The Masterpieces from the ’Big 5’

Winter Wine wrote: What do you think are the masterpieces (ie. flawless 5 star gems)  from the big five?? I reckon - Yes - The Yes Album, Fragile, Close to the Edge, Relayer and Going for the One. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and Animals (Meddle and The Wall i'd give 4 and a half as they both have weak points) Genesis - Foxtrot, Selling England by the Pound, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, and A Trick of the Tail (Nursery Cryme, IMO, Does not deserve 5 stars) ELP - Trilogy and Brain Salad Surgery King Crimson - Larks Tongues in Aspic (This one is the only one that I'd consider flawless, and it's just amazing!! Lizard follows closely behind - 4 and a half. I know Red and In the Court.. will come up a lot, but I feel they have big gaps in quality at some stage) I thought this would be an interesting topic of discussion, to see what albums by the big 5 people consider to be the masterpieces of the groups.

Well, it's debateable whether or not ELP are one of the big 5. Jethro Tull fans would certainly argue that one, not to mention Rush, Gentle Giant and Camel.

Anway Winter Wine, your list is a pretty good one. For Yes, only CTTE, Relayer and GFTO are their 5 star masterpieces imo. The other 2 have filler that knocks them down a bit.

For Genesis, Nursery Cryme knocks Trick into the proverbial cocked hat imo.

I'd agree with you about KC and ELP.

Not sure about Animals, haven't really heard it enough.

Edited by chopper

^ What are you talking about?

UK released only 2 albums and Genesis were pioners of progressive symphonic sound.

Publius84 wrote: ^ What are you talking about? UK released only 2 albums and Genesis were pioners of progressive symphonic sound.

ABSOLUTE RUBBISH. YOU NEED A HISTORY LESSON IN SYMPHONIC MUSIC. I CAN NAME YOU THREE SYMPHONIC ALBUMS FROM THE 60'S ALONE . AND IF YOU READ GENESIS BIOGRAPHIES THEY ADMIT THAT THEY GOT THERE SOUND FROM 'PROCUL HARUM, THE NICE, KING CRIMSON, MOODY BLUES ECT! 

Genesis:
- Foxtrot
- Selling England
- The Lamb
- Trick
- Nursery Cryme
- Duke

Yes:
- The Yes Album
- Relayer
- Close to the edge
- Going for the one

Pink Floyd:
- Wish I were there
- Meddle

ELP:
- Brain Salad Surgery

King Crimson:
- In the court of the crimson king



Edited by Ounamahl

I would have chosen Jethro in the top 5 instead of ELP,too.

Yes- The Yes Album, Close to the Edge, Relayer, Going for the One

Genesis- Trespass and Foxtrot

ELP- Pictures at an Exhibition, Brain Salad Surgery (a masterpiece, although not without flaws)

King Crimson- of what I've heard (ItCotCK thru Lizard, Starless and Bible Black) only Court is a masterpiece, and even that has a few flaws.

Pink Floyd- Animals IMO is their only masterpiece, although Wish You Were Here is good and Dark Side is alright.  I like Meddle, the Wall bores me, and that's all I have heard.

And BTW I think it should be the big 8- Yes, Genesis, ELP, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Rush, Jethro Tull, Van der Graaf Generator.  Maybe Camel and Gentle Giant too, but I haven't heard much of them.

Progger wrote: micky wrote: masterpieces from the Big 6 (can't have Genesis without Tull...  in my book)   hmm...Yes:The Yes AlbumCttE YessongsTFTORelayerGFTO(that was a run of brilliance not matched in prog IMO) Agreed Mickey, those six albums are all masterpieces. The reason why YES are considered to be the ultimate prog band! No other band had the same consistency as YES, no one even came close!

Yes was consistant? News to me.

Winter Wine wrote: FragileDT wrote: Progger wrote: micky wrote: masterpieces from the Big 6 (can't have Genesis without Tull...  in my book)   hmm...Yes:The Yes AlbumCttE YessongsTFTORelayerGFTO(that was a run of brilliance not matched in prog IMO) Agreed Mickey, those six albums are all masterpieces. The reason why YES are considered to be the ultimate prog band! No other band had the same consistency as YES, no one even came close! Yes was consistant? News to me. Yes are probably the most consistent band in progressive rock, they've left their mark in every decade, and still producing great work. Excellent group. PS - Micky you left out Fragile

I would disagree 100%. Yes began with YES and Time and a Word. Both
good albums but not yet resembling the prog sound (Time and a Word
being the transition album.) Than we have 3 albums that people may
consider masterpieces (the Yes album, Fragile, CTTE) following by an
excellent live album Yessongs. Now we have Tales. We all know the
controversy with that album. Next we have Relayer and Going for the one
which most people consider great albums (as do I.)

