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Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Top 10s and lists
Forum Description: List all your favourites here
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=126041 Printed Date: April 29 2024 at 18:30 Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Favorite instrumental prog albumsPosted By: Neo-Romantic
Subject: Favorite instrumental prog albums
Date Posted: April 13 2021 at 21:20
What instrumental prog albums do you like the most and would recommend to other prog fans?
I haven't heard too many, but my personal favorite is Viljans Oga by Anglagard. I like the amount of depth and detail poured into crafting each piece. A very inspirational and moving album.
------------- May God bless you all in Jesus' name. No matter who you are, you're special, you're loved, and you matter.
Replies: Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: April 13 2021 at 21:57
I would recomend Stati Di Immaginazione by PFM. Ovrfrws is also an interesting instrumental band, new and very exiting.
Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 00:34
Casiopea - Mint Jams (otherworldly and somehow live?!)
Henry Cow - Western Culture
Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior
Miles Davis - Everything and anything 1969-1989
-------------
"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021
Posted By: A Crimson Mellotron
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 02:22
Anything by Anglagard, Herbie Hancock, Snarky Puppy, IEM, Far Corner, GY!BE, Gryphon, and John Zorn is always welcome for me. And don't forget 'Hot Rats'!
Posted By: A Crimson Mellotron
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 02:26
^And also the damn good 'All Traps on Earth' album
Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 02:56
Neo-Romantic wrote:
my personal favorite is Viljans Oga by Anglagard.
Great album, which I actually prefer over Hybris.
------------- No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man.
Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 03:00
But the album that might be my favourite album from the 2010s is Atomic Ape - Swarm (2014).
------------- No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man.
Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 03:52
The Snow Goose
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Posted By: iluvmarillion
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 04:50
Three come to mind. Six Wives of Henry VIII, Tubular Bells and Snow Goose.
Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 05:29
A Crimson Mellotron wrote:
And don't forget 'Hot Rats'!
Umm, "Willie the Pimp" has vocals.
A lot of fusion records... Jean-Luc Ponty - Enigmatic Ocean Pat Metheny - From this Place, The Road to You Nova Collective - The Further Side Special Providence - Soul Alert Helmet of Gnats - Travelogue
Others... French TV, Intervals, Plini, Miriodor, Covet, Owane, Polyphia, Animals as Leaders, Phil Miller In Cahoots.
Posted By: yogev
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 06:47
Great album, blending different styles and genres. really recommended.
Posted By: TerLJack
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 08:15
You have a few excellent suggestions here already.
I would second "Romantic Warrior" "Enigmatic Oceans,"and "Stati Di Immaginazione."
Adding Jeff Beck "Blow By Blow," Brubeck "Time Out," Kenso "In the West," JM Jarre "Equinoxe"
I may think of a few more...
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 08:37
Manuel wrote:
I would recomend Stati Di Immaginazione by PFM. Ovrfrws is also an interesting instrumental band, new and very exiting.
Ovrfwrd?
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 08:39
I prophesy disaster wrote:
Neo-Romantic wrote:
my personal favorite is Viljans Oga by Anglagard.
Great album, which I actually prefer over Hybris.
Hybris isn't completely instrumental anyway.
Posted By: Crane
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 08:40
Don Caballero - 2
Don Caballero - What Burns Never Returns
Sabot - Somehow I Don’t Think So... / Vice Versa
Hella - Hold Your Horse Is
------------- “Art is the recognition of the universal presence of God.” —Ernest Hello
Posted By: Hercules
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 09:09
The Snow Goose, since it's my favourite album of all time, instrumental or otherwise.
------------- A TVR is not a car. It's a way of life.
Posted By: Ronstein
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 09:14
Tubular Bells (Mike Oldfield)
Clearlight Symphony (Clearlight)
Rubycon (Tangerine Dream)
Posted By: arturfd
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 09:51
Trace from Trace.
Posted By: Homotopy
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 10:45
Ephemeral Sun - Harvest Aorta
Night Verses - From the Gallery of Sleep
Art Zoyd stuff
https://www.last.fm/music/Far+Corner" rel="nofollow - Far Corner - Risk
https://www.last.fm/music/%C3%B6z+%C3%BCr%C3%BCg%C3%BCl%C3%BC" rel="nofollow - öz ürügülü - Fashion and Welfare
Hmm, I didn't mean to copy with links, but you're welcome.
