I don't always agree with you, after all, music is so subjective and personal to all of us. However, your turn of phrase is second to none and puts so many legacy music journos to shame. My favourite reviewer on YT. Thanks for the entertainment.
@@DavidCarney-l8b Made a bit too much of a fuss over expressing disagreement to emphasize a complement there. Also, caring enough to say nobody cares? Never understood what makes it worth the effort.
If you take the 4 most Supertramp songs from "Free as a Bird" and combine them with the 5 most Supertramp songs from Roger Hodgson's "Hai Hai" released that same year, you have a decent Supertramp album. In fact, Davies and Hodgson were in talks about coming back together when they split and simultaneously released two underwhelming albums. Here is my recommended playlist: Land Ho! (from Hai Hai) I'm Beggin' You (from Free as a Bird) Desert Love (from Hai Hai) It's Alright (from Free as a Bird) You Make Me Love You (from Hai Hai) It Doesn't Matter (from Free as a Bird) Right Place (from Hai Hai) An Awful Thing to Waste (from Free as a Bird) Puppet Dance (from Hai Hai) Land Ho! (1974)* *BONUS TRACK (early Supertramp Version released as a single, not on any album)
Absolutely agree, plus Under Wraps was not, as is widely known, even meant to be a Tull album. It was supposed to be an Anderson solo with a more 80's feel including synths etc. I don't think Anderson would even say it was supposed to be "prog" in the same way as the earlier prog albums. Other than that I pretty much agree with most of the assessments.
@@EclecticTrickeryIan should have recorded it under a different name, no matter what the record company wanted. Tull was never the same after this. Too bad.
I always had a warm spot for "When The Heart Rules the Mind" from GTR -- even though the whole album is HORRIFICALLY tinny in terms of production and thin sounding
Is Love Beach a masterpiece? No, but it's far from the band's worst. However, the album cover is among their very best! You wouldn't think that the whitest prog-rockers imaginable could ever give the Bee Gees a run for their money as supreme Lion Tamers of the World, but ELP pulled it off extremely convincingly. Just look at that majestic hair! Or how confident they look despite standing on an overgrown patch of dirt! It takes a lot of balls to do that, let alone to do it well. And nobody ever did it better!
I had to laugh with the Bee Gees comparison. I was thinking along the same lines. For me, it brought to mind Frampton's I'm in You. The open shirt, the pin-up photo on the jacket. Frampton had misjudged who his audience was. Classic rock fans were his base not prepubescent girls. That album was a career extinguisher of the same magnitude as Comes Alive was a career pinnacle. And to think it was the very next album after Comes Alive
I am going to defend Cured a bit. While it is true that Steve had to go with the times, there are many lovely songs here. The first cut, "Hope I Don't Wake," winks its acapella opening to "Carry On Wayward Son" in spirit, heading in a mellower direction. Steve may not be the greatest singer, but of all his albums, his voice works best on this material. At times, he sounds like Sting in the upper register. The songs are simpler but very tuneful and, at times, wistful. There are jazzy elements to "Picture Postcard" and the ballad "Turn Back Time." The latter sends me off to a warm beach in my mind. "A Cradle Of Swans" foreshadows Steve's future solo acoustic album, "Bay Of Kings," and is peacefully blissful. The main drawback to Cured is the use of the Linn Drum machine. While the programming is fine, a real drummer would have contributed better dynamics and a human touch. I enjoyed the GTR album. It came out close to the time Journey released Raised On Radio. I took both album's pop directions in stride. In GTR, I could hear each guitarist's influences to the point where I thought, "That is a Steve Hackett chord," or, "This is a Howe run." You make a good point about Hackett and Howe's lack of chemistry.
Despite the drum machine, I've always been partial to 2 tracks on the Cured album: "Picture Postcard" and "The Air-Conditioned Nightmare". I've never cared much for the GTR album, but always liked Steve Howe's composition "Sketches In The Sun" (especially as a solo live piece, performed on 12-string electric guitar), and the Steve Hackett instrumental track "Hackett To BIts".
I saw Steve Hackett on the Cured tour and yes, the Cured songs in a Live setting with Ian Moseley on drums and Chas Cronk on bass did come across better. For me, this is Steve Hackett trying to channel his inner Cliff Richard circa his Carrie/We Don't Talk Anymore period. As for the Linn Drum, there's a video on YT with Steve and Nick Magnus talking about making this album. The Linn was a very early version and as such it was both limited and temperamental. Yes, a full band on the record would've been better but I think Steve was under pressure to be more commercial on a budget.
I completely agree about the Linn Drum Machine, utterly mundane. But I don’t think the album belongs in this list anyway because it’s not really prog. Steve produces a wide range of material. Should we judge him as a ‘soul’ artist just because he wrote ‘Hoping Love Will Last’ or as a classical guitarist because he’s also a fine classical guitarist/composer? He can shred with the best of them yet can also produce outstanding anthemic and memorable instrumentals on electric guitar. He’s too versatile to be included in this nonsensical ‘listing’ genre!
I avoided Love Beach as a kid like the plague since everyone derided it. I found it in a cut out LP bin at a Woolworth for $1.99 one day & gave it a rip. I still enjoy it to this day unlike apparently 99% of the universe. They have such a unique unmistakable sound & while it’s quite a bit removed from their early cutting edge work, I still enjoy it. It’s certainly no Brain Salad…but this bloke still appreciates it. To each their own I suppose.
@@stuartwaby3081 My heresy is I think Palmer is a terrible drummer for this band. He almost invariably seems to have no idea what's going on rhythmically and just plays fast. I'm also generally not there for the Lake compositions, but I love his singing. Outside of Brain Salad Surgery, I don't think there's an ELP album I want to listen to in its entirety. They let themselves get into kitsch that is unworthy of compositions like Trilogy. Jeremy Bender is okay, an edgier Lucky Man (which, again, Lake composition, so I'm not hear for that; "The Sage" is his best moment, but maybe he didn't compose the music? "Still, You Turn Me On" really is the one song by him I don't mind hearing). Yeah, obviously Works 2 is a mess, and Works is always saved by the Piano Concerto (and Pirates, and Fanfare, which is probably why the disc exists. There are parts of the song Tarkus (Aquatarkus mostly) that sound mailed in, I can't stand "Take a Pebble," and the debut seems overwrought; I really liked Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos when I was kid, but it's kind of turgid now. Pictures at an Exhibition is a cover of one of my favorite things ever, but it's still "The Sage" that I go back to. (Certainly never Nutrocker, bless you Kim Cowley, or whoever that is). "Are You Ready, Eddie" is actively off-putting, like a throwback to the worst part of the Nice. That said, yes: "Officer and a Gentleman" is a lovely thing and story, but it is also obviously just a longer version of Trilogy. As a keyboardist, ELP was definitely the first band in my experience to put a keyboard in the front (this was before the synth-driven music of the 80s). And, I do mean keyboard, not synth. I liked Vangelis and Jean-Michel Jarre too, but a senior in my high school when I was a freshman did a piano performance of at least Eruption from Tarkus (he may have played more), and I was utterly gobsmacked by what I was hearing. I had no idea a piano could sound like that; as a pianist (a terrible young one), it was really exciting. So, ELP was huge to me, and already disbanded (basically) by the time I discovered them. But outside of Brain Salad Surgery, the two songs I regularly make a point to listen to are Trilogy and (perhaps strangely) Living Sin. Were I a necromancer with a lot of money, I'd resurrect Emerson and Lake, and get Phil Ehart to play drums on a re-recording of their oeuvre.
I’ve dug up the “dreaded” Love Beach again. Listening to side 2’s “Memoirs Of An Officer And A Gentleman”…still absolutely gorgeous. I’ve embraced the out of character album art. Those disco shirts & poses RULE! A real red herring in their catalogue. Makes it even more unique. Kinda like the YES “Tormato” splat cover. Unexpected. I’d probably throw out that for me personally, “In The Hot Seat” was my most disappointing offering from the lads. I finally saw them on the “Black Moon” tour. Loved that album & amazing tour. Then something shady must have happened when they dropped Hot Seat. “Works 2” always strikes me as hashed out sheite too. All that barrel rag BS from such an accomplished group of master musicians. Leave that scrap to the bands that can only drop 3 chords. Weird. But “Love Beach”…dig it.
@jamesmay3941 You could have saved a few more minutes if you didn't waste time writing this inconvenient message, that way you would have saved our time too!
Entertainingly stated! With the albums that I have heard, I agree with your assessment. I, too, am curious and looking forward to what a re-mixed UNDER WRAPS by Jethro Tull would sound like - hello, Mr. Steven Wilson...
Remove the drum machines, tone down the synths and add guitars and those tracks will be revitalised -- the lovely title track can remain as it is, of course.
God.. if anyone should understand why musicians would make music that does not immediately pander to their fans, you would think a fan of prog-rock would be it. I guess not.
The simple answer to that is that they all still have highly creative minds. And they are still selling enough records to make music without losing money.
What made Supertramp's " Free As A Bird " so bad was that the previous album, " Brother Where You Bound " was so good, a mix of jazz, prog, and pop, and the production/engineering wasn't the usual bad 80s style Kansas: Drastic Measures-- although it really isn't a prog album(save two songs written by Kerry Livgren). It was more of a pop John Elefante solo album(due to Elefante writing most of the songs)
Fight Fire with Fire is a great song tho. Saw Steve Walsh sing it along with Play The Game Tonight for the first time on the "Freaks of Nature" tour and it was really awesome. I don't care who hates, I love me some "Freaks of Nature" by Kansas.
