Top 5 Most Dissapointing prog albums
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Topic: Top 5 Most Dissapointing prog albums
Posted By: cynthiasmallet
Subject: Top 5 Most Dissapointing prog albums
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 12:36
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Here's a list for the 5 most dissapointing prog albums I ever bought
1. David Gilmour- On An Island 2. Yes- Close To The Edge 3. Billy Cobham- Magic 4. Frank Zappa- Jazz From Hell 5. Jethro Tull- Thick As A Brick Anyone else? ------------- Would you like to watch TV, or get between the sheets, or contemplate the silent freeway, would you like something to eat? |
Replies:
Posted By: Guillermo
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 12:55
1. King Crimson - Beat. : I expected a real Prog album by this band, with good music, and good drums by Bruford. Instead, I listened to "Snob- Pop-Prog-Experimental" music created with David Byrne...mmm. no, what is his name? ah yes... Adrian Belew.
2. Genesis - Genesis: a boring Pop-Prog album, looking and sounding more like a contractual obligation album. Their worst, in my opinion. It is incredible that Rutherford considers this as their best album
. "Home by the sea / Second..." are boring songs which have been played by Genesis on tour since 1983! They even appear in their new 2007 live album!3. Genesis -Calling All Stations: another boring, very dark, album by Genesis. It wasn`t totally Ray Wilson`s fault. The material was weak since the beginning.
4. PFM- Performance: I expected a very good live Prog album. Instead, I listened to a Pop album which even didn`t have good performances by the band. Some instruments sometimes sound out of tune. The recording is not very good, etc.
5. YES -Union: a marketing trick, because the back cover never said that the eight musicians never played together. Steve Howe`s guitars were replaced by Jimi Haun, a good guitarist, but that really was like a "fraud". Where are Rick Wakeman`s keyboards? They were replaced by a lot of session musicians! ------------- Avatar: Photo of Solar Eclipse, Mexico City, July 1991. A great experience to see. Maybe once in a lifetime. |
Posted By: Draconean
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 12:59
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Here's my list:
1) Magna Carta - Lord of the ages 2) Dream Theater - Awake 3) Thought Industry - Mods carve the pig 4) Psychotic Waltz - Into the everflow 5) Queensrÿche - Promised land Except #1 I consider these albums however not the worst ones I own. But IMO they were (and still are) very dissapointing. Especially in comparison to their predecessors which I consider masterpieces of prog. ------------- I'm running still, I shall until, one day I hope that I'll arrive |
Posted By: russellk
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 13:05
| I have a list, but I'm much more interested in why albums are disappointing. Myself, I think it's a combination of a let-down after hype, high expectations and an unexpected change of musical direction. Other things, like hubris, losing touch with one's audience/fan base, and a loss of desire also contribute to disappointment. |
Posted By: Utah Man
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 13:09
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1. Supertramp - Crime of the Century i got this, based on PA reviews. As far as I'm concerned, this is not progressive rock...not even close to it. Is it rock ? yes. Is it good rock ? Well, it's OK. Prog ? NO ! I gave it to my cousin who loves it. 2. Camel - The Snow Goose. Good music ? It's OK.. I echo Sean Trane's review, "Can you believe this bores me to death that I never got to the end of it in one shot." ...But it sounds like it could be labeled "Proto-New Age" 3. through 5. Have to think about it for a while... |
Posted By: Abstrakt
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 13:11
SNOW GOOSE IS THE ESSENCE OF MASTERLINESS, YOU'RE JUST TOO MUCH OF A NOOB TO ADMIT IT! 
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Posted By: Utah Man
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 13:14
Thanks for the  i really need it today  . |
Abstrakt wrote:Posted By: fuxi
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 13:33
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CTTE disappointing? What superior universe do you hail from?
On TAAB I can agree. Other disappointments: - GOING FOR THE ONE - Anything Pierre Moerlen's Gong did after ESPRESSO II - HOT RATS. This usually gets labelled as Zappa's best album, but I just don't see what's special about it. |
Posted By: ProgBagel
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 13:47
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Not the worst I've heard...just what you are asking for...dissappointment.
1. Dream Theater - Octavarium 2. Tool - Lateralus 3. Pain of Salvation - Scarsick 4. Pink Floyd - The Wall 5. King Crimson - Beat |
Posted By: proggy
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 13:54
1. Gentle Giant - Acquring the Taste - Don't get the Hype
2. Patrick Moraz III - Look for it for years on cd. Then it was released. I see now why it wasn't available
 3. Jethro Tull - Dot.com
 4. Egg - The Civil Surface - 1st two are great.......
5. Van Der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts.... It definitely isn't H to He......
I really like David Gilmour's On an Island.........
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Posted By: limeyrob
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 14:27
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Anglagard - Hybris & Epilog - what is the fuss about, what am I missing?????
Anything by Rush - Far too over-rated. In the mid-late 70's none of my contempories had any Rush albums and there was quite a diverse mix of prog between them so Rush can't have been that good. Anyway I got a few as a result of PA recommendations a couple of years ago. Doesn't do it for me I'm afraid.
Galahad - Empires Never Last - what a superb album ruined by some f
 g crap drumming.Magenta - Seven - ditto
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Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 14:49
Peaches en Regalia!!! Never been blown away by a song on classic rock radio as I was when I first heard that. Will EDIT in my own choices and reasons later, possibly much later, though In Absentia will be there (albums like Close to the Edge, A Farewell to Kings, and Thick as a Brick were rather disappointing, but a friend exposed me to those anyway. The same friend who had introduced me to Fragile, Hemispheres, and Aqualung which I already loved (as a tween).. There are not many albums I've bought that I didn't know any of the material from, so I've very rarely been disappointed in an album. I try to test the waters before purchasing (unless I see something that looks interesting in a bargain bin, and I don't expect much from those but have had delightful surprises). Oh, I was very disappointed in Genesis' Trespass and Nursery Cryme over all. ------------- "Questions are a burden to others; answers a prison for oneself" (The Prisoner, 1967). |
Posted By: Utah Man
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 15:08
Agree 100% - I sold my copy of Epilog
Absolutely ! I used to think that something was terribly wrong with me 'cause I didn't like Rush. [granted...there may be something wrong with me, but not for that reason ]. |
Posted By: aapatsos
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 15:13
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Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 15:16
I must disagree. It is for that reason that something is wrong with you. ------------- 
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Posted By: aapatsos
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 15:18
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top 5 Queensryche - Hear in the now frontier Fates Warning - X Gathering - Souvenirs Blind Guardian - A twist in the myth Anathema - A fine day to exit |
Posted By: Utah Man
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 15:20
So...if I would just cave in & admit spontaneously that Rush is fantastic I'll be OK  . |
Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 15:22
Exactly. You must assimilate.  -------------
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Posted By: Utah Man
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 15:23
Or else . . . ? |
Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 15:31
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Actually, assimilation is the opposite of "freewill" so "or else" nothing.
It is just in my fanboy point of view you may have a third eye growing out of your forehead, but the only thing still significantly wrong with you is you don't like Rush.
 Seriously though, I have bounced around the archives enough to know that there are many here that just don't like them for whatever their reasons. I wish it were different but we all have our own likes and dislikes and bands that float our boats. -------------
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Posted By: Utah Man
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 16:01
Well...how did you know ? I just didn't want to say anything for fear of being a victim of a "third eye on forehead" hate crime
Yea...Progressive Rock aficionados are a very discerning, somewhat "one-of-a-kind" crowd. anyway... Two things about Rush that I do appreciate: 1. Neil Peart is one of the finest drummers of all time  . Quite possibly the best Hard Rock drummer ever...period !2. They're Canadian . |
Posted By: limeyrob
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 16:30
Sorry but Neil Peart to my mind invented annoying drumming. As you have probably gathered by now one of my greatest hang ups with a lot of prog (as well as other stuff) is the dominance of the snare drum (or whatever it is called).