Posted By: Argo2112
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 10:57
Listening to Hiromi- Voices as I read the post.
Some other good ones would be:
Niacin - High Bias
Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds of Fire
The Aristocrats - S/T
Camal - The Snow Goose
Al Dimeloa - Elegant Gypsy
Bozzio, Levin, Stevens - Situation Dangerous
Bill Bruford - One of a Kind
Joe Satriani - Surfing with the Alien
Jeff Beck - Blow by Blow & Wired
Liquid Tension Experiment - 1 & 2
Frank Zappa - The Grand Wazoo (Mostly Instrumental)
Posted By: stegor
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 11:29
Banco - Di Terra
Camel - The Snow Goose
Jack Lancaster & Robin Lumley - Marscape (Basically Brand X)
My 3 favorites
Posted By: Nogbad_The_Bad
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 11:47
Guapo - 5 Suns
Henry Cow - Western Culture
------------- Ian
Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com
Posted By: Awesoreno
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 14:15
I second Snarky Puppy! And check out Max Ox. They groove like no other.
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 14:32
Mahavishnu Orchestra -1 and 2
Return To Forever- Hymn of the 7th Galaxy
Jeff Beck -Blow and Wired
Ain Soph -Hat and Field
Kenso-II
Pat Metheny- Group 1978, Off Ramp, Secret Story, etc
John Abercrombie- Gateway,
Rypdal, Vitous, Dejohnette- To Be Continued
Wakeman- 6 Wives
Bruford- Feels Good and One of a Kind
------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 15:22
stegor wrote:
Banco - Di Terra
Camel - The Snow Goose
Jack Lancaster & Robin Lumley - Marscape (Basically Brand X)
My 3 favorites
Those Banco and Camel albums are among my all time favorites. I don't know the Lancaster and Lumley album though. Another one for me would be solar music live by Grobschnitt.
Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: April 14 2021 at 15:53
Billy Cobham - Stratus
King Crimson - Level V
Weather Report - Boogie Woogie Waltz
Posted By: miamiscot
Date Posted: April 15 2021 at 08:24
The new Rick Wakeman album - The Red Planet!!! But only because you people already mentioned Six Wives...
------------- The Prog Corner
Posted By: Artik
Date Posted: April 15 2021 at 08:39
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Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: April 15 2021 at 09:05
JD wrote:
Tons of great suggestions here.
I'll add...
Schicke & Führs & Fröhling - Symphonic Pictures
Great and far too unknown album.
I had a look at my top albums list that I made a few years ago for a thread in PA. Actually there are four non-prog instrumental albums in my top 20, but only one prog, on rank 20, which is
Tarentel - From Bone to Satellite
A number of albums have some words, not sure whether "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts" by Eno & Byrne counts as instrumental. Also Art Zoyd often have a little bit of vocals. Häxan is their best as far as I'm concerned, but there's a bit of singing.
Then there's Erna Morena by Association PC, which is rather a pretty free jazz album (and very exciting at that), and that's the "instrumental listed on PA" category exhausted in my top 50 (there are two further AZ both of which are not fully instrumental either). Although I love some Tangerine Dream, too; would also recommend Rubycon first, which I have listed on 53.
One more addition: Jaga Jazzist - What We Must
Posted By: JD
Date Posted: April 15 2021 at 11:05
Another one that comes soooo close to being an instrumental album is Duncan Mackay - Score. Probably less than 2 minutes of vocals on a 40 minute album. So...Instrumental Adjacent.
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Posted By: Mormegil
Date Posted: April 15 2021 at 11:35
octopus-4 wrote:
The Snow Goose
This.
And Bay of Kings by Hackett.
------------- Welcome to the middle of the film.
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: April 15 2021 at 13:13
There are surely many others that I like, but the first that comes to my mind (and perhaps not necessarily my favourite) is 6 Wives of Henry the VIII, by Rick Wakeman. Though Wakeman himself has many other albums that come close too. And then, there's Mike Oldfield, at least with his 70's album (plus Return to Ommadawn... and I guess Songs of Distant Earth).
Posted By: maryes
Date Posted: April 15 2021 at 17:35
Finch " The Glory of Inner Force" & "Beyond EXpression", Gryphon "Red Queen...", Return to Forever "Romantic Warior", Camel "The Sonw Goose" etc...
