1971
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=112673
Printed Date: July 23 2025 at 08:18 Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: 1971
Posted By: Mortte
Subject: 1971
Date Posted: January 15 2018 at 23:33
From that Genesis/Nursery -discussion I began to think other great prog albums from the year 1971 and noticed it has been quite great year, maybe the most important year in prog music! Of course there came many great albums after that, but when I started to put great albums of 1971 in a list, it becomes quite a list! Also I think prog developed a lot in that year, it has mostly been organ and bluesrock based before. In that year there became many other keyboards, also musically prog take a big step towards more classic music influenced, new stuff. I put the list of the albums in the next, you can make additions. All of these are not my favourites, but commonly very respected.
|
Replies:
Posted By: Mortte
Date Posted: January 15 2018 at 23:36
Genesis: Nursery Cryme Yes: the Yes Album Yes: Fragile Pink Floyd: Meddle King Crimson: Islands Wigwam: Fairyport Family: Fearless Gentle Giant: Acquiring the Taste Hawkwind: In Search Of Space Can: Tago-Mago Jethro Tull: Aqualung Comus: First Utterance Van Der Graaf Generator: Pawn Hearts E.L.P: Tarkus Amon Düül II: Tanz Der Lemminge
|
Posted By: Mortte
Date Posted: January 15 2018 at 23:40
Magma: 2 Faust: s/t Tasavallan Presidentti: II Caravan: In the Land Of Grey and Pink Soft Machine: Fourth Kevin Ayers: Whatevershebringswesing Roy Harper: Stormcock Gong: Cambert Electrique Focus: Moving Waves Barcley James Harvest: Once Again Culpeperīs Orchaid: s/t Strawbs: From the Witchwood Renaissance: Illusion Traffic: the Low Sparks Of High Heeled Boys Traffic: Welcome to the Canteen
|
Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: January 16 2018 at 02:15
'71 was good, but things really started getting magical from '72 for me.
Hell, Close to The Edge, Foxtrot, Octopus, Per Un Amico.
-------------
"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021
|
Posted By: Mortte
Date Posted: January 16 2018 at 03:35
69-75 were of course the greatest years in prog, but some progbands started to go worse direction after 71. Family didnīt make any great albums after 71. I think the greatest peak in Yes creativity was -71, although Close to the Edge is great, itīs first side already has that "dinosaur-symptom" which burst into fully in the next album. I havenīt listened Trilogy yet, but I have understood at least after that ELP direction really get worse. Amon Düül made ok albums after Lemminge, but not any as great.
Also, I think Yes, Wigwam, Caravan, Roy Harper, Can & Barclay James Harvest made their best albums in 1971.
|
Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: January 16 2018 at 09:17
The post-Bitches Brew era blew wide open in 1971, too, with McLaughlin' Mahavishnu Orchestra, Corea's Return to Forever, Zawinal's Weather Report and Herbie & Dr. Henderson's Mwandishi series. So, I agree: 1971 was perhaps THE MOST EXCITING year in prog history. Then there's Nucleus, Wigwam, Spirogyra, Tangerine Dream, Focus, Egg, Supersister, and Brainticket. Many of MY favorite classic prog albums!
------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/
|
Posted By: Larkstongue41
Date Posted: January 16 2018 at 09:26
Adding some of my favourites from 1971:
Popol Vuh - In Den Garten Pharaos Modry Efekt - Nova Synteza Embryo - Rache Samla Mammas Manna - s/t Collegium Musicum - Konvergencie Aphrodite's Child - 666 Terry Riley - A Rainbow in Curved Air Franco Battiato - Fetus East of Eden - s/t
------------- "Larks' tongues. Wrens' livers. Chaffinch brains. Jaguars' earlobes. Wolf nipple chips. Get 'em while they're hot. They're lovely. Dromedary pretzels, only half a denar."
|
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: January 16 2018 at 10:04
McDonald and Giles Egg Beggars Opera-Waters.. MO-Inner Mounting.... Nektar- Journey.. T2 Gracious Samurai..... Spirogyra Spring Fields Supersister...
the list is endless......
------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin
|
Posted By: Mortte
Date Posted: January 16 2018 at 11:11
Well, Aphroditeīs Childīs 666 was released in 1972. I would have put it into my list, if it was 1971 album.
|
Posted By: Larkstongue41
Date Posted: January 16 2018 at 11:16
^ Thank you for the correction. My memory fails me regularly these days.
