I don't always agree with you, after all, music is so subjective and personal to all of us. However, your turn of phrase is second to none and puts so many legacy music journos to shame. My favourite reviewer on YT. Thanks for the entertainment.
@@DavidCarney-l8b Made a bit too much of a fuss over expressing disagreement to emphasize a complement there. Also, caring enough to say nobody cares? Never understood what makes it worth the effort.
God.. if anyone should understand why musicians would make music that does not immediately pander to their fans, you would think a fan of prog-rock would be it. I guess not.
The simple answer to that is that they all still have highly creative minds. And they are still selling enough records to make music without losing money.
Is Love Beach a masterpiece? No, but it's far from the band's worst. However, the album cover is among their very best! You wouldn't think that the whitest prog-rockers imaginable could ever give the Bee Gees a run for their money as supreme Lion Tamers of the World, but ELP pulled it off extremely convincingly. Just look at that majestic hair! Or how confident they look despite standing on an overgrown patch of dirt! It takes a lot of balls to do that, let alone to do it well. And nobody ever did it better!
I always had a warm spot for "When The Heart Rules the Mind" from GTR -- even though the whole album is HORRIFICALLY tinny in terms of production and thin sounding
I avoided Love Beach as a kid like the plague since everyone derided it. I found it in a cut out LP bin at a Woolworth for $1.99 one day & gave it a rip. I still enjoy it to this day unlike apparently 99% of the universe. They have such a unique unmistakable sound & while it’s quite a bit removed from their early cutting edge work, I still enjoy it. It’s certainly no Brain Salad…but this bloke still appreciates it. To each their own I suppose.
In regards to the ELP…the song that is the turd in the punch bowl is “Taste Of My Love”. Cringe. But if you remove this track…there are far worse albums out there. I stand by my statement. 😊
I have not listened to many of these albums, but I am absolutely shocked that you would include a fantastic album like GTR amongst these self indulgent glam projects from the 80's. GTR has 2 instrumentals on it, which taken by themselves make this album better than most of the Prog rock genre. You do a major injustice to it by including it here. There is a lot of great music on GTR. Max Bacon, the vocalist, is simply stellar. His voice is so underrated, he got a real raw deal from the bad press.
Good list. I waited in dread for Roger's Radio KAOS to turn up, another album ripe for an archaeological revisit on the production, but was glad it didn't. The Sicilian Defence isn't really an album, it's a set of pre-pre-pre- production idea that may have eventually contributed a melody here and there for something. It's a set of 1st day notes for a Project, not a Project itself, methinks. Happy New Year to you and yours too.
Aye, RADIO KAOS and A MOMENTARY LAPSE REASON- the two main fighting figures of Pink Floyd, each releasing a solo 80's Pop Prog album adorned with LA's finest studio session musicians Thanks to Barry, I've warmed to the remix of AMLOR, and R.Kaos has some good tunes an a great narrative, so maybe a visit to the studio tool shed? If it ain't broke, don't fix it- Rogers retake of DSOTM is a great example,, however R.Kaos, like the tour, was broken...
What made Supertramp's " Free As A Bird " so bad was that the previous album, " Brother Where You Bound " was so good, a mix of jazz, prog, and pop, and the production/engineering wasn't the usual bad 80s style Kansas: Drastic Measures-- although it really isn't a prog album(save two songs written by Kerry Livgren). It was more of a pop John Elefante solo album(due to Elefante writing most of the songs)
Fight Fire with Fire is a great song tho. Saw Steve Walsh sing it along with Play The Game Tonight for the first time on the "Freaks of Nature" tour and it was really awesome. I don't care who hates, I love me some "Freaks of Nature" by Kansas.
I loved "Brother Where You Bound" when it came out. A couple of the tunes feel dated to me but the title track is still great and I like "Better Days" a lot too. That's half the album right there. There's nothing that I like that much on "Free As A Bird", unfortunately. I found it listenable but disappointing.
That ELP album cover deserves an award in its own right as possibly the worst rock album cover (and there's some competition for that award). What were they thinking of; the Bee Gees? Dreadful!
Entertainingly stated! With the albums that I have heard, I agree with your assessment. I, too, am curious and looking forward to what a re-mixed UNDER WRAPS by Jethro Tull would sound like - hello, Mr. Steven Wilson...
Remove the drum machines, tone down the synths and add guitars and those tracks will be revitalised -- the lovely title track can remain as it is, of course.
I am going to defend Cured a bit. While it is true that Steve had to go with the times, there are many lovely songs here. The first cut, "Hope I Don't Wake," winks its acapella opening to "Carry On Wayward Son" in spirit, heading in a mellower direction. Steve may not be the greatest singer, but of all his albums, his voice works best on this material. At times, he sounds like Sting in the upper register. The songs are simpler but very tuneful and, at times, wistful. There are jazzy elements to "Picture Postcard" and the ballad "Turn Back Time." The latter sends me off to a warm beach in my mind. "A Cradle Of Swans" foreshadows Steve's future solo acoustic album, "Bay Of Kings," and is peacefully blissful. The main drawback to Cured is the use of the Linn Drum machine. While the programming is fine, a real drummer would have contributed better dynamics and a human touch. I enjoyed the GTR album. It came out close to the time Journey released Raised On Radio. I took both album's pop directions in stride. In GTR, I could hear each guitarist's influences to the point where I thought, "That is a Steve Hackett chord," or, "This is a Howe run." You make a good point about Hackett and Howe's lack of chemistry.
Despite the drum machine, I've always been partial to 2 tracks on the Cured album: "Picture Postcard" and "The Air-Conditioned Nightmare". I've never cared much for the GTR album, but always liked Steve Howe's composition "Sketches In The Sun" (especially as a solo live piece, performed on 12-string electric guitar), and the Steve Hackett instrumental track "Hackett To BIts".
You cover the UWraps JT album well and credit to the experimentation which I believe Tull is about - not afraid of stretching. This UW tour was great, the album Tull branding is awesome and the band members wrapped in paper was creative. I think this album has some great songs that get tarnished by several that surround such as Generals Crossing, Nobody's car (ouch) which imo are pretty unlistenable. Give me Lap of luxury, Saboteur, Later that same evening, European Legacy are of which are hallmark JT songs. There are a plethora of rock albums (from any band) that equate to this one whereby some songs are solid and many are weak, the result being a less credible overall album experience.
To an extent, I agree. If anything, Under Wraps should never have been released as a studio album in that form but it did have a good run when live, possibly because Ian dispensed with the drum machine. I do think, however, that you are a bit harsh on GTR. Even if it wasn't really fantastic, it had some good bits on it from both Howe and Hackett which were even better live. Yes, as much as I love Steve Hackett's work, and as much as I agree that Cured was a mistake, I really don't mind GTR.
I happen to love Under Wraps and I once read it was Martin Barre's favorite JT album. The problem (besides the drum machine) is the song sequencing. The original vinyl LP did not contain the songs "Astronomy," "Tundra," "Automotive Engineering," and "General Crossing." They were bonus tracks on the cassette. Instead of putting them all at the end like most bonus tracks, Chrysalis in their infinite wisdom put two at the end of each side, thus breaking up the Cold War narrative. Even worse, when the CD came out (this was the dawn of the CD era), instead of correcting things, they used the same sequencing as the cassette. I am positive that most people have not heard the album the way it was originally intended.
Ahmet Ertegun has to take some of the blame for Love Beach. I saw an interview with Greg Lake where he said ELP were burnt out as a band and wanted to work on solo stuff. According to Lake, Ertegun told them, record another ELP album or never record again. That said, I used to have a copy of Love Beach. I didn’t think it was horrible and I actually listened to it more than once. Their best album it isn’t and it is unlikely that I’ll ever replace it.
