Forget prog - one of the best albums ever, period
935340
This is King Crimson's masterpiece.  Red is the most immediate and powerful work Fripp & co. have ever put together.  The title track says it all - one of the greatest instrumental pieces in rock, and the greatest Crimson has ever come up with.  It's heavy and crunchy but it also flows - Fripp's guitar, Wetton's bass and Bruford's drums are at the top of their form.

The rest of the album is no letdown, either.  Like the two before it, Red is principally an instrumental album: three of these five songs have vocal parts to them, and John Wetton does an excellent job on them, but they're tied to much longer jams that make the basis of Red.  These aren't simply jams, though (unlike a lot of Starless And Bible Black.)  They're jams worked into the structure of actual songs, songs that really hit hard.  "Fallen Angel", for example, creates a great contrast between the soft sung parts, which sound a bit like the Moody Blues, and the hard, heavy instrumental parts, which sound like nothing else I've ever heard.  Some people cite the following track, "One More Red Nightmare", as a step down from the first two tracks, but I disagree: the opening riff is excellent and is followed a weird but effective verse from Wetton about how much he hates flying, after which the band rolls into a long instrumental section that is perfectly structured and played - this part really captures the feel of flying in a huge passenger jet through a storm.  Bruford even contributes to the feel by banging on sheet metal (by the way, this album is, as far as I've heard, the best stuff Bill Bruford has ever done - his drumming is beyond great on Red.)

If there is a letdown here, it's "Providence", a long jam somewhat in the style of Starless And Bible Black, but it's better than most of the tracks on that album for the simple fact that it does capture a nice, low, dark mood, so I can't dislike it.  But Red is truly Crimson's masterpiece for one song, the closer: "Starless".  I won't write about it because you should hear it yourself, but it is the best piece King Crimson has ever put out on a record store shelf.  In my opinion, I mean.

I love this album.  And apparently a lot of other people do too.  I've even heard that Kurt Cobain cited it as an influence, and I can definitely believe it.  Red is heavier than everything Crimson had done before and everything it would do since, and it's heavy with a purpose - if you're allergic to 70s metal, don't worry, because while Red is just as heavy as 70s metals, it's totally different in substance.  The production is amazing as well: all the instruments have their place, including the mellotron and special guest/original Crimson member Ian McDonald on saxophone and a few other horns.  All I can say is it's a shame that this particular version of KC broke up after releasing such an astounding album.  As it turns out, things were really strained among the members while this thing was being recorded.  Maybe Fripp, Wetton and Bruford thrive on conflict?

Strange enough, two of the people involved with Red later formed two of the cheesiest rock groups in history, Asia (Wetton) and Foreigner (McDonald).  Music history is full of weird twists like that, isn't it?  Not that I necessarily hate Asia and Foreigner, but I can't imagine any similarity between this album and those bands' works.
117521
Great album.  I love prog rock, and this IMHO, is one that should be in a prog rock fan's collection.
3474192
Apart from the annoying "Story Of The Hare..." the material on here is among Tull' absolute best being complex, playful and eccentric. It is also their most fully realized oratorio (the other being TAAB). Definitely among the greatest prog-rock records ever.
1257034
Great prog, rock album not to be missed by prog fans. See my review of" Blink of an Eye" by Enchant for more info of the band, they are terrific!
1915194
My first Yes album was the fantastic Yessongs, another double album that covered a lot of earlier work, and in my opinion was one of their best releases...well, that was until Tales From Topographic Oceans was released and we all learned how serious these guys were about what they put out to the world.

I am totally engrossed with this album and look forward to the time when I put it on and float away dragged along by the swirling current of what is to me one of the best pieces of music that progressive rockers Yes have written. One of the best progressive works ever in fact. This music does not work as background filler, it demands that you absorb it with the respect it deserves. I always listen to the entire work and every time it rewards me with more to think about as the journey of Tales unfolds. It is a very visual album to me. Any serious prog rock fans will find it satisfying and wonderous. In my opinion, after listening to Yes music that followed Tales From Topographic Oceans it never really reaches the level of sophistication and dynamics that Tales oozes.