------------- "Larks' tongues. Wrens' livers. Chaffinch brains. Jaguars' earlobes. Wolf nipple chips. Get 'em while they're hot. They're lovely. Dromedary pretzels, only half a denar."
|
Posted By: Magnum Vaeltaja
Date Posted: January 16 2018 at 21:53
Lots of great music already posted here, though I'd have to disagree that '71 was when prog peaked - that would be 1973 in my humble opinion.
Four fine albums from 1971 that I haven't seen listed yet are:
ELP - Pictures At An Exhibition Uriah Heep - Salisbury Uriah Heep - Look at Yourself Wishbone Ash - Pilgrimage
------------- when i was a kid a doller was worth ten dollers - now a doller couldnt even buy you fifty cents
|
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: January 16 2018 at 22:47
'71 is an interesting year...OTOH it always seems to be just before the floodgates of prog broke wide open, on the other, it has some of my fave prog albums of all time:
VDGG - Pawn Hearts (my all time fave prog album) Gentle Giant - Acquiring the Taste (my fave GG album) ELP - Pictures at an Exhibition (my fave ELP album) Genesis - Nursery Cryme (my fave Genesis album) Caravan - In the Land of Grey and Pink (my fave Caravan album) Crimson - Islands Spring - s/t Floyd - Meddle Tull - Aqualung Gong - Camembert Electrique
Not to mention some of my fave rock albums as well:
Zappa - Live at the Fillmore East June 1971 Sabbath - Paranoid Stones - Sticky Fingers Badfinger - Straight Up
As Frank Sinatra might have sang, "it was a very good year" 
------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987
|
Posted By: Mortte
Date Posted: January 16 2018 at 22:47
Magnum Vaeltaja wrote:
ELP - Pictures At An Exhibition Uriah Heep - Salisbury Uriah Heep - Look at Yourself | These are really great albums, like also McDonald & Giles that I forgot. Didnīt remembered Pictures came in 1971. Didnīt put those great Uriah Heep albums, because I didnīt go to the heavy side, although specially Salisbury is really prog album. Anyway Purple put out Fireball and Zeppelin their untitled fourth album, which are my favourite to those bands (Fireball the most prog Purple album). Also here are some great non-prog albums from that year:David Bowie: Hunky Dory the Band: Cahoots (really underrated, great album) Faces: Long Player Ten Years After: a Space in Time the Who: Whoīs Next Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers Osibisa: Osibisa Osibisa: Woyaya Santana: Untitled third Funkadelic: Maggot Brain T-rex: Electric Warrior Marvin Gaye: What`s goin on Jimi Hendrix: a Cry Of Love Jimi Hendrix: Rainbow Bridge (these two are posthumous, but anyway really great and supposed to be next Jimi album)
I think there are lot more. Of course many bands do really great albums after that year, but I think itīs also amazing ELP, Traffic, Yes and Uriah Heep put out two excellent albums that year! Now I donīt remember lots of that kind happened after that year.
|
Posted By: Mortte
Date Posted: January 16 2018 at 22:50
How could I forgot Sabbath! BTW Paranoid came already 1970, but Master Of Reality came 1971, which is my favourite if I has to choose from thosew great first six albums.
|
Posted By: Mortte
Date Posted: January 17 2018 at 00:54
Some more non-prog great albums from the 1971: Sandy Denny: the North Star Grassman and the Ravens Alice Cooper: Love It to Death Alice Cooper: Killer Fairport Convention: Angel Delight Fairport Convention: Babbacompe Lee Dr. John, the Night Tripper: Sun, Moon & Herbs the Allman Brothers Band: At Fillmore East Canned Heat with John Lee Hooker: Hooker n Heat Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band: Mirror Man the Doors: L.A. Woman
|
Posted By: Raccoon
Date Posted: January 17 2018 at 05:15
Larkstongue41 wrote:
Adding some of my favourites from 1971:
Popol Vuh - In Den Garten Pharaos Modry Efekt - Nova Synteza Embryo - Rache Samla Mammas Manna - s/t Collegium Musicum - Konvergencie Aphrodite's Child - 666 Terry Riley - A Rainbow in Curved Air Franco Battiato - Fetus East of Eden - s/t |
Fantastic list, Nova Synteza doesn't get as much love as it deserves. I was looking through people's lists looking specifically for Konvergencie and you were the one to have it... Um, congratulations! An eclectic list.
For me, it'd go like Garra-Marcos Valle Konvergencie Le Orme-Collage In The Garden-Gypsy Dolce Acqua-Delrium
I get mixed up on the albums that came out from the 70's, so I'm sure I'm missing many, but this (including some of the obvious ((Pawn Hearts and Acquiring the Taste)) ) but this is good enough.
