This may be blasphemous, but when I heard about Asia (Howe, Wetton, Downs, Palmer), I had such high hopes for a new Prog offering, bought it before I heard any of it. I put it on the turntable, listened to both sides, and picked up the album and threw it across the room. Am I the only one who has this kind of response?

Zappa nails Hubbard on Joe's Garage with L Ron Hoover and the church of Appliantology.

just started a grapphic error on this video...sorry! Why is it Yes always outstay their welcome.....

Angry Andy is hilarious Andy.

Your Phil Collins album review, “aimed at a brain-dead housewife market”… can’t stop laughing at this. This is some next level Lester Bangs music criticism stuff! 😂

The price of "Space Jazz" on Discogs just doubled. Oh, and Gayle Moran IS on that album as well.

That Chick Corea impression on the phone to L Ron was simultaneously channeling Irish and Scouse as much it was American. Pissing myself 😂😂 Superb !!!

You are so funny. But spot on! You should be on TV. Rick Beato should have you on his channel. But I don't know how he would handle you when you go off. I'm sure it would massively enertaining... 80s Prog put me off Prog until Porcupine Tree arrived. And even then, it was a few albums in. Fripp/Crimson were like single thin line keeping my hope alive. 80s Jazz I cut the line altogether. Keep up the good work! PS - I'd love to see your Mom on the channel. As crazy as they make you, enjoy your time with them.

I had to look up Space jazz - and Wow is it bad - but hilariously so, it's basically the perfect soundtrack to Scientology and it also reminded me of Ross in friends with his "Sound". But there is an album by Chick Corea Electric Band called "To the stars" that I just ignored when it was released cause it was inspired by novel by Hubbard - but when I finally listened to it many years after it was released I was blown away - it's one of the best Electric Band albums and the total opposite of the crap that Space jazz is.

Before you got to Scientology and Chick Corea, I was going to send you a message to perhaps to discuss the role or impact different religions have had on jazz and fusion music (or all music) and musicians over time. Full disclosure, I’m a devout agnostic atheist (whatever that means), mid level jazz pianist/composer who loves jazz fusion and still looks to Chick Corea as my unbridled hero and idol. Have heard you and so many describe music in spiritual effect terms…which I’ve probably improperly used that word to describe how I feel when listening to Chick, RTF, Electric Band, Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter…Earth Wind and Fire and so on. I’ve defined that incredible sense of eternal pleasure as “spiritual”…again probably the wrong word for a physiological reaction to sound. Anyway, between Christianity, Buddhism, Scientology and other wacky mythical influences…wondered if you would ever take that on. Apologies if you already have previously. BTW…I was raised Episcopalian (Anglican as my Bahamian wife calls it)…if that matters on the religious influence front. Thanks. 😎

Sounds like a great idea to get your mother on the channel if she's interested. You could maybe ask her about your own musical life from her point of view, for instance. And maybe if you quiz her directly about the things she loves there might be some surprises? Some musical, maybe? Or music from her childhood? My own mom is getting on in years, too. She was going to be a singer for a while when she was young. Opera at first, I think, but the jobs were all "singing the old songs" at lounges. "Pop jazz". When they were little the people with the ox wagon doing their centenary came through the "drift" (ford) at the "river" of their town (in that area it would've normally been just a dip into a hole in the ground, and back out soon after), and all five of them (at the time - there were more of them later) lined up there and sang for them. And then they demanded money for this. (Same town, my aunt - mom's little sister - one day decided to tell everyone it was her birthday, because she was in a birthday kind of mood. So someone decided there should be a party and went home for a concertina or something. And then someone else brought a gramophone and some records, and next thing they'd all moved to the local hall and people were arriving in their best clothes, and danced the night away, long after the "birthday girl" had to go home because it was late. I think some people even found a birthday present for her. That's how it's always been (maybe even more so when there was less click and play music available than now) music, music, music, and life weaves itself into that. (Or maybe it's the other way round.) Maybe your mom has some stories she hasn't yet told? (That's almost impossible, isn't it? Past a certain age only the best stories remain, and you get to hear them over and over again. I suppose that's how legends came to be long ago. Maybe that's how some of the old songs even came to be. Someone started singing the story they'd heard so many times.)

