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."

[Rarebird]

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

That would go with Thijs van Leers' sense of humor.

[Rarebird]

Hard to mention, because I don't know which albums are not well regarded among prog fans.

So I just will mention a few, that might fit:
Renaissance - A song for all seasons (somehow perhaps my favorite by them)
Streetmark - Dry

[Gravedigger]

Not an entire album, but a song... the main theme to "Chariots Of Fire" by Vangelis.
It has been sooooooo overused in comedies and skits where someone is running or doing something athletic that its
easy to forget how *lovely* it is.

[Rarebird]

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

It's named Mother Focus in their discographies and also in their biography.

[SteveSly]

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 like that album a lot too.

[SteveSly]

Hard to mention, because I don't know which albums are not well regarded among prog fans.

So I just will mention a few, that might fit:
Renaissance - A song for all seasons (somehow perhaps my favorite by them)
Streetmark - Dry

"Song For All Seasons" is a great Renaissance album, but as you say, it always seems to be rated low in their catalogue.

[moecurlythanu]

"Song For All Seasons" is a great Renaissance album, but as you say, it always seems to be rated low in their catalogue.

But it's the one the media knows because of the Paper Lads theme song.

[SteveSly]

But it's the one the media knows because of the Paper Lads theme song.

I have no idea what Paper Lads is?

[Sputnik]

I have no idea what Paper Lads is?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Paper_Lads

[veteranof1000psychicwars]

The three albums by Farquhar- S/T, Meadow Full Of Serpents, and Dreamshit. Why this band never caught on is beyond me.

[Tangram]

That 1978-81 period has some of their best stuff IMHO. I'm also very fond of I Can See Your House From Here

ATTWT I've always loved.
.

I've had I Can See Your House From Here for decades and I've never listened to it, and yesterday I played it. Somehow, It kind of got lost in the shuffle. Well, it is quite good. My loss for not hearing it a long time ago.

ATTWT was my intro to Genesis and its one of my favorites. As far as some other albums that get beat on, Calling All Stations is ok. Big Generator has 2-3 good tracks and was always a disappointment. Union is better than the word on PE says it is. And the studio tracks on Ummagumma is fine with me. I enjoy the Wright and Mason tracks the most

[Rarebird]

I've had I Can See Your House From Here for decades and I've never listened to it, and yesterday I played it. Somehow, It kind of got lost in the shuffle. Well, it is quite good. My loss for not hearing it a long time ago.

ATTWT was my intro to Genesis and its one of my favorites. As far as some other albums that get beat on, Calling All Stations is ok. Big Generator has 2-3 good tracks and was always a disappointment. Union is better than the word on PE says it is. And the studio tracks on Ummagumma is fine with me. I enjoy the Wright and Mason tracks the most

I can see your house from here was the second Camel album I bought on vinyl and I've always loved it. The opening-track with the alternating synth-solos. My first Camel was A live record

[Gravedigger]

I can see your house from here was the second Camel album I bought on vinyl and I've always loved it. The opening-track with the alternating synth-solos.

It also has "Ice" which alone is worth the price of admission!