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

If I may be so bold as to suggest a number 11 (that indeed does go all the way up to 11!) - the first Utopia album. Meets all your criteria:
Essential - (check)
Under-rated - (check)
Experimental - (check)
Rocking - (check)
Out-of-the-box - (check)
A little indulgent - (check)
Enjoy(able) - (check)

 

If its not strictly prog, what the hell does it matter?
I could think of dozens of non prog albums that have prog elements, that would be interesting for prog lovers.
Its not an overly surprising list, but cut the guy some slack. I'm interested in anything that I may have over-looked.

 

A few criticisms. I never associated Roxy's 'Stranded' with prog. If anything, their self-titled album fits the bill more than any other in their catalog. 'Selling England By The Pound' is on any prog aficionado's top ten list, hence, definitely not under the radar. 'Low' is more avant-garde than prog but it will do none-the-less. Yes' 'Relayer' wears it's progtesticles as a badge of honor. It ain't an album of deep cuts, instead, it's a macho journey on three long cuts. I would dare say that from the Yes Album to Going for the One, Yes music rests on top of prog mountain. Enjoy!

ps - Hans M,
In the future I suggest you consult with us first. We can do a poll and come up with the most underrated proggiest albums you can imagine. Now that would be a listicle for your readers to ponder.

 

Given the thread title his list almost came as a complete surprise.

 

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maybe the use of the absurd word "listicle" was intended to tip the reader off to the nature of the content

 

I won't get into any of the other stuff but if I'm picking a Manzanera album that's underrated I'm taking 801 Live. Magnificent. If Eno is there it's prog of some sort I suppose.

 

brilliant and yes, underrated, album

 

This is given as the not underrated:

A best of list would include Pink Floyd, probably King Crimson's debut 1969 full-length In the Court of the Crimson King and probably the Yes albums the band plans on performing at Hard Rock Live next month

...meaning Fragile and Close to the Edge.

For people who know those albums and like them this is a nice list of possible jumping off points to dig deeper. Of course, meeting the proper standard of "rarity" for serious prog fans is an almost impossible task - but I don't think that's what this article is trying to do. Nor is a debate of what is or isn't prog really the point. Anything that turns the kids on to Mahivishnu or Brian Eno is ok by me.

I say: nice job!

 

sounds to me like this list is more about presenting unknown, rather than underrated, prog albums--to a general audience who knows very little of the genre. Which is a fine thing to do. I think all music discussions could be improved by taking the "underrated/overrated" complex off the table.

 

But is it as acclaimed as "Low" or "Heroes"? I don't think so.

 

I don't think the debut is more "proggy" than "Stranded" or "Country Life". The elements are there all along the way untill 1975. Maybe "artrock" would be a more appropriate term but... when does artrock turn into full blown prog?

BTW: "Underrated" isn't something I would associate with Roxy Music.

 

We disagree. The S/T is unique in that Remake/Remodel rocks into a chord changing trip into Ladytron. 2HB, and the rest of the 2n'd side of the album are dark, adventurous and proggy, except for a popish 'Would You Believe'. As for Stranded, A 'Song For Europe' is more like a sad love song. 'Mother of Pearl' is the closest to prog on this disc. Great song, but not enough to call the whole record "progressive" imo.

 

"Amazona" (co-written by Manzanera, who brought much of that progressive sensibility to the band; see also Quiet Sun and 801Live) comes kind of close for me as well. I would also point to oddities on Country Life such as the medieval flavored "Triptych" as evidence of continued proggish tendencies after the debut. But on the whole, I don't consider Roxy Music to be Prog in any commonly used sense of the term.

 

Though Amazona contains about three cool adventurous movements, and it is proggy in that context, I also don't see post-Eno Roxy as a prog outfit. They lost that artsy/electronic stuff and went into the suave territory. Either era is fine music, afterall its still Roxy.

 

Yeah we disagree But I never saw a drastic change after Eno left anyway. For me the first four albums belong together. That "Stranded" is Eno's favourite Roxy album speaks volumes. Things change with "Siren" though.

 

Not a criticism, but more of an FYI: Rolling Stone did a readers' poll last year for the top prog-rock albums. Hemispheres and Selling England by the Pound made the top 10.

Nice list overall. Couldn't agree more with A Passion Play. Curious to check out what I am not familiar with already.

 

Well... being number one sometimes helps an album to become underrated () but "Selling England" is frequently listed as an essential Genesis and prog album. Isn't it? Would "Trick Of The Tail" qualify? Not as hailed as the PG stuff but then again... I don't think it is "underrated" either...

 

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

I dare you to take a shot in the listicles.

 

Even the more glossy Siren has its semi-progressive moments, IMO, like the multi-segmented "Sentimental Fool" (that opening guitar part sounds a lot like Robert Fripp to me) or Eddie Jobson's contribution, "She Sells".

 

Yeah, to use the old clichée: "Siren" is a transitional album

 

It's like a regular list, but smaller

 

If it's a word, then it's a word, man. It's the English language, so grow with it...or not. Opinions don't need to be shared. They merely like to be. Strange that the guy is getting mauled for writing a piece on "progressive" music when a lot of comments in here are as regressive as they can be.

 

Harangued is putting it a bit strongly. Definitions of prog are much debated everywhere and definitions of underrated are much debated here, so these are fair game for discussion, surely?

 

Actually, if you look at the posts directly above mine that you refer to, I would use a stronger word: mocked. Uncool, esp considering it's a new member.