PROG: Ten WORST Albums

[@kardRatzinger]

Just any 10 albums by Pink Floyd. ...kidding, Pink Floyd is not prog.

[@ianmarsden8568]

Its like they are speaking directly to me !!!!!

[@ornorrason8152]

@Krzysztof Pink Floyd is pop and blues in prog clothes

[@watttyler8281]

Totally agree, Floyd is not prog.

[@christopher9152]

@@watttyler8281 Correct, it has a wider range than most prog rock and is generally of higher quality. Plus, women actually went to some of their shows!

[@christopher9152]

Yep. They were better than most prog bands.

[@autistichead8137]

This isn’t so much a list of bad prog albums, as it is a list of bad albums by prog artists listening to their record companies post 1978.

[@AlmostEthical]

Exactly.

[@musikalion]

You nailed it.

[@autistichead8137]

@@makeitthrough_ exactly why I spent. The entire 80s following the dead around 🤣

[@AlmostEthical]

@@makeitthrough_ I agree completely. I loved 70s music. As a jamming, loose 60s style drummer, the 80s was horrible. Suddenly I had to simplify and standardise my beats and hit super hard. In the 70s I was part of the musical conversation. In the 80s I provided a "skeleton" around which the music happened. Then came f*ckin drum machines and tacky e-drums that sounded more like f*ckin explosions than drums. And everyone had to sound more machinelike. And the f*ckin endlessly repeated hooks and vacuous lyrics. And the songs were so staid. Once they started you already knew how it would finish. The old prog tunes, by contrast, were interesting and took unexpected turns. //rant :)

[@robertovelloso1192]

@@AlmostEthical Good point. Record companies imposed a softer edge to progressive music, and it was very hard for them to adapt themselves.

[@Foul_Quince]

Quite the Rogue's gallery there. Irony of ironies, if you took all the lists you had ever made, on any topic, I'd reckon that Love Beach figured so frequently that it was, in effect, one of your most regularly discussed records. Thus putting it on a kind of par with dark Side of The Moon.

[@classicalbum]

It's a classic.

[@allsingingalldancingknifef2527]

You two are a great double act! Morecambe and Wise -like.

[@maggiepatkowski6639]

@@classicalbum Oh, you two...

[@johnwilliamson3981]

That's pretty funny! (Like the man said, there ain't no such thing as bad publicity.)

[@RoachDoggggJR]

"Love Beach by the Begees" got a hearty chuckle out of me. Great list!

[@classicalbum]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Foul_Quince]

He says that every time he features that album - which is quite often!😄

[@МаксРогозин-е1ю]

That poor much maligned Love Beach. Canario, Memoirs great stuff. All I want is you energetic positive sounding track despite poppiness. Title track great soundtrack for fucking as Taste of my cum (sorry love). Lake still had his great voice unlike two last ELP albums which are their worst. Definitely better than Giant for a day which isn't proggy at all. Renaissance Time Line should be included in this sad list. That hurts me cause I love Renaissance.

[@mikewest1542]

ELP were effectively falling off a musical cliff after the tugid Works 1 & 2 especially after the classic first 5 albums. As you say it was the worst at this point in their career which an important part as you say, but in the Hot Seat was the worst album in fact and Gregs voice was shot to pieces!

[@Frank_nwobhm]

@@mikewest1542 By far In The Hot Seat is light years worse than Love Beach. It's inexcusable in it's horridness.

[@TheLarry82]

I still enjoy listen to Love Beach and I think that the suite Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman is one of the great moments of ELP’s discography… Canario is also a very good piece well damn played by them… The only bad thing about Love Beach is the title and the cover… and yes they seems like Bee Gees…

[@mmp2010]

Agreed. I love the same tracks on that LP.

[@stonetank7455]

Calling All Stations is one of those albums that would have gotten more love with any other band name on it, but since it was a Genesis release, it gets more scrutiny than it probably deserves by comparison to the rest of the catalog. Frankly, I think if any Genesis album needs to be on this list, it's We Can't Dance.

[@pschroeter1]

I have a joke. I got into progressive-Genesis after they became pop-Genesis. I went to see them in concert and instead of Supper's Ready Genesis I saw We Can't Dance Genesis. I remember the lined up to do that little dance step from the video and Rutherford tripped and fell.

[@frenchbaguetteoui]

Nope. It's a bad album regardless.

[@donlofting4268]

Peter Gabriel was Genesis

[@christopherheckman7957]

You could say the same thing about Yes's _Drama_. It would probably be judged to be a better album if anyone else's name was on it.

[@pschroeter1]

@@christopherheckman7957 YES is my favorite band since 1976 and I love Drama and I saw the tour. Sadly, I can't say I liked Horn singing And You and I though.

[@lenpey]

Fully agree. But, I've always thought that if Hacket and Howe had decided to forego the AOR singer, and focused on making an instrumental album, then we might have had something worth remembering.

[@billyz5088]

Howe said to Hackett; "hey we made a lot of money in Asia - we could try that sort of thing" ..

[@stuarthecht8196]

As they say in England, this was good fun! It was a pleasure to laugh along with your humor, in addition to appreciating your obvious knowledge of progressive rock. This seems like a reasonably accurate list, and I would agree with most of your assessments here. That being said, I do very much like several songs on Love Beach, especially Canario, which I think is one of ELP's best. Also, I concur with your liking of Ray Wilson as a vocalist. I believe Wilson is a phenomenal singer, to a degree that he would have been a suitable replacement for Peter Gabriel, had the band chosen to continue in a late proggy direction. I don't love Calling All Stations, as you also feel, but sometimes I listen to album cuts just to hear Wilson's singing. All in all, another great job!

[@herrdwabash]

I think critics are way too harsh on "Calling All Stations." As a person who lives just outside of Chicago, I'm not ashamed to say that the Chicago Tribune had no idea what they were talking about when they wrote that review. I really liked this album when I was in college. I think they would have made a stronger follow-up album if they had continued. And the song "Not About Us," in my opinion, has taken on a new meaning amid this pandemic. When I hear that song, I think about our healthcare workers. I actually like "Calling All Stations" better than "We Can't Dance."

