Prog Cup Final Winner: In The Court Of The Carlsson King!

[soundchaser]

In no particular order.

A:

Frank Zappa - Sofa No. 1 link
Traffic - Rainmaker link
Edgar Broughton Band – Evening Over Rooftops link
Soft Machine - Out of Season link
Barclay James Harvest - For No One link

Focus - Birth link
Camel – Never Let Go link
Van der Graaf Generator – White Hammer link
Pavlov’s Dog - Julia link
Colosseum – The Valentyne Suite: Theme One -January's Search

Steve Hillage - The Salmon Song link
Jethro Tull - Baker St. Muse link link
UK – Danger Money link
The Nice – Azrael Revisited link
Genesis - The Fountain of Salmacis link

King Crimson - Starless link
Caravan - Winter Wine link
Gong – Master Builder link
Quatermass – Gemini link
Premiata Forneria Marconi – Il Banchetto link
Tangerine Dream – Hyperborea link
Gentle Giant - In a Glass House link
Egg - Symphony No. 2 link
Rare Bird – You Went Away link
Yes – Yours is no Disgrace link

B:

Budgie: Breadfan. link
Curved Air: Piece Of Mind. link
Family: Spanish Tide. link
Pink Fairies: Uncle Harry's Last Freakout. link
Jethro Tull: Reasons For Waiting. link

Robert Wyatt: I’m A Believer. link
Radiohead: Airbag. link
Camel: Nimrodel/The Procession/The White Rider link
The Nice: America. link
The Who: Baba O’Riley. link

Love Sculpture: Sabre Dance. link
Syd Barrett: Octopus. link
Tangerine Dream: Cloudburst Flight. link
Kate Bush: King Of The Mountain. link
Led Zeppelin: The Rain Song. link

Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Knife Edge. link
It’s A Beautiful Day: White Bird. link
Yes: Heart Of The Sunrise. link
King Crimson: The Great Deceiver. link
Roxy Music: Editions Of You. link
Pink Floyd: Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun. link
Focus: Hocus Pocus. link
Frank Zappa: Son Of Mr. Green Genes. link
Hawkwind: Master Of The Universe. link
Genesis: Firth Of Fifth. link

[Neil Jung]

When does the final close?

A could do with some links - I don't know 3 out of the new 5.

[soundchaser]

When does the final close?

A could do with some links - I don't know 3 out of the new 5.

Saturday morning. Each round is up at least for 48 hours. I'll put up links for all five of A's final five, but it was up to everyone to supply links if they wanted them.

[never/ever]

A

sorry i missed the vote on the semis.....

[NMB]

I had to introduce a points system to decide this one, individual songs scoring from -3 for loath up to +3 for love. If I know the artist but not the song the range is -1 to +1. A wins by 15 points to 13.

[Loki]

This is gonna be tough! I'll do some listening this evening.

Good luck, guys!

[Snarfyguy]

B.

[Belle Lettre]

I'm going to take my time.

[Mike Boom]

Tough choice, I think I have to go with B

[the hesitant weasel]

could be a while this one...

[Neil Jung]

A:

Frank Zappa - Sofa No. 1 link - didn't know this 5
Traffic - Rainmaker link - it's a bit dull 5
Edgar Broughton Band – Evening Over Rooftops link - didn't know this 4
Soft Machine - Out of Season link - didn't know this 5
Barclay James Harvest - For No One link - far from my favourite BJH 6 (25)

Focus - Birth link - very good 8
Camel – Never Let Go link - not as good as B's Camel 7
Van der Graaf Generator – White Hammer link - one of my favourite VDGGs 9
Pavlov’s Dog - Julia link - one of my favourite bands though not the song I'd choose for prog 8
Colosseum – The Valentyne Suite: Theme One -January's Search - luckily no link! 5 (62)

Steve Hillage - The Salmon Song link - rubbish 3
Jethro Tull - Baker St. Muse link link - great 8
UK – Danger Money link - I prefer the 1st album 6
The Nice – Azrael Revisited link - not bad considering the singer 7
Genesis - The Fountain of Salmacis link - not as good as B's Genesis 7 (93)

King Crimson - Starless link - peerless 10
Caravan - Winter Wine link - peerless - I chose this too 10
Gong – Master Builder link - its Gong 5
Quatermass – Gemini link - surprisingly OK 7
Premiata Forneria Marconi – Il Banchetto link - gorgeous from one of my fave lps 10
Tangerine Dream – Hyperborea link - dull 6
Gentle Giant - In a Glass House link - not bad for them 7
Egg - Symphony No. 2 link - didn't know this - good 7
Rare Bird – You Went Away link - forgot to play it 7
Yes – Yours is no Disgrace link - peerless 8
(168)