To me, Steve Hackett and Don Felder are very similar in that regard. Super guitar players but not known for their song writing in their respective bands so why expect them to be in their solo careers. Having said that, Cured is very enjoyable.
I think Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman is a nice/sweet coda for ELP. Not the greatest coda but still nice. The first side of the vinyl Love Beach is pretty awful.
A lot of prog bands sucked in the '80s. They either tried to keep up with the new wave bands and be danceable, or they just did sappy ballads. They'd have been better off sticking to their own sounds.
Am I weird? I enjoy reading the comments more than watching most of the TH-cam channels! 😛 I guess I care more about what You think then what THEY say. 😶
non native English speaker watching this, may I ask what the arm movements mean as you are speaking, I havenever been taught how to translate these I feel I be only hearing half of what you are saying without a resource to translate the sign language is there a Web resource to translate ?
Wow! Great video and (as far as I am concerned) you absolutely nailed it. I owned eight of these stinkers but got rid of them 7 of them almost immediately, only keeping Gentle Giant's "Giant for a Day!" as there were several tracks I actually enjoyed (despite it being their weakest album).
The sad thing about Yes' Heaven And Earth is that they went downhill from there. HAE at least tried to recapture their former fire, and turns out pretty listenable if a few tracks get switched about (moving the final track up to #3 if I recall), where the next two albums just flounder about, leaving nothing really memorable -- except possibly the desire to hear something, anything, with Jon Anderson singing on it ...
Can’t help it - but I still have a weakness for GTR. Bacon was a great vocalist, and some of the songs are actually pretty good - I especially like ‘The Hunter…’ I own a live recording of the tour they did. Bacon singing ‘Roundabout’ is not too bad either….
I was waiting for Love Beach. I used to live for ELP but when that album appeared my jaw just dropped. what on earth were they thinking?? I loved Yes but they got a lot worse after Chris died. I did not consider them "YES" any longer.
@@GentleGiantFan I think you have to keep Steve Howe in the mix too. Anderson, Squire and Howe were the backbone of Yes. Tony Kaye was a good keyboardest and although I always felt Bruford was essential the other drummers did OK. But those three in my mind were irreplaceable. Howe calling his band Yes is rediculous.
@@Biffer5 I'm on the fence with Howe being included on what defines Yes. Trevor Rabin did give them a lot of success with 90125 and Big Generator. He has held his own and solidified his spot as the guitarist much like Alan White did after Bruford's departure. Plus (imo) Rabin is a better singer than Howe. Frankly if I had a choice between today's "Yes" and ARW to see in concert, it would be Anderson, Rabin, Wakeman. That being said, my all time fav Yes line up is the Fragile line up, ABWH & Squire. Nothing can touch that.
How could anyone in their right mind seek to disagree with such an erudite explanation of their own opinions. Really wonderful stuff and possibly an art form in its own right. 6 of these I have never heard before but the other 4 I played once and have never played again such was the annoying sense of disappointment and feeling of being right merrily ripped off. However, a word of caution. Todd Rundgren, John Martyn and Tangerine Dream albums often ended up being at first hated and later loved. Some music seems to grow on you over time. I am sure that there must be a logical reason for this but I am not sure what it is. Maybe you may wish to explore this phenomena? A list of albums that everyone seems to hate or dislike at first but ended up being regarded as works of sublime generous.
Also, Tales of Topographic Oceans by Yes, 1973. Keyboardist Rick Wakeman said in a interview in 1991 that a lot of material from that album was still in the rehearsal stage when it was recorded.
Agreed, Tales was a great steaming turd in the middle of a pretty peerless run from Time and a Word to 90125. I have tried to listen to it, but every time it defeats me and leaves me disappointed
I have a soft spot for Under Wraps. I would like to see it remixed/remastered but i wouldn't want the drum machine replacing. If they could make it sound better in the remixing that would be fine. It is what it is and i am not a fan of tampering for the sake of it. The recent Queen debut springs to mind. It's of its time, leave it as is.
I hope a new Under Wraps sees the light of day, On the whole I like the album, as it was the first 'New' Tull album that was released after I first got into them all those years ago.
Even the weakest Gentle Giant albuns (Missing Piece and Giant for a Day) have excellent moments, so I wouldn't include it on that list. There are many other albuns much worse, such as Rock and Roll Prohet, by Rick Wakeman, and the dreadful Earth Moving, by Mike Oldfield
Well, I'd take Giant for a Day out, as it was my first Giant album, and the one that fired me with enthusiasm for hearing more. No lie: my friend had Giant for a Day, and sent me a mixtape with some GfaD cuts on it, and those cuts inspired me to buy (on a rare visit to a Los Angeles record store) two Giant albums from a cutout bin. One was GfaD, the other Octopus. I dug both.
Agree. GFaD is their "worst" album but it's not a bad album. There's some great tracks, but it pales compared to what we got with Freehand, Octopus, and (my favorite) Aquiring The Taste. I have a soft spot for Civilian. I think they could have done for New Wave what they did for prog if they didn't split up.
Hi. My little rant has nothing to do with all the above but to try and get you to listen to the wonderful 4 Island records of Jade Warrior. Waves, Floating World, Kites and Way Of The Sun. They are sadly neglected and forgotten but musically sublime. As for the rest of their oeuvre, not so sure.
@ Hi Barry. It’s not going badly at all. Must thank you once again for featuring two videos for me last year (that still sounds strange still) which smashed my typical figures out of the window. Very kind of you once again. Lets hope we all have a prosperous year
You obviously haven't heard any album by Transatlantic, Spock's Beard, Neal Morse, The Flower Kings, Roine Stolt and After Crying's Show. The B side of Love Beach is good. The opening track is good too. People hate the album just because of its cover and most of the songs on side A.
Again, another video that highlights the mystery of music. From watching all your videos I agree with your opinion of at least 90% of all the albums you've covered. Then this comes along and I love at least 6 of the albums you hate. It's so weird how tastes can overlap so much and yet still have that small selection of material where we are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Please keep on producing these insanely interesting and very funny vids, they are a highlight of my week. 👏👏👏
I haven't heard them all, but for me nothing can be worst than GTR. Yes lost its magic when Steve Howe left, and Genesis lost its magic when Steve Hackett left, so a Howe/Hackett reunion should bring the magic back, right? WRONG!! This is just another 80's BS. Much worse than 80's Yes, Asia and pop Genesis, if that's even possible.
Don't like "pop rock" Genesis with Phil Collins singing? The stuff at the end was humdrum but they had a string off good albums right after Peter Gabriel left. I like Gabriel but he's an acquired taste and that prog rock is narcolepsy on vinyl. It's all I can do to stomach RUSH most of the time but at least they rock out and don't put me to sleep
I saw GTR concert in 1986 Washington DC. It was a really good show. No regrets at all because I got to see Steve Howe live for the first time of my concert going days.
- Explorer's Club - Raising the Mammoth. A collaborative project by Trent Gardner of Magellan featuring many prog luminaries. The first album, Age of Impact, was pretty good but Mammoth was godawful. Some of the worst singing from Steve Walsh you will ever hear. - Any album from Schicke, Fuhres and Froehling. Elementary keyboard melodies sure to cure insomnia - the usual suspects which will probably be mentioned in the video, well-known stinkers from Yes, Tull, Pink Floyd, ELP, etc.
