Big in prog circles but mostly unknown elsewhere
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Polls
Forum Description: Create polls on topics related to progressive music
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=131890
Printed Date: June 26 2025 at 10:52
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Topic: Big in prog circles but mostly unknown elsewhere
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Subject: Big in prog circles but mostly unknown elsewhere
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 09:55
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Please vote for up to three (but no more than three) options. "Other" can be one option or you can use it for all three of your votes if you want. Unlike Porcupine Tree, King Crimson, Dream Theater, Marillion or Tangerine Dream who are known to most big music fans the bands I have selected are mostly unknown to non prog fans imo. Of course there are exceptions but this is how I see it so please no arguments about who is or isn't known to non prog fans.
 Unfortunately I could not fit in Arena,The Enid, Mike Oldfield (too well known outside of US anyway), Transatlantic(too many DT fans know about them), Happy the Man, Henry Cow, Focus, Saga or Nektar but of course any of those can be an "other" option for you if you want. |
Replies:
Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 10:05
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Discipline! I feel they're underrated even in prog circles... |
Posted By: Octopus II
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 10:17
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Banco Anglagard Wobbler
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 10:27
Dream Theater, Mostly Autumn and Porcupine Tree are the first three that mostly spring to mind, but from the poll I'd say all of them, as neither of my two younger brothers have heard of any of them. 
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 10:39
Really? Their albums are highly rated on here with high ratings. I wanted to add Jordsjo and Karfagen since I think both are really great bands but I don't think either are well known enough in prog circles. Maybe one day.
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Prog-jester wrote:Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 11:22
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Tai Phong might qualify. Many people only recognize their most popular track Sister Jane, written by Khanh Maï with JJ. Goldman on lead vocals, which, according to some, made its way to the French top singles charts, making the band a defacto one hit wonder. But, as a prog fan I think it is one of their weakest songs and Tai Phong's true strength lies in the longer, Taï Sinh penned prog songs, mostly with him or on the lead vocals. |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 11:27
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Camel Eloy Renaissance
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Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 11:42
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National Health Hatfield and the North U.K. Others... Echolyn Izz Riverside |
Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 12:05
| Gentle Giant, Camel, UK. Most of these bands would cualificación though. |
Posted By: Mellotron Storm
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 12:10
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A stacked list but I'm going with VDGG, Camel and Anglagard. Caravan, Hatfield And The North and National Health could have been my 3 picks here instead. ------------- "The wind is slowly tearing her apart" "Sad Rain" ANEKDOTEN |
Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 12:10
¡Exactamente!
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 12:14
Huh?
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Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 12:53
Just noticed that post vanished. Peculiar.
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Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 12:57
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Very tough competition. I'll vote for Van der Graaf Generator, Camel and Gong, but Renaissance, National Health, Magma, Eloy, the Ozrics and Banco would also deserve a vote. |
Posted By: Frets N Worries
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 13:03
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VDGG, Camel and Caravan ------------- The Wheel of Time Turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the shadow. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time... |
Posted By: progaardvark
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 13:12
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Änglagård, Discipline, and Spock's Beard. My favorite Halloween costume is a bus station. ------------- ---------- i'm shopping for a new oil-cured sinus bag that's a happy bag of lettuce this car smells like cartilage nothing beats a good video about fractions |
Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 13:18
Mine is this:  |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 13:52
| So far everyone is on the board except Le Orme and Magma. I'm actually more surprised that there are also zero votes so far for "other." |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 13:54
No, it didn't.
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Posted By: progaardvark
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 14:16
That's really cool. I once dressed up in a beep-beep box. It was a large PC box (before flat screens!) and I wrote the word "beep" all over it in different colored markers, with cut-out holes for my arms and eyes so that I could see where I was going. I don't have a picture of it. I should ask the few people that saw me in it whether they have any pictures. Another in a long string of embarrassing moments in the timeline of my life! ------------- ---------- i'm shopping for a new oil-cured sinus bag that's a happy bag of lettuce this car smells like cartilage nothing beats a good video about fractions |
Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 14:28
Now it's back. Super odd.