1973 sure was a good year for Yes music, two double albums that became the hallmarks for me of what progressive music is all about, it captures the spirit of "new" music, equalling and surpassing other top bands of the time such as King Crimson, Jethro Tull, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Amonn Duul, Tangerine Dream etc etc who are all worthy contenders. I can highly recommend this album/cd to those who are open to an emotional experience that is Tales From Topographic Oceans.
3766908
IQ is one of the best post-70s progressive rock bands; if you like Genesis and Yes, you'll like IQ.

And "Are You Sitting Comfortably?" is a worthy addition to their catalogue. For starters, it's got 2 extended, kick-*ss prog tracks: the brooding, then exhilarating Nostalgia/Falling Apart at the Seams (clocking in at over 10 minutes) and the driving, multi-part suite Wurensh (9:37). War Heroes (6:26) is another atmospheric track similar to mid-period Genesis.

Then it's got the fun prog pop of Drive On and the romantic Through My Fingers. The only two weak tracks are the overly simplistic Sold On You and the forgettable Nothing At All.

Add in great production from Terry Brown of Rush fame, and you've got an excellent IQ album.

The album is usually underrated by IQ fans, but I feel it's better than Nomzamo (too commercial), Tales From the Lush Attic (poorly produced) and even The Seventh House (poorly written - I swear I can't remember a melody from that album!)

If you like post-70s prog, in particular mid-period Genesis and 80s Yes, you'll enjoy this album.
2977412
If you're at all as familiar with prog rock as me, you know that there are absolutely no shortage of Italian prog bands out there. PFM, Banco, Le Orme, New Trolls, Goblin, Il Balletto di Bronzo, Museo Rosenbach, Il Volo, Jumbo, Campo di Marte, L'Uovo di Colombo, Acqua Fragile, the list goes on, and Biglietto Per L'Inferno is prime example of what I'm talking about. This self-entitled album was originally released in 1974 on a small label called Trident, which also released Dedalus' self-entitled 1973 release, The Trip's Time of Change, and Semiramis' Dedicato a Frazz. Biglietto Per L'Inferno often gets hyped as one of the greatest Italian prog albums, but I wouldn't go that far. I'll tell you why: the worst problem is the really muddy sound quality on the CD reissue (at least the version I have, which is on Vinyl Magic). You really need to turn it up or get a good pair of headphones to be able to hear it all. I'm usually not critical of the sound quality of 20 to 30+ year old albums because I'm fully aware of the technical limitations of the time (something many people need to bear in mind when purchasing a CD reissue of some album from the 1970s), but the problems here are painfully obvious. But aside from that you get yourself a wonderful guitar and flute driven prog album. The best I can come up with is a cross between Osanna's Palepoli and of Il Balletto di Bronzo's YS, although not quite as intense those albums. Biglietto gets classified as heavy prog, and often it does, thanks to those heavy guitar riffs, but there is just as equal amount of more mellow, relaxed, atmospheric passages. The band had two keyboardists, providing piano, Hammond organ and synths (sounds like an ARP 2600). Baffo Banfi was one of the keyboardists, and it's hard to believe that when he pursued a solo career a few years later, he'd be recording music that's much closer to Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze (even going as far as recording for Schulze's Innovative Communications label) than anything he did with Biglietto. The vocals are very pleasant and very non-intrusive to my ears (something you couldn't say of Banco's Franceso di Giacomo or especially Jumbo's Alvero Fella), so you'll have no problems. Not to mention the music of Biglietto is quite complex so it will satisfy those prog fans who think the likes of the Moody Blues and Barclay James Harvest just won't do. "L'Amico Suicida" is prime example of what I'm talking about. It's full of atmosphere, lots of complexities, varying moods, what more could you ask for? My other complaint is why they had to close the album with "Confessione (Strumentale)"? It sounded like all they did was copy the instrumental end of "Confessione" earier in the album and pasted it at the end. Well, it turns out this was a bonus cut, Vinyl Magic simply failed to mention it was one, this instrumental excerpt was originally released as a single. You won't find "Confessione (Strumentale)" if you bought the LP (doesn't matter if its the reprint or the super rare original). Despite the flaws, I still very music recommend this album to all those who enjoy Osanna's Palepoli, and Il Balletto di Bronzo's YS, or Italian prog in general.
1459930
This is a fantastic album. As you probably gathered from other reviews and critic's descriptions, it's on 2 discs: the first having the body of the album in what Steve Wilson called an hour-long song cycle and the second disc containing four strange yet beautiful songs.  It's kind of like one big song divided up into smaller sections, and then four bonus tracks.

