ELP missing from PA Top 100 Choices

MovingPictures07 wrote: Once you stop caring about what other people's opinions, the better. The top 100 will never satisfy everyone.

Now that you've mentioned no ELP being in the 100, I do find that a bit odd.  Here I am a fan from way back and a collaborator and I just noticed I've only reviewed the box set.  To be honest, I don't listen to many of the classic '70's prog that much anymore primarily do to wearing them out already.   I'm more interested in what's new going on out there and ELP ain't it.  Still I do have to go back and review a classic every now and then. 

I think it comes down to the fact that they are a very divisive band that many people dont like, I myself consider them the most overhyped classic prog band as they have zero ability to write cohesive songs and let their egos run away with them, but then I've heard others say the same about Dream Theater, who I think are fantastic, so it all comes down to opinion.

Your right about the top 100 being not particularly representative. Even though I'm on the Prog Metal Team I think there's too much Tech/Extreme in that list but thats because those albums only seem to be reviewed by fans of that style, with the exception of Opeth. At least you know those albums are conisderd the best of the bunch from people that like that style and so they do make a good place to start.   

threefates wrote: MovingPictures07 wrote: Once you stop caring about what other people's opinions, the better. The top 100 will never satisfy everyone.   ^Maybe not, but it should at least accurately represent prog music.  Which it doesn't with the lack of ELP.  Basically this website dedicated to prog music has watered itself down so much, that it no longer caters to true prog, but some hybrid that borders on mediocrity.

I think sleeper is right - the problem is, based on the ratings, that you can't get a consensus of a "masterpiece" status for any the ELP albums.  Look at the usual suspects at the top - Close to the Edge, Selling England, Thick as a Brick, etc. - and you'll see that despite an incredible number of ratings, the average is above 4.5 - so think of those as can be "rounded" to masterpiece status.  ELP just doesn't seem to garner that sort of consensus - their albums "round" to excellent.  To be honest I think ELP were certainly important enough to the prog scene that their complete omission from the top 100 albums is glaring and seems odd - but this is certainly not by an arbitrary decision by progarchives.com; rather, just seems to be the opinion of all who have rendered a verdict on their work.  Had the debut or BSS or whatever received a lot more 5 stars than 4, you bet they would be right up at the top.  

StyLaZyn wrote: sleeper wrote: StyLaZyn wrote: CCVP wrote: yeah, ELP is incredibly underrated here in ProgArchives. Just a shame, they are one of my favorite bands ever. As much as I hate to say it, this shows a flaw in the system. ELP and Classic Prog are synonomous. Oh well, what can you do? No, it just shows the thoughts of people that have reviewed it here. A band shouldnt have albums automatically placed highly just because several people call it sacralige otherwise, the rest of us dont agree. It's all about favorites. Just like The Grammy's and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Brain Salad Surgery is a must have but since a majority don't like it it fails? The idea that Santana, which is a great band, is referred to more importantly than ELP in the realm of Prog is mind boggling.

Of course its all about favourites since the ratings are determined by people that have come here to rate/review whatever they want.

I strongly disagree with BSS being a must have manly because I had it, listened to it about a dozen times over several months and got rid of it because I really dont like it, and if the majority dont like it then it really cant be a must have, cant it? (I dont think thats true, its probably more like half and half.)

I agree with you on the Santana bit, ELP do deserve at least one album in the top 100, but those that are saying "shame on you" for not rating their albums highly enough to get into the top 10 need to grow up.

SgtPepper67 wrote: I completely agree but I think this have been discussed many times. At least 4 of ELP albums definitely deserve to be in the top 10, it's a shame they're not appreciated while there's a lot of bands that I think are overrated here.

Edited by crimson87 - May 01 2009 at 10:47

ELP do belong to be there. Debut, Trilogy, Brain Salad from my standpoint.. Yes, it's a shame they have not done any really great work post their early period, but in their day they were amazing.  I don't listen to them a lot these days, but  once in a while I still enjoy their work. Keith Emerson was THE best keyboard player in his day, and has always been able to write circles around Wakeman. Currently Jordan Rudess seems to emulate Emerson more than anyone else- he has the chops and certainly more speed than Keith ever had, but not the originality.   Hey, maybe in another 20-30 years when they're gone opinion's will change.

crimson87 wrote: SgtPepper67 wrote: I completely agree but I think this have been discussed many times. At least 4 of ELP albums definitely deserve to be in the top 10, it's a shame they're not appreciated while there's a lot of bands that I think are overrated here.   We need more prog reviewers like SgtPepper67!!!   Honestly , while I agree that Brain Salad surgery is a top 1 album I think that the top 10 should be diverse enough and including 4 ELP albums would be quite the opposite. But then some people may find weird having 4 ELP albums in the top , but what about Genesis and Pink Floyd??? Those bands put together had 6 of the top 10 albums some months ago.   To the one that created this thread , I suggest sending your ELP reviews to the site as I did.   Anyway , don't feel bad if your 5 stars rating gets crushed by a 1 star review from a Collabaorator/ ProgReviewer saying: " Oh , this band is so bombastic and over the top , synths are so cheesy , loads of filler... Id rather put Moonmadness blah blah blah."

Sorry, I meant top 100 actually, and I forgot about Pictures at an exhibition, so it makes 5 albums that deserve to be in the top 100. But anyway, I think any of those albums wouldn't be out of place in the top 10.
I think there's a lot of people in the forum who aren't really that much into the classic prog bands and more into metal/tech/math/whatever it is called wich I don't like at all, and it's ok, but that would explain my disagreement with many opinions and reviews on the site. I'm mainly a big fan of the classic symphonic, hard rock or psychedelic prog bands like Floyd, Jethro Tull, Rush, Genesis, etc, and although all those bands except ELP have some albums in the top 100 I feel there's s lot of people who doesn't have much respect for them apart from a few of their albums, probably because most of them moved on a bit from prog or evolved to make some different music.


Edited by SgtPepper67 - May 01 2009 at 12:06

It's funny how it's always the new guy who has been here barely one day who decides to tell us what's wrong and what's right and blasts PA's current status-quo...

Edited by The T - May 01 2009 at 12:53