TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION

I wouldn't say this album is a prog classic by any stretch of the imagination. The tone never really gets across the depressive and morbid nature of Poe's tales (though The Tell-Tale Heart featuring Arthur Brown and The Cask of Amontillado both come close), the epic Fall of the House of Usher uses flashy sound effects to mask shortcomings in the songwriting, and it's all rather cheesy. But at the same time, there's just something I find strangely comforting about this album. It's like the prog equivalent to a toasted cheese sandwich - there is nothing really fancy or gourmet about it, but when you're in the right mood there's nothing better.