Best Ever Albums

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Wed, 4 Nov 2026 21:04:25 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 11/05/2026 02:04

Fish - Vigil in a Wilderness of Mirrors

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Year: 1990
Score: 85
Style or Subgenre: Neo Prog
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 7th

Fish's first foray after departing Marillion is a dandy. Yeah, it's an entire hour of slightly tortured Fish at his most ascerbic, but it's so well delivered! The opening title cut is almost 9 minutes and never really picks up speed, but it builds brilliantly and never falters. Across the album as a whole, there's more musical variety than you might expect, but there's exceptional melody in almost every song. This album pretty much has it all. Despite being a fan of early Marillion, this was my first foray into Fish solo, and I found it fantastic.

Link

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 22:25:29 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 10/27/2026 02:25

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Ark - Burn the Sun
Year: 2001
Score: 85
Style or Subgenre: Progressive Metal
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 2nd
I've been wanting to add this one to my diary for a while. Today I had a craving and this 2001 progressive metal album really hit the spot. The album abounds with celestial themes, but this is no space Rock album
.. it's heavy! So much of the prog metal of the day bears the indelible stamp of Dream Theater, but this one leans mor Fates Warning. The riffs are big, the vocals heavier, and there's outstanding, propulsive bass work from shred generation alum Randy Coven.Round it all out with dynamic, superb, and just all around perfect drumming, and there"s a prog metal album I can comfortably stand up alongside the genre's best. Too bad this was a two-and-done group. This comes in as my #2 album of 2001, behind only the mind bowing epoc Bridge Across Forever by Transatlantic.

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 20:31:28 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 10/25/2026 00:31

Kansas - Audio Visions

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Year: 1980
Score: 75
Style or Subgenre: Symphonic Prog
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 29th

I remembered liking this one more. It's certainly a far cry from the 6 that preceeded it, that was never in question. But I could really enjoy the album despite it being Kansas on a downward trajectory. Now, not quite so much. There are plenty of competent, reasonably hard hitting rockers, but this is where the once great symphonic prog band starts approaching generic arena rock. Prog moments are too infrequent and short lived, and not replaced with something else of interest. Topping it all off, Livgren's veiled calls to Christianity are becoming less veiled. In the end, we still have an album which is better than average for it's time, but a disappointment considering the artist who produced it.

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 16:43:40 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 10/24/2026 20:43

A couple more from 1986

News From Babel - Letters Home
Year: 1986
Score: 80
Style or Subgenre: Rock in Opposition/Avant Prog
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 16th
Well, that was different! This is some serious avand prog right here. Very strong art song vibe. Fortunately, it never gets to artsy-fartsy for its own good, it just remains highly creative throught, in compositional style, instrumentation, lyrical subject matter, and vocal delivery. There are nine sings with five different lead singers. Unfortunately, the weakest vocalist of the bunch gets five of them (sorry, folks, Robert Wyatt is weak in the vocal department). But I still give this album top marks for its continuously audacious creativity.

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Ain Soph - Hat and Field
Year: 1986
Score: 80
Style or Subgenre: Jazz Rock Fusion
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 8th
This album took a much more direct route to my appreciation. It is, by comparison, relatively straightforward, and a fine example of mature jazz rock fusion. This is not a vocal album, and the music (and especially the musicianship displayed in its execution) is easily good enough to carry the album through its length. This Japanese band slips just enough unique character into its otherwise straightforward approach to make it just another fusion album and elevate it to the upper deck of my 1986 stack.

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Sat, 24 Oct 2026 08:56:11 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 10/24/2026 12:56

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Frank Zappa - Jazz From Hell
Year: 1986
Score: 80
Style or Subgenre: Jazz Rock Fusion, Experimental, Avant Garde
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 9th

There's no way I should like an album that relies so heavily on technology as I like this one, but leave it to the idiosyncratic Zappa to find a way to make it work. Completing the role reversal is that the one song that actually relies on human performance is my least favorite on the album, although that's probably more due to it seeming out of place among the synthclavier pieces than the quality of the song itself. I dont really want a whole collection of albums like this, but as a unique one off, it sits nicely among my more human discs.

