The 500 Best Prog Albums - Ever!

[Toy Revolver]

That's not how it works. I choose the top ten album from 1972, top nine album from 1973, top eight album from 1974 and so on. Right now I've reached 1990. Once I get to 2022 I'll be going back to 1972 for the top nine album but that means we don't see a seventies album again once we exit 1979 until we've gone all the way to last year.

that's a clever way to keep it interesting

Personal Rating: 3

preciate it

[ribbons]

That's not how it works. I choose the top ten album from 1972, top nine album from 1973, top eight album from 1974 and so on. Right now I've reached 1990. Once I get to 2022 I'll be going back to 1972 for the top nine album but that means we don't see a seventies album again once we exit 1979 until we've gone all the way to last year.

Anyway, on we go.

With a 70s album.   

And so to 1974, where I'm somewhat depressed to find this at number 8.



Album title: Rock Bottom
Artist: Robert Wyatt
Nationality: English
Sub-genre: Canterbury Scene
Year: 1974
Position on list for that year: 8
Chronology: 2 of 11
Familiarity with artist: 3
Familiarity with album: 2
Gold Rated track(s): Alifib
Silver Rated track(s): None
Wooden Rated track(s): Sea Song, Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road, Alife, Little Red Robin Hood Hit the Road
Comments: I've heard, in the course of my History of Prog journal, two of Wyatt's albums. I do not recall enjoying either. Given that he's one of the leading lights behind Soft Machine, and my opinion of their first four or five albums, that's not entirely surprising. It's a bit off-putting that I'm faced with another CS album so soon, but then, this is the list and it's not like other projects where I randomly choose and can - if I wish (ssshh!) - cheat. Here, there is nowhere to hide, and what's on the list is what I have to listen to and review. And so, by that measure, I have to listen to and review this.

But I don't have to like it.

And I doubt I will.

Nice slow little Beatles-like opener anyway, very lazy and sort of swaying along, then the piano gets a bit discordant and the vocal when it comes in is a little weak at first, but then gets stronger and reminds me of early Divine Comedy yes I know. Well there are only six tracks on this, and none are epics so maybe it won't be so bad. Another forty-minute album: don't these people know what prog is? Well anyway this is called "Sea Song" and it soon gets really annoying with all the atonal stuff and some sort of clarinet or something going in the background, or maybe it's flute. The choral vocals (probably a Prophet; were they around in 1974?) adds something to the song, but it's not one I can say I like, not at all. The title track is a little better but I just don't like the guy's style at all. I don't know what it is about him; maybe it's the way the music keeps going sort of out of tune, which I'm sure is intentional but certainly is annoying to me, or maybe it's his habit of vocalise all the time, like scat singing. I mean, can he not sing lyrics?

We get all free jazz and improvisational then (how I hate that) in "Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road", and sadly Mr. Wyatt did not follow her example; there's another track almost titled the same, and if it's like this I'll be banging my head against the wall. And it runs for like seven minutes. Mostly it appears to be instrumental, in fact it may be so all the way through: I'm on about minute three and there's only been that vocalise so far, and little of that (though not little enough) and as for the taped speech/masking/whatever the hell it is: enough, really now. Enough. And next up is "Alifib", whatever that means: Wyatt seems to enjoy a fair bit of the old wordplay, as evidenced by the two albums that bookend this, his debut End of an Ear and the next one, Ruth is Stranger Than Richard. Yeah, very clever, but clever titles don't make great albums, and for me, this is not a great album. Not so far anyway.

At least this track is more restrained, a nice smooth guitar line against some synthy keyboard giving quite a relaxed feel, just the thing after the last freeform-fest. Melody sounds very similar, as if it's some folk or traditional song or something. Maybe it's just me. Miles better than anything on this album so far anyway. Runs directly into "Alife" (which I had incorrectly read as "Alfie") as we get a squeaky sound against a spectral, haunting keyboard line and some sort of basic vocal almost spoken rather than sung. Back to the poor quality, at least for me, we go. Sigh. Oh well. Only one more track to go and I'll be done with this. Oh that squeaky sound is a clarinet I think, though it sounds as if he's having a conversation with a very irate goose or hen. I know how it feels. Clarinets played by the hilariously-appropriately-named Gary Windo!

Oh look! Album is produced by Nick Mason. I wonder is that the Nick Mason? Surely it is. And this track is sung (!) by another guy, not Wyatt. I still don't care. I hate this. Okay I don't hate it, that's not fair. But I really dislike and have no interest in it. And here's the other song like "Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road", though this time it's, um, "Little Red Robin Hood Hit the Road". Right. Seems a bit better musically, not that that would be hard. Yeah but then it goes into feedback and some sort of repeated line in the vocal which just grates and grates till I want to turn this FUCKING ALBUM OFF! Even the great Mike Oldfield lending a hand on guitar here can't pull this out of the mire it's stuck in. Oh, and now there's someone speaking in what sounds like an exaggerated Scottish accent against what might be accordion or bassoon or some damn thing. Hey, I was right: I didn't like it.

