Some believed Klaatu were actually the Beatles.
Best progressive rock album side
My intent is to seek albums which I may not own from the recommendations of you all. I ranked best sides of progressive rock albums on vinyl that I own and came up with the following list. I don't want it to undermine anything else that an artist has created. I love it all but as far as start to finish on one side this is what I came up with.
#1: Supper's Ready
#2: Terrapin Station
#3: Atom Heart Mother
#4 The Court of the King Crimson
#5 Echoes
Of course there are many more. Some may not be complete sides like Atom Heart Mother but the intent of the artisan was to make it a complete side. I had a very hard time deciding between #1 and #2. Both are very worthy in my mind.
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@spiritofradio Yes, you did mention Bundles per Soft Machine.
Some of the entries I'd not considered as prog rock prior to looking up definition of the genre. Far wider based than I thought based on these various definitions.
As for prog rock bands live. I saw any number back in the day, yes, many didn't live up to studio recordings. The major issue as I saw it was inability of technology as it then existed, to replicate studio sound. Melotron notoriously difficult to set up, keep in tune. And then, recall these were mostly pretty extensive studio productions, pretty difficult to replicate live back in the day. One can't judge these bands by live performance only, production values very important component of the music. For some, highly engineered and heavy handed production are the antithesis of good music, for me perfectly acceptable for this genre. Doing the same thing to straight rock, blues based rock or other genres ruins it for me.
Some genres benefit from direct raw emotion no frills recording allows, not the same for prog rock. For me, prog rock entices through manufactured soundscapes for the aural senses, and mind journeys that invite introspection and thought. Rather like classical and various forms of jazz in inviting the mind journeys. Hearing some Art Blakey and/or Glenn Gould juxtaposed to the right prog rock makes for a nice listening session in my book. |
There are a lot of late British Invasion bands mentioned in the second/third pages of this thread that I just did not enjoy. I gave good listens to Humble Pie, the Soft Machine, the Incredible String Band, and Procol Harum. I even saw several of them in concert, mostly as the opening bands for more major acts. I found the bands overwrought and under-inspired. On the other hand, I truly enjoyed the Hollies. Their harmonies may have been Beatle-esque but they did 'em one better. |
@sns I think I remember listing Bundles. I’ll go back and check. |
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I am also a boomer, but my tastes in music have never stopped evolving. The vast majority of people have their tastes in music set by their early 30's. Most people have a large nostalgia component in the music they listen to. As you mention about reminiscing, many people seem to want the music they listen to, to be music that was part of the 'soundtrack' of their youth. The things I like in music are, most or all of the following* (no particular order): high level of musicianship, complexity, deep and broad range of emotional and/or intellectual content, avoidance of verse>chorus>bridge song format, (usually) extended song structure, avoidance of an obvious 'hook'. Within those attributes, I am pretty genre agnostic, so to speak. As long as music has all or most of those attributes, I will most likely enjoy it. Since I enjoy music with these attributes, more than any particular 'style' of music, I was able to get into prog-metal and technical-metal in my 50's, despite not really being a metal fan previously. I was also able to get into modern classical music in my 50's, despite not being much of a classical fan previously. All the following have all or most of those attributes, and are the genres and subgenres I listen to. Prog and most of its subgenres (avant-prog, Zeuhl, Canterbury, classic prog, prog-metal, technical-metal), jazz and many of its subgenres (post-bop, fusion, avant-garde, M-Base, chamber-jazz), and classical (avant-garde, serial, modernism, contemporary). Yes, I still listen to plenty of prog from the 70's, but it is not about reminiscing or nostalgia for me. Either the music holds up on its own merit, or it doesn't. But I also listen to plenty of recent prog as frequently as the 70's stuff. *it's not as if I consciously chose to only like music with these attributes, I just noticed at one point, that music that did not fit them, was uninteresting to me
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Oh @larsman, you’re quite right about PH not sounding "just like" any of the other English Blues-based bands; they couldn’t with Gary Brooker singing! My feeling is that they became "just another" English Blues-based band. Perhaps too fine a distinction? At any rate, I knew several other early PF fans who, like you, liked the Home album just as much as the first three. It’s not the first time I’ve disagreed with someone about a musical matter ;-) . My favorite Fleetwood Mac album is Kiln House, for instance. I know a guy whose favorite album of theirs is Tusk, an opinion shared by few! |
@bdp24 - I was a huge fan of Procol Harum right up until 'Grand Hotel'. My favorite P.H. album was 'Home', and my opinion is quite different from your's on that matter, as I don't think they ever sounded like 'just another English blues-based band'! 😀 I wish I would have seen them on that tour that you did.... But differing opinions are good, and so sad about Gary Brooker, such a fantastic singer and music songwriter....