Is it cos engineers/drummers are just too deaf or has no one actually said that the drumming is ruining a lot of great music? Eg, at the moment I am listening to Knight Area - Under a New Sign, and the tinny drumming just ruins an otherwise fantastic album for me. It's the wrong sound and it is far too loud.
 . We are very fortunate that in this day and age we can listen to such deep bass and what do we do - go and bang out some crappy high pitched drumming like some demented neanderthalsI reckon my collection will be double that it is now if it wasn't for the crap drumming/engineering that is so prevelant. I hear the samples and stop after a few seconds cos I know the rest of the album will be the same.
There's a lot of good things that comes out of Canada but Rush ain't one of them.
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 16:39
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oh great, a negative poll.
 None of these albums are bad, they just failed to live up to my expectations. The first two (or three
) would suggest that I'm just not cut out for modern Neo and that probably a fair assumption. #4 is not an excuse for a DT bashing exercise, I love DT, just not that one and #5, what can I say - I only bought it because I liked the cover  1. Sylvan - Presets
2. Frost - Milliontown
3. Phideaux - Doomsday Afternoon
4. Dream Theater - Six Degrees of Inner Tubbylence
5. Quatermass - s/t
------------- What? |
Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 16:47
Sorry but Neil Peart to my mind invented annoying drumming. As you have probably gathered by now one of my greatest hang ups with a lot of prog (as well as other stuff) is the dominance of the snare drum (or whatever it is called).
Is it cos engineers/drummers are just too deaf or has no one actually said that the drumming is ruining a lot of great music? Eg, at the moment I am listening to Knight Area - Under a New Sign, and the tinny drumming just ruins an otherwise fantastic album for me. It's the wrong sound and it is far too loud.
. We are very fortunate that in this day and age we can listen to such deep bass and what do we do - go and bang out some crappy high pitched drumming like some demented neanderthalsI reckon my collection will be double that it is now if it wasn't for the crap drumming/engineering that is so prevelant. I hear the samples and stop after a few seconds cos I know the rest of the album will be the same.
There's a lot of good things that comes out of Canada but Rush ain't one of them. [/QUOTE]
Interesting perspective. I hadn't heard that criticism before. Most criticism is regarding Geddy's voice. And then there is that one guy who always complains about Alex playing in the same pentameter (or whatever the technical term is). Most that I have heard criticize Neil is because they met him and he was standoffish, or his drumming is too robotic.
I have noticed that most of the criticism of Rush comes from the other side of the pond. They just don't seem to be quite as popular with prog fans there as they are here (notable exceptions on both ends. Including Utah Man, but we established he has that third eye growing out of his forehead so I can forgive him). Oh well, probably the same reason that I'm not too fond of VDGG or Gentle Giant, although the latter is growing on me a bit. -------------
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Posted By: Draconean
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 16:47
Yeah, I think I know why you're shocked.  
I know that a lot of people consider the 3 albums you highlighted masterpieces. To me "Images and Words", "A Social Grace" and "Empire" are masterpieces and maybe I just expected another album that I would love heaps. ------------- I'm running still, I shall until, one day I hope that I'll arrive |
Posted By: -Gil
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 16:51
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1-Close to the edge
2-Selling England by the pound
3-Thick as a brick
4-In the courto the crimson king
5-Wish you were here
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 16:55
------------- What? |
Posted By: -Gil
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 16:57
jajajaj
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Posted By: Publius84
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 17:31
Really funny
------------- I know what I like and I like what I know... Prog is in my heart, in my mind, in my soul... |
Posted By: cynthiasmallet
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 17:33
So... what DO you like? ------------- Would you like to watch TV, or get between the sheets, or contemplate the silent freeway, would you like something to eat? |
Posted By: Barla
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 18:06
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ˆˆ ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Barla/?chartstyle=LastfmMyspace">  
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 18:14
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^^ check his "reviews", I think -Gil misread the thread title ------------- What? |
Posted By: erik neuteboom
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 18:24
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- Genesis : And Then There Were Three "Genesis goes popprog"
- Yes : Tales From Topographic Oceans "Where is my musical direction?"
- Marillion : Clutching At Straws "prog down to boring personal alcohol problems bla-
bla"
- ELP : Love Beach "10% inspiration, 90% money"
- Rush : Presto "From a captivating powerprog trio to a predictable melodic rock band"
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Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 18:32
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Negative, whining threads like this make it hard to be a reviewer.
Shouldn't this thread be on an ANTI prog site?
Don't read reviews then -- listen to everything before you buy.
Better yet, just steal your music. You'll be less "dissappointed."  ------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 18:38
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That's a hard question because nothing came immediately to mind. I've generally liked every one I've added to my collection. One of my greatest disappointments was buying a CD listed as a Larry Coryell album, but it turned out to be a disco album by Alphonse Mouzon (who's worked with Larry). Needless to say, that one never got added to my collection. Trout Mask Replica, I had heard good things about it but I cringe whenever it comes up in rotation. It's well respected on this site, but I just can't get into it. Kahn's Space Shanty looked like it would be good the store, but never clicked with me. Some of Fred Frith's newer stuff never seems to live up to the greatness of his older stuff. That could fill out the five, but I don't want to name names. McDonald and Giles. Just doesn't hold a candle to Crimson King. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 19:09
And negative, whining posts about such threads can make it hard to be a poster. Sorry, got to put out my opinion here. I rather enjoy taking the opportunity to express myself.  I haven't noticed much in the way of whining here. How do you feel about negative reviews? They're okay as long as they are not whiny, I suppose? This is a subjective topic. I fail to see why one should be bothered by others sharing their less than enthusiastic feelings. It's a matter of taste. I'm as interested in what people don't like here as what they like. Hopefully reviews and threads strike a balance between the really enthusiastic and really disappointed. Look to the individual posts: This is not anti-prog any more than a review that states that a particular album is poor. Just because I don't like such-and-such Prog album or band doesn't mean that I don't like Prog. If a clearly negative thread bothers one, one can ignore it and leave it to those who wish to participate, of course, and don't mean one should. It can lead to interesting debate. Hey, we're all different with different ways of seeing things. And by the way, I can find whiny reviews and threads entertaining, and care naught if someone online dislikes an album I love or loves an album I loathe. Just my two cents, but to each his or her own. I may not sympathise much with your attitude here, but I do respect your right to express it. Oh, and if you find any typos, it's not easy typing with a child sleeping on my shoulder. Seriously though, it's all good (even when bad)! Rock on!I do tend to suggest that people should try to sample the music (through legal means) before buying to avoid much disappointment. Any mp3 is worth a thousand words as I'm wont to say. Of course some prefer to discover music in other ways. ------------- "Questions are a burden to others; answers a prison for oneself" (The Prisoner, 1967). |
Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 19:19
 Anyway, maybe the next time I review a "disappointing" album like Close to the Edge, Pawn Hearts, or Nursery Cryme (all got top marks from me) I should include a disclaimer like 'I think this is great, but you probably won't like it" or 'Warning: despite the favourable review, buying this product may still lead to deep feelings of inconsolable disappointment."
i find the use here of words like 'hype" to describe the favourable opinions expressed by individuals in reviews to be rather insulting. "Hype" would seem to imply something underhanded -- some sort of vested interest on the part of the reviewer. 'Hype' would seem to apply to professional advertising, where the aim is to part people from their money, not spread joy. Our reviews are written by unpaid volunteers. Hard work, sincerity, and a desire to praise and share something which gives the reviewer joy go into favourable reviews -- not any desire to deceive people, or make money.
so you don't like every album you've ever bought. Fine. but don't blame that on those who DID like it, and saw fit to say so here. our primary purpose is supposedly to spread a love of prog, and to encourage the reviewing of prog albums -- not to publish lists of those few albums which we bought since coming here, only to be 'disappointed."
