaws. The only song that doesn't is Babydoctor, which focuses on the few humans who have managed to break free of man's pathological need to destroy. If yu want one album to sum up RIO and avant-prog, look no further. |
Posted By: 1800iareyay
Date Posted: August 16 2007 at 22:38
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should've know el bothy would pick SGM too
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Posted By: The Miracle
Date Posted: August 16 2007 at 22:58
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Mid you, I'm only positive about the top 3, the rest is more objective and may change... 1. Genesis - Foxtrot - In my opinion the Gabriel era is the finest prog band ever, and Foxtrot is their peak of creativity, an absolutely flawless record that's very special to me 2. Mr. Bungle - Disco Volante - everything that an amazing avant garde album should be, the entire album is flawless, songs like Carry Stress in the Jaw and Violenza Domestica are some of the most perfect piece of music I've ever heard 3 - The Mars Volta - Amputechture - Overall my favorite prog band after Genesis, the most original and talented modern band, and this album I see as their most mature, accomplished and flawless of all. Absolutely orgasmic with no filler and not a single weak moment. 4 - Agalloch - The Mantle - My favorite prog metal album, I've never heard an album so deeply inspired and so melancholic, it's just absolutely perfect masterpiece, no other album bears such authentic beauty inspired by nature, except for Burzum's Filosofem, my non-prog favorite. 5 - GYBE! - Lift Your Skinny Fists... - My first post rock album and its magic never wore off, truly a masterpiece with some of the deepest atmospheres I've heard in the genre 6 - Pain Of Salvation - BE - Gildenlow's most accomplished work, brilliant composition and brilliant concept, very deep and emotionally touching. 7 - Cluster - Cluster 71 - My favorite album of ambient electronics, masterliness that you can almost frown in... read my review  8 - Tool - AEnima - Dark, perfectly accomplished album with a really unique sound and plenty of depth. 9 - Pink Floyd - Ummagumma - This was one of the first albums I ever bought, took over a year to grow on me till it got up to be my favorite PF album. Both the live AND the studio disks are Brilliant IMO, Careful With That Axe... being my favorite PF song. 10 - Dream Theater - Images and Words - It was hard picking a DT album since they are so consistently great, this one is probably their most definitive masterpiece so I'll go with I&W The main reason for these choised is of course personal taste. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/ocellatedgod" rel="nofollow - last.fm |
Posted By: King of Loss
Date Posted: August 16 2007 at 23:26
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(This does not include some of my favorite albums, but rather of what I think is the best in Prog)
1. Pain of Salvation- BE Don't ask me why!
 Conceptual masterpiece is all I have to say.2. Genesis- Selling England by the Pound- This album influenced Prog infinitely, one of the big landmarks in Prog 3. Yes- Close to the Edge- Landmark release in Prog, not my favorite Yes album, but certainly one of the big "flagbearers" of Prog
4. Dream Theater- Images and Words- The landmark release in Prog Metal. The single most influential Prog album of the 90s and 00s. Also the material is quite good too! 5. Gentle Giant- Octopous- I can't stress the beauty of this album enough, it is just that good. Also one of the landmark albums of all time.
6. Porcupine Tree- In Absentia- Brilliant release, combining the chaos of Metal, with the tenderness of Pop/Rock and the Progressive nature of the band. Brilliant modern Prog release.
7. Pink Floyd- Animals- Why this album over Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall and Wish You Were Here? The completeness of the album is one of the best.
8. King Crimson- Red- Even though most people prefer In the Court of the Crimson King and think it as a milestone, I find this album to be their finest hour. Finding the balance between earlier King Crimson and later heavier, more experimental sounds. Starless is definitely a masterpiece of a song.
9. Van Der Graaf Generator- Godbluff- Many people say Pawn hearts is Hammill and Co.'s finest hour, but I disagree. Godbluff is definitely their most complete and beautiful work in my opinion.
10. Soft Machine- Third- One of the more recent albums and I bought and I admit, Soft Machine is not one of my favorite bands, but this album reaches miles beyond most!
Honorable Mentions:
Yes- Fragile
Yes- Tales From Topographic Oceans
Genesis- Foxtrot
Gentle Giant- In A Glass House
Van Der Graaf Generator- Pawn Hearts
Emerson, Lake and Palmer- Brain Salad Surgery
Rush- A Farewell to Kings
Camel- Mirage
Spock's Beard- The Light
Roine Stolt- The Flower King
The Tangent- The Music That Died Alone
PFM- L'Isola Di Niente
Anglagard- Hybris
Jethro Tull- Thick as A Brick
Marillion- Script For A Jester's Tear
Pink Floyd- Dark Side of the Moon
Pain Of Salvation- The Perfect Element Part I
Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso- Darwin! Dream Theater- Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A Memory
King Crimson- In the Court of the Crimson King
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Posted By: jimmy_row
Date Posted: August 16 2007 at 23:35
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This looks like fun, good topic What I've tried to do is represent as many styles (not genres....these are all progressive rock in a strict sense) with our specific idiom, but no jazz, fusion, avant-garde, electronic, ambient, etc, those are for another time....IMO they don't all belong under the same umbrella (it demeans the true form created by the music....additionally, it's just too difficult to factor in all these types of music in such a small space.
These are definately not my "favorite" albums by any means...heck a few of these albums don't even appeal to me. I've tried to be as objective as possible in looking at the particular merits and what a certain record brings to the table....
1. Genesis - Foxtrot.....I wasn't going to put Genesis in the top slot but I had to do it; this album comes so very close to incorporating all that rock music has to offer, or at least as close as anyone else could have (save my #2 selection). The bottom line is, many prog journey's begin here for a reason...and it isn't so often hailed for nothing. The rest is self-explanitory. note: I must admit that this is my least favorite (at the moment) of the classic-era lineups but it stays more "true" to the form than any of the others, and tends to represent what I'm going for here.
2. Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick....A near perfect album. Ian Anderson manages to create a masterful parody of exactly what the rest of the band were playing. An extravagent, pompous record, both musically and even moreso lyrically. The perfect marriage of comedy and music; this album displays so much of what, not just music, but art as a whole, has to offer.
3. Van der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts....Welcome to the darker side. These guys were master's of unity and subtlety, churning out some of the most haunting, disturbing, and beautiful sounds you could ever wish to hear. This record incapsules what they did best: there's sections of reserved melancholy, berading cacaphony, and intense resolution all with stunning interplay and of course the passion and fury of the one and only Mr. Hammill. Musicianship is top notch but you won't find any wandering drum workouts or 15-minute organ solo's here; the music and overall concept come first and foremost. Composition is the main emphasis: something that I believe is too often misjudged of progressive rock...I've just mentioned three records that hold little of what you could call "pretentious" and actually manage to be bombastic and over-the-top while at the same time possessing an efficiancy and volume greater than anything hailed by the often trendy, art-hating music press/police.
These selections are getting difficult, I'll return with my other 7 as soon as I figure out some kind of order...
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Posted By: jimmy_row
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 00:23
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4. Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans....Now we get to the fun part. Rock music wakes up and realises all that it has been trying to do since the beginning of the psychadelic era, stretching out it's stiffened legs and showing us exactly how far it we could go-- beyond any previous limitations. (As was discussed in a previous thread) This album is the fruition of a desire and vision that only the late sixties/early seventies could grasp.
5. Focus - Hamburger Concerto...Once again, progressive rock taking itself lightly all the while creating very evocative and complex music that must be taken seriously. Every piece embraces a different style so there's something here for everyone...and if you like them all...you have a prog-feast.
6. Gentle Giant - In a Glass House....I have to admit I'm not comfortably familiar with Gentle Giant despite heavily enjoying their music. But I do know that noone before or since pushed harder to create innovative and boundary-breaking music. Heavily complex while highly accesible....Seemingly impenetratable while endlessly rewarding. Once again, we have a band how clearly embraced the progressive movement...rather defined the progressive movement...but shatters all of the preconceptions accosiated with it.
7. Le Orme - Felona e Sorona...This could easily be at the very top, it only dropped this far because its niche had already been successfully filled, but anyway, Le Orme do something in 30 minutes that most of today's films fail to do in 90. Felona e Sorona effectively shuffles themes, drama, resolution, and whatever else have you with a gargantuan concept that makes me wish I knew Italian...
8. Rush - A Farewell to Kings....No one every sounded like Rush...except...well...Rush. This one begins with a lovely acoustic guitar intro and ends with menacing electric mumblings...they do everything from ballads to bombastic prog rock to thrashing power chords. Did I mention the musicianship? Oh, I didn't have to.
T9. Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Darwin!....If you haven't heard any Banco, GO GET THIS ONE NOW, you won't regret it one bit. Double-keyboard attack, operatic vocals, complex, frenetic paces...all with that trademark Italian passion and beauty. If you're a prog rock fan, everything that you could possibly want is here.
T9. Camel - The Snow Goose...The quiet, pastoral side of prog. This is a fabulously executed instrumental concept album that has nearly perfect structure (just listen to how the album flows, drifting up and down like a picturesque winter landscape). Evocative, peaceful...this one is packed with feeling.
T10. Gryphon - Red Queen to Gryphon Three...Merging of traditional folk arrangement into a symphonic setting, this one offers more pastoral beauty without sounding a bit cheesy or boring.
I don't even own this one, but I've heard enough to leave an impression (yeah...proceed at your own risk...)
T10. Il Balleto di Bronzo - Ys....Doesn't really belong at the bottom, I just had to end with a bang though. Ys is prog at its most aggressive and chaotic. Very sophisticated arrangement delivered with a raw sound and once again, more passion than you will be able to handle at first. Your gums will bleed (don't ask me how).
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Posted By: The Whistler
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 00:44
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What an interesting thread; I'll have to rip it off soon. Taking into account all the albums that I would rate here as five-star flawless, or so close to flawless that it hurts but I won't give 'em a flawless rating rating because I'm an ass, counting on my fingers, I come up with...eight untouchables (three guesses as to the number one, and the first two don't count). As soon as I induct two more, We'll Let You Know.
