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Top 12 American Prog Albums

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miamiscot View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote miamiscot Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 13 2021 at 20:44
Not in any particular order:

Neal Morse - Question Mark
Cathedral - Stained Glass Stories
Mirthrandir - For You The Old Woman
Yezda Urfa - Boris
Utopia - Todd Rundgren's Utopia
Kansas - Leftoverture
Spock's Beard - The Kindness Of Strangers
echolyn - Mei
Dixie Dregs - What If
Styx - The Grand Illusion
Thinking Plague - In Extremis
Starcastle - Fountains Of Light

But the American Prog album I have listened to the most in my lifetime would definitely be the debut album from Kansas. For some reason that record has never been far from my side...

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote miamiscot Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 13 2021 at 20:46
(Happy The Man is implied - both the debut and Crafty Hands...)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote David_D Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 14 2021 at 00:20
Originally posted by David_D David_D wrote:

In my opinion, it doesn't give much meaning, not to consider Mahavishnu Orchestra as an American band, and a part of the country's Jazz>Rock scene - the same considering Weather Report with the Austrian Joe Zawinul as one of the two leaders, and Miles Davis being a very important name in relation to both bands.

If anybody could be interested in that part of the American Jazz>Rock scene, or in the whole Jazz-Rock style, I can very much recommend the book Jazz-Rock. A History (1998) by Stuart Nicholson.



Edited by David_D - November 14 2021 at 02:48
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mirakaze Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 14 2021 at 06:11
Originally posted by David_D David_D wrote:

Originally posted by Mirakaze Mirakaze wrote:

I normally categorize Mahavishnu Orchestra as a British band because of the nationality of its bandleader, 

It's not that simple, Mirakaze, as it can be very important to consider the whole musical/cultural context, a band is a part of. 
Edit:
In my opinion, it doesn't give much meaning, not to consider Mahavishnu Orchestra as an American band, and a part of the country's Jazz>Rock scene - the same considering Weather Report with the Austrian Joe Zawinul as one of the two leaders, and Miles Davis being a very important person in relation to both bands.



Well, narrowing a multi-national group down to a single nationality is always going to involve some arbitrary simplification. For the record, I consider Weather Report and Talking Heads American bands despite the Austrian and British origins of their respective leaders, but Mahavishnu Orchestra is a special case because I see it as much more of a manifestation of the individual wishes of the band leader (this is reflected by how McLaughlin wrote virtually every song ever recorded by the band, and the fact that "Mahavishnu" was the name that McLaughlin adopted for himself after becoming a follower of Sri Chinmoy, so you could say he named the band after himself). Considering how the actual music fits in with the American jazz fusion tradition of the time, I do agree with you though that it's far more useful for historical purposes to categorize the Orchestra as an American band.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote King Crimson776 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 14 2021 at 06:40
Originally posted by Mirakaze Mirakaze wrote:

Originally posted by David_D David_D wrote:

Originally posted by Mirakaze Mirakaze wrote:

I normally categorize Mahavishnu Orchestra as a British band because of the nationality of its bandleader, 

It's not that simple, Mirakaze, as it can be very important to consider the whole musical/cultural context, a band is a part of. 
Edit:
In my opinion, it doesn't give much meaning, not to consider Mahavishnu Orchestra as an American band, and a part of the country's Jazz>Rock scene - the same considering Weather Report with the Austrian Joe Zawinul as one of the two leaders, and Miles Davis being a very important person in relation to both bands.



Well, narrowing a multi-national group down to a single nationality is always going to involve some arbitrary simplification. For the record, I consider Weather Report and Talking Heads American bands despite the Austrian and British origins of their respective leaders, but Mahavishnu Orchestra is a special case because I see it as much more of a manifestation of the individual wishes of the band leader (this is reflected by how McLaughlin wrote virtually every song ever recorded by the band, and the fact that "Mahavishnu" was the name that McLaughlin adopted for himself after becoming a follower of Sri Chinmoy, so you could say he named the band after himself). Considering how the actual music fits in with the American jazz fusion tradition of the time, I do agree with you though that it's far more useful for historical purposes to categorize the Orchestra as an American band.

I have a list of multi-national bands, but I only consider them to be such if they have a prominent member from a country other than where the band was formed. Sometimes bands will have many members over the years, and there will be one guy from another country who was on one album, but it seems silly to call them multi-national as a result. But yes, it is always going to be arbitrary.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote David_D Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 14 2021 at 07:17
Well, Mirakaze, as far as I can see, we agree that the most relevant thing in this matter is the origin or the source of the music. We have different point of view, though, whether the most important factor in that context is:
1. John McLaughlin's sole person
or
2. the American Jazz and Rock scene - and even much more than that
and we have to choose.
Edit:
- Funny enough, after writing that (and mentioning the Rock scene), it's for the first time ever, after many years listening, I came to think of hearing Jimi Hendrix in McLaughlin's guitar play. 
Something else, I can hardly imagine, McLaughlin considered the band being British.
And concerning "useful for historical purposes", then, the whole question is historical.


Edited by David_D - November 14 2021 at 14:10
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote David_D Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 14 2021 at 11:57
In fact, after thinking some more about it, the whole question is pretty simple to me because we're talking here about national lists, which means national music scenes, and Mahavishnu Orchestra was quite simply a part of the American music scene, right?