I loved "Brother Where You Bound" when it came out. A couple of the tunes feel dated to me but the title track is still great and I like "Better Days" a lot too. That's half the album right there. There's nothing that I like that much on "Free As A Bird", unfortunately. I found it listenable but disappointing.
@@redbirdct "An Awful Thing to Waste," the final track on "Free as a Bird," is the song that sounds the most like it could have been included on "Brother Where You Bound." Worth a listen if anyone has not heard it.
@@michaelbagnall5288 I like Freaks better than any other Kansas album after DM until the more recent albums with the new lineup. Actually I need to restate as I really love the 2000 reunion album. See Kansas live with only Rich on guitar was really lacking as well.
@@southernrocker63 - I saw them in Nashville with just Rich and it felt like a cover band. I love Ronnie's voice tho. I left after they sang "Throwing Mountains" which is a tremendous song. I had/have a live album of the Freaks of Nature tour somewhere. A bootleg. They called it "Freaks with Fire" Always loved that title
Ahmet Ertegun has to take some of the blame for Love Beach. I saw an interview with Greg Lake where he said ELP were burnt out as a band and wanted to work on solo stuff. According to Lake, Ertegun told them, record another ELP album or never record again. That said, I used to have a copy of Love Beach. I didn’t think it was horrible and I actually listened to it more than once. Their best album it isn’t and it is unlikely that I’ll ever replace it.
To me, Steve Hackett and Don Felder are very similar in that regard. Super guitar players but not known for their song writing in their respective bands so why expect them to be in their solo careers. Having said that, Cured is very enjoyable.
I think Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman is a nice/sweet coda for ELP. Not the greatest coda but still nice. The first side of the vinyl Love Beach is pretty awful.
The Steve Hackett album got massacred in sales by Phil Collins' Face Value which was his eclectic solo debut (Prog, Motown, Brand X, blues, ballads and psychedelia rolled into one) and Abacab by Genesis which was awesome. Love Beach is not a bad album. In the Hot Seat was an abomination to the ELP catalog on the other hand.
You cover the UWraps JT album well and credit to the experimentation which I believe Tull is about - not afraid of stretching. This UW tour was great, the album Tull branding is awesome and the band members wrapped in paper was creative. I think this album has some great songs that get tarnished by several that surround such as Generals Crossing, Nobody's car (ouch) which imo are pretty unlistenable. Give me Lap of luxury, Saboteur, Later that same evening, European Legacy are of which are hallmark JT songs. There are a plethora of rock albums (from any band) that equate to this one whereby some songs are solid and many are weak, the result being a less credible overall album experience.
To an extent, I agree. If anything, Under Wraps should never have been released as a studio album in that form but it did have a good run when live, possibly because Ian dispensed with the drum machine. I do think, however, that you are a bit harsh on GTR. Even if it wasn't really fantastic, it had some good bits on it from both Howe and Hackett which were even better live. Yes, as much as I love Steve Hackett's work, and as much as I agree that Cured was a mistake, I really don't mind GTR.
I happen to love Under Wraps and I once read it was Martin Barre's favorite JT album. The problem (besides the drum machine) is the song sequencing. The original vinyl LP did not contain the songs "Astronomy," "Tundra," "Automotive Engineering," and "General Crossing." They were bonus tracks on the cassette. Instead of putting them all at the end like most bonus tracks, Chrysalis in their infinite wisdom put two at the end of each side, thus breaking up the Cold War narrative. Even worse, when the CD came out (this was the dawn of the CD era), instead of correcting things, they used the same sequencing as the cassette. I am positive that most people have not heard the album the way it was originally intended.
In regards to the ELP…the song that is the turd in the punch bowl is “Taste Of My Love”. Cringe. But if you remove this track…there are far worse albums out there. I stand by my statement. 😊
- Explorer's Club - Raising the Mammoth. A collaborative project by Trent Gardner of Magellan featuring many prog luminaries. The first album, Age of Impact, was pretty good but Mammoth was godawful. Some of the worst singing from Steve Walsh you will ever hear. - Any album from Schicke, Fuhres and Froehling. Elementary keyboard melodies sure to cure insomnia - the usual suspects which will probably be mentioned in the video, well-known stinkers from Yes, Tull, Pink Floyd, ELP, etc.
I also saw that tour. Was a 16 year-old that was obsessed with older prog, hating the 80's top 40. So I enjoyed this album, and also the Emerson Lake and Powell album from that era. Are they great prog albums, no. But considering the radio was playing hair metal and bubble-gum pop, I enjoyed them.
GTR wasn't prog. Definitely the writing and sound was influenced by new wave and 80's pop rock, but I enjoyed this album at the time. Saw them live at the Beacon Theater on this tour and they were great.
Thankfully I dont have many of these. GTR....well I worked with Phil Spalding and he blames too much coke being consumed during mixing stage. Geoff Downes is normally is a great sound guy. This is a terrible sounding album. No many hard mids and cavernous reverbs. But I do like some of the songs on it. Could be vastly improved with a remix
I have not listened to many of these albums, but I am absolutely shocked that you would include a fantastic album like GTR amongst these self indulgent glam projects from the 80's. GTR has 2 instrumentals on it, which taken by themselves make this album better than most of the Prog rock genre. You do a major injustice to it by including it here. There is a lot of great music on GTR. Max Bacon, the vocalist, is simply stellar. His voice is so underrated, he got a real raw deal from the bad press.
I have a soft spot for Under Wraps. I would like to see it remixed/remastered but i wouldn't want the drum machine replacing. If they could make it sound better in the remixing that would be fine. It is what it is and i am not a fan of tampering for the sake of it. The recent Queen debut springs to mind. It's of its time, leave it as is.
It was remixed "recently" and it sounds just as bad. I listened to it not so many years ago (I'm 32, didn't have the chance to had it when it was released) and it sounded like a Van Halen/AOR wannabe to me. The electronic drums are surely a thing, but the whole album sounds incredibly awkward and forced. But it was an 80's thing I guess, it was very difficult to get away from the trends
A lot of prog bands sucked in the '80s. They either tried to keep up with the new wave bands and be danceable, or they just did sappy ballads. They'd have been better off sticking to their own sounds.
@@johnearle7776 Roxy did it well. Genesis, OTOH, sucked ass. Don't tell me it was because they had to. Peter Gabriel's solo albums stayed pretty true to the original Genesis sound and were still successful commercially. As far as Queen, I hated them in the '70s and '80s.
I was waiting for Love Beach. I used to live for ELP but when that album appeared my jaw just dropped. what on earth were they thinking?? I loved Yes but they got a lot worse after Chris died. I did not consider them "YES" any longer.
@@GentleGiantFan I think you have to keep Steve Howe in the mix too. Anderson, Squire and Howe were the backbone of Yes. Tony Kaye was a good keyboardest and although I always felt Bruford was essential the other drummers did OK. But those three in my mind were irreplaceable. Howe calling his band Yes is rediculous.
@@Biffer5 I'm on the fence with Howe being included on what defines Yes. Trevor Rabin did give them a lot of success with 90125 and Big Generator. He has held his own and solidified his spot as the guitarist much like Alan White did after Bruford's departure. Plus (imo) Rabin is a better singer than Howe. Frankly if I had a choice between today's "Yes" and ARW to see in concert, it would be Anderson, Rabin, Wakeman. That being said, my all time fav Yes line up is the Fragile line up, ABWH & Squire. Nothing can touch that.
Even the weakest Gentle Giant albuns (Missing Piece and Giant for a Day) have excellent moments, so I wouldn't include it on that list. There are many other albuns much worse, such as Rock and Roll Prohet, by Rick Wakeman, and the dreadful Earth Moving, by Mike Oldfield
The missing piece has a really groovy a side, The only song I don't really like on there is I betcha thought we couldn't do it, ironically. And side b has memories of old days and for nobody, just as good as any song on interview those ones.
I am so tired of this constant complaining of some, or even most of, the productions from the 1980-ties. All eras have their "stamp" and are dated. There are alot of music from each decade with dated production, but so what? Each and every album is a snapshot from that period, that year and by those people. It is the music that matters. At least to me. GTR is a great album. It should not be on such s list. Apart from that I do not disagree that much on the albums. But then again I dislike most of the ELP albums, and a few other artists that one "should love". The 70-ties was not all good. The 90-ties horrible and after the millennium too much music is not up to par. But that is just me and my take on this.
Am I correct in thinking that there's little - or no - mention of Wishbone Ash on this channel? If so, it's a staggering omission. Their 1972 classis, Argus, deserves covering if nothing else (and there is a lot more). A hugely influential band who created one of the 70s best rock albums.
Wow! Great video and (as far as I am concerned) you absolutely nailed it. I owned eight of these stinkers but got rid of them 7 of them almost immediately, only keeping Gentle Giant's "Giant for a Day!" as there were several tracks I actually enjoyed (despite it being their weakest album).
Good list. I waited in dread for Roger's Radio KAOS to turn up, another album ripe for an archaeological revisit on the production, but was glad it didn't. The Sicilian Defence isn't really an album, it's a set of pre-pre-pre- production idea that may have eventually contributed a melody here and there for something. It's a set of 1st day notes for a Project, not a Project itself, methinks. Happy New Year to you and yours too.
Aye, RADIO KAOS and A MOMENTARY LAPSE REASON- the two main fighting figures of Pink Floyd, each releasing a solo 80's Pop Prog album adorned with LA's finest studio session musicians Thanks to Barry, I've warmed to the remix of AMLOR, and R.Kaos has some good tunes an a great narrative, so maybe a visit to the studio tool shed? If it ain't broke, don't fix it- Rogers retake of DSOTM is a great example,, however R.Kaos, like the tour, was broken...