[@halcyon289]

This is a good album imho

[@jedzxor]

"I actually like "Calling All Stations" better than "We Can't Dance." me too...also, Invisible Touch!

[@FrenchToasted1995]

to me the last two genesis albums are my least favourite but 80s era still had bops like me and sarah jane, do the neurotic and naminanu i could name some more

[@garygomesvedicastrology]

Most music critics (literally) don't know what they're about. There are a few exceptions, but as an erstwhile critic myself, many are musically illiterate, jaded, or just focus on what they think will sell. Most of the early rock critics had literary degrees; only a handful had any musical background. Many worked with A and R men from the record companies; this is why certain artists are elevated and others are ignored. Finally, most want to identify the next big thing. This is a major problem in news in general; generating audience attention is more important than truth. Whew! I am glad I got THAT out of my system. But it's something that has bothered me about critics in general since the 1970s. The critical foundation for punk, for instance, was laid by New Musical Express in the UK and Village Voice and Creem for 7 years before a breakthrough Punk group like the Ramones or the Sex Pistols actually appeared. Both gained a lot of attention because the rock music media was laying the foundation for them.

[@Phobero]

At least on Calling All Stations they got a real singer

[@AlinJapan]

Heaven and Earth: "What you expect to hear while browsing the cheese counter at your local supermarket." LOL!

[@kevcatnip7589]

Uncontaminated with cheese

[@JimCooperVO]

Such a sad end to Triumvirat...I didn't think they could sink lower after A La Carte...but they proved me wrong.

[@delby66]

Agreed Jim. Very disappointing , considering who and what they were.

[@aquatarkus2022]

I love Triumvirat, but they really lost the thread in the late '70s. Eurodisco seemed to infect a lot of bands from the continent.

[@bassvibasics479]

I subscribed not only for the content, but for the dulcet tones of Our Narrator and his tendency to use phrases such as "processed mulch". A gent after my own heart. Bravo, sir. Cap sincerely doffed.

[@BobDaniel]

Love Beach is awful, quite unlistenable, until you get to track 6 (Canario) and track 7 (Memoirs), which are terrific. And those two tracks comprise half the running time of the album, so overall Love Beach is not half bad for a BeeGees album...

[@Frank_nwobhm]

Agreed. Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman is the forgotten gem of ELP's catalog. It isn't Tarkus, Karn Evil 9 or Pirates, but it's very close to that level. Had they been on better terms with each other they could have brought it to that level. Canario is another great example of rocking the classics...the rest of the album was cringe worthy.

[@kathyratino962]

For You is nice.

[@birchsongsltd.6831]

The BeeGees were actually nothing to make fun of. Some of the best voices and harmonies in popular music.

[@bennyscomin]

I always thought "For You" was a good one too @@kathyratino962

[@myoptik3x103]

I really enjoy Dream Theater’s music normally, but The Astonishing was a real slog to listen to. I agree with your assessment completely.

[@miccarbo7911]

I enjoy 'Love Beach' and 'Giant for a Day'. Let's just not unfairly compare them with ELP's and GG's other albums!

[@chrispur6883]

Interesting ranking and a good choice. Two times i would disagree. "Highly Strung" is surely not the best Hackett album but i think it's far better than his previous album "Cured" and Genesis' "Abacab". I always loved "Cell 151", "Hackett to pieces" also a cool instrumental. "GTR"... hmmm, more an AOR than a Progalbum. "When The Heart Rules The Mind", "The Hunter", "Toe The Line", "Imagining"... strong tracks in my opinion. I never liked the vocals from Max Bacon. Since it's release i wished, that Hackett had done the lead vocals und Howe the second voice. Always a pleasure to watch your channel. Sorry, if my english isn't perfect... greetings from germany, bye and take care.

[@mikewest1542]

As for as Genesis goes this is about right , I had the album and got rid of it quickly, no memorable tunes and some turgid playing from Banks/ Rutherford , their hearts weren’t into this. GTR I heard at a friends , I had the single When the heart rules the mind and the B side Hackett to pieces and Sketches of the sun , thats all I needed from that lousy album , also I agree I never liked the singers voice either . Hacketts worse was Cured , MOR pap especially as what came before it !

[@leproghead]

To be honest, I think Till We Have Faces is by far the worst Hackett album.

[@miccarbo7911]

Highly Strung is infinitely better than 'Cured'!

[@MrDirtybear]

Re 'Under Wraps' the only way it will get a fortieth anniversary re-release is if Ian Anderson re-records it with live drums, or so he has said. If Anderson gets that he will surely replace the synths with something more sensitive to people's ears too. This will effectively make the original album a demo recording for the record Anderson/Tull really wanted to make all along....

[@Frank_nwobhm]

As those in the know have already stated, ELP's Love Beach does have merit thanks to it's final two tracks Canario and Memoirs... which make up over half of the album. ELP did Love Beach under duress. Following the quicksand money pit of the Works Tour in 1977/78 which nearly made them bankrupt, they wanted to go on hiatus, recharge their batteries and most of all get away from each other. Atlantic Records chief Ahmet Ertugen (sic) told them that they had one more album on their contract and that he wanted an album NOW, an album with some "hits" on it, and that if they didn't produce something NOW he would see to it that they never record again either as a group or individually. So they convened at Compass Point Studios , gritted their teeth and recorded the half hearted Love Beach album. Those first songs were the dreadful "hits" efforts. In retrospect, Greg Lake said that it wasn't such a bad album as it's been made out to be and that if it had a different album cover it probably would be much more fondly remembered. "In The Hot Seat" is the true donkey turd of the ELP catalog. I've hated it from day one and my opinion gets worse with every listen.

[@bradtarr3283]

The “Heaven’s Gate” of prog albums

[@jameskennedy721]

They had other weak tracks . But their best stuff blows away the generic product that ruled radio back then . If they didnt want to record , they should have waited until they did .

