This is the crowning achievement of symphonic prog. Not only is it immaculately composed and arranged, it completely avoids the pretentious, histrionic nature of other symphonic prog bands like Yes, Genesis and early King Crimson, or the needless complexity of Gentle Giant.
This is the only symphonic prog album that actually deserves to be ranked alongside the best of Krautrock, avant-prog and first wave post-rock.
>b-but muh Ommadawn muh Incantations I must prefer le obscurer albums xD
Tubular Bells was objectively his artistic zenith.
>>53064617
I like it too. It's an excellent album, the pace is excellent.
>needles complexity of Gentle Giant
but you don't have taste when it comes to prog
I agree, I found this record in the dollar bin and it was one of the best buys I've ever had
But anon, Thick as a Brick is better
>>53064700
Gentle Giant are a great band but their core ideology is pretty much everything wrong with Anglo-prog.
>>53064719
Not even the best Jethro Tull album. Aqualung >
>>53064617
That's crossover prog not symphonic prog
>>53064617
>This is the only symphonic prog album that actually deserves to be ranked alongside the best of Krautrock, avant-prog and first wave post-rock
lmao what a scruffy drone
>>53064617
agreed, though i prefer ommadawn both albums are the crown achievements of british prog
>>53064791
On the contrary, GG had one of the most ambitious ideals in the genre: they wanted to make pop music that, even if complex, managed to be catchy and instantly memorable without giving up experimentation or it sounding "unique".
They even state it on some of their record's inlays.
Also, I'd argue that their music isn't "needlessly complex". That would be bands like ELP. I've never found GGs music to be overly complex. It has lots of layers and different instruments, but they always match and the music isn't hard to grasp. They don't even do solos or wank most of the time, it's more about having different instruments work harmoniously.
>>53064959
Hey man you make some pretty compelling points.
Great post :D
>>53064617
>it completely avoids the pretentious, histrionic nature of other symphonic prog bands like Yes, Genesis and early King Crimson, or the needless complexity of Gentle Giant.
I fucking hate you indiefags, go jerk off to your emo shit for artificial feels please.
I'm 100% sure that people who use wank as a criticism are uneducated in terms of music. So, OP, how long have you been playing an instrument?
>>53065098
>this post
>>53065131
About ten years on my main instrument, I think.
I literally didn't use the word "wank" at all in my post.
>>53065055
Thanks!
>>53065131
I used wank in my GG post (not OP) and I've played guitar for like... 9 years?
To me, wank is an unnecessary abuse of technique to compensate for measly composition. Basically "shock value".
I'm not saying that technical proficiency or complexity are bad, definitely not. But a musician shouldn't start farting notes for the sake of it.
>>53065098
There's really no need for such hostility.
>>53065183
>>53065266
I'm upset because this board used to love prog but now dismisses anything with more than 4 chords and length over 5 minutes
>>53064617
>b-but muh Ommadawn muh Incantations I must prefer le obscurer albums xD
wow
just thinking that this guy actually took his time to know Hergerst Ridge, Ommadawn and Incantations and still somehow thinks that Tubular Bells is superior to them makes me cringe really hard. TB is the most naive, disjointed and unorganised Oldfield's work. It's good, but not genius. It's definitely by Ommadawn when he got his shit together and started producing 10/10 music. And then by Incantations lost it to an extent again, starting to get too self-indulgent.
tl;dr Ommadawn is clearly superior
>>53065291
>dismisses anything with more than 4 chords and length over 5 minutes
[citation needed]
>>53065291
>now dismisses anything with more than 4 chords and length over 5 minutes
Don't be retarded. Lots of people love prog here.
Look at this thread. Shit, he's even complimenting an album that is really complex in it's execution.
Stop crying for no reason.
>>53065291
Um... Literally none of us do that. What are you talking about?
>>53065209
Pretentious, histrionic and needlessly complex certainly imply it.
>>53065234
I would argue that ELP don't wank or isn't needlessly complex. The solos fit the music. Emerson has slow solos on slow songs and vice versa. I'd argue that wank is more on the side of playing as many notes as possible in as little time as possible with no musicality. That's just not the case
which version do i download, there's like 40 of them
