The Flower Kings — Alive On Planet Earth (2000, CD): One of the best mixes for a live album that I have ever heard; also features a great setlist with some of the songs being from the band members' solo albums; the highlight is the band improvising on "Judas Kiss".

Transatlantic — Live In Europe (2003, CD/DVD): Neal Morse sums this show up when toward the end he stats to the crowd, that they're "actually filming a good show." The band is in top notch form, and the video is very well shot/edited.

Pain Of Salvation — 12:5 (2004, CD): This acoustic performance features the band rearranging songs from their catalog into three movements. While it is a live performance, this should not be judged to be just a live performance of previously recorded songs. This CD also features great production.

Dream Theater — Live At Budokan (2004, CD/DVD): This entry makes it specifically for the video. Shot in widescreen format, the production is first class. The camera crew gets all the right shots (OK...they probably missed a couple) and the camera crew even used the rule of thirds at times by positioning singer James LaBrie off center.

Rush — R30 (2005, CD/DVD): Also a great looking video, R30 is also filmed in wide screen. Rush's second concert video released in the last few years, this one makes up for the mess of Rush In Rio. While Rush In Rio features a longer setlist, the editing was a mess, making it almost unwatchable. I would have liked to see the entire setlist in this one, but the quality makes up for the shorter set.

Rush — A Show Of Hands (1988, Video; re-released for DVD in 2006): This is an honorable mention. Although there is a CD release as well, it's the video with the longer setlist that deserves mention. Rush in the 80s was dominated by synthesizers and keyboards. But this live recording demonstrates why Rush is a live band. Songs such as "Marathon", "Prime Mover", and "Territories" take on added life as the band gives these songs an extra punch that's sorely missing on the studio versions.

Porcupine Tree — Arriving Somewhere... (2006, DVD): Filmed in Chicago over two nights, this DVD features a great audio production with an unusual approach to the video. Don't pick this one up if you want to carefully study the playing of the band as this release features a lot of cuts and a lot of effects with the video. It works because the look very much compliments the musical style of the band. The DVD closes with "Trains", complete with Steven Wilson breaking a string in the middle of the song.

If I were to try and create a list of favorite songs, it would be a near impossible task. So I've narrowed it down to three songs that have been my top three songs for at least four or five years now. They are listed in order.

Rush — The Spirit of Radio: My alltime favorite song since around 1993 or so. This track features a great guitar run, great lyrics that can help get the day off to a great start, and great playing from all band members.

Spock's Beard — Day For Night: My second favorite song, this track is also upbeat like "The Spirit of Radio". The song has a big opening, and the final chorus blows me away every time.

Enchant — In The Dark: From Break, this song lyrically has a lot of meaning for me. The song is about life's uncertainties ("I wonder what my life will be / What lies ahead for the people close to me"). I was finishing my college degree when I first heard this song, so I could easily relate to this song.

In order by release date...

Pink Floyd — Wish You Were Here (1975)
The follow-up to the blockbuster Dark Side of the Moon, this album featured the suite "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" (broken into two track beginning and ending the album) along with three shorter songs. Both "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and the title track became the album's signature pieces, but all the tracks are equally strong. "Welcome To The Machine" is a sonic masterpiece, with going back and forth between the left and right channels. "Have A Cigar", in addition to being the one straight forward rock song to help break up the album, contains some of Pink Floyd's most memorable lyrics. And although the title track has become an anthem over the last 30 years to represent the separation in our lives, this album centers around "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", a song both lyrically and musically dedicated to ex-bandmate Syd Barrett.

Rush — Hemispheres (1978)
From the 90s onward, Rush and Kiss went back and forth for the highest number of gold-certified albums. While Rush has released a lot of great music since the mid-70s, the Canadian trio has only released a few album that from start to end can be considered great albums. Moving Pictures would be the album most would mention, but for me Hemispheres is the best album Rush has ever done. And it's certainly in my top 10 ever. The album starts off with the title suite, which is the second part to "Cygnus X-1", a song off Rush's previous album. The track deals with mythology (Apollo, Dionysus, and Olympus are mentioned throughout) and the creation of the fictional God Cygnus. Two shorter tracks follow, "Circumstances", which features a great bass line, and "The Trees", a fan favorite that uses maple and oak trees to represent a labor struggle. "La Villa Strangiato" is the fourth a final track, a nine and a half minute instrumental labeled as "An excercise in Self-Indulgence". The trio show off their respective chops this twelve part instrumental.

