Camel, Gentle Giant, Renaissance, VDGG

Camel - Moonmadness
Renaissance - Sherezade
Van Der Graaf Generator - H to He
Gentle Giant - Octopus

Best album from this list: Sheherezade and other stories

Best band Camel

(obviously i go for melodic over complicated)

I think it would be about time some band would starting covering those Gentle Giant songs.
Really great songs, but those voices really are .... How do I put that nicely without offending anyone.

Did you know Matthew Bellamy from Muse stated he is influenced by Gentle Giant?

Rennaissance is great. Old & mysterious and very good piano playing from John Tout.

Yanns wrote: Those of you who don't like VDGG/Hammill: What don't you like about Hammill?

i'm a pretty big VdGG fan, H to the He and Still Life are 2 of my top albums, but his voice at times can just annoy the crap out of me.  Sing Dammit!  Stop reciting the damn lyrics.  For example, when he actually sings on Refugees and Pilgrims, its amazing.  But some songs, it sounds like he is just talking in that sneer , I hate it!

Another thing, the music he writes is good, but not very varied (as far as VdGG goes).  It kinda sounds the same a lot.  He's much more of a lyricist than a composer.

But having said that, VdGG is still one of the best prog bands ever.  Gotta love the sax and organ.

(Just my two cents)

Tony Fisher wrote: Camel - The Snow Goose (by a tiny margin from Mirage, Moonmadness and Nude) Gentle Giant - Free Hand Renaiisance - Live at Carnegie Hall VDGG - nothing at all. Peter Hamill destroys everything for me   Camel soft and simple? My arse!! Complex and melodic; packed with emotion. One of the best bands of all time along with Runrig, Wishbone Ash and Horslips. And Renaissance are too sophisticated for some but also a top class band.   Trouserpress, I don't normally denigrate other contributors but you are talking utter bollocks IMO. If you don't like Camel, leave them to those of us who do. Fave albums VDGG; Still life Camel; Moonmadness Renaissance; Turn of the Cards or scheherrezade GG; I really haven't heard too much

That is possibly the most idiotic statement I have ever read on this site.(ref Hammill)

Camel: actually I like all of the very early albums (let's say up to Moon Madness, but Mirage & Snow Goose being the best ones probably IMO)

Gentle Giant: they have many excellent albums, my favorites are Freehand & In A Glass House (other very good ones: Octopus,Power And The Glory,Three Friends & Same)

VDGG: they have many excellent ones as well, but I can't listen to them at any moment (same to GG). I'd say my favorite is Still Life, but very good as well: H to He, The Least We Can Do....,Pawn Hearts,Aerosol Grey Machine!

Renaissance: well I listen very rarely to them (like to all the other ones, just because I'm discovering too many unknown obscure bands I have to listen to first!), but I used to like very much their first one, Illusion and Shehezarade.

Hope this is of any help for you, but of course, everyone has his own taste, so finally you have to find out on your own which ones you prefer. I usually just get the full collection of a band I'm interested in for this reason (not in original of course, I am not Bill Gates!).

Renaissance - Live At Carnegie Hall

Camel - Moonmadness

I'm just now getting into VDGG and Gentle Giant so I will refrain from commenting until I have heard the core group of albums by each.