Paul Smeenus

ok, prog pop, maybe. But TBH I never even thought of Floyd as all that proggish. IMO a focus of Prog is high levels of instrumental proficiency, that's not really Floyd, compositionally and conceptually maybe they are. They're right on the cusp IMO.

(Make no mistake, I love Pink, love 'em. Just not sure they 100% fit with the likes of Tull, Yes, Giant, et al)

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Trollheart

Wow! Aggressive, intch'a? I just would not consider them prog rock per se: they have prog elements in some albums sure, but the aforementioned Eve, Ammonia Avenue, Vulture Culture, Sterotomy ... this don't speak to me as prog albums no matter how great they are. Gaudi maybe, although I'd disagree with Ant on Eye in the sky: for me that's not a prog album, despite "Silence and I" being quite a proggy track. I'd call them progressive in about the same way as I would call Supertramp progressive, which is to say they have prog elements but would definitely not be a prog rock band imo.

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Anteater

Well, I never said APP fit all the traditional boxes for a prog rock band: the only album that could be considered something akin to a full blown prog record is the debut, since it was considered to be fairly groundbreaking at the time of its release in some circles. It's ironic though: APP's sound actually ended up rubbing off on actual progressive rock acts like Camel and a couple of others as everyone headed into the 80's.

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To me, 70's Alan Parsons Project was Album Rock that was with Progressive elements, not really Prog although Tales of Mystery and Imagination could qualify for an album that might fit in as a small note, and were perfect with what was going on in AOR FM Radio in The States, almost fitting perfectly with 70's ELO or Manfred Mann's Earth Band with their use of Synths in a basic Rock style that had a little something extra. I think that the one that pushed them into the Prog Pop category was Turn of a Friendly Card featuring an extended work on Side Two but also finding time for songs like "Time" (ouch!), and then the trip to Soft Rock territory with Eye in the Sky and especially Ammonia Avenue. For their defense, though, it can be said that Parsons had a way with using thematic albums with his keyboard driven music (so much better than, say, Styx with Paradise Theater and Kilroy Was Here for example...I wonder if they were taking notes from Parsons Project albums.).

Still, let's also look at a couple of his solo projects. Once the Project stopped with the Gaudi album and Parsons' first solo effort Try Anything Once was an under performing disc, I feel that Parsons decided to at least try a 90's Light Prog route with On Air and The Time Machine - while not Prog as we could call it in this thread, it is at least going a distance away from the hit making machine the Project were before Gaudi. The album he created since then, A Valid Path, was bordering more on Synth Pop/Rock. His work in the 2Ks saw a return to the "Prog Pop" especially with the Eye 2 Eye live album of greatest hits performed in Madrid (once can view things with a cynical eye here, but...).

When one looks at the membership of the Project, which has included artists like Colin Blunstone from The Zombies (Who's Rod Argent also dabbled in some Prog type sounds in his Album Rock with, who else, Argent) and Eric Woolfson who's worked with a lot of British Pop legends before the Project as an arranger as well as the infamous team of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, you can tell that Parsons was aiming for an intelligent Pop/Rock that seriously had some influence with working with Pink Floyd as an Engineer (not producer).

As a Producer, Parsons worked with Al Stewart of "Time Passages" fame and also Ambrosia, who actually started as another Album Rock Progressive band that had it's second album with Parson's production. He's also Produced Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel as well as the tasty Pop of Pilot ("Magic").

Not Prog, but worth a small mention as someone who used it as a springboard for his music.

Plus, with Floyd being mentioned, Ummagumma, Atom Heart Mother (Another Parsons' Engineered album I think), Meddle, Wish You Were Here, and Animals to me fit comfortably Prog in my opinion (OUCH again!). Dark Side is a part of Prog as well, but is to my ears more of an example of how well Floyd do very well when they aim for a mega hit (After some mid-charting albums in The US, it's possible something was aimed to break America in their own unique way) - yummy hooks by the baker's dozen, tasty production with well placed effects, clever lyrics, and everything else. The Wall may be a bloated thing to me, and certainly not Prog, but one can hear a band that aimed for the big time again achieving success.



Getting back to the topic of this thread, for my pick, it would possibly be In the Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson.

Puffnstuff

Call them what you will but I still love Alan Parson Project.

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Trollheart

We can certainly agree on that!

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Unknown Soldier

Sacrilege, you should be hung drawn and quartered for demeaning Styx like so.

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Seriously, you really should have "Been There". I can understand retro like of them, don't get me wrong, but Styx were like Midwest Drama School with a big budget and were seriously everywhere on the radio in my area beck then and I was moving a little more underground by that time. To me, they were over-dramatic and "Babe" sounded like a bar band with an original song that won the audiences over.

While I liked that they were trying to get a message on Kilroy that I actually can agree with, it still was done in a way that I stayed away from it as much as possible.

Also, it was nice that they payed tribute to a Chicago landmark, but..."these are the best OF TIIIIIIIIIMES!!!!!!!!" was not my cup of brew.

(Note...LOL from here on to the finish of the post)
No slight on the strong amount of talent, don't get me wrong, but I put a spell on you for the ghost of the Crimson King to haunt you forever and hope a Foxtrot hunt will happen on the lives of you and your army. You, Sir, may call me a Warlock in this Witch Hunt after calling Styx lightweight, but be very aware of what might come for YOU! For when I meet my fate in the town center for my punishment, my spirits will be released and corrupt your village. HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

Paul Smeenus

*slits wrists, pours copious amounts of gasoline on self and ignites, puts barrel of loaded 45 in mouth and pulls trigger*

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Forward To Death

I've been on an extreme progressive metal kick lately.

The Sound Of Perseverance by Death
Black Future by Vektor
Elements by Atheist
Omnivium by Obscura

As far as traditional prog goes, I could use more of it. I really only have the same thing anyone would have, Yes, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, etc.

I've heard some less popular stuff like Camel, Jane, Focus, Goblin, etc. that's pretty good. Just haven't really taken the time to listen to a lot of it.