10 most important albums in prog's history

From a historical perspective, with justifications.

Edited by ghost_of_morphy - June 13 2011 at 14:48

Slaughternalia wrote: Prog_Traveller wrote: It seems almost fashionable to dump on ELP(even prog fans seem to do it quite a bit). However, even though I do feel their influence and importance could be over stated and their immense popularity not fully deserved when comparing to other bands(such as Genesis for example who weren't nearly as well known in the US when ELP had their peak) I nonetheless feel that there is a place for even ELP in the discussion of important prog albums and bands. Sure, they were over the top but their music can still be fun to listen to and I think they were all very talented. If there is any prog band who could said to be both under rated and over rated at the same time I think that band would be ELP.  They aren't in my top five or probably even top ten but I still like them quite a bit and think they made a few very good and very important albums.  People who hate on ELP probably listened to Karn Evil 9 and haven't heard far superior songs such as Tarkus or The Endless Enigma. ELP is awesome! Well the music, anyway. The lyrics are pretty vomit-inducing.

The Crazy World of Arthur Brown s/t début - the symphonic scope of Vincent Crane's arrangements plus a little mini opera at it's centre make this a pivotal record in prog's gestation
Ars Longa Vita Brevis - ironically the poorest selling album by the Nice, but if nothing else the side long title suite proved that rock and classical could start dating with their respective parents grudging consent (no tongues mind)
In the Court of the Crimson King - although deeply flawed, it's material success and subsequent mainstream exposure made this something of a prog portal for many
Tarkus - of ELP's first 5 classic albums this one has aged the least gracefully but it got to number 1 in the UK charts and like ITCOTCK put Prog firmly on the map of popular consciousness in 1971
Larks Tongues in Aspic - one of the most important and influential rock albums of any genre (period)
Dark Side of the Moon - love it or loathe it, it's listed here because it's the closest thing anything prog related has to being a cultural artefact (people who don't own it or haven't heard it are just plain vanilla lying)
In Absentia - proof that progressive rock could still flourish in 90's garb without any trace of self consciousness

Prog's 1st generation suicide notes were probably:

Tales from Topographic Oceans - nowhere near as bad as it's most vociferous detractors would have you believe but every barb ever thrown at the bloated prog mammoth is confirmed here in spades - long winded, pretentious, gauche, wilfully impenetrable, divorced from reality and pompous.
Works Volume 1 - not even a bona fide ELP album but 3 mini solo albums with a big group hug on side four. I'll do the maths for you: piano concerto + 5 saccharine gooey ballads + what happens when you let a drummer write music = punk rock (BTW punk didn't kill prog, prog did)

The Wall

The Truth wrote: Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan S.F. Sorrow - The Pretty Things Piper At The Gates Of Dawn - Pink Floyd Not In The Court Of The Crimson King Bitches Brew - Miles Davis

Take this list and add Freak Out! and it works for me

Was the Who's "lifehouse" ever released officially or just as a bootleg? I've heard of the sesssions but I never heard of it being an official release. I know some of it surfaced on "odds and sodds" but as far as I know that's about it.

Prog_Traveller wrote: It seems almost fashionable to dump on ELP(even prog fans seem to do it quite a bit). However, even though I do feel their influence and importance could be over stated and their immense popularity not fully deserved when comparing to other bands(such as Genesis for example who weren't nearly as well known in the US when ELP had their peak) I nonetheless feel that there is a place for even ELP in the discussion of important prog albums and bands. Sure, they were over the top but their music can still be fun to listen to and I think they were all very talented. If there is any prog band who could said to be both under rated and over rated at the same time I think that band would be ELP.  They aren't in my top five or probably even top ten but I still like them quite a bit and think they made a few very good and very important albums.

Dream Theater - When Dream and Day Unite

richardh wrote: cstack3 wrote: Actually, the most important albums in prog history may have been the ones that wounded the idiom the most!   Signal events would include: a)  Yes, "Tales From Topographic Oceans":  Many music critics point to this Yes magnum opus as the decline & fall of the prog music idiom, with symphonic prog soon replaced by new wave, punk and other rebellious musical forms.   b)  ELP, "Love Beach":  Just bad, including the cover c)  ELP, "Works":  Bad, ponderously bad....the tour with orchestra ruined them financially d)  Genesis, "ABACAB":  Maybe this was the launch of the pop-prog phenomenon, but it sure put classical Genesis music deep into the crapper. e)  Yes, "90125":  See ABACAB, above.  Steve Howe still makes ugly faces whenever he plays "Owner of a Lonely Heart" in concert! f)  "League of Gentlemen" by R.F.:  Bob's attempt to fuse prog with dance music.  It was great live, but the record was weak.  Bob wouldn't attempt to replicate "dance prog" again, except with a few tunes during "Discipline" which happened to be danceable.  g)  Pink Floyd, "The Division Bell" :  not with a bang nor a whimper, but with a *thud* h)  Styx, "Kilroy Was Here":  Mr. Roboto killed Styx, somebody should tell them.  i)  Yes, "Fly From Here":  wait for the reviews & tour financials to come in.     I would argue that very succesfull albums can damage the genre. Once you have achieved your masterpeice where is there to go. Alan Freeman (noted radio DJ and great friend to prog) believed the death of prog in the seventies was the natural consequence of the bands having reached their peak. Many of the albums you mention above were part of the aftermath of supreme music making when bands had nowhere to go but down.