Reply #11: In a battle between Mike Rutherford and Chris Squire.....

[RandomKoolzip]

I would have no idea who to root for, except maybe Armand Rickenbacker. And Roger Waters barely qualifies as a player (great writer/voacalist, though) so in the most important prog criteria to me, bass assault, I'd have to consider Genesis/Yes in a tie, with Floyd a distant second.

In a battle of vocalists, Gabriel hands down (screw Phil Collins-led Genesis), Gilmour a close second, and Anderson a third. However, Yes's group harmonies are far above and beyond what the others could acheive in that area-Floyd barely even considered harmonies- so Yes might finish first in its own category.

Guitarists? Howe, Gilmour, Hackett, in that order.

Drummers? Bruford, Collins, White, and Nick Mason in a WAY-distant fourth. Sorry, Nick, but you're a pretty leaden drummer, to tell the truth.

Keyboardists? Wakeman, Wright, then Banks. Banks's Mellotron work is astoundisng still, but a lot of Genesis is filled with baroque noodling about on the piano, thus causing some boredom and giving fuel to the anti-proggers' arguments.

Lyricists? WATERS, WATERS, WATERS. Then Gabriel, way in the back, then.....even further back, Anderson's embarrassing pseudo-deep piffle, wacking its sad erection against a copy of Gilbran's "The Prophet." Mountains come out of the sky. And....they.....uh, stand there. Oooooooh.

Overall total psychedelicness (i.e. which is best for getting high/tripping)? Yes, Genesis, Floyd. "Close to the Edge" is THEE ultimate tripping album, followed by "Topographic Oceans," "Foxtrot," "Fragile," "Animals (fave Floyd alb for me) " "Lamb Lies Down," "Dark Side of the Moon," "Yes Album," "Selling England," "Wish You Were Here," "Trespass," "The Wall," "Relayer," and "Meddle," in that order.

So? Yes/Genesis in first, Floyd second.

ON EDIT: Gosh, it feels so odd saying all that then looking at my sig pic with Rotten staring at me.....