I KNOW!!!
I have severe Qenvy… 
Isn’t it coming this Summer?
I was not aware you couldn’t get it.
Why not?
Probably the CRTC is stopping it…
Apparently its an issue with QUB. Coming soon, read this:
Awesome! Thank you for finding that as I am not happy with Tidal and hoping that Qobuz gives a better experience for me.
Now where were we? Back to prog!
Myself, I lean towards the symphonic prog so I am always on the look out for this brand of prog that sounds good on my system.
@ErVikingo , I see that you have Tool on your list, I will try those 2 songs.
I discovered “intension” the other day and it might fit with your list, I am not a huge fan but liked this one.
Also, try “Satyagraha” from Colin Edwin who did play bass with Porcupine Tree.
1 Like
So, did a soundroom sampler searching for the best sounding tracks – a good Scotch night but a sad reminder how many albums are so muffled and poorly recorded. Here’s a few – some tracks are here for one thing, one particular sound or note only. Not all are prog but as a prog lover they are some tracks I love. Most are CDs or Tidal accessed so not sure if they are Qobuz or Amazon available…
In no particular order – some thoughts – many have been mentioned on this thread before:
• The top sounding I would have to give to Tony Patterson/Doug Melbourne – Making It Great Again – (has a toe to head top via spine bass tingle section) and Man On TV. Great snare sound.
• #2 is pretty much anything by House Of Not. Come On In, Glenn Fiddick, any track with the word Pipe or Piper in it. Is That The Best You Can Do, Pipedream great electric piano and for a guy who isn’t that big on female vocals – check out - Was It As Good For You. Whew – I thing I need a cigarette. If Pipedream is the musical representation of seduction, then Balligomingo’s Lust is sex in musical form. Good to do back to back. The vocalist on Lust is from Vancouver. Shameless local plug.
• #3 Toy Matinee - Last Plane Out – great sound and an absolute masterpiece of prog
• Dave Matthews Band – Rapunzel – great drums and I can actually hear that the cymbal is about two & a half feet above the snare. Carter Beaufort is a drumming monster.
• Nine Stones Close – The Distance – great separation without a strong center image.
• Abagail’s Ghost – Waiting room – great clarity.
• RC2 – Voice Of The Storm Part 1 – very well recorded
• Shadow Gallery – Encrypted – superb clarity
• Timothy Pure – almost all is good.
• Alan Parsons – Jigue – some cool effects & sounds – Oh Life (There Must Be More) probably the saddest song written ever. Sometimes makes my eyes leak.
• Tears For Fears – Woman In Chains – best version I find is from the Tears Roll Down Greatest Hits album – a regular for sound demos. Prog-ish. Great track.
• Roxy Music – Avalon – one of rock’s best sounding albums, - I actually prefer Take A Chance On Me as a song.
• The Fusion Syndicate – At The Edge Of The Middle – good for trumpet and instrument sounds
• Crack The Meter – Billy Sheehan – great keyboard sub bass
• Steven Wilson – Regret # 9 – an outstanding keyboard solo –Holzman is a talent extraordinaire. I don’t think I’ve touched my keyboard since I heard that.
• Aryeon – Amazing Flight – musically all consuming is the only descriptive I can come up with…
• Downes Braide Association – Your Heart Will Find A Way – pretty good.
• Anything by Moonrise is good. Feeling Like I Lost My Mind, Start Up Song, I Call My Soul – good mellow melodic prog. One man show for the most part. Once again – Poland…
• Fish – Brother 52, Credo & Goldfish & Clowns – great bright top end.
• Moody Blues – In My World – not a perfect recording but a great enough track to thoroughly engage. One of my favorite songs.
• Supertramp – Dead Man’s Blues – one example of one small section stands out – at 3:28 there’s a sax noise you can almost see the reed. The track is sadly lacking top end and muffled.
• Jonas Lindberg and the Other Side – Little Man – good recording.
• Chris Squire/Billy Sherwood – Red Light Ahead – good bass guitar sound.
• Steve Morse – Country Colors – superb guitar sound – this track was a favorite on my Quad ESL-57s. Center image could be better.
• Talk Talk – I Believe In You – An emotional ride well recorded. Happiness Is Easy is also good.
• Combination Head – Museum – good sound effect.
• 41Point9 – The Loch – a pretty well recorded Celtic Prog sound.
• Klone – Keystone
• Supertramp – Brother Where You Bound – not the best sound but great dynamics at 13:30.