Again, I also feel that some naive folks seem to expect popular, highly-praised albums to absolutely "blow them away" and/or radically change their lives or something. It's just MUSIC folks, not religion.
Thanks -- I needed to say that. I like to complain about things here too, see? ------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: rileydog22
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 19:20
Leave plz. -------------   |
Posted By: rileydog22
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 19:20
Hey, you aren't allowed to say that on this site! ------------- |
Posted By: rileydog22
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 19:21
Not Magma's music. That's religion too. ------------- |
Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 20:13
Thanks for the calm response, Logan. I'll respond to your questions and comments within your post, if that's okay. My responses will be in BLUE.
Peace out!
 (before) (after) ------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 20:23
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maybe there should be a top 5 most disappointing pop albums thread ..I can think of a few |
Posted By: Yorkie X
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 20:36
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I soon forget about bad prog CDs besides in the need to create or progress bands are expected to make a bad CD now and again I think just about any band (even my favourites) could get a mention in this thread. I didn't like Marillions "Somewhere else" I didn't like Tony Banks first Solo Album with fish on it I didn't like Rush "Test For Echo" I didn't Like Kansas "Drastic Measures" I didn't like Dream Theater "Train Of Thought" I love all these artists see my point ? |
Posted By: Utah Man
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 21:23
Listen to Gentle Giant's In a Glass House - this is what I call Definitive Progressive. Hope that Gentle Giant continues to grow on you VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR is just now beginning to get my attention. . |
Posted By: Utah Man
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 21:36
Provide some examples of musical groups which have - in your view - good "drumming/engineering" as you put it...ones that are progressive of course. Now, if you're alluding to so-called drum loops...i deeply despise them. . |
Posted By: cuncuna
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 21:40
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I heard a flower kings thing once and I hated it inmediately. I don't remember wich one was it, but I won't even try to. Also, I thought they were "Deflower kings" instead of "The flower kings", due to my southern ears... maybe it was that, me expecting a lot of very educated and aristocratic cursing instead of some bland regresive band... ------------- ¡Beware of the Bee! |
Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 22:09
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Okay, just to be nice, and in a spirit of communal compromise, I'll join in the fun.
I won't blame these purchases on reviews read here though (there's PLENTY of opportunity to legally sample the bigger bands and key albums listed here via the streaming audio feeds
), as these were all bought long before the Internet, and simply because I was already a big fan of each band.Re my reasons for not liking them, I have already reviewed the first three, commented on the fourth in a recent thread, and simply found the fifth to a be a woefully uninspired, insipid sellout:
Jethro Tull - Under Wraps (Utter Crap)
Genesis - Duke (Puke)
Renaissance - Camera Camera (Chlamydia Chlamydia?)
Yes - Tormato (Bore-mato)
Triumvirat - A La Carte (A La Farte)
All late 70s - 80s efforts -- troubled, lost years for prog in general. ------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: November 20 2007 at 23:57
Very well expressed. Peter.  Thanks, and nothing I really find myself disagreeing with. Some of what you've said I would have liked to mention too given more time to compose a post -- including blaming positive reviews for purchasing albums that don't personally enthrall. Warning: aimless rambling alert. If one reads a review saying a work is excellent, that person is not wrong, and did not mislead you just because you don't like it. It's a matter of taste, and reading a wide range of reviews is worthwhile. If it seems many people think it's a classic of the "genre", and you think it's poor, they're not wrong. And it's not wrong for the individual not to like it, but believing that it definitively sucks shows limited intellect. Now if someone who knows me personally (say my best friend) tells me that I should get an album because it's great and I'll love it, and it's not the case, well... oh and he sold me that record for a hundred bucks, told me he wouldn't play it for me cause his record player was broken, but I wouldn't regret it. Oh, and I found out it was scratched afterwards, and then he ran off with my wife, but that's another chapter. Well, I'd have to blame myself; not just myself, of course.. Caveat emptor and all that jazz.. I also prefer to see opinions backed up or explained (and one should expect that in a formal review). In posting, however, I've come to treat it as a more casual and visceral medium -- a place where one might rant and rave and share feelings. In a review, a certain level of objectivity is expected; whereas on the forum one can be strictly subjective -- intellectual rigour not required. It can be very difficult to express why an album makes us feel bad or good, but, sadly, sometimes people do mistake those personal feelings for objective truth. Seems I got into rambling mode. I'm more one for friendly discussion than debate, and even more one for incontinent digressions. "It's only rock & roll but I like it." - Keep on rockin' in the free world, Peter. P.S. Was thinking about what you wrote about the shocking Vancouver airport incident as I wrote the last post, interestingly enough. Now there's something of real import important enough to get upset about. I've wanted to share my disgust in that thread, but it makes very sad. Not just what happened, but how it has been handled. ------------- "Questions are a burden to others; answers a prison for oneself" (The Prisoner, 1967). |
Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: November 21 2007 at 02:45
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1. Rick Wakeman -- Rock and Roll Prophet
Perhaps the second worst album that I've ever bought, beat out only by The Boomtown Rats -- The Fine Art of Surfacing. Rick's vocals made me long for the return of Ashley Holt.
2. Tony Banks -- The Fugitive
There are a couple of tracks on this thing that I used to play over and over again, even though I knew the album was utter crap. What can I say? I have an affinity for Tony Banks's crap.
3. Patrick Moraz -- Time Code
If you took the above mini-review and inserted "Patrick Moraz" in the place of "Tony Banks," you would have an accurate assessment of this album as well.
4. Genesis -- Invisible Touch
The only track I can stand to listen to on this abomination is "Domino," and every time I hear it, I can't help but think how much better it would be if Hackett were still around and Banks and Rutherford had put forth a bit more effort.
5. Yes -- Open Your Eyes
Back when this was released, I had a choice of buying the masterful Keys to Ascension 2 or this piece of dreck.... Guess which one I chose?
Honorary mentions:
King Crimson -- The ConstrucKtion of Light
I don't know what is wrong with this album, as it sure fits into the formula that King Crimson has used time and again to produce great works. But somehow, all of the fun is sucked out of this one.
Camel -- Rain Dances
When I heard this, I couldn't believe how far they had fallen so quickly. There are some songs on here that should be ok, but they are played so lifelessly that any potential that they had is wasted.
Jon Anderson -- Song of Seven
I can live with Jon's obsession with pop, but this is BAD pop! If it weren't for the brilliant title track, this would count as the worst album I've ever heard. Still, it's a shame that I had to buy a full LP just to hear Song of Seven.
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Posted By: martinprog77
Date Posted: November 21 2007 at 03:12
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1 ELP the hot seat pretty bad!!!!