@@zorbeclegras5708 Those two sounded familiar so I browsed thru my cd collection but no luck. Then I dusted off my stack of vinyl and there they are! I've been wanting to put my turntable back into the rack. Now I have a very good reason to do so! Thanks!
The sad thing about Yes' Heaven And Earth is that they went downhill from there. HAE at least tried to recapture their former fire, and turns out pretty listenable if a few tracks get switched about (moving the final track up to #3 if I recall), where the next two albums just flounder about, leaving nothing really memorable -- except possibly the desire to hear something, anything, with Jon Anderson singing on it ...
It is interesting to see, all the chosen albums are 1978 onward. There are no choices from the development stage into the 70s heyday. When musical landscapes change, artists are (as Steve Hackett said) forced to adjust or risk losing their place.
That ELP album cover deserves an award in its own right as possibly the worst rock album cover (and there's some competition for that award). What were they thinking of; the Bee Gees? Dreadful!
Knocking Love Beach is kinda kicking at an open door, since both the fandom and the band themselves have always considered it an embarrassment. It's not that Side A is bad prog - it's not prog at all! It's a prog band trying, under duress (pressured by the record company) and with their heart not in it, to make a pop album and understandably struggling. And, as others have already commented below, it's too often overlooked that Side B, whilst not their best work, is really rather good. I might get stick for saying this, but IMO the only prog band that ever had any real success in making shorter "radio friendly" pieces *without* totally sacrificing their artistic integrity was Yes.
Under Wraps is awesome .... you really have it in for Tull and Ian. Still going as a week ago they just announced a new album on March 7th. So much energy and originality ... and people whine about the synth drums. "Lap of Luxury" "Under Wraps #1" "European Legacy" "Later, That Same Evening" "Saboteur" "Radio Free Moscow" "Nobody's Car" "Heat" "Under Wraps #2" "Paparazzi" "Apogee"
Happy New year Barry, as always, entertaining...poor old love beach, always a bridesmaid, never a bride, and yet, canario and memoirs are really very strong pieces...and now I'm going to have to listen to triumvirat, I wasn't aware they'd done a shit on their own front doorstep...gotta be honest, I wasn't mad about Pompeii, too much of everything when the votes were in ..anyway, enough from me, keep on with the show, and let us know if there's a podcast of all this juicy reportage...
non native English speaker watching this, may I ask what the arm movements mean as you are speaking, I havenever been taught how to translate these I feel I be only hearing half of what you are saying without a resource to translate the sign language is there a Web resource to translate ?
Love Beach isn't actually as bad as it's made out to be, especially if you don't mind the Asia end of Prog and aren't offended by the odd Spinal Tapesque lyrics....
Well, I'd take Giant for a Day out, as it was my first Giant album, and the one that fired me with enthusiasm for hearing more. No lie: my friend had Giant for a Day, and sent me a mixtape with some GfaD cuts on it, and those cuts inspired me to buy (on a rare visit to a Los Angeles record store) two Giant albums from a cutout bin. One was GfaD, the other Octopus. I dug both.
Agree. GFaD is their "worst" album but it's not a bad album. There's some great tracks, but it pales compared to what we got with Freehand, Octopus, and (my favorite) Aquiring The Taste. I have a soft spot for Civilian. I think they could have done for New Wave what they did for prog if they didn't split up.
Hard to disagree, but I don't think those ELP and Supertramp albums are that bad... "For You" is one of my favorite ELP tracks, and there are som really bright spots on Free As a Bird as well, like " Where I Stand" and "An Awful Thing To Waste". I think Supertramp's first two albums are much worse overall...
There are many good songs on Free as a bird I can aldo mention You never can tell with friends , Not the moment or It does not matter. The production is not the best but I like the songs.
@ Hi Barry. It’s not going badly at all. Must thank you once again for featuring two videos for me last year (that still sounds strange still) which smashed my typical figures out of the window. Very kind of you once again. Lets hope we all have a prosperous year
Much of this I agree with - Giant for a Day, Cured, and Love Beach are rather low-hanging fruit in terms of "worst of" albums. I'd give a tip of the hat to Renaissance's "Time-Line" as well. I thought that Triumvirate's "A La Carte" was bad, but I heard "Party Life" and that was enough for me. But it's nice to know that in many cases it's not just me. "Heaven and Earth" for me simply went in one ear and out the other, as have the later releases as well. But thanks for the video! I always enjoy a good "worst of" list.
I hope a new Under Wraps sees the light of day, On the whole I like the album, as it was the first 'New' Tull album that was released after I first got into them all those years ago.
Prog was well and truly a spent force by the time all these albums were made. One might argue (I would) that its lifetime proper was from about 1969 to 1975, with 1971 the high point. Thereafter it went stale, most prog musicians were trading on past glories with very little innovation and the dull albums outnumbered the enjoyable ones. I'd be interested in a best and worst selection from the golden years, when the genre was alive and dynamic with many glorious successes and some glorious, and not-so-glorious, failures. EDIT: Hadn't seen your other videos and I now see you've done exactly that with a "best of", thanks!
I actually think a lot of fantastic prog albums came from the late 70s. Gilgamesh - Another Fine Tune..., National Health - Of Queues And Cures, Colosseum II - Electric Savage..
I agree with most of these, and also hope a box set of UNDER WRAPS happens with real drums instead of machines. One prog album that I would put on my list is THE ABSENCE OF PRESCENSE by KANSAS. It was their last studio album from a couple of years ago. I can't tell if the songs are any good because the production is so horrible. There is so much compression on the recording (even the 5.1 mix) that it hurts to listen to. It is not an enjoyable experience, and I was greatly disappointed since I have embraced every album since the first self-titled KANSAS album I bought in 1974. Thanks for sharing your list.
@@davidwargin9433 I think you mean U.S. bands, or do you mean the entire western hemisphere? What are Rush going to do? Kansas doesn't call themselves prog, so you'll be okay. But if you have no ear for what Phil Ehart and Dave Hope are doing on Kansus' best tracks, you have no business talking about prog *smirk*.
To be fair. GTR was still born. I think goals were made for the group and not by them. There is a difference. Mr. Hackett BTW really isn't a team player by this point in his career. He went solo artist and never really wanted to be simply a member of a band.
Great list sir! Last time I saw a steaming pile of sh*t this nauseating was when I (mistakenly) watched Pasolini's awful Salo. Every album on here is deserving of censure for reasons of common sense & humanity...subscribed :)
I don’t think anyone knows what prog is. It’s one of those things that’s undefinable, but apparently "you know it when you hear it". Some of the most innovative or complex rock music doesn’t fit into the "prog" label, while some of the most lackluster, and auto-pilot albums like these ones somehow do. So if it doesn't mean "progressive"what does it mean?
I agree that the term is pretty subjective, but my criteria are non-typical song structures and use of scales outside the regular blues. Utilising odd time signatures, and use of instruments that aren't typically used in rock. Prone to concept albums, and longer songs. I'm sure Wikipedia has another definition entirely :)
I'm glad to see so many worthy albums being included in this list. (In fact, every album on the list was either one I believed should be on the list, or one I'd never heard - or heard _of_ - for good reason.) I would put Heaven and Earth at number one though. I still have not been able to force myself to even listen to the whole thing. And I'm glad you put Giant for a Day on the list instead of the more obvious Civilian. I actually _like_ Civilian and I feel like Gentle Giant might have been able to do something interesting in the '80s if they'd stuck around.
For me, Tull works best in long format, as in Thick as a Brick or A Passion Play. Minstrel in the gallery is also good, but most of their shorter songs seems to have the rock, but is missing the storytelling in the music (Aqualung being an exception).
I haven't heard them all, but for me nothing can be worst than GTR. Yes lost its magic when Steve Howe left, and Genesis lost its magic when Steve Hackett left, so a Howe/Hackett reunion should bring the magic back, right? WRONG!! This is just another 80's BS. Much worse than 80's Yes, Asia and pop Genesis, if that's even possible.
Don't like "pop rock" Genesis with Phil Collins singing? The stuff at the end was humdrum but they had a string off good albums right after Peter Gabriel left. I like Gabriel but he's an acquired taste and that prog rock is narcolepsy on vinyl. It's all I can do to stomach RUSH most of the time but at least they rock out and don't put me to sleep
I saw GTR concert in 1986 Washington DC. It was a really good show. No regrets at all because I got to see Steve Howe live for the first time of my concert going days.
I owned "Love Beach" only because I wanted a complete ELP collection. It sucked, but so did a lot of their later stuff. Their early stuff was worth it.
I agree with your assessment of Love Beach, as it has the dubious place of being the worst prog rock album I’ve ever heard. ELP seemed to lose their way after Brain Salad Surgery (their magnum opus IMO), possibly due to an increasingly toxic atmosphere between the members combined with burnout from all the touring. As for the remainder of the list, I can’t really comment as I haven’t heard them enough to form an opinion. (My musical tastes, if they can be called such, began to shift in favour of more jazz-fusion based styles, with. Prog taking more of a back seat.)
"Colorless Prog Pottage" (in British!)- the quote of the day! Oh Man, so good and so bad, where do we go from here??? OMG So many priceless quotes LMAO
In order: 10 - 8 no opinion, 7 disagree, 6 grossly disagree, 5 disagree, 4 absolutely agree, 3 slightly agree, 2 & 1 no opinion. So overall I disagree, but prog people can, but are united in knowing that we grew up with the best music before or since.