Dream Theater — Images and Words (1992)
In terms of progressive music, this is one of the most important albums ever released. Dream Theater's 1992 breakthrough release saved progressive music. Without it, established bands such as Rush and Yes would have still continued their great careers. Others on this list would not have been so fortunate. As suggested by the album's title, the music and lyrics are here to create a picture for the listener. From the Hamlet inspired "Pull Me Under" to the beautiful poetry of "Learning To Live", the album truly treaded new ground...and not even radio could ignore it as three songs received heavy radio airplay during 1992 and 1993. When I purchased this CD in early 1993, little did I know how this would truly transform me. Since then, my musical direction has truly shifted toward progressive artists such as Dream Theater. This is the album that resurrected a genre of music as well as started my journey into progressive music. This recording features several of the band's signature pieces, including "Metropolis Part I" which would inspire the recording of Scenes From A Memory, my 1999 release of the year.
Genre (as classified on Ghostland): Progressive Metal

Marillion — Brave (1994)
Marillion recorded this concept masterpiece at the Chateau Marouatte in the Dordogne region of France. Even though a lot of writing had taken place before the recording stage began, this location no doubt helped to shape the haunting atmosphere surrounding this album. Inspired by a news story of a girl wandering a bridge unable to speak and unable to remember her identity, the lyrics create a fictional story of the girl's life. The album features a few standout tracks, including "Living With The Big Lie" and the beautiful "The Great Escape". The emtional high point of the album is the opening of "Brave" which features Uilleann Pipes (similar to bagpipes), although the album features other emotional high points throughout the album. I didn't pick this one up until the middle of 2005; it received weekly play over the next six months as I couldn't put it down. Dare I say, if I could only listen to one CD for the rest of my life, this one might be it.
Genre: Neo-Progressive

Dream Theater — Awake (1994)
The follow up to Images and Words, Dream Theater ensured that this album would stand on its own. Awake did not achieve the commercial success of Images and Words; perhaps the darker songs were just too harsh for the same AOR radio stations that embraced the group's previous release. However, many Dream Theater fans (including myself) rate this as the groups finest work. Emotion ("Voices"), anger ("The Mirror" and "Lie"), beauty ("Lifting Shadows Off A Dream"), and pain ("Space-Dye Vest"); it's all represented here. This album contains more variations of human emotion than just about any other album I have heard.
Genre: Progressive Metal

Enchant — A Blueprint of the World (1995)
This Californian quartet received immediate notice throughout the progressive community with this solid debut, a progressive masterpiece inspired by the likes of Rush and Marillion. A great guitar album, the songwriting is not a focused as it would be in later years for the band. Instead, soaring guitar runs rule this album, flowing throughout each song behind the vocal melodies. "At Death's Door" displays superb musicianship along with soaring melodies to create Enchant's signature song. Despite a weak closing track, this CD is commonly cited by progressive fans as one of the most important releases of the nineties. Enchant has since gone on to release about an album every other year, including Tug Of War, my 2003 release of the year.
Genre: Mix of Neo-Progressive with classic, melodic rock

Radiohead — OK Computer (1997)
What's an alternative rock album doing in my favorite list? Bottom line, this is one great album. And it certainly does have some progressive elements to it. I picked this one up based upon a recommendation from Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy. After seeing it on a top 10 list that he had out on Amazon.com, as well as knowing that Dream Theater had incorportated some Radiohead elements into their music, I put it on my wish list. It took two listens to realize that this is a masterpiece. From the straightforward opener "Airbag" to the progressive "Paranoid Android" to the poppy "Karma Police" to the guitar driven "Electioneering" to the beautiful, dynamic closing track "The Tourist", this release has a consistent atmosphere to it yet the songs are all very different.
Genre: Alternative Rock

The Flower Kings — Space Revolver (2000)
Not only does this make this list, it would make my top three list. This Swedish group led by progressive mastermind Roine Stolt (Kaipa, Transatlantic) had four releases under their belt prior to this one. The group keeps busy by releasing an album just about every year (with some of those releases being double albums). This tends to be a mixed blessing, because it takes time for even the best of songwriters to come up with good material. As good as those releases were, The Flower Kings risked becoming stale. With Space Revolver, a much more experimental approach was taken. It worked to perfection. Even the decision to split up the album's center piece, the 25-minute "I Am The Sun", into two different tracks starting and ending the album, worked to perfection. In between, no two tracks sound alike. "I Am The Sun" is the standout track on the album; the grand finale to the track is an absolute masterpiece of beauty and still send chills down my spine. The others tracks help create an album that standouts from all others. From bagpipe samples and harmonies on "Underdog" to the progressive puzzle of "Monster Within" to Jonas Reingold's lightning quick bass solo on the outstanding instrumental "Rumble Fish Twist" to Stolt's soaring guitar solo to at the end of "A King's Prayer", this album has it all.
Genre: Symphonic Progressive