2 DEEP PURPLE abandon huge dissapointment
3 DREAM THEATER train of thoughts out of ideas
4 GENESIS genesis no like it at all
5 PFM dracula what the f..... ------------- Nothing can last there are no second chances. Never give a day away. Always live for today. |
Posted By: toolis
Date Posted: November 21 2007 at 03:29
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1.Porcupine Tree - Deadwing after excellent In Absentia came out this... and i just don't get it... 2. Yes - Tales... i like my prog to be pretentious but this is TOO much... 3. Queensryche - Empire it's not a bad album, it's only ok.. but Rage For Order and Operation: Mindcrime were light years ahead of it.. 4. Rush - Hold Your Fire i hate it while adore all previous efforts of theirs.. 5.Soul Cages - Craft their debut and 'Moments' are monumental, this one blows... ------------- -music is like pornography... sometimes amateurs turn us on, even more... -sometimes you are the pigeon and sometimes you are the statue... |
Posted By: aapatsos
Date Posted: November 21 2007 at 06:48
absolutely true, this is quite bad... |
Posted By: Ahmadbarqawi
Date Posted: November 21 2007 at 08:14
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1. Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime 2'
2. Pain of Salvation - Scarsick
3. Stevev Vai - Real Illusions: Reflections
4. Marillion - Somewhere Else
5. Dream Theater - Octavarium ------------- {Flashlights shade shrunken views Of a red demon’s foxtrot in brews Guns & flowers crown morning news Panic-stricken guilt now ensues} |
Posted By: Hamfari
Date Posted: November 21 2007 at 08:17
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I can understand why some think Deadwing was a letdown, it was for me compared to IA, but just a little bit, I really like it though ´cause PT are one of my favorites
Anyway no reason to critisize this thread, we´ve all had this feeling sometime and have our different reasons. I´m gonna think some albums some people are putting here are great and same applies f. my list, some people won´t understand it.
Here´s mine:
Dream Theater - Scenes from a... & Images... (Ok, this was 7 years ago, I had heard so many great things about DT and hadn´t heard the band, so I bought those two without having heard a single second of their work, they were supposed to be their best according to allmusic.com , then I got home and was disappointed, it was just too cheezy at times and last but not least I couldn´t get into Labrie´s singing... sorry.... not my style, too high up.... I do respect DT for their music though and think it´s logical that some1 likes them.... just not me)
Gentle Giant - Power & the glory -(after the ratings here I thought it might be one of their best, well I can´t get into it as much as the other albums 70-75 , it´s too uneven and some songs aren´t even good)
Camel - Rain Dances - (Sinclair joining Camel should have made this better, but it´s just too cheezy at times)
Ayreon - Human Equation (This project I think is too hyped up, it´s like a musical and I don´t like musicals, it tries to melt so many things and so many various singers(I´m very picky about singers and if there are some I don´t like here.... well it doesn´t help my rating), the lyrics and the singing(and maybe the overall theme?) I think are taking themselves too seriously, the project is just too uneven for my taste although I respect it for originality and ambition) http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=16065 - Genesis - Foxtrot (don´t seem to be able to get into it like Selling... I´m gonna try to again though)
The Who -Quadrophenia (ok, this album is good, I like it, but an average 4.75 rating and in the 7th place on the top list, I don´t quite think it deserves this masterpiece status, I think Who´s next is better)
http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=16065 -
those albums came to mind for now, but I could actually add the Queensryche album I see on the post above, ´cause i remember I wanted to check this band out to and bought this album and couldn´t really listen because of the singer. Can´t get into some singers can you? ------------- Nobody needs to go anywhere else. We are all, if we only knew it, already there. |
Posted By: Norbert
Date Posted: November 21 2007 at 08:27
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Dream Theater -Train of Thought,
Pain of Salvation -Scarsick
Spock's Beard -V
The first 2 are only disappointing compared to the previous efforts by both bands, Spock's Beard disappointed me as a band, so i don't plan to get an another album by them.
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Posted By: Hamfari
Date Posted: November 21 2007 at 08:32
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From what I´ve heard from Scarsick is not as good as PoS best releases. I can add that I checked Anekdoten for the first time, their latest album, it´s ok, but it is a bit of a disappointment. I thought I´d like them better, Not entirely my thing the overall Anekdoten sound, it has it´s moments though. ------------- Nobody needs to go anywhere else. We are all, if we only knew it, already there. |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: November 21 2007 at 08:46
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I've started to listen to Scarsick in context (as it were), like a play within a play, or as another "character" in the Perfect Element story and I am begining to appreciate it much more, however, I still have to skip Disco Kween and probably always will. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Visitor13
Date Posted: November 21 2007 at 09:04
Yet another reason to be an atheist. On topic - how is this thread different from the occasional "most overrated prog band" - thread? Anyway, pretty much all Genesis albums are disappointing. |
Posted By: A B Negative
Date Posted: November 21 2007 at 10:52
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When I first started getting into Jethro Tull, I had only heard my friends' albums (particularly Aqualung, TAAB and Stand Up). I made up my mind to buy the next album Tull brought out. Unfortunately it was Under Wraps.
I'd heard Live Herald and Green by Steve Hillage so I gave For To Next a try. Wish I hadn't bothered.
After 4 fantastic studio albums and a pretty good live album, Peter Gabriel's So was a disappointment.
And don't get me started on 90125 by Yes or Genesis' eponymous album.
------------- "The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar.... Now, that's my idea of a good time." |
Posted By: jimmy_row
Date Posted: November 21 2007 at 13:11
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These are by no means bad albums, it is I who has the problem because others seem to really enjoy them (I'll keep trying...it's frustrating)...in some cases I do like an album but it just doesn't quite reach the heights that I wanted it to (BSS)
Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery
Pendragon - The Masquerade Overture
King Crimson - Red
Yezda Urfa - Sacred Baboon
Magic Pie - Circus of Life
Le Orme - Elementi
------------- Signature Writers Guild on strike |
Posted By: WalterDigsTunes
Date Posted: November 21 2007 at 13:20
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1. Os Mutantes- "A" e o "Z" The first track does have exciting proggy moments, but after that, the album feels rather disjointed.