Did you torture yourself playing said albums again..... or saved your sanity and listed them from memory? A brave man if you went for the former... I usually check out your music choices via streaming but I think I will give these a miss this time.
Giant for a Day is definitely their worst, but they somehow manage to make it catchy and listenable. It's not a recommendation if you're new to GG or a big fan of them, but it is worth a shot if Pop is also your favorite genre.
The first rule of being an APP fan. 'There is no such thing as a bad Alan Parsons album' The second rule of being an APP fan. ' We don't talk about the Sicilian Defence!!!' The album certainly did it's job, securing that contract, but it should have been left, buried deep with the other musical Balrogs of our time.
@asammler Hey! Eve is a good album. Eve reminds me a little of Pink Floyd's Obscured by Clouds. Good album but ultimately dismissed in the wake of Meddle, Dark Side and Wish you Were Here. Poor Eve has to contend with Pyramid, A Turn of a Friendly Card and Eye in the Sky.
I KNEW that Yes' HEAVEN & EARTH would be on the list. I have a fan remixed version that improves it immeasurably - The drums and bass have more edge, and the tempos were bumped up. Who produced that generic Yacht Prog anyway? Wait . . . what? Roy Thomas Baker? WTF? The guy that produced the first four Queen albums? And four albums for The Cars? FUN FACT: HEAVEN & EARTH was the last album he produced.
I don't think I would classify GTR as a progressive rock album. Like Asia, I consider this type of music to be Prog-flavored AOR, and not truly Progressive Rock. A Rock band can be full of musicians with Prog pedigrees, but they may decide to produce more radio-friendly Rock rather than crank out traditional Prog.
Again, another video that highlights the mystery of music. From watching all your videos I agree with your opinion of at least 90% of all the albums you've covered. Then this comes along and I love at least 6 of the albums you hate. It's so weird how tastes can overlap so much and yet still have that small selection of material where we are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Please keep on producing these insanely interesting and very funny vids, they are a highlight of my week. 👏👏👏
Speaking as a great fan of Alan Parsons Project, I'd say their worst album was one that was released ON PURPOSE - 'Vulture Culture' is strictly for the birds, and is replete with the worst carrion of late APP.
I could never understand people's obsession with a number of top selling bands including Yes and Supertramp. On the other side of the coin, there are great albums by minor bands. For me, these include Groundhogs, Greenslade, The Enid, Van der Graaf Generator and Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance. I'm sure that other people will have their own thoughts.
Can’t help it - but I still have a weakness for GTR. Bacon was a great vocalist, and some of the songs are actually pretty good - I especially like ‘The Hunter…’ I own a live recording of the tour they did. Bacon singing ‘Roundabout’ is not too bad either….
I was a huge ELP fan back in the day, and when I heard they had released a new album, I eagerly trekked to my favourite record shop to snap it up. That album was, of course, Love Beach. The album cover gave me pause - a good dollop of pause actually, since it was a bit of a comedown from the likes of H. R. Giger and William Neal - but I bought it anyway. Hey, it was ELP, it had to be good, right? Then I listened to it... Oh dear. It wasn't bad music per se, but the numbers were woefully lackluster with crass lyrics and it was clear that their hearts were no longer in it. A suspicion I had at the time has since been validated. It appears that the three of them desperately wanted to go their own ways, but they were still under contract (to Atlantic, I think) to produce one more album, and the execs were adamant about it. So they essentially threw together whatever they could muster and told the brass, "Okay, here's your damn album! Can we go now?"
It'd be fun to hear a hidden gems list, just because I want Moraz's "golf ball" album to get some airtime, and Thinking Plague, probably something by IQ, and SLeepytime Gorilla Museum (controversial, maybe they're not prog).
The best thing about Steve Hackett's Cured is that is was the first present my first girlfriend gave me, so for that reason is has sentimental value. However it is undoubtedly really poor, I was so disappointed when I first heard it. I'll love Steve until the day I die but a lot of his albums are uneven, possibly as he has such variety on each. 'Guitar Noir' though is the standout, 13 brilliant tracks without a single one below 8/10, and which flow together beautifully. Have a particular fondness for Please Don't Touch too.
The cutout Gentle Giant mask came in handy so I could buy all of the other albums on this list from the record shop without being recognized.
😂
Hahahaha...best...
myprogrockshow3025
I knew it was you !
@@blueabattoir It helps to keep a low profile as if it couldn’t get any lower.
The best thing about GTR, was spotting Steve Walsh in attendance. After the show, he told my friend and me that Kansas was getting back together.
On that album Steve Hackett looks like he's about to sing, ""If you like Pina Colada""............
“and getting caught in the rain”..🤤
@@michaelsteven1090 Correctimundo!
A whole lot better than any Tony Banks stuff, not even close....
You mean Emerson Lake & Palmer in their disco suits
I thought it was Pinochle Otters?
I don't always agree with you, after all, music is so subjective and personal to all of us. However, your turn of phrase is second to none and puts so many legacy music journos to shame. My favourite reviewer on YT. Thanks for the entertainment.
My pleasure...
No one cares what you like. It's his opinion.
@@DavidCarney-l8b He made a very sensible comment, and I don't think that you have the capability to understand it.
@@DavidCarney-l8bBit of 'virtue signalling' there corky,and i guess no one will care about YOUR opinion either,can't have it both ways😮😊
@@DavidCarney-l8b Made a bit too much of a fuss over expressing disagreement to emphasize a complement there. Also, caring enough to say nobody cares? Never understood what makes it worth the effort.
If you take the 4 most Supertramp songs from "Free as a Bird" and combine them with the 5 most Supertramp songs from Roger Hodgson's "Hai Hai" released that same year, you have a decent Supertramp album. In fact, Davies and Hodgson were in talks about coming back together when they split and simultaneously released two underwhelming albums. Here is my recommended playlist:
Land Ho! (from Hai Hai)
I'm Beggin' You (from Free as a Bird)
Desert Love (from Hai Hai)
It's Alright (from Free as a Bird)
You Make Me Love You (from Hai Hai)
It Doesn't Matter (from Free as a Bird)
Right Place (from Hai Hai)
An Awful Thing to Waste (from Free as a Bird)
Puppet Dance (from Hai Hai)
Land Ho! (1974)*
*BONUS TRACK (early Supertramp Version released as a single, not on any album)
Hackett's Cured and Tull's Under Wraps aren't as bad as they seem, production choices aside, there are infinitely worse albums than those.
Absolutely agree, plus Under Wraps was not, as is widely known, even meant to be a Tull album. It was supposed to be an Anderson solo with a more 80's feel including synths etc. I don't think Anderson would even say it was supposed to be "prog" in the same way as the earlier prog albums. Other than that I pretty much agree with most of the assessments.
@@EclecticTrickeryIan should have recorded it under a different name, no matter what the record company wanted. Tull was never the same after this. Too bad.
I always had a warm spot for "When The Heart Rules the Mind" from GTR -- even though the whole album is HORRIFICALLY tinny in terms of production and thin sounding
THANK you! And all this time I thought it was just me.
An album that could have been recorded by anyone.
I love that song. Seriously great 80’s AOR song.
Do like that song. The Hunter was not bad either.
GTR on the King biscuit flower hour is great. Production much better.
Is Love Beach a masterpiece? No, but it's far from the band's worst. However, the album cover is among their very best!
You wouldn't think that the whitest prog-rockers imaginable could ever give the Bee Gees a run for their money as supreme Lion Tamers of the World,
but ELP pulled it off extremely convincingly. Just look at that majestic hair! Or how confident they look despite standing on an overgrown patch of dirt!
It takes a lot of balls to do that, let alone to do it well. And nobody ever did it better!
That's one way to interpret the cheesiest cover art in prog rock
🤣
Yep, it takes a lot of guts (or total desperation) to put out such trash, 😆 🤣 😂. The album does have its moments, but they are few and far between.
@@TheTwangKings I'm sorry that you've been blinded by Barry Manilow's nose.
He really ought to keep that thing locked up somewhere.
I had to laugh with the Bee Gees comparison. I was thinking along the same lines. For me, it brought to mind Frampton's I'm in You. The open shirt, the pin-up photo on the jacket. Frampton had misjudged who his audience was. Classic rock fans were his base not prepubescent girls. That album was a career extinguisher of the same magnitude as Comes Alive was a career pinnacle. And to think it was the very next album after Comes Alive
Hot Seat is much worse than Love Beach! The Officer & Gentleman Suite is great!
Disagree.
Indeed.
Hot Seat has three solid songs, Hand of Truth, One by One, Street War. The best you’ll get on Love Beach is the instrumental Canario.
I am going to defend Cured a bit. While it is true that Steve had to go with the times, there are many lovely songs here. The first cut, "Hope I Don't Wake," winks its acapella opening to "Carry On Wayward Son" in spirit, heading in a mellower direction. Steve may not be the greatest singer, but of all his albums, his voice works best on this material. At times, he sounds like Sting in the upper register. The songs are simpler but very tuneful and, at times, wistful. There are jazzy elements to "Picture Postcard" and the ballad "Turn Back Time." The latter sends me off to a warm beach in my mind. "A Cradle Of Swans" foreshadows Steve's future solo acoustic album, "Bay Of Kings," and is peacefully blissful. The main drawback to Cured is the use of the Linn Drum machine. While the programming is fine, a real drummer would have contributed better dynamics and a human touch. I enjoyed the GTR album. It came out close to the time Journey released Raised On Radio. I took both album's pop directions in stride. In GTR, I could hear each guitarist's influences to the point where I thought, "That is a Steve Hackett chord," or, "This is a Howe run." You make a good point about Hackett and Howe's lack of chemistry.