Now the great division. The transition album into the crap period for yes:
Tormato. I consider Drama a diversion of yes (not really a Yes album) but
if you do consider it an all out yes album it is their last fantastic one. This
next period is full of terrible non prog music. 90125, Big Generator,
Union, Talk, Open Your Eyes. Terrible, Terrible, Terrible, Terrible. Maybe a
good song here and there but nothing even worth mentioning.

The next era includes that Ladder and Magnification. The Ladder was
decent, nothing too special while I found Magnification to be the first
pretty good Yes album in a long long time (since Drama.)


Now... you call that consistant?

EDIT: Yes had just as many fantastic 5 star albums as terrible 1-2 star
albums. Just thought I'd note that also. And I LOVE yes so don't think I'm
bashing them for the sake of it. I'm just stating that they weren't
consistant.

Edited by FragileDT

FragileDT wrote: Winter Wine wrote: FragileDT wrote: Progger wrote: micky wrote: masterpieces from the Big 6 (can't have Genesis without Tull...  in my book)   hmm...Yes:The Yes AlbumCttE YessongsTFTORelayerGFTO(that was a run of brilliance not matched in prog IMO) Agreed Mickey, those six albums are all masterpieces. The reason why YES are considered to be the ultimate prog band! No other band had the same consistency as YES, no one even came close! Yes was consistant? News to me. Yes are probably the most consistent band in progressive rock, they've left their mark in every decade, and still producing great work. Excellent group. PS - Micky you left out Fragile I would disagree 100%. Yes began with YES and Time and a Word. Both good albums but not yet resembling the prog sound (Time and a Word being the transition album.) Than we have 3 albums that people may consider masterpieces (the Yes album, Fragile, CTTE) following by an excellent live album Yessongs. Now we have Tales. We all know the controversy with that album. Next we have Relayer and Going for the one which most people consider great albums (as do I.) Now the great division. The transition album into the crap period for yes: Tormato. I consider Drama a diversion of yes (not really a Yes album) but if you do consider it an all out yes album it is their last fantastic one. This next period is full of terrible non prog music. 90125, Big Generator, Union, Talk, Open Your Eyes. Terrible, Terrible, Terrible, Terrible. Maybe a good song here and there but nothing even worth mentioning. The next era includes that Ladder and Magnification. The Ladder was decent, nothing too special while I found Magnification to be the first pretty good Yes album in a long long time (since Drama.) Now... you call that consistant? EDIT: Yes had just as many fantastic 5 star albums as terrible 1-2 star albums. Just thought I'd note that also. And I LOVE yes so don't think I'm bashing them for the sake of it. I'm just stating that they weren't consistant.

For me the first two Yes albums are simply fantastic, maybe not prog but that doesn't mean they're bad! They didn't suddenly become good when they started writing longer songs!! They were excellent right from the start!!! Both highly consistent and 4 stars.

Then, Yes, they had the three 5 star gems. And then comes 'Topographic Oceans', personally I can see why some people call it crap and why some people call it the greatest Yes album. For me it is the 'Die hard Yes fan album' I quite like it, it's certaintly ambitious and it doesn't quite hit the mark and I can hear some padding, but I feel it is a 4 star album and a wonderful listen.

Relayer and Going for the One, you could call it 'The second golden period of Yes' as I feel they are both 5 stars, and the solo albums in between (Olias of Sunhillow, Fish out of Water) show an extremely high amount of creativity.

Tormato, I haven't heard enough to judge, but I doubt it's as bad as some say, even if it does not reach the same dizzying heights as the albums before it.

Drama and 90125 are excellent. I don't care if I get ridiculed, to me, they are both just fantastic. But Drama is a little better.

Then I agree, the band did stumble. Talk however was a sign of the band picking up, then from 'Keys to Ascension' onward the group have been simply amazing. Maybe not 'Open Your Eyes' but that's not really a Yes album! hehe

Progger wrote: BTW, GENESIS NEVER MADE ONE MASTERPIECE. A MASTERPIECE IS A FLAWLESS PRODUCTION AND GABRIEL ERA ALBUMS ARE SO POORLY PRODUCED, SO WHEN YOU REVIEW A GENESIS ALBUM YOU SHOULD USE A FOUR STAR SYSTEM!

The production on Trespass and Nursery Cryme isn't great. But on Foxtrot!!! It gives it such an amazing atmosphere! and the songs and general feel of the album! 5 stars EASILY. Without a shadow of a doubt! And what about the production on Selling England and The Lamb?? That was 73/74, production had become excellent by that point, and they're also 5 star albums!!