Personal Rating: 3

A breathtakingly well-written negative review of one of my top ten favorite albums of all time!  
Seriously, though, not surprised that you hate it, given your dislike of free jazz in particular.
But "Sea Song" is one of my favorite songs ever!  Definitely in my top five.  So there! 

[Trollheart]

Oh I always make sure I negatively review in the most positive way! 
Well, I know my views aren't everyone's but sometimes I do tend to lose it a little. Wait till you see The Meat Grinder...

Yeah I kind of knew what to expect. As I mentioned, I've, ah, endured, two of his albums already and my teeth are worn down from grinding them. I know he's a hugely respected artist, and probably with good cause, but he's definitely not for me. I'm sure our paths will cross again on my prog voyage through time though... shudder!

[Toy Revolver]

i've never heard it so i'll chime in later

[Guybrush]

Rock Bottom is also interesting as Robert Wyatt broke his back falling out of a window and became a parplegic while working on it. Some of the music was written in the hospital bed. There's a strange melancholy to the album half-hidden behind absurdity or ocean imagery etc. The title and cover art expresses this perfectly with rock bottom making you think of the absolute lowest point of someone's life, but the cover shows the rocky sea bottom.

Sea song is an endearing classic. I sometimes play it (not well) on piano

[ribbons]

Oh I always make sure I negatively review in the most positive way! 

And the funniest (in the best possible way!).  I've re-read your review twice and am still laughing (while crying  ).

[ribbons]

Rock Bottom is also interesting as Robert Wyatt broke his back falling out of a window and became a parplegic while working on it. Some of the music was written in the hospital bed. There's a strange melancholy to the album half-hidden behind absurdity or ocean imagery etc. The title and cover art expresses this perfectly with rock bottom making you think of the absolute lowest point of someone's life, but the cover shows the rocky sea bottom.

Sea song is an endearing classic. I sometimes play it (not well) on piano

Yes, it helps to know the background as you've described it, Guy - "a strange melancholy...half-hidden behind absurdity or ocean imagery" - perfect description.  Very cool that you play "Sea Song" on piano! 

[Guybrush]

By the way, I also found Rock Bottom a difficult listen at first and I still feel that way about parts of it, so I understand.

[ribbons]

^ It was very much an acquired taste for me as well.  Grew on me over time, and it wasn't an easy journey.
But "Sea Song" I loved instantaneously and that was the initial *bait*.
I actually prefer this live BBC4 performance to the studio version.

https://vimeo.com/277844775

[Guybrush]

The Unthanks have a half-decent cover of it maybe you've heard?

Edit:

I actually prefer this live BBC4 performance to the studio version.

https://vimeo.com/277844775

Oh very nice! How have I missed this?

Thanks for sharing!

[ribbons]

^ Yes, I've heard that one; half-decent as you say, but I love this song so much that I'm almost grateful to come across any cover of it. 

Covered by Tears For Fears as well.

Now we can torture Trolls with cover versions!   

[ribbons]

Edit:

I actually prefer this live BBC4 performance to the studio version.

https://vimeo.com/277844775

Oh very nice! How have I missed this?

Thanks for sharing!

You're very welcome - I love that performance. 

[Trollheart]

Rock Bottom is also interesting as Robert Wyatt broke his back falling out of a window and became a parplegic while working on it. Some of the music was written in the hospital bed. There's a strange melancholy to the album half-hidden behind absurdity or ocean imagery etc. The title and cover art expresses this perfectly with rock bottom making you think of the absolute lowest point of someone's life, but the cover shows the rocky sea bottom.

Sea song is an endearing classic. I sometimes play it (not well) on piano

Damn it yes, I heard that. I think it was in the prog history journal (soon to make its appearance here) but I didn't notice it when I was reading this time. Must have been the red haze and my hands too busy making strangling motions...

Oh I always make sure I negatively review in the most positive way! 

And the funniest (in the best possible way!).  I've re-read your review twice and am still laughing (while crying  ).

Ah thank you! I aim to please..

^ Yes, I've heard that one; half-decent as you say, but I love this song so much that I'm almost grateful to come across any cover of it. 

Covered by Tears For Fears as well.

Now we can torture Trolls with cover versions!   

Hah. I have self-control! I don't have to play... must.. not ... play... no! Keep hand away from... play... button... ARRRGGHHHH!!!!! Betrayed by my own flesh and blood!

[Guybrush]

I like Tears for Fears, but I can't say I care much for that cover can we find more?

[Trollheart]

And speaking of Mike Oldfield...


