Top 10 Favorite Albums rated less than 3.00 on PA
Printed From: Progarchives.com
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=134768
Printed Date: May 17 2025 at 21:42
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Top 10 Favorite Albums rated less than 3.00 on PA
Posted By: Steve Wyzard
Subject: Top 10 Favorite Albums rated less than 3.00 on PA
Date Posted: April 10 2025 at 11:29
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1. Genesis: Abacab (2.62) 2. Genesis: s/t (Shapes) (2.79) 3. Alan Parsons Project: Stereotomy (2.77) 4. Moody Blues: Keys of the Kingdom (2.80) 5. Moody Blues: Strange Times (2.68) 6. Steve Hackett: Cured (2.43) 7. Steve Hackett: Till We Have Faces (2.42) 8. Mike Oldfield: Islands (2.63) 9. Mike Oldfield: Heaven's Open (2.50) 10. Anthony Phillips: Invisible Men (2.35)
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Replies:
Posted By: omphaloskepsis
Date Posted: April 10 2025 at 13:32
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1. YES- " Big Generator" (2.56 ) 2. Alan Parsons Project- "Vulture Culture" (2.41) 3. Emerson, Lake, Palmer- "Works Vol.1" (2.97) 4. Rush- "Rush" (2.96) 5. Led Zeppelin- "In Through The Our Door" (2.97) 6. Moody Blues- " The Other Side of Life" (2.31) 7. Black Sabbath- Technical Ecstasy" (2.85) 8. Jethro Tull- "Catfish Rising" (2.63) 9. The Beatles- "With the Beatles" (2.90) 10. Moody Blues- "Octave" (2.76) 11. Jethro Tull- "Rock Island" (2.69) 12. Rainbow- " Down to Earth" (2.83) 13. Hawkwind- "It is the Business of the Future to be Dangerous" (2.87) Great idea, Steve!
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: April 10 2025 at 21:43
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1. Tangerine Dream - Le Parc (2.86) 2. Tangerine Dream - Views From A Red Train (2.94) 3. Tangerine Dream - Finnegan's Wake (2.60) 4. Vangelis - Beauborg (2.62) 5. Vangelis - See You Later (2.58) 6. Vangelis - Invisible Connections (2.52) 7. IQ - Nomzamo (2.84) 8. IQ - Are You Sitting Comfortably (2.78) 9. Mike Oldfield - Discovery (2.83) X. ELO - Discovery (2.89)
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Posted By: Rexorcist
Date Posted: April 10 2025 at 21:53
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I don't really have a top ten, because there's only one in that vein that TRULY matters to me: Invisible Touch.  |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: April 11 2025 at 02:43
I like these ones, too.  I will make list once i get a chance to look up a few albums on PA. I thought Marillion's Holidays in Eden was under 3 stars, but it's got a rating of 3.10. Radiation and Less is More fit here, I like them both, despite being a bit uneven. < defer="" ="https://static.cloudflareinsights.com/beacon.min.js/vcd15cbe7772f49c399c6a5babf22c1241717689176015" integrity="sha512-ZpsOmlRQV6y907TI0dKBHq9Md29nnaEIPlkf84rnaERnq6zvWvPUqr2ft8M1aS28on72PdrCzSjY4U6VaAw1EQ==" -cf-beacon=""rayId":"92e933a98c9f1850","Timing":"name":"cfExtPri":true,"cfL4":true,"cfSpeedBrain":true,"cfCacheStatus":true,"version":"2025.3.0","token":"717409392a644498b4dbcbfbeafd4181"" crossorigin="anonymous"> |
omphaloskepsis wrote:Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: April 11 2025 at 03:05
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I started a similar thread a while ago. I don't know whether I can come up with a definitive '10' for me, but I have a few... many good albums often tend to have been marked down, simply because they weren't 'prog' enough or perhaps too commercial, where on more mainstream sites, they would score a higher rating? 1. Camel: See Your House (2.92) 2. Eloy: Performance (2.88) This rating is shocking. I think I'd argue for 'Ra' too... 3. ELP: Works I (2.96) Over the years, I've come to believe this is a solid 4 star album, let down a bit by Lake 4. GG: Missing Piece (2.98) 5. Hackett: Highly Strung (2.93) 6. Hawkwind: PXR5 (2.95) 7. Mahavishnu: Inner Worlds (2.64) 8. Oldfield: Guitars (2.95) Tbh, there are a few more sub-3 on this site I could raise up, but I'm an Oldfield fan, so.. 9. TD: Le Parc (2.87) 10. Vangelis: See You Later (2.58) Now, take me outside and shoot me... ------------- 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: April 11 2025 at 03:07
I think these two are quite good and enjoyable.