Yup; there's plenty of fat that could have been trimmed off. The third song is ace, though. 3. Radiomobel- Tramsebox It was labeled as a "Swedish Prog Classic." It was a dollar. I gave it a try, only to find out it was recorded by teenagers in their parents' basement in the 70s. Its proggy, to be sure, but they're kind of stiff at times and the production leaves a lot to be desired. 4. Genesis- The Way We Walk, Vol.2: The Longs I guess I really shouldn't have had many expectations for this one  5. Steve Hackett- Cured I was expecting something a bit proggier. Its a weird little new wave-influenced album. |
Posted By: Cheesecakemouse
Date Posted: November 21 2007 at 17:34
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1. Camel - Snowgoose - banal, insipid, derivative 2. Gentle Giant - In a Glass House - trying too hard to be Jethro Tull and Yes, but when they stop the impersonations they have some real gems Other than that I haven't been particularly disappointed |
Posted By: Teh_Slippermenz
Date Posted: November 21 2007 at 21:40
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1. Talk - Yes: I only enjoyed the first few minutes of "The Calling". That's how much this album sucked. 2. Calling All Stations - Genesis: Only get this if you like 90s pop. :| (Ray Wilson is a good prog folk [I guess you could call him that?] artist, however) 3. 90125 - Yes: Well, it was my first Yes album, technically, but, you know......not as good as "The Yes Album". 4. Discipline - King Crimson (Awful.......besides Elephant Talk, there isn't much on here that's good) Those are the only progressive albums that have disappointed me. (That, and now I choose what I buy wisely) EDIT: Added "Discipline". How could I have forgotten that one?? |
Posted By: Sckxyss
Date Posted: November 22 2007 at 00:54
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Pain of Salvation - TPE (highly acclaimed, but didn't do much for me) Ayreon - The Human Equation (same as above)
Captain Beefheart - Safe as Milk (compared to many albums in its genre, relatively uninteresting, and he has an awful voice, IMO)
King Crimson - Discipline (I couldn't stand the new wave sound, now I tolerate it
)Magma - Merci (How could Magma do wrong? It can't be that bad, right? well... yeah)
probably more, but those were the first 5 that came to mind
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Posted By: heyitsthatguy
Date Posted: November 22 2007 at 00:56
the only one I can think of that I actually bought was Dead Soul Tribe's "The January Tree." It had its moments but it just felt contrived all the way through, ESPECIALLY the lyrics 
------------- 
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Posted By: VanderGraafKommandöh
Date Posted: November 22 2007 at 01:34
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Hmm, where do I begin? Well, quite obviously I start off with a complete abomination of prog metal... 1. Pain of Salvation - Scarsick Then... well, it gets more difficult, but I will have a go: 2. Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Tarkus (this is terrible; I hate prententious music and this goes too far! I don't even care for the Tarkus suite that much) Alternative 2. Grobschnitt - Rockpommel's Land (I hate the vocals, arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhh! Their debut is great though, why the annoying vocals?) Another alternative 2. The Owl Watches - Ghost of a Train (oooooooooooouch, I've only played it once, it's dull and I fell asleep through it, maybe I should try it again) 3. Tool - 10,000 Days (erm... nothing that inspired here to be honest) 4. The Long Hello albums... (without Peter Hammill, the VdGG guys lack inspiration) 5. Porcupine Tree - Deadwing (I liked it at first, but my tastes have changed and now it sounds too poppy to my ears, only Arriving... really does anything for me) I'm sure there are others. I don't like the keyboards on Riverside's Out of Myself, but apart from that, I like it. The first Caveman Shoestore album I don't like the vocals on that much, but again the music is fine. Oh and On An Island was disappointing, but I don't own the album, so I don't need to worry about it. -------------   
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Posted By: greenback
Date Posted: December 04 2007 at 23:10
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i only think about one album:
i had H-U-G-E expectations regarding Iq-Dark Matter
despite it is a good album, rarely an album made me as disappointed as this one did. ------------- [HEADPINS - LINE OF FIRE: THE RECORD HAVING THE MOST POWERFUL GUITAR SOUND IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF MUSIC!> |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: December 04 2007 at 23:27
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top 5 most disappointing albums ever bought.... only can think of two... 1. TFK - Space Revolver still anyone's if they want it... just send me postage and it is yours 2. some Russian prog group I had recomended to me... another retread symphonic act which like TFK.. was nothing different... and not as good.. and what had gone done for the last 30 years..... modern symphonic prog for me died with this purchase... same with this.... take TFK off my hands.. I'll throw this in as a bonus gift if you PM me before Christmas. Makes a great gift for the non-descriminating progger out there hahahha. ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: moreitsythanyou
Date Posted: December 04 2007 at 23:50
Yep, this is the big one for me too -------------  <font color=white>butts, lol[/COLOR] |
Posted By: ProgBagel
Date Posted: December 05 2007 at 00:26
| Liquid Trio Experiment....god that sucked. |
Posted By: darkmatter
Date Posted: December 05 2007 at 00:27
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I can name a few: 1.) V: The New Mythology Suite (Symphony X) - I think I've only listened to it twice (fully) since I got it two Christmases ago, and I don't have much desire to listen to it again (though I really should, I haven't listened to it in a long time), one of the worst albums in my collection. 2.) Variations on a Dream (Pineapple Thief) - Not a really bad album, but rather bland and boring. Also I don't get the Porcupine Tree comparisons.... 3.) The Art of Navigating by the Stars (Sieges Even) - Nothing really great here, but not horrible. 4.) Selling Insincerity (Abigail's Ghost) - I also picked up this album on a PT recommendation, but there isn't a lot of great material on this album. Admittedly, I should listen to some of these albums over again, maybe my opinion will change. |
Posted By: Drew
Date Posted: December 05 2007 at 00:34
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From all of the hype it received from the archives: 1. CTTE 2. I actually bought an album by Gentle Giant- never again 3. Scarsick- ruined POS for me. 4. Dream Theater- Train of Thought 5. Early Ayreon albums ------------- |
Posted By: ANDREW
Date Posted: December 05 2007 at 17:36
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1) YES - BIG GENERATOR
2) GENESIS - ABACAB
3) ELP - LOVE BEACH
4) CAMEL - THE SINGLE FACTOR
5) GENTLE GIANT - GIANT FOR A DAY
|
Posted By: Astrodomine
Date Posted: December 05 2007 at 21:30
Yes is the last thing I would compare GG to ... Here is my pick: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here Rick Wakeman - King Arthur blabla and the knight of the round table blabla ELP: Tarkus ELP: Trilogy Genesis: Selling England By The Pound (I don't see where this album gets better compared to the previous two) |
Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: December 05 2007 at 21:54
By "hype" do you mean genuine praise and favourable reviews, and by "the archives" do you mean many different, independent-minded prog fans?
Because, you know, this is a website for ordinary prog fans -- not financially-motivated music industry advertisers. Praising prog albums we actually like is one of the main things we do here. We do it for free -- out of a spirit of joy, and a simple desire to share that joy.
I resent your condescending use of "hype." By extension, my own five-star review of CTTE is lumped in under your dismissive, insulting "hype" -- as will be the carefully-expressed, sincere reviews and posts of many others.
 As I suggested earlier in this thread, I would strongly advise restraint with this word. See its definitions, below:
******************************************************************************************** PS: Re the Gentle Giant, why didn't you "actually" listen to some, before buying an album?
(We have sample tracks freely available here.)Again, I have to question the maturity and wisdom of this thread topic, along with the cavalier sentiments of some of the respondents! ------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: December 05 2007 at 22:09
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^ And "early Aryeon albums," plural, Drew? Are we to understand that you kept buying albums by a band whose music you found to be among the "most disappointing?" Why? ------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: moreitsythanyou
Date Posted: December 05 2007 at 22:18
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A big #1: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here 2. Dream Theater - Train of Thought 3. Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element 1 4. Spock's Beard - Feel Euphoria 5. No-Man - Speak ------------- <font color=white>butts, lol[/COLOR] |
Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: December 06 2007 at 09:14
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So, among the "most disappointing" prog albums folks here have encountered are:
Close to the Edge
Selling England by the Pound
Wish You Were Here
Thick as a Brick
Trilogy
Tarkus
(presumably all) Gentle Giant
Yeah, lots of absolutely horrible music there -- God help some of you if you ever encounter any truly bad music!
As far as I know, representative sample tracks from all of the above albums (or at least the artists) are easily accessible here. Thus, this thread would seem to attract not only a lot of habitual "everything sucks"-type whiners, but also those who don't even have the common sense (in these days of the internet) to sample before buying).
Again, I have to wonder what some folks are expecting from a popular, classic album praised by many prog fans. A religious, life-transforming experience? Blue bolts of pure ecstasy from the heavens? To me, words as strong as "most disappointing" should be reserved for albums you truly can't stand -- not just albums which somehow failed to live up to your unrealistic expectations or your cynical, quick to condemn, too high, "everything I don't like sucks" standards.
You don't need to insult the Archives, its members and reviewers, and an album's fans to say why you don't like an album. This nasty, immature, thoughtless behavior really makes it hard to be a reviewer. It's very de-motivating.
Sorry, but this is (overall) a nasty thread which seems oddly out of place on a site dedicated to prog rock fandom. It's tailor made to offend, inflame and hurt.
Honestly, threads like this make me seriously consider leaving, as the dominant forum membership seems more and more immature, thoughtless and inconsiderate. ------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: December 07 2007 at 04:23
I wish I'd put that in my list.