[@unaperrson]

I didn't think that "Highly Strung" was that bad, I think was trying to be a lot more commercial than his early albums. "Cured" I also enjoyed "Air Conditioned Nightmare" and some of the vocal tracks are enjoyable.

[@SkyP1e]

I have something to say about Giant For A Day from Gentle Giant. I think you almost had it. The title and mask implies (to me at least) that the audience of the album (being that this album is more accessible compared to the ironically titled Acquiring the Taste or the even more gently giantish (pun intended) Proclamation gets to experience being a Gentle Giant for at least a day. That being said, I actually like Giant For A Day. So don your cardboard Giant mask and bask in the Power and The Glory that is Gentle Giant (but don't really cut out that mask, PLEASE)

[@clouddog2393]

Have all G.G.'s albums except" Giant for a day " . Civilian is well below their usual high standards but is a reasonable album for all that . "Aquiring the taste" and " In a glasshouse " were the band at their peak "Giant for a day " an album best forgotten and remembered as a great band ( briefly ) losing it's way .

[@mikephillips8810]

"Another steaming 80s t...d" 😂 Good combination of humour and sharp analysis. I think your reviews and top tens are the best online, and I do watch a fair few.

[@classicalbum]

Glad you like them!

[@jsgdrum]

I'm always so incredibly disappointed when I hear GTR getting such a bad rap. I can understand that it's criticized for its production values as it's very dated sounding and there was a lot of odd choices as far as sampled drum tones or some harsh guitar tones. However, from a writing stand point, this album is *SO* good compared to Asia and other super groups of the time. Every song is so catchy and unlike a lot of attempts at "progressive pop," the ENTIRE record has many memorable hooks throughout. And the musicians on the record are the top of their craft - some which don't get credit as "regulars" in the progressive world (Jonathan Mover is a world-class drummer and Max Bacon is a superbbbbb singer both on record and live). It's not meant to be a Prog Rock opus; there are plenty of those. But if you take it for what it's worth (a solid collection of pop-prog songs), it stands to be one of the very best of it's kind during that time.

[@johnnypoker46]

Yeah, GTR is one of my ten best LPs of the '80s

[@calebhightower6676]

Any chance of getting a Top ten best of 90's Alternative video? Also, please keep the channel going man. I know a while ago you had doubts on whether or not you wanted to continue or not, but this channel is truly an underrated gem. Always very witty and interesting.

[@classicalbum]

Thank you. Do share these videos as I want to get to 30,000 subs. I will try to keep it going . I appreciate your support.

[@tomgarb6302]

Great vid. Enjoyed. Cheers. Under wraps sticks for me, its a shame cause lyrically I think it's interesting. It could of potentially been great but obviously it was severely let down.

[@philanderson5138]

"the cover is the stuff of nightmares"! good work sir!

[@mrb7094]

Magnification was the last album Chris played on as far as I'm aware and, although it's a low bar, it is much, much better than Heaven and Earth. In fact, unlike anything on that album, two or three tracks make it onto my personal best of late Yes compilation.

[@jeffreysmith156]

Chris Squire played on Fly From Here in about 2011.

[@BigCraig]

Great list! I recently revisited the first two Asia LP's, and was pretty disappointed. They reminded me of General Tso's chicken...sweet and spicy deliciousness at first taste, turning quickly into a cloying mess lacking any real dynamics and just shoving bombast at you. GTR made your list, but those Asia LP's aren't far behind.

[@jameskennedy721]

Agreed . Asia proved that musical skill cant make up for idiotic songs .

[@lhair02]

Dang highly strung, I gave it some slack maybe just because I grew attached to the 80s sound, we got Ian Mosley from Marillion is playing drums before his marillion days. Weightless, Camino Royale are my favourites and yes walking through walls is just too weird.

[@HouseofRecordsTacoma]

From a bad case of Saturday Night Fever to making Love Beach a classic, great word play.

[@PaulIsDeadMissHim]

I think this guy is confusing 'bad prog rock albums' with 'bad albums by prog rock artists'. Half of these albums wouldn't be considered prog on their own.

[@ericjohnson6105]

Man's got a point here.

[@MrTudwud]

Agree entirely - there are much worse Prog albums out there by less well known artists

[@progrockjournal]

I'm with you...

[@willyvlyminck138]

Who cares? Prog is an attitude not a genre.

[@jimsanderson4180]

@@willyvlyminck138 Of course it is a genre. It’s a broad genre but that doesn’t negate its traits.

[@MARIO-uf1no]

I always love listening and reading great reviews and bad reviews. I figured I'd check out some of these releases and hear what caused such a negative reaction, so I looked up Triumverat. Having never heard their music I wasn't sure how to react when I listened to Russian Roulette. It's very New Wave that's for sure. Sounds as if they were trying to cash in on the music at the time. Interesting to note that Steve Lukather is on guitar. That may have steered the band towards more "commercial" music, aka sellout. I'll have to checkout their older material. Great channel!

[@salvelegio1425]

I totally agree on this one….However I could easily add a few more to this list. Seems to me that the perspective of this list has to do with expectations as well as quality of the music and there you are, high expectations gives way for grand disappointments. Thanks for posting. It would be nice to hear your thoughts on albums like Aphrodites Child, 666, Patrick Moraze’s Refugee, Dave Greenslade, Robert Connolly’s Plateau and why not trough in Dead Can Dance. All the best from me to you.

[@hogweed1975]

I quite like Highly Strung. It's Cured I loathe. Walking Through Walls I like just for the use of chewing-an-apple as percussion.

[@classicalbum]

I tried listening to 'Highly Strung' recently and couldn't get through it. For me a lot of this music is ruined by the 1980s production.

[@hogweed1975]

@@classicalbum Yeah I hear you on that.