Pallas — The Cross & The Crucible (2001)
Scottish progressive rockers Pallas created one of the best albums I have ever heard with this masterpiece. From the majestic opening of the title track (inspired by Mozart's Requiem) to the gradual buildup during the second half of "Midas Touch" that results in a climatic closing, the CD has a huge feel to it. The closing track, "Celebration!", comes after "Midas Touch", and it feels like the band coming back for an encore after the previous eight tracks. The album tackles topics that have possessed mankind for all time: religion, science, and war. Not overly technical, the music is most powerful during the solos, such as the soaring guitar solo at the close of the title track and the organ solo midway through "Towers Of Babble" which has a wonderful reverb to create the feeling of being in a huge cathedral. And speaking about cathedrals, the background chants and vocals provides even more of a majestic feel.
Genre: Neo-Progressive

Pain Of Salvation — Remedy Lane (2002)
This dark masterpiece, writen mostly by band leader Daniel Gildenlöw, features a wide variety of styles and influences. But the thing that impresses me the most was how Gildenlöw arranged the songs, many of which featured a simple, repeating musical theme. "Undertow" is an example of this. The song starts with a simple guitar line, and this melody gets repeated over and over throughout the song. But the intensity grows throughout, led by Gildenlöw incredible vocals. Gildenlöw puts his heart into each songs, as represented by the heavy "A Trace Of Blood", which deals with Gildenlöw and his wife losing their first child through miscarriage. You can feel Gildenlöw's pain as he sings "It'll never be the same but I will love you just the same / I was prepared to be your father / How can I ever prepare for that again?" Odd beats on "Fandango" and "Rope Ends" take some getting used to, but it's these odd beats that make Pain Of Salvation unique...and difficult to categorize.
Genre: Progressive Metal, although with a touch of Symphonic at times

Porcupine Tree — Deadwing (2005)
Every Porcupine Tree album I own is a masterpiece. Steven Wilson, vocalist, guitarist, and founder/chief songwriter, has the unique ability to create a sonic masterpiece and then create another masterpiece after it that has an entirely different sound. Early Porcupine Tree could be best described as psychedelic with heavy early-Pink Floyd influences, but with 1996's Signify Wilson started to take a more direct approach. 2000's Lightbulb Sun features several songs that have a very commercial, accessible feel to it; as a result Porcupine Tree landed a major deal with Atlantic Records. But their next release, 2002's In Absentia, changed directions again going with a very heavy feel. 2005's Deadwing is a culmination of Porcupine Tree's past styles. There is the psychedelic feel to "Arriving Somewhere But Not Here", the heavy guitar chords in the title track, and the beautiful "Lazarus". Any of the previously mentioned albums could have made my top 10, but it's only fitting that the album that brings together all the different styles gets mentioned here.
Genre: A combination of progressive, psychadelic, and alternative rock

Angra — Holy Land: This masterpiece from the Brazillian quintet combines native sounds with lightning-fast guitar licks and soaring ballads.

Ayreon — The Human Equation: Featuring Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie, as well as nearly a dozen other vocalists throughout the progressive community, this two-hour concept piece is best described as a Space Rock Opera. My 2004 album of the year.

The Beatles — Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: According to Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy, this is the album that started progressive music. I agree with this, as The Beatles changed from a straight ahead rock band into a group that experimented with different styles/sounds over their remaining years together.

The Beatles — Abbey Road: A great album throughout, the second half of Abbey Road contained a selection of short songs combined into one progressive "suite".

Dream Theater — Scenes From A Memory: The concept album became an instant classic as Dream Theater gave the fans what they wanted in Metropolis: Part II. My 1999 album of the year.

Enchant — Tug Of War: My 2003 album of the year, this overall solid album featured three outstanding tracks in "Sinking Sand", "See No Evil", and "Comotose".

Fates Warning — A Pleasant Shade of Gray: Featuring an industrial tone to this dark album, this release from the progressive metal group is their concept masterpiece.

