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Joined: April 29 2004
Location: Heart of Europe
Status: Offline
Points: 19628
Posted: May 15 2016 at 03:39
- I'm also one to think that TYA is their best album. - AAMOF, I find that there are a fair amount of TYA albums that are better than Yes albums. (Alvin & the boys rules) - Agreed that Lake and Wetton (and Belew) are not Crimson vocalists. I reserve that to Gordon Haskell. - I rate FGTR ahead of W&W, ATTWT and Duke... (all their later albums) - BTW, I also have a problem with MDK's studio version 's sonics.
Guldbamsen wrote:
I thought I was alone regarding Gabriel. Almost everyone seems to favour Melt.
So and Security for me... Don't really like the rest
Guldbamsen wrote:
Being a huuuuge fan of psych and Krautrock I
should adore Guru Guru's debut UFO...but I really don't. Too much acid
in the studio (is that even possible? Oh yes).
Joined: September 30 2012
Location: Poland
Status: Offline
Points: 9
Posted: May 15 2016 at 04:34
I'll write something to increase my already huge post count :)
- I don't like Dark Side Of The Moon, too simplistic to me (my opinion), - My favourite LZ album is Presence, - I love last three Japan albums to death, I played each of them more times than some of my other favourite prog albums, - I've actually found Can - Out Of Reach album quite fun and interesting, back in the day when I was a kid and was familiar with their previous stuff :)
Joined: February 17 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 146
Posted: May 15 2016 at 04:56
This is a good thread, because it is exposing some of the discomfort we can feel with the standard dogma surrounding progressive rock.
An oft-unchallenged assertion here, especially among fellow Rush fans, is that the coming of the 80's, with greater emphasis on synthesizers and shorter-form compositions, was a time of musical degradation. My own view is that you can hear how tired the progressive rock genre was getting at the end of the 70's, and that the New Wave influence on our favorite bands revitalized most of them, and brought them melodic and lyrical focus.
I have lately been feeling that Robin Trower's music should be included here as a form of progressive rock. It usually gets categorized as blues-rock, and most progressive rock is based on classical melodies rather than the blues. But if you listen to the song structures, and hear Robin's creative use of guitar effects, you can tell that more is going on than your average blues rock. The lyrics as well are often mythical in scope, just like you find in Progressive Rock.
One last orthodox opinion to offer: I think that spirituality is an essential component of Progressive Rock which doesn't get recognized often enough. I define spirituality not necessarily as being connected to religious belief, but more in the sense that a quest for meaning is central to one's understanding. I think that part of the motivation for making music this different was that something more complex needed to be said.
sad creature nailed upon the coloured door of time
Joined: April 25 2016
Location: wonderland
Status: Offline
Points: 143
Posted: May 15 2016 at 05:17
well, let's see
I've always liked Genesis - Nursery Cryme and SEBTP more than Foxtrot. Last time I listened to Foxtrot, I only listened to the short ones (haven't listened to Supper's Ready in a long time, I need a special mood for it, it seems)
Yes - the debut and Drama are two of my favorite from them. Don't remember the last time I listened to CttE (great album, no doubt about it, but I rarely listen to it).
I also like 80s Rush more than 70s Rush
Pink Floyd's debut is one of my least favorite albums from them.
In recent years, I've listened to Hogarth Marillion albums more than the Fish ones.
I'm appalled when I see DT fans/listeners saying they enjoy the later days albums more than the early/90s albums.
I haven't listened to Jethro Tull's TaaB in years.
The clean vocals Opeth albums are my favorite from them (I rarely listen to the death metal Opeth).
Joined: August 09 2015
Location: Italy
Status: Offline
Points: 14124
Posted: May 15 2016 at 06:15
Tago Mago, Ege Bamyasi and Soon Over Babaluma are my favourite Can albums and true masterpieces, but I've always struggled to get into Future Days; I miss the sharpness there that is in the others.
Another case where I can't get into the album of an artist that by and large is valued most highly by Prog fans is Bowie's Low.
Joined: June 26 2011
Location: Portugal
Status: Offline
Points: 3654
Posted: May 15 2016 at 08:26
freyacat wrote:
This is a good thread, because it is exposing some of the discomfort we can feel with the standard dogma surrounding progressive rock.
An oft-unchallenged assertion here, especially among fellow Rush fans, is that the coming of the 80's, with greater emphasis on synthesizers and shorter-form compositions, was a time of musical degradation. My own view is that you can hear how tired the progressive rock genre was getting at the end of the 70's, and that the New Wave influence on our favorite bands revitalized most of them, and brought them melodic and lyrical focus.
I have lately been feeling that Robin Trower's music should be included here as a form of progressive rock. It usually gets categorized as blues-rock, and most progressive rock is based on classical melodies rather than the blues. But if you listen to the song structures, and hear Robin's creative use of guitar effects, you can tell that more is going on than your average blues rock. The lyrics as well are often mythical in scope, just like you find in Progressive Rock.