You and Rick Dior have caused me to fall in love with jazz. Grabbing Istanbul Agop tomorrow to pair with my SQ1 in 20/12/14. Thank you.

Thank you Andy. Absolutely hilarious video! Loved and lived it. You get better and better at this talking about music lark.

Edgar Winter also did an L Ron Hubbard collab.. as hilariously reviewed in Todd in the Shadows'"Trainwrecords" series

This is wonderfully insane. The yes album cover is in front of you for about five minutes around 27 mins in.

I love the Sea of Tranquility name drop in this one. Both Andy and Pete Pardo have fantastic channels.

Thanks for the Jon Benjamin reference - best thing since Portsmouth Sinfonia ! We used to have an alto sax fitted with a really soft plastic reed easy to overblow which anyone was free to 'jam' on while us guitarists would vamp from what I remember on A and D chords and let them wail. Great fun, no experience required.

There's an album from jazz saxophonist Eddie Harris that has Chris Squire, Ian Paice, Stevie Winwood and Jeff Beck, which sounds like it should be AMAZING. And it's absolutely horrible. Nothing works at all.

❤ your vids. Am hijacking this particular vid/comment page to suggest a new vid topic. Went down the rabbit hole last night watching my wonderful 3 disc Criterion DVD set of, "1967 Monterey Pop Festival". A great three day festival of sixties rock/blues/pop performances. My rabbit hole time came after watching disc 3 "Outtakes" which had 15+ groups including Paul Butterfield Blues Band & Electric Flag. Fantastic sound from those cats! Latched onto Mike Broomfield who blew me away. His guitar career (& playing of course) was amazing. Of course the combination of the great Butterfield w/ Mike was great. Read through Butterfield's history which was great and finally, landed on a surprise that David Sanborn, who I most associate with successful 1980s-on saxophone works (I own 2-3 CDs) started his early career on Butterfield albums! Played w/ Albert King at 14-15, Stevie Wonder & David Bowie! Crazy. Rabbit holes CAN be educational. 👍

Great video, I'm obviously prime target market audience as a middle aged bloke with a deaf Mother with a button. I spat my tea out at ''in case she falls down a well''. Nobody warns you about the constant Mother/Wells dilemma you have to deal with when you hit your 50s.

This is one of the funniest things I've watched in eons. I remember being so excited when Asia formed as I was a fan of Yes, King Crimson and ELP. When I heard the music I thought, "Great, a Prog version of Foreigner."

Thanks for taking one for the team. Listening to awful music so we don’t have to. Please keep your mom safe. You only have one mom.

Great video, Andy. I couldn't stop laughing. During part of the video I was in the car, with my kids in the back, driving back from my parents house and the video was on. I'm laughing and the kids are going "what's so funny dad?". Oh, man, so many rubisgh albums like that came out in the 80's. The more pretentious they got, the more ridiculous they were. For a silly video it was an absolute delight. Loved the story about yer mom. If my mom calls me during the morning which is very unusual, I always answer the phone saying "who died?". Anyway, it was a great video! Thanks for sharing these stories. After the Chico Hamilton video I also got "The Dealer" and started listening. Brilliant album. Chico is so different. His orchasteral soundtrack "Night Beat" really threw me off. Great stuff.

My parents, 84 and 87, are old enough to have missed all rock. They just recently discovered something they like- Johnny Cash, Kristoferson, and Willie Nelson. They had to ask if that was country music. Now when I visit I must suffer through repeated listenings of that at high volume! It’s Hell! I was happier with Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra (and an occasional Irish tenor).

Great Video - very funny - especially your Phil Collins review ! Thumb up ! BUT: Stanley Clarke - Let me know you is great ! I grew up with thie record an it sounds like another Clarke/Duke Project record for me. Its not fusion or Jazz but disco,funk and pop. And all the disco and funk records from Narada Michael Walden are also great. Do you like British Funk Bands like Shakatak, Light of the World, Incognito, Level 42, Paul Hardcastle etc. ?

