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User
Reviews 14
Approval 92%
Soundoffs 77
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Last Active 11-10-19 11:08 pm
Joined 08-16-12
Review Comments 7,624
| Prog - A Beginning - WINNER
The votes are in. Unfortunately, the 1,395,308 last minute RYM pm ballots for Syzygy were held void in the Supreme Court of Prog. All of RYM is in tears.
Here is the final tally: REGAL WORM: 52 votes - Jordsjo: 48 votes - Yolk: 46 votes - Hermann Szobel: 44 votes.
The true winner is Regal Worm - Pig Views! Congrats Jethro for the second win in this tournament series.
Feel free to rave about your personal favorites from the tourney, vent about the state of prog, etc. Is this Friday the 13th of August, 2021 the true end, or only the beginning? | | 1 |  | Regal Worm
Pig Views
WINNER!
"Modern prog band featuring a multi-instrumentalist experimenting avant gardist music. Band is injecting Medieval and psychedelic touches in their weird kind of prog that contains start and stop patterns and eccentric turns. Alternance of punchy and pastoral ambiences give tonus to the mix. It's generally sophisticated and simple in the same time. It's really melodic, and vocals serve as an instrument. Good use of mellotrons, organs and many more keys and synths. Kinda Beck on acid, making prog." - Jethro42
On Bandcamp: https://regalworm.bandcamp.com/album/pig-views
[also on Spotify] | | 2 |  | Jordsjo
Nattfiolen
Second place
"A sweet piece of bingeable Norweigen prog. Replete with synth and flute there’s no hiding the influence of Jethro Tull, but it’s truest ancestry lies in the melodicism of early Camel and Swedish instrumentalist Bo Hansson. For me, good prog tricks the listener into feeling like he’s hearing something playful but familiar while still pushing the experimental boundaries and Nattfiolen is one of the finest examples of that in recent memory. Headphones are the only way to listen, as some of the stereo effects really bring the fairy tale to life." - Inoculaeted
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/54Ooribd5hSPdl2keRxLBT
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qPeIJkyf84 | | 3 |  | Yolk
Solar
Third place
"Incredible fluid layering of sounds with a tricked-out, almost krautrock approach to rhythm. Playful vocals and vibrant atmosphere, whole thing sounds like a wonky prog forest. And they keep it tight, under 40 minutes long, praise be." - porcupinetheater
Bandcamp: https://yolkmusic.bandcamp.com/album/solar | | 4 |  | Hermann Szobel
Szobel
Fourth place
"Child prodigy Hermann Szobel composed and produced one album at the age of 18 before he disappeared from the music world completely. The album has a Frank Zappa vibe, with emphasis on piano (Szobel's instrument), percussion, and vibraphone. It was obscure even when it was released in the 70s, but a 2012 reissue has given us a second chance to enjoy it." - TwigTW
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2VUcwcNH6YbFCPfntYcYdG?si=iBz1ZcHoRta7TNbKOWMizg | | 5 |  | Procol Harum
Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
Second tier
"This was Procol's best selling album ever. The pluses include live performances of some of Procol's proggiest material ever, including their 19-minute opus classic 'In Held 'Twas in I', and the acknowledged best version of their song "Conquistador" (much better than the studio version on their first album). The LP is also historic as being one of the earliest collaborations between a symphony orchestra and a rock band. The only real minus in that their great guitarist Robin Trower was no longer with them, and organist Matthew Fisher had also long since left the band. But Dave Ball and Chris Copping do a fine job in their place, and Procol lyricist Keith Reid makes an appearance on 'In Held 'Twas in I' during the spoken interlude that begins, 'Held close by that which some despise'. Overall, this was one of the classic live albums of the 1970s, and a highlight the career of one of my favorite bands." - Divaman | | 6 |  | Pendragon
Love Over Fear
Second tier
"A neo-prog gem from one of the most underrated bands in the entire genre who’ve been at it for decades.