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Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 14:50
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No bands that I don't like here... Voted Camel, Renaissance and GonG, but there's Magma, Anglagard, Eloy, PFM (I missed their gig this evening, it was sold out). ------------- I stand with Roger Waters, I stand with Joan Baez, I stand with Victor Jara, I stand with Woody Guthrie. Music is revolution |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 14:53
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Top 5 bands in the poll:- 1. Renaissance 2. Camel 3. Caravan 4. Pendragon 5. IQ
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 15:15
| I started this poll because I always found it interesting how a band could be so talented and so popular among prog fans yet unheard of by most non-prog fans. King Crimson, Marillion and Porcupine Tree sort of occupy the grey area but I felt they were too well known among most regular music fans to include them. You can say most of these are the next level down. I suppose there are non prog fans who know about Renaissance, Gong, Magma, Ozric Tentacles, Camel, VDGG and GG too but not as much as the others I mentioned here. |
Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 15:24
Invisible (L.A. Spinetta's band) is not very well known to non-proggers outside of South America, but in the prog circles, the group seems to be quite recognizable worldwide.
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Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 15:32
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Van der Graaf Generator Anglagard Magma ------------- 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: JD
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 15:38
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------------- Thank you for supporting independently produced music |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 17:49
They have an album that is rated pretty highly on rate your music but I don't think they are that well known in prog circles. There's probably at least half a dozen more well known S.A. prog bands including Bubu and Bacamarte. I would say Nexus also.
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 18:09
Hey Kimosabe! I'm going to take a quantum leap here by suggesting that Quantum Jump are the best-known Canterbury Scene band there's ever been, entirely due to the success of their single "The Lone Ranger" which stayed in the UK charts for ten weeks in 1979 and reached #5, whereas some of our favourite Canterbury Scene bands, such as Caravan, Hatfield & the North, National Health and Soft Machine have never had a single enter the UK charts, but as Einstein once said, it's all relative, so you can take a quantum of solace from that.  It's the reverse opposite of the poll question:- Quantum Jump aren't big in prog circles, but they ARE mostly known elsewhere.
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 18:20
| Thank you for that little tid bit Paul. I'm pretty sure I've heard their name but don't know anything about them. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: October 14 2023 at 23:55
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IQ Big Big Train Eloy |
Posted By: ThamesRoyal
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 00:49
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Big Big Train UK Gentle Giant IQ The Flower Kings |
Posted By: Hercules
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 03:55
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Just about all of them, really. But Camel is the most obvious choice. Ironically, I find nearly everyone who hears them (and that includes anyone I've ever had contact with) becomes a fan, but they didn't fit the classic mould (no charismatic front man/lead singer) and largely instrumental, so they didn't get exposed to the wider audience outside prog. ------------- A TVR is not a car. It's a way of life. |
Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 04:12
I got to know the Ozrics from a non-prog fan. I think they are well known in a certain different corner of the universe where people like anarchy and improvisation (psychedelic stuff generally but also newer jazz; Can are well appreciated there, too) but wouldn't relate to more "organised" symphonic prog and the like, and neither to the showing off of virtuosity and complexity as happens in math rock, some RIO, and many varieties of prog metal. I remember also that in the eighties Peter Hammill and VDGG were well appreciated among many fans of post punk and the more sophisticated music of the time; they were seen as much less outdated than ELP, Yes and others.
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Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 05:19
That's only my subjective impression. I'm sorry. Everyone makes mistakes. For instance, in Poland, Invisible and Spinetta in general are pretty much completely unheard of, in all circles imaginable, which is a shame IMO. My compatriots are really missing out on a lot of heart-tugging music. I don't even know if Bubu or Bacamarte are familiar to Poles either.
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Posted By: essexboyinwales
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 06:25
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IQ, BBT, Pendragon ------------- Heaven is waiting but waiting is Hell |
Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 08:06
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you've listed a whole raft of my fave bands up there, so it's exceedingly difficult to pick (I could easily have gone for 10 of them).... but I'll choose Eloy, 'cos I love 'em... ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 08:08
we can choose up to three.
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Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 08:10
thank you Sir.... I knew I could rely on you to have actually read the guidelines properly...  Eloy Camel Renaissance IQ VDGG ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 08:12
we also chose the same bands.
