Though perhaps not totally polite, I will admit my shock that this album isn’t discussed more among serious proggers. To my mind, prog really doesn’t get any better or more innovative than this. Though The Tangent is always extraordinary, this is The Tangent at its absolute best: weird; twisty; intelligent; cutting; affirming; angular; and organic.
My favorite part of the album, part VII of the third movement, “Afternoon Malaise”:
I shear the bolt, he turns the screw
We all have our part, and there’s one for you
And we’re all alone, yet surrounded by peers
Try to make our mark as we work off the years … crawling, marchingAnd we keep our homes if we pay our tax
I ask myself, “Just who struck that deal and just how far back?”
And some work for fortunes, some work for a dime
And some work for pensions, and some just do their time
And some of ’em build empires and some bring them down
Some work for recognition, ain’t we all just the clowns?‘Cos you can’t take it with you
There’s no luggage allowed
No you can’t take it with you
No matter how rich or proud
Your kids will sell it off on Ebay
For God’s sake don’t waste their time
‘Cos you can’t take it with you
You can leave just a little bit behind
Progarchy 
After seeing, over the past couple years, the sheer number of prog fans worldwide who have drunk the poison coolaid that is statism, I’m not too surprised that people don’t talk too much about Le Sacre Du Travail. It goes over their heads. I think Big Big Train still only has a cult following for the same reason. If people actually think that socialism works, then they’ll never understand the real meaning behind these great bands/albums. (Yeah, I know Tillison is a lefty, but he’s at least a great cultural critic and brilliant artist.)
Sorry – I’m feeling particularly curmudgeonly this evening.
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