TOP 50 70’s English Prog - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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Sir Realist View Drop Down

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Joined: May 24 2005
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Topic: TOP 50 70’s English Prog
Posted: May 24 2005 at 23:07

One problem with assessing the '70s is that a lot of
excellent live material was released much later. Like
the BBC and Peel Sessions stuff. Does that
count?

Edited by Sir Realist

I can have double standards, and you can't

Dan Yaron

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Posted: May 20 2005 at 07:22

Regarding Henry Cow's music. Actually, I don't like it either, but because it's not avant garde enough since I had listened to avant garde jazz like the late stuff by coltrane, the stuff from the sixties to now by cecil taylor, and almost everything by albert ayler and so on. I still love this noisey avatgarde jazz that is hated by 98% of the people that I know. Therefore, when it comes to Progressive Rock I prefer the symphonic stuff =) They have nothing to do with my other likings =)

philippe

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Posted: May 19 2005 at 12:16

also don't forget the legendary Atomic Rooster with their crazy but impressive keyboardist Vincent Crane

Live and raw is an absolute must

Edited by philippe

Bellringer View Drop Down

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Posted: May 18 2005 at 20:05

Now, now, now, Nets is entitled to like or dislike anything in prog. After all, I like Ron Geesin and there are plenty who would probably call me weird. All prog is definately not for all tastes. Each to his own.

Psalm 69:6

arcer

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Posted: May 13 2005 at 12:31

I'd go along with Cert on the Supertramp thing. I think
if you're putting in Breakfast in America then you have
to add Crime of the Century - they are the two most
'complete' albums they made and, for me, are as
creatively rich and on fire as each other, Crisis and
Quietest don't quite hit the same level of sustained
quality.

Certif1ed

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Posted: May 13 2005 at 07:00

Camel's Mirage and debut should be there, IMO - especially Mirage.

ELO's Eldorado, while progressive, is NOT a prog rock album!

Supertramp's "Breakfast in America" only just makes it to the 1970s - and isn't really a prog album. I'm puzzled as to why you would choose that over the more obviously prog "Crime of the Century" or "Even in the Quietest Moments".

I would also replace "The Wall" with "Meddle" and "Still Life" with "Godbluff" or "Pawn Hearts". I'd also squeeze in Hammill's "Silent Corner, Empty Stage", "Fools Mate" or "In Camera" - all excellent albums.

Edited by Certif1ed

lpd42

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Posted: May 11 2005 at 11:35

great list. I personally would replace Henry Cow with anything by the Art
Bears. Which brings up an interesting question : If Henry Cow are prog,
and art bears (a henry cow\slapp happy conglomerate) are prog, doesn't
that make Yoko Ono (Plastic ono band\Fly era) prog? She charted similar
territory as the art bears, in terms of vocalisation. Some tracks like
"Mindtrain" and most of the plastic ono band album have a krautrock
vibe.

Anyway, I've only heard Unrest by HC, but I thought it was a pretty good
album. Anything with mike oldfield can't be THAT bad. (Tubular bells and
Five miles out are his best lps IMHO.)

"Breakfast in America" is one of my guilty pleasures. I'm suprised it was
the biggest selling album of '79 (the year I was born) considering how
strange it is for a "pop" album.

Blarg! My cheese has bones!

tuxon

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Posted: May 10 2005 at 20:24

I like Henry Cow, the music is sometimes hard to get into, but once you've gone past the initial feeling of dislocation of harmonies, you'll get to that apreciation of the underlying harmonies and textures, that aren't immediatly perceived.

Anyway I like it

I'm always almost unlucky _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Id5ZcnjXSZaSMFMC Id5LM2q2jfqz3YxT

DallasBryan View Drop Down

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Posted: May 10 2005 at 19:59

yo trousersplit, thats a typical response to the Cow!
You cant blame someone for thinking its overly
complex noise, thats the whole problem with avant
garde! many dont want the abuse of the
independantly soloing musicians. I also find that
only rarely do these musicians hit a stride or groove
during their noodlings and may only be appreciated
by musicians or those who find joy in chaos.
I do agree that one would have to listen to 8-10 avant
classics several times to see if their is anything
there for them. I have always complained its quality
over quanity or feel over speed.

Cow should be credited for helping to establish a
whole subgenre of worthless noise! They should
also be credited for bringing a measuring stick to
much music requiring complexity and diversity. They
are an extreme or fringe element.