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 11:37:38 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 10/19/2026 15:37

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Pererin - Yng Ngolau Dydd
Year: 1985
Score: 75
Style or Subgenre: Prog-Folk
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 14th
I don't fault Welsh folk proggers Pererin for not being more prog.... like most prog-folk outfits, they're a lot more folk than prog, and that's perfectly okay. But I might still fault those who choose to bestow the prog lable on them as the prog can be even harder to find than in most prog-folk groups. This is nice very folk music with a very strong Welsh origin which should appeal to fans of traditional Celtic music. Now when they do sneak a little prog into their folk, they do find a solid groove and get rocking. The folk is nice, but the genuine prog-folk is super solid. Had this album more of the latter, I'd rate it higher.

Link

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Iconoclasta - Reminiscencias
Year: 1985
Score: 80
Style or Subgenre: Jazz Rock Fusion
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 12th
Iconoclasta hail from Mexico, not the most fertile grounds for growing prog. This album fits very neatly into the jazz fusion side of things and does that fairly well. Although they don't break much new ground in 1985, they do what they do very well and there is more variety than one might expect from a fusion album from that era. Both electric and acoustic instrumentation are used to good effect, muisicianship is solid, and the bigger the composition, the better the tune. At one point we get dueling electric guitars, one sounding like John McLaughlin and one sounding like Carlos Santana, and the mix works quite well. Then they roll into acoustic/classical/flamenco and the transition may or may not make sense to all listeners, but I found it intriguing and important in sustaining the longest piece on the album. Overall, I really like this.

Link

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 11:30:43 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 10/19/2026 15:30

X

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 11:30:22 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 10/19/2026 15:30

X

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:55:22 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 10/16/2026 16:55

Il Castello di Atlante - Capitolo 7... Tra Le Antiche Mura
Year: 2009
Score: 80
Style or Subgenre: Rock Progressivo Italiano, Symphonic Prog
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 7th

Although Castello di Atlante didn't release their debut until 1992, they are well rooted in the vibe of a couple decades earlier. That is especially apparent in this, their 2009 release. The good news is that they leverage modern recording to bring that classic sound comfortably to the modern ear. The bad news is that they bring nothing new to the prog game. But then the other good news is that they do that classic thing at an exceptionally high level. Other than a short introduction and epilogue, the songs that make up this 67 minute progressive monster are all long, ranging from just over 8 minutes to an epic 20 minutes. The first few songs were cool enough, but didn’t really grab me in a huge way. Now when the 8-10 minute songs aren’t announcing genius, that doesn’t bode well for the approaching 20 minute epic. But when that song, Malebolge, rolls around, all the instrumental and compositional skills of the group reinforce each other to create a brilliant and compelling prog epic more than worthy of its not inconsequential running time. It’s definitely the highlight of the album and alone worth the price of admission. Overall this is definitely an album that will either climb or drop in my ratings with subsequent listens; I just don’t know which way it will go. I see an equal likelihood of me deciding that its sort of nothing new under the sun vibe will drop the rating as the joy of new discovery wears off, or I could just as likely decide that it’s just so darn good at what it does, that it deserves a more lofty shelf in my collection…. I’m leaning toward the latter cuz’ damn, that Malebolge is incredible! Either way, it should be fun finding out.

Link

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 16:20:27 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 10/12/2026 20:20

Yggdrasil - Yggdrasil
Year: 2002
Score: 85
Style or Subgenre: Prog-Folk, Eclectic Prog
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 4th

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This is just a beautiful prog album. Beautiful I say! Hailing from the Faroe Islands, Yggdrasil bring a blend unlike any other group I've heard. Immediately identifiable as prog-folk, what else quickly emerges is the huge jazz influence. And then there's a significant dose of classical influence as well. Top it all off with airy and ethereal female vocals, and you've got a supremely lovely bid of eclectic and just gorgeous progressive music. At times, if you didn't already know you were listening to a prog group, you'd think you've stumbled across some long lost ECM record, and I daresay the approach works even better than it does on a lot of actual ECM recordings. The compositions are strong, the execution flawless, the instrumentation continuously intriguing (lots of superb jazz sax as well as a good dose of classical flute, all sympathetically aligned), and the whole ultimately still greater than the sum of its parts. I never thought prog-folk and jazz would go so well together, especially in that sparse, Norse setting. Gotta' love it though, a new fave for sure.