If you don't know some of these albums, then you're gonna have a bad time. https://m5x2.deviantart.com/art/Undertale-Sans-2-Emoticon-603341456" rel="nofollow">
|
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: January 17 2018 at 16:32
The last year that Progressive Rock existed before it became Prog (according to Ian Anderson)
Oddly I can't think of a single album from that year that I absolutely love. 1972 and 1973 were a lot easier to understand as the bands were thinking 'lets create a masterpiece'. In 1971 I'm sure the bands were still getting their heads round how prog rock was becoming so popular. Thick As A Brick was partly meant to be a spoof of prog rock and Anderson thought he was being aloof from it all but unwittingly he created one of the staples of the genre. After 1971 prog became a serious business (and I mean that in the literal sense of the word) as the audience got so big.
|
Posted By: HackettFan
Date Posted: January 17 2018 at 18:21
I agree 1971 is a very excellent year. Maybe not the climax year, but definitely a year in which Prog gathers a head of steam. My list is probably a little more guitar heavy than the OP's. Without worrying about repeating anyone else, my faves from then are:
Jade Warrior - s/t Jade Warrior - Released (my fave) Genesis - Nursery Cryme (close to my fave) Jethro Tull - Aqualung (my fave) Eloy - s/t Pink Floyd - Meddle Nektar - Journey to the Center of the Eye (my fave) Amon Düül II -Tanz der Lemminge Shawn Phillips - Collaboration Jan Dukes de Gray - Mice and Rats in the Loft
edit:...and how did I forget Focus - Moving Waves ??
------------- A curse upon the heads of those who seek their fortunes in a lie. The truth is always waiting when there's nothing left to try. - Colin Henson, Jade Warrior (Now)
|
Posted By: Mortte
Date Posted: January 17 2018 at 22:32
richardh wrote:
The last year that Progressive Rock existed before it became Prog (according to Ian Anderson)
Oddly I can't think of a single album from that year that I absolutely love. 1972 and 1973 were a lot easier to understand as the bands were thinking 'lets create a masterpiece'. In 1971 I'm sure the bands were still getting their heads round how prog rock was becoming so popular. Thick As A Brick was partly meant to be a spoof of prog rock and Anderson thought he was being aloof from it all but unwittingly he created one of the staples of the genre. After 1971 prog became a serious business (and I mean that in the literal sense of the word) as the audience got so big. | Maybe thatīs the one reason, why I love so much quite many of those 1971 albums. I mean because everything was in that year so new and exciting and it really sounds in those albums. Thick as a Brick is my favourite Jethro too, but Aqualung is not very much worse from it. And I think in "Close to the Edge" Yes really were thinking "we are making a masterpiece" and you can hear it, not just positive way. Of course I think Genesis made even better album in Foxtrot. Also I think when Floyd made Dark Side, they loose something thatīs in Atom Heart Mother and Meddle. Dark side is just so perfect that it isnīt as exciting as Atom Heart and Echoes from Meddle anymore. So I think from their rest seventies albums.
|
Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: January 18 2018 at 02:01
Mortte wrote:
richardh wrote:
The last year that Progressive Rock existed before it became Prog (according to Ian Anderson)
Oddly I can't think of a single album from that year that I absolutely love. 1972 and 1973 were a lot easier to understand as the bands were thinking 'lets create a masterpiece'. In 1971 I'm sure the bands were still getting their heads round how prog rock was becoming so popular. Thick As A Brick was partly meant to be a spoof of prog rock and Anderson thought he was being aloof from it all but unwittingly he created one of the staples of the genre. After 1971 prog became a serious business (and I mean that in the literal sense of the word) as the audience got so big. | Maybe thatīs the one reason, why I love so much quite many of those 1971 albums. I mean because everything was in that year so new and exciting and it really sounds in those albums. Thick as a Brick is my favourite Jethro too, but Aqualung is not very much worse from it. And I think in "Close to the Edge" Yes really were thinking "we are making a masterpiece" and you can hear it, not just positive way. Of course I think Genesis made even better album in Foxtrot. Also I think when Floyd made Dark Side, they loose something thatīs in Atom Heart Mother and Meddle. Dark side is just so perfect that it isnīt as exciting as Atom Heart and Echoes from Meddle anymore. So I think from their rest seventies albums. |
Fantastic observation(s). A lot of the bands went into '72, '73, and '74 with a much clearer, more concise idea of what they were trying to achieve. 1972 and 1973 are still the pinnacle for me.
-------------
"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021
|
|