In the Prog Seat: Album War-Gentle Giant vs Eloy vs Nektar vs Steve Hillage

[@shanocles]

Gentle Giant my #1 band .....Always 😊 ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Enjoyed all your comments on that Power & The Glory for me

[@PatKennedydon]

I checked out Nektar and Steve Hillage and I like them, I will have to delve further into their catalogue. Regarding Gentle Giant, it took me over 30 years to get them, it was Pete's ranking of the albums that convinced me to listen to them again as the first album I bought by them in the 80s was Giant For a Day and Boy I couldn't have picked a worse one and that put me off big time. I adore Eloy, especially the 70s era and they always remind me of Tangerine Dream with vocals. Anyway, great show as always, so thought-provoking and if Ken says you're all wrong then you're all wrong.

[@Arutha_Con_Doin]

Great show as always. I would really love to see an album war on italian prog sometimes. Bands like PFM, Banco, Area, Museo Rosenbach or Le Orme would make for a great show i believe. Also because you were praising the Eloy live album so much, what a bout an album war show on live albums. Bands like Anglagard, IQ, Camel, Magma, Ozric Tentacles or even stuff like Marillion, Porcupine Tree, Transatlantic. They all made great live albums at some point in their careers, so why not talk about them a little.

[@kennethjarva3443]

Yes! More prog album wars please!

[@trainguy7276]

Ooooooooh! 4 great albums right here. Sucks im gonna miss tonight, but...since Space Rock is my muse.... 1. Eloy - Ocean 2. Nektar - A Tab In The Ocean 3. Steve Hillage - Fish Rising 4. Gentle Giant - Octopus

[@BayouMaccabee]

This is a perfect reverse order of my ranking...funny. Cheers! 🍻

[@trainguy7276]

@@BayouMaccabee That is sweet! Love it!

[@askoholli9306]

Oh no, Steve Hillage! (Fans of The Young Ones will get that. 😊) Quite honestly, Octopus is the only one of those I've heard, so that's that then (My 'prog credibility' is poor, I know.) I have BGO Records' two CD set of Three Friends and Octopus, and I've been playing the heck out of those in recent months. Love both of them, but I favor Three Friends ever so slightly. When I got into prog in the mid-'90s, I overlooked GG a bit for some reason and concentrated more on e.g. Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd and some Finnish prog (Wigwam especially). I did own a couple of Gentle Giant albums then (including Octopus), but later sold them. Glad that I've finally seen the light regarding GG; a totally unique band!

[@tatedavis2016]

1. Ocean 2. A Tab In The Ocean 3. Octopus 4. Fish Rising

[@sdrandazzo]

My order for these classic prog band albums is 1. Gentle Giant - Octopus 2. Steve Hillage - Fish Rising 3. Nektar - A Tab in the Ocean and 4. Eloy - Oceans. I will be watching this episode later this evening because of family matters. Thank you Pete and ITPS Prog Gentlemen for another insightful episode.

[@MrProgKeys]

Thats mine too but Fish Rising is so damn close

[@knightvisioniixv]

1. Gentle Giant - Octopus (By quite some distance, actually.) 2. Steve Hillage - Fish Rising 3. Nektar - A Tab in the Ocean 4. Eloy - Ocean (A great album marred by its final track; I'm pretty much with George on that one.) For Gentle Giant, Octopus was the first album I bought by the band - liked it upon first listen, but not enough to pull it out frequently. Truthfully, it took my second GG purchase - the self-titled debut - to push me firmly into the 'love-this-band' camp; I played that album to death. Discounting the final three albums (which I do love), I've always thought that the debut could be a great introduction for progressive rock fans not familiar with the band; it has many of the elements GG was known for, but done in such a way as to not come off as overbearing to the uninitiated. Great show.

[@jason-budney7624]

4. Eloy 3. Nektar 2. GG 1. Hillage An Italian Prog album war would be cool!

[@benzuda43]

For me it's: 1. Gentle Giant -Octopus 2. Nektar - ATITO 3. Steve Hillage - Fish Rising 4. Eloy - Ocean

[@thekivster]

Mine too

[@PatKennedydon]

It's great to see Eloy, the most underrated prog band, on this list. It's on too late over here so look I forward to catching it tomorrow. I would go 1 Eloy Ocean and 2 Octopus Gentle Giant and I can't comment on the other two as I have never heard them, but I will check them out.

[@TABL3SIX]

1) Gentle Giant - Octopus 2) Nektar - A Tab in the Ocean 3) Steve Hillage - Fish Rising 4) Eloy - Ocean

[@ScottBerry-yn8rw]

My list is identical.