Posted By: Heart of the Matter
Date Posted: April 15 2021 at 18:26
Pat Metheny - Bright Size Life
Madre Atómica - Selftitled (Argentina)
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: April 16 2021 at 00:53
I wanted to say Vangelis - Heaven and Hell but annoyingly that's ruled out by having Jon Anderson singing on part of it!
a few I really enjoy:
Tangerine Dream - Force Majeure , Tangram and Exit (their 'proggiest' and best albums imo)
Far Corner - Risk
Isobar - Isobar
Elephant 9 - Psychedelic Backfire 1 and 2
All Traps On Earth - A Drop Of Light
Stephen Caudel - Wine Dark Sea and Earth In Turquoise
Vangelis - Beauborg and Albedo 0.39 (I'm not counting the title track as a 'song')
Keith Emerson - Changing States (his best solo album and the only one that is purely instrumental)
Jean Michel Jarre - Rendezvous and Magnetic Fields
Rick Wakeman - Airs Piano Trilogy and Six Wives
Mike Oldfield - Hergest Ridge ( presumably Ommadawn is ruled out by the 'Horse Song'?)
Tomita - Pictures At An Exhibition
Camel - The Snow Goose
Steve Hackett - A Midsummer Nights Dream
Mark Isham - Vapor Drawings
Claire Hammill - Voices (I think this counts as she only uses her voice as an instrument and there is nothing else on the album!)
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: April 16 2021 at 08:58
Artik (and maryes) mentioned Gryphon- 'Red Queen To Gryphon Three'.....great choice and one of my all time favorite instrumental prog things.
------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: April 16 2021 at 10:59
Similar in tone to the Snow Goose by Camel, but all acoustic. Even the bass.
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Posted By: projeKct
Date Posted: April 16 2021 at 13:46
I love instrumental music, so I have many suggestions for you guys!
In bold, lesser known gems. Do you know them?
Agusa - Agusa
An Endless Sporadic - An Endless Sporadic
An Endless Sporadic - Magic Machine
Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso - ... di Terra
Birds and Buildings - Bantam to Behemoth
Birds and Buildings - Multipurpose Trap
Tomas Bodin - An Ordinary Night in My Ordinary Life
Tomas Bodin - Pinup Guru
Tomas Bodin - Sonic Boulevard
Barracuda Triangle - Electro Shock Therapy
Hasse Bruniusson - Flying Food Circus
Camel - The Snow Goose
Emmett Elvin - Assault on the Tyranny of Reason
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Pictures at an Exhibition
Estradasphere - Buck Fever
Estradasphere - Quadropus
Circus Brimstone - Live - BrimStoned in Europe
The Trey Gunn Band - The Joy of Molybdenum
Happy the Man - Happy the Man
Karcius - Episodes
Gleb Kolyadin - Gleb Kolyadin
Lalle Larsson - Weaveworld
Lalle Larsson - Infinity of Worlds
Lalle Larsson - Nightscapes
Maneige - Ni vent... ni nouvelle
Maneige - Libre service / Self-service
Monkey3 - Sphere
Morte Macabre - Symphonic Holocaust
Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells
Mike Oldfield - Hergest Ridge
Mike Oldfield - Ommadawn
Mike Oldfield - Amarok
Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells II
Mike Oldfield - The Songs of Distant Earth
Mike Oldfield - Return to Ommadawn
Anthony Phillips - The Geese & The Ghost
Squintaloo - Über Bord!
Roine Stolt - Hydrophonia
Rick Wakeman - The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Have a nice day!
Posted By: Cosmiclawnmower
Date Posted: April 16 2021 at 13:50
SteveG wrote:
Similar in tone to the Snow Goose by Camel, but all acoustic. Even the bass.
Yes, yes, yes!! beautiful lp!!
-------------
Posted By: The Anders
Date Posted: April 16 2021 at 15:24
Neu! - Neu! perhaps...
Posted By: Heart of the Matter
Date Posted: April 16 2021 at 19:20
SteveG wrote:
Similar in tone to the Snow Goose by Camel, but all acoustic. Even the bass.
Nice! Bert rules.
Posted By: Squonk19
Date Posted: April 17 2021 at 01:12
Ommadawn (if you treat On Horseback as a companion piece separate to the work). Otherwise it has to be The Snow Goose.