[@FrozenHero2010]

GENESIS - CALLING ALL STATONS One has to consider the background to this album. Collins had called time on Genesis, but Banks and Rutherford believed they could get a new singer and carry on as before, hence they got Ray Wilson in. Now in my opinion, Calling All Stations stands up reasonably well; it's not 5*, but more of a 3* to 3½*. The trouble was that Collins was both the face and voice of Genesis and the fans didn't warm to the new guy. The North American tour got cancelled due to poor ticket sales, Genesis had to pay Wilson the minimum money he was due to earn from that tour, and Banks and Rutherford were left licking the wounds to their egos and concentrate on solo projects. (As an aside, I thought Ray Wilson sounded like Peter Gabriel.)

[@JIF882]

I agree, especially the part about Peter Gabriel

[@dougreed2257]

I don't think Ray wilson sounded anything at all like Peter gabriel, sorry🙄

[@JIF882]

@@dougreed2257 How so?

[@dougreed2257]

@@JIF882 coz iv'e listened to genesis and Peter gabriel for years, have listened to "calling all stations" a lot, have most of Ray wilson solo albums, so I just don't think he sounds much like Peter gabriel to these ears, they are both distinctive singular vocalists, iv never heard or read anywhere before of anyone comparing rays voice to Peters, now the late great David longdon of big big train sounds like Peter, and David sounds nothing like Ray. Wilson, so that's how!!!

[@JIF882]

@@dougreed2257 A lot of people have said that.

[@father042]

I would also mention Earth Moving by Mike Oldfield and Free as a Bird by Supertramp

[@andreichivu7653]

Indelibly Stamped much worse..

[@rushbravado1972]

Another great video but I have to respectfully disagree with 3 albums on this list. I understand the 80's vibe and the music being very synthesizer oriented but "Under Wraps" is a great album. I know most Tull fans hate it but to me it is one of my favorites, Lap Of Luxury is a great opening song and Astronomy is still one of my all time favorite Tull songs. I love how Tull tries to do things differently and this album may have a few misses but it still shines overall. I have to say that "GTR" doesnt get much respect either. The opening track is a massive song that was very popular but showcases the immense talent of Hackett and Howe. The album has fantastic instrumentals from both of them and may have felt misguided in some spots but I will always have a soft spot for the album. Finally "Calling All Stations" is a fantastic album that gets thrown aside too often. Just check out "The Dividing Line" and "Alien Afternoon. Ray Wilson does an amazing job on this album and way too often its forgotten. Enjoyed the video as always. Thanks Barry.

[@AlesPickar]

Under Wraps is one of my favorite records of all times. History will redeem this album.

[@rushbravado1972]

@@AlesPickar yes I agree

[@marinedreamboy]

I also like Under Wraps, the drums are pretty naff but the music/lyrics are among Tull's best. As for the Astonishing I would have agreed totally a year ago but my son has been playing it endlessly in the car and I have to say that I now really like it.

[@rushbravado1972]

@@marinedreamboy my brother got me into Tull about 30 years ago. This was always one of his favorites and became one of mine. It is always in my Tull rotation along with Minstrel, Songs From The Wood, Heavy Horses and Crest of A Knave.

[@michaellopez8003]

Wow, great to see some love here for Under Wraps. I remember being kinda underwhelmed when I first heard lap of luxury but was intrigued when I heard under wraps 2. I gradually came to really dig the cold war/spy themes in the lyrics, and I actually like the synth work. Over the years it became a must listen to when driving to my backpacking destinations here in Colorado. To be honest I think it's a better 80s album than yes 90125. I still listen to it a lot to this day. P. S., Redbubble has a lot of merchandise with the guyunder wraps logo. I have three t shirts, buttons, and a baseball cap to support this much maligned album. Savor!

[@beready992]

Steve Hackett's Highly Strung? Funny because I thought it was among his best -- very eclectic. Dream Theatre is always a mixed bag, but it's a pretty interesting journey. Jethro Tull Underwraps is an interesting trip into electronica.

[@jedzxor]

I love Under Wraps! I would have picked Roots to Branches (YUCK!) as their most un-listenable album until I heard The Zealot Gene. Catfish Rising is pretty rotten, too.

[@teemusid]

Ian Anderson's solo album "Walk Into Light" was a much better album than "Under Wraps."

[@josephbennett4236]

I'm surprised by your inclusion of Calling All Stations. It's not brilliant, but I actually rate it as one of Genesis' better later efforts. Ray Wilson WAS uncomfortable in the company of Banks and Rutherford (and has said so), but musically the tracks are quite memorable. I think so, anyway. Any post-Marbles album by Marillion would rank far lower in my all-time playlist.

[@tonydrake462]

I action agree with this - I love 'Calling all station' - BUT don't listen to it as a genesis rec.. more like how I listen to Mike & The Mechanics.... At the time I loved GTR - (Asia + guitars?) - but now, nope.. agree Foerigner....finally I was frightened you'd include 'Yes - Talk' - which I LOVE so so much.. the rest - 100% agree with the deep analysis... of the 8 other albums, I've probably only listened them once or even 1/2 way (Triumvirat for example)...

[@UnchainedTrooper]

I don’t think Love Beach is as bad as some make it out to be. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a big stinking pile when compared to ELP’s first five albums but I actually prefer Love Beach over Works 2. Yeah the more poppy/commercial tracks are forgettable and grating but think Canario, For You and the title track are pretty good and Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentlemen is reminiscent of the band’s past material. Oh, and the cover is an absolute travesty. I think that’s something we can all agree with.

[@christopherheckman7957]

After Brain Salad Surgery, ELP had nowhere to go but down.

[@patrickriddell2090]

GTR was brilliant, wouldn't call it prog rock just because it had Hackett and Howe. Great channel by the way 🤟🤟🤟

[@Anybloke]

The Pentateuch Of The Cosmogony by Dave Greenslade is a classic one. Magnificent artwork utterly let down by dreadful beige library music. It would've been far better if it had just been released as a book and the records dumped in landfill.

[@miccarbo7911]

Totally agree about The Pentateuch of the Cosmogony. Fabulous packaging. Fabulous artwork by Patrick Woodroffe. Horrible 'music' by Dave Greenslade.