Some claim the album is not stellar or just doesn't have the same magic as its predecessor, "Fear of a Blank Planet".  Comparisons aside, it's still a great album.  You really get the idea that Steve and the band really put forth effort to make a great album, taking risks and giving it their all.  It's silly to think it should've been better than their last, but how often can you strike lightning?

Also, not many people seem to note that they had a LONG career before they made "In Absentia".  That's often the gateway album for newcomer Porcupine Tree fans, but it's also their sixth or seventh album.  The albums that preceded "In Absentia" have more of a softer, atmospheric, Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon"-in-its-entirety kind of feel.

To summarize, this album incorporates some of the older elements of Porcupine Tree and blends them with their more recent habits.  Even considering that, this is still its own album not trying to sound like anything else.
3108694
I became enamored with this record nearly 35 years ago and I literally wore out my first copy and had to buy a second. It should go without saying that this is one of THE MOST important recordings of the prog-rock genre and it may very well be Yes' best record. No other Yes album features such tight grooves and unison lines played at dizzying speeds. Fragile is prog rock's answer to jazz-fusion snobs who claim that the genre lacks virtuosic musicianship.

As GREAT, and unprecedented, as this album may be it does suffer from some serious flaws that without them would have made this album even better!

The small pieces showcasing the individual artist's solo work and classical interpretation and/or composition are superfluous. These were probably included to show critics and fans that Yes were SERIOUS musicians; or to help sell subsequent solo efforts. Well, whatever the case, they didn't have to do any of that to prove to anyone with two good ears that they were the real deal! Their egos got the best of them and they littered an otherwise PERFECT recording with unnecessary doodling. What a shame. This is not to say that Mood for a Day is bad; it's great and IMO the only solo piece that merits any space on this record(I'm an ardent RW fan, but the Cans And Brahms piece is ridiculous).

That being said, if I had been the producer of this record(ah, Mr. Eddie Offord, please let me fantasize for a few minutes, will ya?!) I would have taken all of the smaller, individual ideas from the ego massaging pieces and used them to extend Long Distance Runaround to the 8-12 minute mark. The track really grooves with Steve's quasi-jazz guitar and the tight rhythm section put down by Chris and Bill. It's a solid piece, no doubt, but way under-developed. LDR could have easily been extended to include solos by each member, hence satisfying their individual thirst for the limelight.

There are, in essence, five meaningful pieces on this record(including MFAD). If the record would have kept to these five(with an extension of LDR), IMO, Fragile would have been the crowning glory of prog rock and may be considered the very best the genre has to offer.

-----------------------------------

If I would have produced the record:

-----------------------------------

1. Roundabout (8:29)

2. South Side Of The Sky (8:04)

3. Long Distance Runaround (3:33) <---extended to 8-12 minutes

4. Mood For A Day (3:57)<---- Not essential for a Yes album.

  I may have even left this one out.

  Steve has solo records and he should

  use that space for his solo stuff.

5. Heart Of The Sunrise (10:34)

A note for the bass players out there:  This record features some of the VERY BEST bass playing you will ever hear. Chris Squire rips the Rick to shreds on Fragile! He plays hard, fast and precise...and sweet when called to do so. Amazing, amazing work by Chris!!!
3538853
Banco (del mutuo soccorso) is a wonderful prog band and along with groups including PFM and Osanna certainly represent the high point of the Italian prog scene.  Although sounding a lot like the debut (1972), Darwin! (also 1972) shows a bit more development, which would come to full fruition with the excellent Io sono nato libero (1973).  On the whole, this is especially fine progressive rock.