------------- “Living in their pools, they soon forget about the sea.”
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: April 17 2021 at 02:10
Anything by Maneige - whether the more symphonic phase (their first two) or their jazz-rock phase.
------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword
Posted By: Awesoreno
Date Posted: April 18 2021 at 01:04
^Yeah I was initially confused as to why Maneige was in Jazz-Rock/Fusion until I heard the third and fourth albums.
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: April 18 2021 at 01:47
Awesoreno wrote:
^Yeah I was initially confused as to why Maneige was in Jazz-Rock/Fusion until I heard the third and fourth albums.
well, You can listen to Composite (Live but almost all new unreleased stuff) and Montreal 6AM and they keep going in the JR/F direction.
------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword
Posted By: suitkees
Date Posted: April 18 2021 at 06:24
Many great suggestions here. May I add Xaal's Seconde ère? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1ZN3vMs7-k&list=OLAK5uy_lF5HvUtsIkHCLLJJqg3x_eFvxJIjZD_j8" rel="nofollow - just listen ...
-------------
The razamataz is a pain in the bum
Posted By: Intruder
Date Posted: April 18 2021 at 07:59
So many great instrumental prog albums, but let's spare a moment for Alan Gowan's band Gilgamesh - two excellent albums, my favorite being Another Fine Tune You've Gotten Me Into. The 40th anniversary of his death (at 33!) is on May 17. PA should have a Gowan Day in memory of a fine, fine musician with a heart and head as big as they come.
------------- I like to feel the suspense when you're certain you know I am there.....
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: April 18 2021 at 08:10
Too many to mention. However, I second Ian's mention of the monumental Five Suns (Guapo), and also the many mentions of Far Corner's wonderful Risk. Djam Karet's output is also almost completely instrumental, and very eclectic in nature - highly recommended. Speaking of which, I'd also recommend Herd of Instinct, as Djam Karet's Gayle Ellett is one of their members. Moraine from Seattle are also another good bet.
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: April 18 2021 at 08:40
I'm more of a current instrumental bands fan.....The old stuff is good, I've played Tubular Bells to death now. The rest is jazzy fusion rock which is all good and fine. I much prefer harder rock, metal for the past 10-15yrs.
The Aristocrats-s/t
Canvas Solaris-Sublimation, Irradiance
Liquid Tension Experiment-I, II, III
Liquid Trio Experiment-Spontaneous Combustion
Pink Floyd-The Endless River (one song has vocals)
-------------
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: April 18 2021 at 08:54
Raff wrote:
Too many to mention. However, I second Ian's mention of the monumental Five Suns (Guapo), and also the many mentions of Far Corner's wonderful Risk. Djam Karet's output is also almost completely instrumental, and very eclectic in nature - highly recommended. Speaking of which, I'd also recommend Herd of Instinct, as Djam Karet's Gayle Ellett is one of their members. Moraine from Seattle are also another good bet.
I don't know for sure but I don't think there's any Djam Karet tracks with vocals. Then again it's possible since after all even Ozric Tentacles have one or two tracks with some kind of vocalization in them.
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 18 2021 at 13:32
Raff wrote:
Too many to mention. However, I second Ian's mention of the monumental Five Suns (Guapo), and also the many mentions of Far Corner's wonderful Risk. Djam Karet's output is also almost completely instrumental, and very eclectic in nature - highly recommended. Speaking of which, I'd also recommend Herd of Instinct, as Djam Karet's Gayle Ellett is one of their members. Moraine from Seattle are also another good bet.
Beat me to it. I was simply going to say "buy everything Djam Karet has released"!
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 18 2021 at 13:55
Catcher10 wrote:
I'm more of a current instrumental bands fan.....The old stuff is good, I've played Tubular Bells to death now. The rest is jazzy fusion rock which is all good and fine. I much prefer harder rock, metal for the past 10-15yrs.
The Aristocrats-s/t
Canvas Solaris-Sublimation, Irradiance
Liquid Tension Experiment-I, II, III
Liquid Trio Experiment-Spontaneous Combustion
Pink Floyd-The Endless River (one song has vocals)
Posted By: mathman0806
Date Posted: April 18 2021 at 14:21
Among more recent (last 10 years) albums, I like Steve Rothery's The Ghosts of Pripyat.