Great list sir! Last time I saw a steaming pile of sh*t this nauseating was when I (mistakenly) watched Pasolini's awful Salo. Every album on here is deserving of censure for reasons of common sense & humanity...subscribed :)
I agree with most of these, and also hope a box set of UNDER WRAPS happens with real drums instead of machines. One prog album that I would put on my list is THE ABSENCE OF PRESCENSE by KANSAS. It was their last studio album from a couple of years ago. I can't tell if the songs are any good because the production is so horrible. There is so much compression on the recording (even the 5.1 mix) that it hurts to listen to. It is not an enjoyable experience, and I was greatly disappointed since I have embraced every album since the first self-titled KANSAS album I bought in 1974. Thanks for sharing your list.
The Steve Hackett album got massacred in sales by Phil Collins' Face Value which was his eclectic solo debut (Prog, Motown, Brand X, blues, ballads and psychedelia rolled into one) and Abacab by Genesis which was awesome. Love Beach is not a bad album. In the Hot Seat was an abomination to the ELP catalog on the other hand.
I absolutely love “Cured” and it might have been my most played album of 2024. “Turn Back Time” is such a beautiful track I can never hear enough. I have a real soft spot for “Picture Postcard” - love the groove of that track. “Overnight Sleeper” I find an exhilarating track. I could go on. I would replace it on your list with an album by one of my favourite bands Renaissance - their album “Time-Line”.
Hard to disagree, but I don't think those ELP and Supertramp albums are that bad... "For You" is one of my favorite ELP tracks, and there are som really bright spots on Free As a Bird as well, like " Where I Stand" and "An Awful Thing To Waste". I think Supertramp's first two albums are much worse overall...
Definitely enjoyed this presentation, and love your humor! Regarding Love Beach, I'm not a huge fan of this album, but there are some songs worth their merit, particularly "Canario," which I regard as one of ELP's best. I remember purchasing Triumvirat's disastrous Russian Roulette album, and thinking, "what have they done?" Although I do admit to very much liking Eddie Grant's "Electric Avenue."
Love Beach isn't actually as bad as it's made out to be, especially if you don't mind the Asia end of Prog and aren't offended by the odd Spinal Tapesque lyrics....
Triumvirat - OMG, I bought this album after enjoying the discovery of this largely unknown band and devouring up their earlier releases. It deserves its #1 position in your list - a certified stinker. ELP - another OMG moment when I bought Love Beach album firstly as a cassette and listened to it in the car on the way home from the record shop (I lived an hour away from the nearest one at the time) - almost chucked it out the window after the first few songs. WTF???? LOL. Years later, despite the appalling sonic quality, Canario has that ELP virtuoso brilliance, which, had it been made about 1973 would have been a killer. Side B has moments of "epic" - maybe had the best bits been "synthesized" down to a 10-minute piece say like Trilogy it would be awesome. On the other hand, "In the Hot Seat" is unrecoverable. Even the rework of "Pictures" in mini-form seems pointless, given the incredible full, and live, version that is still available. The cover of "Man in the Long Black Coat" seems a reasonable effort, until you play Dylan's incredible original version and again I ask myself "what's the point?" Hard to believe this is actually the musicians we know as ELP who recorded this - Lake's voice is the only hint.
Heaven and Earh might not be a great Yes album but it's better than Union. I treat Love Beach as an ELP EP, as long as you ignore Side 1, it's not that bad. I remember the bitter disappointment of GTR. I loved both Steves, but no-one guessed that together they could only make crap. Once again though a great analysis.
I don’t think anyone knows what prog is. It’s one of those things that’s undefinable, but apparently "you know it when you hear it". Some of the most innovative or complex rock music doesn’t fit into the "prog" label, while some of the most lackluster, and auto-pilot albums like these ones somehow do. So if it doesn't mean "progressive"what does it mean?
I only have one of these albums -- and it's GTR. My opinion is the diametric opposite; I think it's an excellent album from start to finish. I have at least one other album by all of the other artists on the list, but not these albums here.
There's already a good album in Under Wraps: Just use the LP's shorter playing time and substitute in all of the live versions available. This is the version I've been listening to (hope to find more live versions of some of the songs) compiled from TH-cam. "SIDE A" 1. Lap Of Luxury - Album Version 2. Under Wraps (Instrumental) - A Little Light Music (1992) 3. European Legacy - Live At Hammersmith (1984) 4. Later, That Same Evening - Live At Capitol Theater (1984) 5. Saboteur - Album Version "SIDE B" 6. Radio Free Moscow - Album Version 7. Nobody's Car - Live At Capitol Theater (1984) 8. Heat Album Version 9. Under Wraps #2 Album Version 10. Apogee Live At Hammersmith (1984) 11. Bonus Selection: Paparazzi Live In Istambul (1991)
Much of this I agree with - Giant for a Day, Cured, and Love Beach are rather low-hanging fruit in terms of "worst of" albums. I'd give a tip of the hat to Renaissance's "Time-Line" as well. I thought that Triumvirate's "A La Carte" was bad, but I heard "Party Life" and that was enough for me. But it's nice to know that in many cases it's not just me. "Heaven and Earth" for me simply went in one ear and out the other, as have the later releases as well. But thanks for the video! I always enjoy a good "worst of" list.
I can't believe you included Under Wraps - shame on you... but I think you hit the nail on the head about Schrodinger's prog album. I really liked that album, and the Eastern European theme and Under Wraps 2 track towards the end is absolute magic, and worth the wait.
If you can call it prog then Mike Rutherfords 'Acting very Strange' is certainly worthy of top ten status. It contained the track 'Couldn't get arrested' which in itself is a crime because he should have been. Agree on pretty much all your choices. I was shocked at how bad 'Cured' was. Think I've only played it a couple of times, on the third attempt I gave up at 'picture postcard' (or whatever it's called.) I know you should give prog 5 listens but sometimes you just give up hope. His first four albums were easily his best in my opinion. Quite like 'Under Wraps' but as you correctly said,... It's simultaneously good and absolutely dreadful.
Tull's A album is an updated-sound (synth heavy) which mostly works, whereas Under Wraps mostly doesn't. Heaven and Hell is preferable to the suite of 80s/90s efforts including Union and Talk IMO, though I'm not keen on playing any of them when there are so many enjoyable classics in their catalogue to play instead.
Oh, and re: Tull's Under Wraps, I think it was the last Tull album on which Anderson & Co. tried something new, as opposed to cycling through the expected AOR moves. The sonwriting is uneven, and often sounds as if Anderson had been reading too many John le Carré novels on the tour bus/plane. The obsession with technical wonkery (already in evidence on Broadsword and Anderson's solo album Walk into Light) tends to overwhelm the writing. But it's actually a more interesting album than the followup, Crest of a Knave, which is derivative and calculated. Granted, Crest does have some lively (cut live?) human rhythms that make its best moments more enjoyable to me; at times, it sounds better. But Under Wraps is a gutsier move. It's not as good as Walk into Light, frankly, but it's something fairly fresh for Anderson. Me, I would nominate Catfish Rising as the worst Tull album: a crass, pandering stinker (the post-Grammy, hard-rocking Tull of the late 1980s to early 90s is the brand's nadir, I think).
It was strange to hear Supertramp have a dance hit with "I'm Beggin You" in 1987 from that album. A friend of mine attended the "Under Wraps" tour and said the concert itself was fantastic and to him the new songs sounded better live. I believe he said the band appeared under a sheet which was quickly pulled away to reveal them.
I've often toyed with the idea of redoing the whole Under Wraps album, if only to see if I can make something I can enjoy listening to. I might actually do it someday. There are quite a few really good songs on it actually, but the production is just bloody awful. Why Doane Perry is even in the picture inside the cover of that album is quite the brain twister.