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@larsman: Procol Harum’s first three albums include the contributions and influences of organist Matthew Fisher, whose musical education greatly informed the groups music (his organ part in "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" is well-known to have been copped from the J.S. Bach composition "Orchestral Suite No.3"). His departure after the A Salty Dog album resulted in them becoming imo basically just another English blues-based band, with guitarist Robin Trower moving from a supporting role to the focus of the group's style---guitar riffs instead of great chord progressions and melodies. I didn’t see and hear Procol Harum live until after Matthews departure, on the tour in support of their Home album. Though they were still a very good band (particularly drummer B.J. Wilson), they played mostly songs from the Home album, which I did not at all care for. But soon after leaving the group Matthew made two albums (the first for RCA Records, the second A & M), which I quite liked (still do). Though Matthew is not nearly the singer Gary Brooker was (R.I.P.), I liked his new songs much more than those of Brooker. |
@bdp24 - Sure did!! Awesome piece of music. Used to know this guy who would play the entire thing on a saloon piano at a brewpub..... |
Can't believe no one's mentioned Soft Machine, Barclay James Harvest or Incredible String Band, all three progenitors of this genre. Barclay James Harvest was coincidently was first or one of first bands signed to Harvest Records, home of many early prog bands, I have multi volume vinyl and cd compilation of bands signed to this label purchased many years ago.
By the way, I'm a boomer NOT solely dedicated to reminiscing. I regularly stream music from virtually all genres and eras, prog rock stands up over time as legitimate genre. Some great musicianship, composition and explorations, certainly there can be excess, but what genre doesn't have it's filler. |
@larshepping - Considering how many millions of copies 'Brothers In Arms' sold, I would say the answer to your last question is a distinct 'No'. I'm 70 and I've always liked to try to keep up with contemporary music. Some I like, some I don't, just like any other decade you'd care to name. What's 'good' or not depends on tastes, and mine differ quite a bit from most in my demographic..... |
One person mentions “modern bands”. As for the rest, they prove that “audiophiles” are dudes in their 60s or 70s who believe that music peaked 40 years ago on major labels. Or are they stick bass players who think that Tony Levin is the height of taste and skill? How many hZ/kHz of hearing have they lost? Did they ever have taste? If I was 25 and interested in audio, I’d just buy a soundbar and stream Spotify from my phone after reading this thread. Aren’t 90% of copies of Brothers In Arms owned by people who like good recordings more than they like good music?
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Please do yourself a favor, and DON’T ignore the Italian bands! Some of the best prog ever, came from (and still does) Italy. PFM - Storia di un Minuto, Per un Amico, and L’isola di niente are as good musically as any of the better known Brits. Same with, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso - S/T, Darwin!, Io Sono Nato Libero Plenty of others are right up there, too. Il Balletto di Bronzo - YS / This is considered an acquired taste, due to being a bit dark and intense, but it is also brilliant. With a keyboardist as good as any of the Brits. Museo Rosenbach - Zarathustra Arti e Mestieri - Tilt / This is an incredible album, that kind of straddles the line between beautiful prog and fusion. Le Orme - Uomo do Pezza, and Felona e Sorona As much as I like Porcupine Tree and Pineapple Thief, for my tastes, they are a bit ’watered down’, maybe a bit too close to the mainstream for my tastes. I like Steve Wilson’s first 3 albums (Grace for Drowning, The Raven That Refused to Sing, Hand Cannot Erase) better then any Porcupine Tree albums. For modern bands, check out: Riverside (Poland) All Traps on Earth (Sweden) Only 1 album, but it’s pretty amazing. Echolyn (USA) I like their earlier stuff (Suffocating the Bloom, As The World) than their later stuff. Great complex vocal harmonies, quite complex, world class musicianship. After Crying (Hungary) Kind of chamber-prog sort of stuff, with amazing melodies and musicianship. Anglagard (Sweden) Uncompromising, full on prog, with some Genesis, Gentle Giant and King Crimson influence. Quite complex, lots of dynamic contrasts, lots of changes. Despite the 70’s influences, they make it sound fresh. This is the band most often credited with beginning the 2nd golden age of prog, beginning in the early 90's. Anekdoten (Sweden) Began life in the 90’s a King Crimson cover band, so their first 2 releases are in that vein. But then they went in their own direction. Went a bit in ambient-prog direction for a while, but their latest from 2015, Until All Ghosts are Gone, is more intense. Deus ex Machina (Italy) One of the best Italian bands from the more recent era. Ridiculous musicianship. The lead vocalist has a 5 octave range, and great intonation, but can be a bit of an acquired taste. They also can lean a bit toward the avant-garde side every once in a while, so, YMMV. But they are not trying to pander to the mainstream side of prog. Just pure, no holds bared, prog. Have you ever checked out the site: Gnosis2000 Great site for searching out great prog by year. |
Wow, this thread turned out way better than I expected it to. Some great recommendations to search for. I much more enjoy searching in record stores than ordering on line. Many mentioned, I already have. I think of those listed that I don't have, I am going to start looking for Renaissance, Porcupine Tree, The Pineapple Thief, Godley & Creme, and the Marilyn Manson suggestions. They might be obtainable locally. Thanks again for the great posts. |