B:

Budgie: Breadfan. link - so so 6
Curved Air: Piece Of Mind. link - not my favourite C Air but fine 7
Family: Spanish Tide. link - superb 8
Pink Fairies: Uncle Harry's Last Freakout. link - bleurgh and lucky to get 4
Jethro Tull: Reasons For Waiting. link - absolutely gorgeous 10 (35)

Robert Wyatt: I’m A Believer. link - wtf 5
Radiohead: Airbag. link - hmmmm good song but here? 5
Camel: Nimrodel/The Procession/The White Rider link - lovely 10 (55)
The Nice: America. link - obvious choice for The Nice but nice 7
The Who: Baba O’Riley. link - great but pushes the definition too far 6

Love Sculpture: Sabre Dance. link - great but pushes the definition too far 6
Syd Barrett: Octopus. link - not great 5
Tangerine Dream: Cloudburst Flight. link - dull 6
Kate Bush: King Of The Mountain. link - great but pushes the definition too far 5
Led Zeppelin: The Rain Song. link - great but pushes the definition too far 6 (96)

Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Knife Edge. link - nice 7
It’s A Beautiful Day: White Bird. link - bleurgh 5
Yes: Heart Of The Sunrise. link - not as good as A's 7
King Crimson: The Great Deceiver. link - ooh yes baby 9
Roxy Music: Editions Of You. link - pushing it again, sorry 6
Pink Floyd: Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun. link - yep. cool. 8
Focus: Hocus Pocus. link - not as good as A's 7
Frank Zappa: Son Of Mr. Green Genes. - more Zappa I don't know 5
Hawkwind: Master Of The Universe. link - s'OK 6
Genesis: Firth Of Fifth. link - can't knock this one 10 (166)

My scoring (and maths - I've added it up about 4 times and 4 different scores) may not stand up to close analysis but it confirms my preference for A. A stays within the normal progressive parameters but visits the outposts often enough to retain credibility. B has many great choices but chooses a few I don't like, for me pushes his luck with the boundaries (Roxy? Kate? The Who? Wyatt?) and overall it just isn't as strong as A.

A

[Johnny Fartpants]

*Puts on cape for last time*

Well, again I'm faced with a situation like in the semi-final. I probably like more songs in list B. But as mentioned before, this is the Prog Cup. Nobody is ever going to convince me that The Who, Kate Bush, Led Zep or Roxy Music are anywhere close to being Prog. The Radiohead track I can kind of live with, but I hate what Radiohead have become considering what a fantastic band they used to be ... 15 years ago. Baba O'Riley is one of my favourite songs ever of all time ever great mate of all time ... not once have I though "oooh, that's a bit Proggy".

So on the basis of this being the Prog Cup, it clearly has to be A for all of the reasons, but also if A wins, I can say I was knocked out in the semis by the winner!!

*Folds cape and puts it in the cupboard till next year*

[the hesitant weasel]

go on then A

[Belle Lettre]

Very tough, I've voted for B up to now,but these two up against one another..

A

[Nikki Gradual]

What B has that is actually progressive, I like just as much as A, but too much of B isn't. A at least read the question and, as a result, though B might have equalled it on the first 10, A shits all over B on the next 10 and the final 5 are pretty even (but I prefer As picks).
Not much good news for B there I am afraid.

A

[kath]

i'm sticking with A here, after much painful (ow ow ow) deliberation. (even though i didn't pick ya last time you were up, B, i don't want you to think it wasn't amazingly close. all of these things have been close, coming down to a track or two. i just get tired of saying they're all amazingly close.)

this time, A adds rainmaker, a track *i* happen to love... in fact, i almost had it lead out my first (and only) list... and one of my fave barclay tracks. sniff.

p.s. this prog cup has been so much fun. i'm bummed to see it end, dammit. too short and sweet.

A

[BlueMeanie]

Two robust lists. Overall A cuts the mustard.

[purgatory brite]

B

For the Broad Church choices!

[Loki]

Whoa, looks like A is running away with it. I prolly don't even need to vote, but I want to. Soon.

[Johnny Fartpants]

Not wishing to spoil the party and all that, but A already has 9 votes, and so unless my Maths is worse than I thought, A has won.