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

I'd say VdGG never made a bad album in the 70s, just different shades of great. They achieved legendary status with their original classic trilogy, culminating in Pawn Hearts, but then they managed to change things up in their next incarnation, adapting more successfully than many of their prog peers, IMO. Still Life may be my favorite of the second trilogy. I also dig the The Pleasure Dome/Quiet Zone and Vital.

 

This is a very thoughtful and knowledgeable post - it sums up my feelings on Topographic exactly.

 

Yes, agreed but I find myself far less enamoured of their recent work (almost to the point of deliberate avoidance) - not sure why this is but it remains my reality l

 

1- Close To The Edge

2- Court Of The Crimson King
3- ELP 1
4- Trick Of The Tail
5- Spartacus

Pink Floyd are not a Prog Rock band. If they were, they'd be on top.

 

Interestingly, VdGG was one of the few prog bands that was almost fashionable with some of the punks, including Lydon, and it's not too hard to see why. When you listen even to older tracks like "Killer" and "Man-Erg", there is an almost punk edge there at times and albums like Godbluff and Nadir's Big Chance seem to anticipate punk as well. Figures like Hammill's friend Fripp and former label-mate Peter Gabriel also managed to weather the changes better heading into the 80s.

 

In my opinion, this is totally true, and you could easily create a separate thread on the intersection between prog and punk - although at first it seems counterintuitive, there are many parallels when it comes to thinking about deconstructing conventional approaches to music - well said, Tristero.

 

Close to the Edge.
But the debut lp of ELP has to be mentioned.
Preceded Close to Edge by two years.
I still think Pink Floyd can be considered Prog rock.
"Meddle", "Atom Heart".. I don't see how distinctions can be drawn in describing these not prog.

 

Fair point, though no band noodled/jammed at length for no discernible purpose better then the Grateful Dead, at least on the Dark Stars that topped half an hour. As a mid-70s Deadhead I was so relieved when punk broke.

For "best" prog album my top choices are ITCOTCK and Fragile. Close To The Edge and especially Tales aren't better or more prog because they're longer.

 

This is like comparing apples and pairs. The key bands are very different and ploughed their own furrow. So within these sub genres represented by one of the big 5 - Yes, Genesis, ELP, Pink Floyd (and KC were several sub genres in one band). Each of these bands had a classic hot streak of albums.
Other bands had classic one/two off albums like Camel, Supertramp, Gentle Giant, Oldfield etc.
Then we have some great 90s to current day prog - take a bow Steven Wilson, Radiohead etc
classic prog stretched from 69 (cotkc) to 77 (gfto). I dislike more prog than I like but when it is good it is the best!
In pure terms as far as admiration goes I guess there can be only one album from all of the above. It captures the essence of classic period prog whilst still being progressive and challenging. It is still a reference point today for bands, even none prog bands. Even people who hated prog whisper it's name in quiet reverence......

I give you RED by King Crimson.

 

Everyone knows that the true answer to this question is Caravan's "I n The Land Of Grey And Pink".

 

DSOTM for #1. I'd say the runners up are In the Court of the Crimson King and Close to the Edge. I don't get what the big deal is with ELP's first, I think BSS is way better and even that doesn't crack the prog top 5 IMO.

 

Ha, despite the unavoidable subjectivity inherent in such arguments that Sadcafe alludes to...Red does rule.

 

Let the myths continue. Prog was in decline by 75 and begun to burn itself out. It was an album format, punk was a singles format. Punk was far more a response to the crap on Top Of The Pops, Americanisation and cheesy DJs. Punk was nialistic and political reaction to wider events at the time. Ironically Animals by Pink Floyd is the best album of any genre to capture the era. The best Punk album ever?
Prog rose out of the era of moon landings and the white heat of the technological revolution, but one where liberation, sexual orientation and religion were at odds (hence, unlike Reed and Bowie, the retreat into safe lyrics) Punk arose from the era of oil crisis, cod wars and strikes. A kick back against the establishment. Both very British reactions to changing times. Punk grew into its own flamboyant and self obsessed monster with New Wave and New Romantics, then partly bought into Thatcherism and 'its all about self' ideology. Prog however still sells out the Albert Hall and grosses 1/2 Billion dollars on world tours (Waters) And yes, Floyd are Prog because my misses says so!

 

I agree the band was not entirely Prog but a few of the records for sure were landmarks in the category.

 

Prog magazine did this a few years back: "100 Greatest Prog Albums of All Time"

1. Close to the Edge
2. Crimson King
3. Selling England
4. Dark Side of the Moon
5. Thick as a Brick

 

probably Close To The Edge...

Tales is good... but does not hold together that well over four album sides. The Revealing Science of God however, could be the best song from the prog rock canon.

I don't think King Crimson, ELP, and others that rank close to the top can top these. To me it's the lyrics in the songs by Yes that put them over the top. I have my ARW tickets and can't wait.

 

Hatfield & the North...
Often overlooked, Dave Stewart, Genius keyboards...

 

Especially with Thatcher just round the corner!

 

Something suitable.
YES?

 

Yep, Punk certainly paved the way for Thatcher.

 

Close to the Edge

 

With Dark Side Of The Moon I'd suggest that people ask themselves this question: if DSOTM is one of the best-selling albums in history, and it's Prog's crowning achievement, why isn't Prog in general more commercially successful than it is?

When someone says they like DSOTM, what else should they listen to, I'd never think: well, how about Close To The Edge, Foxtrot, Thick As A Brick, Red? I'd think: how about OK Computer, another album that while having progressive elements is certainly not 'Prog Rock' as usually understood, or maybe Pyramids or Crime Of The Century. DSOTM plays to an audience that doesn't like Prog, and that's not because it's so quintessentially Prog that it wins them over but because it's something other than Prog. Quadrophenia, Abbey Road, Tubular Bells and Led Zep IV also have progressive rock elements, but you can't really call them the 'crowning achievement' of a genre that they brush up against rather than inhabiting fully.

I'm not a Yes fan but I have to admit that they probably win this, and I think it's with CTTE rather than Tales. Still, I am a Genesis fan and I'm running with Foxtrot because there is nothing more Prog than the second side of that album, and "Supper's Ready" isn't even my favourite track on it.

 

Queen II.



And Close to the Edge. The only two perfect efforts, IMO.

 

You know, it just hit me. DSOTM is a fine album. A classic, in fact. A favorite of mine, and impeccably produced.

Having said all that, I'm like, hmmm... no complicated time signatures. No classical influences. It's trippy sounding, like space music. And the songs range from funk (Money) to folk (Brain Damage) but alas... not a lot of staple prog hooks anywhere on the album. Nifty studio tricks (On The Run) and songwriting that strikes me as much more profound and insightful than hippie stoner rock.

It's a brilliant experiment that happens to merge pop, folk, and rock roots with conceptualism and it's a masterpiece. But having keyboards/synths and studio wizardry doesn't make it prog.

 

Lame point of reference about Dark Side. I could equally ague if someone liked Brain Salad surgery I would not point them towards Genesis or Yes. Definitions of prog are pointless. You have your narrow parameters and I have wider ones. The argument that people enjoy Dark Side because it is not Prog! WTF. You need to give your head a wobble.