Viva Prog Rock

[BFrank]

You guys ever hear of Maserati? I saw them at SXSW last week and they were pretty amazing - with a relentless drummer. They're an all instro band from Athens, GA and very proggy. Here's a good vid of them:

I got their latest album from emusic and really enjoy it, thanks for the recommendation!!!

Glad you like it. Their live show is very good!

[Shawn]

Fantastic album, Shawn! It's got a companion album titled "Deliverance", which is heavier and more typical of Opeth's sound. Steven Wilson produced both of these, along with Blackwater Park, as Use3D mentions.

Ghost Reveries and Watershed are also both well worth checking out, if you like this sort of music.

I also watched their Lamentations video which was incredible. I love progressive metal (no shock), but I hate Death Metal style vocals...so I'm slowly easing my way into their catalog. That's why I started with Damnation, because he's got a great voice when he sings clean.

The newer albums (Ghost Reveries, etc), what are the vocals like on those albums?

Also, I recommend checking out a really bizarre experimental band called "YOB", these guys are progressive doom, the vocalist reminds me of a cross between Geddy Lee & the guy from Supertramp. Killer stuff.

Edited April 7, 2009 by Shawn

[Use3D]

I love progressive metal (no shock), but I hate Death Metal style vocals...

I'm normally not a fan of that vocal style myself, but I'm giving Opeth a free pass 'cause I know Åkerfeldt's got the chops. Besides most of the music is so multifaceted and interesting I can hear past the growls.

Also feel like I should mention Mastadon's newest album, Crack the Skye, which is another break from their usual loud, aggressive vocal style to something a little more accessible. I've only listened to it once, it's very dense, and sounds like a huge continuous song from beginning to end. I'll have to give it a few more tires before making a real opinion. Just getting into them.

[Shawn]

Also feel like I should mention Mastadon's newest album, Crack the Skye, which is another break from their usual loud, aggressive vocal style to something a little more accessible. I've only listened to it once, it's very dense, and sounds like a huge continuous song from beginning to end. I'll have to give it a few more tires before making a real opinion. Just getting into them.

See a few posts above...it's a beautiful album (yes, I said beautiful). The production is simply incredible, some of the best guitar tones I've heard in quite awhile. The album title is a dedication to the drummer's sister "Skye" who committed suicide when she was 14. I also highly recommend Blood Mountain, a very impressive album that showed them moving in this new direction.

By the way, iTunes has an exclusive version of Crack The Skye in instrumental form as a bonus.

[Aggie87]

I've Seen All Good People

[BFrank]

Thanks for that, Agg. I made it through about 10 seconds ...

[rsnd]

Suggestions needed:

Genesis

What's the best place to start with the Peter Gabriel era? I've actually never owned a single Genesis album.

Selling England and Lamb Lies Down On Broadway are, IMO, the best albums that Genesis ever made, so I'd be partial to starting there, although going through their "main sequence" of Peter Gabriel albums (Nursery Cryme through Lamb) in chronological order is a good way to do it as well.

[Shawn]

Thanks for the Genesis recommendations, I'll be checking into those soon.

...and now for something completely different.

[Free For All]

Man, I haven't listened to that in ages. One of my all-time favorites. Thijs Van Leer and Jan Akkerman! Those guys were nuts! Thanks for posting that.

[Aggie87]

For anyone interested in the Yes "In a Word" 5 disc box set, there's a seller (Deep Discount DVD CD) on Amazon offering it for about $15 shipped.

I bought it because there are a couple of exclusive tracks on it. Just like I bought the 3 disc "Ultimate Yes" set. Even though I have all of the original albums. Sigh.

Edited May 28, 2009 by Aggie87

[Matthew]

For anyone interested in the Yes "In a Word" 5 disc box set, there's a seller (Deep Discount DVD CD) on Amazon offering it for about $15 shipped.

I bought it because there are a couple of exclusive tracks on it. Just like I bought the 3 disc "Ultimate Yes" set. Even though I have all of the original albums. Sigh.

Aggie87=Chewy

[Aggie87]

For anyone interested in the Yes "In a Word" 5 disc box set, there's a seller (Deep Discount DVD CD) on Amazon offering it for about $15 shipped.

