1987 and 1989 recommendations

[Trane]

1987
11 Noir Désir Où Veux-tu qu'je R'garde? (EP) Fra 1987
10 Congreso Gira Al Sur (aka En Vivo) Chl 1987
10 U2 The Joshua Tree Ire 1987
10 Wondeur Brass Simoneda, Reine Des Esclaves Can 1987
10 Jethro Tull Crest Of A Knave


1989
11 Cooper, Lindsay Oh, Moscow Eng 1989
11 Noir Désir Veuillez Rendre l'âme (à Qui Elle Appartient) Fra 1989
10 Nuova Era Dopo l'Infinito Ita 1989





Zeuhlmate: I can think of at least two albums in your 87 list that date from 86

[Svetonio]

Blue (1987) by Terje Rypdal & The Chasers

[Progbear]

1987:

Iconoclasta: Soliloquio
Minimum Vital: Les saisons marines*
Mr. Sirius: Barren Dream
Now: Everything Is Different Now
Outer Limits: The Scene of Pale Blue
Jane Siberry: The Walking
Univers Zero: Heatwave
Vermilion Sands: Water Blue

1989:

The Blue Nile: Hats
Djam Karet: Reflections From the Firepool
Pageant: The Pay for Dreamer’s Sin
The Painted Word: Lovelife
Todd Rundgren: Nearly Human
Judie Tzuke: Turning Stones
XTC: Oranges & Lemons

Definitely not much prog of note from ’89, though I chose not to list archival releases by Yezda Urfa and Opus-5, which I nonetheless recommend.

*note that the vinyl release contains a track not on the CD.

[Firth]

Marillion

Clutching at Straws (1987)
Seasons End (1989)

[Firth]

Blaze of Glory - Joe Jackson 1989

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

lots of great music from those 2 years, even if it isnt *all* Symph style (about 80% are within one of the various styles of Prog)... here are my favs

1987:
U2 The Joshua Tree
Gamalon Gamalon
Isildurs Bane Sagan om Ringen
Low Flying Aircraft Low Flying Aircraft
Minutemen Three Way Tie (for Last)
Satriani, Joe Surfing with the Alien
Tribu Cuauhtemoc Agulia Solar
Watanabe, Kazumi Spice of Life
Boffo, Jean Pascal Carillons
Cure, The Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
Djam Karet The Ritual Continues
Iconoclasta Soliloquio
Iconoclasta Suite Mexicana (EP)
Rypdal, Terje and the Chasers Blue
Scofield, John Blue Matter
Sharrock, Sonny Seize the Rainbow
Alomar, Carlos Dream Generator
Bartz, Jim Pictures of Earth + Space
Bellaphon Firefly
Bourelly, Jean-Paul Jungle Cowboy
Coleman, Steve / Five Elements World Expansion
Connors, Bill Assembler
Fents, The The Other Side
Guadalcanal Diary 2x4
Lanz, David & Paul Speer Desert Vision
Macalpine, Tony Maximum Security
Red Hot Chili Peppers The Uplift Mofo Party Plan
REM Document
Startled Insects Curse of The Pheromones
Torn, David Cloud About Mercury

1989:
Isildurs Bane Cheval - Volonte de Rocher
Nuova Era Dopo l'Infinito
Bush, Kate The Sensual World
Livgren, Kerry One of Several Possible Musiks
Watkins, Kit Azure
Cross, David Memos from Purgatory
Gorizont (aka Horizont) Portret Malchika (The Portrait of a Boy)
Ozric Tentacles Pungent Effulgent
Rypdal, Terje The Singles Collection
Vollenweider, Andreas Dancing with the Lion
Arsenal Scorched by Time IV
Bad Brains Quickness
Davis, Miles Amandla
Davis, Miles Aura
Djam Karet Reflections From the Firepool
Dugrenot, Joel Mosaiques
Fire Merchants Fire Merchants
Hamm, Stu Kings of Sleep
Hellborg, Jonas Adfa
Iconoclasta En Busca de Sentido
Kenso Sparta
Kotzen, Richie Richie Kotzen
Krieger, Robbie No Habla
Material Seven Souls
Morse, Steve High Tension Wires
Red Hot Chili Peppers Mother's Milk
Watanabe, Kazumi Kilowatt