One last orthodox opinion to offer: I think that spirituality is an essential component of Progressive Rock which doesn't get recognized often enough. I define spirituality not necessarily as being connected to religious belief, but more in the sense that a quest for meaning is central to one's understanding. I think that part of the motivation for making music this different was that something more complex needed to be said.
Sensitive reasoning on both issues, fully support !
Joined: May 14 2016
Location: Croatia
Status: Offline
Points: 206
Posted: May 15 2016 at 09:47
"Volume One" is my least favorite Soft Machine album. And "Land of Cockayne" is a great album, though it should've been released under some different name. I prefer "Ummagumma" and "More" to "Animals" and "The Wall".
I don't really think that Alex Lifeson can cope with filling long tunes with guitar lines. And I can't stand "Tom Sawyer". Actually, I think they're the best at playing more conventional hard rock.
I prefer Japan to David Bowie.
Anathema left metal riffs and growling vocals, but all the things I find cheesy and frustrating in modern metal remained in their sound.
I love some new age and smooth jazz.
Magma's and Queen's music contain too many massive vocals for me to really enjoy it.
I can't deny their originality and lyrical diversity, but I always considered VdGG to be the second rate prog band.
Joined: February 03 2007
Location: .
Status: Offline
Points: 16913
Posted: May 15 2016 at 09:51
Dellinger wrote:
Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote:
The idea among many that prog bands aren't worth listening to unless the vocals/lyrics are in English.
Actually, for me if a band whose mother language isn't english sings in english, it's a downside. If I find bands that I like from different countries, I prefer them to sing in their native tongue... it's more interesting, even if I don't understand the lyrics. And I believe that's particularly important on RPI.
That's me as well. People singing in their first language is so much more rewarding, ultimately. I can't listen to poorly executed English vocals that some band is forcing themselves into, for what they think will be wider appeal.
Joined: January 24 2010
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 8093
Posted: May 15 2016 at 11:48
Libra's Winter Day's Nightmare is a super record, deserving much more attention than it ever got.
Helmut Koellen's song "Main Street" off of his solo album "You Won't See Me" should have been released as a single, and could have been a huge rock anthem.
Atomic Rooster's early 80s EPs with John du Cann are the best recordings the band ever recorded.
Fortunately not much of a problem in prog rock, but I absolutely hate bagpipes. Here, however, is one application of bagpipes I can get behind...
He neither drank, smoked, nor rode a bicycle. Living frugally, saving his money, he died early, surrounded by greedy relatives. It was a great lesson to me -- John Barrymore
Joined: December 06 2015
Location: The USA
Status: Offline
Points: 18
Posted: May 15 2016 at 13:19
The majority of King Crimson's music sucks!
"There you go man, keep as cool as you can. Face piles and piles of trials with smiles. It riles them to believe that you perceive the web they weave. And keep on thinking free."
Joined: May 12 2009
Location: Coolwood
Status: Offline
Points: 6394
Posted: May 15 2016 at 15:15
Aussie-Byrd-Brother wrote:
My unusual prog opinion?
Anything that Peter Hammill sings on is more or less overwrought and excruciating, and I cringe most of the time when I hear his histrionic wail.
A shame, because I can tell the music of VdGG behind his voice is terrific.
I agree , which is why I have not gotten into VdGG. Some other opinions of mine, many similar to some above:
PFs debut album is my least favorite album of theirs; Sid Barrett had his moments but usually not.
In many ways, 80s King Crimson was a better band than the various 70s versions.
Hold Your Fire by Rush is one of their best albums.
Out of the eight Gentle Giant albums I have, Three Friends is my least favorite because it's supposed story line doesn't hold together.
Foxtrot is my least favorite of PG era Genesis even though I still consider it 5 star.
Can is noise.
So is most Prog Metal and almost all of Extreme/Tech Metal.
We're Only In It For the Money is random garbage.
Soft Machine's Elton Dean sounds like he is strangling a goat.
Roxy Music's Andy MacKay could not play his instruments until 3 or 4 albums in. In fact, I don't think any of them really knew how to play when they recorded their first album.
Fear of a Blank Planet is either derivative or dull and turned me off from Porcupine Tree.
Renaissance's 80s pop music is listenable. So is Triumvirat's A La Carte. As I said, pop.
It is disappointing that Steve Hackett's greatest commercial success lies in revisiting Genesis.
Dave Cousins is one of the best songwriter's found on this site.
Both Steve Morse and Mike Oldfield have played the same guitar solo in different songs too many times (and I still love their music).
Some of these I have expressed before. Remember kids, it is your own ears that are doing the listening; you do not have to like or dislike anything simply because somebody else says you should. At the same time, keep an open mind, listen, and expand your horizons.
The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty"
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Funny Ways: Your Unusual Prog Opinions
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Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:
(Alvin & the boys rules
)
, which is why I have not gotten into VdGG. Some other opinions of mine, many similar to some above: 