[@garyjoyce2160]

Pete/ absolutely tremendous Live album KINKS/8️⃣0️⃣. My favorite Kinks studio album. Is Low BUDGET/ 7️⃣9️⃣- both of these tremendous Summer time vibes/ thanks Pete again for your time 👍💯

[@craigtoelle1052]

Great lineup for this battle! 1. Steve Hillage 2. Gentle Giant 3. Nektar 4. Eloy I really like all four. Been a long time fan of Fish Rising.

[@birdab.6873]

All great albums: 1) Gentle Giant - Octopus 2) Nektar - A Tab in the Ocean 3) Eloy - Ocean 4) Steve Hillage - Fish Rising

[@thomasbeck2934]

I have managed to miss Steve Hillage all these years. Gonna have to check him out.

[@peterm.fitzpatrick7735]

Thanks guys. I don't know about these bands, except for "Octopus" by Gentle Giant. Obviously inventive, original, and unique in music history. They had me on my first listen!

[@zootallures6470]

I'm with Chad. 1. Octopus 2. Ocean 3. Fish Rising 4. A Tab In the Ocean My favorite band is Gentle Giant and in my opinion, Gary Green is not the right guitar player for the band. Almost every solo is with wah-wah, bluesy and rocky. I would have liked someone in the style of Hackett or Howe.

[@brotherhoodoflightshowcurr3318]

I going to Greemland & Iceland fore a cool vacation

[@chutch15]

Highly recommended

[@julianirving9868]

Another great show gents. Thanks. 4 Hillage 3 Nektar 2 Eloy 1 Gentle Giant.

[@joshcreasey]

1. Octopus 2. Ocean 3. Nektar - A Tab In The Ocean 4. Steve Hillage - Fish Rising Now, if it were Eloy’s Silent Cries And Mighty Echoes, that would be number one, but I know water is the theme of this.

[@thomasbeck2934]

The deck was definitely stacked in Gentle Giant’s favor!😅

[@thomaswery3087]

Saw GG in '72 and Aquiring The Taste was my first album I listened to by GG and it's still my favorite album by them

[@shanocles]

A great album battle... 1. GG 2. Nektar 3. Hillage 4.Eloy Thanks for this 😊

[@joegrinvalsky7222]

Sorry gentlemen, I can't make it tonight. This is tough. Two of my favorites from two bands involved. As I hear them: 4. Hillage 3. Eloy 2. Gentle Giant 1. Nektar

[@garyjoyce2160]

Thanks/ for another great show. 1- GG. 2- Hillage. 3- Nektar. 4- ELOY. Thanks for all your time 👍💯

[@kenl2091]

Well, I'm allergic to noodles but Fish Rising is the best for me though Octopus is a short tentacle behind. I saw Hillage back in 1977 and was entranced by the way he used to toss his head back with a beatific smile and transport me to way down below the ocean or to several different planets with, if you must, the tastiest noodles that I've ever heard. Eloy and Nektar, fine though they are, can fight it out for third.

[@stormchild1]

Have you done an episode where you discuss Album releases that were the turning point for a Band, where they put out some ok Recordings and then released something that put them onto the path on which they remained for the rest of their career? I'm thinking a Rush 2112 type of thing. Thanks, Rod Lightspeed

[@keithheitner1020]

1. Nektar 2. Gentle Giant 3. Steve Hillage 4. Eloy

[@arnaudb.7669]

1-GG 2- Eloy 3- Nektar 4- Hillage

[@ericporter344]

Those damn vocals George!!! 😂

[@georgelamie7001]

😃

[@Alanpuxadordefibra]

❤😊❤NEKTAR: "A Tab in the Ocean" 🥳

[@BayouMaccabee]

This one was really easy for me: 1) Gentle Giant 2) Steve Hillage 3) Nektar 4) Eloy

[@mutant_blues]

The first 4 minutes of "Ocean" are really great and this line-up includes the excellent drummer Jürgen Rosenthal. That's where the good news ends for this Eloy effort as the rest of the album is unbearable (I never understood Bornemann's obsession with singing) as was all their 70s stuff, most of it haunted by the ghost of Pink Floyd (that's why many called them "Pink Eloyd") Of these 4, by far the greatest is "Fish Rising"!!!

[@psychicvacuum555]

Love Rosenthal's drumming on Scorpions' Fly to the Rainbow

[@nectarinedreams7208]

Luis Nasser, SOT's resident Vangelis--George Clooney crossover lookalike.

[@shanocles]

Maybe a "Space/Galaxy/Universe" theme if hasnt been done?

[@reginod2249]

1. GG Octopus 1. Hillage Fish Rising 1. Eloy Ocean 1. Nektar ATitO

[@nectarinedreams7208]

I'm gonna side with Luis re: Eloy. Although I do like them, the Pink Floyd ripping offness didn't start with Slient Cries. Ocean absolutely has its fair share of Floydisms. Poseidon's Creation is almost entirely a take on Shine On Parts 6-9. Also, Ken says Eloy were symphonic. Well, Pink Floyd were pretty damn symphonic at times. There's a reason so many people have done classical/symphonic covers of Pink Floyd's prog albums.

