The Greatest Prog-Rock Album Ever Made

[TheWizardOfMudd]

[The Traveler]

1. Either that or Brain Salad Surgery or maybe

Or maybe Free Hand or maybe ... Tough call. Damn I like progressive rock ...

[Systematic Chaos]

2. Hey thanks for bringing this up!

Don't forget:

"Pawn Hearts" by Van Der Graaf Generator

"Foxtrot" by Genesis

"Red" by King Crimson

and not exactly "progressive" but still an awesome album...

"Tubular Bells" by Mike Oldfield

[TheWizardOfMudd]

3. Hammer me if you must

But I think The Beatles brought rock from the first dimension to the second, and Yes brought it from the second dimension to the third.

4. King Crimson - 3 of A Perfect Pair

I may be alone (or at least a little lonely), but I love that album.

[sendero]

7. You are....

...alone :) Being a major KC fan, I'd rank that one as one of their poorest.

Now Red or Larks' Tongues in Aspic - those might well be the best prog rock albums ever recorded. Or is that "art rock". Whatever :)

9. You love it or you hate it

the Perfect Pair album divides humanity into blacksand whites -no greys :)

[sendero]

41. One thing for sure...

.... it is aptly named. They should have stopped at 2 :) Actually, upon reflection, Discipline was the only great one of that set. So, they should have stopped at 1!

[Wilber_Stool]

13. It's too bad.......

you didn't ask whats the best album cover ever. King Crimson easily nails that one down. I think you know the one I mean, Court of the Crimson King.

[clonebot]

5. ahahahahhaahahaaha

i said 'yes' even before the album cover pic loaded on my pc! that was funny.

[Quahog]

6. "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway"

I adore "Close To The Edge," but TLLDOB by Genesis not only stands as an outstanding example of the musical genre (outstanding musicianship, sophisticated arrangements, odd time signatures), but it also remains the finest "concept" album of all time. It's narrative qualities are a fascinating and disturbing component of the experience. There are songs on that recording that creeped me out when I was 14, and they creep me out today at 44.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

21. Chalk up another one to TLLDOB

They don't make acid as powerful as what Peter Gabriel took to make that anymore.

[4_Legs_Good]

27. Best album ever - The Lamb

Only contender I can think of is King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King.

Genesis outdid themselves with TLLDOB, which is probably what necessitated their collapse afterwards. Nothing could ever measure up.

Just as an aside, I don't believe that PG used any drugs to inspire The Lamb, though I certainly wouldn't hold it against him if he did. I'm a Genesis fanatic, and he maintains that (at least at that time) he had only ever eaten like one hash brownie by mistake. Who knows if it's true, though.

Anyway, You listen to the closing Cinema Show off of "Selling England by the Pound" and you think - "nothing could possibly top this", and then you go to the record store in 1974 and pick up the Lamb. It must have been magical. Unfortunately I was 3.

david

[markus]

8. An old fart Yes and KC fan converted to: Radiohead-OK Computer

If I was making a list of five, KC Red, Generis TLLDOB and Yes Close to the Edge would likely be on it. So would OK Computer.

That's four.

Umm... Damn, this is tough. If I had to pick an ELP record (and I really should), I'd have to heavily lean toward Tarkus.

[Failure]

10. does TOOL count? If so, Aenima, if not, Dream Theater

Once in a live time.

[Colin Ex]

17. Tool = too much filler.

I think I'd listen to AEnima a lot more if it were 50 minutes.

-C

[VelmaD]

23. Totally agree...

Tool ROCKS! And Aenima is the second greatest album ever to have sex to (after NIN's Downward Spiral).

[southpaw]

11. Never could pick between CTTE or...

[chenGOD]

12. I'll go with the latter...

but just barely. tough choice.

[southpaw]

14. Do you remember those cassettes from the late 70's-early 80's

That had a complete album on each side of the cassette? I had the one with Close To The Edge on one side and Fragile on the other. Because of that, I have a hard time separating the two albums in my mind. It was like THE most amazing Yes album imaginable. You could listen to "Heart of the Sunrise" then flip the tape and hear "Siberian Khatru"

Damn! That rocked!