Is it a tad cheesy, a bit over produced and lacking a certain something? Yes but I’ll be buggered if it’s not one of the greatest albums of the last few years." - zakalwe | | 7 |  | Seru Giran
La Grasa de las Capitales
Second tier
"One of the many projects by Charly Garcia, one of the biggest names in latin rock. La Grasa de las Capitales is a slow, bluesy prog album with what feels to me like a very nocturnal and urban vibe. Also a lot of jazz fusion into it, and your classic argentinian vocals!" - MrSirLordGentleman | | 8 |  | Ibio
Cuevas De Altamira
Second tier
"Really cool 70s release, blending in spanish folk music and progressive rock which works astonishingly well. There are great compositions on here and I didn't know before that prog sounded so sweet with the spanish language." - farmerobama | | 9 |  | Quiet Sun
Mainstream
Second tier
"I love the Canterbury prog style. As a real contestant for the first time, and it seems the last too, I needed to choose one of its albums and Mainstream is one of the best albums to that of the '70s. I love the album and Manzanera guitar style." - TheIntruder | | 10 |  | Kollektiv
Kollektiv
Second tier
"Jazzy krautrock mit flute. More effects pedals than your Dad's favourite band. Viele spass fur alles. 2 votes just doesn't cut it. This write-up is short, but this album is long." - MiloRuggles | | 11 |  | Syzygy
A Glorious Disturbance
"Syzygy is an American prog band that began under the name "Witsend" back in the 1980s. By this live album, their last major work before disbanding, most of these middle-aged dudes had been playing unapologetic retro prog for decades, and it shows in the best possible way. Tight harmonies, interesting keyboard sounds, shredding bass and guitar, complex drum rhythms, you know what you are going to get, you just my be surprised how good it is. Songs from their entire back catalog are more than replicated with grooving performances and pristine sound quality, and songs like "Coronation," a new song about the prodigal son story, prove they had the songwriting to be as well known as Spock's Beard or Echolyn." - Friday13th | | 12 |  | Colosseum II
War Dance
"In the mid 2000's when my wife and I were DINKS (dual income no kids) there was an old record store within walking distance, with 1000's of records, the guy made everything without a name on it (Beatles/Stones/etc.) was either $1.99 or $3.99. I would spend hours in there and come home with armfuls twice a week. I got good at picking unknown stuff that fit my ear. I was stocking my shelves with perfect inclusions for this album years before there was such a wonderful thing. Which is where Colosseum II comes in. It probably caught my eye because of the inclusion of Gary Moore of Thin Lizzy fame. I promise you it will not sound like Thin Lizzy Instead this sounds like a awesome progressive jazz fusion band that makes it all work somehow. Every band members influences are on display throughout. A most fun album with changing styles coming in and out of focus." - wham49 | | 13 |  | Moose Loose
Elgen Er Los
"Moose Loose was a 70s Norwegian instrumental progressive rock and jazz fusion band. I love how dynamic and eclectic this album is. It can both jam out and be soulful. The musicanship is on point and all instruments (guitars and keys very prominently and well-done, but the bass guitar and drums are both still excellent) harmonize very well together. It's a very engaging album all the way through. Also this has to be one of the best bandnames ever." - Pangea | | 14 |  | Soft Machine
Hidden Details
"Soft Machine's latest record is way better than you'd expect, these are experienced prog musicians doing their thing, and it feels almost effortless, even at their current age. This record is packed with some richly atmospheric jazzy tracks, and while it might not be up there with their best, it's still a very strong record that is befitting of the band and canturbury scene's name." - Sharktooth | | 15 |  | Tantra
Mistérios e Maravilhas
"It definitely shows the best symphonic prog in Portugal. The album is full of long instrumental passages, loaded with feeling and elegance, beautiful melodies and a strong emotional charge, with ripped solos from keyboards and electric guitars, and percussion with multi-rhythmic dynamics. Almost all instrumental, only two tracks have lyrics: À Beira do Fim and Partir Sempre, curiously the first and the last one, respectively." - Zig | | 16 |  | Tarantula (ESP)
Tarántula
"As some of y’all may have figured out by now, I love Spanish/Portuguese-language prog, and this album is one of my new favorites from Spain. While there are some obvious similarities to some well known bands like Jethro Tull or Marillion (synth tones are a lot like Marillion, but this came out first), they also have plenty of uniqueness to their sound incorporating touches of blues. All in all, they are a mix of quite a few of my favorite things in prog and I hope there is something for everyone on this record." - bgillesp | | 17 |  | Strawbs
Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios
"Strangely, this is a classic prog album of the 70's but that went unnoticed even by many prog heads. This is a very important and curious album, mainly due to four things. First, technically this is a live album because it was recorded live, but in reality it's a brand new album it terms of tracks. Second, this album was the real turning point to Strawbs, the album that made of them a true prog band, in my opinion, one of the best prog folk bands ever. Third, this the first of the two albums of Strawbs with Rick Wakeman as a band's member, the album that catapulted him to the stardom, you know, Yes. Forth, this is, in my opinion too, one of the best prog albums of the beginning of the 70's." - e210013 | | 18 |  | Hercules and Lernaean Hydra
Σε Άλλους Κόσμους (In Other Worlds)
"It's an album that bursts with creativity and musicality. It's apparent it was created by people who loved music and paid attention to detail. It's never static in one place and genre, and this fluidity is further highlighted by the numerous different singers that guest here, and the more than 80 (!) different instruments used for the end result. It wouldn't be a 70's greek prog album without numerous references to Greek folk music and of course all the lyrics are in Greek as well." - Mythodea | | 19 |  | Alas (AR)
Alas
"Lovely album from the Argentinian outfit Alas, released in 1976. Brings to mind ELP and Return to Forever, but with a distinct twist." - normaloctagon | | 20 |  | Collegium Musicum
Collegium Musicum
"When Czechoslovakia did not allow foreign band names except for Latin, these four Slovak composers, music theorists, jazzmen and experimentators chose a Latin name meaning "music collective" and set out to teach the world (but mostly Czechoslovakia) the extents of musical possibilities. In a society that is being drilled into its head that the only good musical genre is classical music and all that rock and jazz is just the Western usurpers trying to undermine the good communist morale, these absolute mad lads pretty much put the whole musical propagandist idea on its head, delivering rock music composed as classical concertos, elaborate jazz pieces and that sweet professional-educated-musician spiel that knocks the heathens outta park babey! Their influence is strongly felt on Czech and Slovak music scene today including various legendary bands like Blue Effect or The Plastic People of the Universe." - someone | |
Friday13th
08.13.21 | Hey y'all, have fun in the comments. But whatever you do, PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR TOMORROW. Pursuant to proper Sputnik etiquette, I need to wait a day before making another list. | bgillesp
08.13.21 | 2021- What a great tournament year! Here is my final ranking. Congrats to the winner and finalists!
1. Tantra- Misterios e Maravilhas 4.5 (round 1)
2. Tarantula- s/t 4.45 (round 8)
3. Regal Worm- Pig Views 4.25 (round 7)
4. Herman Szobel- 4.15 (round 6)
5. Ibio- Cuevas de Altamira 4.15 (round 8)
6. Seru Giran- La Grasa de las Capitales 4.15 (round 4)
7. Jordsjo- Nattfiolen 4.15 (round 2)
8. Hercules and Lernaean Hydra- In Other Worlds 4.15 (round 6)
9. Procol Harum- Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra 4.1 (round 1)
10. Phil Manzera/Quiet Sun- Mainstream 4.05 (round 9)
11. Strawbs- Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios 4.05 (round 7)
12. Kollektiv- s/t 4.05 (round 10)
13. Yolk- Solar 4.0 (round 5)
14. Pendragon- Love over Fear 3.95 (round 3)
15. Syzygy- A Glorious Disturbance 3.95 (round 3)
16. Soft Machine- Hidden Details 3.95 (round 5)
17. Alas- s/t 3.85 (round 4)
18. Moose Loose- Eigen Er Los 3.8 (round 2)
19. Collegium Musicum- s/t 3.6 (round 10)
20. Colosseum II- War Dance 3.2 (round 9) | Friday13th
08.13.21 | @bgillesp Glad you enjoyed, yes lots of great stuff. Dang, you scored 'em down to the twentieth of a point! lol | bgillesp
08.13.21 | 4-8 was essentially a 5-way tie for me which made the semifinal round very difficult | bgillesp
08.13.21 | It’s essentially a 100 point scale divided by 20 to fit the Sputnik 5 point scale @Friday | Pangea
08.13.21 | oh i like the full ranking bgillesp. lemme do that too. havent heard some in a while though so mostly drawing from memory
1. Regal Worm: 4+
2. Procol Harum: 4+
3. Soft Machine: 4+
4. Yolk: 4+
5. Moose Loose: 4
6. Herman Szobel: 4
7. Collegium Musicum: 4
8. Jordsjo: 4-
9. Seru Giran: 3.5+
10. Collosseum: 3.5+
11. Ibio: 3.5
12. Tarantula: 3.5
13. Tantra: 3.5-
14. Pendragon: 3+
15. Hercules etc: 3+
16. Kollektiv: 3+
17. Stawbs: 3
18. Quiet Sun: 3-
19. Szygy: 3-
20. Alas: 2.5+ | Pangea
08.13.21 | congrats to regal worm! worthy winner | zakalwe
08.13.21 | Thanks for putting this on Friday it was immense!! And thanks for all those who put their recommendations in.
