Battle of the Disparate Prog Eras - Which band is superior? Or which do you prefer? YES or Porcupine Tree?

[treeduck]

Let us the prog gods know and we will adjudicate. Goodnight sweet princesses. 

[Segue Myles]

Yes all day everyday 

[treeduck]

57 minutes ago, Segue Myles said:

Yes all day everyday 

I didn't know you were aware of the popular prog rock beat and skiffle band YES. 

[Segue Myles]

1 hour ago, treeduck said:

I didn't know you were aware of the popular prog rock beat and skiffle band YES. 

I love their rub of albums from their debut through to Drama. Tales From Topographic Oceans is one of my top favourite albums of the seventies.

[Nova Carmina]

5 hours ago, Segue Myles said:

Yes all day everyday 

 

I came here to chew bubble gum and say this, but now I'm all out of gum and Segue already said it, so I'll just quote him.

[bluefox4000]

This one is tough.  Because i think for Higher Highs.  Yes has it.

 

BUT I think PT is a far more consistent and enjoyable band for me.

 

Porcupine Tree it is.

 

Mick

[stoopid]

Yes wins this one, but it's close.  I listen to more PT nowadays though.

[BastillePark]

Yes is pretty hit or miss for me but Porcupine Tree has many more hits than misses. 

[bluefox4000]

8 minutes ago, BastillePark said:

Yes is pretty hit or miss for me but Porcupine Tree has many more hits than misses. 

 

 

Facts.  I think in the grand scheme i only love......like truly LOVE.....maybe 4 Yes records.  ii love PT from like  2000 on.  that's like 7 or 8 albums.

 

i just find PT has a far more enjoyable body of work as a whole.

 

Mick

 

Edited October 1, 2023 by bluefox4000

[stoopid]

I think "superior" is the keyword here.  The criteria for how that is measured by each of us can be vastly different.  

Edited October 1, 2023 by stoopid

[stoopid]

Only thing I'll add is that Yes had commercial success on a level PT never even sniffed.  Yes has staples on classic rock radio/streaming to this day.  90125 alone sold as many copies as all of PT's albums combined.  If we're talking superior and not personal preference, all members of Yes were virtuosos (widely accepted as standard bearers for rock and prog) on their respective instruments, received immense mainstream radio airplay, and sold charting multi platinum albums and had hit singles.  'Superior' by any measure I can think of.

 

The only modern prog band that could be in the same room as Yes would be Dream Theater.  In 50 years, for better or worse, PT will be a footnote on prog.

 

As we all know and I harp on a lot on this and other forums/pages, whether or not something is widely accepted or commercially successful should have no bearing on whether or not we enjoy it.  I enjoy PT immensely.  But I'm not obtuse enough to pan reality.  PT are by no means the best prog band in existence, which is what they would need to be to hop Yes on a 'superiority' list.

Edited October 1, 2023 by stoopid

[BastillePark]

For the record, Steven Wilson detests the "prog" label for his music. 

[stoopid]

Just now, BastillePark said:

For the record, Steven Wilson detests the "prog" label for his music. 

Rush often did as well.

[BastillePark]

5 minutes ago, stoopid said:

Rush often did as well.

Rightfully so. Some of their music could be considered prog but it's much more straight ahead rock or hard rock. PT and Steven Wilson has produced a much wider variety of music but for some reason the prog label is what stuck. Personally I think that's because prog heads like to think their music is superior to other types, especially that vapid pop music (which Steven Wilson has made too).

[bluefox4000]

30 minutes ago, BastillePark said:

For the record, Steven Wilson detests the "prog" label for his music. 

 

Well he shouldd stop remastering prog albums

 

i kid but he's a friggin' riddle in an enigma wrapped in a question mark.

 

Mick

[Segue Myles]

22 minutes ago, bluefox4000 said:

 

Well he shouldd stop remastering prog albums

 

i kid but he's a friggin' riddle in an enigma wrapped in a question mark.

 

Mick

Am I Steven Wilson?

[grep]

I can't rate one of these 2 over the other..... they are very un-alike in my mind. 

Would be like trying to say that ELP or Marillion were superior to each other.

[BastillePark]

1 hour ago, grep said:

I can't rate one of these 2 over the other..... they are very un-alike in my mind. 

Would be like trying to say that ELP or Marillion were superior to each other.

Easy, ELP. 

[pjbear05]

Yes; but the current Steve Howe run joke needs to just stop.

[goose]

10 hours ago, bluefox4000 said:

This one is tough.  Because i think for Higher Highs.  Yes has it.

 

BUT I think PT is a far more consistent and enjoyable band for me.

 

Porcupine Tree it is.

 

Mick

Same here.  I listen to Porcupine Tree a lot, but rarely Yes.

[zepphead]

Being the old codger that I am .... It has to be Yes for me!

[custom55]

The first time I was back in 1972 and Fragile was playing.

 

 

Edited October 3, 2023 by custom55

[zepphead]

[Entre_Perpetuo]

PT I’m still slowly exploring. They’re fantastic, but I have to be in the right mood. Yes are formative for me. They’re a bit inconsistent at times, but when they’re on they’re indispensable.

[bluefox4000]

23 minutes ago, Entre_Perpetuo said:

PT I’m still slowly exploring. They’re fantastic, but I have to be in the right mood. Yes are formative for me. They’re a bit inconsistent at times, but when they’re on they’re indispensable.

 

 

i can agree about yes.  i'll never take anything from their importance and when they were on........NO one like them.

 

BUT boy some of their lows just blow chunks

 

Like i have to be honest.  i can't get into any of the latter day anderson led records.....i tried but no.

 

and UNION? da fukk? lol

 

So yea i think PT just kill yes with the overall quality.  no contest.

 

Glad your trying them.  i think they're WAY up your alley.

 

Mick