Link

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 09:20:41 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 10/10/2026 13:20

Awen - All Shades of Blue
Year: 2026
Score: 75
Style or Subgenre: Crossover Prog, Prog-Folk
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 3rd (of 5 ranked so far)

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My second prog album of 2026 is a bit of an enigma. Usually, if it takes me a second or third listen to appreciate an album, it's because the album is challenging or knotty in such a way that multiple listens are required to be able to truly grasp it. Awen's All Shades of Blue, despite the prog label, is really quite straightforward, and has a more poppy or even arena rock polish to it without being crazy advanced underneath. Still, I found subsequent listens added to the enjoyment. I think this lies partially in the need to adjust to the timber of the voice of lead singer July Linden. Oh, and while the music sounds basic at first as opposed to, say, Yes's Close to the Edge or Genesis's Selling England By the Pound, there are more subtle layers of compositional complexity here that do grab the ear more the second time around. Awen, despite being Polish, come from a Celtic oriented Prog-Folk background. On this album, they deliberately shed most of the Celtic influences in an attempt to go both more proggy and heavier. While the Celtic influences are hard faint, few, and far between, I'm not sure they achieved the goal of becoming overtly proggy or particularly heavy. But the slightly heavier, accessible approach works fine and it ends up being a good album. Interestingly, it's in the strongest ballad (which also carries the most obvious Celtic influence) where I appreciate Linden's voice the most. Really, it's quite beautiful. So I cam looking for a heavy prog album and got a more accessible (usually a drawback for me in prog), relatively easy listen that somehow grew on me.

https://awen6.bandcamp.com/album/all-shades-of-blue

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 18:38:28 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 10/05/2026 22:38

Hällas - Panorama
Year: 2026
Score: 85
Style or Subgenre: Crossover Prog, Neo Prog
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 2nd (of 4 ranked so far)

My first new prog album of 2026 is a solid winner. Hällas has traditionally sat on the crossover side of prog; in fact, as they settled into their first real groove, I was half expecting Swedish vocalist Tommy Alexandersson's to bust in with a refrain of "it's the final countdown...." Good lord, please no! But thankfully, the song morphed into something with more depth, and it was clear this formerly crossover band was headed for serious neo prog (with a strong symphonic prog foundation) territory. And thankfully, any thoughts of a Europe clone dissipated, and the strongest influence became a very strong Genesis.

So, Gabriel Genesis or Collins Genesis you ask?
The answer is yes. Even Alexandersson's voice sounds like a cross between Gabriel and Collins, which is to my ear a good thing.

Now to be clear, the opening epic and highly theatrical cut, Above the Continuum, clocks in at a whopping 21:29, clearly taking its cue from early Genesis. But when the album transitions to the remaining shorter cuts, one apparently written for big arena rock wall of sound, i got strom images of a 90s Phil Collins belting out big lines from behind his drum kit. And while that's much less my kind of music, it's mostly well composed and always well executed. So overall, I'm very pleased with my first foray into current year prog.

Link

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Fri, 2 Oct 2026 20:22:27 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 10/03/2026 00:22

La Maschera Di Cera - LuxAde
Year: 2006
Score: 85
Style or Subgenre: Rock Progressivo Italiano
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 2nd

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Beautiful acoustic piano, supplanted by a heavy distortion riff, and then comes... the flute! And a beautiful flute it is. Other keys join in.... including both moog and mellotron, blending classic prog sounds with 2006 presentation and production, and it all comes together in a most spectacular way. Compositions are long, and include the necessary interludes at just the right times to manage the expansive lines.

This is one of those RPI albums that seems to get that label more due Italy being the group's home country than anything else. Other than the lyrics being sung in Italian, there's not a lot that's overtly Italian here. Were you to hear it independent of those lyrics, you wouldn't automatically jump to the conclusion this is Italian, let alone RPI. The largest inputs are symphonic prog and heavy prog in roughly equal measure.

This music demands full, powerful vocals, and fortunately, Alessandro Corvaglia is more than up to three task.

Expansive compositions, all manner of keyboards, lots of flute, and a powerhouse vocalist.... not much more I could ask for here.

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 11:47:44 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 09/27/2026 15:47

Marillion - Script For a Jester"s Tear
Year: 1983
Score: 85
Style or Subgenre: Neo Prog
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 3rd

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Marillion alone is proof the 80s didn't such.