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Posted By: ghost_of_morphy
Date Posted: December 07 2007 at 04:24
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Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: December 07 2007 at 04:30
 |
Posted By: keiser willhelm
Date Posted: December 07 2007 at 05:02
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Octavarium. . . I remember just sitting there waiting for it t get interesting. too bad it took an entire disc before the last sng came on. VERY dissapointing effort. Amputecture. . . well i skipped Frances the Mute on this list only because i found this one to be much more dissapointing. FtM had its moments this one just seemed uninspired not that there arnt any good. too bad deloused was their first CD. 10000 Days. . . I like the wings duo and a sampling of other songs but vicarious threw me off right away. overall lack of standouts, lack of progress in the music. not bad but deffinately a dissapointing follow-up to Laturalus. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/KeiserWillhelm" rel="nofollow - What im listening to |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: December 07 2007 at 05:20
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Peter absolutely spot -on, but I fear you may be micturating in the malstrom. Some people find simple pleasure in bashing the greats, which is a same, but does not affect the respect that these albums have achieved having stood the test of time. Truth is, these albums emerged from a tiny pool of music but are now compared to a vast ocean of releases that have been created since, and still they rise to the surface. There will be distractors and those that hurl brickbats at them in reaction to the perceived hyperbole surounding them, often it seems they do this only as a form of "look at me, I'm radical" self-promotion rather than an objective view of the music, but sadly it has always been like that (I remember some of the press reaction to those albums back in the70s as being similar) and regretably, it always will. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: December 07 2007 at 21:13
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Very long post alert, and this is sort of a cathartic blog-post. It does refer to points in former posts (just in case anyone bothers to read this). It's so wonderful that we can have different opinions, cultures, beliefs, attitudes and personalities yet come together as a community where we can engage each other in thoughtful, provocative, and irreverent discussion. The diversity of views, tastes, and attitudes is fabulous. So even though I see things in a rather different way than some, I'm pleased to see people sharing their passions and points of view. We don't need to like the same music, have the same experiences, or generally hold the same opinions to be tolerant of other's tastes and means of expression (though we may not like those tastes, opinions, and means of expression... ha-ha). Vive la difference. Regarding various comments that have been made in this thread (on negativity, the idea of the mp3s being representative of a band and people not doing enough research so that they get disappointed, and comments on what it means to be "most disappointed" and more inspirational musings -- inspired this boggy blog after all). I almost wish that one day we could have a forum for people who enjoy bashing (a band deprecation forum to complement the appreciation one). It would be a place where people who dislike such talk could avoid (but I wouldn't really recommend having it as it would be very unprofessional, off-putting to musicians/bands and promote negativity too much... it would be bad for the site, and bad for prog methinks. Might be better suited at another Prog site -- perhaps dedicated to it. There's an idea...). In the meantime, clearly labeling negative threads as negative should help warn those who are bothered by such topics (though just the sight of them may bother some people, and some people who don't enjoy them just can't resist them -- personally, I find this thread pretty innocuous). Some people do indeed enjoy bashing, and some like to share their negative views (for me that's part of my musical passion and I love to share our likes and dislikes -- not only do I not mind someone saying they they don't like a band that I like, I appreciate differences of opinion. I like honesty and directness, but I went into this in my last posts). I'm not for segregation (as I like a balance -- I like to know what people like and don't like), and even bashing can be cathartic. It's all a matter of taste, and that is something that some people forget. If I were to say something is bad, that is likely to mean that it's bad for me (I actually do believe in poor art and better art, as I suppose most do, so it's not totally subjective for me -- one can point out real flaws in execution and compositional limitations) Another's five star review might be my, subjectively speaking, one star album. Perhaps negative, and generally nonconstructive, posts are increasing in the forums. Plenty of vacuous posts that praise and condemn. Regarding the albums that were listed before and the mp3s at this site: I, as a 13 year old or thereabouts, was quite disappointed in Close to the Edge. Did I hate it, no, but I was expecting an album that would appeal to me much more because I loved Fragile. I remember a good friend who knew me well saying, if you think Fragile is good, you're going to love Close to the Edge. At least I loved the title track. Now I notice that the mp3 at this site is "Close to the Edge" -- oh, oh, I would've been in trouble if I'd used that as a representative sample. If an album from a "genre" I love, especially by a band I love, is not critically acclaimed/ highly praised as an essential masterpiece then its rather less likely that I will have such high expectations. Of course the biggest names have the biggest buzz. I have been disappointed in lesser-known albums too where I may have followed the advice of someone whose tastes I seem to share. By this stage I know many reviewers and raters who have similar tastes to my own, and others have completely different tastes. I actually find some whose tastes I don't share very useful to know what to avoid. I don't trust reviews though, I trust my own ears and, to an extent, certain people who I know have similar tastes and so they can help guide me (bearing in mind that that's many people because my tastes run across most of the categories). Regarding "Selling England by the Pound" -- I found that album rather unsatisfying on the whole when I first got it (now it's considerably less listenable -- haha). If this hadn't been many years ago and I had first listened to the sample song in the archives, that being "Cinema Show," I would have been disappointed in the album because that is my favourite track off the album ("Firth of Fifth" also being terrific, in my opinion). Either of those tracks could easily ensnare the unspuspecting n00b.  Course "Dancing with the Moonlight Knight" is pretty good too. But part of it is that I'd already been wowed by Lambchop's Broadway Snooze (sic), and this didn't quite live up to that in my opinion at the time.As for Wish You Were Here, this was my second favourite album for a long time -- my favourite being Animals. Now, if I had judged it by the mp3 at this site (but again I first heard it long before the internet), I would have thought it much better than expected. "Welcome to the Machine" is a weaker track for me, but "Shine on you Crazy Diamond" blew me away when I was about ten. Did I buy the album at first? No, someone played it for me, and I bought it later. This was not my first Pink Floyd album -- and I heard Animals later than that. I was a kid at the time and I did not purchase the album before I heard it). Jethro's Tull's Thick as a Brick, again, a friend played it for me when I first heard it, but I was underwhelmed. Similar story to Yes and at about the same time, I loved Aqualung and so I had higher hopes. There is no track from this album in the archives. ELP's Trilogy and Tarkus -- more albums from my youth. Again, I loved Trilogy already (especially for Trilogy , but found Tarkus a bit of a let down. I had higher hopes). As for the samples in the archives: Love the Tarkus one ("Iconoclast", but the Trilogy one ("Hoedown") is a stinker, at least to my nose. Judging from those I would prefer "Tarkus" to "Trilogy." When one spends good money on albums (and one has little money and makes sacrifices), one can expect to be more upset about a disappointing purchase. I was lucky to have friends and brothers with Prog albums (so my impressions on these ones from my youth are not so relevant to the topic; though my experiences do relate back to earlier posts). What I've found, and I have extensively used the mp3 at this site to find albums that will appeal (in coordination with reviews, and amazon samples, band sites, myspace, other review sites etc. -- I try to be informed) is that I have quite often not found the mp3 here to be terribly representative of the overall sound or quality, but generally I have grown to like the albums whose samples I heard and liked. The thing with prog is that one often can expect great variety on albums. What else, I was exposed to all of those listed in my youth. Seeing my comments it seems likely that there was a general tendency for me to like the first album I heard of a band of a band the most. Actually, this was often not the case. But if the first album of a band really got me by the bollocks, it was hard for the next one i got by the same band to compete with it. That's what happened with Fragile, Aqualung, and Tarkus. With Gentle Giant, my favourite of the ones that were listed, Acquiring the Taste was my first full album by them, and is my favourite, but I loved each of the first eight