a modern classic prog album

Re classic albums of PROG, a real question for all of extremely Anglo-centric and, say, "nostalgic" personalities here, as i could see them in so many discussions like this @PA forum, would be :

Edited by Komandant Shamal - May 01 2015 at 11:01

Komandant Shamal wrote: Re classic albums of PROG, a real question for all of extremely Anglo-centric and, say, "nostalgic" personalities here, as i could see them in so many discussions like this @PA forum, would be : *are only English Symphonic Prog [and related] albums from 70s deserved to be called the classic albums?*

Edited by Dean - May 01 2015 at 11:38

Also anything that breaks new ground and is a modern classic will be too polarizing for everyone to lavish it in their praise.

Anglo-Centric my ass...

Edited by Guldbamsen - May 01 2015 at 15:55

Damn ninjas.

Guldbamsen wrote: The polls and charts have a tendency to be in favour of the British bands yes, but that's because of exposure and the fact that English tends to be a lot easier to get down than Flemish - not because of some evil crusade against music from other countries.

Absolutely, yes. Prog is supposed to break grounds in music, and introduce new ideas, no matter the style, and break new ground through complex ideas/songwriting etc.

Call me crazy, but I believe we have already encountered a few new masterpieces. One album that I consider a Modern Masterpiece is Devin Townsend's Ocean Machine Biomech, which was released in 1997. Maybe a little bit early, but I truly believe that Devin's vision on that album is a vision that should live on through the ages much like many of Pink Floyd's Albums.

While I love Steven Wilson, and agree that he is masterful at crafting his sound, and style. I do personally find that alot of his work lacks a consistent direction, or vision, and is very derivative, and a little bit repetitive at times.

Neal Morse, is vaguely similar where I feel he is a master at crafting great melodies, and hooks. And I personally think that Spock's Beard's "V" is a fine work of modern progressive rock, it is also a work that is very conservative in a sense that is sounds derivative from that classics, (transatlantic, and I may even put Big Big Train in that catogory as well although they are exceptionally talented musicians, that has made some truly remarkable albums over the years such as The Underfall Yard, or English Electric.)   

I notice alot of modern musicians flirting with modern sound and prog in recent years, but in my opinion, what makes a true masterpiece really comes down to the vision of the artist. That's what makes albums like classic Genesis, Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and even Nine Inch Nail's "The Downward Spiral" So Memorable.


also, I think Cultural impact has alot to do with it. Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon, had a Major Cultural Impact, and that I believe is part of what makes it such a big album, same goes with ELP, YES, Genesis, and even King Crimson to an extent. They were all doing things that changed british, and american culture, (more so british), they had a big impact on the world with their incredible new ideas, through sound and stage. Even Radiohead, to an extent also had a similar impact on America, their music made alot of people think.



Edited by ianj1234 - May 01 2015 at 18:49

The Bearded Bard wrote: Svetonio wrote: Smurph wrote: Deloused in the Comatorium Yea, De-Loused in the Comatorium, released in June 2003, already is a classic album par excellence with such strong influence on numberous contamporary prog bands.   By the way, aside of great music what the classic album ought to contain, and to be well sold, and to get many serious reviews, and yet to be influential on newcomers, and so on, I think that an album artwork also must be great in the case of an album which we called classic. That's very important thing, that an artwork is somehow following the music ideas that are presented on an album. And The Mars Volta's De-Loused in the Comatorium album artwork is just another nice example of that (nothing less than in the OP mentioned CttE with Roger Dean's masterpiece artwork painted with an ancient air-brush, though very modern technique at that time).     Well, you have to open up your copy of CttE to behold true masterpieces of art, IMO. The "art" on that front cover is nothing more than atrocious as far as I'm concerned.

I mentioned that CttE artwork album jacket as a whole, and as an Applied Art masterpiece as well, where the artwork at front page that is great as a part of the whole Applied Art great work, i.e. CttE album jackett. For example, that's like some cover of the book of gorgeous illustrations where the illustrations are inside of the book, and where the cover is only slightly hint of what's inside. Furthermore, the front cover of CttE is a great example of album covers that design was made (almost) only by letters, and using that legendary Yes logo for the first time.

Edited by Svetonio - May 01 2015 at 20:10

Otherworldly in a beautiful way, both artwork and music: Yes and Roger Dean's music. 

Friday13th wrote: Radiohead's OK Computer is often mentioned as a prog album. I wouldn't call them a prog band, but I might see the argument for that album and maybe Kid A being prog. It's not prog like we're used to, but obviously Radiohead is one of the most popular and revered bands since the 90s and those albums top the charts of best albums everywhere. They sound like Can and Pink Floyd so why not. Again, we can't be expecting the exact same kind of sound that will be labeled as prog, it has to be something relatively new.