I love that you try to find something positive to say. I agree with most of these but Love Beach will always hold a place in my heart. I was in high school in the early 80s when I first heard this album and I listened to it before I heard the bulk of their catalog. It always takes me back!
You could have made a Top 50 prog disasters. I’ve listened to prog for over 50 years and at some point I gave up. After buying Foxtrot by Genesis, Pawn Hearts by VDGG, Close to the Edge by Yes and so many more in the 70’s I believe repetition set in. It was as if I’ve heard far better music and it cannot be improved on anymore. But that’s me unfortunately. After a while I need to move on.
You’re wrong about The Astonishing. It is an incredible album, the best of the Manigini era. Additionally, James Labrie’s vocal performance is the best of his career. I saw it performed live twice and was ASTONISHED both times. But you know what they say…opinions are like assholes, and yours is one I admire for its cantankerous nature. CHEERS!
The Astonishing was an absolute slog!. I didn't even get through it once, it was so numbing. And I say this as a long time Dream Theater fan who awaits every album, but this was unbearable, and fully cemented my belief that without Portnoy in the band to steer their writing, they meandered far too much with this album being the best(worst?) example of this. With him back in the fold, let's hope we get a return to a more focused Dream Theater of old!
It was focused far too much on something DT don't do all that well - straightahead songs. Their real skill is doing far too much and somehow making it work. But this put short songs and the bellowing bawl of Jimmy The Cheese front and center, and it did not cut the mustard. Although to (dis-)quality my own opinion, The Lamb is not my favorite Genesis album.
@@Baribrotzer Oh My! Someone else who thinks of him as Jimmy Le Cheese! He has always been my least favorite member of that band - his nasal roar is up there with John Wetton's adenoidal bellow as the least enjoyable singer in all of prog rock.
@@Baribrotzer Often Derek Shulman sounds like he's been forced off the top of his range, (much like poor old Fee Waybill under the thumb of Todd Rundgren) but when he lets loose he's great, so a 6/10 for him. Hamill, well, he's not as annoying as Jimmy the Cheese. Marginally more listenable.
I was 14 years old in 1978 I was a fan of Emerson Lake & Palmer's early prog classics However back then I avoided Love Beach like the plague To me, It was the worst album cover of 78
agree with most of these but.....GTR ...bought it when it came out ,loved it then ..adore it still ..Max Bacons vocals where the real star of the show for me. another wonderful video..keep up the awesome work Barry.
The first rule of being an APP fan. 'There is no such thing as a bad Alan Parsons album' The second rule of being an APP fan. ' We don't talk about the Sicilian Defence!!!' The album certainly did it's job, securing that contract, but it should have been left, buried deep with the other musical Balrogs of our time.
IMO, Giant For A Day and Under Wraps aren’t bad at all. The former can be called misguided at worst and the latter is merely hampered by it’s production.
I remember hearing Punk Rock 🧷 for the first time in 1976 / 77. I was 16 / 17 years young back then. I liked British Glam Rock prior to Punk , but these Prog Rock bands i couldn't stand much.
Did you torture yourself playing said albums again..... or saved your sanity and listed them from memory? A brave man if you went for the former... I usually check out your music choices via streaming but I think I will give these a miss this time.
The cutout Gentle Giant mask came in handy so I could buy all of the other albums on this list from the record shop without being recognized.
😂
I don't always agree with you, after all, music is so subjective and personal to all of us. However, your turn of phrase is second to none and puts so many legacy music journos to shame. My favourite reviewer on YT. Thanks for the entertainment.
My pleasure...
No one cares what you like. It's his opinion.
@@DavidCarney-l8b He made a very sensible comment, and I don't think that you have the capability to understand it.
@@DavidCarney-l8bBit of 'virtue signalling' there corky,and i guess no one will care about YOUR opinion either,can't have it both ways😮😊
@@DavidCarney-l8b Made a bit too much of a fuss over expressing disagreement to emphasize a complement there. Also, caring enough to say nobody cares? Never understood what makes it worth the effort.
On that album Steve Hackett looks like he's about to sing, ""If you like Pina Colada""............
“and getting caught in the rain”..🤤
@@michaelsteven1090 Correctimundo!
A whole lot better than any Tony Banks stuff, not even close....
You mean Emerson Lake & Palmer in their disco suits
I thought it was Pinochle Otters?
Yes died along with Chris Squire..No idea why they continue to release new material when the audience is only there for the old songs
God.. if anyone should understand why musicians would make music that does not immediately pander to their fans, you would think a fan of prog-rock would be it. I guess not.
No Squire, no Anderson, no Yes imo. They should just call themselves The Steve Howe band.
@@GentleGiantFanI refer to them as 'NO'!
@JasonSmith-jr7jh LOL!
The simple answer to that is that they all still have highly creative minds. And they are still selling enough records to make music without losing money.
Is Love Beach a masterpiece? No, but it's far from the band's worst. However, the album cover is among their very best!
You wouldn't think that the whitest prog-rockers imaginable could ever give the Bee Gees a run for their money as supreme Lion Tamers of the World,
but ELP pulled it off extremely convincingly. Just look at that majestic hair! Or how confident they look despite standing on an overgrown patch of dirt!
It takes a lot of balls to do that, let alone to do it well. And nobody ever did it better!
That's one way to interpret the cheesiest cover art in prog rock
🤣
I always had a warm spot for "When The Heart Rules the Mind" from GTR -- even though the whole album is HORRIFICALLY tinny in terms of production and thin sounding
THANK you! And all this time I thought it was just me.
An album that could have been recorded by anyone.
I love that song. Seriously great 80’s AOR song.
Do like that song. The Hunter was not bad either.
GTR on the King biscuit flower hour is great. Production much better.
I avoided Love Beach as a kid like the plague since everyone derided it. I found it in a cut out LP bin at a Woolworth for $1.99 one day & gave it a rip. I still enjoy it to this day unlike apparently 99% of the universe. They have such a unique unmistakable sound & while it’s quite a bit removed from their early cutting edge work, I still enjoy it. It’s certainly no Brain Salad…but this bloke still appreciates it. To each their own I suppose.
"Canario" and "Memoirs" are very good !!
In regards to the ELP…the song that is the turd in the punch bowl is “Taste Of My Love”. Cringe. But if you remove this track…there are far worse albums out there. I stand by my statement. 😊
Agreed!
I have not listened to many of these albums, but I am absolutely shocked that you would include a fantastic album like GTR amongst these self indulgent glam projects from the 80's. GTR has 2 instrumentals on it, which taken by themselves make this album better than most of the Prog rock genre. You do a major injustice to it by including it here.
There is a lot of great music on GTR. Max Bacon, the vocalist, is simply stellar. His voice is so underrated, he got a real raw deal from the bad press.
Good list. I waited in dread for Roger's Radio KAOS to turn up, another album ripe for an archaeological revisit on the production, but was glad it didn't. The Sicilian Defence isn't really an album, it's a set of pre-pre-pre- production idea that may have eventually contributed a melody here and there for something. It's a set of 1st day notes for a Project, not a Project itself, methinks. Happy New Year to you and yours too.
I was surprised "Hergest Ridge" was omitted. It makes any Starcastle album sound inspired
Aye, RADIO KAOS and A MOMENTARY LAPSE REASON- the two main fighting figures of Pink Floyd, each releasing a solo 80's Pop Prog album adorned with LA's finest studio session musicians
Thanks to Barry, I've warmed to the remix of AMLOR, and R.Kaos has some good tunes an a great narrative, so maybe a visit to the studio tool shed?