DUDE! Someone put Queen as the top prog album ever! Kick ass! I don't own any Queen, actually, but I just like them underdogs. ------------- "There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 01:04
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Gong - "You" simply the best drumming ever on an album. and the rest of the band aren't slouches either. "Master Builder" and "Isle of Everywhere" are classics VdGG - "Pawn Hearts" extremely daring and experimental album; it is hard to believe that it was Nr.1 in the Italian and French charts for weeks. King Crimson - "Lizard" highly underrated album; I cant understand why "Red" has a higher average rating than this one. "Lizard" is one of the best epics ever. Mother Gong - "Fairy Tales" wonderful album with an incredible Didier Malherbe on saxes and flutes. 3 great epics. Gilly Smyth tells 3 fairy tales, two of them seemingly belonging together Peter Hammill - "The Fall of the House of Usher (1999 version) it doesn't get any darker than this one. highly complex music too, with a Peter Hammil in top form as Roderick Usher and the voices of the house. Embryo - "Embryo's Reise" a documentation of the trip Embryo took into countries like Afghanistan and India. and if you don't believe goats can have a musical talent, there is proof of it in one of the tracks. Ash Ra Tempel - "Join Inn" two completely different tracks; one is a long guitar dominated jam with quite impressive drumming by Klaus Schulze, the other is a trip into spacey regions with Rosi Müller relating experiences of an LSD trip. Guru Guru - "Känguru" probably the best Guru Guru ever made; it sounds a bit like Led Zeppelin on LSD. Nik Turner's Sphynx - "Xitintoday" wonderful flute dominated album that really evokes images of the ancient Egyptian Gods. recorded inside the great pyramid with support of half of Gong (Steve Hillage, Tim Blake, Mike Howlett, Miquette Giraudy) and other musicians Can - "Tago Mago" probably their weirdest album, but definitely a classic these 10 albums may be replaced by others, depending on my mood, but "The Fall of the House of Usher", "Fairy Tales" and "Xitintoday" will probably always be in it -------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 01:05
Here's my current top 20 (prog albums from 1969 to 1979):
As far as reasons are concerned ... I'll soon be adding short album comments on my website - as soon as they're done I'll add them to this post too. ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to: 
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Posted By: Easy Livin
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 03:29
| Great to see some interesting and informed comments to go with the lists, keep them coming! |
Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 04:23
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OK...I think I got it now...though I may change my mind several times during the typing of my results.
My criteria: As stated before, with the number of directions progressive music can take, this list has to take on very personal criteria in addition to particular musical elements as structure and complexity.
1. How did this album really hold true to progressive standards? Was it a symbol of the genres evolution or just a rehashed de-evolution?
2. Did it change the way I personally think about music? This is not always the most groundbreaking album, but the right album at the right time.
That should be enough...here goes. Somebody color coded, great idea.
1. Yessongs - Even though I don't listen to Yessongs very often anymore, it has no other place to go but on top. It was the defining album of my childhood, the reason I became a musician. It is often knocked for the poor recording quality, but IMHO, that's one of the things that truly makes it great. Yes writes oustanding music, but on early studio albums where they wrote there best music, much of the sound is overly compressed. The dynamics or subdued to the point that the majesty of the composition is hiden. Especially when compared to Genesis and ELP who didn't some to have a problem transposing their energy to the studio. Really interesting when you consider Eddie Offord's involvement in both yes and ELP. The rawness and power of the live performance almost made them a completely different band. The addition of Alan White for the majority of the albums played a part in this as well. It seems that the less technical, yet more powerful and wide open playing style of AW infused a new energy into the other musicians over the highly technical yet dynamically conservative chops of Bill Bruford. Another element that left a feeling of emptiness to some of their studio was the obligatory 70's fade out. The staccato end of Siberian Khatru, down to the last "AH!" was a symbol of the gratifying completeness of this album. The foldout Roger Dean art also left a lasting impression.
2. Emerson, Lake and Palmer - My dad bought the first ELP album when I was 6 or 7 because he liked 'Lucky Man'. I latched on to it because I could make 'The Barbarian' and 'The 3 Fates' shake the house. Through almost every phase of my music listening life I have been able to find something new to love about this album.
3. Watchtower "Control and Resistance" - This album brought me back to prog. It bridged the gap between the Slayer's, Metallica's and Anthrax's I was listening to in my late teens and the Yes and ELP stuff I listened to prior to that. My first listen I was astonished at how pummelled I felt though very few power chords were used in the album. The Psychosociopolitical lyrical themes appealed to the remaining punk in me. It broadened my tastes immediately. The last song 'Dangerous Toy', with its whole tones and short jazzy improv section was compared to King Crimson by someone I played it for. Shortly after I bought my first KC cassette, 'A Young Person's Guide to KC'.
4. Jethro Tull "A Passion Play" - I am not a religious man, but I literally have Jesus to thank for this album. I inherited it from my parents who inherited it from my uncle when he became born again and was told by his pastor to get rid of his rock records. This is the album that taught me that a record does not have to just be a collection of songs, it can be 1 big song. The intermission, 'The Hare Who Lost His Spectacles' is a wonderful break in the composition. I have often desired to write a thesis on metaphoric meaning of the anthropromorphized (sp?) characters. But that's a topic for a different spot.
5. Gentle Giant "Playing the Fool" - I find it easy to look past recording quality issues to get a new perspective on great music. As with many of the bands here, picking one album was difficult. GG is no exception. 'Playing the Fool' is great in that the arrangements are rarely, if ever, identical to the album cuts. You get what amounts to completely different songs, many with elements from multiple songs without sounding like cheesy medleys.
6. King Crimson "Red" - The first full KC album I owned. It is otherwise hard to pick the favorite from this Crimson era. I would argue that the title track of this album constitutes the first true progressive metal song. This was a good start to what shows up on my KC playlist as 21.8 hours.
7. Mr. Bungle - The Genre sampler plate, at the time this came out it was like bungy jumping through the history of popular music. Seamless transitions between styles left me spent after each listen. In summary, ground breaking.
8. Banco del Mutuo Soccorso "Io Sono Nato Libero" - Many Italian bands had been played for prior to BMS. Le Orme, PFM and Goblin were all great bands, but not great enough to really be top 10 calliber. Many of the bands in my collection require tuning out the singer, but DiGiacomo's voice was a bright spot for this band. Rock music with a traditional continental European flair. I had a hard time choosing between Darwin!, BMS and this one, the virtualy run a dead heat for listening enjoyment. This was the first BMS album that I bought, so it gets the top 10 spot.
9. Pain of Salvation "BE (live)" - I love the outdoors and nature, I really appreciate the attempt of Daniel Gildenlow to address the issues of degradation of our environment in his work. In past albums he has done this with primarily metal laced complexity. This is unfortunately a turn-off to some. Prior to 'BE', my favorite POS album was 'One hour by the Concrete Lake', an album typically not well received. 'BE' employs a broader spectrum of styles to convey questions of, to quote Douglas Adams, "Life, the Universe and Everything". The use of a small orchestra, even during the metal parts is well conceived and executed. The included reading material explains the evolution of the project and Gildenlow's ponderings of our very existence, and in turn, since we are created in God's image, God's questioning of his own existence. A monumental concept album.
10. Steve Hackett "Voyage of the Acolyte" - I actually heard this album before any classic Genesis. At the time I thought Genesis was only about Abacrap and Dukey. When I listened to it the first time and then noticed that Collins and Rutherford were on it I was stunned. This album is beautiful in itself, but it also has that special place for guiding me to seek out other off-shoots of other bands that I liked, not to mention find out what the real story was with Genesis.
This was hard. So many albums I didn't want to bump.
Honorable mentions:
Frank Zappa - Roxy and Elsewhere, Sheik Yerbouti
Magma - Live
Voivod - Nothingface and Dimension Hatröss
Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - Darwin! and BMS
Meshuggah - Destroy, Erase, Improve
King Crimson - A whole bunch of 'em
NeBeLNeST - NoVa eXPReSS
Bondage Fruit - II and IV
Genesis - Selling England by the Pound
Martyr - Feeding the Abscess
Rush - A Farewell to Kings and Fly by Night
------------- https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow"> https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp |
Posted By: pero
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 04:27
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My list is like good old wine,
1. Gentle giant - In a glass house. This was the first GG album, which I get 1974 and my favorite. It's a bit different then previous GG albums, but they finaly gave Gary Green the oportunity to play guitar.
2. Yes - Close to the edge. What more to add to this amazing album, last Brufford performance
3. Mahavishnu orchestra - Birds of fire. Mahavishnu orchestra lineup was made of amazing musitians, inspired by Mclauglins religion. It's not so frenzy like first album, but right combination of inovative jazz/rock
4. King Crimson - Larks tongues in aspic. The lineup with Wetton, Bruford, Cross and Muir is to me the best KC mix,which generated sounds ranging from traditional classical and soft pop-jazz licks to hair-curling electric flourishes. Easy money like "hit" on this album listening with earpones can give you whole range of Muir's sounds
5. Vdgg - Pawn hearts. Man erg is fantastic musical expirience. The whole album is unique
6. Pink floyd - Atom heart mother I now that the most of prog lovers dont like that album , but for me it's masterpiece not only amazing title song but litle quiet guitar stuff "If", "Sumer 68", "Fat old sun", and even "Alan psychedelic breahfast!"
7. Gong - Gazeuse. Favorite Piere Morlein gong tetralogy (others are Shamal, Espreso II, Downwind), with exseptional Holdswort's guitarand Malherbes sax, and fantastic drum-percussion from Morlein,Mirelle Bauer,Mino Cinellu.
