[Abouna]

First, as I'm pretty new to most of the Yes stuff, I'd like to hear recommendations for what might be considered their best effort, excluding Yessongs and Close to the Edge. I've given both the latter a listen and am not overly impressed, they sound fairly tight and I'm a fan of the vocals but the music is only about half there for me, sounds like they're trying to find their sound.

Secondly I'd like recommendations for other progressive rock albums. I'm setting Jethro Tull as my gold standard here but I'd like some others.

Thanks and cheers.

 

[iamoneagain]

I'd say try these:

Fragile
The Yes Album

 

[Nick 214]

The Gates of Delirium, specifically "Soon"

King Crimson

NK

 

[scompton]

Close to the Edge is one of my favorites, the first I bought on CD. Relayer is another good one. Keep in mind, Yes is not going to sound much like Tull. I don't consider Tull to be prog rock, more folk rock.

If your into the more folksy stuff, like Songs from the Wood, try the following

1. Steeleye Span - either Down Below the Salt or Parcel of Rogues. Parcel of Rouges has a rocking instrumental that's just fiddle and bass and is incredible IMO
2. Traffic - John Barleycorn
3. Fairport Convention

For a band more like the rocker side of Tull, I'd suggest a band called Ossibisa. In particular their first couple of albums with Roger Dean cover art. It was a group of African, Caribbean, and American musicians playing bluesy rock. Kind of sounds like a cross between Tull and early Santana.

Maybe a few more random recommendations

1. Van Morrison - Moondance
2. Focus - either Moving Waves or The Best of Focus: Hocus Pocus
3. Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells

 

[Abouna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scompton /img/forum/go_quote.gif Close to the Edge is one of my favorites, the first I bought on CD. Relayer is another good one. Keep in mind, Yes is not going to sound much like Tull. I don't consider Tull to be prog rock, more folk rock. If your into the more folksy stuff, like Songs from the Wood, try the following Steeleye Span - either Down Below the Salt or Parcel of Rogues. Parcel of Rouges has a rocking instrumental that's just fiddle and bass and is incredible IMO Traffic - John Barleycorn Fairport Convention For a band more like the rocker side of Tull, I'd suggest a band called Ossibisa. In particular their first couple of albums with Roger Dean cover art. It was a group of African, Caribbean, and American musicians playing bluesy rock. Kind of sounds like a cross between Tull and early Santana. Maybe a few more random recommendations Van Morrison - Moondance Focus - either Moving Waves or The Best of Focus: Hocus Pocus Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells

Thanks for the notes.

I'm on the older side of the demographic here (38) so I've already got:

Osibisa
Oldfield
Traffic
et al....

I'm quite familiar with most of the late 60's-late 70's stuff (probably would have been helpful had I mentioned that!). I'm really just looking for stuff I may have missed over the years.

As far as Prog rock goes, I'd have to disagree with you, Tull is usually considered mainline Prog Rock, certainly not Folk Rock though I would concede there is certainly a smattering of that here and there.

I'm just not that familiar with Yes (my dad never had any Yes albums but seems to have had all the rest I grew up on). As far as Closer to the Edge goes, I'll certainly give it some more time but thus far it seems jumbled and in need of direction.

Cheers.

 

[misterheadphones]

First off, congratulations for listening to awesome music.

My personal favorite album by Yes is Relayer, but I wouldn't consider it their most influential work. I like Relayer because it's kind of a concept album, that is the music and the lyrics tell a story loosely based on War and Peace. You'll especially like it if you're into war stuff.

 

[Thermionic Dude]

Let me also congratulate you-you obviously enjoy LISTENING to music! I must say, it has been gratifying to see all the interest in Prog over the past year (here and elsewhere); I don't want to speak too soon, but maybe people are starting to appreciate this music for what is really is (as opposed to all the ridicule heaped on Prog since the late 70's for being too "indulgent", "pompous", having "too many notes", etc.-never heard anyone say these things about Liszt, Paganini, or Beethoven!)

For all things Prog, I would suggest the websites Progressive Rock Music Ultimate Discography ... with Free MP3, Videos and Reviews and www.progressiveears.com as excellent resources (there are certainly others, but these two stand out to me). Also, allmusic is another great resource for all things music (including Prog).

