Monday, April 4, 2011

TAD's fave prog albums

Say, since I'm on this crusade 2 review & Xpose Really Bad Prog, maybe I should backtrack & give U some points of reference 2 work from.
Here's a list of my fave Progressive Rock albums ever. If U've bn reading me 4 awhile, none of these should come as a big suprise. These R all albums whose quality I can vouch 4, even if some of them Rn't Xactly perfect. In fact, a few of them tend 2 slide just a bit toward the Nd....
There might B a few suprises here 4 big Prog fans. Such as: There's no Pink Floyd listed here. No ELP. No Jethro Tull. If I could find NE albums by those folks that I could listen 2 all the way thru without getting bored or disgusted, I'd list them here.
Outside of King Crimson, there also isn't much REALLY LOUD stuff. THAT should reveal summa my obvious prejudices....
I also make no Xcuses about the presence of best-of's & live albums -- if it hit me really hard, it's here.
What follows is just stuff I've been playing 4 years that's never let me down. See if U feel the same way. Or if you have some nominations, bring 'em on!
1 final note: This list is subject 2 change without warning, based on all the stuff I Haven't Heard.
In roughly descending order:

Providence: EVER SENSE THE DAWN (1972).
Gryphon: RED QUEEN TO GRYPHON THREE (1974).
Gryphon: TREASON (1977).
Yes: YESSONGS (1973).
Kansas: LEFTOVERTURE (1976).
Caravan: FOR GIRLS WHO GROW PLUMP IN THE NIGHT (1973).
King Crimson: THE YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO KING CRIMSON (1975).
Moody Blues: THE PRESENT (1983).
Justin Hayward & John Lodge: BLUE JAYS (1975).
Group 87: (1st) (1980).
Happy the Man: CRAFTY HANDS (1978).
Renaissance: LIVE AT CARNEGIE HALL (1976).
Illusion: OUT OF THE MIST (1977).
Camel: NUDE (1981).
Camel: THE SNOW GOOSE (1975).
Al Stewart: MODERN TIMES (1975).
King Crimson: THE GREAT DECEIVER/LIVE 1973-74 (1992).
Rush: CHRONICLES (1991).
Grace Slick: DREAMS (1980).
U.K.: (1st) (1978).
Genesis: A TRICK OF THE TAIL (1976).
Clannad: MACALLA (1987).
Steve Tibbetts: YR (1980).
Sally Oldfield: WATER BEARER (1978).
Electric Light Orchestra: TIME (1981).
Sky: SKY2 (1980).
Amazing Blondel: FANTASIA LINDUM (1972).
Glass Moon: (1st) (1980).
Alan Parsons Project: THE INSTRUMENTAL WORKS (1988).

...That at least gives you somewhere 2 work from re: my musical taste. Any discussion?
...Maybe it would also B informative 2 make a list of great "1-sided" prog albums -- like Camel's THE SINGLE FACTOR & Jethro Tull's MINSTREL IN THE GALLERY. Or prog albums that're great in the middle but the beginning & end R mush -- like Gentle Giant's FREE HAND & THREE FRIENDS....
More lists coming soon, quite likely....

2 comments:

rastronomicals said...

No fair using compilations like The Young Person's Guide or Chronicles, methinks.

Even including a live record like Yessongs might be skirting the issue somewhat. . . .

Grace Slick, prog??

My top seven, today, only one album per band allowed


1. Third by Soft Machine
2. Tarkus by ELP
3. Close To the Edge by Yes
4. Lark's Tongue in Aspic by King Crimson
5. Animals by Pink Floyd
6. Leftoverture by Kansas
7. In the Land of Grey and Pink by Caravan

The Gryphon has landed but not been heard, and Sancious is still a work in progress.

drewzepmeister said...

My top ten in random order...

1. Yes Close to the Edge
2. Rush Hemispheres
3. Kansas Leftoverture
4. Jethro Tull Agualung
5. Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here
6. Genesis Duke
7. Supertramp ..Even in the Quietest Moments
8. ELP Brain Salad Surgery
9. Marillion Misplaced Childhood
10.Asia (s/t)

Throwing in a couple of more..

King Crimson Lark's Tongue in Aspic
Shooting Star Hang On to Your Life
Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe (s/t)