Best progressive rock album side

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.

@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..... 

@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 - 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....

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!