[@bukharagunboat8466]

It wins my "Biggest Waste of Vinyl" award.

[@christopherheckman7957]

I'm surprised that Tales of Topographic Oceans wasn't here.

[@jameskennedy721]

@@christopherheckman7957 Actually only about 6 minutes of it is weak . And that part just needed take 2 .

[@brandyreviewsbyaaron4154]

I agree with all your album choices, except for Calling All Stations. Next to the first trio albums, that is my favorite Genesis album. I love Ray's voice and the moody dark music. Is it Genesis? No. Something completely different. ... I've tried to like GTR, but its just commercial pop for me.

[@progrockjournal]

If is one of your favourite by Genesis i think you don't like Prog music and you like Pop

[@michaelmamp9096]

Punk Rock basically killed Prog Rock...the real Prog Rock around 1978. Still,the artists mentioned on this video went on to make new interesting music. Compared to today's music all the albums mentioned are fantastic!!!

[@gildemethodiomaranhaoneto9656]

Triunvirat’s Russion Roulette shouldn’t be heard as a prog album. It was actually a pop album, and seen from this standpoint it has great moments, such as Rien Ne Va Plus, Games and You Can’t Catch Me.

[@johnmccarthy4134]

It’s actually terrible pop album to me personally. vocals are bad (and unlistenable) and music felt very off putting and odd for pop album. The title track was the worst. At least Genesis and Yes made catchy songs. It’s fine you enjoyed it, I just think it’s one of the most horrible things I’ve ever heard.

[@dancub1]

Hard to believe Triumvirat were the same band who did Illusions on a Double Dimple.... how did it all go so wrong?

[@slowmarchingband1]

Good call on GTR, I only made it to the end of side one. As for Tull, I think Under Wraps is better than Catfish Rising, which is full of bad to mediocre songwriting (with the exception of Rocks on The Road, which sounds like a Mark Knopfler song), and IA singing several songs in a weird sneery Elvis hiccup voice.

[@ApolloandZak]

Rocks on the Road sounds like Ian Anderson took Crest of a Knave, pulled out 20 seconds of each song and pasted it together. I do hear the MK similarity somewhat.

[@briancox8518]

I'm sick to death of the criticism of calling all stations it's actually a good album and much better than we can't dance Ray Wilson brought a great new dimension to the band and genesis could of improved again but obviously some fans didn't give it a chance

[@myworms]

Agree with you. Adding it to a list of worst albums is a bad take.

[@tsot9837]

It took me a few listens, but I grew to like Calling All Stations. My first Genesis album was Trespass. I spent a lot of my teen years in record stores. I used to buy albums based on album covers, band names, song titles and instruments played. Genesis was unknown to me. I didn’t care for Trespass until about 5 listens. I grew to become a huge Genesis fan. I gave Calling All Station a chance based on that first experience with Trespass. My friends don’t care for it, but I like it.

[@teka6608]

Absolutely agree with you. It IS a good album. What a shame they wouldn't continue with Mr Wilson.

[@YoItsEvanAdams]

Banks actually wanted to continue the band with it's newer touring band im the studio (which was the addition of Anthony Drennan and Nir Zidkyahu) but mike decided to cut the band off for Mike and the Mechanics.

[@Aquatarkus96]

As someone who really dislikes Calling All Stations, I'll admit that to me, it seemingly a lot of potential. The B sides are actually pretty good, but the album itself just drags. The title track feels almost unfinished, like it ends too abruptly. Also, there's something about Tony's synth patches on CaS that just rubs me the wrong way, there's a marked sterility and lack of color to his patches that is not present on We Can't Dance or even his then recent solo album. Generally, CAS just feels too safe and anodyne, almost like a late response to the changing musical landscape of the 90s. The early part of the decade was marked by the popularization of grunge and rap, 2 flavors of music that often sounded way darker than what preceded it. CAS seems like an attempt to pivot Genesis into that kind of sound. However, by '97, the happy, sunny late 1990s were in full swing, and CAS just doesn't really fit into anything that was popular at the time. Had it come out just 2 years earlier there might have been a warmer critical reception and more sales associated with the album

[@krone5]

Thanks for attempting, I only have listening to GTR lately, and it is a good representative of songs from that era, but maybe if you don't take the perspective of needing to be prog you may enjoy it more. Heaven and Earth are more Fragile than Yes's first attempt at an earth work, and glad you see how uninspiring it is.

[@novakingood3788]

Russian Roulette had Steve Lukather on guitar and bass and Jeff Porcaro on drums, so it was high quality shite.

[@bmardon2112]

I love Calling All Stations

[@SkyP1e]

I love your Ian Anderson cosplay

[@ProckGnosis]

Ah man, you slammed GTR, lol! I saw this tour, and the absolutely best part of it was the opening act, which ironically was Steve Howe (doing some solo numbers) and Steve Hackett (doing some solo numbers). Liked a lot of Hackett's and Howe's solo and Yes/Genesis work, but yeah, GTR was strictly an AOR money grab. I remember some call-in radio show where a caller told Hackett "I love GTR's sound... you sound like Styx..." which, you could tell, kind of left Hackett stumbling, and you could almost FEEL his cringe at the comparison. "Well, we were an early influence on them, and now we're back to show them how it's done..." or something to that effect was Hackett's response. Interesting to note that both Hackett and Howe made it on here twice...

[@classicalbum]

I have nothing but love for Hackett and Howe, but even great artists sometimes make albums that are a bit... ughh

[@doug5145]

I agreed most all of these albums are almost unlistenable. But I can't agree with GTR. I really like this record. I saw them play live, and it was one of the better concerts I ever saw. And I've seen a lot.

[@ProckGnosis]

@@doug5145 Biggest problem for me was always the vocalist. Technically a very proficient singer, but I just didn't like his voice (the timbre or the style). Thought he was better suited to a Broadway production over a rock band. Though I didn't mind it as much at the time, the album production did NOT age well either (hey, let's add some reverb to the reverb!!). Lastly, though I liked enough of the music, some of the lyrics were way cheezy too. I met Steve Hackett on the 2019 Cruise to the Edge, and I joked to him whether there would be a GTR reunion on the boat since Steve Howe was there as well. Not realizing I was kidding, he responded rather bluntly "oh no...not at all...". It just apparently wasn't something he was too proud of, I think.