Fave album was Regal Worm fave discovery was Seru Giran. | Inoculaeted
08.13.21 | Grats Jethro. Pig Views is an awesome and unique album. As a total weirdo it’s a beautiful representation of the sput community. | e210013
08.13.21 | Finally, it ended. It was very long, but I'm very pleased with this tourney. This was probably the best tourney in which I participated. I didn't give less than 3.5 to any album, and in this case, we are talking about to 20 and not 16 albums in competition.
As is usual I was amazed with the quality of all these prog albums that unfortunatelly are almost unknown, and not only here on Sputnik. Probabby, for me, the two huge surprises were Nattfiolen and Szobel, but by different reasons.
Nattfiolen represents what I most love in the modern prog albums, a certain retro prog but with a modern touch. And I really think that in our days only Italian and Nordic bands are able to do that in a very special and own way, but always with an amazing huge quality. They're the true followers of the great prog made in the 70's but without cloning it.
Szobel is a hidden pearl unfortunatelly forgotten of the golden era of prog. Hermann is an amazing artist with great skills, in what concerns to composition and execution. Besides, the history if his life is really amazing and impressive too. We can ask if his life had been different how great it could had been as an artist.
A reference to some other albums that I had never heard before. I was very impressed with Solar, Kollektiv, A Glorious Disturbance, Tarántula, In Other Workds, Ibio, Collegium Musicum and Regal Worm. All are great in their own way. But, for Regal Worm I have some special words.
So, a word to the winer, Pig Views. This is really a surprising album, a great winner of this tourney, despite would fit very well if other of the finalists had won. This is an album a bit difficult to digest by me because it has too much influences. However, the musicanship is excellent, a real tour the force of an album. This is an album that needs several listenings to full appreciate it. Congrats Jethro, my friend. After all, it seems that I was wrong and you was right. You really chose the right horse.
Finally, a word to Friday. This was the fourth time I participated in one of his tourneys. All were amazing and all gave me an amount of bands and albums that otherwise I would probably never know. It's a pity that it will be his last tourney, at least as organizer. But this is life. So, in what concerns to me, and I'm sure that all have the same feelings, thanks pal. We'll see here on Sputnik, surely. | Jethro42
08.13.21 | It came a bit as a surprise. The other finalists were redoutable competitors. It was an intense run. Champagne everybody PSHHHHHH
I'll come back with my favorite discoveries. It was a pleasure to listen to you all. You all deserved to be in the finalists. | Jethro42
08.13.21 | Cheers e21, friend!
Cheers everyone! | Jethro42
08.13.21 | After mine, my favorite is Jordsjo which I've already knew and love, for their similarities with Anglagard and Sinkadus. Honestly, I thought it would take the cake.
Strawbs is another one that I know since a while. I could see it going further. My only gripe is the dated, and too simple songs. In revenge, there were some great melodic songs.
No surprises, Procol Harum is another album I love and know very well. It has the same subsequent attributes as Strawbs. Full of great, but quite dated songs. I could see it going further as well.
Syzygy is arguably my best discovery. A bit hard to digest in places, but when it's done, it's delightful, and of my prog style. Good summer music.
I really like Ibio, an obscure album which remained into darkness during the tourney. Would not be a surprise for me to see it taking a place among the finalists.