I bought it because there are a couple of exclusive tracks on it. Just like I bought the 3 disc "Ultimate Yes" set. Even though I have all of the original albums. Sigh.

Aggie87=Chewy

Hey!

I don't like Phil Collins THAT much! LOL

[Aggie87]

The recent issue of Classic Rock magazine has a Top 50 Prog Albums of all time list, that goes like this:

50 Hawkwind - Space Ritual

49 Marillion - Afraid Of Sunlight

48 Gong - Radio Gnome Invisible Part 2 Angels Egg

47 Genesis - Nursery Cryme

46 Magenta - Seven

45 Emerson Lake & Palmer - Trilogy

44 Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom

43 Genesis - Duke

42 UK - UK

41 Yes - Fragile

40 Tool - Lateralus

39 Rush - A Farewell To Kings

38 Pink Floyd - Meddle

37 Marillion - Fugazi

36 Porcupine Tree - Deadwing

35 Camel - Moonmadness

34 Rush - Snakes and Arrows

33 IQ - Subterranea

32 Spocks Beard - Snow

31 Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime

30 Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet

29 Rush - Moving Pictures

28 IQ - The Wake

27 Rush - 2112

26 Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick

25 Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt 2, Scenes From A Memory

24 Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans

23 Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells

22 Yes - The Yes Album

21 Caravan - In The Land Of Grey and Pink

20 Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos

19 Camel - Snow Goose

18 Opeth - Watershed

17 Marillion - Misplaced Childhood

16 Genesis - Trick Of The Tail

15 Van Der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts

14 Marillion - Brave

13 Emerson Lake & Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery

12 King Crimson - Red

11 Yes - Going For The One

10 Porcupine Tree - In Absentia

9 Pink Floyd - The Wall

8 Yes - Relayer

7 Genesis - Foxtrot

6 King Crimson - In The Court of the Crimson King

5 Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

4 Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

3 Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon

2 Yes - Close to the Edge

1 Genesis - Selling England By The Pound

Interesting list. It seems to cover all eras more than many lists I've seen, which have focused mainly on the 70's. I don't know if it's a list that was generated by the readers in a poll, or if it's the magazine's list.

Edited June 5, 2009 by Aggie87

[JETman]

The recent issue of Classic Rock magazine has a Top 50 Prog Albums of all time list, that goes like this:

50 Hawkwind - Space Ritual

49 Marillion - Afraid Of Sunlight

48 Gong - Radio Gnome Invisible Part 2 Angels Egg

47 Genesis - Nursery Cryme

46 Magenta - Seven

45 Emerson Lake & Palmer - Trilogy

44 Robert Wyatt - Rock Bottom

43 Genesis - Duke

42 UK - UK

41 Yes - Fragile

40 Tool - Lateralus

39 Rush - A Farewell To Kings

38 Pink Floyd - Meddle

37 Marillion - Fugazi

36 Porcupine Tree - Deadwing

35 Camel - Moonmadness

34 Rush - Snakes and Arrows

33 IQ - Subterranea

32 Spocks Beard - Snow

31 Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime

30 Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet

29 Rush - Moving Pictures

28 IQ - The Wake

27 Rush - 2112

26 Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick

25 Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt 2, Scenes From A Memory

24 Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans

23 Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells

22 Yes - The Yes Album

21 Caravan - In The Land Of Grey and Pink

20 Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos

19 Camel - Snow Goose

18 Opeth - Watershed

17 Marillion - Misplaced Childhood

16 Genesis - Trick Of The Tail

15 Van Der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts

14 Marillion - Brave

13 Emerson Lake & Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery

12 King Crimson - Red

11 Yes - Going For The One

10 Porcupine Tree - In Absentia

9 Pink Floyd - The Wall

8 Yes - Relayer

7 Genesis - Foxtrot

6 King Crimson - In The Court of the Crimson King

5 Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

4 Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

3 Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon

2 Yes - Close to the Edge

1 Genesis - Selling England By The Pound

Interesting list. It seems to cover all eras more than many lists I've seen, which have focused mainly on the 70's. I don't know if it's a list that was generated by the readers in a poll, or if it's the magazine's list.