[@teemusid]

The only thing I remember of the GTR concert was seeing Steve Walsh in the audience and talking to him after the show. He told us that they were trying to restart Kansas without Livgren.

[@StephenWorth]

My favorite bad prog rock album is Jon Anderson's Olias of Sunhillow. It takes itself oh so seriously, but it is laugh out loud goofy with lyrics like "chi-chi-ree-chi-ree!" It even came with a gatefold book like a children's story album. "When you hear the bell, turn the page..." My pick for worst prog rock group is Lucifer's Friend. Every album they put out was in a completely different genre. They went from Black Sabbath ripoff all the way to prog jazz. You can hear them saying, "Let's see if they'll buy this..." and switching costumes and styles.

[@aquatarkus2022]

But some great music along the way. Banquet is a classic.

[@alanmilne1070]

Spot on .what makes it worse is that I bought most of these when they were released.....

[@craighill4709]

There isn't a worst of tubular army, and fun fact tubular army's discography consists of 1 self titled album not 2 as replicas is in effect gary numans 1st solo album

[@67Parsifal]

And well done for not including Music From The Elder!

[@johnsurrey7426]

I’m a huge ELP fan, so I thought Love Beach would be no 1, as it’s dreadful - but not as bad as The Hot Seat! But Gentle Giant?? Oh no no no no! There are many albums far worse!!

[@christopherheckman7957]

Gentle Giant had an album titled _Acquiring the Taste_. Enough said. (And speaking of acquired tastes, I'm surprised that Magma didn't show up.)

[@johnsurrey7426]

@@christopherheckman7957 Magma! I’d forgotten about them! Now you’ve reminded me, I’ll have to have more psychotherapy. They were incredibly bad!! Well, how can they be anything else if they’re French 😀 They should have the whole top ten of the worst albums. I suppose most bands are an acquired taste for some people. For instance, I have never seen the point of Jethro Tull - all the songs are the same.

[@ZaphiroAnejo]

@@johnsurrey7426 surely Thick as a brick is about the same thing as Locomotive breath or Aqualung

[@johnsurrey7426]

@@ZaphiroAnejo I agree - every Jethro Tull album is like every other one, and every Jethro Tull song is the same as every other one.

[@johnsurrey7426]

I nominate an album by one of my absolute heroes - Out In The Sun by Patrick Moraz. His previous album, The Story Of i, is one of my all time favourite albums of all time, Smashie. But OITS has no ideas, no excitement - it tries to put TSOi into 3 minute pop songs, and fails dismally. A real embarrassment from a brilliant and original musician.

[@sipope70]

Love the list. Though i have to admit i'm very fond of Genesis' Calling All Stations. I'll get my coat!!

[@davidsimon2096]

A good list but I take exception to your rather brutal dismissal of Steve Hackett's "Highly Strung"album.I agree with you about "Walking Through Walls" and-it's pretty bad "Cell 151" is similarly ham fisted with that awful cavernous drum sound which pervades the whole album. However there are some really good tracks like the opening "Camino Royale" , "Always Somewhere Else" (which you acknowledge) and the extended fusiony work-out "Group Therapy".So OK not his best but certainly in my opinion hardly a total stinker. Also, and I have to admit to probably being the only person on Earth living or dead who does, but I actually like "Love Beach" I am not bothered about the sleeve or title- there are plenty of other way worse looking album covers even by Prog bands.I actually like the band's lighter touch on this album - I love their version of Canario, I enjoy "Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman" which is just proggy enough but without the band's usual relentless bombast (yes I know that's "what fans want to hear blah blah blah"- I'm so sick of that argument) and I even like the opening track. So that effectively leaves only a few pop songs which as far as I am concerned are all way better than any of Greg Lake's solo stuff on Works Vol 1 - now that is one truly overrated pile of doggy-do even with its iconic non-more-black cover and pretentious title.

[@escargotomy]

Rush "Hold Your Fire". As an original Rush fan starting from 1977, I was blessed to be right in the middle of my adolescence as they released one earth-shattering album after another culminating with the twin masterpieces, Permanent Waves & Moving Pictures. By the time of the release of SIgnals (1982) there was a shift in sound that crept in slowly and over the course of the next 5 years each successive Rush album got farther & farther away from their original sound until it was barely recognizable. Remaining ever hopeful to a return to a hard rock sound I waited patiently, but with the release of Hold Your Fire in 1987 it was more than my ears could take. I called this album an "unlistenable abortion" of prog-lite ditties that turned my stomach inside out. Gone were the lush glorious Rickenbacker-Gibson tones and its place were shrill active pickup over-delayed, over-chorused, over-sequenced noise making that was like shards of glass bouncing inside ones ear canals. And the songs were just bad to boot. 35 years on, this album sounds no better. This was by far Rush's worst album and my entrant for the worst prog album of all time.

[@CreativeWarrior-]

Agreed. I'm a big fan of Rush myself, but everything after Power Windows was weak. There were a few good songs here or there, but they lost their edge. Disappointing. Neil wasn't telling the cool stories anymore. He fell to weak social issues and nonsense. Oh well.

[@tristenaeon7609]

Hold Your Fire is Rush’s best album.

[@CreativeWarrior-]

@@tristenaeon7609 You're certainly welcome to your opinion.

[@escargotomy]

@@tristenaeon7609 I suppose if you live in some alternate reality bizarro universe where Surstromming tastes good, Mississippi leads the world in education & forward thinking, and there was no such thing as Moving Pictures, Permanent Waves, Hemispheres, A Farewell To Kings, 2112, et. al.. this might be true. In THIS universe...an unlistenable abortion. Trust me, I know these things.

