Popular Prog Bands that you just can't get into

Two bands: Tangerine Dream and Ayreon.

 

Tangerine Dream: I confess I never went beyond the Rubycon, but well, I'm no Julius Caesar  

 

Ayreon: I bought the debut and really hated it.

 

There are other acts that are not amongst my favorites: Rush, Frank Zappa, the Flower Kings and Dream Theater, but all of these artists have at least done some things that are really great in my ears, so that I'll stick with the first two bands I mentioned.

 

(Edit for the typo)

 

I know what you're saying but I can't agree. Money is (at least to me) the most "immediate" track on DSotM but that notwithstanding, I can't imagine the album without it and it fits in thematically alongside everything else. Okay the searing Gilmour breaks and brash sax reek of rock, as it were, but I've never thought of it as not fitting the mood. Trouble is I've played that album to death over the years and I'm almost immune to forming a new opinion on it - I guess I don't really listen to what I'm listening to on the rare occasions I play it nowadays

Let's allow the flowers to sway to and fro.


Also to add further onto this threads topic.
Pendragon!
What's the deal with Pendragon? I just don't see the magic.
Indeed Masquarade Overture is a consistant album, but only consistantly good. Not great (for me).

 interesting way of putting it. (the idea of the two guys fighting)

I think I've got a great way of putting it here.
So you've got this Painting, of a man in a blue suit, in an old english setting. He's purchasing a dark colored bottle in a shop of some kind. Earthy colors, almost drab. It looks GREAT (this being the album)
Now almost every part of the picture is perfect, and where it should be. All but the fact that someone (assuming the artist) has drawn a purple and pink colored heart, right over the guys head!
This is how I see an Album (conceptually)
Let's look at Porcupine Tree for a moment. Quite possibly my favorite musical group of our time (just started listening to Deadwing a few minutes ago)
Steve Wilson himself has actually expressed his dislike for writing albums that tell a story. However he does like albums with a revolving subject. Let's use Lightbulb sun as an example here.
The subject seems to be RELATIONSHIPS (possibly of the platonic nature as well)
You've got 9 tracks here, in what I think is a nearly perfect order. Then you've got this 1 track that just screams out "PAY ATTENTION TO ME" called 'four chords that made a million'. Where did this come from? Why is this on this album? Had it not been for this song I would be saying Lightbulb sun a masterpeice.
I see track 3 of lightbulb sun as kind of a red dot on the TV screen that you just can't stop looking at and it won't rub off. It's hard to apreciate a TV screen when being distracted by a red dot, thats just not meant to be there.
To set the story straight once again, I do love songs. I listen to them. But again, not nearly as much as I listen to Albums as a collective peice of artwork. four poorly written minutes could make even Close to the Edge only a 'nearly' great album. I just happen to exaggerate flaws in albums in my own mind. Nearly every album that I think is a mediocre progressive compilation, I've held onto mearly for the purpose of listening to the Great songs that are there. I mean, I'm not about to cut the monalisa in half becuase I hate the lower half of it...
Gosh I do apologize for so many words. I'm turning in for the night (after this album is over). Good evening Ladies and Gents.

....not even "The Lamb Lies down on Broadway"? what a perfect peice of art.