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Topic ClosedIs Selling England really the greatest prog album?

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fuxi View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2009 at 13:13
Leaving aside the question if SELLING ENGLAND is "the greatest prog album" or not (it may well be - perhaps I'll feel that way next Thursday!) I'm surprised some people prefer FOXTROT or even NURSERY CRYME. Those two are much more flawed, in my opinion.

'Moonlit Knight' thrills me, 'Firth of Fifth" thrills me, 'Cinema Show' thrills me; 'I know what I like' is fun, 'Epping Forest' is even (much) more fun, 'After the Ordeal' is delightful, why, sometimes I don't even skip 'More Fool Me'!! No other single Genesis album has that many great moments.

Edited by fuxi - March 25 2009 at 13:15
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2009 at 13:20

As a Genesis / Gabriel fanboy, I consider them to have three masterpieces - Foxtrot, SEbtP, and Lamb. Nursery Cryme is definitely a step down IMO though still excellent.

5*
SEbtP
Lamb
Foxtrot
 
4*
TotT
Trespass
Nursery Cryme
W & W
 
All the rest really are just novelties. 


Edited by Negoba - March 25 2009 at 13:24
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2009 at 13:32
Ditto those who say there is no best, or greatest, Prog album.  Obviously it's one of the biggest/ most prominent (greatest in that sense), and an important album, but I don't think it most meritorious when it comes to the spirit of progressive rock.  Personally, I find the album inconsistent, and also think of it as one of those essential albums for Prog beginners, but I think other albums progress rock further in regards to what rock can be, and more successfully (in terms of expanding the lexicon of rock and exploring rock's potential).

Though I like it, and once loved it mostly, It wouldn't even rank in my top 500, but that's subjective.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2009 at 13:42
Well, as others have pointed out, there is no "best" anything outside of our own individual minds (and in this case, musical tastes).  Okay, maybe that's a little too all encompassing, but you get the point.

As to Selling, I love the album, but it's not my favorite Genesis album or my favorite prog album.  But it is a great album.  I like Nursery Cryme the best actually, and find it to be flawless.  Others may well disagree and be equally correct Wink
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2009 at 13:50
Originally posted by All Forum Members All Forum Members wrote:

 
We all know that Dream Theater recorded the actual BEST album of all time.
 
This is just a discussion about other good albums.
 
We all sign below.
 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2009 at 14:08
Not the Greatest but one of the greatestWink




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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2009 at 14:49
I actually am not too fond of SEBTP either; it is of course one of the good Genesis albums, but in my personal ranking it would appear on 4th place at best, after the Lamb, Foxtrot and Nursery Cryme. actually it would be a close battle with TOTT for 4th spot


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2009 at 15:32
I find it to be a excellent, but seriously, excellent album. But not sure if I would place it #1 of all Prog
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2009 at 15:43
Originally posted by The T The T wrote:

Originally posted by All Forum Members All Forum Members wrote:

 
We all know that Dream Theater recorded the actual BEST album of all time.
 
This is just a discussion about other good albums.
 
We all sign below.
 


LOLLOLLOL

Seriously speaking, I have never thought in terms of 'the greatest prog album', but rather of a series of albums that could be considered essential for the genre. In my personal opinion, SEbtP belongs there (though it is not a perfect album by any means) on account of its three masterpieces - "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight" (with its 'epilogue', "Aisle of Plenty"), "Firth of Fifth", and "The Cinema Show".



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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2009 at 18:18
A truly beautiful album. Perfect in execution and composition (okay More Fool Me is not fantastic) and a great production too. Never ceases to enthrall me. Totally desrving of the no 1 spot.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2009 at 21:09
I'm a Wish You Were Here kinda guy myself.

That doesn't really change, either. The top 5, top 10, constantly changing. The number one is pretty much always WYWH.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 25 2009 at 21:55

There really can't be a "greatest " Prog album can there? There just can't. But this sure is a great candidate. All I know is that from the first acapella lines to the last fading notes ,Selling England By The Pound is an amazing emotional and musical journey. The cover is so unique and beautiful and the atmospheres and lyrics are just so English. Absolutely brilliant! Early Genesis can't be beat as far as I'm concerned and this album is a true beauty from start to finish. It is definately one of the great masterpieces of Prog in my opinion that's for sure!

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 26 2009 at 01:35
Yeah, I'm with the people who say there can't be a "best" prog album.  After all, what one person considers to be the best could be complete trash to someone else.  It's just a matter of opinion.   That being said, I think it's a good album, but compared to some others it gets very little play from me. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 26 2009 at 01:38
Nah, but hey, at least it's better than CTTE.
if you own a sodastream i hate you
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 26 2009 at 06:25
I think it is the best Genesis album and was the best sounding on the recent 70-75 box set ,as well as 'the lamb' those 2 albums stand up today really well, but i also adore 'Trick Of The tail' & 'Wind & Wuthering'
 
Best Prog album?  'Red/'The Court''-King Crimson,'Free Hand-Gentle Giant would all be contenders.
Obed Marsh
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 26 2009 at 09:10
Although I am a self-confessed list maker  this thread, and others of a similar ilk, proves to me that these debates are all about personal taste. And IMHO I woud agree with Negoba in his views of that SEbtP, Lamb and Foxtrot are their masterpieces.
 
PS I shall check out Pentangle's Basket of Light from your current list of faves
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 26 2009 at 10:21
Originally posted by Nightfly Nightfly wrote:

A truly beautiful album. Perfect in execution and composition (okay More Fool Me is not fantastic) and a great production too. Never ceases to enthrall me. Totally desrving of the no 1 spot.


I'm not sure I'd cite Selling England as having great production quality. It's not bad, but it's definitely not noteworthy either.

Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 26 2009 at 10:23
Originally posted by The T The T wrote:

Originally posted by All Forum Members All Forum Members wrote:

 
We all know that Dream Theater recorded the actual BEST album of all time.
 
This is just a discussion about other good albums.
 
We all sign below.
 


LOLLOLLOL

You got my sig!LOL

LOL

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 26 2009 at 12:17
Originally posted by BaldJean BaldJean wrote:

I actually am not too fond of SEBTP either; it is of course one of the good Genesis albums, but in my personal ranking it would appear on 4th place at best, after the Lamb, Foxtrot and Nursery Cryme. actually it would be a close battle with TOTT for 4th spot
 
Almost completely agree with Jean, IMO is the most frioendly Gabriel era album, and I like darker Genesis more, so I oplace it in a 5th place after:
 
  1. Foxtrot (Which IMHO is the best Prog album ever)
  2. Nursery Cryme
  3. Trespass
  4. The Lamb

Iván

            
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 26 2009 at 12:28
Originally posted by The T The T wrote:

Originally posted by All Forum Members All Forum Members wrote:

We all know that Dream Theater recorded the actual BEST album of all time.


Says a man who is doing his best to beat me at owning the most embarrassing albums...

Jon Lord 1941 - 2012
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