8. Genesis - Foxtrot. Not only Super's ready, but the whole album is amazing.But what impresses most is how that precociousness is delivered with pure musical force. This is the rare art-rock album that excels at both the art and the rock
9. Focus - Focus III. With moving waves Focus To be frank, this album has it all: diverse songs, astounding musicianship, one of the finest singles ever released.
10. Jethro tull - Thick as a brick and Passion play. Both concept JT albums are equally magic to me. Thick as a brick is easy to get in, Passion play gem worth listening more then once.
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Posted By: laplace
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 04:28
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This list is not locked and is probably just plain wrong, as I doubt I've heard even a twentieth of the good stuff from any era at all. I'm taking from everything I love, not just progressive rock - although it does seem to occupy most of the list. from my position of relative ignorance: 10. Jun Togawa - Tamahime-sama My favourite pop album and one of my favourite singers - she can do punky, strident, lolita-esque and everything else I love. The songs are all memorable, and there's enough post-punkiness and invention on here for it to be more than just the usual j-pop fluff. This spot could also take a random Bjork album but Ms. Togawa deserves more praise. 09. Super Furry Animals - Guerrilla This is basically the pinnacle of all Beatles-inspired rock music. Nothing but another SFA album - maybe Radiator or Rings Around the World - compares. Let it never be said that I can't appreciate melody. ;P 08. Einstuerzende Neubauten - Halber Mensch I should really have picked one of the first two, or else a Throbbing Gristle piece but I've always found Halber-Mensch more memorable even though it's less "noisy" on the surface and this does highlight my tastes - even outside rock music I pick an album progressing towards it. 07. Boris - Amplifier Worship Most crypto-important "metal" album I've ever heard. This is from when Boris weren't well-known but I'm not complaining. I could just as easily swap in some Voivod but you dorks say they're prog. ;) 06. Shub-Niggurath - Les Morts Vont Vites Mood-wise, the darkest album I've ever heard - this has more effect on me than Throbbing Gristle or funeral doom or drone or anything else you care to name. It's also very well written chamber "rock" with endless suspense. 05. Picchio dal Pozzo - Abbiamo Tutti I Suoi Problemi If you ever need your saxophone desire sated... this is very dense early-Henry Cow styled rock ensemble playing with a solemn tone. I reviewed this and gave it five stars. Also an italian album to placate micky and Ghost Rider (other choices here are Stormy Six's "L'Apprendista" and Opus Avantra's debut) =P 04. Wha-ha-ha - Shinotukiwa Betsu Everyone's been talking about this one on the forums for the last few months. I'd just like to add that I chose this instead of something by a Boredoms or a Tatsuya Yoshida project because it's easier on the ears - as well as being an album I can enjoy at any hour in the day it is my crypto-conversion tool for introducing other people into truly stupid and odd music. =) 03. Henry Cow - In Praise of Learning I need my harsh and polemic music and this is perhaps the greatest example - a perfect mix between deep and uncopyable songwriting and beds of moody ensemble improvisation. Other choices were everything by the Art Bears (obviously) and also Floh de Cologne's "Mumien" which is like the krautrock version, but I don't like krautrock enough to put it high on a list like this. 02. King Crimson - Starless and Bible Black Has Fracture on it. Other choices were The Great Pretender, and any other compilation or live disc with Fracture on it. ;P 01. Magma - Kohntarkosz This one is a summation of my tastes as proved by the previous nine - catchy when it needs to be, deep, thoughtful and dark. The epic itself remains my favourite piece of music and it's so different from everything else (even the Orff comparison doesn't work so well with Kohntarkosz) that it's a natural "favourite album." I know, there's no symphonic rock on this list. Sorry =P ------------- FREEDOM OF SPEECH GO TO HELL |
Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 04:35
Yeah right, those lottery numbers definitely did not come up for me.  My wife is all about what's on the radio. Music is not a frequent topic.------------- https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow"> https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp |
DethMaiden wrote:Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 04:38
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1. ELP - Brain Salad Surgery .Favourite album by my favourite band.Extreme bombastic dark passages tempered with one quiet ballad, a bit of sillyness and jazzy interludes.Not perfect but doesn't need to be as ELP were not perfect. The threw themsleves into their music with a level of energy that still is incredibly impressive.Carl Palmer rips up the snare drum with Keith Emerson chicking in some of his best hammond licks and Greg Lake's baritone adds extra class.
2. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here .Probably the most atmospheric and beautifully constructed album surrounding a basic simple but heartfelt emotional plea to a friend.Says 'We miss you'.
3. Genesis - Foxtrot .The best album by the most talented five guys ever assembled in one place at one time.
4. Yes - Close To The Edge.Wonderfully well balanced collection of prog.The perfect prog album,but not my number one choice because there are other albums I like just a bit more.
5. Rush -Moving Pictures.Prog was dying a death but Rush still managed to come up with something orginal and special.Permanent Waves laid the groundwork but this takes it up another notch.Rush at their peak.
6. IQ - Ever .Neo prog is a dirty word maybe but I don't care! This is superb.Strong, clean and contemporary. Martin Orfords synths and Pete Nicholls vocals give this an edge other neo prog bands lacked IMO.
7.A Trick Of The Tail -Genesis should have died after Gabriel left but instead decided to make this great masterpeice. Wonderfull varied collcetion of songs and compositions. The recent remaster is stunning.Listen to the bass on Squonk and enter prog heaven!
8. Fragile - Yes .Wakeman joined and became the final peice of the jigsaw.Not quite to the level of CTTE but this is still powerfull and even quite dark music (for Yes).Yes had finally rid themselves of any aspirations to be the prog equivalent of the Beach Boys.
9. Lateralus - Tool .Some modern prog albums are actually good! Tool took the (then) stale Prog metal sub genre and breathed new life into it.
10. Kid A - Radiohead .Possibly the most beautiful modern/ contemporary electronic work I've heard.Fell in love with it after about 3 listens.
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Posted By: salmacis
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 05:26
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Good to see a thread like this. IMHO, this could be made a 'sticky' thread. Here goes- my first two are totally rigid, but everything else is probably subject to change. Whatever, all of these are 5 star albums for me. 1- Selling England By The Pound- Genesis; it was the first album I bought aged 6 in 1994, and it actively remains my favourite. Gloriously English (as the title suggests), eccentric, witty, whimsical, beautifully played and arranged and arguably has the best production on a Genesis album up to that point to boot. Also, unlike some modern prog albums I could mention, it doesn't pile on bombastic epic after bombastic epic; I like the fact that every long track is followed by a shorter, more reposed and accessible one. 2- Close To The Edge- Yes; I adore 'Relayer' as well, but I think this is their definitive album and (though it's a cliche) as an example of prog at its pinnacle, I don't personally think it can be beat. The production is truly gorgeous and unlike the more ambling moments of TFTO (which I do like anyway), I don't think there's a note wasted here. Chock-a-block with memorable hooks, too. 3- Thick As A Brick- Jethro Tull; IMHO, this is their best album by miles. The playing is staggeringly intricate and complex but unlike the follow-up 'A Passion Play', they remembered to write songs to go with it.
4- Brain Salad Surgery- ELP; yes, this is bombastic for sure. But as much as I like 'Trilogy', I think this is their definitive album, no question. I can even tolerate the knockabout 'Benny The Bouncer'. 'Karn Evil 9' should have closed the book on their 70s work, IMHO, as nothing they recorded for the rest of that decade even came close to any of their earlier output (IMHO).
5- Pawn Hearts- VDGG; dark and at first, impenetrable, but in terms of ambition and the stunning quality of execution, this album has few equals. This is almost the direct flip-side of 'Close To The Edge'; whilst that album is fairly easy to love almost immediately, this one does not court appreciation so readily and requires intense listening.
6- In The Court Of The Crimson King- King Crimson; I still think this is their best album overall. Although whether it is the first proper prog album is open to debate, I would argue it was one of the most influential.
7- Third- Soft Machine; experimental and dense, but one of the few double albums I can think of that I find totally perfect and one I have to listen to all the way through to fully appreciate.
8- In The Land Of Grey And Pink- Caravan; like SEBTP, this is English to its core and I find it to be a truly perfect album. Prog at its most approachable without sacrificing the things that make the genre so wonderful.
9- A Farewell To Kings- Rush; My favourite of their albums. 'Moving Pictures' might be more consistent overall and perhaps more definitive, but there's something magical about this album for me no matter how many times I play it.
10- Clutching At Straws- Marillion; the usual brickbats thrown at Marillion (and neo prog in general) such as 'derivative' and 'Genesis' do not apply here. This is mature and has its own identity. Every song stands up superbly and it is bleak, but always compelling.
Honorary mention given to Camel's 'Nude'/ 'The Snow Goose', IQ's 'Ever'/ 'Dark Matter', Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side Of The Moon', Gentle Giant's 'Octopus'/ 'Free Hand', Aphrodite's Child's '666', Radiohead's 'OK Computer', Queen's 'A Night At The Opera' and Mahavishnu Orchestra's 'Birds Of Fire'.
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Posted By: Casartelli
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 05:39
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1. Rush - A farewell to kings - My favourite band and this is simply their best. Where most albums in the list are quite even in their song quality, this one isn't, but it contains Xanadu and Cygnus X-1, which is enough for a number 1.
2. Marillion - Fugazi - Basically this one is uneven as well, but I've always preferred this one to Script. Marillion-with-Fish is still *the* quintessential neo prog period. Although the Hogarth era is actually more interesting from a progressive point of view and some albums come really close in quality (especially Brave), these first four have been the oldest love and (except for MC) also the favourites. Thanks to Assassing, the underrated Emerald Lies and the title track, this one ranks slightly highest. 3. Porcupine tree - Stupid dream - Most important modern prog band. That title is not deserved from this album (it is from the entire repertory or from albums like Up the downstair and In absentia) which is relatively poppy and easy accessible, but this one comes up with the most consistent set of songs. It was also the first album I heard from Mr Wilson, which may help as well. Not too many real standout tracks from the average, the average is just very high.