[spacefreak]

1987
Still a great year for all types of non-mainstream stuff. With probably two of last great commercial rock records: "Appetite for destruction" and "Joshua Tree".

my list (including metal and punk)
ALGEBRA SUICIDE The secret like crazy
AMEBIX Monolith
BAND OF HOLY JOY When stars came out to play
BATHORY Under the sign of the black mark
BEVIS FROND Inner marshland
BIOTA Tinct
BLITZOIDS Stealing from helpless children
BUTTHOLE SURFERS Locust abortion technician
CAMBERWELL NOW Greenfingers
CANDLEMASS Nightfall
CASSIBER Perfect worlds
CELTIC FROST Into the pandemonium
CHUMBAWAMBA Never mind the ballots, here's the rest of our lives
COIL Horse rotorvator
CRANIOCLAST Somnii palus (Cris con tala)
CREEPS Enjoy the creeps
CURRENT 93 Imperium
Danielle DAX Inky bloaters
DEAD CAN DANCE Within the realm of a dying sun
DEATH Scream bloody gore
DIMENTIA 13 Mirror mind
Roberto DONNINI Tunedless 2
DUKES OF STRATOSPHERE Psonic psunspot
EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN Fünf auf der nach oben offenen richterskala
ELECTRO HIPPIES The only good punk… is a dead one (+extra)
EZRA WINSTON Myth of the Chrysavides
F/i Why not now? ...Alan!
Fred FRITH The technology of tears
Peter FROHMADER Through time and mystery
Limpe FUCHS Via
GREEN PAJAMAS Book of hours
Randy GREIF Bacteria and gravity
GUNS 'N' ROSES Appetite for destruction
HAFLER TRIO A thirsty fish
Robyn HITCHCOCK Globe of frogs
Edward KA SPEL Aaäzhyd, China doll
KALABRIS Kalabris
KINOTHEK PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE Adventure
LA 1919 Ars srA
LES 4 GUITARISTES DE L' APOCALYPSO BAR Tournee mondiale
LOOP Heaven's end
MACROMASSA Macromissa
MAYHEM Deathcrush
MUSLIMGAUZE Abu Nidal
NAPALM DEATH Scum
NECRODEATH Into the macabre
Peter NOOTEN & Michael BROOKS Sleeps with the fishes
O YUKI CONJUGATE Into dark water
OPAL Happy nightmare baby
ORGANUM Rasa
OUTSKIRTS OF INFINITY Lord of the dark skies
PENTAGRAM Day of reckoning
PLASTIC PEOPLE OF THE UNIVERSE Midnight mouse
PLASTICLAND Salon
RED TEMPLE SPIRITS If tomorrow I were leaving for Lhasa, I wouldn't stay a minute more
RENALDO AND THE LOAF The elbow is taboo
REPORTAZ Reportaz
REVOLUTIONARY ARMY OF THE INFANT JESUS The gift of tears
RIMARIMBA Chicago death excretion geometry
ROYAL FAMILY AND THE POOR In the sea of E
S.O.B. Don't be swindle
SARCOFAGO I.N.R.I.
SHAMEN Drop
SIGILLUM S Bardo Thos-Grol
SIXTH COMMUNION Content with blood
SLAUGHTER Strappado
SLEEP CHAMBER Sexmagick ritual
SONIC YOUTH Sister
SOVIET FRANCE Shouting at the ground
STEAMING COILS Never creak
David SYLVIAN & Holger CZUKAY Plight and premonition
Ghedalia TAZARTES Tazartes
THINKING PLAGUE Moonsongs
THIS KIND OF PUNISHMENT In the same room
THROBBING GRISTLE Very friendly: First annual report
Matthias THUROW Cornucopia
TRISOMIE 21 Million lights
UR KAOS Ur kaos
Edward VESALA Lumi
VIETNAM VETERANS Catfish eyes and tales
VOIVOD Killing technology
WHEN Drowning but learning
WIPERS Follow blind
WONDEUR BRASS Simoneda; Reine des esclaves
YELLOW SUNSHINE EXPLOSION Yellow sunshine explosion
YOUNG GODS The young Gods
ZERO KAMA The secret eye of L.A.Y.L.A.H.
John ZORN Spillane