And there's obvious reasons their outstanding debut is widely considered to have set the bar for neo prog (and set it high it did!). The spirit of classic prog permeates throughout, yet the attitude and presentation are appropriately updated.

What struck me most upon today's listen was how densely theatrical this whole album, starting right with the opening melodic themes and even further bolstered by the arrival of Fish and the manner of his vocal delivery. The spirit of Gabriel-era Genesis is the obvious template here, but fortunately Marillion are very much their own beast, and they forgo Genesis's whimsey, substituting in its place a little extra sarcastic bite with a touch of fatalism. Again, Fish's voice is the perfect vehicle for this expression.

I daresay this could even make a pretty fair opera (well, a rock opera at least)

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 14:24:30 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 09/20/2026 18:24

Dream Theater - Images & Words
Year: 1992
Score: 100
Style or Subgenre: Prog Metal
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 1st

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Time for a visit with my top DT album, my top progressive metal album, and my #2 album of all time.

In 1992, I thought I would never again be utterly and completely gobsmacked by a new (to me) group.
With Images and Words, Dream Theater proved me utterly wrong.

I remember the introduction perfectly.
I was living in Bedford, MA, and after work I was driving to my night MBA program at Boston College, listening to WAAF, and they played Take the Time. What is this? HOLY CRAP!

Over the coming days, the would also fold Pull Me Under into their rotation. So I was off to my local Tower Records to seek out my own copy of this marvel. Upon taking it home and playing it, I was equally blown away by each and every song. The combination of complexity/density and magnificent melodies and soaring vocals and full bodied production is sheer, utter perfection to my ear. this thing lights up every last happy neural path in my brain.

Every last song on this album is positively brilliant, and yet there is tremendous variety among them. There's blatant, in your face virtuosity and pop worthy hooks. There's magnificent solos and mutually supportive interplay. There's epic length compositional challenges fully realized and there's shorter, quick hits that still pack the same punch. There's ridiculously heavy metal and there's tender balladry. Through it all, this is easily James Labrie's most consistent and overall best vocal performance. DT set an insanely high new bar for keys in metal and this early in his career, Mike Portnoy announced the arrival of his iconic status. If I was to have one itsy-bitsy-teeny-tiny quibble, it would be that bassist John Myung is a phenomenally brilliant player and doesn't get quite effectively employed as he could be.

Glorious album artwork, too.

I have long carried this as my #2 album of all time, but there are as many days as not I think it should be #1.

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Sat, 2 May 2026 15:05:09 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 05/02/2026 19:05

Progging into 1984...

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Аквариум(Aquarium) - День Серебра (Day of Silver)
Year: 1984
Score: 60
Style or Subgenre: Prog Folk
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 62nd
My first 1984 selection comes from behind the Iron Curtain, a rare Russian underground recording a half decade before the end of the Cold War. Prog Folk is often the least prog sounding of prog subgenres, and yet it is a style I generally take to. However, this one is kind of a yawner for me. Proggy or not (mostly not), I just don't find it interesting, and the overly subdued vocals don't help.

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Congreso - Pájaros De Arcilla
Year: 1984
Score: 80
Style or Subgenre: Prog Folk
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 20th
For my second 1984 choice I stuck with Prog Folk, but hopped back to this side of the pond, however going far south of the border. Congreso is a Chilean prog folk outfit and, while they had often similarly subdued vocals, the music here was far more interesting throughout. The compositions are delicate and draw the listener in in a most inviting manner. The instrumentation is more diverse, employing both modern musical tools along with traditional Andean sounds. The result is unique, listenable, and highly engaging. A real winner.

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 14:52:21 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 04/25/2026 18:52

progging on into 1983

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Pablo el Enterrador - Pabo el Enterrador
Year: 1983
Score: 80
Style or Subgenre: Symphonic Prog
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 19th
For those who don't know, "enterrador" is Spanish for Gravedigger; interesting protagonist for a prog album. But you know what? You don't have to be able to follow the story to really enjoy the music on this keyboard intensive symphonic prog album. The music here is quite lovely, and flows with both passion and grace. No the 80s didn't totally suck for prog.