If it ain't broke, don't fix it- Rogers retake of DSOTM is a great example,, however R.Kaos, like the tour, was broken...
@@davidjacovelli5986 Radio Kaos is my favorite Waters solo album.
@@ministerofdarkness I love all Roger's work, but this one sounds of its' time, unlike the others ie Final Cut, Amused etc
@@eyericht Radio K.A.O.S is just another '80s album... quite enjoyable for that time and decade... Way to go, Roger!!!
What made Supertramp's " Free As A Bird " so bad was that the previous album, " Brother Where You Bound " was so good, a mix of jazz, prog, and pop, and the production/engineering wasn't the usual bad 80s style
Kansas: Drastic Measures-- although it really isn't a prog album(save two songs written by Kerry Livgren). It was more of a pop John Elefante solo album(due to Elefante writing most of the songs)
Fight Fire with Fire is a great song tho. Saw Steve Walsh sing it along with Play The Game Tonight for the first time on the "Freaks of Nature" tour and it was really awesome. I don't care who hates, I love me some "Freaks of Nature" by Kansas.
I loved "Brother Where You Bound" when it came out. A couple of the tunes feel dated to me but the title track is still great and I like "Better Days" a lot too. That's half the album right there. There's nothing that I like that much on "Free As A Bird", unfortunately. I found it listenable but disappointing.
That ELP album cover deserves an award in its own right as possibly the worst rock album cover (and there's some competition for that award). What were they thinking of; the Bee Gees? Dreadful!
0:26 "anyway, enough of this flim-flam" never fails to make me LOL... great slogan for merch!
Entertainingly stated! With the albums that I have heard, I agree with your assessment. I, too, am curious and looking forward to what a re-mixed UNDER WRAPS by Jethro Tull would sound like - hello, Mr. Steven Wilson...
Remove the drum machines, tone down the synths and add guitars and those tracks will be revitalised -- the lovely title track can remain as it is, of course.
@PaIaeoCIive1684it sounds great the way it is. That's what makes under wraps unique but I understand that not everyone likes that album.
I'd be curious to see who they would get to do the double bass drum section on "Saboteur." Might need to keep the drum machine for that one.
ELP - In The Hot Seat almost makes Love Beach sound reasonable - much worse (Works 2 is a close second as well).
I totally agree with you on both points! 👍👍
Works 2 has to be one of ELP's most UNNECESSARY releases of their career!
I am going to defend Cured a bit. While it is true that Steve had to go with the times, there are many lovely songs here. The first cut, "Hope I Don't Wake," winks its acapella opening to "Carry On Wayward Son" in spirit, heading in a mellower direction. Steve may not be the greatest singer, but of all his albums, his voice works best on this material. At times, he sounds like Sting in the upper register. The songs are simpler but very tuneful and, at times, wistful. There are jazzy elements to "Picture Postcard" and the ballad "Turn Back Time." The latter sends me off to a warm beach in my mind. "A Cradle Of Swans" foreshadows Steve's future solo acoustic album, "Bay Of Kings," and is peacefully blissful. The main drawback to Cured is the use of the Linn Drum machine. While the programming is fine, a real drummer would have contributed better dynamics and a human touch. I enjoyed the GTR album. It came out close to the time Journey released Raised On Radio. I took both album's pop directions in stride. In GTR, I could hear each guitarist's influences to the point where I thought, "That is a Steve Hackett chord," or, "This is a Howe run." You make a good point about Hackett and Howe's lack of chemistry.
Wholeheartedly agree with your assessment. I still occasionally find myself mentally singing Hope I Don't Wait occasionally.
Despite the drum machine, I've always been partial to 2 tracks on the Cured album: "Picture Postcard" and "The Air-Conditioned Nightmare". I've never cared much for the GTR album, but always liked Steve Howe's composition "Sketches In The Sun" (especially as a solo live piece, performed on 12-string electric guitar), and the Steve Hackett instrumental track "Hackett To BIts".
You cover the UWraps JT album well and credit to the experimentation which I believe Tull is about - not afraid of stretching. This UW tour was great, the album Tull branding is awesome and the band members wrapped in paper was creative. I think this album has some great songs that get tarnished by several that surround such as Generals Crossing, Nobody's car (ouch) which imo are pretty unlistenable. Give me Lap of luxury, Saboteur, Later that same evening, European Legacy are of which are hallmark JT songs. There are a plethora of rock albums (from any band) that equate to this one whereby some songs are solid and many are weak, the result being a less credible overall album experience.
To an extent, I agree. If anything, Under Wraps should never have been released as a studio album in that form but it did have a good run when live, possibly because Ian dispensed with the drum machine. I do think, however, that you are a bit harsh on GTR. Even if it wasn't really fantastic, it had some good bits on it from both Howe and Hackett which were even better live. Yes, as much as I love Steve Hackett's work, and as much as I agree that Cured was a mistake, I really don't mind GTR.
I happen to love Under Wraps and I once read it was Martin Barre's favorite JT album. The problem (besides the drum machine) is the song sequencing. The original vinyl LP did not contain the songs "Astronomy," "Tundra," "Automotive Engineering," and "General Crossing." They were bonus tracks on the cassette. Instead of putting them all at the end like most bonus tracks, Chrysalis in their infinite wisdom put two at the end of each side, thus breaking up the Cold War narrative. Even worse, when the CD came out (this was the dawn of the CD era), instead of correcting things, they used the same sequencing as the cassette. I am positive that most people have not heard the album the way it was originally intended.
I heard "When the Heart Rules the Mind" on the radio and ran out to buy that GTR album. I can't recall any of the other songs on it!
'Kajagoogoo with a Tubeway Army tribute Band in the worst possible way with a bit of Eddie Grant thrown in' !!!
Ahmet Ertegun has to take some of the blame for Love Beach. I saw an interview with Greg Lake where he said ELP were burnt out as a band and wanted to work on solo stuff. According to Lake, Ertegun told them, record another ELP album or never record again.
That said, I used to have a copy of Love Beach. I didn’t think it was horrible and I actually listened to it more than once. Their best album it isn’t and it is unlikely that I’ll ever replace it.
Their worst were Black Moon and In the hot seat.
@@МаксРогозин-е1ю Agreed. Cover aside, I prefer Love Beach to either of those albums.
@PaIaeoCIive1684 Works Volume 2 also. A collection of some solo tracks and studio leftovers. Not a complete shit but pedestrian album.
I consider "Steve Hackett doesn't write good pop tunes" to be high praise, indeed.
Notwithstanding, "Cured" is still a really great album. I love the shorter catchy songs on it and it never even occurred to me it was a "pop" album.
To me, Steve Hackett and Don Felder are very similar in that regard. Super guitar players but not known for their song writing in their respective bands so why expect them to be in their solo careers. Having said that, Cured is very enjoyable.
The More Hate "Love Beach" gets.. . The More Fans it makes! Cheers 🍻
I bought it on CD......it's ...ok, I guess🫤
I think Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman is a nice/sweet coda for ELP. Not the greatest coda but still nice. The first side of the vinyl Love Beach is pretty awful.
A lot of prog bands sucked in the '80s. They either tried to keep up with the new wave bands and be danceable, or they just did sappy ballads. They'd have been better off sticking to their own sounds.
Great point. They could've given us a few more classics if they weren't too busy chasing trends with softer sounds.
Heart being the worst offenders in this respect imho.
The problem was the pressures of the record labels, they wouldn’t give the bands many options if they wanted to be supported
Am I weird? I enjoy reading the comments more than watching most of the TH-cam channels! 😛 I guess I care more about what You think then what THEY say. 😶
non native English speaker watching this, may I ask what the arm movements mean as you are speaking, I havenever been taught how to translate these I feel I be only hearing half of what you are saying without a resource to translate the sign language is there a Web resource to translate ?