[spacefreak]

1989
A transitional year. Innovation in the extreme metal and punk/hardcore fields is starting to wither, prog is quasi non-existent and only industrial and avant/RIO are going strong...

the list
AFTER DINNER Paradise of replica
ART ZOYD Nosferatu
BIRDSONGS OF THE MESOZOIC Faultline
BLACK SUN ENSEMBLE Lambent flame
Glenn BRANCA Symphony No6 (Devil choirs at the gates of heaven)
CARCASS Symphonies of sickness
CENTRAL EUROPE PERFORMANCE Breakfast in the ruins
CHRYSANTHEMUMS Little flecks of foam around barking
CURE Disintegration
Ross DALY Free point
DAMENBART Impressionen '71
DE FABRIEK Labish intermediaries
DEVIATED INSTINCT Gutural breath
DEVIL DOLL The girl who was... death
DJAM KARET Reflections from the firepool
EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN Haus der luge
EN PLO En plo
FORREST FANG The wolf at the ruins
Frank W. FROMY Quatre axes mutants
FUSHITSUSHA Untitled
FUZZTONES In heat
Peter GABRIEL Passion
GALAXIE 500 On fire
GODFLESH Streetcleaner
H.N.A.S. Gegenstande fallen zu boden
HAFLER TRIO & THEE TEMPLE OV PSYCHICK YOUTH Dreamachine
ISILDURS BANE Cheval - Volonte de rocher
Henry KAISER & SergeiKURIOKHIN Popular science
Boris KOVAC Ritual nova
Jonsson LACHEN Songs from cities of decay
LAIBACH Macbeth
LEGENDARY PINK DOTS The legendary pink box
LIEUTENANT CARAMEL Lieutenant Caramel
LOCH NESS Ox
LORD FLIMNAP Point of view
Stephen MICUS The music of stones
MONOTON Monotonprodukt MCMLXXXIX
MORBID ANGEL Altars of madness
MORPHOGENESIS Prochronisms
MOTHER GONG The owl and the tree
MOTOR TOTEMIST GUILD A Luigi Futi
MUDHONEY Superfuzz bigmuff
NAKED CITY Torture garden
NOCTURNAL EMISSIONS Spiritflesh
NUOVA ERA Dopo l' infinito
OPUS AVANTRA Strata
OZRIC TENTACLES The bits between the bits
POISON GAS RESEARCH & THESSALONIANS The black field
PSYCHIC TV Kondole - Ov dolphins and whales
REPORTAZ Up the river
RIDE Ride
SAINT VITUS V
SAW THROAT Indestroy
SEPULTURA Beneath the remains
Riccardo SINIGAGLIA Correnti magnetiche
SPACEMEN 3 Playing with fire
STEPPES Enquire within
SWANS Children of God
David SYLVIAN & Holger CZUKAY Flux and mutability
TANGLE EDGE In search of a new dawn
TERRORIZER World downfall
TEST DEPARTMENT Gododdin
THE EX Joggers and smoggers
THINKING PLAGUE In this life
TIMES E for Edward
ULTRA Zoll
UR KAOS A terrible beauty is born
USE OF ASHES The castle of fair welcome
VOIVOD The nothing face
WERKBUND Aquis submersus
XTC Oranges and lemons
YOUNG GODS L' eau rouge
ZGA Riga

[Scrotum Scissor]

