Prog Readers' Poll 2021

[Yorkshire Square]

But it did make #2 in the Readers' Poll.

Sheesh! No wonder I'm confused...

[Soundwaveseeker]

I also admit not having heard a lot of these artists on the Prog magazine list. The magazine does come with a sampler disc and most of the time it's people with names like Mump Beak and J. Crist. Your mileage may vary on a lot of these, and on one's definition of and perception of what 'prog' is. But that's another topic. Some of these acts appear to be copycats, stoner bands or Dream Theatre or Steven Wilson wannabes. But some are good and worth checking out though, that's how I came across Lifesigns and how I decided to plunge more into Big Big Train. But I'm not sure if I've listened to most of those samplers all the way through though.

[Ash Armstrong]

Is Gerard Johnson on that one?

He isnt, no. He's been a semi-permanent member of their live band, but he doesn't appear on this album.

[bondegezou]

I also admit not having heard a lot of these artists on the Prog magazine list. The magazine does come with a sampler disc and most of the time it's people with names like Mump Beak and J. Crist. Your mileage may vary on a lot of these, and on one's definition of and perception of what 'prog' is. But that's another topic. Some of these acts appear to be copycats, stoner bands or Dream Theatre or Steven Wilson wannabes. But some are good and worth checking out though, that's how I came across Lifesigns and how I decided to plunge more into Big Big Train. But I'm not sure if I've listened to most of those samplers all the way through though.

Mumpbeak's debut album Tooth is really good! They've got the drummer from Elephant9.

https://mumpbeak.bandcamp.com/album/tooth

[Frumious B]

You probably pushed it unconsciously out of your mind. Most of us did...

Someone should do a mashup of this with Having Fun With Elvis On Stage so it sounds like Elvis is talking in between the keyboard solos.

[Gtkgasman]

Quite possibly!

I take it you have this indispensable release then? 😉

Of course! If you are speaking of red planet. Got it at the show.

It’s All good my friend. As long as I, or we, stay away from politics, i think we can laugh and banter and agree and disagree on anything. 😊

Yeah - I’m an RW fan. Big surprise. Oh the humanity......LOL.

[Gtkgasman]

No doubt together with the even more indispensable ARW merchandise that came out three years after the band's demise....

Ouch. 😏. Nooooooo

It’s next to my Caped Crusader Collector Club merchandise!!!!! 😁😁😁😁😁

[Mr. Holland]

Ouch. 😏. Nooooooo

It’s next to my Caped Crusader Collector Club merchandise!!!!! 😁😁😁😁😁

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[Homemade Parachute]

I'm not sure what PSB is, but they've lost me with this one

Ha! PSB was my musical find for 2021: falling down a wikipedia wormhole while looking up Apollo moon missions while watching For All Mankind season 2, I came across a reference to their 2015 album The Race for Space, which combines "found" audio clips with instrumental passages to chronicle a 20 year, uh, race for space… I think I had the album on repeat for most of the spring, and bought their then-entire catalog in a week or two.

The new album, Bright Magic, is a bit different, as they've mostly replaced audio clips with guest vocals, but it's very inspired by Berlin, the city, and influenced by Bowie's Low amongst many other sources. Well worth checking out. They're a growing band, who do push into different directions with each album, so liking one is maybe no guarantee you'll like another, but I like that in and of itself. They're definitely prog-gy, or prog-influenced, but not traditional prog. I highly recommend them, fwiw.

[Ash Armstrong]

Ha! PSB was my musical find for 2021: falling down a wikipedia wormhole while looking up Apollo moon missions while watching For All Mankind season 2, I came across a reference to their 2015 album The Race for Space, which combines "found" audio clips with instrumental passages to chronicle a 20 year, uh, race for space… I think I had the album on repeat for most of the spring, and bought their then-entire catalog in a week or two.

The new album, Bright Magic, is a bit different, as they've mostly replaced audio clips with guest vocals, but it's very inspired by Berlin, the city, and influenced by Bowie's Low amongst many other sources. Well worth checking out. They're a growing band, who do push into different directions with each album, so liking one is maybe no guarantee you'll like another, but I like that in and of itself. They're definitely prog-gy, or prog-influenced, but not traditional prog. I highly recommend them, fwiw.

I've seen Public Service Broadcasting twice. Fabulous band! Their CD/DVD Live at Brixton Academy is one of the best concert films I've seen! Very entertaining, enjoyable band, with food for thought thrown in.

[PeterCologne]

They actually give all 29 critics' full rankings. Going through those, you can see The Quest was in 4 people's lists, so not too bad.

