I dared to write a listicle of "essential but underrated" prog LPs

OK, guys, go easy on me here. I even consulted with a fellow prog fan before I dared write this. These are some albums that aren't necessarily considered cornerstones of progressive rock but still embody the essential spirit of the "genre:" experimental, rocking, out-of-the-box and a little indulgent. Enjoy:

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/c...essential_and_underrated_prog_rock_albums.php

 

Nice list, although I'm not sure most see Low as underrated.

 

Thanks, Spacement! I threw in Low just because it's not often thrown into the prog category. Bowie is often first associated with Ziggy and then "Let's Dance" before the Berlin albums. Those albums are only for the deeper Bowie fans. I was thinking about callind the list "deep-albums" in prog genre or somesuch, you know like "deep cuts" in a band's oeuvre, but that was too complicated.

 

That is because "Low" is not a prog album at all. If you want to include Bowie take "The Man Who Sold The World". "Low" may be many things, "underrated" it is not. That would be "The Idiot", "Low"'s dry run if you wish...

 

Once I saw the word "underrated" and a picture of Eno's Another Green World, I decided I'll read the article later. Green World in my group of listening friends, has always been considered way up there and rated high.

I will go back to this later. Thanks.

 

What's a listicle?

 

x2

 

Murmaids old hit
Popsicle and Listicle
Blame Kim Fowley.

 

Yeah, I think your article would be better served if it were titled differently. "The Ten Most Underrated Prog Rock Albums" had me expecting to see some overlooked gems by Henry Cow or Amon Duul II or Strawbs or Curved Air or Eloy or Gong or somebody... Things nobody bought or were unfairly slagged. Most of the albums in your list are pretty well-known, have sold in large amounts, and have received a lot of accolades. I'd re-title it "A Beginners Guide to Prog Rock" or something. And a couple of the entries do stretch the concept of "prog" a little bit, but not egregiously.

Please take that as just a constructive thought; the writing looked pretty good.

 

You're obviously right in modern times, but one could probably make the case that it went a little underrated back in 77, especially with "Heroes" later in that same year getting much more acclaim (I think it was even album of the year at NME), along with all the other amazing records that year, truly one of the best years in rock music. I'm not sure the time period when "Low" became one of Bowie's most beloved records, now it evens comes out very high on many best of the 70's lists, but it's always been close to my favorite. Agree about the progressive tag, but doesn't really matter, call it what you want, still a great record, I think even moreso than in '77.

 

I don't know, but a doctor's visit might be in order.

 

very strange list - not sure how you define "prog" but I wouldn' t expect somebody to file Roxy Music or David Bowie in this category - and to call Selling England by the pound underrated doesn't make any sense at all - sorry

 

I didn't know either - looked it up:

In journalism and blogging, a listicle is a short-form of writing that uses a list as its thematic structure, but is fleshed out with sufficient copy to be published as an article. A typical listicle will prominently feature a cardinal number in its title, such as "10 Ways to Warm Up Your Bedroom in Winter"

So I guess we do a lot of listicles here, right ?? Learn something every day........

 

That's funny, one of my best friends, Ed Matus, just posted a link to your article on the Facebook and I just finished checking it out. Love "Mother of Pearl," but I'm not sure I would call Selling England By the Pound underrated. Looks like you and I have a few mutual FB friends. Welcome to the forum!

 

Well... I just played "Stranded" today and it certainly is as much "Prog" as it is "Glam". Roxy is strange in that aspect

 

Some great choices here-- I'd pick "Hemispheres" as the album on which Rush became a prog band.

I'd quibble with Relayer being underrated-- in many corners it's considered their best album-- but it certainly seems underrated by Yes themselves.

 

I don't think someof those albums are underrated at all. Now a few aren't as well known as they should be.

 

Just a few of my own choices: Henry Cow (the one with the blue sock), Eno's Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, Robert Wyatt's Ruth is Stranger than Richard, or Rock Bottom, or End of an Ear, Gong's Flying Teapot/Angel's Egg/You trilogy...and I'll throw in one of the grandaddy's of the genre, Terry Riley's Rainbow in Curved Air.

 

Interesting selection of albums. I love most of them, but as others have pointed out, a lot of these are widely celebrated. After a while tags like "underrated" get a little vague. Now, King Crimson's Islands strikes me as an album with a relatively poor reputation, though I really enjoy it for what it is (side one is excellent), so I can see that one as an unsung gem. A Passion Play also suffers from a dodgy rep in some circles, but that one along with its predecessor, really is the material that appeals most strongly to the prog crowd. It's a pretty rarefied taste, rather like Islands.

Of course, many would bristle at the attachment of the dreaded "prog" label to a lot of this music as well--Bowie, Roxy, Eno, Faust. (I'm always a bit surprised by what a strongly negative connotation that word has for some, including a lot of fans of those artists I just mentioned. I've definitely been challenged for throwing the p-word around too liberally on this board in the past.) I'd describe them as being broadly progressive in the best sense, but not really capital P Prog, if you know what I mean. Those guys were closer to experimental art rock, if I were to try to pigeonhole it. Mahavishnu is jazz fusion of course, which I guess can be viewed as sort of a parallel movement to some of the more jazz oriented prog. (Did I qualify all that properly, Roger? )

 

I think for the average music fan these are probably obscure albums, so cudos.
However, for here these are pretty mainstream, however, maybe do another article that
sprinkles some true obscurities with some more well known as enticements for general readers.

 

Stranded and Selling England were UK #1 albums. Hardly underrated

 

Nice list of albums.

Too bad most aren't prog and/or underrated.

 

I await your listing of Ziggy Stardust and Electric Warrior in a 'listicle' of essential but underrated Glam Rock LPs. Seriously, I'm starting to wonder if your friend set you up.

 

Wow, new member risks posting his list, gets harangued over the definitions of both "prog" and "underrated." Nice going.

 

The Idiot might have not sold all that well but it has always been held in high regard as far as I can tell.