Wow! Great video and (as far as I am concerned) you absolutely nailed it. I owned eight of these stinkers but got rid of them 7 of them almost immediately, only keeping Gentle Giant's "Giant for a Day!" as there were several tracks I actually enjoyed (despite it being their weakest album).
The sad thing about Yes' Heaven And Earth is that they went downhill from there. HAE at least tried to recapture their former fire, and turns out pretty listenable if a few tracks get switched about (moving the final track up to #3 if I recall), where the next two albums just flounder about, leaving nothing really memorable -- except possibly the desire to hear something, anything, with Jon Anderson singing on it ...
Can’t help it - but I still have a weakness for GTR. Bacon was a great vocalist, and some of the songs are actually pretty good - I especially like ‘The Hunter…’ I own a live recording of the tour they did. Bacon singing ‘Roundabout’ is not too bad either….
Me while watching this video: "'Love Beach' is only #4? What could be worse?"
Video: "Number 3 is GTR"
Me: "Oh, yeah..."
The cheese comparison during the Yes bit is on point. "Ghastly, heavily processed shite" is exactly how I'd describe this album.
I was waiting for Love Beach. I used to live for ELP but when that album appeared my jaw just dropped. what on earth were they thinking?? I loved Yes but they got a lot worse after Chris died. I did not consider them "YES" any longer.
They got a lot worse when Jon Anderson was no longer in the band.
@@steverogers2635 Yea, that's totally not Yes.
@@Biffer5 I've said it elsewhere in this comment section but Yes were Anderson and Squire.
@@GentleGiantFan I think you have to keep Steve Howe in the mix too. Anderson, Squire and Howe were the backbone of Yes. Tony Kaye was a good keyboardest and although I always felt Bruford was essential the other drummers did OK. But those three in my mind were irreplaceable. Howe calling his band Yes is rediculous.
@@Biffer5 I'm on the fence with Howe being included on what defines Yes. Trevor Rabin did give them a lot of success with 90125 and Big Generator. He has held his own and solidified his spot as the guitarist much like Alan White did after Bruford's departure. Plus (imo) Rabin is a better singer than Howe. Frankly if I had a choice between today's "Yes" and ARW to see in concert, it would be Anderson, Rabin, Wakeman.
That being said, my all time fav Yes line up is the Fragile line up, ABWH & Squire. Nothing can touch that.
Another gem mate. Well done. I am so happy that you've chosen 2025 to review Fever Tree's debut album. Cheers!
Love that album. I still have it and listen to it often.
How could anyone in their right mind seek to disagree with such an erudite explanation of their own opinions. Really wonderful stuff and possibly an art form in its own right.
6 of these I have never heard before but the other 4 I played once and have never played again such was the annoying sense of disappointment and feeling of being right merrily ripped off.
However, a word of caution. Todd Rundgren, John Martyn and Tangerine Dream albums often ended up being at first hated and later loved. Some music seems to grow on you over time. I am sure that there must be a logical reason for this but I am not sure what it is. Maybe you may wish to explore this phenomena? A list of albums that everyone seems to hate or dislike at first but ended up being regarded as works of sublime generous.
Hot Seat is much worse than Love Beach! The Officer & Gentleman Suite is great!
Also, Tales of Topographic Oceans by Yes, 1973. Keyboardist Rick Wakeman said in a interview in 1991 that a lot of material from that album was still in the rehearsal stage when it was recorded.
Agreed, Tales was a great steaming turd in the middle of a pretty peerless run from Time and a Word to 90125. I have tried to listen to it, but every time it defeats me and leaves me disappointed
I have a soft spot for Under Wraps. I would like to see it remixed/remastered but i wouldn't want the drum machine replacing. If they could make it sound better in the remixing that would be fine. It is what it is and i am not a fan of tampering for the sake of it. The recent Queen debut springs to mind. It's of its time, leave it as is.
The Queen 1 remix is absolutrly horrible. A shameless money grab.
I hope a new Under Wraps sees the light of day, On the whole I like the album, as it was the first 'New' Tull album that was released after I first got into them all those years ago.
I'm having colorless prog pottage for dinner tonight! 😂
Is it ridiculously complicated to create, has too many ingredients/parts, takes an eternity to consume and requires great taste to appreciate?
@PaIaeoCIive1684 Yes to all of the above. It's also served in an elegant tureen....and yet still manages to disappoint. 😄
Even the weakest Gentle Giant albuns (Missing Piece and Giant for a Day) have excellent moments, so I wouldn't include it on that list. There are many other albuns much worse, such as Rock and Roll Prohet, by Rick Wakeman, and the dreadful Earth Moving, by Mike Oldfield
MIssing piece is a damm great album and criminally underrated and even giant for a day while not one of their best has some good tracks on it.
Well, I'd take Giant for a Day out, as it was my first Giant album, and the one that fired me with enthusiasm for hearing more. No lie: my friend had Giant for a Day, and sent me a mixtape with some GfaD cuts on it, and those cuts inspired me to buy (on a rare visit to a Los Angeles record store) two Giant albums from a cutout bin. One was GfaD, the other Octopus. I dug both.
I agree that this is their weakest album, but Gentle Giant at their worst are still pretty good.
Agree. GFaD is their "worst" album but it's not a bad album. There's some great tracks, but it pales compared to what we got with Freehand, Octopus, and (my favorite) Aquiring The Taste.
I have a soft spot for Civilian. I think they could have done for New Wave what they did for prog if they didn't split up.
Hi. My little rant has nothing to do with all the above but to try and get you to listen to the wonderful 4 Island records of Jade Warrior. Waves, Floating World, Kites and Way Of The Sun. They are sadly neglected and forgotten but musically sublime. As for the rest of their oeuvre, not so sure.
Classy appraisal here of some prog dung of the highest calibre. All the best. Dave✅✅
Thank you Dave, hope the channel's going well
@ Hi Barry. It’s not going badly at all. Must thank you once again for featuring two videos for me last year (that still sounds strange still) which smashed my typical figures out of the window. Very kind of you once again. Lets hope we all have a prosperous year
The worst album I have heard by a prog artist is Carl Palmer's PM. Awful!
I love GG Giant For A Day It was something different from them at the time
Hackett's Cured and Tull's Under Wraps aren't as bad as they seem, production choices aside, there are infinitely worse albums than those.
You obviously haven't heard any album by Transatlantic, Spock's Beard, Neal Morse, The Flower Kings, Roine Stolt and After Crying's Show. The B side of Love Beach is good. The opening track is good too. People hate the album just because of its cover and most of the songs on side A.
Again, another video that highlights the mystery of music. From watching all your videos I agree with your opinion of at least 90% of all the albums you've covered. Then this comes along and I love at least 6 of the albums you hate. It's so weird how tastes can overlap so much and yet still have that small selection of material where we are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Please keep on producing these insanely interesting and very funny vids, they are a highlight of my week.
👏👏👏
I haven't heard them all, but for me nothing can be worst than GTR. Yes lost its magic when Steve Howe left, and Genesis lost its magic when Steve Hackett left, so a Howe/Hackett reunion should bring the magic back, right? WRONG!! This is just another 80's BS. Much worse than 80's Yes, Asia and pop Genesis, if that's even possible.
Yes lost their magic when Steve Howe remained only member from 70s.