[@kennbrown4638]

1. Eloy 2. Gentle Giant 3. Steve Hillage 4. Nektar

[@stevenleblanc9628]

I don’t know if you announced ahead of time the albums. If you did I don’t think I heard. Maybe I did or maybe it’s coincidence, not important I guess… 2 days ago I listened to Eloy’s Ocean. I’ve only heard 2 of the albums here. Usually on Hudson Valley Squares album wars I’ve only heard 1 album being ranked (& it's an album I don't like), so here at least I know 2 (& I like both). I can only rank 2. So I put Nektar’s A Tab… at 2, & Eloy’s Ocean at 1. Since I listened to Ocean, maybe this week I should listen to Tab now. I think I’d still keep Ocean at 1, but maybe hearing it I’ll move Tab up.

[@adap2it]

#1 Gentle Giant, and the also rans...

[@billmullan8265]

if you're serious about a fire theme -- Ashes Are Burning by Renaissance might fit

[@billmullan8265]

also Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Solar Fire

[@gobeethoth]

gentle giant is the winner for me. with nektar a close 2nd. i never got that into hillage but i was always interested. lastly, eloy ocean i turned off the first time i heard it. did not hit me in any significant way. ya know ??

[@patrickcornett3124]

ELOY!

[@carstenselberg1255]

Will there be a second SOT fest this year?

[@seaoftranquilityprog]

We are working on something small and fun...stay tuned.

[@progmonster4]

hawkwind camel caravan and more eloy

[@piperathegates2112]

Would have been a little more interesting to have chosen another “water” album besides Octopus, cause we all knew GG was gonna win lol

[@seaoftranquilityprog]

You could say that about every single one of these albums wars...the best always rise to the top. If we would have skipped GG and picked a more obscure water related album, then you've got Nektar or Hillage winning this easy and people would say the same about those albums.

[@piperathegates2112]

@seaoftranquilityprog I think a fun album wars would be to pick 4 notoriously bad albums by great bands. Throw a little chaos into things lol

[@seaoftranquilityprog]

@@piperathegates2112 right, cause people just can't get enough 'negative' stuff...

[@peterbrickley6041]

Hillage Nectar Eloy Giant

[@lazarossamaras4427]

4 great albums but Eloy - Ocean is by far my top of these. I just love this band, not my fave of theirs. Silent cries has to be my top. Number 2 is Nektar a great band. Gentle Giant's album is amazing but number 3. I think that Fish Rising is not even in the top 3 of Steve Hillage's albums. I prefer Green, L, and For to next. But as always this a personal preference.

[@hybrid8253]

Is Mr. Lamie here in the chat?

[@georgelamie7001]

I didn't make it sir. Sorry.

[@hybrid8253]

@@georgelamie7001 I was trying to give a recommendation, WÖYH , a band from Finland, I thought you might like it, thanks for taking the time to find this message and reply!, have a great day!

[@jamesatkins8344]

Why are the best prog bands over the last 20 years are not ever included in anything

[@chutch15]

That’s subjective but who are you referring to?

[@askoholli9306]

Isn't it usually a bad thing when a song feels longer than it really is? 🤣

[@seaoftranquilityprog]

You're missing my point...sometimes, there's so much going on in a great song that you think it's way longer than it actually is.

[@askoholli9306]

​@@seaoftranquilityprog I get it, I was just joshing a bit (thus the word 'usually'). But it's a fascinating subject for me, since I seem to have a fairly low treshold for songs that just go on and on without anything interesting happening. For example, I love the Stones, but sometimes their post-'60s stuff (even some of the true classics) frustrates me, since they didn't always know imo when to finish/fade out the song in time, i.e. they seem longer than they actually are in a negative sense.

[@progmonster4]

hilarious

[@davidpousho4828]

More Album Bores? No thanks! (You asked.) This show improved immensely once you got to the topic of Nektar at the Chance.

[@seaoftranquilityprog]

As you can see by most of your fellow commenters, you are in the minority.

[@PatLBestEver]

No thanks, but you watched it or you wouldn't have known about that section.

[@ianbrown3304]

Hate lists, hate ranking, hate putting lps in the oven. Just chill and listen thats all you have to do. All the bands are great in their own wee way.

[@seaoftranquilityprog]

It's a talk show about music and albums...why then are you here exactly?

[@PatLBestEver]

Hate whiners, hate pouting, hate armchair video generals. Just watch if you like and don't if you don't. All the bands are liked or they wouldn't be in it.

[@chutch15]

@@seaoftranquilityprogHe must be fun at parties.

[@tomborgenkristiansen9581]

1. Gentle Giant 2. Steve Hillage 3. Nektar 4. Eloy