Wholeheartedly agree with your assessment. I still occasionally find myself mentally singing Hope I Don't Wait occasionally.
Despite the drum machine, I've always been partial to 2 tracks on the Cured album: "Picture Postcard" and "The Air-Conditioned Nightmare". I've never cared much for the GTR album, but always liked Steve Howe's composition "Sketches In The Sun" (especially as a solo live piece, performed on 12-string electric guitar), and the Steve Hackett instrumental track "Hackett To BIts".
I saw Steve Hackett on the Cured tour and yes, the Cured songs in a Live setting with Ian Moseley on drums and Chas Cronk on bass did come across better. For me, this is Steve Hackett trying to channel his inner Cliff Richard circa his Carrie/We Don't Talk Anymore period. As for the Linn Drum, there's a video on YT with Steve and Nick Magnus talking about making this album. The Linn was a very early version and as such it was both limited and temperamental. Yes, a full band on the record would've been better but I think Steve was under pressure to be more commercial on a budget.
I also quite like Cured. It has some lovely compositions.
I completely agree about the Linn Drum Machine, utterly mundane. But I don’t think the album belongs in this list anyway because it’s not really prog. Steve produces a wide range of material. Should we judge him as a ‘soul’ artist just because he wrote ‘Hoping Love Will Last’ or as a classical guitarist because he’s also a fine classical guitarist/composer? He can shred with the best of them yet can also produce outstanding anthemic and memorable instrumentals on electric guitar. He’s too versatile to be included in this nonsensical ‘listing’ genre!
I avoided Love Beach as a kid like the plague since everyone derided it. I found it in a cut out LP bin at a Woolworth for $1.99 one day & gave it a rip. I still enjoy it to this day unlike apparently 99% of the universe. They have such a unique unmistakable sound & while it’s quite a bit removed from their early cutting edge work, I still enjoy it. It’s certainly no Brain Salad…but this bloke still appreciates it. To each their own I suppose.
"Canario" and "Memoirs" are very good !!
@@conandoyle6628 I like "Officer and a Gentleman" or whatever it's called. It's fine that they have to rip of Chopin.
Memoirs Of An Officer And A Gentleman is an absolute classic, the album wrongly gets derided because it's not as good as their earlier works.
@@stuartwaby3081 My heresy is I think Palmer is a terrible drummer for this band. He almost invariably seems to have no idea what's going on rhythmically and just plays fast. I'm also generally not there for the Lake compositions, but I love his singing. Outside of Brain Salad Surgery, I don't think there's an ELP album I want to listen to in its entirety. They let themselves get into kitsch that is unworthy of compositions like Trilogy. Jeremy Bender is okay, an edgier Lucky Man (which, again, Lake composition, so I'm not hear for that; "The Sage" is his best moment, but maybe he didn't compose the music? "Still, You Turn Me On" really is the one song by him I don't mind hearing). Yeah, obviously Works 2 is a mess, and Works is always saved by the Piano Concerto (and Pirates, and Fanfare, which is probably why the disc exists. There are parts of the song Tarkus (Aquatarkus mostly) that sound mailed in, I can't stand "Take a Pebble," and the debut seems overwrought; I really liked Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos when I was kid, but it's kind of turgid now. Pictures at an Exhibition is a cover of one of my favorite things ever, but it's still "The Sage" that I go back to. (Certainly never Nutrocker, bless you Kim Cowley, or whoever that is). "Are You Ready, Eddie" is actively off-putting, like a throwback to the worst part of the Nice. That said, yes: "Officer and a Gentleman" is a lovely thing and story, but it is also obviously just a longer version of Trilogy.
As a keyboardist, ELP was definitely the first band in my experience to put a keyboard in the front (this was before the synth-driven music of the 80s). And, I do mean keyboard, not synth. I liked Vangelis and Jean-Michel Jarre too, but a senior in my high school when I was a freshman did a piano performance of at least Eruption from Tarkus (he may have played more), and I was utterly gobsmacked by what I was hearing. I had no idea a piano could sound like that; as a pianist (a terrible young one), it was really exciting. So, ELP was huge to me, and already disbanded (basically) by the time I discovered them. But outside of Brain Salad Surgery, the two songs I regularly make a point to listen to are Trilogy and (perhaps strangely) Living Sin. Were I a necromancer with a lot of money, I'd resurrect Emerson and Lake, and get Phil Ehart to play drums on a re-recording of their oeuvre.
I’ve dug up the “dreaded” Love Beach again. Listening to side 2’s “Memoirs Of An Officer And A Gentleman”…still absolutely gorgeous. I’ve embraced the out of character album art. Those disco shirts & poses RULE! A real red herring in their catalogue. Makes it even more unique. Kinda like the YES “Tormato” splat cover. Unexpected. I’d probably throw out that for me personally, “In The Hot Seat” was my most disappointing offering from the lads. I finally saw them on the “Black Moon” tour. Loved that album & amazing tour. Then something shady must have happened when they dropped Hot Seat. “Works 2” always strikes me as hashed out sheite too. All that barrel rag BS from such an accomplished group of master musicians. Leave that scrap to the bands that can only drop 3 chords. Weird. But “Love Beach”…dig it.
I'm not going to waste 11 minutes watching this when I can spend it listening to half of one prog track 😊
This is BAD prog. Calling most of it prog is an insult to the genere.
Off you go then.
Deeply consider those 22 minutes and spend them well!
@jamesmay3941 You could have saved a few more minutes if you didn't waste time writing this inconvenient message, that way you would have saved our time too!
Entertainingly stated! With the albums that I have heard, I agree with your assessment. I, too, am curious and looking forward to what a re-mixed UNDER WRAPS by Jethro Tull would sound like - hello, Mr. Steven Wilson...
Remove the drum machines, tone down the synths and add guitars and those tracks will be revitalised -- the lovely title track can remain as it is, of course.
@PaIaeoCIive1684it sounds great the way it is. That's what makes under wraps unique but I understand that not everyone likes that album.
I'd be curious to see who they would get to do the double bass drum section on "Saboteur." Might need to keep the drum machine for that one.
Yes died along with Chris Squire..No idea why they continue to release new material when the audience is only there for the old songs
God.. if anyone should understand why musicians would make music that does not immediately pander to their fans, you would think a fan of prog-rock would be it. I guess not.
No Squire, no Anderson, no Yes imo. They should just call themselves The Steve Howe band.
@@GentleGiantFanI refer to them as 'NO'!
@JasonSmith-jr7jh LOL!
The simple answer to that is that they all still have highly creative minds. And they are still selling enough records to make music without losing money.
0:26 "anyway, enough of this flim-flam" never fails to make me LOL... great slogan for merch!
What made Supertramp's " Free As A Bird " so bad was that the previous album, " Brother Where You Bound " was so good, a mix of jazz, prog, and pop, and the production/engineering wasn't the usual bad 80s style
Kansas: Drastic Measures-- although it really isn't a prog album(save two songs written by Kerry Livgren). It was more of a pop John Elefante solo album(due to Elefante writing most of the songs)
Fight Fire with Fire is a great song tho. Saw Steve Walsh sing it along with Play The Game Tonight for the first time on the "Freaks of Nature" tour and it was really awesome. I don't care who hates, I love me some "Freaks of Nature" by Kansas.
I loved "Brother Where You Bound" when it came out. A couple of the tunes feel dated to me but the title track is still great and I like "Better Days" a lot too. That's half the album right there. There's nothing that I like that much on "Free As A Bird", unfortunately. I found it listenable but disappointing.
@@redbirdct "An Awful Thing to Waste," the final track on "Free as a Bird," is the song that sounds the most like it could have been included on "Brother Where You Bound." Worth a listen if anyone has not heard it.
@@michaelbagnall5288
I like Freaks better than any other Kansas album after DM until the more recent albums with the new lineup. Actually I need to restate as I really love the 2000 reunion album. See Kansas live with only Rich on guitar was really lacking as well.
@@southernrocker63 - I saw them in Nashville with just Rich and it felt like a cover band. I love Ronnie's voice tho. I left after they sang "Throwing Mountains" which is a tremendous song. I had/have a live album of the Freaks of Nature tour somewhere. A bootleg. They called it "Freaks with Fire" Always loved that title
Ahmet Ertegun has to take some of the blame for Love Beach. I saw an interview with Greg Lake where he said ELP were burnt out as a band and wanted to work on solo stuff. According to Lake, Ertegun told them, record another ELP album or never record again.
That said, I used to have a copy of Love Beach. I didn’t think it was horrible and I actually listened to it more than once. Their best album it isn’t and it is unlikely that I’ll ever replace it.
Their worst were Black Moon and In the hot seat.
@@МаксРогозин-е1ю Agreed. Cover aside, I prefer Love Beach to either of those albums.
@PaIaeoCIive1684 Works Volume 2 also. A collection of some solo tracks and studio leftovers. Not a complete shit but pedestrian album.
ELP - In The Hot Seat almost makes Love Beach sound reasonable - much worse (Works 2 is a close second as well).
I totally agree with you on both points! 👍👍
Works 2 has to be one of ELP's most UNNECESSARY releases of their career!
If you rearrange the letters to Seat Hot In The....you've got SHIT...who'd have guessed..
I actually dig Works Vol. 2, but I can see why some would hate it
@@davidl570 everything after Welcome back is UNNECESSARY
I consider "Steve Hackett doesn't write good pop tunes" to be high praise, indeed.
Notwithstanding, "Cured" is still a really great album. I love the shorter catchy songs on it and it never even occurred to me it was a "pop" album.