1987

BEVIS FROND Inner marshland
BIOTA Tinct
BUTTHOLE SURFERS Locust abortion technician
CAMBERWELL NOW Greenfingers
CASSIBER Perfect worlds
CELTIC FROST Into the pandemonium
COIL Horse rotorvator
CURE Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me
CURRENT 93 Imperium
DEAD CAN DANCE Within the realm of a dying sun
DEATH Scream bloody gore
DIMENTIA 13 Mirror mind
Roberto DONNINI Tunedless 2
DUKES OF STRATOSPHERE Psonic psunspot
EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN Fünf auf der nach oben offenen richterskala
EZRA WINSTON Myth of the Chrysavides
Fred FRITH The technology of tears
Peter FROHMADER Through time and mystery
HAFLER TRIO A thirsty fish
Edward KA SPEL Aaäzhyd, China doll
LA 1919 Ars srA
LES 4 GUITARISTES DE L' APOCALYPSO BAR Tournee mondiale
MACROMASSA Macromissa
NAPALM DEATH Scum
OPAL Happy nightmare baby
OUTSKIRTS OF INFINITY Lord of the dark skies
PLASTIC PEOPLE OF THE UNIVERSE Midnight mouse
REPORTAZ Reportaz
SHAMEN Drop
SONIC YOUTH Sister
SOVIET FRANCE Shouting at the ground
David SYLVIAN & Holger CZUKAY Plight and premonition
Ghedalia TAZARTES Tazartes
THINKING PLAGUE Moonsongs
UR KAOS Ur kaos
WHEN Drowning but learning
WONDEUR BRASS Simoneda; Reine des esclaves
YOUNG GODS The young Gods
John ZORN Spillane

All good, marked ones great and the underlined excellent. Those by Wondeur Brass, Camberwell, L'Apocalypso Bar and Thinking Plague are bonafide monsters.

[zravkapt]

Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation was pretty good.

[mellotron storm]

Holy that's a lot of music guys, thanks!
It will take some time but I'll go through these, much appreciated.

[Mythos]

Sorry for going off-topic, but two of the very best 80's albums were released in 1988 (right between 1987 & 1989) and they are:
1) The Wild Swans: Bringing Home the Ashes
2) The Sun & the Moon: (self titled)

[Trane]

Holy that's a lot of music guys, thanks!
It will take some time but I'll go through these, much appreciated.

Just so you know, my Noir Désir picks are anything but prog... Straight great French hard rock with thoughtful lyrics.

[mellotron storm]

Just so you know, my Noir Désir picks are anything but prog... Straight great French hard rock with thoughtful lyrics.

I did check them out Hugues and noticed that. A lot of these suggestions aren't necessarily Prog but it was lean times.

[mellotron storm]

Sorry for going off-topic, but two of the very best 80's albums were released in 1988 (right between 1987 & 1989) and they are:
1) The Wild Swans: Bringing Home the Ashes
2) The Sun & the Moon: (self titled)

I'm off to check them out, thanks!

[Scrotum Scissor]

A lot of these suggestions aren't necessarily Prog but it was lean times.

You mentioned Thule's debut in your OP; their second, Natt (means 'Night') was way better and came in 1989. It is generally considered one of the most extraordinary 'prog' albums ever from Norway - though mostly by Norwegians themselves (due to the lyrics, which are delivered in the northernmost dialect in the world). It DOES sport a fascinatingly chilling and eerie atmosphere still, so be sure to check it out if you haven't already. I personally have profound memories of the reception granted that album on release; most reviewers went completely lost in what they were hearing, sans sufficient frame of reference or other works to associate it with. I particularly recall a recension concluding that it "[...] may be heavy metal recording somehow gone wrong because of the insanity of the band members" or something. Listeners simply didn't know about progressive rock, although Thule were essentially influenced by some of the most well-known names like Rush, Pink Floyd and VdGG. The album (Natt) as such was actually even voted no. 54 on the list of Top 100 Norwegian albums by musicians, writers etc. in Morgenbladet (a very significant weekly here) in 2011.

[spacefreak]

^^
Thought it was from 1990 and haven't included in my 1989 list. Tremendous album considering the international stagnation of prog during that era.

[Trane]

I never really understood the hype around Thule: it's ok, but nothing incredibly special.

And apparently the Gnosis crowd (of which I am part of) rates their first two (I heard them both >> library system had them at the time) at 9.4 and ProgArchives around 3.5* sort of agrees with me.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Thought it was from 1990 and haven't included in my 1989 list.

Recorded mostly in late '89 and reached the shelves at the stores (remember those, folks?) by Christmas that year. Here in Norway, that is...

