"Prog's crowning achievement" — Which LP is it?

I'm not so sure I would characterize Heaven and Earth that way...

 

Ain't nothing wrong with any of those records. It aligns with my gut feeling that CTTE is the consensus pick, but it doesn't include my personal favorite, Yes' Relayer.

 

I think this is what I was trying to say and didn't know how. Interesting to me I said roots soul when Blues wasn't apparent to me; but I think you said a mouthful there and that jibes with my belief that there is pretty much nil Blues in The Lamb.

 

More like Yes' nadir, too toothless and watered down to be considered genuinely progressive.

 

I would agree with that. You hear the remnants of some black American music in Phil's drums, but that's it.

 

Couldn't argue with Close to the Edge or Tales.

 

There's a lyrically quote to a Drifters song in the very first song.

 

I don't see how you can pick just one. There too many great albums. It seems to me it would be far easier to pick the ten best or something like that, and even that would be difficult at best. It's like trying to pick your favorite food when you know darn well it really just depends on your mood at the time.

 

There's a very obvious r&b/soul influence in "The Chamber Of 32 Doors". That's not to say it IS an r&b/soul song (as it would clearly be way too far of a stretch to make that claim), but the influence is definitely there. I don't see how anyone can miss it!

 

You're absolutely right. I forgot about that.

 

The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, but I don't consider PF a prog band, nor Supertramp.

 

Nice to see that there are so many VDGG fans here!

 

True, the Phil can of worms if you will I suppose, with all due respect of course.

I finally tracked down and have had in heavy rotation recently an original CD of The Lamb, so all of this is fresh in my head, but I feel there is a certain distopic, Orwellian struggle; a huge and grand statement at issue. Whether there is a payoff isn't really the issue for me on this question.

Maybe that is it for me; Yes always pays off and has a true heart to its message, a certain love always comes through.

This is proving a fascinating question for me, but I think the purest prog struggles with love as a message. There is a modicum of coldness for me. I think I would head for ELP or King Crimson maybe next before Yes. I will say Rush being mentioned is interesting.

Last thought, Steve Wilson should hit the Genesis canon next no?

 

It's a toss up for me. Elp's Trilogy or Brain Salad Surgery. It all depends on which day you ask me.

 

Since about a week ago, TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS. World-class restoration by Steven Wilson that puts all the pieces back together as they should be heard (or in the case of 5.1 mix, takes them apart!).

 

That was playing for me while you posted that, and while I sympathize, the next three songs completely wipe away any notion it ever happened! Just saying

 

In The Court Of The Crimson King. The first true prog album is still the best.

Though Larks Tongues In Aspic is certainly up there too in my book.

 

1. Selling England By the Pound
2. Lamb Lies on the Broadway
3. Per Un Amico

 

In the Court of the Crimson King by a million miles.... I love Pink Floyd but they were something else.

 

I completely agree about Floyd. They were atmospheric, sometimes symphonic, and sonically exploratory, but not hard core prog to me.

I guess I ascribe a certain amount of virtuosic musicianship with prog, where Floyd were very often meat and potatoes rock.

 

yeah more psychedelic. I know they started that way but even later I personally wouldn't call them a prog band.

 

Tales for me.

Is Red actually Prog? Maybe "Starless", but I see the other tracks as Proto-metal. Ok, maybe some bits of "Fallen Angel" too.

 

A question for all the obvious lovers of prog on this thread - and I will preface this potentially heretical comment by stating that I love most prog, from ELP to VDGG to Yes unequivocally, but...Do you see why the Stooges, Sex Pistols, The Damned, et al. had to rise and stun the advance of prog?

To me, it had to do with addressing the evil twin of prog innovation - noodling/jamming at length for no discernible purpose, while perhaps mixing in some fantasy lyrics about a world no one will ever live in. This was fine for a while, but ultimately it did not reflect the world around us, especially if you were just starting out in life after the death of the hippie dream.

 

Again, Relayer is my personal pick, but I just spun the second Curved Air album and: DAMN!