I think Stanley Clarke redeemed himself with the Soundtrack for Passenger 57. To be sure, it's not School Days, but give it a listen. I think it has some very thoughtful moments

Funny about Kiss, you and I ate the same age Andy, one thing I noticed is there were a lot of people like you during that era, they had a Kiss poster or whatever else Gene Simmons could market, but they had never heard a song by them, they were just drawn in by the makeup and the fantasy, because when you heard the music, at least in my case, it was like this is it? The whole bombastic persona never matched the run of the mill roxk music they made. I am not as bad with them as a friend of mine is though, he always says they misspelled their name it should be Piss.

Haha, great video. The Asia debut was perfect timing. A legendary video for "Heat of the video" perfect for MTV. The great Steve Howe slashing guitar opening. The album had big stadium sound. It was like a prog lite reimagination of Journey's "Escape" album.

In May 1984, I found a used copy of Triumvirat's 1973 album, "Illusions On A Double Dimple", for sale in an old box at a pawn shop in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. At 3-for-$1, It was one of the best 33 cents I ever invested in a previously unknown 70s prog band. I loved everything about it and I still do. Since then, however, I have not heard anything else they recorded.

" . . . without the Barry, and loads of White" *chef's kiss*

KZfaq algorithm now thinks i want to hear more Space Jiz. Why did i check it out? Thanks Andy!

once my dad was on holiday and suddenly we got all these alarm messages out of Italy every 10 minutes. Scary. So we called his number. He answered and had no idea what we were talking about. Turned out he accidentally touched something on his apple phone that was intended to be a handy function for emergencies. Thank you Steve Jobs.

Thanks to my late older brother I got exposed to the full flower of '70's prog & jazz fusion in real time. Inexplicably, I couldn't "get" the Miles Davis & Return to Forever, but Genesis, Yes, ELP, Focus etc., all made my head explode. I do want to stick up for the '80's, even though many of the "A-list" prog stars were struggling, new bands were emerging, Marillion & IQ most prominently, and carried the torch as our prog "life raft" reassembled. I can appreciate the instrumental prowess of the jazz/classical guys, but DAMN, I'm squirming in my seat & glancing at my watch after about 5 minutes. A fun quote from my bro (source unknown), "all the self-professed jazz fans don't REALLY like it either." HA untrue I know but it scores directly to explode the elite snobbery of the jazz aficianado, who will throw his drink in my face.

There should be a "Degenerate 80s Prog" playlist for education/cautionary purposes and an event where anyone in possession of one of these vynils or cassettes is invited to come and place these on a huge bonfire.

I'm really glad your Mum is OK. Get her on the channel. I'd watch that. Great vid, as usual, btw.

Andy, great video but how could you not mention the dreadly dreadful ELP's "Love Beach " ?

No Mr Acker Bilk? I guess I’ve finally gotten too old to know what bad is.

"Well I should have ..." Sounds like Thelonious Monk having a stroke.

Oh, I love Phil's version of Can't Stop Loving You - the vocals and the way the drumming develops, and I like his version of True Colors. I will always love Phil because I saw him play on the selling England by the pound tour in 73. He also sang More Fool Me.

Now I want to listen to these albums on KZfaq. When I watch videos of bad albums, I will listen to them and wonder why the creator dislikes them . Here are two examples 1). “Love Beach” by Emerson, Lake and Palmer and 2). “The Elder” by KISS.

Total truth here. The first time I listened to Triumvirate I started getting a headache and nausea until I turned it off. I've NEVER had that happen before or since.

I think that most of us have forgotten Tony Banks' name from time to time. I sometimes confuse his name with Captain James Cook's botanist Joseph Banks (1743-1820). Or Peter Banks, as you did. Tony Banks was not a conventional Rock and Roll person, so its easy to be confused.

The second you said Kiss, I thought you were going to going to talk about Music from "The Elder". This was their attempt at prog rock. It was the only concept album they have ever made. It's thought of as one of their worst. I don't think they any of the songs on it live.

Trigger's Broom... took me a while, but you're so spot on! I recently read an article that ranked all of Yes's songs, yet nothing from ABWH was included. In terms of Trigger's Broom, if any of the recent Yes albums can be legitimately be attributed to a band called Yes, then the Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe album must be too. End of. PS - not seen too many of your vids, but this one did make me laugh a lot!

I saw ELP (California Jam, 400,000 people saw me dance naked) in 1974 and they were disturbingly perfect.

The album cover on the shelf keeps making me think you're gonna roast Chico Hamilton next.. Lol.