The lineup on the album includes the remarkable, operatically trained vocalist Francesco di Giacomo; Vittorio Nocenzi (Hammond organ, synthesizers, and clavinet); Gianni Nocenzi (acoustic piano and clarinet); Renato D'Angelo (Fender electric bass guitar; and acoustic bass); Pier Luigi Calderoni (drums and tympani); and acoustic/electric guitarist Marcello Todaro.  These guys are all excellent musicians and there is some ensemble work of breathtaking complexity on the album.  A big part of the general Banco sound however, is the keyboard work of the Nocenzi brothers - especially the Hammond organ, which ranges in texture from a majestic, "churchy" sound to a somewhat dirtier and overdriven sound.  Synthesizers also make a dramatic appearance on this album and the tone colors are very warm and organic sounding (it sounds a lot like a mini-moog synthesizer although I may be wrong).  I am a huge fan of Francesco di Giacomo and his vocal approach (vocals in Italian) - in fact, I could not imagine these compositions without his superb vocal technique.  My only wish is that there was more of a guitar presence - Marcelo is an excellent player.

The seven tracks on the album range in length from 3:42 to the 13:59 opening suite L'Evoluzione and are linked somewhat by instrumental passages and most importantly mood.  The arrangements are really interesting too and use different instruments very effectively.  In large part, there are some absolutely frenetic prog rave ups, with manic, tortured sounds on the synthesizer and more delicate, melodic passages with impassioned vocals.  However, the band does not predictably alter between these dynamics, but rather work along the whole continuum from loud to soft.  In general, there is a lot going on in each piece.  Then there is also the occasional use of other musical styles including subtly European avant-garde passages and a smidge of east coast American (hot) jazz.  However, they skillfully weave these styles into the dominant style (classic English progressive rock) so that you do not notice them (it is a fusion rather than a patchwork quilt of sounds).  I especially appreciate their willingness to explore with these other musical styles; it gives their music a distinctive sound. It is worth pointing out that Vittorio wrote all of the music.

This remastered album was released as part of Strange Days Italian Rock series paper sleeve collection and is a bit expensive, but definitely worth it.  The package reproduces the original LP format and, unfortunately, the somewhat "thin" sound of the original production.  There are liner notes in Japanese and the original Italian lyrics are also reproduced on the inner record (CD) sleeve.

All in all, this is an exceptional album of progressive rock and is very highly recommended along with the eponymous debut, Io sono nato libero, the compilation entitled Banco (1975); and Come in un'ultima cena (1976).
153232
At the end of the last century, Q Magazine in England did a poll for the best British Album of the 20th century.  About 225,000 people responded.  At the top of the list was Radiohead, and the album was OK Computer.
This album is, indeed, the most incredible album I've ever heard.  The textures and soundscapes range from ethereal to pure, angry rock.  It lashes out with abusive guitar in Paranoid Android and Electioneering.  It lulls your fears with the saccharine lullabye of No Suprises.  It chills your bones with the dark, neurotic Climbing Up the Walls.  And it rips at your soul with fingers of desperation in Exit Music (For a Film).  It is a pinnacle work for an incredible group of musicians.  Thom Yorke's vocals pull at every emotion you're conscious of.  The guitar work is impeccable, as you would expect from Jonny Greenwood and Ed O'Brien, and the arrangements of strings, brass, percussion, and electronic samples and blips are placed with a composer's precision.  It never seems like overdone or just simply noise, although that's exactly what it may be.  In a way, it all just makes sense.  If you already are a fan of this band, you probably already own this album and this review isn't for you.  But if you haven't experienced Radiohead beyond Creep or perhaps one of the great tracks off The Bends that were released as singles, you owe it to yourself to buy this album.
4482214
This is one of the best albums to come out of the ninties. Breathtaking, stunning, worthy of adjectives not yet created. It must be played start to end, without skipping tracks to find your favorite track ( IMO, 'Zooropa', 'Lemon', 'Stay', 'The First Time' and 'The Wanderer' ).

Like Pop, Zooropa is a bit strange because it's so different from mainstream music, but it's fantastic. You must be open to listening to music that's unlike anything else and be willing to give it a chance. By listening, I don't just mean allowing the music enter your ears; you need to HEAR the music for what it is and feel the artistic expression in it.

