This is both the quintessential prog album and the signpost of prog’s decline. The album is basically one song split into four suites, each taking up a full record side. I thought it was great when I was 17 or so, at the height of my prog fascination but it’s not the same now. Maybe it’s because I’ve JUST listened to Close to the Edge which was way better than I remember but this one is working the other way. One thing worth mentioning, it’s dense. The time it takes to fully get into it (about five listens from memory) means it’s kind of ‘high maintenance’. To be honest this is something I usually love, in fact of all of my favourite albums I don’t think any of them I like straight away, with the exception of the White Album. Bitches Brew was unfocussed noise for ages and after listening to A Love Supreme my first thought was ‘maybe this jazz thing just isn’t me’. Here it just comes across as a little too much. It’s so vast that it’s daunting as well. Had I not come to it as a dedicated progger I’m sure it would have driven me away from the genre entirely. Which is exactly why I’m going to get Storm to listen to it.
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