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Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: April 11 2025 at 08:37
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1. Alquin - Best Kept Secret (2.66) 2. David Gilmour - About Face (2.92) 3. Fish - Suits (2.90) 4. Genesis - s/t (2.79) 5. ELP - Works Vol. 1 (2.97) 6. Genesis - Invisible Touch (2.51) 7. Roger Waters & Ron Geesin - Music from The Body (2.80) 8. IQ - Nomzamo (2.84) 9. Roger Waters - Radio K.A.O.S. (2.96) X. Gentle Giant - Civilian (2.78) ------------- 
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Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: April 11 2025 at 08:39
I like these ones, too. Fish - Suits is one of my favorite albums.
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Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: April 11 2025 at 08:53
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RUSH Test for Echo (2.89) - The next two albums I like less, rated better here on PA. Oh well...
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Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: April 11 2025 at 09:32
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Mentioned by others: Led Zeppelin - In Through the Out Door (one of my favourite albums) Roger Waters & Ron Geesin - Music from The Body Tangerine Dream - Beauborg and Le Parc And I will mention: Comus - To Keep from Crying (2.87). I wrote a review defending this for those who think this is horrid in comparison to First Utterance and to those who call Comus horrid just based on First Utterance. Magma - Merci (2.77). I find the B side quite wonderful and get a fun kick from the A side. Still, I would not rate it more than three. Pram - The Moving Frontier (2.50). Okay, I only listened to it once in full, but I appreciated it. Some great for my tastes music on it. And it only has two ratings. David Bowie - David Bowie (2.37) I find this album very enjoyable, quite delightful baroque pop, and interesting. ------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Posted By: essexboyinwales
Date Posted: April 11 2025 at 13:26
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Undoubtedly the 2 IQ albums, which I absolutely adore…. ------------- Heaven is waiting but waiting is Hell |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: April 11 2025 at 23:26
ELoy adopted too much of an eighties production sound by that time although Metromania is slightly better (and not sub par 3) . Ra is truly a horrible album to my ears and wasn't even particularly a band album. Eloy seems generally to be rated fairly when I looked at all the album ratings, no quibbles from me.
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Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: April 12 2025 at 00:52
agreed completely!  ------------- 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: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: April 12 2025 at 07:16
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Alan White Ramshackled Annette Peacock Sky-Skating Gentle Giant The Missing Piece Starcastle Citadel Supertramp Indelibly Stamped Herbie Hancock Sunlight Steve Hackett Cured Brian Eno More Music for Films Stereolab Chemical Chords Tony Levin Waters of Eden (Albums I love whose rating is barely above 3.0): Annette Peacock X-Dreams Adrian Belew Twang Bar King Emerson, Lake & Powell Starcastle Starcastle Styx Styx II Al Di Meola Splendido Hotel Anthony Phillips Sides Stanley Clarke East River Drive Tal Wilkenfeld Love Remains Frank Zapp Lumpy Gravy Anthony Phillips Private Parts & Pieces VII - Slow Waves, Soft Stars ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: April 12 2025 at 07:51
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Hi, Emerson, Lake, Palmer- "Works Vol.1" (2.97) Hawkwind- "It is the Business of the Future to be Dangerous" (2.87) Vangelis - Beauborg (2.62) Vangelis - See You Later (2.58) Alquin - Best Kept Secret (2.66) Roger Waters - Radio K.A.O.S. (2.96) Anthony Phillips Private Parts & Pieces VII - Slow Waves, Soft Stars A few comments, and some of the reasons why I do not rank/rate albums. The differences in feelings and thoughts is scary sometimes! ELP did something that many folks thought could not be done, though I think they miught have done it because PF did it first, and many folks did not like it at all. Sad, because you get to know the artist a bit better on both situations, and that is always nice ... I can't see how a bunch of songs would make these albums better. Hawkwind's IITBOTFTBD is an ambient album, following Electric Tepee which is also an ambient album, but a really hard rocking one, in the style of Space Ritual. This next album continues the ambient touch and it is much softer, and very nice. Only thing that makes this album kinda lose its quality is the addition of a Rolling Stone song, though it was something that Hawkwind had done for fans many times before ... but for me, it makes