Don't like "pop rock" Genesis with Phil Collins singing? The stuff at the end was humdrum but they had a string off good albums right after Peter Gabriel left. I like Gabriel but he's an acquired taste and that prog rock is narcolepsy on vinyl. It's all I can do to stomach RUSH most of the time but at least they rock out and don't put me to sleep
I saw GTR concert in 1986 Washington DC. It was a really good show. No regrets at all because I got to see Steve Howe live for the first time of my concert going days.
@@ShawnConrad-tw8du "Turn it on, turn it on again, ai ai !" Duke is lame album indeed also with one of the worst covers of all time.
I think yes lost their magic when Steve Howe rejoined!
- Explorer's Club - Raising the Mammoth. A collaborative project by Trent Gardner of Magellan featuring many prog luminaries. The first album, Age of Impact, was pretty good but Mammoth was godawful. Some of the worst singing from Steve Walsh you will ever hear.
- Any album from Schicke, Fuhres and Froehling. Elementary keyboard melodies sure to cure insomnia
- the usual suspects which will probably be mentioned in the video, well-known stinkers from Yes, Tull, Pink Floyd, ELP, etc.
Well, that was fun. Thanks and Happy New Year.
Great list sir! Last time I saw a steaming pile of sh*t this nauseating was when I (mistakenly) watched Pasolini's awful Salo. Every album on here is deserving of censure for reasons of common sense & humanity...subscribed :)
I agree with most of these, and also hope a box set of UNDER WRAPS happens with real drums instead of machines. One prog album that I would put on my list is THE ABSENCE OF PRESCENSE by KANSAS. It was their last studio album from a couple of years ago. I can't tell if the songs are any good because the production is so horrible. There is so much compression on the recording (even the 5.1 mix) that it hurts to listen to. It is not an enjoyable experience, and I was greatly disappointed since I have embraced every album since the first self-titled KANSAS album I bought in 1974. Thanks for sharing your list.
To each his own, but to my ears Kansas is exhibit A for why American bands have no business doing Prog.
@@davidwargin9433 That's the beauty of music. We all have things we appreciate and dislike. Doesn't make it wrong or right!
The Steve Hackett album got massacred in sales by Phil Collins' Face Value which was his eclectic solo debut (Prog, Motown, Brand X, blues, ballads and psychedelia rolled into one) and Abacab by Genesis which was awesome.
Love Beach is not a bad album. In the Hot Seat was an abomination to the ELP catalog on the other hand.
Never listened to Giant for a day, never going to either.
Yeah waste of time 😂
I absolutely love “Cured” and it might have been my most played album of 2024. “Turn Back Time” is such a beautiful track I can never hear enough. I have a real soft spot for “Picture Postcard” - love the groove of that track. “Overnight Sleeper” I find an exhilarating track. I could go on. I would replace it on your list with an album by one of my favourite bands Renaissance - their album “Time-Line”.
Hard to disagree, but I don't think those ELP and Supertramp albums are that bad... "For You" is one of my favorite ELP tracks, and there are som really bright spots on Free As a Bird as well, like " Where I Stand" and "An Awful Thing To Waste". I think Supertramp's first two albums are much worse overall...
Definitely enjoyed this presentation, and love your humor! Regarding Love Beach, I'm not a huge fan of this album, but there are some songs worth their merit, particularly "Canario," which I regard as one of ELP's best. I remember purchasing Triumvirat's disastrous Russian Roulette album, and thinking, "what have they done?" Although I do admit to very much liking Eddie Grant's "Electric Avenue."
Love Beach isn't actually as bad as it's made out to be, especially if you don't mind the Asia end of Prog and aren't offended by the odd Spinal Tapesque lyrics....
Back in 1978 - even the Bee Gees snickered at EL&P's "Love Beach" album cover ..
Actually, I think it's the best photo I've ever seen of Carl Palmer. Usually his hair is dead straight and stringy.
They don't call it the music business for nothing. Art for Art's sake is all very well, but at the end of the day it's a money making endeavour.
Triumvirat - OMG, I bought this album after enjoying the discovery of this largely unknown band and devouring up their earlier releases. It deserves its #1 position in your list - a certified stinker.
ELP - another OMG moment when I bought Love Beach album firstly as a cassette and listened to it in the car on the way home from the record shop (I lived an hour away from the nearest one at the time) - almost chucked it out the window after the first few songs. WTF???? LOL. Years later, despite the appalling sonic quality, Canario has that ELP virtuoso brilliance, which, had it been made about 1973 would have been a killer. Side B has moments of "epic" - maybe had the best bits been "synthesized" down to a 10-minute piece say like Trilogy it would be awesome. On the other hand, "In the Hot Seat" is unrecoverable. Even the rework of "Pictures" in mini-form seems pointless, given the incredible full, and live, version that is still available. The cover of "Man in the Long Black Coat" seems a reasonable effort, until you play Dylan's incredible original version and again I ask myself "what's the point?" Hard to believe this is actually the musicians we know as ELP who recorded this - Lake's voice is the only hint.
Heaven and Earh might not be a great Yes album but it's better than Union. I treat Love Beach as an ELP EP, as long as you ignore Side 1, it's not that bad. I remember the bitter disappointment of GTR. I loved both Steves, but no-one guessed that together they could only make crap. Once again though a great analysis.
I don’t think anyone knows what prog is. It’s one of those things that’s undefinable, but apparently "you know it when you hear it". Some of the most innovative or complex rock music doesn’t fit into the "prog" label, while some of the most lackluster, and auto-pilot albums like these ones somehow do. So if it doesn't mean "progressive"what does it mean?
I only have one of these albums -- and it's GTR. My opinion is the diametric opposite; I think it's an excellent album from start to finish.
I have at least one other album by all of the other artists on the list, but not these albums here.
There's already a good album in Under Wraps: Just use the LP's shorter playing time and substitute in all of the live versions available.
This is the version I've been listening to (hope to find more live versions of some of the songs) compiled from TH-cam.
"SIDE A"
1. Lap Of Luxury - Album Version
2. Under Wraps (Instrumental) - A Little Light Music (1992)
3. European Legacy - Live At Hammersmith (1984)
4. Later, That Same Evening - Live At Capitol Theater (1984)
5. Saboteur - Album Version
"SIDE B"
6. Radio Free Moscow - Album Version
7. Nobody's Car - Live At Capitol Theater (1984)
8. Heat Album Version
9. Under Wraps #2 Album Version
10. Apogee Live At Hammersmith (1984)
11. Bonus Selection: Paparazzi Live In Istambul (1991)
Great idea!
"At least they were singing from the same hymn sheet, it's just the wrong hymn sheet." You have too much fun coming up with these bon mots.
Much of this I agree with - Giant for a Day, Cured, and Love Beach are rather low-hanging fruit in terms of "worst of" albums. I'd give a tip of the hat to Renaissance's "Time-Line" as well. I thought that Triumvirate's "A La Carte" was bad, but I heard "Party Life" and that was enough for me.
But it's nice to know that in many cases it's not just me. "Heaven and Earth" for me simply went in one ear and out the other, as have the later releases as well.
But thanks for the video! I always enjoy a good "worst of" list.
I can't believe you included Under Wraps - shame on you... but I think you hit the nail on the head about Schrodinger's prog album. I really liked that album, and the Eastern European theme and Under Wraps 2 track towards the end is absolute magic, and worth the wait.
If you can call it prog then Mike Rutherfords 'Acting very Strange' is certainly worthy of top ten status. It contained the track 'Couldn't get arrested' which in itself is a crime because he should have been. Agree on pretty much all your choices. I was shocked at how bad 'Cured' was. Think I've only played it a couple of times, on the third attempt I gave up at 'picture postcard' (or whatever it's called.) I know you should give prog 5 listens but sometimes you just give up hope. His first four albums were easily his best in my opinion. Quite like 'Under Wraps' but as you correctly said,... It's simultaneously good and absolutely dreadful.
