Classic prog bands - who's most diverse?

Jethro Tull, even though I don't like them

Jethro Tull, mainly because they have experimented with a variety of different styles from blues to folk to hard rock.

For the life of me, I can't see why everyone is saying King Crimson.  Maybe if you look at KC's entire career, they're pretty diverse, but on most albums, they're not.  King Crimson have:

1969-1974
heavy, moderately dissonant, guitar-based, mostly instrumental tracks (LTIA pt 2, Red, Fracture, etc.)
mellotron-based symphonic stuff (Epitaph, Starless, etc.)
joke songs (Happy Family, Great Deceiver, Cat Food)
folk-based rock songs (I talk to the Wind, Exiles, The Night Watch, Fallen Angel)
hard rock songs (21CSM, Easy Money, Lament, One More Red Nightmare)
improvs (Moonchild, Devil's Triangle, Talking Drum, SABB, Providence)

Virtually every album from this period is just a mixture of these styles.  If you've heard the first album, are there really any surprises on the next 3?  Maybe a few, but not many.  If you've heard LTIA (the album), are there any surprises on the next 2?  Even fewer.

1981-now
dense counterpointish guitar-based tracks
improvs
Belew ballads
occasional joke songs
occasional forays into atmospheric stuff

Again, virtually every album from this period is just a mixture of these styles.

That pretty much covers it.  And so many of their songs are just slightly different from stuff they'd already done- 21CSM vs. Pictures of a City, Epitaph vs. In the Court vs. Poseidon, LTIA2 vs. Fracture vs. Red vs. Vroom.

Plus Fripp uses those freaking diminished fifths all the time.

So ELP is getting no votes- but just on one album (Trilogy), look what there is:

The Endless Enigma- minimalism, power rock song, fast classical stuff
Hoedown- cheesy classical stuff
From the Beginning- folk rock
Abaddon's Bolero- repetitive symphonic march
Trilogy- swoony melodramatic intro, bizarre middle section, humorous ending
The Sheriff- honky tonk joke song
Living Sin- Zeppelinish hard rock

Almost every single song is a completely different style from the rest.  Whereas KC only ever covered 2 or 3 styles per album.

Not saying KC wasn't diverse, just surprised they're so far ahead here.

On the face of it Floyd don't do as badly in the diversification stakes as this poll would indicate having done Pop, Psychedelic, Space Rock, Symphonic, Folk, Folk Rock, Ethereal, Electronic, Eclectic, Heavy Rock, Hard Rock, Blues, Jazz-Rock, Football Anthem, Art Rock, Avant-Garde, AOR, Classic Rock... Crimson don't even come close as far as I'm concerned, but I'm biased.

hey, lets hear all GonG stuff! that (AWESOME) band are not on the list but doesnt metter; where is that link, for example, from  'Angel´s Egg', to 'Expresso 11' - this INSTRUMENTAL, JAZZ album? please tell me coz i´m stupid one. Gong were more diverse than KC, for example. one band should be diverse as Jethro Tull as well, not Fripp´s  the brand name of "King Crimson", (or Gong, or VDGG), although i like ALL  these King Crimson´s albums.

Edited by zicIy - January 11 2008 at 16:57

Crimso.    BIG DUH.

KC

King Crimson, the definition of eclecticism.

the question is clear and also the winner of this poll I think

this is not lack of personality, but I choose King Crimson (quite obvious poll)

KC, GG, VDGG, JT