[@svenhassel3150]

It's true what you say about how Rush changed. (Geddy got into New Wave/New Romantic stuff and everything went in that synthetic pop direction for a while.) I think 'Hold Your Fire' is a very beautiful album though - if you don;t make any stylistic comparisons with early Rush. 'Time Stand Still' is wonderful, the title track as well. Some of the production may be too '80s and jarring but there remains much that is almost classical beneath the overbearing electronica. Great melodic work and quite moving. I still listen to HFR and love all of it now. (It does not deserve to be on any bad list lol.) 'Presto' afterwards was an incredible album. Amazing songs. ('Test For Echo' is the one I struggle with, where the mojo seems to have disappeared over the horizon.)

[@lemming9984]

GTR. I was excited when I heard about this, so pre ordered the 12 inch single. The second I saw the logo I knew it would be shit. It was.I never bought (or even heard the album). That from a big Hackett fan. I don't think you should have included Genesis in this list as they had long, long since given up any pretensions at rock or Prog. At this point they were just an ageing boy band.

[@paulomfgoncalves]

I know relatively well all the albums you mentioned. The worst is undoubtedly the last of the Triumvirat. As for "Dream Theater - The Astonishing" I have a completely opposite opinion to yours, it's a beautiful album´. It takes time to listen and several times. And the Jethro Tull {1984} "Under Wraps" I also hear it well. You have to frame it in the awful 80's. It's a good experience

[@clouddog2393]

Yes , Tull , E..L P. , Floyd and King Crimson released some poor albums in the '80's when '70's inspiration and creativity had waned but the worst offenders were Genesis whose '80's output was basically bloody awful . How the mighty had fallen .

[@interstellaroverdriven6450]

Only poor Crimson album was 'Construkction of Light" in 2000.

[@user-wx2ek3uv1i]

King Crimson⁉️⁉️

[@jameskennedy721]

Invisible Touch wasnt that bad . What killed them was selling interesting songs they had written to be used as commercials . They forgot what they meant to the fans , and started wishing they were Journey .

[@grantross2609]

king crimson arguably the most consistently good prog outfit..... also, few got close to their incredible live output !

[@zackzallie8735]

Don't you slander Discipline!!!

[@paulwheeldon3075]

Thoroughly entertaining list Barry. What it included was almost irrelevant as your quotes, analysis and asides were top notch!

[@CharlesRBiggs]

Really enjoy watching and learning from you! Thanks for another excellent list.

[@classicalbum]

Glad you like it

[@teka6608]

It is very far from Excellent List :)

[@johnwilliamson3981]

Though I was a huge ELP fan, I was glad to see your inclusion of "Love Beach." PU!!!

[@ZoahLord]

Have to agree with Yes' 'Heaven and Earth' - ''Believe again'' is a stand-out with promise, but after that the whole thing went downhill fast

[@terrencereardon6374]

Neither Rush nor Pink Floyd nor Styx nor Kansas thankfully made this list. Many will have Vapor Trails or any 1985-91 Rush album (I say Roll the Bones and Vapor Trails) As for Pink Floyd many will point to post-Roger Waters or many The Final Cut (for me it's the Zabriskie Point Soundtrack) Styx many will say Wooden Nickel or Kilroy or Edge of the Century or Brave New World but mine is Craporama and Clash of the Clowns.

[@63mckenzie]

Hackett's Cured album is even less prog than Highly Strung. I think of it as his answer to ELP'S Love Beach.

[@giallifan]

That Gentle Giant album is excellent. Granted it's not as good as their earlier albums but it's filled with great songs. I was disappointed to see that on your list.

[@interstellaroverdriven6450]

It would have been an excellent Supertramp album.

[@guilhermewieneke1533]

1:20 Hey my friend, how are you? It would be nice to share a little bit more of back story about the Steve Hackett one. Highly Strung, was an album that Steve Hackett had to do, because he wanted to record Bay Of Kings (one of his best records) however, supposedly, the Record Company said he could not do it, they were concerned about it's commercial viability To prove he was capable, he wrote Cell 151 ( one of the top 100 chart singles, after the company made 8 takes of the song) and other songs that went to became the album. However, after proving he could do a more comercial album, the record company still vetoed Bay Of Kings, and he had to go to another smaller one to record it. Between this one and Cured (the predecessor to Highly Strung) this one is way better.

[@arekkrolak6320]

Great video. But I must admit I love Electric Avenue :)

[@Railway_Railfan]

Yep. Agree 100%. Particularly astute summary of GTR...What a disappointment that was. I still remember when it came out. Two of my favorite guitarist from two of my favorite bands and then...zzz.

[@brianflynn5386]

Refreshingly cynical...delighted to become a subscriber. I would urge you to do a double review of the 2 Gnidrolog albums Lake Lady and In spite of Harry's toenail. That latter title alone should entice a man like you to at least give them a sniff...they are, in every way, in a category of their own. Good man.

[@nicholasfondriest2945]

The Astonishing should’ve never been that long, also it was a Petrucci and Rudess vision. Why they branded it under DT was a shame. I do give them credit for a way outside the box attempt as I thought most everything they did since Portnoy left was redundant. However too there credit they bounced back with two memorable albums since the Astonishing.

[@ConceptJunkie]

"GTR" did give us "Sketches In The Sun", which is one of my favorite Steve Howe songs. I remember wanting to like the album so much when it was released, and didn't want to admit to myself I really didn't.

[@axoltl1]

True. I found most of the album quite bland, but sketches in the sun is a really good instrumental piece and another great showcase of howe's guitar skill

[@ericjohnson6105]

I tried to listen to Triumvirat Russian Roulette and I finally gave up about 3-4 songs in, in sad disappointment that the band that gave us Illusions on a Double Dimple and Spartacus gave us that.

[@turnerthemanc]

As a Gentle Giant fan, I concur. Giant for a day is a great album if you make your own sleeve and write Manfred Manns Earth Band on it, and pretend its them.