Ever the Positivist

I would say it is pretty unsettling if only four from 29 critics of a prog-magazine have the fist new Yes!-album in seven years somewhere in their top 20 - and it doesn't show up in the top 20 in the end. Plus being one of the most disppointing things in the reader-charts isn't really as well what they might ha<ve expected. All this would make sense only if it would show up in the top ten of Variety .

Good to read that they put the unispired and again treacly Transatlantic not high as well. But most irritating is that the super-hype od Steven Wilsons awfull The Future Bites - an album like the emperor's new clothes - landed on number 2.

But where is Downes/Braide... ?

[Homemade Parachute]

I would say it is pretty unsettling if only four from 29 critics of a prog-magazine have the fist new Yes!-album in seven years somewhere in their top 20 - and it doesn't show up in the top 20 in the end. Plus being one of the most disppointing things in the reader-charts isn't really as well what they might ha<ve expected. All this would make sense only if it would show up in the top ten of Variety .

Well, yes and no (so to speak)… Maybe it means when really thinking of the year's best, they're thinking of albums or bands that are on the upswing, or likely to have influence down the road, or inspire other artists in some way, or albums in need of new audiences — albums likely to expand the genre, even. I like The Quest quite a lot, more than I expected to, and it's great that they made it, and I really hope they make more new music, soon; but its reach is likely to be quite limited (it's not, cough cough, likely to be nominated for a Grammy…). I'm thinking most people looking at, well, *Prog* magazine, have already either heard it or made up their mind not to. Yes is one of that last marquee prog bands still standing, but if the fans here on this site for the most part rank it somewhere in the middle of the cannon, can we really expect it to show up highly on more wide-ranging best of lists?

[Yorkshire Square]

Ha! PSB was my musical find for 2021: falling down a wikipedia wormhole while looking up Apollo moon missions while watching For All Mankind season 2, I came across a reference to their 2015 album The Race for Space, which combines "found" audio clips with instrumental passages to chronicle a 20 year, uh, race for space… I think I had the album on repeat for most of the spring, and bought their then-entire catalog in a week or two.

The new album, Bright Magic, is a bit different, as they've mostly replaced audio clips with guest vocals, but it's very inspired by Berlin, the city, and influenced by Bowie's Low amongst many other sources. Well worth checking out. They're a growing band, who do push into different directions with each album, so liking one is maybe no guarantee you'll like another, but I like that in and of itself. They're definitely prog-gy, or prog-influenced, but not traditional prog. I highly recommend them, fwiw.

Thanks, I know who PSB are - I have all of their albums and have seen them live. I'm just not sure where they're going with this latest release.

[Yorkshire Square]

Ever the Positivist

I would say it is pretty unsettling if only four from 29 critics of a prog-magazine have the fist new Yes!-album in seven years somewhere in their top 20 - and it doesn't show up in the top 20 in the end. Plus being one of the most disppointing things in the reader-charts isn't really as well what they might ha<ve expected. All this would make sense only if it would show up in the top ten of Variety .

Good to read that they put the unispired and again treacly Transatlantic not high as well. But most irritating is that the super-hype od Steven Wilsons awfull The Future Bites - an album like the emperor's new clothes - landed on number 2.

But where is Downes/Braide... ?

Why worry? The Quest (and indeed DBA) are hardly Prog by any stretch of the imagination. And that's a good thing in my book.

[PeterCologne]

Well, yes and no (so to speak)… Maybe it means when really thinking of the year's best, they're thinking of albums or bands that are on the upswing, or likely to have influence down the road, or inspire other artists in some way, or albums in need of new audiences — albums likely to expand the genre, even. I like The Quest quite a lot, more than I expected to, and it's great that they made it, and I really hope they make more new music, soon; but its reach is likely to be quite limited (it's not, cough cough, likely to be nominated for a Grammy…). I'm thinking most people looking at, well, *Prog* magazine, have already either heard it or made up their mind not to. Yes is one of that last marquee prog bands still standing, but if the fans here on this site for the most part rank it somewhere in the middle of the cannon, can we really expect it to show up highly on more wide-ranging best of lists?

Why worry? The Quest (and indeed DBA) are hardly Prog by any stretch of the imagination. And that's a good thing in my book.

Hey, I don't care so much about this list, I just must say I am not into The Quest, but I don't care about the prog-factor of it. But if they vote Steven Wilson on 2 the prog factor anyway isn't soooo important. Generally I don't care much for most of todays prog anyway, bought a ticket for Transatlantic here this year just out of curiosity, I like them just so so. The real progressive music of the recent 30/40 years anyway IMO was XTC, Talk Talk and Radiohead for example who maybe would not have been in a Prog-magazine-poll.

I just think, that Downes/Braide would have deserved to be included in the top ten.