albums. The mp3s are pretty good here (though not my favourite songs of theirs). Sometimes I've just got the wrong album at the wrong time (depending on what I'm into at any given time) but noticing a tape or record in a store that I usually don't go to or see in other stores has tempted me based on name recognition and hearing good things about it. Anyway, I've largely gone off all of these bands mentioned (even GG), as happens when one gets into other things (at least to me), but was a big fan of each at one time in my Prog journey, and they layed the foundations for much of the music I listen to now. Incidentally, when I was younger (before the internet), I used to commonly buy records (later from used record stores), cassettes, and then CDs without having heard anything off it, or very little (a song) simply because I loved something that that artist had done. I know we're supposed to be discussing Prog, but one of the biggest letdowns I've had was a Bauhaus CD in about '90 -- expensive too. I was a big fan of the movie The Hunger. and there was song I really liked off it called "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Bauhaus, so I bought the CD that had it, and thought the rest pretty terrible. It was terribly disappointing. Did I hate it, no, I quite liked it, but it is still one of the more disappointing albums I have bought as it wasn't quite what i expected (it was alright, i still played it a lot and then whena friend offered to pay me the cost of the CD to burn the thing, I refused -- and burn as in set to flame if you don't know). I've never bought an album that I really loathed and was expecting great things from, so most of my disappointing albums have been okay, but still disappointing. It's costly, and I tend to do my research, so when my expectations come up short, I'm not only disappointed in the album, I'm disappointed in myself. These days, I very rarely buy an album that will disappoint me, as I seem to have acquired the knack of finding albums that will not disappoint me (samples from across the net when available, and, according to my tastes, reliable sources). So, and of course we're talking Prog. it is possible for your most disappointing album purchase to not be that disappointing at all. Depends on how careful you are. My most disappointing purchases of the last two years have only been mildly disappointing (hoped for a little more), and sometimes those albums that one is originally disappointed with, or not enthralled with, we grow to love! There have been a number of albums that I haven't been that keen on at first listen that I grew to like very much (though i can usually tell from the first play if this something that i will grow to love). There are more albums that I originally loved and then palled (but I'm not disappointed in myself for having ever really liked it). So that's my bog post. ------------- "Questions are a burden to others; answers a prison for oneself" (The Prisoner, 1967). |
Posted By: BigHairyMonster
Date Posted: December 09 2007 at 21:22
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Alright, I'll play! 1. Brainville - Children's Crusade: I had thought that this recording, featuring Pip Pyle, Daevid Allen, Hugh Hopper, and Mark Kramer had the potential to be a hidden prog gem by virtue of it's line up. Nobody talks about this group. There is good reason! I have almost 1000 prog CDs, and there are very few that I actively dislike. I prefer to think of lesser albums as being just that. This one is another story...it just sucks. 2. Spring - Spring: Disappointing because it doesn't live up to the hype. Yes, it is drenched in mellotron but the songwriting bores me to tears. Probably my least favorite of the proto-proggers that I have heard. 3. Tomas Bodin - Pinup Guru: This simply wasn't what I was expecting. Not bad, but just nothing very impressive when compaired to his Flower Kings work. Disappointing. 4. Caravan - In The Land Of Grey And Pink: Yawn! With all of the hype that this album gets, with many calling it Caravan's best work, I have found it to be a very average album...so much so that I have yet to dig deeper into Caravan's catalog. I will eventually, but my first taste of this band was very disappointing. 5. The Flaming Lips - At War With The Mystics: Disappointing after the previous two masterpieces. 6. Glass Hammer - Shadowlands: A big misstep after Lex Rex and Chronomotree 7. Marillion - All post-Brave albums: I am disappointed that this band lost me. I have not heard Marbles though. That is an album that I am really fearful of buying becuase it is a pricey, and it has been so long since they have moved me. Other disappointments that are more about being a product of their time (i.e., dated sound/production, over-hyped, didn't live up to line up, etc.) GTR - GTR 3 - To The Power Of Group 1850 - Agemo's Trip To Mother Earth Earthworks - Dig? ELP - In The Hot Seat Yes - Talk, Union, Open Your Eyes Genesis - Calling All Stations Oops! Sorry, I forgot that this was only supposed to be five! ------------- Big Hairy Monster's debut CD "View" coming soon! www.bighairymonster.com |
Posted By: crimhead
Date Posted: December 09 2007 at 21:37
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ELP - Love Beach Genesis - Calling all stations Gentle Giant - Giant for a day Yes - Union GTR - GTR, how could Howe and Hackett put their names on this CD? |
Posted By: BaldFriede
Date Posted: December 10 2007 at 06:38
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Steve Hackett - Cured. The only time ever Hackett let me down. I just hate drum machines. Magma - Merci. Somehow this is not really Magma. Too mellowed. The "Offering" albums of about the same time were a lot better. Hawkwind - It is the Business of the Future to be Dangerous. ...and it is the business of Hawkwind to rock, as one might say in jest. This is definitely not Hawkwind at their best. The album they published under the name "Psychedelic Warriors" at about the same time is a lot more convincing attempt in the direction this album takes. There are possibly more I just can't think of at the moment. Please note that I am a big fan of the artists mentioned above and usually follow every turn they take. -------------  BaldJean and I; I am the one in blue. |
Posted By: kinezer
Date Posted: December 10 2007 at 07:06
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how can you put Jethro Tull- Thick As A Brick, on that list? It was probably the best Jethro album that was ever released. |
Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: December 17 2007 at 12:18
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Hmm....
Tough one. My biggest musical disappointments have been non-prog. The Metallica black album was one of the few that I really had to have the day it was released, it went back the same day, utter rubbish! It was of course a smashing success.
For prog albums, most disappointments centered around the Yes and Genesis world. But the top 5 goes like this:
1. Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime: It seemed like every person that I talked to about Dream Theater's Images and Words in the year or so after its release kept telling me, "Oh, they're just doing the Queensryche thing", or something to that effect. Umm....no. Hair metal concept with a hint of, well, hair metal.
2. Steve Hackett - 'Til We Have Faces: Voyage....is one of my essential albums. Loved Please Don't Touch and Defector as well. This was painful to listen to and a pretty progless album.
3. Yes - 90125: sure, when taken into context with the rest of their post-Drama discography, its not that bad. But boy was I disappointed when I heard that first riff of Owner of a Lonely Heart.
4. Dream Theater - Falling into Infinity: From the first listen I dubbed this one, Falling into Monotony. Lines in the Sand keeps this from being a sell back.
5. Pain of Salvation - Scarsick: The latest album to make the list probably would have been ok as a debut or following The Perfect Element. But coming after their progressive masterpiece Be, it was a huge letdown. To the point of being annoying and unlistenable.
I have to throw in a dishonorable mention.
Devin Townshend - Synchestra: I love Strapping Young Lad and was always told that Devin Townshend's solo work was very progressive. Very loose definition of the word. No real progressive moments and what's worse, a complete letdown of the energy of SYL. ------------- https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow">  https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp |
Posted By: ES335
Date Posted: December 17 2007 at 22:47
Lighten up, Francis.
As a noob here and to non-classic rock radio prog, I find it helpful to hear a variety of opinions, in the forums and in the reviews.
As for what you say about "most disappointing", I really have no idea where you are coming from on that. My collection is very small right now, I couldn't even come up with five albums, but my most recent acquisition is "Going For the One". I think it's basically a good album, but from the reviews, I thought it, and particularly "Awaken" (they should have gone with "Eatern Number") would blow me away. Like I said, good, but not (to me) great, so it is somewhat disappointing. To me, that is what this thread is about.
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Posted By: Abrawang
Date Posted: December 18 2007 at 01:21
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By a landslide it's Tales From the Topographic Ocean. I'd liked every Yes album prior to this one; I bought it the day it came out and I listened to it several times because i couldn't quite believe that a group I liked so much could put out something so misbegotten. Not only that, I had purchased tickets to their upcoming concert before hearing Tales and I had to sit through 90 minutes of that pretentious nonsense before they got to CTTE and &U&I. What a disappointment.