The Flower Kings — Paradox Hotel: The ninth studio album from the group features a strong collection of songs connected by the theme of Earth as the hotel and humans being the guests. Features a few strong epic pieces, but the double CD stands apart from other CDs by the group by focusing on vocal driven melodies. If my top 10 list were a top 11 list, this might be on that list.

David Gilmour — On An Island: Very relaxing album to listen to with a lot of atmosphere to it, especially "The Blue" and "A Pocketful Of Stones". Features some classic sounding Gilmour solos.

Eric Johnson — Venus Isle: The guitar virtuouso creates a surreal and relaxing vibe with this release. About half the songs are instrumentals, including "Song For Lynette", one of the most beautiful and touching pieces of music ever created.

James LaBrie — Elements of Persuasion: LaBrie one-ups his Dream Theater bandmates in 2005, as his solo release turned out to be stronger than Dream Theater's Octavarium. LaBrie's third solo effort features a solid collection of songs with a great vocal performance and (finally!) an outstanding mix.

Marillion — Misplaced Childhood: One of the best progressive albums on the 1980s, this is Marillion's finest with original vocalist Fish.

Marillion - Marbles: Ten years after the release of Brave, Marillion releases their strongest album since in a decade. Available in either a double or single disc format, I have the single disc format (I often wonder if the additional material is just as good). The disc contains a varied collection of songs separated by the four short "Marbles" songs.

Neal Morse — ?: Morse's third Christian-themed solo album, this progressive mastermind hits a home run with this concept piece featuring guest performances from some of the greats of the progressive community.

Pain of Salvation — BE: Hands down, this is the most ambitious concept album ever released. Don't believe me? Just take a look at the source material. I'll lump the live recording of BE in with the studio version; the live recording was performed prior to the studio album being recorded. It features some great performances from the band with a small orchestra and deserves to be mentioned here.

Pallas — The Dreams of Men: Some of the material on this 2005 release is stronger than their prior release, which makes my top 10 list. However, there are a couple weaker songs that keeps this one from making that list. "Too Close to the Sun" and "Invincible" are absolute masterpieces.

Pink Floyd — Dark Side of the Moon: The greatest concept album of the 70s, this one set a record for consecutive number of week's on Billboards Top 200.

Porcupine Tree — Signify: The band's transition into creating songs with a more direct approach, the album still features some tracks with a heavy psychedelic influence. Features the standouts "Waiting" and "Dark Matter".

Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet: The follow up from Deadwing sees no drop off in solid songwriting and musicianship. This six song release has a bit more of a progressive, softer side compared with their previous release.

Queensryche — Operation Mindcrime: A great progressive metal concept album that helped this group achieve commercial success through the 90s.

Queensryche — Promised Land: The last great album by the Seattle quintet; seen as a commercial disappointment after the huge sales Empire racked up, but Queensryche fans consider this album one of their best. The album gets off to a rocking start with "I Am I" and "Damaged", but the middle section of "Promised Land", "Disconnected", and "Lady Jane" is the highlight. Geoff Tate also shines on "Someone Else".

RPWL — World Through My Eyes: This group has been compared to Pink Floyd by some. While this German progressive group certainly has some Floyd influences in their music, the band is certainly not a Floyd-clone.

Joe Satriani — The Extremist: Featured the hit "Summer Song", this was one of Satriani's more varied CD. While some of Satriani's albums tend to sound the same, songs such as "War", "The Extremist", and "New Blues" keep this one fresh throughout.

Spock's Beard — Beware of Darkness: I had to include one of Spock's Beards releases on this list; this is one of my favorite bands, but they don't have an album that stands out compared to others. With greats such as "The Doorway", "Walking On The Wind", and "Waste Away", this breakthrough album is the group's best.

Transatlantic — SMPTe: Of this progressive supergroup's two albums, this one received some criticism from being dominated by Neal Morse material. That may be true, but the material is great. Ironically, my favorite track is the one non-Morse original on the CD, "My New World", which Roine Stolt brought to the group. "We All Need Some Light" and "All of the Above" are the two other standout tracks.