Posted By: Hercules
Date Posted: April 18 2021 at 15:07
mathman0806 wrote:
Among more recent (last 10 years) albums, I like Steve Rothery's The Ghosts of Pripyat.
Indeed. Utterly brilliant.
------------- A TVR is not a car. It's a way of life.
Posted By: MFP
Date Posted: April 18 2021 at 18:27
NeBeLNeST's NoVa eXPReSS deserves a mention.
Posted By: SouthSideoftheSky
Date Posted: April 19 2021 at 04:07
Autumn - Oceanworld
The Rome Pro(g)ject - Exegi Monumentum Aere Perennius
Solaris - Martian Chronicles I & II
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: April 19 2021 at 04:42
SteveG wrote:
Similar in tone to the Snow Goose by Camel, but all acoustic. Even the bass.
Oh good call.
Wonderful album
Posted By: omphaloskepsis
Date Posted: April 19 2021 at 04:43
Frenetic Zetetic wrote:
Casiopea - Mint Jams (otherworldly and somehow live?!)
Henry Cow - Western Culture
Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior
Miles Davis - Everything and anything 1969-1989
This ^
Posted By: essexboyinwales
Date Posted: April 20 2021 at 09:04
mathman0806 wrote:
Among more recent (last 10 years) albums, I like Steve Rothery's The Ghosts of Pripyat.
I couldn't get on with this at all, despite being a big Marillion fan.
But if you want a neo-prog offshoot that IS worth listening to, then check out Regeneration by The Lens - Mike Holmes of IQ at his very finest
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: April 20 2021 at 18:51
verslibre wrote:
Catcher10 wrote:
I'm more of a current instrumental bands fan.....The old stuff is good, I've played Tubular Bells to death now. The rest is jazzy fusion rock which is all good and fine. I much prefer harder rock, metal for the past 10-15yrs.
The Aristocrats-s/t
Canvas Solaris-Sublimation, Irradiance
Liquid Tension Experiment-I, II, III
Liquid Trio Experiment-Spontaneous Combustion
Pink Floyd-The Endless River (one song has vocals)
Have you heard Dinner Music for the Gods?
I like it!
-------------
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 20 2021 at 20:00
^I have their 2011 CD, Blood and Red Wine. AFAIK, it's the only one they made.
Posted By: Progishness
Date Posted: April 20 2021 at 23:56
Tubular Bells by Mike Oldfield (also Hergest Ridge and Ommadawn by MO)
The Snow Goose by Camel
Lord of the Rings by Bo Hansson (well his whole http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=1368" rel="nofollow - catalogue really, but LOTR is outstanding)
Six Wives of Henry VIII by Rick Wakeman
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Chloë Grace Moretz as Mindy McCready aka 'Hit Girl' in Kick-Ass 2
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: April 21 2021 at 11:16
My favourites are from electronic prog and jazz-rock/fusion.
An absolute classic of electronic prog that makes you feel as if you are in the jungle.
And just the opposite: This is winter.
Another absolute classic:
This is in my opinion a very underrated album; side two, which is played as one track, is among the very best prog electronic has to offer.There are some vocals on side two, but as in "The Snow Goose" used as an instrument. I chose a track from side one; I especially like the jazzy chords in this track:
On the jazz-rock/fusion side:
My favourite album of Weather Report. Again very underrated in my opinion.
Now this album is liked by many on this site:
One of my absolute favourite musicians and almost criminally unknown:
She was rejected from the archives, but for me this is a jazz-rock/fusion album:
-------------
BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue.
Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: April 21 2021 at 16:19
Straight to the Krankenhaus by Secret Oyster. <<< my clear #1 ...di Terra by Banco Fourth by Soft Machine (and most everything else by Soft Machine tbh) Speechless by Fred Frith Yanqui UXO by GY!BE Cyborg by Klaus Schulze Western Culture by Hank Cow
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It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased.
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Posted By: King of Loss
Date Posted: April 27 2021 at 21:00
Anything By Tangerine Dream in their heyday.
Posted By: Little_Julian
Date Posted: April 30 2021 at 00:39
No jazz-rock, not electronic music, not avantgarde, just progressive rock.
R.M. Točak s/t (1976)
Posted By: Un Amico
Date Posted: May 05 2021 at 18:00
ISOTOPE Illusion. BANCO Garofano Rosso. DON SHIRLEY Point of View.