Edited by David_D - November 15 2021 at 11:19
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote richardh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 15 2021 at 01:34
Far Corner - Risk
Neal Morse - One
Liquid Tension Experiment - LTE2
Tool - Lateralus
Kansas - Kansas
The Mars Volta - Francis The Mute
The Tea Club - Quickly Quickly Quickly 
Animals As Leaders - Animals as Leaders
Sparks - Kimono My House
Deluge Grander - Heliotians
Fright Pig - Out Of The Barnyard
Glass Hammer - Skallagrim: Into The Breach

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dr wu23 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 15 2021 at 09:39
In no order.....

Kansas- Song for America/Leftoverture
Happy The Man- Debut and Crafty Hands
Steely Dan-Aja
Cathedral-Stained Glass
Mirthrandir- Old Women
Spocks Beard-V
Yerzda Urfa-Boris
Santana-Caravanserai
bonus:
Spirit-12 Dreams
Zappa-Hot Rats
Babylon-st



Edited by dr wu23 - November 15 2021 at 09:45
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote essexboyinwales Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 16 2021 at 05:25
Not sure I can squeeze out 12....

Dream Theater - Images And Words
King's X - Gretchen Goes To Nebraska
Kansas - Leftoverture
Faith No More - The Real Thing
Blue Oyster Cult - Imaginos (thought they were British until reading this thread!)
Metallica - ...And Justice For All
Neil Morse Band - The Similitude Of A Dream
Devin Townsend - Empath - if that's allowed?  Is this USA only or North American?

Struggling now, so would have to fill out with more DT, DT and KX (but everyone else seems to be restricting it to one per artist....)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cristi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 16 2021 at 05:40
Originally posted by essexboyinwales essexboyinwales wrote:

Not sure I can squeeze out 12....

Dream Theater - Images And Words
King's X - Gretchen Goes To Nebraska
Kansas - Leftoverture
Faith No More - The Real Thing
Blue Oyster Cult - Imaginos (thought they were British until reading this thread!)
Metallica - ...And Justice For All
Neil Morse Band - The Similitude Of A Dream
Devin Townsend - Empath - if that's allowed?  Is this USA only or North American?

Struggling now, so would have to fill out with more DT, DT and KX (but everyone else seems to be restricting it to one per artist....)

isn't Devin Townsend Canadian?

plenty of good progressive metal in the US, not just Dream Theater.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote zwordser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 29 2021 at 19:02
I dunno, something like this (no particular order):

Polyphony - Without Introduction

Phideaux - Chupacabras

Lift - Caverns of Your Brain

Yezda Urfa - Boris

Herbie Hancock - Sextant

Miles Davis - Bitches Brew

Spock's Beard - X

Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence

Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime

Kansas - Leftoverture

Frank Zappa -  The Grand Wazoo

The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute

Birds & Buildings - Bantam to Behemoth

The Decemberists - Hazards of Love

Discipline - To Shatter All Accord






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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tszirmay Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 29 2021 at 19:24
Al DiMeola- Elegant Gypsy
The Cyberiam- Connected
David Minasian- The Sound of Dreams
David Minasian- Random Acts of Beauty
K2- Book of the Dead
Majestic- Monument
Proud Peasant- Flight
Ovrfrwrd- Starstuff
Return to Forever- Romantic warrior
Santana- Caravanserai Star
Kepler 10- A New Kind of Sideways
Dave Kerzner- New World 
I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote zwordser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 29 2021 at 19:55
Originally posted by tszirmay tszirmay wrote:

Return to Forever- Romantic warrior
Santana- Caravanserai Star

Whoops, forgot those ones on my list (and I'd also put the smiley star by Caravanserai! Star).
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Dark Elf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 29 2021 at 21:23
Frank Zappa - Hot Rats
Dixie Dregs - Industry Standard
Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior 
Santana - Santana III
The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
Tool - Lateralus
Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority
Tim Buckley - Starsailor
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote essexboyinwales Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 30 2021 at 02:30
Originally posted by Cristi Cristi wrote:

Originally posted by essexboyinwales essexboyinwales wrote:

Not sure I can squeeze out 12....

Dream Theater - Images And Words
King's X - Gretchen Goes To Nebraska
Kansas - Leftoverture
Faith No More - The Real Thing
Blue Oyster Cult - Imaginos (thought they were British until reading this thread!)
Metallica - ...And Justice For All
Neil Morse Band - The Similitude Of A Dream
Devin Townsend - Empath - if that's allowed?  Is this USA only or North American?

Struggling now, so would have to fill out with more DT, DT and KX (but everyone else seems to be restricting it to one per artist....)


isn't Devin Townsend Canadian?

plenty of good progressive metal in the US, not just Dream Theater.


I'm sure there is, I just haven't heard enough of it!!

And yes DT is Canadian, hence my query.....
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote enigmatic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 30 2021 at 07:47
Excluding jazz artists (Coltrane, Davis, Dolphy, Mingus, Hancock, Tyner, Shorter would make my whole list) and multi-national bands like Mahavishnu Orchestra), my Top 12 US Prog albums are (in alphabetic order):

5uu's - Hunger's Teeth (1994)
Cathedral - Stained Glass Stories (1978)
Cheer-Accident - Fear Draws Misfortune (2009)
Frank Zappa - Hot Rats (1969)
Hands - Hands (1980)
Happy the Man - Crafty Hands (1978)
Mirthrandir - For You the Old Women (1976)
Residents, The - Not Available (1978)
Return To Forever - Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (1973)
Thinking Plague - In Extremis (1998)
U Totem - U Totem (1990)
Yezda Urfa - Sacred Baboon (1976)



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