bgillesp
gilly
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Last Active 04-03-22 1:28 pm
Joined 12-01-15

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Prog Rock Rec Tourney

Inspired by dbizzles' recent giveaways, I've decided to do something similar. I got this on vinyl for my girlfriend who doesn't use download cards, but I'm not a huge fan of it. So, whoever recs me the best prog rock album gets the code! List is my current favs ranked for your reference. Entries limited to 3, but if there is more interest I will open it up to more.
1Marillion
Misplaced Childhood
2Yes
Close to the Edge
3Marillion
Clutching at Straws
4Jethro Tull
Thick as a Brick
5Rush
Signals
6Pink Floyd
Wish You Were Here
7Marillion
Script for a Jester's Tear
8Rush
2112
9Pink Floyd
The Wall
10Pink Floyd
The Dark Side of the Moon
11Rush
Moving Pictures
12Genesis
Nursery Cryme
13Yes
Fragile
14Marillion
Fugazi
15Kevin Ayers
Joy of a Toy

Bonus Rec
While the music was good, nothing special but good, I found the lyrics to be a little creepy. I didn't quite enjoy this as much as you Sandwich. 3.1/5
16Ayreon
Into the Electric Castle

Entry #1
There is some incredible music here. Like, really good, but there are some flaws as well. First, I don't think many people have the patience to sit through a 105 minute album. It should have been condensed. Second, while the concept was interesting, it was often very cheesy and hard to follow between long instrumental breaks (a barbarian arguing with a hippie about who knows what, maybe how to get to the electric castle[?], just was too much for me). They combine elements from tons of great prog bands very successfully in their music though, so maybe if they have a shorter, less convoluted album, I will check it later. It was very much worth a listen, but Too Convoluted/5 = 4.1/5 for me here. Also, huge props for the rec with Fish AND Anneke van Giersbergen on guest vocals. I bumped the rating a little purely for that.
17Sianvar
Stay Lost

Entry #2
The guitar was great in this album, but otherwise, it sounded like a cheap knock off of Circa Survive. The vocalist was not as strong as Green in either vocals or lyrics. It was still an enjoyable listen, though, save for a couple annoying bits. Disqualified For Not Being Prog Rock But Would Not Have Won Anyway/5 = 3.5/5
18Hail Spirit Noir
Mayhem In Blue

Entry #3
Sorry, but not only is it a stretch to call this prog rock, I just did not enjoy it very much. The intelligible lyrics were laughable, and the black metal bits were pretty generic. I do, however, think the prog rock-y bits mixed in created a really unique sound that worked well in many places. It Was Decent I Guess In Terms Of Musicality But I Didn't Like It/5 = 2.6/5
19Eddie Hazel
Rest in P

Entry #4
While this was a very smooth listen, I felt like it was much too repetitive to be truly enjoyable. The guitar work was excellent throughout, but it also came off like a display rather than as an expression. Soulless Wankery/5 = 3.1/5
20King Crimson
Red

Entry #5
I still have no clue why this band gets so much acclaim. I have to admit, Starless was a pretty great song, but beyond that, what makes these guys even as good as other prog rock bands, let alone better? I liked this more than their debut because I felt it flowed better and was more interesting musically overall, but Heavily Overrated/5 = 3.8/5
21Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Tarkus

Entry #6
I'm basically completely going back on my opinions here. The poor mix of sounds here really detracted from the album for me and I can't get past it on further listens. Where'd The Percussion Go/5 = 3.2/5
22The Enid
In The Region of the Summer Stars

Entry #7
This record was another to have a great overall prog rock sound. It instrumentally carried the melodies thought the album effectively and with surprisingly good production. The music flowed very well and conveyed a sound that took me a little bit to somewhere. That being said, none of the melodies were particularly exciting and the mood wasn't powerful enough to really stick with me. The classical influences were what really lifted this album up to stand out from others. However, Close But No Cigar/5 = 4.0/5
23Nektar
A Tab in the Ocean

Entry #8
Here is an obscure rec that actually does not deserve to be obscure. The music, lyric, and vocals are all beautifully on point here and are conveyed with enough emotion to stick with me. Although I felt the band perhaps slightly forced complexity into some of their song structures rather than allowing complexities to arise naturally, this was not a big issue at all with the album. The production was good and there wasn't anything at all that bothered me really about the album. Consistently Good And Emotional/5 = 4.1/5. It looks like a tie may be brewing.
24Premiata Forneria Marconi
L'isola di niente

Entry #9
I guess I saved the best for last. This album easily felt the most loose to me out of all the recs on the list. And for me, loose is a very good term in prog rock because it implies abandon for traditional sound and structure, exactly what the term "progressive" is meant to describe. Even though the production was pretty bad in spots, the emotional and fun and intelligent music shone through very strongly. I will be listening to this again for sure and would probably move it right below or even right above Moving Pictures in my rankings. The Winner Is Leatherneck/5 = 4.3/5
25Snaggle
The Long Slog

Entry #10
Well this was actually the last one, but I forgot about it (Sorry Calc). Anyways, this was a heavily jazz influenced instrumental album that I'd say is more jazz than prog, but still has prog rock elements. Beyond genre labels though, this young contemporary band has done really well with creating some very interesting songs. I liked this album quite a lot, and while it won't dethrone PFM, it will take a close second place slot. So Close And Maybe A Cigar/5 = 4.2/5
26Rush
Hemispheres

Bonus Rec
This moved into my number 4 slot for Rush. It was a fun and interesting little album, but it did't quite demand my attention with the catchiness of signals or the technicality and uniqueness of moving pictures. 4.2/5
27Dream Theater
Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory

Bonus Rec
While I liked this more than Images and Words and cannot even pretend to deny the talent of Petrucci and Portnoy, I still think the band is overrated as a mix of (albeit awesome) wank doesn't make a classic, especially when your singer is annoying. 4.1/5
28Bigelf
Cheat The Gallows

Bonus Rec
29The Moody Blues
Days of Future Passed

Bonus Rec
I am so glad This was recommended because I, like I'm sure many others, was unaware that a band had created this prog rock sound before King Crimson. And not only that, they did it 2 years before them. This album was ridiculously creative and a very enjoyable listen; however, with some of the experimental sounds being mixed in with a more classic rock style, the flow didn't quite always work. There Before King Crimson/5 = 4.2/5 (might get bumped with more listens though)
[edit] Okay, yeah, this is the best on here. It's now a 4.4/5 for me and I found it on vinyl in great condition for $5, so who's the real winner here? Me
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