I also have a big collection of classical music, and my favorite side of that would be the first movement of Anton Bruckner's monumental 9th Symphony, the recording conducted by Oswald Kabasta with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. Bruckner? Words cannot properly convey that experience, to be honest.

I'm giving it to side #2 of Wish You Were Here. I wasn't around for the vinyl era, so I'm voting for this much loved cassette of mine, the first I bought, and a crucial one for becoming a proghead.

I had always thought that The Snow Goose by Camel would forever be my favourite album. It probably still is. But I've recently discovered so much more great music: La Tulipe Noire's album Shattered Image, Arena's The Visitor. Not just albums I'd never heard, but bands I'd never heard.

So the best bit of my collection may be an album I acquire in the future. You just have to keep an open mind and keep looking.

When CDs emerged it subverted the way an album was listened to and was recorded.   No longer was it assumed ~ or sometimes even possible ~ that one would experience a collection of tracks (or sides) in the order an artist intended   It's like we're back in 1961 when single cuts ruled.

Favorite side?   Maybe Tarkus side 1, or TfTO would also be good.

It's hard enough to pick one album, let alone one side.

My favorite album is "Magical Mystery Tour" mainly for the second side, which is really a collection of singles gathered together to make the original double EP into an album.

So, I'll have another go and say side two of "Meddle", the magnificent "Echoes".

However since that is just a single track I'll have another go and say side three of "Physical Grafitti, although it could use a good resequencing...

...OK, I'll stop now.

But for real...I'll have to go with side two of ELP's Brain Salad Surgery.

Now, if Tarkus from WBMFTTSTNE was complete on one side it would rule, but the split precludes that.

I agree that the WBMFTTSTNE take of "Tarkus" rocks all over the studio version and I particularly like the inclusion of the exerpt from "Epitaph".

Would the whole thing fit on a single LP side?

Even Seaside has some great moments (that rock jam toward the middle?).  Why they decided to sound like the Grateful Dead on that cut I'll never know, but the totality of content on the record is unsurpassed.

"...Seaside" was actually supposed to be a pastiche of Neil Young apparently.

I really like it and in my opinion it would have worked much better as the opening track on that side.

It was bold for them.   That whole double-set is uniquely special.

There are no times shown on the LP, but my CD version says 27:24 for the full piece. In this instance...a plus for the format.

This and side 1 of Moving Pictures are both totally perfect. I might toss in side 1 of AFTK as well.

I think those three and side 2 of Foxtrot would all duke it out for me. I'm thinking about Queen as well, but to me they don't have a single side that feels complete without its counterpart... barring maybe side 1 of The Game. 

I'd have to go with either Side 2 of David Sylvian's Brilliant Trees ("Weathered Wall", "Backwaters", and the title song), Side 1 of Eberhard Weber's The Following Morning ("Moana I" and "T on a White Horse") or either side of Pat Metheny Group's Still Life (Talking) or Side 1 of Haircut One Hundred's Pelican West

Actually, I could just put "Streetwalker" from Jan Akkerman's self-titled 1977 solo album on permanent replay 24/7/365 and I would be a very happy man. 

Same for the entire CD of Homunculus Res' 2013 debut, Limiti all'eguaglianza della parte con il tutto--it makes me so happy! Magma's Mëkanïk Dëstruktïw Kömmandöh, too!

Oh man! My brain keeps coming up with more! I've got to stop!

I'm not sure I have a "favorite" side at all, since so many albums in my collection fit the bill, but one that still drives me well, is NEKTAR's RECYCLED. That side 1 is explosive, and were it not for the saddest song in my collection at the end of the album, there is a great chance that album would have been the best one for me. That song, sadly, was the end of the band. You can tell that Roy was tired, or already showing some not so healthy signs, but man, could he sing!

But, all in all, ... heck! Hard to let go of AD2 in the first side of VIVE LA TRANCE (and adding the first piece on Side 2, of course!)

Rush~Moving Pictures Side I, AFTK Side I.

Genesis~Seconds Out Side IV.

Marillion~Misplaced Childhood Side I.

Iron Maiden~Piece Of Mind Side I.

JTull~Aqualung Side II.

Just recently I heard DD's thing on "Wish You Were Here" ... and one thing woke me up. I had not realized that the LP structure had broken up the piece, and spread it over both sides, thus creating a "concept album" (more or less), and the other 2 pieces of music, all of a sudden didn't fit, or they were commentaries on the fat checks that Syd likely missed out on, from shaking hands with the devil to having a cigar or party when a promoter talks to you and tries to have you envision your ____ bigger than anyone's!

Had it been released today as a CD, for example, it would have been nice and far out, and very different a listen, as was the thing that DD did, with the only odd thing being that the example he had was obviously cut and pasted from a master for a LP ... since the wind sounds themselves might not exactly have been that valuable or important within the concept of the piece in the first place and likely was used to facilitate the transition back to the long piece. 

It's a bit confusing ... and sometimes not helpful, but the whole thing in its entirety without the other two songs, makes it much more focused and enjoyable a listen than before, and I have to hear the bootlegs since I don't remember them playing something for 35 minutes non stop ... in those early days, and in concert they followed the LP design and structure.

The piece is better and stronger together in one long suite.

Catcher10 wrote: I don't think I have a all time fav, there are many I would have on endless loop. Rush~Moving Pictures Side I, AFTK Side I. Genesis~Seconds Out Side IV. Marillion~Misplaced Childhood Side I. Iron Maiden~Piece Of Mind Side I. JTull~Aqualung Side II.

The only thought I had was how much of this was "popular music" and not something that was way out there and stronger. Even things like AD2's Marilyn Monroe Memorial from "Dance of the Lemmings" is a very incredible "side", and I really did not want to resort to known things and what I would call the "pop musick" of the Progressive field. (Pop Musick misspelling intended btw as a tip of the hat to that one band that lasted 5 minutes!)

that surprises me a little as I always thought that Side Two was by far the strongest side of that album ( Blind Curve, Childhoods End? and White Feather kick ass especially)

Always reminds me of Bergman's Saraband, where Henrik works his way upstairs to the dying Johan's study in trepidation, with the sound of the first movement of B9 reverberating through the timber frames.. 

It's a good call, and indeed when I read the OP's original question, I already knew my answer..

... the final movement of M9... Klemperer/ New Philharmonia (1967)

There are now so many good M9's around, we can take it for granted (Bernstein, Barbirolli, Abbado, Haitink, Karajan, Giulini to name a few) but back in the 60's when M's reputation was being restored and his music being rediscovered, Klemperer's recording stood as a towering edifice of Late Romanticism, having an ethereal spirituality of it's own.. for me, it will always stand the test of time. Indeed his B6 with the same orchestra from 3 years earlier is equally impressive.... as I am sure you'll agree.. 

HI,

Agreed. Although I really think that all 4 sides together make it the best one side ever!

agreed.. especially Das Lied with Ferrier which, coming up to it's 70th anniversary, is still a standard bearer for the work.

The album is pretty much a masterpc, but if I have to chose a side for me it is Side I.

Same here, but it is all superb.

Damn good choice!  I often warm up with "Ogre Battle" when I play guitar!

Well, it pretty much has to be half of my fav album.  Sorry fairly standard pick here but DSOTM side 1 is stunning.

Hello Goodbye

Strawberry Fields Forever

Penny Lane

Baby Im A Rich Man

All You Need Is love

but the front has more naughty bits