Supernatural Fairy Tales: The Progressive Rock Era (1996)

About this title: Right down to the Roger Dean-designed sleeve, this five-CD box set overview of 1967-1976 progressive rock is as grandiose as the music itself, which is not necessarily an unconditional recommendation. But give the compilation points for diversity and thoughtful selection. The expected superstars (Yes, Genesis, ELP, Procol Harum) are usually represented by unexpected cuts that haven't been played to death on FM radio. A lot of ground is covered, from Krautrock (Can, Amon Düül II) and symphonic keyboards (Rare Bird, Argent, the Nice's "America") to the Canterbury sound (Caravan, Hatfield & the ... read more

Tracks:

1. America [Bernstein/Sondheim]
2. Paper Sun [Capaldi/Winwood]
3. Repent Walpurgis [Fisher]
4. Private Sorrow/Balloon Burning [May/Povey/Pretty Th]
5. Legend of a Mind [Thomas]
6. Kings and Queens [McCarty/Relf]
7. Sympathy [Ashton/Gould/Kaffin]
8. Under the Sky [McDonald/Sinfield]
9. Searching [Schulze]
10. Sunrise [Brown/Kingdom Come]
11. The System/Babylon [Ferris/Vangelis]
12. Death Walks Behind You [Cann/Crane]
13. De Vierte Kuss [Gottsching/Schulze]
14. Killer [Banton/Hammill/Smit]
15. Oh Yeah [Can]
16. Knife Edge [Emerson/Frazer/Jana]
17. In the Land of Grey and Pink [Coughlan/Hastings]
18. It Happened Today [Kristina/Monkman]
19. Hocus Pocus [Akkerman/VanLeer]
20. Prophet/Marvelry Skimmer [Gustavson/Pembroke]
21. Perpetual Change [Anderson/Squire]
22. Lothlorien [Argent/White]
23. Ladytron [Ferry]
24. Radio [Stips/VanEck]
25. Dear Little Mother [Koppel/Koppel]
26. The Musical Box [Banks/Collins/Gabri]
27. Roll Over Beethoven [Berry]
28. New World [Cousins]
29. Celebration [Mussida/Premoli/Sin]
30. Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Pt. 1 & 2 [Emerson/Lake]
31. Dancing With the Moonlit Knight [Banks/Collins/Gabri]
32. Siberian Khatru [Anderson/Howe/Wakem]
33. Virginia Plain [Ferry]
34. Warrior [Powell/Turner/Turne]
35. Warinobaril [Artman/Bolliet/Eyha]
36. Mozambique [Heibi/Karrer/Knaup/]
37. Round and Round [Cousins]
38. Questions and Answers [Albrighton/Freeman/]
39. Fils de Lumiere [Decamps/Decamps]
40. Ritorno Al Nulla [Deirossi/Paglicua]
41. Without Words [Vedeaux]
42. Star Palace of the Sombre Warrior [Elliott]
43. Perfect Mystery [Gong]
44. Free Hand [Minnear/Shulman/Shu]
45. War [Blegvad/Moore]
46. Andra Satsen [Fitzpatrick]
47. Let's Eat (Real Soon) [Pyle/Sinclair]
48. Traccia II [DiGiacomo/Nocenzi]
49. Tröller Tanz (Ghost Dance) [Vander]
50. It's a Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl [Faust]
51. Mummy Was an Asteroid, Daddy Was a Small Non-Stick Kitchen Utensil [MacCormick]
52. Radar Love [Hay/Kooymans]
53. Inca Roads [Zappa]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.