One parallel trend to the "prog-poppy" albums in the Eighties were the "smooth jazz" albums by the likes of Chuck Mangione, Larry Carlton, Ernie Watts, Lee Ritenour and the lot... Less intense but equally cringey than their prog counterparts. I remember going to a friend's house, this guy was very into ECM kind of jazz, but had just bought some Ernie Watts solo album because he was a big fan of Weather Report I guess. Well, in the cover Ernie was posing in a Hawaiian shirt over a pastel-colored backdrop to begin with. Suspicious! The needle went down and some "smooth-jazzy rhythm" came out of his high-end JBL speakers. We looked at each other. He began trying to justify the sound when... a silky woman voice started singing over Ernie's saxophone! I was cracking up for like an hour. He traded back the album the next day. 😂😂😂

Newbie. You're a funny bloke. Spit out my coffee funny. Love it, even though you probably HATE my favourite band. Keep it up, Andy. Opening my eyes back up to music I moved out of (not these albums, but in general). Yes were influenced heavily by one of my fav band's albums... But still, I can hear the contempt from here if I mentioned their name LOL. Cheers

Honorable mention: Frank Zappa- “Jazz from Hell”. From Hell indeed.

Ageing Ps and middle age crisis is something that all have to go throu' or will have to go throu' and be able to talk about it without the fear of criticization....they say that everyone of us is unique but at 54 my age i find so many thoughts, things in common with so many that are my age or around my age....so thanks for telling us the recs you hate and i would love to mention the singers that i hate the most... Barbra Streisand Nana Mouskouri and the bloody Gerry from the Pacemakers Oh i feel much better now....

I found this rather amusing and smiled a lot. Fortunately, I didn't spend much time in the prog world, but I appreciate the best of the genre. I agree with the Stanley Clarke comments. "School Days" still sounds good with Ray Gomez on guitar and David Sancious on keys...Scientology is indeed extremely bizarre and any derisive comments are fully warranted.

Mam would be great. My parents would have been 101 years old this year. I would love to have their perspective on today. Not just music...but life.

In 1981 Crimson had Discipline and Rush had Moving Pictures, two classic prog 80s albums. Things went downhill from there, though, even for outsider bands like them. I liked Robert Fripp's observation that in 1985 the MUSIC business became the music BUSINESS. Songs had to be short, punchy, accessible, dominated by a huge artificial-sounding kick and snare (maybe sequenced) with cheesy synths.

Which is worse Space Jazz or the fact L Ron got Edgar Winter to do Mission Earth a horrendous 80's album.

El Rons Space Jazz is so bad it’s comically entertaining

I actually like some of those General midi sounds, and just think, in a few years they may start being revered as the new “retro” synth sounds and they’ll be all over! And then people will be debating on which ones sound the most authentic!

The keyboard player for Genesis is Tony Banks. It's okay Andy, now you know.

What an inspired rant on Space Jazz. I remember listening to it while fairly hammered a few years ago and experiencing a unique blend of hilarity and revulsion for as long as I could stand it. It's astounding that musicians of such brilliance as Stanley Clarke and Chick Corea could combine to produce such rubbish.

Thanks. Now I know what to steer from. As a teenager in the seventies prog (and jazz) was a window into a new realm (before punk hit.) When CDs came out the cut-out bins for records were a score. I found a lot of great prog and jazz albums - especially imports. And then there were duds... Tony Banks (cough), a Hackett or two, Love Beach, I could go on. I still love the oldies, but, goodies and will stay away from these as I still collect. Thanks, again. Peace on earth. P.S. To paraphrase Ronnie Hubbard - "If you want to make a lot of money create a religion."

Can't really argue with any of the choices here. Wakeman should have been locked up for atrocities against good taste immediately after the aptly prescient 'Criminal Record'. Triumvirat were certainly guilty of being ELP wannabes but their '74 release 'Illusions on a Double Dimple' (a concept album about alcoholism no less) is really good. There is one great track on the Emerson, Berry & Palmer 'to the Power 3' album called 'Desde La Vida' but the remainder is audible roadkill. Kiss were at best cosplay Panto Metal. The comments about the snobbery of Jazz fans in general is right on the nail i.e. old men smelling each other's farts. The only thing that even the best of Stanley Clarke's music is missing is...a bass player who anchors the groove and doesn't solo like an ADHD shredder. God's speed to Chick, Stanley, Tom and John's spaceship.