the quality and feeling of the album going downhill, and kinda meaningless! I guess it's all just a bunch of songs!!! Really poor decision in terms of defining what makes an album and what should be on it! Vangelis ... there are some thoughts that Beauborg was something having to do with the record company ... not sure at all ... but while it feels odd and totally off the record, "no music", it is not a surprise, and kinda feels like an album to fill the spots somewhere ... but while it is not about "music" in that album, it is a far out album, if you learn to spin it faster or slower ... and get some really far out different sounds ... !!!!! See You Later, is a very nice album, but I think that folks wanted some more soundtrack like stuff, not a few songs, which would, more than likely, be a record company request to help with more sales! Alquin's Best Kept Secret is an outstanding album, and adds to the previous couple of albums really well, and fit beautifully in the shows at the time, by Guy Guden ... that album got played and then some and eventually appreciated by some of the cats slumming in that station! RW's Radio Kaos, is an album that doesn't really make sense, and seems screwed up, until you hear the story of what happened in LA and specially KMET, of which Jim Ladd had been a part of ... and the album, was probably making sure that we got to know what was going on ... sadly, we don't give a sh*t as sometimes we only want songs, that do not have a meaning that makes us feel guilty because we don't care! I have a funny idea that Jim Ladd was paid to never say anything about it ... because he stayed quiet about it all as far as I know! A really bad moment in the history of FM radio in America, and how corporate didn't give a damn about the music! And eventually led to the Great American FM Radio Rape a couple of years later! AP ... one of the finest and that album was the soundtrack for a poem that I did for the Ygdrasil Journal of Poetic Arts, when I created an audio issue in 1999 and then redid it a few years ago. My tip of the hat and a large gracious thank you to AP for allowing me to use this piece of music ... I cried when I received the email letting me use it ... and I think he had seen, or possibly checked out the Ygdrasil Journal of Poetic Arts, a very progressive poetry group of folks, that did not care for limits and wrote some of the neatest things ever. (It has retired after 30 years, and being archived in the National Library of Canada!!!) ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: progaardvark
Date Posted: April 12 2025 at 16:20
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For some reason, all of these click with me. Reasons vary, sometimes for sentimental reasons. I was surprised how long this took and how many I actually found; even surprised that a couple of them are rated so low. ELO - Secret Messages (2.68) Genesis - Abacab (2.62) Genesis - Genesis (2.79) Tony Banks - The Fugitive (2.44) David Bowie - David Bowie (2.37) Patrick Moraz - Human Interface (2.51) Zarathustra - Also Spielt... (2.50) Rush - Rush (2.96) The Hosemobile - What Can & Can't Go On (2.17) Egdon Heath - Him, The Snake, and I (2.93) High Wheel - 1910 (2.56) Steve Hackett - Till We Have Faces (2.42) Mangrove - Touch Wood (2.79) Mastermind - Volume One (2.70) Eyestrings - Burdened Hands (2.64) Runaway Totem - Pleroma (2.85) Qwaarn - The World of Qwaarn (2.45) The Alan Parsons Project - Stereotomy (2.77) Marillion - Radiation (2.79) Led Zeppelin - In Through the Out Door (2.97) Roger Hodgson - Hai Hai (1.89) Eloy - Performance (2.88) And these are right on the 3.00 mark: David Bowie - Earthling (3.00) Kurt Rongey - That Was Propaganda (3.00) Gentle Giant - The Missing Piece (3.00) ------------- ---------- 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: Lewian
Date Posted: April 16 2025 at 17:58
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Very nice topic, but a hard one. Apparently I don't tend to be a fan of music nobody else likes here. At the end I found only three albums that are rated below 3 and I'd given them 4. The others would get a 3 without rounding up, so I rate them higher than the PA average, and I actually like them, but I admit there are so much better albums than these. Formally I could add a number of Asmus Tietchens albums that have a single rating of 2, but if there's only one rating, it doesn't mean much. OK, here we go. I rate at least 4: Renaissance - Camera Camera (2.53) Robert Fripp - The League of Gentlemen (2.79) Van der Graaf Generator - ALT (2.55) The remainder of the top 10: Eloy - Performance (2.88) Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Budapest (2.94) Amon Düül II - Vortex (2.87) Pierre Moerlen's Gong - Second Wind (2.60) Amon Düül II - Almost Alive (2.79) 10cc - 10 out of 10 (2.91) [That's a 4 as a pop album, but not with the PA descriptors] Annette Peacock - an acrobat's heart (2.00) [Re-listened to this after a long time and maybe it can reach 4.] Some more: Björk - The Music From Drawing Restraint 9 (2.19) Camel - I Can See Your House From Here (2.94) Battles - EP C/B (2.64) Jethro Tull - Under Wraps (2.23) Stern Meissen - Stundenschlag (2.25) Novalis - Sterntaucher (2.36) |