4. The Gathering - Mandylion - The blueprint for bands like Nightwish, Edenbridge, After forever, Epica, etc. After the genre was 'created' the band developed themselves further with many interesting results, but this one stays a favourite, not in the last place thanks to Eleanor.
5. Talk talk - Spirit of Eden - Moving, stunning, unique. This is one of the founding albums for the post rock movement, which means the ingredients became more familiar after the passing of years. This *mix* of the ingredients however is still something very special these days.
6. Genesis - A trick of the tail - Probably symphonic prog's most important band, I think this is their most even album out of a list of classics that all get high scores. Gentle and streamlined as it is, it misses something of the rough experimentation of a record like Nursery Cryme, but the presence of songs like Entangled and Mad Man Moon just says it all.
7. Supertramp - Crime of the century - A band that earned respect in prog's hardcore circles as well as in the mainstream and it's easy to see why: accessible songs, you might even call them 'easy going', but at the musical microlevel there's just so much going on, you keep discovering new things (yes, this even goes for Dreamer).
8. Queensrÿche - Operation: mindcrime - There are not that many conceptalbums where music and concept are both excellent anyway, but in prog metal they really can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The 80s had brought metal to a new level and, apart from Iron Maiden, who quickly became more and more formulaic, this is where prog and 'new' metal teamed again.
9. Eloy - Ocean - Those first few minutes of Poseidon's Creation must really be in the top five of most gripping album openings: haunting and really, really beautiful. Other Eloy records may be just as deserving of a top 10 position, but this beginning really does it.
10. Mike Oldfield - Tubular bells - In all its datedness still the original best. Nuff said. |
Posted By: Losendos
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 06:10
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1 The Lamb Genesis (love it's kookiness )
2 Relayer Yes ( GOD is the greatest epic ever )
3 Thick as a Brick ( when I got this one I just couldn't stop playing it )
4 Abbey Road Beatles( I love this one's evenness and varied brilliance )
5 Led Zeppelin 4 ( I agree with the comment that this is the best rock alvum ever )
6 Foxtrot Genesis ( most consistently brilliant album ever )
7 Hamburger Concerto Focus ( utterly brilliant with soaring atmospheres )
8 Tubular Bells Mike Oldfield ( phenonemal output from one man )
9 SEBTP Genesis (best keyboard solo of all tme )
10 Brain Salad surgery ELP ( Bombastic )
11 Dark Side of The Moon ( done a spinal tap here but this one cannot be missed out ) ------------- How wonderful to be so profound |
Posted By: Evans
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 07:53
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Well, my REAL personal top 10 consists probably of more non-prog albums than prog ones. But if i were to make a top 10 only with bands on the archives, it might look something like this:
1. First utterance.
The most grotesque music ever recorded, almost entirely acoustical, pure and close to nature in every possible way. Very freakishin a very non-contrived souning way. Not entirely flawless, but therein lies beauty as well.
2. Still life.
Heartfelt, bombastic, dark and hopeful. Also a very personal album for me, and that is the real reason why i didn't put Godbluff in the spot, despite being equally deserving.
3. Si on avait besoin d'une cinquiéme saison.
Beauty made human. Beautiful as any classical piece ever written, with a touch of fantasy and melancholy. Music to dream to.
4. F#A#oo.
The atmospheric materpiece, dark and hollow .Could be replaced with "Lift your skinny fists like Antennas to heaven", but this time it is once again purely a matter of personal preference. Minimalism when it's as good as it gets, and darker than the eternal night...
5. Tago Mago.
Because it is an album quite unlike any other, and it was one of those albums which has had a huge impact on my music listening.
6. Amputechture
Personally, i prefer frances the mute, but the Mars Volta's latest is definitely their most mature and in this case, that is a good thing. Certain elements on the earlier albums sounded cotrived and put in just for the heck of it, but Amputechture is very much a whole, solid album, devoid of filler. A testament of modern prog.
7. In the Land of Grey and Pink.
Whenever there is a need for a carefree and happy sounding album, Caravan delivers the goods. This album and the one before it stands to me as the twin towers of jazzy, laid back, keyboard driven prog of the 70's.
And this is where i really need some time out to think. :)
I'm thinking maybe Rock Bottom is worth a spot, and then either Script of Misplaced Childhood by Marillion, but then where would in Absentia go?
Anyway, i tried my best! :) Hope you're happy, Raffaela. ------------- 
'Let's give it another fifteen seconds..' |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 08:53
sorry to have to disappoint you, but the first prog metal album is from 1969. it is "Sea Shanties" by High Tide. the grandmother of all progressive metal ------------- A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: magnus
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 09:08
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1. Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick What's there to say? The mother of all concept albums. The creative peak of a charismatic english flute-molester and his merry men. 2. Genesis - Selling England by the Pound Very hard choice between this one and the two previous albums by Genesis, but I dare say this was their peak. No matter how many times I listen to this album, I am always amazed by the wonderful drumming by our beloved Phil Collins. 3. King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King For a good while, rock music was stirring with new influences and experimentations by different bands. The new progressive rock genre had for a while been in the making, but King Crimson debut was the album that went straight to the point, the very first fully fledged PROG album! Deserves a place in the top 10 if only for being influential! 4.Yes - Relayer Gates of Delirium is pure brilliance. Sound Chaser and To Be Over are also very nice. This is sort of a personal choice for me, because Close to the Edge never really got to me as much as Relayer did. 5. Pink Floyd - Animals Once again, we have a band on their creative peak. Roger Waters made some great concepts throughout the times, but never did any of "his" albums have as great music to go with the concept as they did on Animals. 6. Van der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts It's hard for me to say anything about this album that hasn't already been said. This album takes time to grow on you, but when it does, it's just beautiful. 7. Ark - Burn the Sun Progressive metal at its best. More exciting sound than Dream Theater and the like, yet very accessible and even radio-friendly at times(this does not in any way mean not proggy!), these guys took virtuosity and made it more than just ostentatiousness! In my humble opinion, the very best introduction to progressive metal for someone new to the genre. 8. Bacamarte - Depois do Film I've been getting really into this album lately. Being released by a brazilian band with a female vocalist(I'm no fan of female vocalists) in 1983(although I later discovered it was recorded 6 years before the release), I didn't really have much expectations for this album when I gave it a listen. I couldn't understand a single word of what that lady was singing about, but all I knew was that it didn't mean a thing; this music was so beautiful that no comprehensible word could give it any more meaning. I am especially in love with the guitars, from the acoustic classical guitar in Passaro de Luz to the Steve Howe-esque electric guitars found in other songs. 9. Änglagård - Hybris What can be said about this masterpiece? Änglagård managed to take influences from the 'classic' prog bands from the 70s and make something that sounded authentically like it was made in the same decade, yet still sounding fresh and new. The perfect showcase of how to be inspired by certain bands without ripping their music off in any way. 10. Gentle Giant - Octopus I don't really know what to say, other posters in this topic have given very good reasons for this album, so I'll leave it at that. Don't be fooled by the short running time of the songs. ------------- The scattered jigsaw of my redemption laid out before my eyes Each piece as amorphous as the other - Each piece in its lack of shape a lie 
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Posted By: dedokras
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 10:11
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1. Pink Floyd - Animals (powerful and bleak, Roger at his most cynical, the album that changed me at 15)
2. Yes - Yessongs (probably the best live album ever, and the reason I like White better than Brufford, especially on the Close to the edge and Siberian tracks)
3. Genesis - Selling England by the Pound (nice and mellow, the only minor let down being More Fool Me, but... you have Epping Forest coming next :))
4. Yes - Relayer (Yes at their most experimental, Gates being the ultimate epic and To be Over one of the most beautiful tracks ever)
6. Marillion - Fugazi (An album that really manages to move me)
5. Queen - A Night at the Opera (quirky and colourful, Queen does not get any better than this)
7. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (atmospheric to the maximum, Shine is the definitive prog epic)
8. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing (the best contemporary prog I have heard, Deadwing, Arriving, Start on Smth Beautiful and Glass Arm are among the best PT tracks ever)
9&10 honourable mentions:
Genesis - The Lamb and Foxtrot
Pink Floyd - The Wall, Meddle, Dark Side
Jethro Tull - Aqualung and Live: Bursting Out
Beatles (not really prog but they are on PA and they were brilliant anyway) - Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, White Album, Abbey Road
Led Zep (same as Beatles) - III, IV, Houses, Physical
PT - In Absentia and Stupid Dream
Tool - Lateralus and Aenema
Marillion - Script, Clutching and Brave
Mr Bungle (still don't know why they are on PA but their debut is phenomenal and one of the best albums ever)
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Posted By: Shakespeare
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 10:20
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Is this simply our favourite 10 albums featured on this site? Or is it our favourite 10 albums that best show what prog is about? Because my answer would be mildly different. |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 10:21
you only named the band, but not the album ------------- A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: laplace
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 10:23
hmm, I fail if it was either as I included non-prog on my list. The first post seems to suggest that this can be as open-ended as possible. ------------- FREEDOM OF SPEECH GO TO HELL |
Posted By: Shakespeare
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 10:39
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10. A Passion Play - http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=90009 - read my review 9. Lift Yr. Skinny Fists ... - http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=132166 - read my review 8. Up - http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=89883 - read my review 7. Selling England - http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=93639 - read my review (LOW QUALITY) 6. Thick as a Brick - http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=84106 - read my review 5. http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=126339 - In Absentia With some really extreme dynamics, really contrasting musical styles and genres, this album never grows tedious. Always inspired, with its aggressive playing, beautiful execution, and remains a climatic emotional journey. 4. http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=85607 - Speaking of Now Pat Metheny's most complete output, and the most atmospheric and magical jazz album I've ever heard. Moving, exhilarating, memorable, catchy, complex, and layered: perfect. 3. http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=106320 - Hybris So polished, so inspired, so sleek. Something is so absolutely elegant about this album. Whether it's the creepy and exciting compositions/arrangements, or the off-the-wall musicianship, this one is special. 2. http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=118069 - Epilog More moving, haunting, lingering and complex than its predecessor, and is even more dynamic. Utterly perfect in its delivery, and the compositions are so beyond anything...except 1. http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=86335 - Foxtrot Genesis are able to create a musical journey more complete and moving than anything ever before it. Something about the progression of the album, and particularly Supper's Ready make this my # 1. |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 11:06
Sorry for the late answer, and for not being clearer in my original post. However, as I referred to the site's Top 100, I thought it was clear I was talking about PROG albums. As to the reasons, more than in a list of your own personal favourites, I am more interested in learning the reasons why you consider them essential for prog. Edit: I am very happy with the responses so far . This shows how different our views of prog are, as well as what we consider to be essential. It has also been a way to give exposure to albums which very rarely feature in threads, and show that they are worth exploring. |
Posted By: erik neuteboom
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 11:47
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My Prog Archives biography mentions this list, I have added some descriptions:
My 10 favourite prog rock albums are:
GENESIS "Wind and Wuthering" : wonderful interplay between Hackett and Banks, lush symphonic prog sound, varied and captivating compositions, very pivotal album
YES "Yessongs" : the band at their best with the best compositions and great solo work by Howe and Wakeman
GENESIS "Live" : unsurpassed blend of folk, rock and classical and huge tension between the dreamy parts with 12-string acoustic guitars/flute and the heavy parts with bombastic Hammond/Mellotron and guitar. Peter Gabriels adds an extra dimension with his unique vocals.