Similar reaction to Passion Play but I didn't hate it, I just thought it was a fair bit sub-standard compared to their previous efforts.
Other prog albums I bought that I eventually re-sold to used record shops were Illusions on a Double Dimple (some cuts were decent but not enough to sustain a whole LP, plus I hated the title), Hacket's The Acolyte (ditto except for the title) and Wakeman's Journey to the Centre of the Earth.
Aside from One for the Vine, Wind and Wuthering was pretty disappointing too, though by then I'd begun to suspect they'd lose something otherworldly with Gabriel's departure. ------------- Casting doubt on all I have to say... |
Posted By: A B Negative
Date Posted: December 18 2007 at 03:44
I was amazed when I heard that first riff. Yes had gone heavy! Then that horrible Fairlight orchestral stab came in and ruined it and the power was sucked out of the guitar sound. ------------- "The disgusting stink of a too-loud electric guitar.... Now, that's my idea of a good time." |
Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: December 18 2007 at 20:27
If you really have "no idea' where I'm coming from, I can only conclude that you either haven't read all the thread, and/or never will understand, because you fundamentally disagree.
In any case, I feel I have made my opinion sufficiently clear (one of the very "variety" you claim to value -- if at odds with your own) and likely won't convince you to see things my way with any further argument.
It's okay to disagree on such issues -- I don't expect everyone to agree, and after all it's only music, and music criticism, we're discussing,.
Thus I wish you a merry Christmas, a belated "welcome to the forum," and a good night.
 PS: "somewhat" = "most"   PPS: FRANCIS? My real name appears in all my posts. Please feel free to use it, and in future be careful with the personal attacks -- I have not called you (or anyone else in this thread) any names.
(I save that for my friends here. )------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: December 18 2007 at 20:48
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When one has a small collection of Prog albums, it's not really surprising that the most disappointing of those might be merely mildly disappointing. An idea I touched upon in my last post too.
------------- "Questions are a burden to others; answers a prison for oneself" (The Prisoner, 1967). |
Posted By: ES335
Date Posted: December 18 2007 at 21:28
Maybe I should have been more specific. You said that "most disappointing should be reserved for albums you can't stand" (or very close to that). I don't understand that. One can be disappointed because they were expecting brilliance, and in their eyes they got something merely good. That's how I view this thread, though in some cases some people got something they thought would be brilliant and in their eyes thought it sucked donkey nads.
"Lighten up, Francis" is a quote from the movie Stripes. In the US, well, in Michigan anyway it's tossed about casually and isn't meant to be an attack. It's usually meant to inform someone that maybe they are taking something a little too seriously. I guess if you haven't seen Stripes it doesn't make sense.
Logan: My prog collection is small. My CD collection is maybe not huge, but decent sized (approx 300) so this is a phenomenon I am familiar with from other genres.
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Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: December 18 2007 at 21:53
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^ Fine, "E" -- My main problem here, if you read back, is more with the posts which suggest that the favourable reviews and posts of other are only so much "hype," and that somehow disappointment is the "fault" of those who do like the music (and only say so).
I would seriously recommend dropping the notion that any album will "blow you away" (whatever that really implies), and I'd caution that the more praise something receives, the more the potential to be (in your words) "somewhat disappointed."
When buying art unseen/unheard/unread, and based upon the opinions of the majority, there will always be some risk of disappointment for the individual.
No doubt you can find detractors for anything, if you seek them out. (But I wouldn't want someone to not try a prog classic like Close to the Edge or Selling England By the Pound, just because one in a hundred here find them to be among the "most disappointing.")
To varying degrees, I like almost all my prog CDs (I tend to know what I'm buying, especially these days, when it's pretty easy to hear a sample first) -- I don't expect universal perfection in any human endeavor. I try to see the 'half full" part of the glass, and share that which pleases me. That's just my nature.
 Finally, again I find the 'Rolling Stone" tone of this topic to be just a wee bit at odds with this site's raison d'etre, but as we all know, bad news sells.
------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: December 18 2007 at 22:02
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And no, I've never seen that movie, or heard that expression.
(I am 47 years old and Canadian -- that may well be a factor or two.)
------------- "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' He chortled in his joy. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: December 18 2007 at 23:16
Stripes is a classic! I saw it in the movie theatre as a kid. I was pretty big on John Candy then because of SCTV (wasn't a fan of Ramis in SCTV). SCTV's quality went south after the show went south I seem to remember thinking before.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0420718/ - Psycho : The name's Francis Sawyer, but everybody calls me Psycho. Any of you guys call me Francis, and I'll kill you. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0428150/ - Leon : Ooooooh. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0420718/ - Psycho : You just made the list, buddy. Also, I don't like no one touching my stuff. So just keep your meat-hooks off. If I catch any of you guys in my stuff, I'll kill you. And I don't like nobody touching me. Any of you homos touch me, and I'll kill you. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0643105/ - Sergeant Hulka : Lighten up, Francis. Ah, sorry for the digression. ES, I've been disappointed with album purchases from many genres, but especially Classical music. The reason being because the version (conductor, orchestra/ musicians, recording quality) has not seemed as good as other ones I've heard. When it comes to classical, music there are so many CDs made of the same compositions, and it can sound very different. Love Beethoven's 9th and Vivaldi's Four Seasons, but the performances on the CDs I have of those do nothing for me. I have a ton of Prog CDs, but as I said in another post, I rarely get disappointed in purchases now (one needn't even have very high expectations, but when one is spending one's money one hopes to really like it). But not long after getting back into Prog, I had some big disappointments. I already had lots of classic Prog, but I felt that I should try to modernise my tastes. Anyway, the first album modern prog album I got I found in a CD store in downtown Vancouver (I very rarely go downtown and where I live there is less selection -- internet purchases are better for me) and it had been highly praised here so I bought it. Not only was I disappointed that I'd just wasted my money, but I was also disappointed that one of the highly praised modern Prog albums seemed so poor next to my classic Prog (that was also highly praised here). Luckily I tried more modern prog and researched better and found much stuff that I love. Just because something is popular doesn't mean one's going to find it good, of course. ------------- "Questions are a burden to others; answers a prison for oneself" (The Prisoner, 1967). |
Posted By: ES335
Date Posted: December 19 2007 at 21:38
I do agree that the word "hype" has been tossed about too causally in this thread. I suspect the people who used it were not defining it correctly, though am open to the possibility of them having massive egos that require their opinion to be the right opinion.
I've been blown away by to many albums to give up the notion of being blown away. Highway 61 Revisted, Maggot Brain, Sgt. Pepper, This Year's Model, Document and Exodus, Best of Sam and Dave and Born to Run are some albums I heard for the first time over 20 years ago, and I still remember the sensation of the album progressing. Your point is well taken, but again, I'm a noob here, and to this genre, but it's not like my ears started working yesterday. I'm a lifelong music junkie, who worries my life will end before I get to explore everything.
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Posted By: Nucleus
Date Posted: December 20 2007 at 17:05
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I've been lucky in my prog purchases... However, the first time I tried to get into Genesis and I thought that I had just purchased their first album...
1. Genesis- Genesis
 2. Kraftwerk- Aero Dynamik
I mixed up Aero Dynamik, a recent single, with Autobahn when I was trying to introduce myself to Kraftwerk...
3. The Alan Parsons Project- Stereotomy
I wasn't expecting too much, but... I mean... it's not that bad, but far from I Robot or TFMaI
4. Sigur Ros- Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do
I just don't get it. It's not that it's bad, and I try to like it, I just don't get it. I was expecting something along the lines of AB and ( ), and was therefore dissappointed.
I don't have a fifth right now.
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