Link

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Aum - Belorizonte
Year: 1983
Score: 80
Style or Subgenre: Jazz Rock Fusion
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 18th
It turns out this is an interesting jazz fusion album, so I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone and make it a 1983 Jazz entry as well. At first this comes across not so much as a classic fusion album, but more of a smooth jazz fusion album, which doesn't sound all that good on paper. But it really does take off and generate some genuinely interesting music with some latter cuts really appealing to the rocker side of my inner fusion fanatic. High recommendation for this obscure Brazilian band.

Link

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 15:24:35 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 04/12/2026 19:24

Progging into 1982 with a couple shockers

Begnagrad - Begnagrad
Year: 1982
Score: 85
Style or Subgenre: RIO/Avant Prog
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 12th
Progressive Balkan circus music? That seems to be the best possible description of this bizarre mélange that somehow works astonishingly well. There's improvisation here that would impress a hard core jazz musician, crazy musicianship, no regard whatsoever for an easily discernable structure, and exactly the right attitude to pull it all together. On paper, I shouldn't like this anywhere near as much as I do.

Link

Super Freego - Pourquoi Es-Tu Si Méchant?
Year: 1982
Score: 80
Style or Subgenre: Zeuhl
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 19th
Speaking of music I have no business liking! This mostly unknown one off is generally classified by those in the know as Zeuhl meets new wave. What I heard at the start was punk meets prog, which isn't supposed to happen. It is oft said that punk was in part a reaction to the excesses of prog, but here the two exist in a sort of twisted harmony. As the album proceeds, it gets more progressive yet never takes itself too seriously. Prog is criticised as pretentious and Punk certainly has its own brand of exclusivity that manifests as antipretention pretentiousness. None of either appears here. Along the way, you will hear Talking Heads, proto-RHCP, and proto-Primus. What a strange and wonderful stew!

Link

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 17:27:54 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 04/10/2026 21:27

... progging into 1981...

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Fragil - Agenda Larco
Year: 1981
Score: 85
Style or Subgenre: Symphonic Prog
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 19th
We're into our second year of the 80s here and it's clear the glory days of prog are behind us at this point, or at least we're in a significant dip. That's what makes this very nice symphonic prog outing such a welcome part of the current year's catalog. This is a great fix for lovers of moody and melodic classic prog.

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Saga - Worlds Apart
Year: 1981
Score: 70
Style or Subgenre: Crossover Prog
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 61st
In 1981, I was a freshman in college, raging along with the like of Black Sabbath, Rush, and Triumph, and raging against albums like this because it wasn't heavy enough. Now even then I knew I was digging prog, but still didn't cotton to this, because I didn't really hear it as progressive. With a few decades of ever expanding music appreciation since, I was happy to select this as a 1981 entry for a follow up listen. While my opinion of it has softened a bit, that is probably more of due to a resultant positive glow of nostalgia than the quality of the music itself. It's still not proggy enough to tickle my prog ear, and even though I no longer need heavy music to be impressed, not much else in my range of appreciation is particularly tickled either. I now think of it as a pretty good album for its time, but nothing I carry through as an all time great.

Re: Let's Get Progressive: Fish

Fischman — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 17:40:53 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 03/14/2026 21:40

... progging into 1980...

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Picchio Dal Pozzo - Abbiamo Tutti I Suoi Problemi
Year: 1980
Score: 75
Style or Subgenre: Canterbury Scene
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 42nd
Canterbury Scene is one of the more difficult prog genres to pin down and even in that realm, this album is more eclectic than most. It is impossible to really describe in such terms, let alone label. Suffice it to say, this is totally unique. For almost any ear, some moments will work better than others, but all moments contribute to the highly creative hodgepodge that brings all this together. It's definitely worth a listen for any prog fan, but maybe not subsequent listens for many.

Link

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Anyone's Daughter - Anyone's Daughter
Year: 1980
Score: 85
Style or Subgenre: Symphonic Prog
My Rank in Year as of this listen: 21st
While the Picchio Dal Pozzo album touched my intrigue more than my appreciation, this album flips that script being not all that interesting on paper, but settling beautifully in my ear. Honestly, as of 1980, this album brings nothing new or particularly progressive (in the general meaning of the word) to its symphonic prog realm, but it does that classic, golden age sound and vibe so well, it's a tremendously welcome addition to the genre. I have read that soft rock hit maker Al Stewart (Year of the Cat), while never having any intention of being a prog musician, was influenced to some degree by prog. This album seems to me a hint of what Al might have done had he dove into the genre.

Link