RUSH "Exit Stage Left" : Rush at their pinnacle, awesome interplay and Lifeson delivers lots of exciting soli, often biting and using a wide range of effect pedals.
TRIANA "El Patio" : the best Prog Andaluz album, it's so exciting to listen to that unique blend of flamenco and symphonic prog, olé!
SOLARIS "1990" : unique Holy Trinity of flute, guitar and keyboards, what a wonderful and captivating prog, from mellow to propulsive.
BACAMARTE "Depois Do Fim" : beautiful Portuguese female vocals and unique symphonic prog with moving guitar and lush and varied vintage keyboards.
PINK FLOYD "At Pompeii" : I have changed The Wall into this DVD, great and often very compelling blend of symphonic prog and psychedelia with splendid work by Gilmour on slide guitar and Wright with the Farfisa organ.
CAMEL "Mirage" : wonderful and varied album with so many great, often moving soli by Latimer and lush vintage keyboards.
BARCLAY JAMES HAVEST "Live" : a Tron-maniac's wet dream and what a wonderful, very melodic and often emotional symphonic prog.
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Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 12:53
Why would I be disappointed? It's something I have not heard that I might enjoy. That is, if you are infact, correct. ------------- https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow"> https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp |
Posted By: magnus
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 14:26
Whoops! Fixed it now. I guess that's what happens when you write long posts, some words just mysteriously disappear!  ------------- The scattered jigsaw of my redemption laid out before my eyes Each piece as amorphous as the other - Each piece in its lack of shape a lie
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Posted By: Shakespeare
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 14:38
Like Pat Metheny's Speaking of Now? ESSENTIAL! |
Posted By: sheeves
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 15:46
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1. Foxtrot (Genesis) This album has so much, the majestic chord progressions and massive use of the dueling keyboards and guitars in Watcher of the Skies. The playful lyrics in Get Em out by Friday. The drums in Can-Utility, and of Course, the mother of all epics, Supper's Ready.
2. The Dark Side of The Moon (Pink Floyd) Every song here is perfect with great psychedelic moments and amazing lyrics. The concept is wonderful, and Gilmour's guitar playing. 3. Aqualung (Jethro Tull) Perhaps the most song-oriented album in Progressive Rock. Every song is amazing and all the songs are made only for themselves, not some big concept. Sometimes concepts can take away from the individual songs, and allow bands not to have an amazing song for every song, so there is story or concept filler. Not with this album. Great song after great song. I'll come back with the rest later. |
Posted By: Melomaniac
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 15:57
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I'll try... with only one album per band :
1 - Pink Floyd - Animals
My first encounter with prog, at the tender age of five (born in 1974, that means I discovered it when The Wall was released). This album changed everything for me ; it defined the way I listen to music, and, also, made me want to be a musician, which I am today
2 - Metallica - Ride the Lightning
Not prog by any means, this album opened new horizons to me. I discovered it in 84 upon it's release (10 years old). The sheer energy combined with the amazing songwriting and musicianship made me a metalhead right there. I hesitate between this one and Master of Puppets as a favorite from Metallica, but to me this one is more significant as it was my first metal album.
3 - Rush - Moving Pictures
My first Rush album. Being a drummer then (in my mid-teens, before a work accident that prevented me from playing drums for a long while) it is no wonder this album holds such a place in my heart. My favorite album from my favorite band. It showed me that it is possible to be progressive and being able to rock at the same time. Flawless record.
4 - Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Why this one from Maiden ? I had heard quite a few Maiden albums up to that point, but this one wasn't only metal ; it was a concept, prog-metal album (whether you agree with me or not on this one is irrelevant !!!
). A pure prog metal gem that inspired me so much... I learned to play bass with this one !5 - Gentle Giant - The Power and the Glory
My first encounter with the Giant. My favorite ? No, but it made me realize that prog could reach unimagineable heights of creativity and excellency. Among the most striking musical discoveries I have made.
6 - Message - Message
You might be thinking "What the hell is HE on ?" and I can understand : a completely unknown album in my top 10. Well, wait till you hear it ; every song is great, and the album is filled with some of the most infectiously groovy bass lines I have heard, from start to finish. It definitely helped me create my style as a bass player. I URGE all of you who are reading this to at least try and listen to this album. A complete surprise.
7 - Opeth - Still Life
As a fan of both prog and metal, this love story between me and Opeth was bound to be. From the album's mellow intro to the double bass-drum beats, from the death metal growls to the soft melodic voice, Opeth instantly became one of my favorite bands ever. I love them so much I actually got the "O" from their logo as a tattoo. This album made me pick up the guitar seriously on a permanent basis.
8 - Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
When Blackwater Park (Opeth) was released, I immediately loved the production. Seeing a certain Steven Wilson was responsible, I investigated and found he was the main songwriter/leader/singer/ for a band called Porcupine Tree. I bought Lightbulb Sun which I found good enough for me to buy In Absentia upon it's release, and then I understood. A superb album with amazing songs, vocal (and musical) arrangments, I love everything on this one. Though not sounding like Rush, they are the closest thing to them in my book.
9 - Camel - Moonmadness
I knew nothing of them until Mikael Akerfeldt mentioned them as a major influence on his playing, and Opeth bass player Martin Mendez also mentions this very album as one of his favorites ever. So this warranted further investigation ; it is indeed a superb album where every instrument is in highlight, where every song is a gem.
