TOP 10 PROG ALBUMS OF 2006 - POLL RESULT!

Slartibartfast wrote:      The PFM sample was quite good. But none of my usual internet CD sources are selling it. CD Universe had it under the backorder category. PFM's web site is in Italian. If CD Universe doesn't come through, can anyone point me to internet store where I can get it?

    
Have you tried Laser's Edge?

www.lasercd.com

EDIT:
If you need more sources and online stores, PM me.


    

Edited by avestin - January 17 2007 at 21:18

Cygnus X-2 wrote: E-Dub wrote: Well, 2007 is sizing up to be a damn fine year. I sure hope we can do better than Kayo Dot because I was expecting a lot more. E Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks I guess, as I loved Dowsing (as well as the debut, Choirs of the Eye). Cheer up, Eric, there's a lot of good stuff coming out this year.

My man, it's going to take a lot more than a less-than-flattering sample of Kayo Dot to bring me down. The new Marillion is being mastered this week and should be out around my birthday, got a new Rush disc around the corner, new Dream Theater to accompany that, and then the new Neal Morse next month. I'm as happy as Rosie O'Donnell in a Hostess® outlet store!

E
    

Well, 2007 is sizing up to be a damn fine year. I sure hope we can do better than Kayo Dot because I was expecting a lot more.

E

E-Dub wrote: How in the @#$!& did Kayo Dot become prog disc of the year? This sample is bloody awful. Please point me in another direction because if this is the best of 2006, then it was a poor year for prog...according to the collaborators. E

Opinions, opinions, opinions.

It won EASILY.


Not to my taste either, I voted for the more "traditional" albums but it was a Poll conducted among the site collaborators and was fair and above board.

PFM was my top album and I voted for Steve Hackett and Frost* too.

Just think how it will next year when I have to do the poll again and the new Rush album isnt album of the year, or Porcupine Tree...


or Marillion for that matter...
     
    
    

Edited by Tony R - January 17 2007 at 20:38

The Kayo Dot sample is pretty mind blowing. I love it. I'm not really into metal but I really loved it. I'm definetely going to check out that band.

How in the @#$!& did Kayo Dot become prog disc of the year? This sample is bloody awful. Please point me in another direction because if this is the best of 2006, then it was a poor year for prog...according to the collaborators.

E

Zitro wrote: I'm disappointed that great albums such as Green Carnation's "Acoustic Verses" and The Flower King's last album don't even appear when a somewhat dull album like "Wild Orchids" is 3rd place and a good but derivative "A Place in a Quene" manages to be in the top 10 with that awful singer.

Ghandi 2 wrote: fuxi wrote: Prog Metal is not for me, I'm afraid. fuxi and memowakeman, Kayo Dot isn't really prog metal. You should listen to the samples. I think they should be in avant-prog, but what do I know? I'm very happy to see Kayo Dot as number one. With all the reviews, I was afraid TMV would come in first (I'm sorry, I just really don't like what I've heard from it even though I like most of FTM). I can't say much about the other ones, but Kayo Dot deserves it.

I've wondered, as well, whether Kayo Dot should be listed under RIO/ Avant Prog.  They are a metal oriented Avant Prog band.  I like them a lot, and I am not usually attracted to metal bands -- it's the avant Prog boy in me, and my jazzy leanings, that likes them.  Estradasphere is another metal/ avant Prog band I like (listed at this site under Rio/ Avant Prog).  Of course there are a number who mix up metal with jazz etc. Ideally, this site would have multiple tags for bands to describe the music better (Kayo Dot, for instance, could be listed under more than one Prog subgenre -- several in fact.).

Much as I like symph prog, I tend to prefer metal influenced bands that are more in the Avant Prog Metal vein than those more in the Symhonic Prog Metal vein (or those bands which prominently mix Neo-Prog aesthetics with metal).

Anyway... I'm pleased to see Kayo Dot in the top ten (though I prefer their debut -- this one is more daring and more avant garde, I suppose.   It's too free-sounding for me -- isn't as tight as I would like).  However, from what I've heard, I like Zaar's album the most.  For a time my favourite was Kotebel's Omphalos, but it palled a bit as I feel the compositional structure seems a bit forced (I know the tricks and there's not quite enough variation for me -- especially considering the earlier albums).  And I'd like more of a spontaneous feel to it.  Nemo's is good too, but much of the vocals don't appeal much to me.

The PFM album is very good, but I still much prefer Storia, Per un Amico, and L'isola (loved the vocals in those too).  It's a "safe" album -- not groundbreaking in the progressive picture, I feel.  It's  a very good effort from a classic band (which happens to be one of my favourite classic Prog bands), but wouldn't make my top five list because for me it's still not the band's best work (my opinion might change over time).

I didn't care for Amputechture, or what I heard of the Frost* album, but I respect that they're highly regarded albums by many.  As for the pure Reason Revolution album... pretty good from what I've heard (even though it sounded more Prog-Related to me), but I don't know the band well enough.

I'd say it's a shame that Zaar didn't get more votes, but it's just a popularity poll amongst a select group of PA members of which most of us don't belong.  It's largely a matter of taste, but I know that I haven't heard enough 2006 alums to have an informed opinion.  I believe my would-be favourites are albums I haven't heard at all.

I do think the "contest" would work better if there was an initial shortlist, and then everyone who is eligible had to hear all of those before making a case for their votes (stream the albums for them if one could get permission from the bands, or labels, to do so).   It would be interesting if the thread where this was discussed could be copied/ pasted into here (publicly) since I'm more interested to hear why someone voted for an album over another (sure it's taste, but criteria are at play too) than to know just what was voted for).  But then that will get discussed here too, so whatever.  No need.  Were there official criteria that collabs/ reviewers were expected to follow when making their choices (beyond it must be Prog that they like)?  If this has been mentioned already, I apologise.

I expect there was some fiece battling between PA staff trying to convince others that their choices were better/ more adventurous/ more progressive/ showed more technical and compositional skill....




Edited by Logan - January 17 2007 at 14:44

OpethGuitarist wrote: I find it boring and tiresome and one of the worst releases of the year.

exactly my thoughts ... about Amputechture!!!
     

fuxi wrote: Prog Metal is not for me, I'm afraid.

fuxi and memowakeman, Kayo Dot isn't really prog metal. You should listen to the samples. I think they should be in avant-prog, but what do I know?

I'm very happy to see Kayo Dot as number one. With all the reviews, I was afraid TMV would come in first (I'm sorry, I just really don't like what I've heard from it even though I like most of FTM). I can't say much about the other ones, but Kayo Dot deserves it.
    

Edited by Ghandi 2 - January 16 2007 at 21:35