[TrogL]

15. Brain Salad Surgery

Tarkus is a close second

[Zero Gravitas]

16. Agreed

Great album!

[Whitacre D_WI]

18. No, THIS is the greatest prog-rock album ever made:

[ProfessorGAC]

19. I'll Go With Beat! Crimson, But One Album Earlier Than demwing

That whole period from Discipline to Kaboom may be the best ensemble playing in rock history. I was never a giant Crimson fan (i liked them, but not wildly) until those 5 albums came out. Now, i think that may be one of the 3 best bands in any genre.

My other pick for prog-rock, non-Crimson, would be Yessongs. That live album was terrific, in that it was meticulously performed and recorded, but it had an energy that Yes's studio work lacked. It was less mechanical and more powerful. I played that album back in the mid-70's until the grooves wore off.

The Professor

[redqueen]

20. Accursed red x!

Genesis TLLDOB (new Lamb out in May!!!) or Foxtrot (Supper's Ready!) would be my picks. Trespass is still my favorite Genesis though. Fragile is most definitely my fave Yes album.

A friend has a prog rock band that's struggling. So if you're curious, or just like laughing at struggling musicians' web pages, check 'em out! www.thesacredclown.com

[redqueen]

24. New Lamb!

Did you guys see that? I wonder if it will be a single or how they'll release it or what... not that anyone else cares. *mope*

[4_Legs_Good]

28. By new lamb, do you mean the 5.1 dolby deal?

I don't know much about it. Who's doing the mixing? What's the deal?

Best album ever!

david

[redqueen]

29. Yes!

Nick Davis is done with the mixing... Rutherford and Banks are fiddling with it now or maybe they're done as well.

It really is the best. I simply CAN NOT WAIT!

[4_Legs_Good]

32. Woo hooo!!!

I had only heard rumors about this before. Fantastic!!! Now how can I get the house to myself for 2 hours to listen to it full blast.

Is Peter involved at all with the production? What about Steve? I think Steve in large part made the album what it is with his incredibly atmospheric guitar playing. The Lamb is mostly, IMO, an atmosphere album.

Ahhhhhhh, sweet, sweet atmosphere.

Not a bad album from Tresspass to the Lamb, but I think that every one was better than the last, except maybe Foxtrot wasn't quite as good as Nursery Cryme, but Supper's Ready is so perfect that it may tilt the balance. Still the Musical Box is my favorite song EVER.

david

[redqueen]

34. Don't know if Steve or Peter are involved

Like you, I'll be struggling to find a way to get the house to myself for a good serious listen. :D

[FrankBooth]

22. The Yes Album

I love that album.

[phillybri]

25. "Images And Words" by Dream Theater

IMHO

[phillybri]

33. "Operation:Mindcrime" by Queensryche...

Now I can't make up my mind!

[NightTrain]

26. If you say so....

:shrug:

[neverborn]

30. Metropolis pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory

Dream Theater

[XNASA]

31. 1. "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" - Genesis

2. "Relayer" - Yes
3. "Foxtrot" - Genesis
4. "Lark's Tongue in Aspic" - King Crimson
5. "Pawn Hearts" - Van Der Graaf Generator

[redqueen]

35. Nitpick

I think I've been saying this wrong for ages! Is it "Lark's Tongue" or "Lark's Tongues"?

[XNASA]

36. It's "Larks' Tongues".

My mistake.

[redqueen]

37. Oh thank goodness

I just found out I've been pronouncing 'habanero' wrong this week. I don't think I could've handled finding out I've been making TWO major errors all my life in one week. Well, not all my life, but ever since I heard of habaneros and Lark's Tongues in Aspic, anyway.

:hi:

[RT Atlanta]

38. ELECTRIC LADYLAND

That's my vote. Dig the yes, but gotta go with Hendrix.

[JCMach1]

39. Rush-- 2112

or

David Bowie-- Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust

[Burma Jones]

40. Dark Side of the Moon (n/t)

[sendero]

42. Actually...

... Relayer is much better :)