Definitely an interesting list, including a couple of albums I wouldn't necessarily call "Prog". A little light on King Crimson though. Where's "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" and "Starless and Bible Black"? :rsmile:

[barryh471]

The recent issue of Classic Rock magazine has a Top 50 Prog Albums of all time list, that goes like this:

.

.

.

Interesting list. It seems to cover all eras more than many lists I've seen, which have focused mainly on the 70's. I don't know if it's a list that was generated by the readers in a poll, or if it's the magazine's list.

Definitely an interesting list, including a couple of albums I wouldn't necessarily call "Prog". A little light on King Crimson though. Where's "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" and "Starless and Bible Black"? :rsmile:

Here's another list -- it's the current 50 highest rated albums at Gnosis2000.net, a progressive rock-oriented ratings database (though the database contains albums from many genres). Whereas about 1/3 of the above list isn't very good, IMO (Marrillion? IQ? Top 50???) all of these albums are worth checking out, and most of them are all-time greats.

50. Mahavishnu Orchestra -- Birds Of Fire

49. Picchio Dal Pozzo -- st

48. Miles Davis -- Complete Bitches Brew Sessions

47. Frank Zappa -- You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 2

46. Miles Davis -- Cellar Door Sessions

45. Gentle Giant -- Three Friends

44. Magma -- Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh

43. Bubu -- Anabelas

42. Van Der Graaf Generator -- Godbluff

41. Magma -- K.A.

40. King Crimson -- Lizard

39. Frank Zappa -- Hot Rats

38. Mahavishnu Orchestra -- Inner Mounting Flame

37. Area -- Arbeit Macht Frei

36. Magma -- Trilogie Theusz Hamtaahk

35. Kultivator -- Bardomens Stigar

34. Anglagard -- Epilog

33. Gentle Giant -- Giant On the Box (DVD + CD)

32. Gentle Giant -- Octopus

31. Gong -- You

30. Caravan -- The Land of Grey and Pink

29. Genesis -- Nursery Cryme

28. Eskaton -- Four Visions

27. John Coltrane -- A Love Supreme

26. King Crimson -- Great Deceiver Live 1973-1974

25. Il Balletto Di Bronzo -- Ys

24. Robert Wyatt -- Rock Bottom

23. Magma -- Hai/Live

22. Miles Davis -- Kind Of Blue

21. Univers Zero -- Ceux Du Dehors

20. Pink Floyd -- Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

19. John Coltrane -- Complete Village Vanguard

18. King Crimson -- Red

17. Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso -- st

16. Gentle Giant -- In A Glass House

15. Hatfield & The North -- st

14. Jethro Tull -- Thick As A Brick

13. Van Der Graaf Generator -- Pawn Hearts

12. PFM -- Storia Di Un Minuto

11. National Health -- Of Cues And Cures

10. Genesis -- Foxtrot

9. Yes -- Close To The Edge

8. Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso -- Io Sono Nato Libero

7. Hatfield & The North -- The Rotters Club

6. Genesis -- Selling England By the Pound

5. Anglagard -- Hybris

4. PFM -- Per Un Amico

3. Banco Del Mutual Soccorso -- Darwin

2. King Crimson -- Larks Tongues In Aspic

1. King Crimson -- In The Court Of The Crimson King

[Aggie87]

That's a nice list, but of questionable value.

When it's including things like "Kind of Blue", it's sure not limiting itself to one genre.

Hard to compare a list with open boundaries to one that tries to limit itself to prog.

[BFrank]

I hate lists.

[barryh471]

That's a nice list, but of questionable value.

When it's including things like "Kind of Blue", it's sure not limiting itself to one genre.

Hard to compare a list with open boundaries to one that tries to limit itself to prog.