Truly Recomended. Period
2203326
Honestly, this is silly. These 'reviews' have mainly become a forum for arguments between two generations. Most of the 1 star reviews are coming from people who would never buy an album in this genre in the first place, and frankly have no place reviewing the album at all. Telling someone looking into a Floyd album to go buy Britney of Avril Lavigne doesn't do anything but bump a potentially helpful review off the page. I'm unsure as to why they're on this page in the first place, to tell the truth.
However, this is an excellent album, not because of technical virtuosity, but because like much of Pink Floyd's work, it is very emotional. The first release after `Dark Side of the Moon', this new album expresses some of the intense fear and pressure of attempting to follow up an recording that had since sold 6 million copies. While it touches on the frustrations and confusion of newfound fame, it is mainly a tribute to Syd Barrett, the band's co-founding guitarist and later acid casualty. Finding himself deeply paranoid and mentally ill, he left the band in 1968. Both pieces of 'Shine On..' are chances for Gilmour to showcase some guitar work, continually aided by excellent keyboards by Wright. `Welcome to the Machine' is the darkest song on the album, and while reflecting on Barrett's fall, it is also of the rebellious rise to conformity throughout England and the US. 'Have a Cigar' attacks the recording industry, so impersonal as to ask "Which ones Pink"?. This track was sung by Roy Harper, who happened to be in the building while the song was being recorded. Roger Waters originally did the vocals, but he knew they were severely lacking in this track. The title song is heartfelt, sung by guitarist Gilmour, in which he tracks his acoustic guitar over another acoustic playing leads. Both lyrically and musically beautiful, this is one of Floyd's better known songs.
A musically well written album, 'Wish You Were Here' is a mixing masterpiece. The studio effects laden throughout are used masterfully, surpassing even that of 'Dark Side of the Moon'. Their last big album before moving into the punky days of 'Animals', this recording manages to keep the psychedelia of the early days of Pink Floyd, while still putting out a rock album anyone can jam to.
1717955
Its important to understand the context in which this album was written, especially because some critics regard this album as "aimless." This album broke important new ground not just for U2, but was a big influence on a whole generation of sound that was to follow by many other bands. Thom Yorke, of RadioHead, for example, cites this album as one of his favorites of all time.
I've been a U2 fan from the very beginning, I owned "Boy" (their first album) about 1 month after it was first released in 1980, and I've been a big fan every since. The first three albums, "Boy", "October" and "War" show a brilliant band starting to "gel" and hit their stride. By the time "War" was released, with the big hit "New Years Day", U2 had opened up to a much wider audience while still remaining true to their music. War solidified a creative process they had started with "Boy.'
After "War", U2 could have, perhaps, produced several more excellent albums that were very similar to War. But to their credit, U2  have a restless creative spirit which saw them cast about for new directions.
The first three albums were produced by Steve Lilywhite, an excellent producer, who among other things, was famous for a sound that made the drums sound as big as houses. U2 decided to hook up with Brian Eno for their next album. Eno had achieved reverential status in art circles for his atmospheric "ambient" music. Eno was one of the early innovators in using the recording studio as an instrument in its own right. His influence is strong on "Unforgettable Fire."
This can be heard right from the very first cut on the album "A Sort of Homecoming". It has a beautiful, spacious quality with a muted drum sound that is none the less driving and energetic. It launches you into a beautiful dream world that much of the rest of the album continues. The second song "Pride (in the name of Love)" was the first big hit for the album - their tribute to Martin Luther King. Its a great song, but there are several works on the album that even better. Also "Pride" sounds more like the "War" album than it does like the rest of "Unforgettable Fire."
The third song, "Wire" is just absolutely incredible. It manages to be both fierce, and yet also, dreamy. It has great, searing guitar work, and great, driving drums. And yet it also sounds like it came from another planet! I think this is in part due to Eno's influence, who encouraged the band to just let it flow, to let the great unconscious come pouring forth.
However, as good as these songs are, they aren't my favorites on the album. The title track "Unforgettable Fire" and "Bad" are my favorites. They are just utterly amazing. "Unforgettable Fire" has both a rich, complex, sonic landscape, a dreamy ambience, and a killer beat that just pulls you in and takes you away. By contrast, "Bad" is quite simple in structure, and yet it spirals upwards until you feel like you've left earth behind! Just incredible.
And yes, to comment on some other critics, there are some cuts on this album which don't seem so wonderful, such as "Elvis Presley and America". However, I'm more than willing to accept them as part of the stream of consciousness that seems to be in play for creating the heavenly works that also inhabit this album.
"Unforgettable Fire" is for poets, artists, and dreamers of all sorts. Utterly amazing!
82772
Easily one the best heavy Prog Albums ever made. It flows perfectly from beginning to end. i am a fan of DT, Symphony X, Pain of Salvation, Circus Maximus, Adagio, etc. If you like ANY of these bands, This album AND Section X will blow your mind. I have listened to this album maybe 130 times, and it has not gotten old.
2449563
Fates Warning are often credited as the founders of progmetal, and are also considered by many to be one of the best in the genre.  And, although I'm not a huge fan of progmetal anyway, I must agree.  To be honest, a lot of their stuff isn't really my preferred style, although I consider it to be well above a lot of newer progmetal bands, most of which I just can't stand.  This album, however, is something else entirely.

