Best Proggy Group of the 80s

febus wrote: febus wrote: On this list, ULTRAVOX (Midge Ure era).......(sorry, Thomas).....Vienna, Rage in Eden and all this stuff   However i notice the biggest name DEPECHE MODE is missing. i don't like their beginnings, but from BLACK CELEBRATION to SONGS OF FAITH AND DEVOTION, they were unbeatable.

Talk Talk I guess. Human League and Ultravox if late 70's releases counted.

Check out Californian band Fibonaccis. Three of the tracks are from their fantastic '82 debut. Quirky new-wave with moog and mellotron.

Edit: Click on song of the week: Second Coming underneath, too.


Edited by Rocktopus - May 30 2008 at 03:53

Japan gets my vote! There was no one quite like them at the time, and in terms of musicianship I think they had the edge om most other bands in the 'Futurist/New Romantic' genre. Mik Karns fretless bass playing was astounding, and Richard Barbereis synth sounds were like no one elses. Tin Drum remains one of my favourite albums of the 80's.

Honourable mentions to Duran Duran and ABC. I saw ABC live in more recent years, and they still had it. Martin Fry was a great singer, and they produced some brilliantly crafted pop songs; symphonic pop!

I loved the power of Ultravox too, which was captured quite well on their live album (was it monument?) I'll have to dig it out sometime. Hymn and The Voice were absolute classics.

Also, I would reccomend 'Architechture & Morality' by OMD to anyone who has not heard it. Very strange and atmospheric album.

I voted TalkTalk as my favorite on the list.

I'm unfamiliar with Japan though I do have the Sylvian / Fripp  album which for me is sort of  - meh.

My real favorite prog related 80's band is Dead Can Dance.  The Sisters of Mercy get honorable mention.  They're not prog at all other than Andrew Eldritch's freaky weird vocals and a sometimes surreal mood.

Art of Noise kind of drove me nuts.  The novelty wore off quickly for me.

Blacksword wrote: I can understand why some people dont like Japan. Very much an acquired taste. I also have a Sylvian/Fripp album which is ok, but a little 'meh' at time, as you say. That said, youtube Japan and look out for tracks like 'Ghosts' and 'The art of Parties' even if just to see what Porcupine Tree's Richard Barbeiri was up to back then..

I just Youtubed Ghost.  Wow!  Could Sylvian sound any more like Bryan Ferry?   Love those synths.  I'll check them out some more.

Without wishing to go off topic too much, here is a clip of one of the many Japan spin off projects that came about years after Japan split. This is Bestial Cluster, a Mik Karn project which comprised Richard Barbeiri, Mik and Steve Jansen of Japan, and on this occassion features Steve Wilson on guitar:

Bestial Cluster

Edited by Blacksword - June 01 2008 at 06:19

Ghost Rider wrote: "Ghosts" is my favourite song by Japan, a superbly atmospheric track further enhanced by Sylvian's vocal performance. Initially, I added them in Xover, but after some controversy (which I wished to avoid), I moved them to Prog-Related.I used to listen to The Sisters of Mercy a number of years ago, when a friend of mine, who was a fan, introduced me to their music. As for Dead Can Dance, a few months ago I got their Aion album, and was hooked big time... I found all their albums at a discounted price in one of the music stores I usually frequent, and listen to them on a regular basis. Both Brendan Perry's and Lisa Gerrard's voices are fantastic, and their music is hauntingly addictive.

Couldn't agree more about Aion. Superb album! Every track is a gem.