Thank you for your wonderful humor! I can't stop laughing... and actually learnt something along the way. I am not sure what I learned, but I feel like I am wiser in a celestial space jazz opera way!!

My favourite crap "prog" album is "Bobby and Betty Go to the Moon." The dialogue is really well - recorded, and side 2 is muzack with echo and reverb and beeps.

Late to this one tonight. Halfway through and was laughing at the ‘magician’s music’ reference. Made me instantly think of Tony Le Mesmer lol However, equally funny from my perspective,( sorry Andy 😉 😂), was your reference to Venom !! Oh dear 😂

Totally agree. But I would also add parts from the earliest Marillion/IQ/Pallas records. It's like a por man's Genesis, in the total absence of both songwriting ability and soulful playing. It very often sounds difficult for them to play what they play

Props for the Chico Hamilton record in the background!!!

The detailed cat story perfectly illustrated the depth of your interest in late-career Yes.😂

Came for the music talk, stayed for the comedy

KISS sales just jumped 17%.

I get called by Aged P HQ at 4 AM if my dad hits his wrist band button. I am always the first person they try. Trouble is, he lives in England and I live in the Netherlands (which they know by my phone number, presumably) so what the fck they think I'm going to do to save them having to call an ambulance, I don't know.

What do you think of Porcupine Tree?

Andy, I love your channel, you're a great guy and maybe one day I'll make it to Kidderminster. But to be serious for a moment, surely you need to listen to Heaven & Earth before damning it as tragic ...

I am having a hard time finding good music from the '80. Perhaps because its a decade of the big change to digital and the techniques weren't fully mastered yet

Here's one that should have been great but was far from it. "Animal Logic". Stanley Clarke and Stewart Copeland? I'm in! Some girl singer/lyricist? Down the tubes it went.

Steve Hackett in the 80s is, for me, the two acoustic guitar albums: Momentum and Bay of Kings. Other than them, it's a good idea to skip from Defector to Guitar Noir.

I’m glad to say that I'd never heard of any of these albums until you mentioned them. I should count my ignorance as a blessing, I'm sure. Nonetheless, I greatly appreciate your enthusiasm and your willingness to sacrifice in order to bring this public service warning to us. You crack me up! You and your "catastrophizing mind" (I think you British spell that as "catastrophizing," though). PS: Chico Hamilton's "The Dealer" is an album that could certainly stand a re-issue. I streamed it the other day after seeing it on your shelf, and I really like it. But it's not available except on the used market at absurdly high prices.

For a moment I almost didn’t watch your video because I thought you were going to dump on Chico Hamilton! Chico and the Dealer were great and always will be!

I gave this one thumbs up for Andy's enthusiasm, even though I don't really agree. For pity's sake, how many times do I have to say this? Triumvirat are nothing like ELP! *Illusions on a Double Dimple* uses horns, girl background singers, there's a sax solo and the title track is a song about a German working class guy who lost his job. In what multiverse did Emerson Lake and Palmer work that way? (Yes, *Russian Roulette* and *Ala Carte* were terrible albums.) Also, I don't know what Andy's on about with Steve Hackett!!! (Yes, 3 exclamations.) *Till We Have Faces* is a ground breaking album that, along with Ryuichi Sakamoto's music, introduced me to world music. It's so wildly imaginative that it's intoxicating, with Asian themes and Brazilian percussion-- Steve's cutting edge on that LP. It's about as uncommercial as a wax cylinder recording. Perhaps Andy has it confused with *Cured,* which does feature shorter, pop-rock songs and the (then new) Linn Drum Machine.

I saw Emerson, Lake and Palmer with a 70 piece orchestra in the late seventies. It was everything you would expect. Emerson was quite the bombastic showman and there were some majestic moments. But it was not a memorable concert experience. A bit like empty calories...

GTR was one of the Asia ripoffs with Howe (after he left Asia) and Hackett. I remember being excited to hear it and then only liking the two instrumentals. Prog should have sat out the 1980s entirely. Sure, Rush had a few ‘80s albums that were either essential or great but also had some mediocre entries.