2005 - Disc 1
Pallas - The Bringer of Dreams || Pallas - Invincible || RPWL - 3 Lights || Porcupine Tree - Lazarus || Porcupine Tree - Arriving Somewhere but Not Here || James LaBrie - Crucify || James LaBrie - In Too Deep || James LaBrie - Slightly Out of Reach || Spock's Beard - There Was A Time || Porcupine Tree - Glass Arm Shattering

2005 - Disc 2
RPWL - World Through My Eyes || Dream Theater - Panic Attack || Spock's Beard - NWC | Roine Stolt - Everyone Wants to Rule the World || Roine Stolt - Spirit of the Rebel || RPWL - Everything Was Not Enough || Dream Theater - Never Enough || Pain of Salvation (Live) - Lilium Cruentus || Pain of Salvation (Live) - Iter Impius || Rush (Live) Between the Wheels || Rush (Live) - Red Barchetta || Rush (Live) - Dreamline

2005 Notable Omissions
Neal Morse - Split into 12 tracks, the songs from "?" are really one song, thus making it too difficult to split into one or two songs.

2004 - Studio
IQ - Harvest of Souls || Ayreon - Day 17: Accident? || Ayreon - Day 18: Realization || Ayreon - Day 19: Disclosure || Ayreon - Day 20: Confrontation || Pain of Salvation - Dea Pecuniae || Neal Morse - Reunion || The Flower Kings - Cosmic Circus/Babylon || The Flower Kings - The Blade of Cain

2004 - Live
Dream Theater (Live at Budokan) - As I Am, The Dying Soul, and Stream of Consciousness || Pain of Salvation (12:5) - Genesis (Brickwork Part I), Undertow, and Chainsling || Enchant (Live at Last) - Mae Dae, At Death's Door, Sinking Sand, and Blindsided.

2004 Notable Omissions
Marillion - Marbles was one of the finest releases of 2004; unfortunately I didn't purchase it until long after making my best of CD for 2004.

2003 - Studio
Enchant - Sinking Sand || Conspiracy - New World || Ray Wilson - Goodbye Baby Blue || Neal Morse - Transformation/Ready To Try || Spock's Beard - The Bottom Line || Dead Soul Tribe - Feed (Parts I and II) || Dream Theater - In The Name of God || OSI - Dirt From A Holy Place || Tomas Bodin - Morning Will Come (edit) || Enchant - Comotose

2003 - Live
The Flower Kings (Meet The Flower Kings) - Silent Inferno || Pallas (The Blinding Darkness) - The Cross and the Crucible, For The Greater Glory, and Blood and Roses || Transatlantic (Live In Europe) - Stranger In Your Soul || Rush (Live In Rio) - YYZ, Resist, and The Spirit of Radio

2002 - Disc 1
Dream Theater - The Glass Prison || Joe Satriani - Mind Storm || Rush - One Little Victory || Rush - Vapor Trail || Pain of Salvation - Fandango || Pain of Salvation - A Trace of Blood || The Flower Kings - Fast Lane || The Flower Kings - Vox Humana || Spock's Beard - Second Overture/4th of July/I'm The Guy || Spock's Beard - Looking For Answers || Porcupine Tree - Blackest Eyes || Porcupine Tree - Heartattack In a Layby

2002 - Disc 2
The Flower Kings - Devil's Playground || Enchant - Under Fire || Enchant - Prognosis || Porcupine Tree - Trains || Porcupine Tree - The Sound of Muzak || Pain of Salvation - Undertow || Pain of Salvation - Beyond the Pale || Dream Theater - Disappear || Spock's Beard - Southside of the Sky

2001
The Flower Kings || Last Minute on Earth || Marillion - Quartz || NDV - Dream in Red || Pallas - The Blinding Darkness || Devin Townsend - Fluke (edit) || Mullmuzzler - Save Me || Transatlantic - Stranger in Your Soul || Porcupine Tree - Buying New Soul

2000
Geddy Lee - My Favorite Headache || Enchant - Rough Draft || Platypus - Gone || Planet X: Inside Black || Porcupine Tree - Russia on Ice || Fates Warning - One || The Flower Kings - Underdog || Transatlantic - We All Need Some Light || Spock's Beard - The Great Nothing

1999
Yes - Homeworld (The Ladder) || Platypus - I'm With You || Liquid Tension Experiment - When the Water Breaks || Dream Theater - Home || Porcupine Tree - Even Less || Mullmuzzler - Shores of Avalon || Angra - The Shaman || Spock's Beard - Day For Night || The Flower Kings - Astral Dog

Official Band Sites
 
Dream Theater
Enchant
The Flower Kings
James LaBrie
Marillion
Neal Morse
Pain Of Salvation
Pallas
Pink Floyd
Porcupine Tree
RPWL
Rush
Spock's Beard
Transatlantic

Other Sites
 
Dutch Progressive Rock Pages
Ghostland
Inside/Out Music
MikePortnoy.com
NEARfest
Radiant Records