• Jefferson Airplane – Embryonic Journey
• Saluki – Top Of The World
• Saro Cosentino – Defying Gravity
• Caravan – In The Land Of Grey And Pink – pretty good old prog
Some non prog contenders:
• Joe Jackson – Evil Empire – good sound but I tend to EQ the lacking bottom end a bit.
• Balligomingo – Lust – great stuff.
• Toad The Wet Sprocket – Hold Her Down – very well recorded.
• George Michael – They Won’t Go When I Go
• Seal – Kiss From A Rose and Whirlpool – great for invoking emotion.
• Lee DeWyze – Blackbird Song
• Herb Albert – Taste Of Honey – well recorded for 60s and a great memory blast.
• Elton John – Ticking – phenomenal song.
• Roy Etzel – El Silencio (Il Selenzio) – just a personal addition – was my Mom’s favorite song – she died in 82 and I have the 45 – which I dropped and broke – it JUST recently came up on Tidal. So that one’s just for me.
And perhaps one of my favorite evening ender – great imaging, and a bottom end surprise that is sure to drop jaws – Highasakite – Under The Sun. A subwoofer delight. It put my sister to tears. This track is probably my quintessential demo track.
Sorry – long post but sadly not nearly as long as the list of great music that is so poorly recorded. Magnepan 3.7i’s are sometimes a curse. Simple Mind’s Street Fighting Years is one of my favorite albums and is sadly so dreadfully awful to try to enjoy. BAD engineer. No cookie.
1 Like
I really appreciate this. You have various that are on my list but I will make your list on Qobuz and will include El Silencio; special people in our lives live on in our hearts and music brings them back.
My song similar to that is Father Son by P Gabriel. When I got the call that my father had passed and I was driving to the airport for the service, I did a quick search for Father and it came up. Still brings tears to my eyes.
Dad’s favorite was Beethoven’s Emperor and it’s one of my go to. I remember as a young kid going to audition components and speakers and he would be carrying a couple of versions in his physician’s briefcase.
Thanks much.
1 Like
Crown Lands - two man gig from Canada - Heavy Prog. Good stuff for us old codgers who still like hard rock sounds.
A bit Rush, and fairly Zeppelinish - more Greta Van Fleet than Zeppelin - if that’s possible…
2 Likes
Private VPN. My friend Jordan aka YouTuber Mr. Chibbs up in T.O. runs it all day with no issues.
Nice recommendation, listened to Crown Lands latest two albums straight though which I rarely do anymore. Thanks man!
1 Like
Thank you, yes I have heard of people using a private VPN to access Qobuz in Canada. Qobuz is coming to canada sometime in may so I will wait a little longer
Sounds like a mix of Rush and old school Ozzy!
1 Like
I hear that too!
1 Like
I heard the VPN Qobuz didn’t work… makes no matter anyways as I just ordered an Alpine Halo iLX-F511 big screen for my truck - it now does Tidal. Wheeee!
I’ve had these overgrown monster amps sitting around collecting dust too long, time to deck out the truck to match the car.
I’ll certainly test drive qobuz when it gets a Canadian passport. Who doesn’t love a good A/B session?
Spinning the new Crown Lands album - it is very early Rush like. Great stuff. Mind you, Rush is THE best band on the planet…!
Ever.
ErVikingo - How’d the demo weekend go? Did you create a prog-head?
2 Likes
Cool head unit and I assume you have a large truck to fit the monster amps!
It went VERY well. I gave him a flavor of most of your recommendations for newer (“neo”) prog. He liked it very much and took notes!
I did have to endure quite a bit of jazz which blew his mind (and mine) on my system. To each his own but man, some of that music is not for me.
I’m not a jazz fan per se but I adore (jazz in the style of) Flim & The BBs. Perhaps as it was one of my first introductions to quality sound. Over and Out is a great demo tune as well as being a great tune. The whole first side of Big Notes and the track Tricycle - also delightful.
2 Likes
I’m in the same camp when it comes to Jazz. I’m very selective , and usually don’t care for it. I did purchase the Vintage BB’s cd , and have enjoyed it totally. As rocky the flying squirrel used to say " and now for something completely different " I discovered an unlikely great listen with a French Ensemble { Akale’ Wube’ } who is totally devoted to 60’s and 70’s Ethiopian Jazz. All their albums are on Tidal. My favorite is MATA. Jazz with an Island flair !
1 Like
Well I am listening to ELP Live at Royal Albert Hall. I saw that tour in 92, it was magical.
RIP Greg and Keith. Many great memories of my younger years when i listen to ELP.