I relistened to it just recently and was quite moved by how well it holds up, partly because of that Fostex facility recording. For those unaware, Natt is an allegorical concept album about core developments in the 20th Century, seen from a view of an apparent arctic contemporary consciousness. The opening title track describes hopeless stagnation at the brink of cultural collapse (i.e WW1), the second track a search for escape and renewal (i.e. the events of 1917 and on), the third track marks an era of social chaos (20s), the fourth an illustration of the rise of militant chauvinism (i.e. nationalism and the 30s resulting in WW2), the fifth an apocalypse and ensuing polar winter (sixth, an instrumental), before the lengthy "Langfærd" describes how the protagonists who set out searching find that when finally reaching shore, their endpoint turns out to be the exact same spot they tried to escape. The very last tune of the album, "Vinterbarn" ('Winter's Child') concludes how physical escape (as in revolution) is essentially futile and how identity and belonging stems from within. The narrative as such, however, is laid out as an apparent tale of juveniles attempting to flee their hometown near the North Cape. And the story is communicated with sheer gusto.

It was very much a fitting piece for 1989, to say the least.

[mellotron storm]

Thanks Scrots for all that info on Thule and especially Natt which sound like a very ambitious concept, I am a big fan. I do prefer the debut to Natt but for me both are essential.
I have Natt as a 1990 release but it makes sense it was recorded in 1989.

[Progbear]

A lot of these suggestions aren't necessarily Prog but it was lean times.

Only two of my suggestions from ’89 are what I’d consider to be “prog” albums. Don’t let that put you off the others.

I assume others didn’t bother mentioning Marillion for the same reason I didn’t: they’re hardly an unknown entity. I’d also add that I don’t think their work has aged particularly well; their albums got us folks bitten by the prog bug through some lean times, but I think folks have done a lot more with the same raw material both before and after. File under “good for its day.” They’re not albums I reach much for anymore.

[mellotron storm]

Only two of my suggestions from ’89 are what I’d consider to be “prog” albums. Don’t let that put you off the others.

I assume others didn’t bother mentioning Marillion for the same reason I didn’t: they’re hardly an unknown entity. I’d also add that I don’t think their work has aged particularly well; their albums got us folks bitten by the prog bug through some lean times, but I think folks have done a lot more with the same raw material both before and after. File under “good for its day.” They’re not albums I reach much for anymore.

No I wasn't complaining because I didn't specify. I just asked for some suggestions for those years. Secretly though I was hoping for some hidden gems that would fit under the umbrella of adventerous music and not so much the mainstream or well known. And as usual when I ask a question on here I get results so thanks everyone!

[Scrotum Scissor]

I was hoping for some hidden gems that would fit under the umbrella of adventerous music and not so much the mainstream or well known.

Og with Spyros' lists. They are exactly that.

[Trane]

Recorded mostly in late '89 and reached the shelves at the stores (remember those, folks?) by Christmas that year. Here in Norway, that is...

One Norway band/album that I find is totally unsung is Ravana's Common Daze (ok, it dates from 96, though )
Something's sooooooo bloodily melancholic about the album, yet there is an anger so clearly present as well. It oozes pain.
I find it Norway's best all-time album, TBH - well ahead of Panzerpappa and Elephant9

It's probably quite hard to find by now

[Gruno]

Chris Rea The Road To Hell (1989)

The Road to Hell is the tenth studio album by Chris Rea. It was released in 1989 and is one of Rea's most famous albums. The second part of the two-part title track, "The Road to Hell (Pt. 2)", is also one of Rea's most famous songs. The song "Texas" has been played through the years on Classic Rock/AOR radio stations in Texas, and is sometimes played as background music before Texas Rangers baseball games at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Another track, "Daytona", is about the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 "Daytona", in which he sings about the car metaphorically, with the engine and tyre noise from the car ringing out toward the end of the song. Also, the song "Tell Me There's a Heaven", was used in a 1991 public information film for the NSPCC.

The album cover features art by the English commercial artist, Adrian Chesterman,[3] who was also responsible for creating cover art for, amongst others, Motörhead's 1979 Bomber album.

Stay with it as this is the full version. Technically, it is "The Road To Hell: Parts I & II (U.K. Edit)"

I quite enjoy the guitar work here.