Posted By: David100net
Date Posted: April 20 2025 at 06:37
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I don't really like things that most of PA community dislikes. Most of what I do like (or at least out of those that are below 3.00). I don't really treat as Prog. Those I do treat as somewhat Prog - I just have my expectations set on each album individually more than most people I think? Like ALT - I went in knowing it's a bunch of random jam experimental stuff. So I judged it as such. I assume that a big variant here is how old people are? Meaning - were they there when those albums got released in real time? I can see how it's easier to get more disappointed in real time than in hindsight. IQ - Nomzamo (2.84) Van der Graaf Generator - ALT (2.55) Genesis - Abacab (2.62) Genesis - Genesis (2.79) Genesis - Invisible touch (2.51) Styx - Kilroy Was Here (2.27) |
Posted By: Steve Wyzard
Date Posted: May 14 2025 at 10:59
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This has been up for about a month now and I wanted to say thanks to everyone who took the time to look up the ratings of some of their favorite albums. Part of the reason I suggested this is because I'm convinced that many albums have their ratings bogged down with votes from people who have long vanished from this site. I'm aware the thinking behind this is to get a cumulative total, but I think the opinions of those who have been gone for say 15 years should no longer weigh so heavily for/against an album's current ranking. But that's just me. Here's 5 more I was reminded of since I made the original post: 1. ELP: Black Moon (2.77) 2. Tony Banks: The Fugitive (2.44) 3. Patrick Moraz: Human Interface (2.51) 4. Led Zeppelin: In Through the Out Door (2.97) 5. Roger Hodgson: Hai Hai (1.89). |
Posted By: Easy Money
Date Posted: May 14 2025 at 21:10
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ELP Works Vol II 2.45 King Crimson Earthbound 2.52 Miles Davis Tutu 2.62 Herbie Hancock Future Shock 2.68 Herbie Hancock Sound System 2.88 Roxy Music Manifesto 2.84 Roxy Music Flesh + Blood 2.94 Robert Fripp and Andy Summers Bewitched 2.87 Robert Fripp The League of Gentlemen 2.79 The Beatles Help (US Version) 2.48 Indian versions of Beatles songs and more David Bowie Young Americans 2.85 |
Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: May 14 2025 at 21:29
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LZ - Coda (2.50) A great collection and way more fun than the skullnumbing boredom that is ITtOD. Rush - S/T (2.96) Styx - Cornerstone (2.75) BOC - Mirrors (2.62) Sabbath - Born Again (2.86) Comus - To Keep From Crying (2.87) Tull - Under Wraps (2.23) ------------- If you love cats, please adopt an older cat. They've been in a cage far too long, and they long for a home. |
Posted By: Easy Money
Date Posted: May 14 2025 at 22:00
| ^ That Sabbath album has one of the coolest hard rock songs ever, "Trashed". Ian Gillan is in fine form on that one, Tony Iommi too. |
Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: May 14 2025 at 22:18
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^ Yep...the title track is a great Gillan vocal too. I still enjoy that album often. Technical Ex and Never Say Die sound better to me than their reputations too, but it's been a while since I've heard them. ------------- If you love cats, please adopt an older cat. They've been in a cage far too long, and they long for a home. |
Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: May 15 2025 at 01:37
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To qualify it needed at least twenty ratings: Roxy Music - Flesh + Blood (2:94), 1980 Kraftwerk - Electric Café (2:54), 1986 David Bowie - David Bowie (2:38), - his 1967 debut King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Made in Timeland (2:81), 2022 Herbie Hancock - Sunlight (2:63), 1978 Whatever Happened to Vileness Fats? (2:91), 1984, but an archival release Vangelis - Sex Power (2:84), 1970 Led Zeppelin - "In Through The Our Door (2:97), 1979 Rush - Rush (2:96), 1974 Can - Out of Reach (2:46), 1978 I also like: Wapassou - Wapassou (2:92), 1974 Camel - I Can See Your House From Here (2:94), 1979 Talk Talk - The Party's Over (2:88), 1982 Electric Light Orchestra - Discovery (2:89), 1979 The Incredible String Band - Changing Horses (2:83), 1969 (if only for the Creation-epic) |
Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: May 15 2025 at 01:50
And while I have your attention: Genesis - From Genesis to Revelation (2:55), 1969 - so many youthfully enchanting songs on this. I prefer it to everything they released post W&W (which doesn't mean I hate those) |
Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: May 15 2025 at 06:41
