Top 5 "Classic" Prog albums

[Yesspaz]

Yeah, I like Prog too.

[Extended Play]

I'm glad this discussion came up about Dark Side. The 30th anniversary comes up next month, just reminding me of how much sway this album still holds. Regardless of whether or not you consider it "prog", this is one that forced people to think differently about what constitutes pop. Especially mind-bending to think of where rock could go while not insulting the audience's intelligence.

Keep up with the set lists I'm posting for Extended Play. If you're keen on DSoTM, the March 2nd show should be a very enjoyable one.

Tommy

P.S. The description just a few back about how Prog challenges form is probably the most spot-on definition that I've heard so far. Good discussion, it's all in your mind.

[Yesspaz]

Hey EP, I heard a bootleg that a friend of mine bought of Phish performing DSotM in its entirety. It was pretty good, especially replacing all the synth and Mellotron stuff with plain old organ and piano, and their live-instrument reproduction of On the Run was great, as was Anastasio's attempt to be Clare Torrey in GGinS. They let the audience do Waters' laugh. That would be great to hear if you've got it.

[Extended Play]

Don't have a good copy of that show on hand, but I'll definitely keep it in mind for the future.

[Neil T]

I've just read this thread and I feel like I'm in good company.

I agree with everything everyone else has put in except for some of the King Crimson stuff which I frankly don't like.

I'll give five, but given everyone else has contributed similar material I'll try to stretch a little away from the obvious.

1. Yes - Relayer. Close to the Edge is the best TRACK but Relayer is conistently the best album.
2. Genesis - Lamb.
3. The Enid - In the Region of the Summer Stars (original recording, not the watered down remix they put on the CD version).
4. Gong - The whole Teapot Trilogy, but If I had to choose one it would be Angel's Egg.
5 Oldfield - Tubular Bells.

[Rick and Roll]

I haven't been logged on in months - I wanted to give you my 5 "newer" prog first (in no order):

1) Discipline - "Unfolded Like Staircase"
2) Flower Kings - "Stardust We Are"
3) Queensryche - "Operation Mindcrime"
4) Djam Karet - "The Devouring"
5) Echolyn - "As The World"

"Older" classic prog:

1) Manfred Mann - "Nightingales and Bombers" (how's that for a rarity?)
2) Ronnie Montrose - "Open Fire"
3) Focus - "Hamburger Concerto"
4) Finch - "Glory of the Inner Force"
5) Black Sabbath - "Heaven and Hell"

[mefull]

Ah! the old "If I was stuck on a desert Island with only 5 albums" question.

Interesting to see almost everyone has picked from the same 15 or 20 LP's to come up with a top 5. Its hard to argue with most picks. Here is my choice du Jour.

Genesis - Selling England...
Camel - Snowgoose
Zappa - Hot Rats (prog??)
Yes - Relayer
Happy the Man - Crafty Hands

Its hard not to put Pink Floyd's Darkside on the list but it just got played to death on the radio.

I don't remember the dates on some of these so they may not qualify as "classic Prog. Rock" but hey.

Mark

[Neil T]

A little while back I discussed a very old definition of prog rock but in retrospect I don't like my use of the word "repetetive" in describing the alternative. I think the word suggests "boring" which wasn't my intent. A better word would have been "cyclical".

I still like my original definition that "progressive" is (or was originally) a technical term describing music that progresses from theme to theme as opposed to the cyclical nature of other popular forms.

To me, a lot of the music being discussed here falls under the broader, more inclusive umbrella of "art rock" which includes various other musical forms including jazz rock, some of the more complex hard rock and ambient (all of which are popular here).

Under that definition...
Child in Time is progressive, Speed King isn't.
Stairway to Heaven is progressive, Black Dog isn't.
Most of the Gabriel era Genesis songs are, most of the Post Gabriel songs aren't.
Awaken is progressive, Don't Kill the Whale isn't (Find My Way Home though, is - it doesn't HAVE to be long).
Dark Side of the Moon is, though the individual track on it mostly aren't.
Most Beatles songs aren't but Seargent Pepper the album is.

