What Prog Albums That Are Not Well Regarded Among Prog Fans Are Still Your Favorites?

[Mr.Krautman]

And also... MIKE BATT !

Unfortunately Mike Batt (a very talented composer/producer/musician/conductor) never received the recognition he deserved in the prog world (he's not even listed on progarchives !). Maybe because he is mainly associated with the Wombles and his solo work is too patchy and hard to categorize, including various elements like (neo)classical, orchestral, (musical) comedy, experimental , cheesy pop songs and (yes)... prog ! All of his solo albums are mixed bags of very interesting parts and some unlistenable ones (and M.B's "peculiar" nasal voice really doesn't help). I very much like his 80ies weird video-concept album Zero Zero but I'm probably alone: Classical orchestra sections intermixed with Fairlight samples, drum machines and some (dreadful) new wave pop songs anyone ? Cheaply produced video supporting a Tommy/Subterranea like concept story ? You'll either like or hate it (the latter for the most) but there's nothing else like it. And his Hunting of The Snark musical project constantly lingers between grandiose and grotesque... MB is definitely a very original and unique artist, check it out.

[Mr.Krautman]

FOCUS: "Mother Focus".
Unanimously considered as their worst record.
True, there are no epics or long tracks only short" songs" far removed from any "progressive" intentions.
But I liked it when I bought the LP in 1975 (I was only 14 Y.O !) and still like it today (mostly the instrumental tracks).
Good playing and excellent production, pleasant to the ears, easily listenable... Not so bad as you might think.
Of course their 4 first records are true classics which never have been surpassed by the band.

[Trane]

FOCUS: "Mother Focus".
Unanimously considered as their worst record.
True, there are no epics or long tracks only short" songs" far removed from any "progressive" intentions.
But I liked it when I bought the LP in 1975 (I was only 14 Y.O !) and still like it today (mostly the instrumental tracks).
Good playing and excellent production, pleasant to the ears, easily listenable... Not so bad as you might think.
Of course their 4 first records are true classics which never have be surpassed by the band.

I had that one as a gatefold coupled with Hamburger Concerto. Night & day really.

I managed to separate the two by cutting into the spine and a bit of DIY with cardboards to close them back

Kept the Concerto and got rid of the Mother.

[Mr.Krautman]

I had that one as a gatefold coupled with Hamburger Concerto. Night & day really.

I managed to separate the two by cutting into the spine and a bit of DIY with cardboards to close them back

Kept the Concerto and got rid of the Mother.

I like them both, in a different way.
But I allways found their "H.Concerto" a little bit tedious... not their best IMO.

[llanwydd]

I like Under Wraps a lot better than most Tull fans. A guilty pleasure, some would say.

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

Why does everyone call that album "Mother Focus?" It just says
Mother
Focus
on the cover. If that was the album title wouldn't it say
Mother Focus
Focus
?
Just something l have always been curious about.

[Sputnik]

Why does everyone call that album "Mother Focus?" It just says
Mother
Focus
on the cover. If that was the album title wouldn't it say
Mother Focus
Focus
?
Just something l have always been curious about.

I get your point, but I think the album title is actually Mother Focus, eponymously named for first track. They may have simply omitted the band name from the cover, feeling it was redundant. That's my guess.

Bill

[Digital_Man]

I'm a big fan of the very first Echolyn album. A lot of people (including the band themselves) don't think too highly of it though.

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

I get your point, but I think the album title is actually Mother Focus, eponymously named for first track. They may have simply omitted the band name from the cover, feeling it was redundant. That's my guess.

Bill

I'll buy that!

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

I'm a big fan of the very first Echolyn album. A lot of people (including the band themselves) don't think too highly of it though.

I have a soft spot for that album also, and it has some great material on it. Yeah, the guys lost any fondness for it pretty quickly as their songwriting and chops rapidly improved, along with what they called some "naive" lyrics.

[JKL2000]

^ I love the song "On Any Given Night," which is possibly one of the songs they called "naive." Maybe they weren't wrong, but it's a good song, and album. Now I'll need to listen to it again soon!

[D.Eric]

Why does everyone call that album "Mother Focus?" It just says
Mother
Focus
on the cover. If that was the album title wouldn't it say
Mother Focus
Focus
?
Just something l have always been curious about.

At some point, I had heard that it was intended it to be a pun on "Mother F-ers."