Some great songs on that album. Spectres too. ------------- If you love cats, please adopt an older cat. They've been in a cage far too long, and they long for a home. |
Posted By: MortSahlFan
Date Posted: May 15 2025 at 09:37
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Chicago VIII Chicago XI Chicago VI David Bowie - Young Americans Led Zeppelin - In Through The Our Door ------------- https://www.youtube.com/c/LoyalOpposition https://www.scribd.com/document/382737647/MortSahlFan-Song-List |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: May 15 2025 at 11:27
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wow, 95% of what I know that's been cited in this thread fully deserve their <3 average . Let's not be fanboys and try to rehabilitate mediocre albums. Of course, it's all colours & tastes, and FWIW, here are my three choices that would derserve (according to moi, of course) to be slightly >3 (though for the VdGG, I fully understand why it's down there). Comus - To Keep From Crying (2.87) Roger Waters & Ron Geesin - Music from The Body (2.80) Van der Graaf Generator - ALT (2.55) King Crimson Earthbound - (2.52) ------------- 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: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: May 15 2025 at 12:33
I think you're wrong. This is a thread of nothing but honest replies. I'm not a fanboy, and do not own any complete discography by anyone - or any band. Oftentimes people rate an album low because you do not get what you want from a band or an artist. It's not judged on its own merits, but from expectations. That's unfair imo. And in retrospect, or just decades later, it's easier to be fair. I wasn't there to experience I Can See Your House From Here or Electric Café being newly released and such huge disappointments. So I listen to what's actually offered instead of complaining about what isn't. Obviously none of them represent a career highlight for either band, but I think they are both good fun, and solid enough. |
Posted By: Jaketejas
Date Posted: May 15 2025 at 13:06
| The low rating of ABACAB does surprise me. My buddy and I regularly listen to it for inspiration. Dodo / Lurker is an incredible piece of music amidst an album that is an educational experience. It is north of 4 stars on Allmusic. Don’t be coming for my PA card! I’m just giving my opinion, even though I feel like a salmon swimming upstream on this one. |
Posted By: David_D
Date Posted: May 15 2025 at 17:50
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I'm afraid, I can hardly find one of those. ------------- quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: May 16 2025 at 02:20
if they had kept the epic track and removed Who Dunnit then i think it would gain a rating of 3 or more in my book. It is the last Genesis album I care about because they were at least trying for something. After that it became Phil Collins + 2 dudes (and then when he left it became nothing) |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: May 16 2025 at 02:33
I think the other 2 dudes had a lot to say in Genesis, especially Tony. I think Phil was the flexible one and not the other 2 dudes. So I don't think it was Phil to blame or the band going pop. Also most 70s prog bands went pop or pop rock in the 80s, with some interesting results and some poor ones as well. |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: May 16 2025 at 02:45
Who said fanboys weren't honest in their skewed replies   ??I get what you're saying, though ; and TBH, I was thinking of retrieving the fanboy part of my post, but you quoted it, so be it. Of course reviews are fairer with a certain retrospective and perspective, and for the classic/70's albums, 95% of PA reviews are written decades later (since the site exists only since '04). I've written my reviews (well the ones I'm not embarrassed by nowadays  ) and rated them with an historical importance in mind, maybe even a tad more than my own sentiments about them.But I do stand by my post about 95% of the albums cited in this thread deserving a below 3 average . ------------- 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: richardh
Date Posted: May 17 2025 at 00:33
It felt like he was carrying the band though as well as being one of the most succesful solo artists of the decade. The hole left post WCD (which to be fair isn't as bad as its often made out to be, just neded to be a shorter album) was astounding to me. Ray Wilson is a talented song writer but it wasn't enough. |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: May 17 2025 at 00:46
In the end, Ray was a hired gun, he wrote very little for the album, it was Tony and Mike's song-writing. Also the talented Nick D'Virgilio was reduced to a session drummer. Oh well... |
Posted By: progaardvark
Date Posted: May 17 2025 at 06:35
I don't think Tony or Mike knew what they had with Nick. It was a missed opportunity. ------------- ---------- 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 |