Your Peter Criss story Is hilarious! And i love Kiss by the way.

When The Proggers chased Asia is reminiscent of when Fusioners added vocals and crap lyrics.

There's nowt like a good slagging-off to get the creative juices flowing - very very funny, Andy - good therapy as well: if I ever need a pick-me-up, it's rants like these that do it, so thank you! Cheers, Ian

Krokus ? How can you not like "Playin' The Outlaw" ? They covered Randy Bachman songs ? Now I have to check out Power of 3. Thanks for the rant. I learned a lot. That Peter Criss story is so relate-able. You even touched on AI. Check out Kiss "The Elder".

Why does this bloody Yes Album keeps staring in my face? Do I have to listen to it now?

Sharp nine over diminished 13? Are you insane?

The same thing happened with my mother the other night. We got the call at 1:30 in the morning. Turns out she walked into the wrong bedroom because it was dark, got lost and panicked. When the POLICE broke in, she was fast asleep in her own bed. She forgot to ring the nerve centre to let them know. Anyway - carry on, Andy.

King Crimson made the transition into 80 successfully, at least for a time.

Very enjoyable video. Before we slag off the prog of the '80s too much, though, we need to reflect a bit on Kate Bush's output through that decade. And as for Triumvirat, I agree with everything you said about them, but "Spartacus" is a really enjoyable pop album (even with the ELP cliches, or maybe because of them) with great melodies, and the singer has such a beautiful voice--sounds like Cat Stevens with a German accent.

Absolutely hilarious. You could have been one of the blokes, I grew up with. And I am an American, I didn't know what the term "bloke" meant until I was 30+. LOL 😆

I don't care what you say about ELP nobody can take away the fact that they were the standard of musicianship that other groups were measured by especially in the early 1970s. Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer are both number one on their perspective instruments and Greg Lake is definitely one of the best singers and bass players. I agree love Beach isn't very good outside of one or two songs but that was a contractual thing😮

"Till We Have Faces" had its moments that were largely problematic due to ever present disease of over the top gated reverb on nearly every drum, cymbal or percussion instrument or bass guitar. The day that the "de-reverber" plug-in gets created some of these albums may be rescued from their production morass. Steve was a kick ass guitar player who was afraid to kick ass on his 80s records. He had great drummers on his older albums but despite the fact that he had legendary brazilian percussionists on this record, many of those parts were pared away for..... drum machine - one would ask why. Some of the problems with many records are the "dogpiling" using production methods that were a trend at the time in the goal to get a hit record. The current trend is autotune. Anyway. Hilarious video at times. Kudos.

I do really like the song “ I Can’t Stop The Rain “ of the Criss solo album but the rest is unlistenable.

Lol. And I have a slightly deaf 84 year old mum, and the 2 year old Bowie the Cat. I now have new found respect for my Des O'Connor albums and will no longer use them as cushions for shitty prog and jazz records.

Wow you hit my least favorite prog album right away! I actually loved their first 2 albums, especially Spartacus. One of my favorite albums to really crank, but they declined after that. Pompeii had a couple good moments but then down, down, down. Russian Roulette was such an awful album! I knew they’d lost any pretense of being prog and I’d never buy another album from them. Also I’m a huge Steve Hackett but agree most of his solo efforts are forgettable although Spectral Mornings, Voyage of the Acolytes and Please Don’t Touch had classic progressive moments moments. Love that Steve keeps the classic Genesis albums alive. Saw his band play Selling England by the Pound and it blew the audience away.

Yeah you're on point with some of these duds.... a sad reflection when the record companies, the institutions and forces behind shaping our consciousness from those times had no use for the real musicians left over from the 70's.

Re: Steve Hackett's Till We Have Faces. The cover design always seemed second-hand to me as I'd seen it in Kim Poor's Genesis Lyrics book in a black and white version.

"I was at work one day, with some normal people... "

Trigger's broom = ship of Theseus

Regarding Scientology, I teach in Copthorne, they are literally around the corner! It is quite likely some of the kids I teach...

Russian Roulette is German Prog? With Porcaro on drums, Lukather on guitar, Hungate on bass, with Tim May, Neil Stubenhaus, Pete christlieb, Mike Gong, Robert Greenidge. It sounds like Toto.