Album title: Ommadawn
Artist: Mike Oldfield
Nationality: English
Sub-genre: Crossover Prog
Year: 1975
Position on list for that year: 7
Chronology: 4 of 26
Familiarity with artist: 3
Familiarity with album: 2
Gold Rated track(s): None of this is really applicable here...
Silver Rated track(s):
Wooden Rated track(s):
Comments: An interesting point here I didn't know is that after the phenomenal success of his debut album, the now-classic Tubular Bells, Mike Oldfield did not want another hit album. He was retiring from the limelight he had been most reluctantly and somewhat perhaps violently and certainly unexpectedly thrust into. He became a musical recluse, and this, his third album, was all recorded in a little farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. The title comes from an Irish word for idiot - amadan - but manages to also represent, you know, a bright new beginning for the artist. He would never have solo success again like he had with Tubular Bells, although his albums would all be huge sellers. Those who know his name outside of his fanbase quote that album and the one or two hits he had with other people, such as Maggie Bell on "Moonlight Shadow" and "Family Man" and Roger Chapman on "Shadow on the Wall". This has not stopped him becoming a multi-million-selling artist, but unless you're into his music, the above, plus the well-known Christmas instrumental piece "In Dulce Jubilo" (oh, you'd know it if you heard it, believe me) are going to be the sum total of your knowledge or experience of him.

Not at all surprisingly, both for him and for the time, this is an album of two tracks, both almost completely instrumental, though the closing section of part two, called "On Horseback" has some nonsense lyrics in Irish. I must say, he does look very Christ-like on the cover, doesn't he? The artist suffering for his art? Forcing his creation out despite his wish to be alone? Well maybe; I don't know. Those eyes are extremely blue, aren't they? Almost as blue as the Blue Stone of Galveston! (In-joke for those who know Blackadder, watch, um, another space). At any rate, it's the music we're concerned with, and it's an ambient, almost spiritual beginning to part one. Now, considering all the instruments he plays I'm not going to attempt to identify them, so, you know, suck it. I do wonder if this will build up in instrumental layers, like his famous debut? We'll see I guess. I can hear certain echoes of that album here for sure; probably never really get away from it. I think there are like four versions of it now, not including Tubular Bells II and III.

Some pretty powerful electric guitar now - I believe the guitar is his first love and instrument of choice, and it features fairly prominently in Tubular Bells too. Get a sense of the music not quite reaching a crescendo, but building in intensity now. Coming back down though with a breezy flute solo I think then joined by bass and some sort of keyboard and bouncing along with an almost Beatles flavour, heading nearly in a kind of brass band direction, though there's no actual brass. Not yet anyway. Slowing down even more now with a nice little soft piano and some choral vocals or Prophet ARP or something, then we get into some almost tribal drums with a native chant which reminds me of stuff which surfaced on later Peter Gabriel solo albums and, to a lesser extent, some of Paul Simon's work.

I suppose the idea of people rushing out to buy an instrumental album that has two tracks and runs for just over half an hour seems pretty unlikely now, but this was the 1970s and the likes of ELP, Yes and others were releasing albums of increasing complexity and length and decreasing numbers of tracks, and this went to number four in the charts. Wouldn't even stand a chance of getting into the top forty these days I'm sure. Maybe we had better attention spans back then, or maybe it was just the golden age of progressive rock, and Oldfield benefited from that. Of course, there would also be those who bought it as a reaction to having bought and liked Tubular Bells. Nevertheless, I think it was quite a feat to have this in the top five, and a tribute to the man's popularity and determination not to just write what the public wanted. He certainly stayed true to his vision, and it stood to him in the end.

Part two opens on a grand, stately keyboard and piano piece, slow and dramatic, then it fades away to a nice sort of stripped-down acoustic guitar in a kind of pastoral vein, with electric joining in and fleshing out the sound, before uileann pipes are added and now the tune has, not surprisingly, a very Celtic feel. You can just imagine looking out across the misty fields towards the cloud-shrouded mountains as a clear lake sparkles in the distance, the sun striking dazzling reflections off its surface, as the sheep go about their morning, unimpressed by nature's awe-inspiring beauty, and somewhere there's the gentle chug-chug-chug of a tractor working in the fields. The final piece is that "On Horseback", with the nonsense Irish lyric and it's kind of a bit odd after the two instrumental pieces. I guess one of his little jokes, like that country bit at the end of Tubular Bells II. Well now there are clearly English lyrics there too. Hmm. Okay. Good yes but I don't think I'd have been rushing out to buy it personally myself.

Not on this album when released, but a special version the next year (1976) included that "In Dulce Jubilo" which became his signature Christmas song. I still wouldn't be all that crazy about this album, but then, while of course I love Tubular Bells, I wouldn't class myself as a big Oldfield fan.

Personal Rating: 6