Brb for some other crackers
| Divaman
08.13.21 | Great tournament. Outside of my own selection, Procol Harum, my two favorites placed and second, so I'm good with the results.
Thanks again to our friend Friday. It's a tremendous amount of work (and agrravation) running something like this. And thanks also to everyone who made it fun by continually participating. We really had a tremendous amount of consistent participation in this tournament. | Jethro42
08.13.21 | I second Diva about Friday. You're the man, no doubt.
A little word for zakalwe; man, you were close by a hair to go with Regal Worm when you saw it in a recent list of mine, but I advised you this album was under my protection. It enclanched some emotional moments. I know how much you love Pig Views...Ah man! And congrats for your Pendragon. At first I was not sure, but it's a grower. Most of the songs are enticing. | Divaman
08.13.21 | And Jethro now joins MySirLordGentleman as the only two Users to ever win Friday's Prog Contest twice. Congrats, Jethro. | e210013
08.13.21 | Yeah, it's true. And that isn't an easy thing. A rare thing. I second Diva. My congrats too. | Jethro42
08.13.21 | Thanks for your kind words, my friends! | Zig
08.13.21 | Glad to have been a part of this tournament for a second time. Besides Tantra, all entries were new to me, Szobel being my favorite. Thanks Friday for hosting. I do hope there will be more of these.
Congrats to Jethro! Take care, everyone! | Jethro42
08.13.21 | Thank you Zig! It was a hot run. | Inoculaeted
08.13.21 | 2nd place in my only shot. I got active in the sput community during this pandemic out of sheer boredom after lurking in the shadows for years. This tourney right here made the move worth it. I loved this. | Jethro42
08.13.21 | I'm not big on statistics, but I participated to all the 8 tourneys existing, and it always was lots of fun. I won two of them so far, and I was often close to or a part of the finalists. | bgillesp
08.13.21 | There have been 7 prog tourneys, 1 psychedelic, and 1 folk (from Divaman but in the same spirit) correct? I’ve done 4 prog and the folk one | Jethro42
08.13.21 | Yes I participated a little bit to the folk one without being a contestant. 5 tourneys are a lot bgillesp... | Friday13th
08.13.21 | "There have been 7 prog tourneys, 1 psychedelic, and 1 folk (from Divaman but in the same spirit) correct?"
Sharktooth also attempted a doom metal contest. It was good...while it lasted :] | Inoculaeted
08.13.21 | Oh I’d fuck with a doom tourney 100%. | porcupinetheater
08.13.21 | There was a pre kickass black metal one Scream! did a ways back too | Jethro42
08.13.21 | Hey it's your day, Friday13th. Good 13th | Divaman
08.13.21 | Yes, the folk tournament was certainly in he same spirit as Friday, and was based on the rules he uses for the prog tournament. | Jethro42
08.13.21 | ''Is this Friday the 13th of August, 2021 the true end, or only the beginning?''
Nicely done! | GhandhiLion
08.13.21 | Mainstream could have won? | Jethro42
08.13.21 | I remember being afraid to get matched to Yolk. In several ways, it's the most similar to Regal Worm, except it's more heavy with Zeuhl segments. Both have start and stop patterns, they are weird and have eccentric turns - in a good way-. | Jethro42
08.13.21 | double post | Jethro42
08.13.21 | Mainstream have good potential with good jazzy riffs, but it drags a bit in its soft parts. I like the British like vocals in the end, a la Syd Barrett. Good harmonies here and there. | Friday13th
08.14.21 | @porcupinetheater That’s right! Forgot about the black metal. | Friday13th
08.14.21 | @Jethro glad you noticed. Yes, it’s both our day! :) | porcupinetheater
08.14.21 | Yo Jethro nice spot re Yolk/Worm similarities. Them winding up my 1/2 faves in the tourney makin’ hella sense | Jethro42
08.14.21 | Yes glad you agreed to agree, porc :) Worm is a tad more accessible though. Yolk is more noisy, more artsy. It requires more listens. I was surprised to be the only one to notice their similarities. | Jethro42
08.14.21 | @Friday, precisely :)
I already know my next entry, so you have to coach another tourney! | Friday13th
08.14.21 | New tourney is up my dudes XD |
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