To me, Steve Hackett and Don Felder are very similar in that regard. Super guitar players but not known for their song writing in their respective bands so why expect them to be in their solo careers. Having said that, Cured is very enjoyable.
I never considered Steve to have anything to do with "pop", not a fair description Barry.
The More Hate "Love Beach" gets.. . The More Fans it makes! Cheers 🍻
I bought it on CD......it's ...ok, I guess🫤
I think Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman is a nice/sweet coda for ELP. Not the greatest coda but still nice. The first side of the vinyl Love Beach is pretty awful.
The Steve Hackett album got massacred in sales by Phil Collins' Face Value which was his eclectic solo debut (Prog, Motown, Brand X, blues, ballads and psychedelia rolled into one) and Abacab by Genesis which was awesome.
Love Beach is not a bad album. In the Hot Seat was an abomination to the ELP catalog on the other hand.
You cover the UWraps JT album well and credit to the experimentation which I believe Tull is about - not afraid of stretching. This UW tour was great, the album Tull branding is awesome and the band members wrapped in paper was creative. I think this album has some great songs that get tarnished by several that surround such as Generals Crossing, Nobody's car (ouch) which imo are pretty unlistenable. Give me Lap of luxury, Saboteur, Later that same evening, European Legacy are of which are hallmark JT songs. There are a plethora of rock albums (from any band) that equate to this one whereby some songs are solid and many are weak, the result being a less credible overall album experience.
To an extent, I agree. If anything, Under Wraps should never have been released as a studio album in that form but it did have a good run when live, possibly because Ian dispensed with the drum machine. I do think, however, that you are a bit harsh on GTR. Even if it wasn't really fantastic, it had some good bits on it from both Howe and Hackett which were even better live. Yes, as much as I love Steve Hackett's work, and as much as I agree that Cured was a mistake, I really don't mind GTR.
I happen to love Under Wraps and I once read it was Martin Barre's favorite JT album. The problem (besides the drum machine) is the song sequencing. The original vinyl LP did not contain the songs "Astronomy," "Tundra," "Automotive Engineering," and "General Crossing." They were bonus tracks on the cassette. Instead of putting them all at the end like most bonus tracks, Chrysalis in their infinite wisdom put two at the end of each side, thus breaking up the Cold War narrative. Even worse, when the CD came out (this was the dawn of the CD era), instead of correcting things, they used the same sequencing as the cassette. I am positive that most people have not heard the album the way it was originally intended.
In regards to the ELP…the song that is the turd in the punch bowl is “Taste Of My Love”. Cringe. But if you remove this track…there are far worse albums out there. I stand by my statement. 😊
Agreed!
Don't forget the dreadful C'est la Vie...
C’est la Vie is a nice tune. Lake is excellent, here.
- Explorer's Club - Raising the Mammoth. A collaborative project by Trent Gardner of Magellan featuring many prog luminaries. The first album, Age of Impact, was pretty good but Mammoth was godawful. Some of the worst singing from Steve Walsh you will ever hear.
- Any album from Schicke, Fuhres and Froehling. Elementary keyboard melodies sure to cure insomnia
- the usual suspects which will probably be mentioned in the video, well-known stinkers from Yes, Tull, Pink Floyd, ELP, etc.
Leave off GTR. It was a one off for fun. Saw them live it was cool. They meant it
Agreed
I also saw that tour. Was a 16 year-old that was obsessed with older prog, hating the 80's top 40. So I enjoyed this album, and also the Emerson Lake and Powell album from that era. Are they great prog albums, no. But considering the radio was playing hair metal and bubble-gum pop, I enjoyed them.
GTR wasn't prog. Definitely the writing and sound was influenced by new wave and 80's pop rock, but I enjoyed this album at the time. Saw them live at the Beacon Theater on this tour and they were great.
Thankfully I dont have many of these. GTR....well I worked with Phil Spalding and he blames too much coke being consumed during mixing stage. Geoff Downes is normally is a great sound guy. This is a terrible sounding album. No many hard mids and cavernous reverbs. But I do like some of the songs on it. Could be vastly improved with a remix
When I was 19 in 1978, I liked giant for a day, words to the wise.
Free Hand, Interview also great!
I have not listened to many of these albums, but I am absolutely shocked that you would include a fantastic album like GTR amongst these self indulgent glam projects from the 80's. GTR has 2 instrumentals on it, which taken by themselves make this album better than most of the Prog rock genre. You do a major injustice to it by including it here.
There is a lot of great music on GTR. Max Bacon, the vocalist, is simply stellar. His voice is so underrated, he got a real raw deal from the bad press.
It would be interesting to hear GTR remixed to remove the "80's-ness" from the recording.
The worst album I have heard by a prog artist is Carl Palmer's PM. Awful!
I really wanted to like that album. I mean, come on, Joe Walsh! But yeah, it's dreadful.
'Kajagoogoo with a Tubeway Army tribute Band in the worst possible way with a bit of Eddie Grant thrown in' !!!
Hackett looking proper smashed on the Cured cover.
I have a soft spot for Under Wraps. I would like to see it remixed/remastered but i wouldn't want the drum machine replacing. If they could make it sound better in the remixing that would be fine. It is what it is and i am not a fan of tampering for the sake of it. The recent Queen debut springs to mind. It's of its time, leave it as is.
The Queen 1 remix is absolutrly horrible. A shameless money grab.
It was remixed "recently" and it sounds just as bad. I listened to it not so many years ago (I'm 32, didn't have the chance to had it when it was released) and it sounded like a Van Halen/AOR wannabe to me. The electronic drums are surely a thing, but the whole album sounds incredibly awkward and forced. But it was an 80's thing I guess, it was very difficult to get away from the trends
A lot of prog bands sucked in the '80s. They either tried to keep up with the new wave bands and be danceable, or they just did sappy ballads. They'd have been better off sticking to their own sounds.
Great point. They could've given us a few more classics if they weren't too busy chasing trends with softer sounds.
Heart being the worst offenders in this respect imho.
The problem was the pressures of the record labels, they wouldn’t give the bands many options if they wanted to be supported
Genesis, Queen, Roxy Music all had to change sounds or die.
@@johnearle7776 Roxy did it well. Genesis, OTOH, sucked ass. Don't tell me it was because they had to. Peter Gabriel's solo albums stayed pretty true to the original Genesis sound and were still successful commercially. As far as Queen, I hated them in the '70s and '80s.
I was waiting for Love Beach. I used to live for ELP but when that album appeared my jaw just dropped. what on earth were they thinking?? I loved Yes but they got a lot worse after Chris died. I did not consider them "YES" any longer.
They got a lot worse when Jon Anderson was no longer in the band.
@@steverogers2635 Yea, that's totally not Yes.
@@Biffer5 I've said it elsewhere in this comment section but Yes were Anderson and Squire.
@@GentleGiantFan I think you have to keep Steve Howe in the mix too. Anderson, Squire and Howe were the backbone of Yes. Tony Kaye was a good keyboardest and although I always felt Bruford was essential the other drummers did OK. But those three in my mind were irreplaceable. Howe calling his band Yes is rediculous.
@@Biffer5 I'm on the fence with Howe being included on what defines Yes. Trevor Rabin did give them a lot of success with 90125 and Big Generator. He has held his own and solidified his spot as the guitarist much like Alan White did after Bruford's departure. Plus (imo) Rabin is a better singer than Howe. Frankly if I had a choice between today's "Yes" and ARW to see in concert, it would be Anderson, Rabin, Wakeman.
That being said, my all time fav Yes line up is the Fragile line up, ABWH & Squire. Nothing can touch that.
Even the weakest Gentle Giant albuns (Missing Piece and Giant for a Day) have excellent moments, so I wouldn't include it on that list. There are many other albuns much worse, such as Rock and Roll Prohet, by Rick Wakeman, and the dreadful Earth Moving, by Mike Oldfield
MIssing piece is a damm great album and criminally underrated and even giant for a day while not one of their best has some good tracks on it.
The missing piece has a really groovy a side, The only song I don't really like on there is I betcha thought we couldn't do it, ironically. And side b has memories of old days and for nobody, just as good as any song on interview those ones.
GfaD is the only GG album I don't own, and when I heard so.e of it I was surprised how...solid it sounded. I was expecting something dreadful.
@@DrCorndog1 yeah, I don't have a copy of it either. They're my favourite band but I wouldn't buy that one unless it was cheap out in the wild.
Totalmente in disaccordo su 'Love beach': la suite contenuta sul disco è fantastica, come non se ne scrivono più.
D´accordo
The Pentateuch of the Cosmogony should be in there. Patrick Woodroffe's artwork is as stunning as Dave Greenslade's music is unlistenable.
I am so tired of this constant complaining of some, or even most of, the productions from the 1980-ties. All eras have their "stamp" and are dated. There are alot of music from each decade with dated production, but so what? Each and every album is a snapshot from that period, that year and by those people. It is the music that matters. At least to me.
GTR is a great album. It should not be on such s list. Apart from that I do not disagree that much on the albums.
But then again I dislike most of the ELP albums, and a few other artists that one "should love". The 70-ties was not all good. The 90-ties horrible and after the millennium too much music is not up to par. But that is just me and my take on this.
I'm having colorless prog pottage for dinner tonight! 😂
Is it ridiculously complicated to create, has too many ingredients/parts, takes an eternity to consume and requires great taste to appreciate?
@PaIaeoCIive1684 Yes to all of the above. It's also served in an elegant tureen....and yet still manages to disappoint. 😄
Am I correct in thinking that there's little - or no - mention of Wishbone Ash on this channel? If so, it's a staggering omission. Their 1972 classis, Argus, deserves covering if nothing else (and there is a lot more). A hugely influential band who created one of the 70s best rock albums.