So, I am going to be 'that guy', and bring up the "what is prog" discussion. For me, prog, is not a style of music (it's barely a genre), in the same way country, blues, punk, etc are. Prog has more to do with the structure of the music, than any sort of surface veneer and style the music may have. One could play just a few example songs of the above genres (country, punk, blues), and get a pretty good idea about how the majority of the rest of the genre sounds. Sure, there are differences between interpretations, but at their core, they have their attributes that define them. Blues for example, has to be in minor pentatonic scales, or it is no longer blues. But what could someone nail down about how prog sounds, by playing something from: Yes, Gentle Giant, National Health, Magma, Univers Zero, Can, Area, Pain of Salvation, Anglagard, Samla Mammas Manna, Bruford, Gong, Il Balletto di Bronzo, Henry Cow, etc? These bands, literally sound almost nothing like each other. The thing that defines all the above bands as prog, for me, are all or most of the following attributes, in no particular order: a very high level of musicianship, complexity (chord progressions, time signatures, arrangements, syncopation, etc), deep and broad levels of emotional content, (sometimes) long format pieces, nonstandard song format, avoidance of verse>chorus>bridge song format, avoidance of catchy hooks, influences from disparate types of music (classical, jazz, folk, Eastern), sometimes use of dissonance. There is no specific sound a band has to have to be prog, but there are certain other attributes (those above), a band has to have to be prog. For example, the modern technical-metal bands, Cynic, Tesseract, The Contortionist, sound almost nothing like prog bands from the 70's, but they are certainly prog. Ridiculously high level of musicianship, very complex, very emotional, nonstandard song formats, jazz-fusion influences, are all there.
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Another worthy European (Netherland) contender: Golden Earring: Eight Miles High. Maybe Procol Harum, on Home, isn't quite prog. Like many bands they tried to sell records - become more commercial. But often, it did not hurt. Same thing with Steppenwolf. On their 7 album, tracks like Renegade and Hippo stomp carry their bluesrock into prog territorry. Not much recognized, in the prog camp. And - Yes: close to the edge rewards a new listen - but this british side of the prog story is only some of it. And somewhat tiring, now, to my ears. |
Yes, great thread, thanks to all. +1 Samla mammas manna. For early swedish prog, check out also, Hansson och Karlsson. Nationalteatern. Hoola Bandoola band. Part-prog, at least. The best prog band in the 70s in the Nordic region was perhaps Wigwam. Their album Being is quite unique, and their later albums are interesting too. |
Wow, great thread with a lot of great contributions. Thanks! A handful of my favorites that haven’t been mentioned yet:
Safety in Numbers (Side 1) Hand Cannot Erase (whole thing) Sonder (whole thing) Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Side 1) Teaser (whole thing) On Letting Go (side one I guess) Handmade Cities (side one I suppose) Incatare (whole thing) Spirit of Eden (Side 1) Amused to Death (in whole, and how has this not been mentioned!?) The Geese & The Ghost (whole deal) Blind Dog At St. Dunstans (side 2) Seeds of Change (whole thing Bundles (whole thing) love it Thanks
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I'm a little surprised that McDonald & Giles hasn't shown up yet as King Crimson has been mentioned several times. Hard to pick a side as it is a complete piece. Other selections... Nice/Ars Longa Vita Brevis Jethro Tull/Thick as a Brick Moody Blues/A Question of Balance Nektar/Remember the Future Emerson, Lake and Palmer/Tarkus Frank Zappa/Hot Rats |
There's a lot of classic Prog-Rock listed, so here's my list of some lesser unknown favorite modern Prog-Rock albums. Cyan - For King and Country Southern Empire - both self-titled and Civilisations. Kino - Pictures Frost - Milliontown Lifesigns - Altitude The Neal Morse Band - The Great Experiment Sound Of Contact - Dimensionaut (Simon Collins and Phil Collins) Moonrise - The lights Of A Distance Bay
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@morguldrelb - I got to see Camel play 3 nights in a row, 2 shows per night, at the Boarding House in San Francisco when they were touring on 'Moonmadness'. Beautiful music, they put out..... |
From the Sage of Houston, Billy Gibbons: Brian Eno and Robert Fripp's foray into some artful excursions into some ethereal electric experiments. There was a lot curious activities emerging in London, Amsterdam, and Berlin back then developing some fiercely fuzzy of synth-like effects way outside the norm which really blew the lid off things |
Enough with the naysayers. The more music one listens to, the more one realizes there is great music in all genres from all periods of time. You have to be curious and seek it out with an open mind. Only close-mindedness would generalize quality of musicians based on genre. Absurd to say such things. That said, when recording quality comes into play some music is unfortunately simply unlistenable on a revealing system. It’s like people saying this tweak or that component must be overpriced and not be worth the money (or provide great sound quality) when they haven’t even hooked it up to their own system and listened. At the end of the day this hobby and the love of music or a passion. If you don’t have the passion and a desire to enjoy the journey find another hobby! |