Trouser have you ever heard Pat Metheny's Song X
CD? If you are a Cowist I think you would derive
pleasure from this recording!

Edited by DallasBryan

The Hemulen View Drop Down

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Posted: May 10 2005 at 03:16

NetsNJFan wrote:

Trouserpress wrote:

NetsNJFan wrote:

Trouserpress wrote:

And Nets - Nobody's asking you to like Henry Cow. Though obviously you're missing out.

I'll stick to MUSIC thank you

So, a group of people using instruments and devices to create sounds arranged into definable rhythms, harmonies and so on doesn't constitute music?

'Cause that's what Henry Cow did.

Oh and gdub - I like me jazzy stuff too!

Henry Cow is pretentious noise.

Look, you keep spouting this silly opinion as if it's fact and it's getting pretty tiresome. Have you actually given them a fair chance? Get hold of Unrest and listen to it properly three or four times. It might sink in then. You've got to remember that you're not just writing off a band but a whole GENRE of music here! I'm not trying to be cleverer-than-thou or appear more "enlightened" because I listen to Henry Cow - it's just satisfying music that you've not given a chance. It's challenging, it's bizarre, it won't become clear to you instantly but that doesn't mean it isn't f***ing music! Now grow up and start gaining a little respect for other people's taste.

NetsNJFan

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Posted: May 09 2005 at 19:34

Trouserpress wrote:

NetsNJFan wrote:

Trouserpress wrote:

And Nets - Nobody's asking you to like Henry Cow. Though obviously you're missing out.

I'll stick to MUSIC thank you

Henry Cow is pretentious noise.

The Hemulen View Drop Down

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Posted: May 09 2005 at 18:29

NetsNJFan wrote:

Trouserpress wrote:

And Nets - Nobody's asking you to like Henry Cow. Though obviously you're missing out.

I'll stick to MUSIC thank you

Dick Heath View Drop Down

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Posted: May 09 2005 at 18:08

DallasBryan wrote:

top 70's progressive rock from England

Daevid Allen - Good Morning

An Australian living in France! Prevented from entering England by British immigration authorities after the Softs first European tour.

scouser14

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Posted: May 09 2005 at 01:50

Great to see someone putting Daevid Allen's brillian 'Good Morning' and Gong's fantastic 'You' in a "best of" list - they're always overlooked and to me, are two of the all time great albums.

I'd prefer BJH's Octoberon to EIEE, but each to their own!

p.s. new here - first ever post - great site!

I will not be pushed, stamped, filed, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.

NetsNJFan

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Posted: May 09 2005 at 00:42

Trouserpress wrote:

And Nets - Nobody's asking you to like Henry Cow. Though obviously you're missing out.

I'll stick to MUSIC thank you

gdub411

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Posted: May 08 2005 at 22:52

Trouserpress wrote:

I'd venture that Pawn Hearts is superior to Still Life, and obviously the absence of more than one Gentle Giant record is a bit of a shame if you ask me, it's not a bad list you've got there.

I'm even willing to leave all the pop posers (ELO, Supertramp, Alan Parsons) uncontested because you've given Canterbury a fair crack of the whip, despite all your moaning!

And Nets - Nobody's asking you to like Henry Cow. Though obviously you're missing out.

It seems to me that DB likes jazzy stuff(hence his love of Steely Dan)...with that said...Still Life is a perfectly understandable choice from him.

DallasBryan View Drop Down

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Posted: May 08 2005 at 22:48

swapped out Henry Cow for Gentle Giant's Free
Hand!

Entropia

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Posted: May 08 2005 at 16:32

you missed about 7 gentle giant records~!!!

100th post...woot!!! haha

Edited by Entropia

The Hemulen View Drop Down

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Posted: May 08 2005 at 14:47

I'd venture that Pawn Hearts is superior to Still Life, and obviously the absence of more than one Gentle Giant record is a bit of a shame if you ask me, it's not a bad list you've got there.

I'm even willing to leave all the pop posers (ELO, Supertramp, Alan Parsons) uncontested because you've given Canterbury a fair crack of the whip, despite all your moaning!

And Nets - Nobody's asking you to like Henry Cow. Though obviously you're missing out.

nimrodel

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Posted: May 08 2005 at 13:27

Queen - II

ELP - Trilogy (not certain about the year tough)

We want... a shrubbery!