Meatloaf

I'm surprised there's this agreement among prog fans that "Bat Out Of Hell" is a good album. The album has no subtly, it's just an obnoxious, in your face, barrage of sound that after maybe the second or third listen, compels you to attack the source of the sound or flee from it. Meat Loaf? Do you remember those mediocre "rock anthems" blaring out of the FM radios over and over to the point of a nausea? I do. Meat Loaf had his day. There's no point trying to claim it has "classic" status. It doesn't.

"I wanna know right now.... I wanna know right now...." Ugh!

I think that Bat might qualify as an early kind of Progressive Pop ... popular music composed in a progressive way. It is designed to seem simplistic, similarly to the Neo Prog genre, but the complexity is there. The music is full of art-music elements.

Not at all similar to Neo Prog, in fact;

It's not designed to be simplistic - it's designed to be bombastic and over the top with theatrical flourishes more akin to Prog Metal - except with greater compositional skills, especially with regards to form and complexity.

It's designed to be accessible, which is what it does have in common with some Neo Prog - but it's not pop music any more than Genesis were when they wrote "Trespass".

However, I don't think that Meat Loaf was ever considered to be a Prog Rock artist by his fans or the press, and because of that it would be wrong to add him ... even when his music suggests otherwise. After all, Prog Rock is a phrase with both historical and musical implications, and both of these aspects must be taken into account.

I don't think King Crimson, Genesis, Pink Floyd or a whole number of other bands were considered Prog Rock at the time either - people still scoff at Queen, Radiohead - and even Pink Floyd on occasion.

I've also yet to hear any Prog metal that has anything to do with Prog Rock, except, maybe, some borrowed ideas from Floyd or even Yes.

But I doubt that any of this will be taken into account...

But I'd rather listen to it than DISCO VERY...

My statement was made before their inclusion. And that inclusion itself ewas taken on by one person. No discussion was involved. I will put Meat Loaf in the bin,however.

There's a difference, Jethro Tull is not a 100% Folk Prog band, Jethro has a lot of other components (Blues oriented Fusion and clear Simphonic), Jethro is one of those bands that should be included in two or more categories.

Jethro is a first line Prog band as Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, ELP ,etc, it's not fair to compare them with a Rock/Disco band with orchestral arrangements like ELO, that if ever is included (Cert, I believe it's only being discussed by now, their inclusion is not definitive) will be in Prog Related as much.

I love Steeleye Span but they are Celtic Folk, nothing less and nothing more, they don't have a Prog component like other Folk Celtic bands like Fairport Convention that will be included, the same goes for Alan Stivel and I can't give an opinion about Tri-Yann because never heard them.

And yeah, I smoked a bit between Christmas and New Year's..

Good for you,  I only been with my old friend the booze.