As I stated in my original post, what I posted was not a "list," but simply the current highest-rated (based on a modified mean) 50 albums on a particular album-rating database, which I thought might be helpful for anyone interested in some top-notch prog albums that they perhaps had not heard of. I emphasize the word "current," because it changes all of the time -- there have been at least a 20 top rated albums on that site since I discovered it a number of years ago. The criteria to participate (at least, the last time I checked) is to be able to provide ratings for at least 2000 albums right off the bat, and then be able to contibute several per week thereafter -- thereby making it a much more valuable resource than other similar sites available on the internet, which are simply places where anybody can rate anything. The site administrators use responsible statistical models to develop their averages, so that albums with few reviews won't get rated disproportionately high or low, if those relatively few reviews bunch at the top or bottom of the ratings scale. I don't know why you'd discount the jazz albums in the ratings, since the purpose of the site is "exploratory, creative and original music of the past, present and future," and jazz certainly qualifies. They have rated several thousand jazz albums. If you want to throw out the jazz albums, however, then the more prog-related albums that would replace the five slots that the jazz albums had taken up, would be:

46. Osana -- Palepoli

47. Univers Zero -- UZED

48. Area -- Crac

49. Soft Machine -- Third

50. Le Orme -- Felona e Serona

[clifford_thornton]

The second list was a little more knowledgeable than the first, it seems.

I like the self-titled Hatfields LP better than Rotter's Club, but YMMV. Not much Krautrock represented, either. No Yeti? For that matter, whither Catherine Ribeiro and Alpes?

[Aggie87]

I don't have a problem with it as a creative list, at all.

[BFrank]

Is Sunn O))) considered "prog"?

They have a new album out that was reviewed in the NY Times today.

"It all concludes with a pastoral solo from the jazz trombonist Julian Priester, who sounds secure in this setting, almost serene."

Whoa!

Edited June 10, 2009 by BFrank

[Quincy]

The gnosis site is sorta fun to mess around with because:

1) They use a 15 point scale. This is different. Face it, there's little difference between a 10 and a 5 point scale if the latter uses 1/2 points. I know I know, many people have problems with trying to quantify art, but c'mon, we all do it whether or not we're assigning points.

2) The reviewer abbreviations allow for some creative filtering. A few years ago when I discovered the site I decided to look for reviewers (note the abbreviations when looking at numerical reviews) who rated In A Silent Way, Quadrophenia and Burnt Weenie Sandwich highly as my guide. I think there were 3 people at the time who gave each album at least a 14. It ended up this system was not foolproof by any means, but it was still fun to fart around when I was bored one night.

I am not a full-blooded prog fan though I have a hell of a lot of King Crimson from all eras and a few other bands that fall in that category, but I like the gnosis site if for no other reason they recognize standard deviation in reviews, along with having a unique point scale.

[clifford_thornton]

I don't have a problem with it as a creative list, at all.

No, me neither - it surprises me that few bands outside of the UK, US, and sometimes Italy get much representation, is all.

[Shawn]

Is Sunn O))) considered "prog"?

They have a new album out that was reviewed in the NY Times today.

"It all concludes with a pastoral solo from the jazz trombonist Julian Priester, who sounds secure in this setting, almost serene."

Whoa!

Sunn O))) is considered "drone". The horn arrangements on that album are fairly far in the background, but it's definitely an interesting listen. Cuong Vu is also on the record as are a number of other guests.

It should be available via emusic, they carry Southern Lord.

[A Lark Ascending]

There seem to have been a flurry of bands in the UK in recent years, happy to 'come out' as fans of what is horribly names 'prog' and anxious to revive some of the spirit - Theo Travis' bands, Curious Paradise, Asaf Sirkis' organ/guitar/drums band come to mind.

But listening to a couple of old Hatfield and the North/Soft Machine albums last night I was struck by how wide of the mark they are. Enjoyable music, but they come at it back to front. Those prog bands were rock bands (something Dave Stewart has always insisted on), some of which had a jazzy approach to improvisation. Most of these newer bands are jazz musicians or musicians who have mainly played jazz, crossing over into an older style.

The big difference I noticed was that the newer bands follow the jazz formula - the head, solos, head format while using prog-rock like instruments and colours. With the original bands the music was often densely composed with little windows for solos (I suspect this originally was more of a UK thing...the US fusion bands seemed closer to the jazz approach).

Thinking back, one of the things I found hardest to adjust to with jazz was the skeletal nature of the compositions, being used to a music where music was composed to change direction frequently. Of course, I came to see the reason why eventually, but initially the music seemed lacking in 'event'.

It would be nice to some of these newer bands with a more composed approach. If I was a multimillionaire at pay Dave Sewart to come out of retirement and give it a crack (just as long as he brought no synths!