Wow! Great video and (as far as I am concerned) you absolutely nailed it. I owned eight of these stinkers but got rid of them 7 of them almost immediately, only keeping Gentle Giant's "Giant for a Day!" as there were several tracks I actually enjoyed (despite it being their weakest album).
Good list. I waited in dread for Roger's Radio KAOS to turn up, another album ripe for an archaeological revisit on the production, but was glad it didn't. The Sicilian Defence isn't really an album, it's a set of pre-pre-pre- production idea that may have eventually contributed a melody here and there for something. It's a set of 1st day notes for a Project, not a Project itself, methinks. Happy New Year to you and yours too.
I was surprised "Hergest Ridge" was omitted. It makes any Starcastle album sound inspired
Aye, RADIO KAOS and A MOMENTARY LAPSE REASON- the two main fighting figures of Pink Floyd, each releasing a solo 80's Pop Prog album adorned with LA's finest studio session musicians
Thanks to Barry, I've warmed to the remix of AMLOR, and R.Kaos has some good tunes an a great narrative, so maybe a visit to the studio tool shed?
If it ain't broke, don't fix it- Rogers retake of DSOTM is a great example,, however R.Kaos, like the tour, was broken...
@@davidjacovelli5986 Radio Kaos is my favorite Waters solo album.
@@ministerofdarkness I love all Roger's work, but this one sounds of its' time, unlike the others ie Final Cut, Amused etc
@@eyericht Radio K.A.O.S is just another '80s album... quite enjoyable for that time and decade... Way to go, Roger!!!
I own two Steve Hackett albums. Cured and Please Don't Touch! Iove them both. Don't really care what anyone else thinks. 🙂
You should listen to Highly Strung as well, then !
The voyage of the Acolyte and Spectral Mornings are major productions of SH, you might listen to them!
@@zorbeclegras5708 Those two sounded familiar so I browsed thru my cd collection but no luck. Then I dusted off my stack of vinyl and there they are! I've been wanting to put my turntable back into the rack. Now I have a very good reason to do so! Thanks!
@@edwinroth4470 Ok, I'll pick that one up! Thanks!
Dream Theater are prog in much the same way that The Da Vinci Code is a work of religious philosophy.
The sad thing about Yes' Heaven And Earth is that they went downhill from there. HAE at least tried to recapture their former fire, and turns out pretty listenable if a few tracks get switched about (moving the final track up to #3 if I recall), where the next two albums just flounder about, leaving nothing really memorable -- except possibly the desire to hear something, anything, with Jon Anderson singing on it ...
I'd rather spin Drama over those
@@PaulFormentos - or Fly From Here, which is basically Drama part 2
It is interesting to see, all the chosen albums are 1978 onward. There are no choices from the development stage into the 70s heyday. When musical landscapes change, artists are (as Steve Hackett said) forced to adjust or risk losing their place.
That ELP album cover deserves an award in its own right as possibly the worst rock album cover (and there's some competition for that award). What were they thinking of; the Bee Gees? Dreadful!
Exactely what I was thinking! BTW. "Calling All Stations" deserved a place on this list...
Keith Emerson himself said that it reminded him of the Bee Gees.
Another gem mate. Well done. I am so happy that you've chosen 2025 to review Fever Tree's debut album. Cheers!
Love that album. I still have it and listen to it often.
Knocking Love Beach is kinda kicking at an open door, since both the fandom and the band themselves have always considered it an embarrassment. It's not that Side A is bad prog - it's not prog at all! It's a prog band trying, under duress (pressured by the record company) and with their heart not in it, to make a pop album and understandably struggling. And, as others have already commented below, it's too often overlooked that Side B, whilst not their best work, is really rather good.
I might get stick for saying this, but IMO the only prog band that ever had any real success in making shorter "radio friendly" pieces *without* totally sacrificing their artistic integrity was Yes.
Under Wraps is awesome .... you really have it in for Tull and Ian. Still going as a week ago they just announced a new album on March 7th.
So much energy and originality ... and people whine about the synth drums.
"Lap of Luxury"
"Under Wraps #1"
"European Legacy"
"Later, That Same Evening"
"Saboteur"
"Radio Free Moscow"
"Nobody's Car"
"Heat"
"Under Wraps #2"
"Paparazzi"
"Apogee"
I wouldn't even call GTR a prog album. But either way it's a huge disappointment.
Happy New year Barry, as always, entertaining...poor old love beach, always a bridesmaid, never a bride, and yet, canario and memoirs are really very strong pieces...and now I'm going to have to listen to triumvirat, I wasn't aware they'd done a shit on their own front doorstep...gotta be honest, I wasn't mad about Pompeii, too much of everything when the votes were in ..anyway, enough from me, keep on with the show, and let us know if there's a podcast of all this juicy reportage...
non native English speaker watching this, may I ask what the arm movements mean as you are speaking, I havenever been taught how to translate these I feel I be only hearing half of what you are saying without a resource to translate the sign language is there a Web resource to translate ?
Love Beach isn't actually as bad as it's made out to be, especially if you don't mind the Asia end of Prog and aren't offended by the odd Spinal Tapesque lyrics....
Well, I'd take Giant for a Day out, as it was my first Giant album, and the one that fired me with enthusiasm for hearing more. No lie: my friend had Giant for a Day, and sent me a mixtape with some GfaD cuts on it, and those cuts inspired me to buy (on a rare visit to a Los Angeles record store) two Giant albums from a cutout bin. One was GfaD, the other Octopus. I dug both.
I agree that this is their weakest album, but Gentle Giant at their worst are still pretty good.
Agree. GFaD is their "worst" album but it's not a bad album. There's some great tracks, but it pales compared to what we got with Freehand, Octopus, and (my favorite) Aquiring The Taste.
I have a soft spot for Civilian. I think they could have done for New Wave what they did for prog if they didn't split up.
Giant for a Day was exceptional. If you want a bad GG album, try Interview.
Hard to disagree, but I don't think those ELP and Supertramp albums are that bad... "For You" is one of my favorite ELP tracks, and there are som really bright spots on Free As a Bird as well, like " Where I Stand" and "An Awful Thing To Waste". I think Supertramp's first two albums are much worse overall...
There are many good songs on Free as a bird I can aldo mention You never can tell with friends , Not the moment or It does not matter. The production is not the best but I like the songs.
Classy appraisal here of some prog dung of the highest calibre. All the best. Dave✅✅
Thank you Dave, hope the channel's going well
@ Hi Barry. It’s not going badly at all. Must thank you once again for featuring two videos for me last year (that still sounds strange still) which smashed my typical figures out of the window. Very kind of you once again. Lets hope we all have a prosperous year
Much of this I agree with - Giant for a Day, Cured, and Love Beach are rather low-hanging fruit in terms of "worst of" albums. I'd give a tip of the hat to Renaissance's "Time-Line" as well. I thought that Triumvirate's "A La Carte" was bad, but I heard "Party Life" and that was enough for me.
But it's nice to know that in many cases it's not just me. "Heaven and Earth" for me simply went in one ear and out the other, as have the later releases as well.
But thanks for the video! I always enjoy a good "worst of" list.
Giant for a Day should be seen not as a prog record. As a smart pop record it’s very good.
is it really that different from missing piece? i see them as a pair.
Could someone list what he listed, and put links to each reference? TYIA.
Can’t take you serious with a Marillion t-shirt 😂😂
I hope a new Under Wraps sees the light of day, On the whole I like the album, as it was the first 'New' Tull album that was released after I first got into them all those years ago.
I don't think, they will add real drums to it...
Prog was well and truly a spent force by the time all these albums were made. One might argue (I would) that its lifetime proper was from about 1969 to 1975, with 1971 the high point. Thereafter it went stale, most prog musicians were trading on past glories with very little innovation and the dull albums outnumbered the enjoyable ones. I'd be interested in a best and worst selection from the golden years, when the genre was alive and dynamic with many glorious successes and some glorious, and not-so-glorious, failures. EDIT: Hadn't seen your other videos and I now see you've done exactly that with a "best of", thanks!
I actually think a lot of fantastic prog albums came from the late 70s. Gilgamesh - Another Fine Tune..., National Health - Of Queues And Cures, Colosseum II - Electric Savage..
Most of these aren't even prog, they are pop albums by prog bands. Kind of a cheap list
I agree with most of these, and also hope a box set of UNDER WRAPS happens with real drums instead of machines. One prog album that I would put on my list is THE ABSENCE OF PRESCENSE by KANSAS. It was their last studio album from a couple of years ago. I can't tell if the songs are any good because the production is so horrible. There is so much compression on the recording (even the 5.1 mix) that it hurts to listen to. It is not an enjoyable experience, and I was greatly disappointed since I have embraced every album since the first self-titled KANSAS album I bought in 1974. Thanks for sharing your list.
To each his own, but to my ears Kansas is exhibit A for why American bands have no business doing Prog.
@@davidwargin9433 That's the beauty of music. We all have things we appreciate and dislike. Doesn't make it wrong or right!
@@davidwargin9433 I think you mean U.S. bands, or do you mean the entire western hemisphere? What are Rush going to do? Kansas doesn't call themselves prog, so you'll be okay. But if you have no ear for what Phil Ehart and Dave Hope are doing on Kansus' best tracks, you have no business talking about prog *smirk*.
@@davidwargin9433 Give Pinnacle Point and Jerome Mazza a try! WOW!!
Hi, I totally agree, when I bought Russian Roulette in 1979 I thought: Progressive rock is dead.