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 09:23
Not sure about this, in the UK at that time Oldfield, Wakeman and Vangelis were selling tons and were well known outside of prog circles. The Snow Goose was next off the line and did well sales wise at least. (Peaked at No 22 and was certified Silver, didn't do so well in the US though only peaking at 162) |
Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 09:38
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Camel, Eloy, Renaissance Just bubbling under: Le Orme
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 09:53
That sounds about right. My two younger brothers have both heard of Mike Oldfield, Vangelis and Rick Wakeman, but they haven't heard of any of the prog bands in this poll, including Camel.
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 11:33
| Wow, everyone is on the board and no votes for other. This is a first. I'm kind of surprised there aren't more votes for Gentle Giant. |
Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 11:45
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 11:50
I don't know anyone personally who's heard of Gentle Giant. If I ask them if they like Gentle Giant, they assume I'm asking if they like sweetcorn.
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 14:11
Well, you live in the UK and apparently they were never very big over there. PA has members from all over though.
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 16:05
I hadn't heard of them either until the internet came along and then you couldn't stop people talking about them! I bought my first GG album about 20 years ago and that was about 25 years after I had acquired my first prog album!!
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 16:21
| ^Different bands and artists are popular in different locations. GG were never huge in the US but they did have a strong following and a few of their albums made it to the top 100 charts. Mike Oldfield was mentioned earlier. He's someone who was never very big in the US but was in other countries. He only had one gold album over here (no extra points for guessing which one). In the US most people other than prog fans and people really into and knowledgable about music probably never even heard of him. |
Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 17:14
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I first heard of Gentle Giant around the mid-to-late '90s, about the same time I first heard of the terms "Art-Rock" and "Progressive-Rock". These were from the same source (Gentle Giant are an Art-Rock/Progressive-Rock group). As for Mike Oldfield, my first exposure was at school during music class when the teacher played "Tubular Bells" to us. This was around the time of its release. ------------- 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: Progosopher
Date Posted: October 15 2023 at 18:36
I like most of these bands.  Votes went to Eloy and Magma from the list. First vote for Other: Jade Warrior.------------- The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty" |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 01:34
| So difficult, but I gave a slight nod to Renaissance. Yet it might just as well have been Anglagard, Big Big Train, Banco or VdGG. |
Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 01:56
My word, so we did! Which, in a list of bands that strong is quite a coincidence!  ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 01:57
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Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 03:57
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As AFlowerKingCrimson is the one asking the question, I'm inspired by his way of thinking. So naturally the band I like the most who's "Big in prog circles but mostly unknown elsewhere" has got to be Pink Floyd |
Posted By: VianaProghead
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 06:12
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Maybe Van der Graaf Generator. ------------- "PROG IS MY FERRARI". Jem Godfrey (Frost*) |
Posted By: Nogbad_The_Bad
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 06:28
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The biggest bands on here in my opinion are Camel, Gentle Giant and VDGG so voted for them. If I voted for personal preference it would probably be Hatfield & The North Gong National Health Caravan Magma Not on the list - Henry Cow, Univers Zero ------------- Ian Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/ |
Posted By: AlanB
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 07:38
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Camel Spock's Beard Other (The Neal Morse Band) Honorary mentions to Mostly Autumn and Transatlantic too.
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 08:06
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I could ask a hundred people in my village if they've heard of Van der Graaf Generator, and 99% of them would say "Yes, it's something that makes your hair stand on end" - a bit like VDGG's music.
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 08:33
You are such a troll. If I could ban you from this website believe me I would. Aside from that apparently you never got past first grade English since you don't know to add a period after a sentence.
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 08:36
It's your favorites not necessarily the biggest. If you look at the question it says "which band(s) do you like the best?"
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 08:39
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^ I doubt if Henry Cow and Univers Zero would be on anyone's list of the biggest prog bands.
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 08:40
Well, to be fair, Univers Zero did headline Nearfest one year.
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 08:42
Am I missing something here? Who hasn't heard of Pink Floyd?
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Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 08:48
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 08:51
Hey, I didn't start it.
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 08:53
No one I know of. Unlike Mike Oldfield.
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Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 08:54
I wholeheartedly agree.
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Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 08:58
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Posted By: Nogbad_The_Bad
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 10:26
They are the biggest two Avant prog bands and are unknown outside of prog so I think they meet the criteria. They are my personal choices and I don't particular value your opinion on anything avant.
