What are your favorite unappreciated Prog albums?

Everyone has at least one Prog album that they really love but seems to be thrashed by everyone else including friends as well as critics. What are some of your favorite  unappreciated Prog albums and, more importantly, why should they be appreciated.







Edited by SteveG - August 05 2014 at 15:06

I really love "Gate to Infinity" by Earth and Fire.   Common wisdom states that all their albums after 1973 are a waste of time, but I personally enjoy them greatly.  As a matter of fact, few people even really mention them at all, and probably just believe the 2 or 3 people who have bothered to review them and said they're crap.  I've done my best to turn the tide of critical opinion, but since their later albums gradually leave prog rock behind in favor of Europop and even disco, it's a hard sell for a PA audience. "Gate to Infinity", however, still has enough prog elements to warrant mention as a "prog album" for the purposes of this thread.


Edited by HolyMoly - August 05 2014 at 10:36

These four of my 5-star reviews have an average rating of 3.51 or less.

Of course, 3.51 isn't too bad a rating.

I'm interested in that Geddy Lee album now.  Never got around to hearing it.

Henry Kaiser - Moose and Salmon. It's just a wee bit too experimental for everyone I personally know other than me. I like it, though.

I have several - early-80's Renaissance
                          early-80's Grobschnitt
........that pretty sweet Earth And Fire album HolyMoly speaks of - Gate To Infinity
AND - those 2 'Prog Collective' albums instigated by maestro Billy Sherwood.   Sure he uses a basic template, full of cliches, rather simply structured pieces but all-star performances. I know they are not ground-breaking, nor are they even supposed to be, but I love each and every track on both albums and I think it is a great idea that such an artist, who deeply has respect for the whole Progressive genre, and is an amazing musician in his own right, can command such talent to add to his vision. I dislike what he contributed to Yes, though The Ladder is quite fine, but these collective projects are too enjoyable for me.

Gentle Giant- The Missing Piece(This should be appreciated because they have a good mix of Prog (Memories of Old Days, For Nobody, As Old As You're Young) and just plain awesome music (Two Weeks in Spain, Betcha Thought We Couldn't Do It, Mountain Time,etc)

Edited by ProgMetaller2112 - August 06 2014 at 02:23

HolyMoly wrote: Common wisdom states that all their albums after 1973 are a waste of time

ProgMetaller2112 wrote:   Yes - Tormato(This is very under appreciated and I don't know why.

Moogtron III wrote: HolyMoly wrote: Common wisdom states that all their albums after 1973 are a waste of time Really? Well, I love To The World Of The Future from 1975. Haven't tried out Gate To Infinity, though, indeed because I thought it would be no good anymore. Well, some more homework.

Point taken, I believe the 1975 album has its share of fans - opinion seems divided on that one.  Me, I gave it five stars.  I think if you like World you'll also like Gate, though side 2 is pure pop, be warned.  But it's really good pop.