Which self-indulgent album is your favourite?

Cactus Choir wrote: Neu!mann wrote: "A frequent criticism at the time was of 'self indulgence'. In practice, when you let rip this is always a risk. In principle, to consider acting in accordance with one's musical sense-of-rightness as indulgent is a terrifying commentary upon the extent to which our culture has become aberrant in its values and out-of-touch with its innate humanity. Young musicians of the time who were self-indulgent were not, as far as my perception went, playing what was true for them but what they believed to be in fashion." --Robert Fripp, 1992 So is he saying that the Golden Era of Prog was young musicians playing 'self-indulgent' music they didn't believe in just because it was fashionable? That's what I understand from it anyway, and in my idealistic mind I'd like to believe that wasn't true much of the time.

WJA-K wrote: Nogbad_The_Bad wrote: Probably Atom Heart Mother. Nice one! I love this one too.

This, and Passion Play for me.

Self-endulgent? Playing with yourself and hopefully conjuring up something interesting. Can of course also be a negative, where the accolade simply means X artist staring way too deep into the more boring parts of their belly-button. Can work both ways.
Anyhoo Atom Heart Mother, The Lamb and X could all be described as such..and I love them all.

I will say this though. More often than not it’s the actual music that ends up turning me off. Not necessarily the deeper thought or indeed ideas behind. Put another way: I love Dave Grohl. Love his drumming and his whole persona. Seems like such a nice guy and furthermore knows a thing or two about rock music. In fact he tends to say all the right things. He even have some deeper thought running through some of lyrical content which I rather like…but the music and delivery simply falls flat on it’s face to me.
Same thing with Danish rock semi-deity Tim Christensen who says all the right things and has a multitude of seriously interesting ideas and influences from all over the map…he even plays a mean guitar…yet musically I’m bored out of my mind.

JD wrote: Funny no one has mentioned Lamb Lies Down yet. I'm not sure I really get the label 'self indulgent'. Maybe Shatner's The Transformed Man. Pretty self indulgent to think he was worthy of an album.

I would think Trick Of The Tail has continuous self indulgencies for the entire 8 songs of their fat mixed exuberance. Feels like Gutfeld throwing his fat gut wrench around on his comedy show. Lamb let's us breath, let's us not have balls in our face at all times and gives us IMO their greatest works. Well now everyone knows my age and IQ are about the same.

Edited by Atavachron - April 02 2022 at 23:03

cstack3 wrote: I think the explosion of double albums in the early 1970s was the height of prog indulgence.

Todd Rungren: A Wizard A True Star always seemed self-indulgent.
I love it anyway.

WJA-K wrote: Ronstein wrote: Mine is what I believe to be the original and best self-indulgent album of all time, Tubular Bells! Great choice!

If we have a "people-oriented" nature, being self-indulgent would mean that we refuse to sacrifice our social life for any planned task. If we're "task-oriented", being self-indulgent would mean that we won't change our planned goal esp for more social/financial power.

So being self-indulgent or not depends on the temper, and I'm not going to study which album would have band members forcing themlseves into doing what they don't really want, in oder not to "self-indulge" ...

(If this does ever makes sense !?)

I never understood the criticism that a record was self indulgent. Usually that term was used by snide, dismissive critics with a chip on their shoulders (and a giant stick up their ass)