I heard "When the Heart Rules the Mind" on the radio and ran out to buy that GTR album. I can't recall any of the other songs on it!
To be fair. GTR was still born. I think goals were made for the group and not by them. There is a difference. Mr. Hackett BTW really isn't a team player by this point in his career. He went solo artist and never really wanted to be simply a member of a band.
I love GG Giant For A Day It was something different from them at the time
Great list sir! Last time I saw a steaming pile of sh*t this nauseating was when I (mistakenly) watched Pasolini's awful Salo. Every album on here is deserving of censure for reasons of common sense & humanity...subscribed :)
I don’t think anyone knows what prog is. It’s one of those things that’s undefinable, but apparently "you know it when you hear it". Some of the most innovative or complex rock music doesn’t fit into the "prog" label, while some of the most lackluster, and auto-pilot albums like these ones somehow do. So if it doesn't mean "progressive"what does it mean?
I agree that the term is pretty subjective, but my criteria are non-typical song structures and use of scales outside the regular blues. Utilising odd time signatures, and use of instruments that aren't typically used in rock. Prone to concept albums, and longer songs.
I'm sure Wikipedia has another definition entirely :)
They don't call it the music business for nothing. Art for Art's sake is all very well, but at the end of the day it's a money making endeavour.
I'm glad to see so many worthy albums being included in this list. (In fact, every album on the list was either one I believed should be on the list, or one I'd never heard - or heard _of_ - for good reason.) I would put Heaven and Earth at number one though. I still have not been able to force myself to even listen to the whole thing. And I'm glad you put Giant for a Day on the list instead of the more obvious Civilian. I actually _like_ Civilian and I feel like Gentle Giant might have been able to do something interesting in the '80s if they'd stuck around.
I'm impressed this list wasn't ten post-1980 Tull albums
To me their last good album was Minstrel in the Gallery...
@@luiznogueira1579 I agree. That was tull at the peak of their creative powers
For me, Tull works best in long format, as in Thick as a Brick or A Passion Play. Minstrel in the gallery is also good, but most of their shorter songs seems to have the rock, but is missing the storytelling in the music (Aqualung being an exception).
@@jarnalyrkar Same here. Aqualung seems like a concept album, but according to Anderson it's not. A real masterpiece, imo.
I haven't heard them all, but for me nothing can be worst than GTR. Yes lost its magic when Steve Howe left, and Genesis lost its magic when Steve Hackett left, so a Howe/Hackett reunion should bring the magic back, right? WRONG!! This is just another 80's BS. Much worse than 80's Yes, Asia and pop Genesis, if that's even possible.
Yes lost their magic when Steve Howe remained only member from 70s.
Don't like "pop rock" Genesis with Phil Collins singing? The stuff at the end was humdrum but they had a string off good albums right after Peter Gabriel left. I like Gabriel but he's an acquired taste and that prog rock is narcolepsy on vinyl. It's all I can do to stomach RUSH most of the time but at least they rock out and don't put me to sleep
I saw GTR concert in 1986 Washington DC. It was a really good show. No regrets at all because I got to see Steve Howe live for the first time of my concert going days.
@@ShawnConrad-tw8du "Turn it on, turn it on again, ai ai !" Duke is lame album indeed also with one of the worst covers of all time.
I think yes lost their magic when Steve Howe rejoined!
I owned "Love Beach" only because I wanted a complete ELP collection. It sucked, but so did a lot of their later stuff. Their early stuff was worth it.
I agree with your assessment of Love Beach, as it has the dubious place of being the worst prog rock album I’ve ever heard. ELP seemed to lose their way after Brain Salad Surgery (their magnum opus IMO), possibly due to an increasingly toxic atmosphere between the members combined with burnout from all the touring. As for the remainder of the list, I can’t really comment as I haven’t heard them enough to form an opinion. (My musical tastes, if they can be called such, began to shift in favour of more jazz-fusion based styles, with. Prog taking more of a back seat.)
"Colorless Prog Pottage" (in British!)- the quote of the day! Oh Man, so good and so bad, where do we go from here??? OMG So many priceless quotes LMAO
"Prog, Exciting and New. Come Aboard, we're expecting you!"
Never listened to Giant for a day, never going to either.
Yeah waste of time 😂
Guess I missed that one, as well. Curious about it, though
"More cheese than a Papa John's, in fact". Love it.
On top of the fact that Papa John’s pizza is awful 🤮
In order: 10 - 8 no opinion, 7 disagree, 6 grossly disagree, 5 disagree, 4 absolutely agree, 3 slightly agree, 2 & 1 no opinion. So overall I disagree, but prog people can, but are united in knowing that we grew up with the best music before or since.
Did you torture yourself playing said albums again..... or saved your sanity and listed them from memory? A brave man if you went for the former... I usually check out your music choices via streaming but I think I will give these a miss this time.
"At least they were singing from the same hymn sheet, it's just the wrong hymn sheet." You have too much fun coming up with these bon mots.
Giant for a Day is definitely their worst, but they somehow manage to make it catchy and listenable.
It's not a recommendation if you're new to GG or a big fan of them, but it is worth a shot if Pop is also your favorite genre.
Me while watching this video: "'Love Beach' is only #4? What could be worse?"
Video: "Number 3 is GTR"
Me: "Oh, yeah..."
The first rule of being an APP fan. 'There is no such thing as a bad Alan Parsons album'
The second rule of being an APP fan. ' We don't talk about the Sicilian Defence!!!'
The album certainly did it's job, securing that contract, but it should have been left, buried deep with the other musical Balrogs of our time.
We don't talk about _Eve_ either, if we can help it... I notice he said they were written around the same time
@asammler Hey! Eve is a good album. Eve reminds me a little of Pink Floyd's Obscured by Clouds. Good album but ultimately dismissed in the wake of Meddle, Dark Side and Wish you Were Here.
Poor Eve has to contend with Pyramid, A Turn of a Friendly Card and Eye in the Sky.
@@Dwarfman01 Cannot agree.
I KNEW that Yes' HEAVEN & EARTH would be on the list. I have a fan remixed version that improves it immeasurably - The drums and bass have more edge, and the tempos were bumped up. Who produced that generic Yacht Prog anyway? Wait . . . what? Roy Thomas Baker? WTF? The guy that produced the first four Queen albums? And four albums for The Cars?
FUN FACT: HEAVEN & EARTH was the last album he produced.
I don't think I would classify GTR as a progressive rock album. Like Asia, I consider this type of music to be Prog-flavored AOR, and not truly Progressive Rock. A Rock band can be full of musicians with Prog pedigrees, but they may decide to produce more radio-friendly Rock rather than crank out traditional Prog.
Again, another video that highlights the mystery of music. From watching all your videos I agree with your opinion of at least 90% of all the albums you've covered. Then this comes along and I love at least 6 of the albums you hate. It's so weird how tastes can overlap so much and yet still have that small selection of material where we are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Please keep on producing these insanely interesting and very funny vids, they are a highlight of my week.
👏👏👏
Agreed on "Free as a Bird"... such a dissapointment from Supertramp
Speaking as a great fan of Alan Parsons Project, I'd say their worst album was one that was released ON PURPOSE - 'Vulture Culture' is strictly for the birds, and is replete with the worst carrion of late APP.
Idk that 80s Hackett album kinda slaps
Well, that was fun. Thanks and Happy New Year.
Another candidate: Peter Gabriel's Ovo.
Or anything from ONO.....
I could never understand people's obsession with a number of top selling bands including Yes and Supertramp. On the other side of the coin, there are great albums by minor bands. For me, these include Groundhogs, Greenslade, The Enid, Van der Graaf Generator and Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance. I'm sure that other people will have their own thoughts.
Can’t help it - but I still have a weakness for GTR. Bacon was a great vocalist, and some of the songs are actually pretty good - I especially like ‘The Hunter…’ I own a live recording of the tour they did. Bacon singing ‘Roundabout’ is not too bad either….
Excuse me, but who is "Bacon"?
@ Max Bacon, the singer of the short-lived formation GTR.
The drumming on "Underwraps" was indeed a drum machine. Even some of the band members dissed it simply because there was no actual drummer.
I was a huge ELP fan back in the day, and when I heard they had released a new album, I eagerly trekked to my favourite record shop to snap it up. That album was, of course, Love Beach. The album cover gave me pause - a good dollop of pause actually, since it was a bit of a comedown from the likes of H. R. Giger and William Neal - but I bought it anyway. Hey, it was ELP, it had to be good, right? Then I listened to it... Oh dear. It wasn't bad music per se, but the numbers were woefully lackluster with crass lyrics and it was clear that their hearts were no longer in it.
A suspicion I had at the time has since been validated. It appears that the three of them desperately wanted to go their own ways, but they were still under contract (to Atlantic, I think) to produce one more album, and the execs were adamant about it. So they essentially threw together whatever they could muster and told the brass, "Okay, here's your damn album! Can we go now?"
It'd be fun to hear a hidden gems list, just because I want Moraz's "golf ball" album to get some airtime, and Thinking Plague, probably something by IQ, and SLeepytime Gorilla Museum (controversial, maybe they're not prog).
The best thing about Steve Hackett's Cured is that is was the first present my first girlfriend gave me, so for that reason is has sentimental value. However it is undoubtedly really poor, I was so disappointed when I first heard it. I'll love Steve until the day I die but a lot of his albums are uneven, possibly as he has such variety on each. 'Guitar Noir' though is the standout, 13 brilliant tracks without a single one below 8/10, and which flow together beautifully. Have a particular fondness for Please Don't Touch too.