Comus' 1001 Albums you should listen to before you die

Trollheart · 01-03-2023, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Comus

Album 921

Outer Limits - Misty Moon
Year: 1985

The 80's were a dark time for progressive rock, especially compared to how much great work came out in the 70's. Outer Limits beautiful symphonic effort Misty Moon seems to have been forgotten by almost everybody, undeservedly so. This album is a joy to listen to an evokes a feeling of nostalgia that I can't quite place, a yearning to put on something old and familiar. I'm not going to claim that Outer Limits go somewhere new and explore the unknown here, but what they are doing is keeping prog rock alive and interesting smack bang in the middle of the darkest decade (for prog). The vocals are a bit of a miss, but definitely not as bad as you could expect from a Japanese band singing mostly in English. What makes this truly shine however is the excellent Violin. Revisiting this album for this list has had me putting it on again and again, it's a special album, please give it a few whirls.

3 Choice Tracks: Misty Moon, Saturated Solution, Subete wa Kaze no Yōni

Oh now I have to take issue with this statement! Marillion, Pendragon, IQ, Pallas - the 80s were a time of resurgence in prog rock - Genesis even gave it a go with... no, no. I can't say that with a straight face. But bands like Qasar and Twelfth Night, I mean, come on. Dark?

Comus · 01-03-2023, 10:17 AM

I'm not going to deny that there was a lot of great prog in the 80's, but I'm sure the best two years of the 70's had more prog rock albums that we could consider to be masterpieces than the entirety of the 80's.

Trollheart · 01-03-2023, 10:49 AM

Well yeah, I would probably concede that. Prog has certainly changed over the decades, but there was also a lot about the 70s I didn't like that I do about the 80s, particularly the willingness to move away from too-esoteric lyrics and take on some more political/current subjects. Look at Pallas's "The Ripper" or Twelfth Night's "We are Sane" or even "Creepshow". Can't really see a 70s prog band writing those.

Comus · 01-04-2023, 04:24 AM

Album 920

Ayreon - The Human Equation
Year: 2004

A concept album/rock opera about a man trapped in his own mind in a coma reliving his life. Featuring a brilliant cast of characters such as Mikael Åkerfelt playing Fear, James LaBrie playing Me and Devin Townsend playing Rage. Deliciously cheesy and an amazing journey on each listen this is definitely up there as one of my personal favourite albums. Ayreon as a whole ties together their albums in a form of over-arching concept as well, but for now just pop on The Human Equation and get yourself immersed. This is one where for the first listen you should be paying attention to the story. This album is definitely divisive, maybe not for the metal fan who takes himself to seriously.

3 Choice Tracks: Day Two: Isolation, Day Eleven: Love, Day Sixteen: Loser

Trollheart · 01-04-2023, 06:14 AM

I've listened to a lot of Ayreon, but really find them quite hard to get into. I can never remember a single song. Human Equation? Into the Castle? Accelerator? See - I can't even remember the names of the albums, and I've listened to many of them. I see them as a kind of Dream Theater, all flash and bang but nothing memorable. Well, that's not quite true: "Hollow Years" stuck in my memory, and there might be one other. But nothing from Aryeon. I get the feeling of a kind of vanity thing, though I could be wrong there. Maybe it's the idea, as you say, of an overarching concept across several albums.

Comus · 01-04-2023, 06:19 AM

I consistently get songs from the Human Equation stuck in my head, even if I haven't heard the album for years. Find myself singing "Do it right, do it right, we ain't got all night,Do it now, do it now, I think you know how" every time I need to stop taking a break and getting back to work.

Queen Boo · 01-04-2023, 07:22 AM

I never got into Aryeon but I find this picture of Arjen Anthony Lucassen on the home page of ProgArchives to be really wholesome, it always makes me smile, c'mon, just look at it.

Comus · 01-04-2023, 11:47 PM

Album 919

Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else
Year: 1958

Nat's brother Cannonball Adderley is joined here by Miles Davis in one of his few appearances not as a band leader as they effortlessly trade solos throughout. At the time Cannonball was playing with Miles and his influence is all over this record. A nice way for me to cheat in a second Miles Davis album really. But seriously this recording just flows so well, opening up with my favourite rendition of Autumn Leaves it just grabs you and won't let go until you get startled by Davis gruffly asking "is that what you wanted Alfred?" at the end of One for Daddy-O, just in time to ease yourself out with Dancing In the Dark. Art Blakey also returns here in this list, having played on Monk's Music , and keeps the whole thing together brilliantly. If you haven't given Hard Bop a try yet, this is your reminder to.

3 Choice Tracks: Autumn Leaves, Love For Sale, One For Daddy-O

Comus · 01-06-2023, 06:04 AM

Album 918

Pharoah Sanders - Karma
Year: 1969

This album makes you let your guard down with calming familiarity before melting your face off and then has the gall to talk about all the pretty colours while you're still reeling. 10/10 would get face melted off again.

3 Choice Tracks: There's two

Comus · 01-07-2023, 05:37 AM

Album 917

Guns n' Roses - Use Your Illusion I
Year: 1991

Coma will forever be one of the greatest rock songs of the 90's. This album perfectly captures the beginning of the end of pure hard rock's mainstream appeal. By this point GNR (or more correctly Axl Rose) thought they were hot **** and could do no wrong, despite all the internal strife in the band but are only saved here and in II by Slash. I will forever love Guns n' Roses, have all their songs (from the four real albums) in my random playlist that plays when I have forgotten to queue an actual album, but the only reason this even gets a consideration for this list is Coma.

3 Choice Tracks: Coma, November Rain, Don't Cry

01-03-2023, 10:49 AM	#233 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Well yeah, I would probably concede that. Prog has certainly changed over the decades, but there was also a lot about the 70s I didn't like that I do about the 80s, particularly the willingness to move away from too-esoteric lyrics and take on some more political/current subjects. Look at Pallas's "The Ripper" or Twelfth Night's "We are Sane" or even "Creepshow". Can't really see a 70s prog band writing those. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

01-04-2023, 06:14 AM	#235 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	I've listened to a lot of Ayreon, but really find them quite hard to get into. I can never remember a single song. Human Equation? Into the Castle? Accelerator? See - I can't even remember the names of the albums, and I've listened to many of them. I see them as a kind of Dream Theater, all flash and bang but nothing memorable. Well, that's not quite true: "Hollow Years" stuck in my memory, and there might be one other. But nothing from Aryeon. I get the feeling of a kind of vanity thing, though I could be wrong there. Maybe it's the idea, as you say, of an overarching concept across several albums. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018