With "A Pleasant Shade of Gray", Fates Warning reached a level of brilliance that far eclipsed anything they did before, or have done since.  This is a progmetal album, of that there is no doubt, but aesthetically it is very different from what one might expect.  It is dark, melodic, brilliantly subtle, very multi-layered rhythmically and melodically, and the songwriting overall is just immacculate.  A lot of people say that this album is slow, plodding, monotonous, etc, but I honestly don't hear that at all.  Sure, it's not a shredfest by any means, but there's a lot going on here.  Mark Zonder's drumming is dizzyingly intricate and nuanced, and Matheos's playing is crisp, tight, and extremely engaging.  Not to mention, the amazing Kevin Moore contributes beautifully tasteful keyboard melodies as only he can.

As you probably know, the album is (or rather is meant to be) all one song, separated into 12 parts.  Although the flow is excellent, and there are numerous repeated themes, it really sort of just feels like a concept album to me, not really all one song.  But, that doesn't really matter, because either way, the album is meant to be taken as a whole, and in that sense it is a tremendous success.  It goes beautifully from minimalist arrangements to dazzling proggy interludes, from chilling acoustic balladry to crunchy metal riffage.  The highlight for me comes in Part VIII, in which Moore and Matheos play this mesmerizing unison line of piano and classical guitar.  This is right up there with Pain of Salvation's "Dryad of the Woods" as one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard a progmetal band do.

And of course I can't forget Ray Alder.  Having heard his vocals on previous albums before this, I never could have imagined how he'd mature here.  He's toned down his soaring operatic 80's metal style a great deal, and belts out his vocals with pure dark emotion.  Much like Geoff Tate, he started singing in more of a low range, and it only made him better.  The vocals are still sort of operatic, but with much more style and restraint.  I really can't imagine them fitting this album any more perfectly, especially with the touching, introspective lyrics, which are given a whole other level of power and conviction.

All in all, this is hands down one of the best progmetal albums I've ever heard.  It really just doesn't get much better than this.  Of course, I say this as a non-fan of progmetal, and the fact that it pretty much flies in the face of nearly everything progmetal is "supposed" to be is what I love about it the most.  But, that said, I think any open-minded fan of the genre will greatly enjoy this, as long as you expect the unexpected.  Either way, this is WAY too good to pass up.
3271496
This is the second album Anathema released with Vincent as the lead vocalist.  I never liked the older Anathema with the other singer (he sounded like he was dying of an asthema attack), no matter how many times I tried to listen to it.  I tried to find what all the reviewers were raving about, but it just wasn't there.  Then Alternative 4 came out followed by Judgement, followed by A Fine Day to Exit... the best three albums ever made by any band... period. This CD is more than deserving of a five star rating, but since their other two albums are soooo much better, it only gets the four stars in comparison.  If this were their only album, I would have given it the full five.
I think what makes this band as great as they are is the amount of emotions that go into their albums.  Other bands sing about it, but Anathema means it and you can hear it in their music.  It's passionate, depressing, angry, and even at times - upbeat.  It has everything that goes into a great album.
After first listen you'll feel confident that you made a worthwhile purchase.  A year later, you'll feel exactly the same way.  The music Anathema makes will always withstand the test of time, especially their most recent albums.  Every song could potentially be a hit if they weren't "so underground" with a "death metal" name that steers all the radio stations away, as well as MTV (who recently refused to play an Anathema video for no apparent reason).  Props to Anathema for not selling out and changing their name, as some fans have suggested.  It's my personal opinion that this album, as well as their other recent albums will one day be thought of as classics by millions of people, the same way Pink Floyd is today.  Buy this album immediately, you won't be dissapointed.