You say you are versed in 60's-70's Prog, but I can't help making a few suggestions:
Yes- "Tales From Topographic Oceans" and "Relayer" are their best 70's output (IMO). I think you will take to these albums as you comment that "Close to the Edge" and earlier albums sound a bit unfocused.
Genesis- "Selling England by the Pound"
King Crimson- "Red"
Van Der Graff Generator- "Godbluff"
Renaissance- "Ashes are Burning"
Focus- "Focus III"
Gentle Giant- "In a Glass House"
Caravan- "For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night"
Nektar- "Journey to the Center of the Eye"
The Soft Machine- "Third"
Gryphon- "Red Queen to Gryphon Three"
Camel- "The Snow Goose"
Ambrosia- "Ambrosia"
ELP- "Tarkus"
Kansas- "Song for America"
Jethro Tull- "Thick as a Brick"

The 80's were a somewhat dry period for Prog (too much cocaine, I guess

), but there are a few gems:
King Crimson- "Discipline"
Marillion- "Script for a Jester's Tear" and "Misplaced Childhood"
Pallas- "The Sentinel"
IQ- "The Wake"
Pendragon- "The Jewel"
Fates Warning- "Perfect Symmetry"

The 90's-00's have seen a Prog renaissance of sorts (even though the mainstream seems totally oblivious) and the variety of musical influences present in modern Prog is really staggering-I will stick my neck out and say that the past 15 or so years have produced a canon of Prog works that rival those of the 60's-70's Prog heyday in lyrical content, musicianship, and complexity of arrangment/compositions. Thank God for record labels such as Magna Carta, Inside Out, and Radiant!
Some suggestions:
Dream Theatre- "Awake" and "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulance"
Spock's Beard- "Beware of Darkness", "V", and "Snow" (cannot recommend this band enough-just incredible!)
Fates Warning- "Pleasant Shade of Grey"
Flower Kings- "Back in the World of Adventures", "Paradox Hotel", and "Stardust We Are" (another band I cannot recommend enough)
Pallas- "The Cross and the Crucible"
IQ- "Subterrania"
Vanden Plas- "The God Thing"
Ayreon- "The Human Equation"
Transatlantic- "Bridge Across Forever"
OSI- "Office of Strategic Influence"
Magellan- "Symphony for a Misanthrope"
Glass Hammer- "Shadowlands"
Kino- "Picture"
Pendragon- "The Masquerade Overture"
Jadis- "Fanatic"
Devin Townshend Band- "Terria"
IZZ- "My River Flows"
Chroma Key- "Graveyard Mountain Home"
White Willow- "Sacrament"
A.C.T.- "Last Epic"
Marillion- "Afraid of Sunlight"
Pain of Salvation- "Remedy Lane"
Opeth- "Still Life"
Symphony X- "Divine Wings of Tragedy"
Riverside- "Second Life Syndrome"
Porcupine Tree- "Up the Downstair", "Stupid Dream", "In Absentia", "Deadwing", and "Fear of a Blank Planet" (probably my favorite band overall and I'm not exaggerating when I say they will one day be just as "legendary" as Pink Floyd, ELP, Yes, etc.).
Neil Morse- "One" and "?" Absolute Prog masterpieces with explicitly Christian lyrics. I am a Christian but find CCM in general to be boring, simplistic, lacking in musicianship compared with its "secular" counterparts. The South Park "Christian Rock Hard" episode absolutely NAILED this concept (if you have seen it, you know exactly what I mean-if not, see it-it is one of the absolutely funniest episodes along with "Woodland Critter X-Mas"

). Neil is just amazingly gifted and these albums have some of the most intellegent "Christian" lyrics I know of and the musicianship/arrangments are some of the best I have ever heard on any album of any genre. He is probably best known for Spock's Beard and Transatlantic (incredible bands); went solo after becoming a Christian but continues to work with many former bandmates, and Mike Portnoy does all the drumming. I just cannot speak highly enough of Neil's talents-IMO everything he touches musically turns to gold. Even agnostics/atheists can (and do, based upon posts on other message boards) appreciate these albums as they are in no way judgmental or "preachy", but they ARE explicitly Christian.

I threw a lot of suggestions at you without much explanation, but there is enough information in the links above to help you determine whether or not you are likely to enjoy any given suggestion. Sorry for such a long response, but hopefully you (and others) find this helpful.

 

[Abouna]

Wow! Thanks for the exhaustive reply. Much reading and listening to do!