Frankly, I think what we play here would be far better described as "Art Rock" rather than "progressive" because otherwise we keep having to expand the term progressive to include anything we find complex enough to be interesting which loses the original meaning which defined a whole revolution in the art form and besides we already have that inclusive term which describes exactly that.

What we're listening to here is "Art Rock" which includes Prog Rock as one of it's leading lights but includes other musical forms with high artistic merit, too.

I offered what I thought was a reasonable definition of Prog Rock in another link but thinking about it.......who cares HOW you define it as long as you love it and it enhances your life?

[Neil T]

who cares HOW you define it as long as you love it and it enhances your life?

Nobody, if you're only talking to yourself.

But if you're trying to compare notes with someone with a completely different definition then you can get into all sorts of misunderstandings if you're not careful.

Originally posted by Neil T

But if you're trying to compare notes with someone with a completely different definition then you can get into all sorts of misunderstandings if you're not careful.

Hi Neil,

I DO agree with what you say. It can lead to serious misunderstanding.

My original thought was that since we AM listeners probably have a common starting point ie. The Music that we love to hear, the NEED for defining what it is we're listening to is diminished, surely?

That's not to say that you'll like EVERYTHING that I like and vice versa..........God Help us if we all agreed. However, that's a different argument and is nothing to do with the definition of Prog Rock.

[Yesspaz]

We're riding a dead horse. Please, Kill this Horse, but Don't Kill the Whale (is prog)!

The Horse is dead. Long live the Whale!!!!

[JRV]

Ahhh, but before we can say that, we first have to define what horses and whales are.

[Rick and Roll]

there must be some kind of mistake. I was waiting for a prog song by Phil Collins - he was late (by about 25 years).

Horses are prog, Unicorns are art rock.

I apologize for helping to create this mess. I will be more than happy to help kill the horse or whatever animal it will take to do the job.

Horse:
A large hoofed mammal (Equus caballus) having a short-haired coat, a long mane, and a long tail, domesticated since ancient times and used for riding and for drawing or carrying loads.

Whale:
Any of various marine mammals of the order Cetacea, having the general shape of a fish with forelimbs modified to form flippers, a tail with horizontal flukes, and one or two blowholes for breathing, especially one of the very large species as distinguished from the smaller dolphins and porpoises.

Not a bad definition of Horse and Whale methinks!!!

Unicorns are just Horny Horses!

Phil Collins prog? I guess that "In the air tonight" might qualify but most of his solo stuff is just pop pap!!!

Time for another argument?

[rock chick]

Hi..Tough descion,

1)King Crimson : In The Court Of The Crimson King
2)Yes : Close To The Edge
3)Genesis : Selling England By The Pound
4)Pink Floyd : Dark Side Of The Moon
5)Van Der Graaf Generator :Still Life

I also considered Peter Hammills : The Silent Corner And Empty Stage and maybe a Todd Rundgren album but choosing one of his best was tooooo hard..

[Rick and Roll]

I agree with you wholeheartedly about Phil Collins, my friend! Please re-read the post if you are unsure. I think that's something we all can agree on.

[ivan_2068]

New here, this are my fav's

1.- Foxtrot........................................... Genesis
2.- Trilogy........................................... ELP
3.- Nursery Cryme...............................Genesis (What can I do? I'm an early Genesis fan)
4.- In the Court of the Crimson King......King Crimson
5.- Sheherezade and other Stories.....Renaissance

Iván

PS:

Phil Collins prog? I guess that "In the air tonight" might qualify but most of his solo stuff is just pop pap!!!

Agree 99%, because I can't bear any Collins song, and Genesis only up to W&W.

[Argon]

Well Here's My List....

Camel: Snow Goose

Genisis: Lamb Lies Down On Broadway

ELP: Pictures at an Exibition

Rick Wakeman: 6 Wives of Henry the 8th

Dixie Dreggs: Freefall (It's hard to put a label on the Dreggs but I love em!)