10 - Voivod - Nothingface
Surprised, aren't you ? A genre defining album, one of a kind, a cyber-punk thrash-sci-fi-prog-metal kind of thingy : 100 % original. Introduced me to Piggy's (Rest in Peace
) unique style and approach to the guitar, an unspoken genius.Whew, that was hard !!! ------------- "One likes to believe in the freedom of Music" - Neil Peart, The Spirit of Radio |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 17:21
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Ah, it's hard to choose ten, many alternates could have been listed
easily, but this is what came off the top of my head (plus albums by
Arachnoid, Art Bears, Amon Duul II, and Area -- ten of one's favourite
bands beginning with the letter A would be an easier task... not to
mention Acquiring the Taste by Gentle Giant which was my favourite prog album for quite a long time and I still love... And I really feel that Univers Zero should be here and some later music like Koenjihyakkei which I'd love to add, but I'm limiting this to older bands). Magma - MDK Much as I loved this album from first listen, being a big fan of Orff, I considered this a little too derivative and so I placed other Magma albums in a higher position. However, I really love the vocals in this one and rock-operatic nature. It's one of the most exciting albums I've heard. Magma is a very influential band, and for many this is their masterpiece. I love most of their albums. Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom No it's not an exercise guide for firm buttocks, but it did make my backside clench with joy. Wow, poignant, beautiful, a little crazy, and whimsical. Wonderful album. This is a true masterpiece for me, and it's all the more inspirational due to the circumstance behind the album. Every track is very special to me. A very important album to many. Vortex - Les Cycles de Thanatos Imagine yourself sitting in a whirlpool bath while bicycles, motorcycles, tricycles, unicycles and popsicles glide by (belonging to Thanatos -- i.e Death -- of course). Now imagine that you're being sucked into that whirlpool and drowning and you'll have amazingly little conception of what this album sounds like. The music is wonderfully progressive in how it builds, and shows fine compositional and instrumental skills. There is a repetitive nature to the music (the themes go in cycles) and it swirls about like a, well, like a vortex of course. It's an epic journey akin to lively traipsing over the hummock of light, then descending into the valley of darkness. Picchio dal Pozzo - Abbiamo Tutti I Suoi Problemi Just when I thought I was starting to go off Italian Prog (having been a big fan of a great deal of Italian Prog), I discovered Picchio dal Pozzo's eponymous debut. What a great album it is, but I have subsequently found myself returning to this follow-up more. Whereas many other bands I once loved from the Italian prog scene have palled over time, this album remains fresh to me. Also, the instrumentation is similar to many RIO/ Avant Prog bands I love. Great sax, and vibraphone to boot! Hey, my phone vibrates too which is kind of distracting sometimes since I store it in my pants. Eskaton - Ardeur I hadn't originally thought that I could like this as much as Eskaton's debut, but like with Picchio dal Pozzo, the follow -up album grew on me greatly quickly. Love the vocal qualities. Ardeur heated me up with its boppy, funky, throbbing, and upbeat goodness. Very spunky. "Dagon" was the inital standout for me, and dog-gone it, it is good. I still return to this album, as well as the following Eskaton album, a lot. Comus - First Utterance Ah, the dreaded Comus FU. I know that some of you think this album is sick and depraved, disgusting, an abomination, but I don't think one can doubt the talent on display. Love it... From the the rather fun Diana to the hauntingly beautiful The Herald (what great guitar-work) to the disturbed brilliance of Drip to Drip to the amazing and playful Song to Comus to crucifying Christians and more there is never a dull moment. Okay, not for everyone, but I find the music VERY good, and it tells interesting macabre stories, and explores legend/ myth. Comus is not the kind of guy you'd want to take home to your family, but I expect he might make a good bowling partner if you took the time to know him. Comus wants to play, play, play, play. Gong - You Possibly the best of the Radio Gnome Invisible trilogy (Angel's Egg is about tied for me). Great spacey album. "Isle of Everywhere" sends my mind on a retro-futuristic voyage to a really cool orgy where there are women dancing in silver and/or white go-go boots, and wearing minimal tinfoil and cellophane bits. Sw**ky; it takes me to a happy place. Dün - Eros Loosely based on Dune somewhat somehow (you can see that in some of the titles and it's pronounced DUNE not DONE), this is one heck of an album. Eros is the god of lust and love, and this was an album I lusted after for some time. If the worms are l'Epice, then let this worm its way into your heart... Even better than a case of heart-worm is the xylophone. Present - Le Poison Qui Rend Fou Looking for that perfect Present for Valentine's Day? Give him or her "the poison that makes insane." Tainted love; your partner will go crazy for it. I was contemplating whether to include this album or Univers Zero's Heresie, but chose this one since it doesn't get talked about so much (I tend to prefer the more acoustic side so UZ might seem a more obvious choice and I really wish I was including UZ which is fantastic). Anyway, it's jazzy, dark, has a nice vocal touch, and generally fits my mood well. I really do think it's a great album even if it's relatively simple compositionally compared to some similar music. Art Zoyd - Musique pour l'Odyssee Two members of the great Univers Zero are involved in this. Comes off like a soundtrack to a weird and wonderful movie. Terrific instrumentation, a real journey. This appeals to my acoustic non-rockin' side greatly. It gets under my skin and the strings make me feel all tingly. Now I'd like to make a more recent Prog list, but I've neglected so many of my favourites for this all-too short one as it is. Sorry that I have not adequately explained what makes these albums so special to me... I know what I like and I like what I know. This is really just a list of some of my favourites. I have not numbered them because I think they are all terrific and am not treating this as a contest. |
Posted By: laplace
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 17:27
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that has the makings of a pretty cool list, Logan =)
------------- FREEDOM OF SPEECH GO TO HELL |
Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 19:04
I've noticed that a lot of people are trying to be as objective as they can, but I'm going to say to hell with that and be completely subjective to my own whims. The following list will contain 10 that I consider to be completely indispensible for me and reflect what I consider to be the best that progressive music has to offer, and, by coincidence, the best 10 albums that I own.
------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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Posted By: Garion81
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 19:18
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I tried to be objective as possible and then realized that is impossible. These are the CD’s that I listen to time and again even when newer stuff comes along for a while these keep sneaking back into my list. Tarkus ( Thick as Brick( Jethro Tull)- Their best. I was tempted to name Benefit (Yes Benefit!) because it was my favorite but I have played this one much more over the years. Ian really came up with something amazing here. Foxtrot(Genesis)- The peak of the Gabriel led band. Sure SEbtP and tLLDoB are great albums but I think I would choose this one because of the regal melodies and momntous climaxes this one offers. Relayer(Yes)- My idea of Yes’s classic. CTTE is good no doubt but this line up and music is more in what I like from Yes. Two for the Show( World Became a World(PFM)- Sorry all you RPIers I heard this American release first and am still partial to it. Along with Focus Moving Waves PFM helped me discover a world of music outside of Roxy and Elsewhere(Frank Zappa)- Simply put the best line up and best collection of songs from Frank and having a lot fun doing them as well. Romantic Warrior(Return to Forever)- The example I give of when someone asks me about Fusion and the one I measure all others against. Before Became After (Proto-Kaw)- The album that could have been a new My River Flows(Izz)- how did they get here? Simple the first band that blew me away live in the post 00 years. There is an emotional attachment to this music and Brems guitar is just magnificent. A great example of how a band can produce great music just for the kicks of it. No intention of making money this is truly a labor of love. So many others I could mention but have to cut it off somewhere. ------------- 
"What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?" |
Posted By: Zargus
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 22:03
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This is very hard and i dont know why im even trying theres so many great albums its imposible to pick yust 10 as your absolute favoirtes but i make a try:
1. Van der Graaf Generator - Pawn hearts VdGG is my favorite prog band and this is my favoirte album by em followed by The least we can do is wave to eachothers.
2. Yes - Close to the edge This was one of the first prog albums i ever heard and the title track is probobly the closest i have ever come to a musical nirvana.
3. King Crimson - In the court of the crimson king Allso one of the early prog albums i got i think before Close to the edge this was so incredibly good i remeber bying it toghter with the doors debute and only lisening to thos 2 albums for a whole summer and going around singing the songs in my head all day even when not lisening to the albums. And i remeber being surprised that music this good did exist and the way it sounded like nothing i hade ever heard before.
4. Pink Floyd - Dark side of the moon This was a milestone in my musical development before this one i only lisend to KoRn, Rage against the machine and Limp Bizkit and Metallica i still ike thos 4 bands more or les but after buying this album i came to understand what music culd realy be it was realy mind opening, and for a long time my abosulte favorite album ever.
5. ELP - Brain salad surgery This was one of the albums i bought after visisting this site i hade heard about ELP litle before coming here but it was after coming here i made up my mind about trying em and this was my first album y em and culdent have got a bter start at first i dident liek it then i loved it ELPs peak.
5. Genesis - The Lamb lies down on broadway This album i bought after first trying SEBTP and Foxtrot both thos album was pretty good but it dident realy click for me but it did with this one big time, genesis at thire peak Gabriel left after it rightly so they culd never have improved upon this masterpiece.
6. Soft Machine - Third My favoirte Jazz rock fusion album, incredibly good album to just relax to very sweet, well not the opening track that one is allso my favoirte and its the wierdest and most rocking one on the album the other ones are more traditional jazz and then we got Wyatts Moon in june with typical funny lyrics. Great stuff simply.
7. Tool - Lateralus this is preety much the only prog metal i have tryed the rest like DT dont seem to fit my tast realy, but this stuff is realy amazing, this is a band that realy try breaking new ground and this is thiere masterpiece and one of the best modern prog albums no doubt.
8. Mike Oldfiled - Tubular bells This one i read some forum member who wrote that this was classical music and i agree this is is classical music and a flawles masterpice and the best album oldfield ever did and wierdly the one he was never happy with and made 1k follow ups and difrent versions the orginal is the best and a perfect modern classical album.
9. Can - Tago mago Many say this is a wierd album and yes theres some wierd stuff on here but most of it is yust long and very groovy and funky songs and allso very experimental like most Krautrock band, Can is the most famus and this is simply a landmark album, and allso one that is very influential for many modern bands outside of prog.
10. Peter Hammill - "In Camera" My favoirte Hammill solo album and liek all his stuff its very raw, he sings his heart out and give 100% as always, on this one he tryes allmost everything, and the rsult is a very good and varied album allso very experimental not the album to start with from him but when your ready this is Hammill at his creative peak.
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Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 22:34
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Lets see:
Iván ------------- 
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Posted By: Speesh
Date Posted: August 17 2007 at 23:40
Hmm lots of great lists here!  Well even though I've been listening to prog for a long time, there's still much more I have to get around to. So this list is subject to change...a lot. 1. Comus - First Utterance Certainly many won't agree with me here, but this truly unique prog folk album never ceases to amaze me. I hated it at first listen, and for a while it never really grew on me. Then at one point I listened to it alone in the dark and it clicked instantly. The beauty of The Herald, the insanity of Drip Drip, all of it became apparently brilliant. It just changed the way I listened to music. I doubt there is, or ever will be an album like it. 2. After Crying - Overground Music Very progressive and very beautiful arrangements that are always well above par and never lets down once throughout the album. The band plays very tight, and ohhh that piano! Pretty much every song is a masterpiece in my opinion. Most people can't get past the vocals, but I learned to really like them. To me it seems they compliment the music well now. 3. Frank Zappa - Hot Rats My first and favorite offering from his prolific discography. It was one of the first progressive albums I heard and I still get the same feelings of awe from listening that I did back then. People have said listening to the whole album is a lot like watching a movie, and I agree. 4. Skywhale - The World at Mind's End I'm glad I picked up the remaster before this disappeared again. The energetic, optimistic jazzy songs here are brilliantly arranged and always sound fresh to me. Another one of those unique ones with nothing really similar to it. This one's not listed here, but it would do well under fusion. 5. Harmonium - L'heptade Most people prefer Si on Avait..., and its easy to understand why. The five songs there are brilliant and some of the most beautiful songs ever recorded. However I think L'heptade has a kind of soaring musical direction that most other albums don't have. The brilliance of this one isn't quite in your face as Si on Avait, its much more subtle, but to me these so called 'boring' parts just add to the genius. 6. Caravan - In the Land of Grey and Pink One of my first prog albums, and the one that really got me into the genre. Dave Sinclair's fuzz and other keyboard solos throughout the album create such a great atmosphere, and aside from the short sidetrack that is 'Love to Love you' all the songs are amazing. 7. King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King Cornerstone of prog or not (I'll say that its not), this is an incredible album. Each song is so different yet so atmospheric and unique. Nothing more really needs to be said. 8. Opus-5 - Contre Courant Another great Quebecois band along with Harmonium, Maneige (which I've yet to hear), among many others. Another fusion favorite of mine, and again the songs stand out far above many other fusion albums I've heard. 9. Gentle Giant - Octopus Another album that clicked with me, and really changed how I listened to music. This album really got me listening to more difficult music after I hunted for melodic music for so long. All of them are performed very well by the versatile 10. Sloche - J'un Oeil Another great Quebecois album, man that area was a blessing to prog in the 70s. Basically its just a bunch of fun, quirky, french jazz-rock tunes. Well...the top 7 are pretty standard. Anything below tends to vary a lot. Octopus is a long time favorite though. |
Posted By: Dim
Date Posted: August 18 2007 at 00:55
I put what I think is most important...  -------------
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Posted By: Figglesnout
Date Posted: August 18 2007 at 03:04
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Well...for ALL prog that's very hard for me, because I tend to enjoy modern prog more than classic prog...so I'll do ten for both I guess, and then a short list of my favorite 10 out of the pack...