[@rjmdrum]

While I actually like several of these albums (Calling All Starions!) 👀 This video is hilarious in its delivery. Thanks for the great musings! 🇺🇸

[@RodrigoWerneck1]

Great list. I only disagree about "Love Beach" being included, it is a fine album by all measures. "In The Hot Seat" would have been definitely a much better choice if you wanted to include something by ELP.

[@FeliciteThosz]

Absolutely brilliant critical vocabulary here. So colorful and funny!! The negative hyperbole stings!!!

[@classicarcadeamusementpark4242]

While I may disagree with some of your other rankings, I'd largely agree with your selection here for the albums I'm familiar with of them, except GTR. I thought it was a decent album. And it's really more a blend of AOR & Prog like other bands I've mentioned.

[@Andrey_Yurkoff]

Giant for a day is a fun record (and much better than 76-77 GG albums) You just should have to view it not from a narrow prog perspective.

[@jameskennedy721]

GG were good in 1976 . Spin the discs again .

[@lewiscrow]

As an AOR (that is, not prog) album, I do love GTR & think Max Bacon is a secret weapon. I know I'm in the minority, but, hey, we like what we like, right?

[@MrDuneedon]

Maybe Yes' next album will be called 'Tasteless Rubbery Processed Mulch'? ;-)

[@christopherheckman7957]

There was a band called Morphine that put out an album titled Yes. I always wanted Yes to put out an album titled Morphine.

[@ambadad]

As ever, I don't agree with everything, but done well - like here - these are always good fun. Also, if something you like gets panned, it's interesting to think how long ago you actually listened to it and, if it's a long time, going back to see if its merits from years ago still hold true.

[@tatedavis2016]

I think this list was spot on aside from Love Beach, which I actually like a lot, but I totally see why people don’t like it. I think many heard it as the sound of a beloved supergroup falling apart at the seams.

[@johncostello6043]

"Canario" is fun, and the "Officer and a Gentleman" suite isn't as bad as most people think it is. The songs on side one, however, should be classified as the worst songs that Greg Lake and Pete Sinfield have created. Sadly, unlistenably bad ... :(

[@johnwilliamson3981]

I always suspected that Love Beach was one more example of what happens when marketing people become a little too involved in a band's creative process. I think this happened with some frequency to the progressive bands, like Traffic, Jethro Tull, and others, whose very brilliance made them hard to place commercially. Listening to "Love Beach"--the title track, I mean--after having been treated to many years of material like "Take a Pebble," "Aquatarkus" and "Trilogy" was rather painful. The 1973 release of Dark Side of the Moon is another example. That LP brought Pink Floyd to, more or less, center stage mainstream.. The band had clearly earned its stripes, having been flying along, largely under the radar, for eight or nine years at this point. But it kind of spelled the end for the stealthy metaphysics of Syd Barrett's Floyd, which was truly a unique band. Pink Floyd was now going to be engaged in scathing social criticism--not at all unique.

[@Monkeyboysdontknow]

@@johncostello6043 I agree with you, for the most part, but I also really enjoy the song "For You".

[@jameskennedy721]

The cover that looks like a magazine ad for aftershave is notorious . But now that Keith and Greg are gone , the music itself deserves a little attention .

[@michaelbaucom4019]

"Love Beach by The BeeGees": Insulting...to the BeeGees...ROFLMAO

[@kevinmuldoon224]

There’s the old adage that you shouldn’t never judge a book by its cover, but I feel that may not apply to prog albums....

[@steventhompson9941]

There are no bad progressive rock albums.Long live prob especially yes.

[@christopherheckman7957]

You haven't listened to Consequences by Godley and Creme.

[@Rog5446]

Hackett's Highly Strung was probably what it should have been (highly strung) but Weightless and India Rubber Man are two tracks that would be on 'The Best of Steve Hackett' if such an album was ever made.

[@eximusic]

Giant for a Day and Love Beach! We hated those when they came out, fortunately punk was around by then and we had new music to listen to. Peter Hammill, however, continued to put out great albums at that time.

[@alanboro]

Giant for a day is not a bad album. If you try to compare it to their earlier stuff, well, the comparison does not work because it would be comparing apples with oranges. The album is actually pretty good, at least to me (I am aware that even the boys in the band did not like that record) The key to get enjoyment out of it is to listen to the songs for what they are, and not compare them to other stuff. When I did that I found that the only "weak" songs on that album for me are "take me" and "rock climber"

[@bradb3248]

I know I shouldn’t judge a book or album by it’s cover, but remember seeing Love Beach for the first time 🤮

[@scottgillham2000]

There was a very interesting interview with Jonathan Mover, the drummer of GTR. He said everything was great, very proggy, but then the label brought in Geoff Downes as producer, and it all went downhill from there. Even Hackett was being squeezed out.

[@DanielSantosAnalysis]

The Astonishing is certainly a low point for Dream Theater, but I dunno if I would go as far as to say it's top 10 worst material. It's certainly a slog like you say, but I'd say there's enough good material on it to keep it from a list like this.

[@idflux]

As any older band going through the horrible 80s, Under Wraps is a sweet transitional album. 80's were synth heavy and that was the lay of the land. European Legacy could of been on Too Old Too Rock n Roll. Songwriting is still very Tull. This is where I saw them first and the setlist was wonderfully diverse.

[@interstellaroverdriven6450]

'Fly By Night' was even better. The production on 'Under Wraps' is questionable but the actual newer songs they performed on the 1984 tour were really great live! I especially love 'Made in England' and 'Nobody's Car'.

[@MrDino1953]

“..could OF been..” 😂 You mean “could HAVE been”, or its abbreviation “..could’ve been..”

[@ConceptJunkie]

Rather than just a rant, which I was afraid this video would be, there was some real insight. And I didn't even realize "Russian Roulette" existed. I'll have to check that one out.

[@I_Don_t_want_a_handle]

Hmmmm. Nothing after 1980 is Prog, just the twitching of its corpse.

[@315Mikey]

Chris Squire's last recording was as a guest bassist on Steve Hackett's album "Wolflight" on the song "Love Song To A Vampire". So your Yes entry wasn't his swan song....