In the multitude of excelent music threads here something that rarely gets touched upon is is the early/mid seventies genre of 'progrock' (progressive, classic influenced rock music). Perhaps rightfuly so, the severe backlash to it that was punk rock pretty much nailed it's coffin and it's ilk has really not surfaced since. Now, if anything is a sure bet it is that what was once musically popular will once again in the great cycle eventually reappear. Perhaps the Next BIg Thing will be a band like Emerson Lake and Palmer. Though I have no particular desire to see it become so, for sure it eventually will. In my youth I was a rather big fan there of and though most of it sounds prententious (sp) now, there are a few that stand out as classics still. Genesis (when Peter Gabriel was still with them) 'The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway' is still in my alltime top ten. Almost beloved still is Supertramps 'Crime of the Century' Some of the King Crimson LP's like 'Larks Tongue in Aspic' 'Starless in Bible Black' and 'Red" still cut the mustard as well. So, what think you of this particular genre that included bands such as 'Yes' 'Triumverat' 'Nektar' 'Hawkwind' Alan Parsons' 'Kansas', Aamon Duul II, the above mentioned and so forth. Any love out there?
Yes is one of my top 5 bands of all time. I like that era in rock history and still enjoy listening to it.
I love me the hell out of some prog-rock...though none from the 70s. I prefer the more recent bands like Dream Theater, Spock's Beard, Flower Kings, etc. Those guys tear **** up.
Progrock is something I have gotten into a little bit but I don't find myself a huge fan. I have every Pink Floyd studio album and 6 Rush studio albums. However, I have read that most people consider only a couple of studio albums by these 2 groups to be true "progressive" rock albums. "Ummagumma" for example is a progressive album but I don't know if you can consider "The Wall" to be one. As for Rush, it seems like the dividing line is "Permanent Waves" - everything before that album like "2112", "A Farewell to Kings", and "Hemispheres" are progressive. Surfguy could shed more light on Rush and their "progressive" status. Besides those 2 bands, I also have the following: "In the Court of the Crimson King" - King Crimson "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" - King Crimson "Brain Salad Surgery" - Emerson Lake Palmer "The Fragile" - Yes "Selling England by the Pound" - Genesis "Point of Know Return" - Kansas I love the first KC CD, but Larks' was a little hard for me to appreciate. I wasn't too crazy on the ELP CD, but I am not willing to give up on them (yet) - I need to get "Trilogy". The Yes, Genesis, and Kansas CDs are all solid. Just recently got "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" and "Close to the Edge" (Yes). There is this woman on the Pink Floyd site I post at, that is a HUGE progressive rock fan. She likes bands that I have never even heard of (I am only familiar with the basic ones - the ones that everyone has heard of like Yes, ELP, King Crimson, Genesis, etc), so she is hardcore. Win - if you have any questions about any progressive CDs that you are looking into getting, let me know and I'll get her take on those albums and then pass that back to you.
I love Yes. Definetly one of my favorite bands. Many consider their album "Tales From Topographic Oceans" to be the epitomy of prog-rock gone too far. It was a double album that features only 4 songs, one for each side: 1) The Revealing Science Of God - Dance Of The Dawn 20:27 2) The Remembering - High The Memory 20:38 3) The Ancient - Giants Under The Sun 18:34 4) Ritual - Nous Sommes Du Soleil 21:35 The album came out in '74 and is based on the four part Hindu Shastric scriptures. However, "The Revealing Science of God" is one of my favorite Yes songs.
Mars Volta aren't huge, but they're on a major and get a little airplay. They certainly fit under the umbrella of prog.
i don't really care too much about putting bands in genre's but one thing caught my attention in this thread: RUSH 2112!!! gonna break out the vinyl this weekend just to hear this.
I was putzing around on Soulseek a week or two ago and found a 2001 Yes CD called Keystudio I had never heard of even though I am a big Yes fan and never miss them live. If you love Yes you will Love this CD. The are a lot of different versions of Jon Anderson with Squire, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe, White etc. etc. out there, some more pretentious than others but they may be their best under the Yes lable.
Consequences Godley & Creme One of the greatest underground progrock albums of all time! Godley and Crème from 10CC create a three disk album of mindbending consequences! A concept album about a man who has to write a symphony to calm the weather before it destroys the earth. Best listened to under the influence of hallucinogens.
If you like EL&P, you might also like Spock's Beard (which btw have been around for 10 years or so). There is actually a very healthy prog-metal scene right now that is lead by the likes of Dream Theatre. It is too heavy for my tastes though.
Wow, there's a whole genre of music I've never heard of, even though I know the bands it consists of. Strange.
Their new album, Frances the Mute, is amazing. The track that gets the radio play, The Widow, is the weakest song on the record IMO. It really doesn't give a good telling of what the rest of the record is like at all.
Another band from the early 70s that never really made the jump to stardom but put out some very aggressive albums was Gentle Giant! First concert I ever saw! Between the 5 members of the band they could play over 150 different instruments.
Gentle Giant - Now there's a band that a lot of people have a hard time getting into. In fact, one of their albums is named "Acquiring the Taste" I envy MCM for having seen them live! It is a mix of medieval, 20th century classical, Rock, and jazz with a touch of blues. Very interesting stuff. I would start with "Three Friends" LP as it is the most accessible. Now King Crimson is the OG of prog rock. "In the Court of the Crimson King" is definitely the beginning of the prog-rock era. "Red" is KC at the top of their game IMO. It's also their last album of their classic mid-seventies lineup of Bill Bruford - Robert Fripp - John Wetton. I would start with "Red" as it still holds up after all these years.
Dan, Mars Volta is getting huge airplay out here in SoCal - or at least 'The Widow' is. That song reminds me of Led Zep in many ways though especially the singers high-pitched singing. While distintly different than Plants, voice much of the phrasing is similar. They also seem to posses that since of Majesty that did Zepplin. Weakfromtoday, the Widow and a song or two from their previous albulm is all I know of Mars Volta, so I bow to your impressions of them as a whole.