------------- Ian Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/ |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 10:38
Henry Cow were recently voted the 20th all-time favourite prog band of all time though by PA members, which admittedly, was against my expectations, proving once again that my opinions on Avant Prog are of no particular value to you or anyone else here.
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 10:44
And I'm sure Paul wouldn't trust your opinion on anything neo.
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Posted By: Nogbad_The_Bad
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 10:58
He would be fully correct to not trust my opinion on neo. I have a very small collection and no in depth knowledge about neo. ------------- Ian Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/ |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 11:01
Ian probably has more Neo Prog albums than I do. I only have six albums by Marillion and that's it!
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 11:25
That's it. Really? Are you sure you don't want to boost your IQ?
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 11:52
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^ IQ albums don't tend to turn up at charity shops and car boot sales.
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Posted By: Nogbad_The_Bad
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 12:02
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By PA's definitions I have 10, Asturias (5), IQ (2), Sanguine Hum (2), The Healing Road (1) Though my collection is digital only, I buy very little physical. ------------- Ian Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/ |
Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 12:14
Henry Cow and Univers Zero are two of the original members of the Rock in Opposition movement, so in terms of bigness in prog circles, they are a cut above the run-of-the-mill avant-prog groups. ------------- 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: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 13:39
| ^ Henry Cow almost made my list (see my first post) and while UZ weren't really a band I was thinking of I do recognize their importance in RIO and prog in general. After all (like I said) they did headline Nearfest one year. Even Echolyn, Anglagard and the Flower Kings never headlined Nearfest. So theoretically I could have and maybe should have included them. |
Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 15:30
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 16:34
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Posted By: Euclid
Date Posted: October 16 2023 at 22:44
| BBT 🙏 |
Posted By: b_olariu
Date Posted: October 17 2023 at 00:18
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Camel, Eloy, Renaissance, but all are great |
Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: October 17 2023 at 06:46
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I could pick at least 8 out of these, but I choose Big Big Train, Discipline and Magma. ------------- 
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: October 17 2023 at 18:50
| Banco, The Flower Kings and Gentle Giant. Not necessarily my favorites of the bunch but the ones I feel deserve more votes. |
Posted By: siLLy puPPy
Date Posted: October 17 2023 at 19:07
LOL. Discipline is #205 on PA with an overall rating of 4.14 by 2212 votes On Rate Your Music it's even higher ranking at #187 of ALL music ever recorded with an overall rating of 4.00 from 19,345 ratings. Now tell me how in the world anyone could consider this classic underatted? -------------  https://rateyourmusic.com/~siLLy_puPPy |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: October 17 2023 at 19:28
They are talking about the band Discipline, not the King Crimson album. https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/discipline" rel="nofollow - https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/discipline https://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=82" rel="nofollow - https://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=82 |
Posted By: siLLy puPPy
Date Posted: October 17 2023 at 19:43
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^ ah! Sorry my bad! Well in that case Discipline has two albums in the PA top 250 Unfolded Like a Staircase at #117 To Shatter All Accord at #152 On RYM Unfolded is all time top album at #4077 Shatter is all time top album at #8304 Not as popular as the big prog bands but still not bad ------------- https://rateyourmusic.com/~siLLy_puPPy |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: October 17 2023 at 21:34
that actually suns up why I prefer PA over RYM anytime. Not a fan of the album at all and think its way over praised. IMO
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Posted By: siLLy puPPy
Date Posted: October 17 2023 at 21:46
You prefer PA over RYM for the reason of Discipline having less ratings? Um... seems extreme! Discipline is as much a new wave album as a prog album. It's one of the rare crossover albums that is popular on both sides of the fence. I love the album but also find it loved more by others than myself. Still a solid 4 star album though. Belew's guitar work is unique and classic. ------------- https://rateyourmusic.com/~siLLy_puPPy |
Posted By: siLLy puPPy
Date Posted: October 17 2023 at 21:50
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As far as this poll goes (after i bothered to read what it was all about :D), i find that outside of Yes, Pink Floyd, King Crimson (first album), Mike Oldfield, Jethro Tull, Frank Zappa and maybe a few crossover acts like Rush, pop Genesis and Supertramp, non prog lovers know relatively few artists which is a crying shame. Many don't even know Yes or King Crimson. ------------- https://rateyourmusic.com/~siLLy_puPPy |