No mention of Genesis's Calling All Stations?
Agree its the Only Genesis album i can't listen to.
And honestly, as many copies as it sold, Invisible Touch is mostly pop crap with a few decent songs.
And don't get me started on We Can't Dance...
"More cheese than a Papa John's, in fact". Love it.
On top of the fact that Papa John’s pizza is awful 🤮
I worked at a radio station at the University of Cincinnati when Love Beach came out.I knew it was gonna be bad just from the album cover.
Tull's A album is an updated-sound (synth heavy) which mostly works, whereas Under Wraps mostly doesn't. Heaven and Hell is preferable to the suite of 80s/90s efforts including Union and Talk IMO, though I'm not keen on playing any of them when there are so many enjoyable classics in their catalogue to play instead.
They could release an EP of the best songs from Talk and Union and that would be enough!
Any time The Alan Parsons Project is mentioned, I always think of Dr. Evil referring to them and laugh!
That's funny. Whenever I WATCH Dr Evil, I DON'T laugh.
In a fortunate turn of history I have never heard of a single one of these albums. Small mercies it appears.
Oh, and re: Tull's Under Wraps, I think it was the last Tull album on which Anderson & Co. tried something new, as opposed to cycling through the expected AOR moves. The sonwriting is uneven, and often sounds as if Anderson had been reading too many John le Carré novels on the tour bus/plane. The obsession with technical wonkery (already in evidence on Broadsword and Anderson's solo album Walk into Light) tends to overwhelm the writing. But it's actually a more interesting album than the followup, Crest of a Knave, which is derivative and calculated. Granted, Crest does have some lively (cut live?) human rhythms that make its best moments more enjoyable to me; at times, it sounds better. But Under Wraps is a gutsier move. It's not as good as Walk into Light, frankly, but it's something fairly fresh for Anderson.
Me, I would nominate Catfish Rising as the worst Tull album: a crass, pandering stinker (the post-Grammy, hard-rocking Tull of the late 1980s to early 90s is the brand's nadir, I think).
I like Catfish Rising and Grammy Award winning Crest of the Knave, but Under Wraps is the stinker that hopefully gets restructured.
Another candidate: Peter Gabriel's Ovo.
Frankly, I really like "Under Wraps".....much better than "A". I saw them on this tour....great show!
I also like UW better than A. The UW tour was my first rock concert ever.
Hmmm... That sounds like a good theme for a video essay: Great tours that were in support of a terrible album!
It was strange to hear Supertramp have a dance hit with "I'm Beggin You" in 1987 from that album.
A friend of mine attended the "Under Wraps" tour and said the concert itself was fantastic and to him the new songs sounded better live. I believe he said the band appeared under a sheet which was quickly pulled away to reveal them.
Glad you included "GTR." Rolling Stone, for once, got it right in giving this a one-word (?) review: "SHT."🌝
Hi, I totally agree, when I bought Russian Roulette in 1979 I thought: Progressive rock is dead.
I've often toyed with the idea of redoing the whole Under Wraps album, if only to see if I can make something I can enjoy listening to. I might actually do it someday. There are quite a few really good songs on it actually, but the production is just bloody awful. Why Doane Perry is even in the picture inside the cover of that album is quite the brain twister.
I love that you try to find something positive to say. I agree with most of these but Love Beach will always hold a place in my heart. I was in high school in the early 80s when I first heard this album and I listened to it before I heard the bulk of their catalog. It always takes me back!
I want to know the logic behind that Triumvirat cover. Why are they blindfolded? Why are they eating Big Macs? What does it have to do with anything?
Your T-shirt is in better condition than the one I purchased in 2019. I will get a new version in Oslo this year.
You could have made a Top 50 prog disasters. I’ve listened to prog for over 50 years and at some point I gave up. After buying Foxtrot by Genesis, Pawn Hearts by VDGG, Close to the Edge by Yes and so many more in the 70’s I believe repetition set in. It was as if I’ve heard far better music and it cannot be improved on anymore. But that’s me unfortunately. After a while I need to move on.
You’re wrong about The Astonishing. It is an incredible album, the best of the Manigini era. Additionally, James Labrie’s vocal performance is the best of his career. I saw it performed live twice and was ASTONISHED both times. But you know what they say…opinions are like assholes, and yours is one I admire for its cantankerous nature. CHEERS!
The Astonishing was an absolute slog!. I didn't even get through it once, it was so numbing. And I say this as a long time Dream Theater fan who awaits every album, but this was unbearable, and fully cemented my belief that without Portnoy in the band to steer their writing, they meandered far too much with this album being the best(worst?) example of this. With him back in the fold, let's hope we get a return to a more focused Dream Theater of old!
It was focused far too much on something DT don't do all that well - straightahead songs. Their real skill is doing far too much and somehow making it work. But this put short songs and the bellowing bawl of Jimmy The Cheese front and center, and it did not cut the mustard. Although to (dis-)quality my own opinion, The Lamb is not my favorite Genesis album.
@@Baribrotzer Oh My! Someone else who thinks of him as Jimmy Le Cheese! He has always been my least favorite member of that band - his nasal roar is up there with John Wetton's adenoidal bellow as the least enjoyable singer in all of prog rock.
@@tonylane8873 What about Derek Shulman's forced-up-too-high bawl, or Peter Hamill's over-emoting?
For me the concept and the lyrics did me in! A guy who rescues his kingdom with his beautiful voice? It tried too hard to be 2112, and failed badly.
@@Baribrotzer Often Derek Shulman sounds like he's been forced off the top of his range, (much like poor old Fee Waybill under the thumb of Todd Rundgren) but when he lets loose he's great, so a 6/10 for him. Hamill, well, he's not as annoying as Jimmy the Cheese. Marginally more listenable.
I was 14 years old in 1978 I was a fan of Emerson Lake & Palmer's early prog classics However back then I avoided Love Beach like the plague To me, It was the worst album cover of 78
agree with most of these but.....GTR ...bought it when it came out ,loved it then ..adore it still ..Max Bacons vocals where the real star of the show for me. another wonderful video..keep up the awesome work Barry.
The first rule of being an APP fan. 'There is no such thing as a bad Alan Parsons album'
The second rule of being an APP fan. ' We don't talk about the Sicilian Defence!!!'
The album certainly did it's job, securing that contract, but it should have been left, buried deep with the other musical Balrogs of our time.
Soon it will be time again for me to teach that wonderful Tennyson poem to my students. Love the reference here and in the 007 movie Skyfall.
IMO, Giant For A Day and Under Wraps aren’t bad at all. The former can be called misguided at worst and the latter is merely hampered by it’s production.
I'd take Under Wraps over Catfish Rising any day, that really is a stinker
This guy just politely and concisely roasted a bunch of very bad albums. Well said old bean!
I remember hearing Punk Rock 🧷 for the first time in 1976 / 77. I was 16 / 17 years young back then. I liked British Glam Rock prior to Punk , but these Prog Rock bands i couldn't stand much.
Prog music is only any good when created in the 1970s. Great reviews, keep it up.
The drumming on "Underwraps" was indeed a drum machine. Even some of the band members dissed it simply because there was no actual drummer.
Love watching/listening to your reviews … superb criticism with entertainment value.
Did you torture yourself playing said albums again..... or saved your sanity and listed them from memory? A brave man if you went for the former... I usually check out your music choices via streaming but I think I will give these a miss this time.