1. GENESIS - Nursery Cryme My favorite Genesis album...for me it's just the one that clicks. Foxtrot seems to be a bit too, well...I can't put my finger on it, and Selling England gets "eh" near it's second half. I like Nursery Cryme, the balance is at its best for me. 2. PINK FLOYD - Wish You Were Here Good stuff. Mellow, jazzy at times, and produced in a fitting manner. This uplifting yet gloomy music captures my soul and also serves as a trip down memory lane (not because I'm old--I'm only 17, but because this band got me into prog). 3. THE BEATLES - White Album Perhaps not "prog" in its fullest sense, but nevertheless one of my favorite albums. This album shows them at their peak in songwriting with gentle experimentation. The first disc is a must. 4. CAMEL - Moonmadness This is my favorite Camel album other than their debut. The songs have a great, moody, dreamy quality about them with a hint of jazz...it's great stuff. 5. CAN - Ege Bamyasi This album is pure fun and just...slick. The experimentation of "One More Night" flows well with the catchiness of "Vitamin C" ...it's bliss 6. HARMONIUM - Si On Avait Besoin d'une Cinquième Saison This album is beautiful. It encompasses everything about beautiful music that I love, flowing, interwoven melodies and in-the-back-of-your-head catchy riffs...while managing to fulfill it's overall goal of capturing the tone of our seasons....I love this album. 7 - GONG - Radio....1: Flying Teapot Though I don't think it's "professionally" the best of the trilogy, it is my favorite Gong album for reasons unknown. It just sticks with me. 8 - KING CRIMSON - Lizard Though it's not really one of their "bigger" albums, it is, without a doubt my favorite Crimson album. The jazzy elements and wonderful, magical opening make it an obvious choice in my book. 9 - PFM - Per Un Amico This is my favorite album of Italian prog. Each song is its own little masterpiece of prog. The melodies, and especially the keyboards, hold me captive whenever I listen to this one. 10 - RUSH - A Farewell to Kings My favorite Rush album. Great melodies, that one classic track, along with other captivating tracks such as the mysterious Xanadu...it's a very good album. MODERNS 1 - THE MARS VOLTA - Frances the Mute Their worst produced, but most intriguing musically to me. 2 - PORCUPINE TREE - The Sky Moves Sideways The spacey sounds, the wonderful effects, and epic proportions move me. This is my favorite PT album and, I suspect, always will be (although their newest was fantastic, I wore it off too soon by listening too it way too much as I have a habit of doing...) 3 - SECRET CHIEFS 3 - Book of Horizons The music on here encompasses so many moods and stations that it is almost impossible NOT to love it. From ferocious metal so orchestrated gallops it's all here. 4 - OPETH - Still Life Their best in my book. Each song it's a labyrinth of Opeth-ian sound and daring, winding up with a punch and then coming back for seconds. 5 - MR. BUNGLE - Disco Volante This album is perfect in terms of what avant-garde is to me. It's got it's eastern flair, it's experimental/electronic side, and it's zany borderline ridiculous integrity. 6 - TOOL - Lateralus The dark, gloomy atmosphere and expert songwriting; coupled with some very interesting lyrical ideas make this one a surefire modern classic. 7 - RADIOHEAD - Kid A This album is dark, gloomy, atmospheric, electronic, expertly written, and vocally emotive. It's got all the workings of a masterpiece...if only we could remove Treefingers (just kidding). 8 - SYMPHONY X - V: The New Mythology Suite A romping, symphonic suite of power-metal-mania. This album, despite it's "cheesiness" as some would call it, moves me in an "epic" way and I am quite fond of it. 9 - 65DAYSOFSTATIC - The Fall of Math I'm not huge on post-rock buit this album, with it's blend of climatic math-rock at points, sweeping imagry (if you have imagination) and noodling electronics always wins its favor with me as a great, great album of instrumental music. 10 - MAUDLIN OF THE WELL - Bath/Leaving Your Body Map Though they are two albums they work as one for me...and, oddly, they are near the exact same length (and are meant to be companion albums as well). These albums traverse many a sound from minimalist themes of nothingness to climatic metallic forays into impressive time and space. Great, great music! MY PERSONAL TOP 10: In no particular order: WYWH - Pink Floyd Moonmadness - Camel Si Ut...... - Harmonium White Album - The Beatles TSMS - Porcupine Tree FTM - TMV Still Life - Opeth Lateralus - Tool Kid A - Radiohead The Fall of Math - 65daysofstatic so there ya go... |
Posted By: meinmatrix
Date Posted: August 18 2007 at 05:26
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Well, i think i'll grab at least 3 albums from Pink Floyd (Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals), Thick As A Brick from Jethro Tull, Yessongs from Yes, Foxtrot from Genesis, The Great Deceiver from King Crimson, Marbles from Marillion, Coma Divine from Porcupine Tree and Live Scenes From New York. Is that ten albums already? ------------- 
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Posted By: micky
Date Posted: August 18 2007 at 07:29
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started this yesterday and lost my post of course.... I'll try it again. Raff and I discussed our top 30 lists last night over a romantic dinner. ( yes it IS heaven to have your love be a huge proghead hahhaha) here's my first 10... 1. Yes - Close to the Edge there are a handful of prog masterpieces... some of the flawed variety. (Selling England, BSS etc) this one stands out among the flawless type. Flawless? Find me another album .... in it's entirety, that still is in the bands set-list rotation over 30 years after it's release. The title track and And You and I have been peformed over 1000 times in concert. Face it... if the songs weren't that good.. the band.. and most importantly the audience would have tired of it. A no brainer for #1 prog album ever. 2. King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King flawed by Moonchild? perhaps... but to use an analogy I've used with TFTO. Art.. HIGH art can and will lose some people along the way. This album was not the best album King Crimson ever did... but it simply ranks among the most important ..and essential prog albums ever. 3. Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick shear musical perfection with a concept off the beaten track. 4. Emerson Lake and Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery a flawed masterpiece and not perfect but like some other selections here... the album's high points... Toccata... Karn Evil 9... represent the best that prog has to offer. 5. Genesis - Selling England by the Pound again... not a perfect album. Like BSS.. the high points... MORE than offset the weaker material on the album. 6. Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds of Fire an album, and a group whose shadow touched all rock. For shear display of virtuosity and skill. Few touch this album... ask Yes ..who were in awe of this group and this album. 7. Balleto di Bronzo - Ys yes I love this album and it is a personal favorite of mine.... but in all of prog... you will be hard pressed to find a prog album so dense, complex and aggressive. Quite possibly the best keyboard driven prog album ever. 8. Bo Hansson - Lord of the Rings. the granddaddy of Scandinavian prog... music so expressive you can imagine yourself chased by the Black Riders. A underappreciated classic of prog. 9. Caravan - In the Land of Grey and Pink a hard choice... I like their previous album much better... but this album has, rightly or wrongly become their defining album. Prog sans the serious pretention ..prog with a wink and giggle. 10. Frank Zappa - Hot Rats simply a perfect album by one of titans of modern music and of prog. Completely essential. ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: August 18 2007 at 12:03
Well, as the thread starter, I should've posted my own list right from the very beginning ... Just to set a good example, if nothing else!  However, it is usually my way to wait a bit until disclosing my own choices. So, here you go...1. Yes - Close to the Edge Hope you'll pardon the pun, but this is as close to perfection as prog can get. It's got it all: the astounding musicianship, the soaring vocals, the suitably zany lyrics, the hooks and melodies as well as the dissonant, intricate parts - not to mention the absolutely stunning inner gatefold sleeve, in my opinion Roger Dean's true masterpiece. 2. King Crimson - ITCOTCK My first exposure to English prog, at the age of 15 - once heard, never forgotten. A flawed masterpiece like many others, but a masterpiece nonetheless. "21st Century Schizoid Man" was heavy metal before the latter was ever conceived, and "Epitaph" is simply the blueprint for symphonic prog. Mellotron and vocals to die for. 3. Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick Another 'love at first hearing' album for me. Based upon an elaborate spoof, proving that proggers DO have a sense of humour (especially if their name is Ian Anderson! ), it veers from the pastoral to the harshly metallic in the space of 45 minutes or so. Great musicianship, Anderson at his vocal best. 4. ELP - s/t Though most people's choice would be BSS, I am of the opinion that the fab three never bettered their explosive debut. A true statement of intent, it is a keyboard lover's dream come true, with Emerson pulling out all the stops right from the majestic opener, "The Barbarian". Unlike the following albums by the band, ELP is perfect, vocally (just listen to "Take a Pebble") and instrumentally. A too-often neglected classic. 5. Pink Floyd - Live at Pompeii Not an album, but something even more significant by the band who based most of their career on a winning combination of sound and vision. Filmed in one of the eeriest, most intriguing places in the world, it shows the band at their musical peak, with absolutely stunning renditions of their earlier classics. Forget about the slick perfection of their later commercial successes (as great as they are) - this is what Pink Floyd was really about. 6. Genesis - Selling England by the Pound Another flawed masterpiece by probably the most influential prog band of all. Three all-time classics, some reasonably good tracks and some filler for an album that is only deceptively sweet and pastoral - darkness and evil lurk behind the smooth, elegant beauty of the music. Full of very English quirkiness, very erudite, with Peter Gabriel at his vocal best. 7. Rush - Moving Pictures Hailed by most as the Canadian trio's best, it's not my personal favourite - yet, it would be hard to deny it's another perfect album, striking the right balance between prog intricacy and commercial potential. The lyrics are amongst Peart's best; Geddy's singing has lost its early shrillness and become more forceful and expressive. Musically, Rush are at their tightest, and the sprinkling of influences from other genres (notably reggae in "Vital Signs") enhances the final product. 8. Caravan - If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You A surprise choice over the celebrated "In the Land of Grey and Pink", this is less polished than its follow-up, but it contains all Caravan are about - quirky English humour, great melodies and hooks, jazzy influences, David Sinclair's trademark fuzz organ ("For Richard" must be his finest hour), the perfect blending of the two very different vocal styles of Pye Hastings and Richard Sinclair - not to mention utterly bonkers song titles. An album to play to those who think prog is all about seriousness and sword-and-sorcery nonsense.9. Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds of Fire Jazz-rock comes in many forms, but IMHO never as exhilarating as this 200mph musical tour de force by one of the most technically-gifted bands ever. When talking about jazz-metal, one should never forget the astounding title-track, and John McLaughling jaw-dropping guitar work. 10. The Mars Volta - De-loused in the Comatorium Love them or hate them, TMV created the blueprint for modern prog with their ground-breaking debut album. Just as the early wave of prog wasn't afraid of blending pop and rock with classical music and jazz, TMV blend classic prog influences with other popular music forms, some of which are generally considered incompatible with prog - namely their emo-hardcore roots, as well as anything of Latin origin. The end result may be an acquired taste for some, but there's no denying that TMV are defiantly, uncompromisingly prog in every aspect - from their impenetrable lyrics to their great cover art - but especially in their exhilarating, in-your-face musical approach. |
Posted By: febus
Date Posted: August 18 2007 at 13:31
Not in a preferential order as the mood for a day can change I try to do just one album for one band
1) YESSONGS:: this was one of my first lp(s) i bought; everything is outwordly on it from the opening to the 6 wives excerpts to more lively versions of CTTE ,Starship Trooper, Long Distance Runaround and other goodies to, of course, the most beautiful LPs packaging with the magical world of Roger Dean in a 6 fold display!!
 This is the vitrine of prog! 2) GROBSCHNITT: SOLAR MUSIC live: All what is prog is all about: subtetlies, beauty, weirdness, extremely good musicianship, weirdness, long suite, time changes, creativity.......and especially on this album....MIGHTY POWER!! The definition of prog!
3) NOVALIS self.titled 2nd album : odyssey to a wonderland where everything and everybody is beautiful; the king of symphonic prog; just wish heaven looks like that!
This is the beauty album.
4) SOFT MACHINE: THIRD.; The jazzy side of prog; the Canterbury monument next to the cathedral; unpossible to copy; a unique sound; Ah! the organ of MIKE RATLEDGE and WYATT singing on MOON IN JUNE..priceless. Made jazz acceptable to rock ears.
5) PINK FLOYD: THE WALL . This is not rock or prog; this is more than that; that's a symphony coming from the tormented mind of a GENIUS named ROGER WATERS, From the first note to the last one, just a wonderful experience...with POWER!!
A classical symphony from late 20th century.
6) ELP: TARKUS This record made prog popular and help launch the carreer of a lot of bands. Ok; It's not 100% perfect, but The suite is 200% perfect, so forget the fact than Eddy is not ready. it doesn't matter; it makes me sad that on a prog site, i see so many people thrashing ELP. Tarkus the suite is one of the seven wonders of prog music. serve me that all the time than 10 Genesis anyday!!
7) AMON DUUL 2: WOLF CITY. This is where KRAUTROCK got it right: Self indulgence of the past has been forgotten, the writing is tighter, yet still so odd, so weird, so mystical, but also so beautiful and finally well sung! A band at it's peak; their graal!
8) KING CRIMSON: RED; There is no flaw, yes i repeat no flaw on this album: Providence is a nice atmospheric track, that just happen to be surrounded by 4 monuments; A new outlook on prog at the time; FRIPP, WETTON, BRUFORD were going where no one else could go. Fantastic guitar playing, huge wonderfull mean sounding bass, a drummer teaching class to any aspiring drummer, add Cross, Collin and Ian Mc DONALD and you're having the MACCHU PICCHU of prog. And a major influence for a lot of today bands.
9)FOCUS: HAMBURGER CONCERTO; so old Europe; winner of the pastoral/medieval
prog award; yes the suite can be listened as a concerto, a modern concerto. Johan Sebastian Bach or Mozart , if alive today, would compose such magnificent pieces like this one.
10) MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA: BIRDS OF FIRE they were very important; they brought jazz to rock, rock to jazz, indian music in the mix,; they created a new sound; they open the borders between all music worlds and not only jazz/fusion was born but also world /fusion music.
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Posted By: micky
Date Posted: August 18 2007 at 15:29
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nice list, sort of out of the box which is good, and good explanations Febus! ... though I beg to differ about Red ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: 1800iareyay
Date Posted: August 18 2007 at 17:21
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Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: August 18 2007 at 18:00
I'm pretty happy with my personal favourites list (though there are many others I would have liked to include), but I'm crap at describing music and even how it affects me. I have since added the rest of my crappy comments. Just got around to reading your list as I avoided reading other's choices before lest it affect my own. Good stuff, not that I know several of the albums. I now regret not putting in Henry Cow (though I thought about it). I still haven't heard Wha-ha-ha's Shinotukiwa Betsu; that's one I've been meaning to get for a while. Good reminder for me.
Mine is not even a true Prog list in the more traditional sense as I have included albums that merely fall under the progressive music umbrella that is employed here. Any Prog purist would scoff at my endeavor. I didn't aim to go for what I think is most important generally speaking, but more what is important to me (and is listed in the archives under progressive music categories). Nor is it a good overview of what Prog as we might now call it has to offer (I am more into the "avant" side/s).
It's no chuck-steak; a well-done meaty masterpiece one might say. I do think that replacing van der Linden on drums was a poor artistic choice however, though it was more commercially motivated from what I've read, and so it's a moot point. Incidentally, the main theme from "Starter" is based on "The St. Anthoni Chorale" which was adapted by Brahms. Focus, along with many Prog bands, adapted other's themes for their music (often classical themes in Prog, which you probably already know -- I have no "beef" with this practice as long as the sources are accredited). Here's an interesting site where you can compare samples and read more about Focus: http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Alley/8267/audio.htm - http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Alley/8267/audio.htm |
Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: August 26 2007 at 15:25
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Here we go.
1) MARILLION “Script for a Jester’s Tear” - simply my favouritest album ever. I bought it on August, 1th, 2003, and it still bites. I adore it, it's purely flawless Other albums will follow in alphabetical order, because I love them almost equally...a bit lesser than "Script..." though
GYBE “Lift your skinny fists...” - the best Post-Rock album from a band, that never did even an average CD. Their essential album, the one that has "Sleep" that has my favourite GODSPEED moment (last 5 minutes). Excellent balance of melodies and melancholy. Awesome. GENESIS “Foxtrot” - the best GENESIS album. GENESIS is my favourite band (70-74) musically, with eccentric Gabriel and the guys stage shows. "Supper's Ready", "Get'em out by Friday", "Watcher of the Skies" - nuff said? DISCIPLINE “Unfolded like Staircase” - the best Modern Symphonic Prog album, inspired by VDGG and better than their stuff by miles . Dark, epic, melodic, complex, lyrical, introvertive - continue by yourself. "Canto" and "Before the Storm" are seriously masterpieces.
COLLAGE “Moonshine” - the diamond that shines brighter with years. "Heroes Cry" when they heard Amirian singing! Must mentione Mirek Gil's excellent guitar solos and Woitek Szadkowski unquestionable talent - the guy wrote most of the material and played drums better, than anyone in Neo-Prog!!! TOOL “10 000 Days” - a grower. "Aenima" is heavier, "Lateralus" is better constructed, but "10 000 Days" has the most mature songwriting and the best TOOL's song ever - the hypnotic namesake track. Throw away 6th and 11th tracks, unite tracks 3+4, 7+8 and 9+10, and you'll recieve the best Modern Prog-Metal album as a result. JETHRO TULL “Thick as a Brick” - it's hard to call me a die-hard JT fan, but this one is simply flawless. Besides, it's so catchy! I frequently notice myself humming bits from it...it's hard to keep from humming actually! Anderson's composer talent shines there in it's full power. I simply can't imagine progger's life without TAAB!!! LOCANDA DELLE FATE “Forse le lucciole…” - the best Italian Prog album ever. Again melodic, complex, bla-bla-bla...you know what I'll say better then me! Besides it has my favouritest instrumental track ever - the opener one. Extremely recommended! SHADOWLAND “Ring of Roses” - this is personal. I'd give away all Nolan-related projects' discographies for this CD!!! Melodical, emotional, touching and sincere - that's how Neo should be. I like such kind of poppish Neo (ARAGON, COMEDY OF ERRORS, ABEL GANZ, TWELFTH NIGHT, early IQ/PALLAS/PENDRAGON etc), so don't hesitate to recommend me something!
DREAM THEATER “Scenes from a Memory” - yes, I like them. Not every album, not every moment, but I respect and appreciate them. This is their peak, and one of the finest and the most accessible yet Prog albums ever. Enjoy! |