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12.14pm
12 November 2015
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I thought maybe we could use a thread to discuss Prog/Art Rock. But maybe that’s just me, considering that it’s my favorite sub-genre of rock.
For those unaware, Progressive or “Prog” Rock is a genre that was popular in the early 70’s. Basically, it takes the blues influence of rock music, and replaces it with jazz and classical influence. Prog songs often utilize complex song structures, weird key signatures, odd instruments, and of course, lengthy songs. Well-known prog bands include Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, Jethro Tull (my favorite!), Rush, Emerson Lake & Palmer, and Gentle Giant. Unfortunately, Prog-Rock kinda died in the late 70’s when Punk and New Wave took over the charts. Though in more recent years the genre has seen somewhat of a revival.
Similar, but not synonymous to Prog, is Art Rock. Definitions vary, but I consider Art Rock to be less focused on the musical proficiency and classical influence, and more focused on music as an artistic statement. Concept albums are especially common in this genre. Art Rock bands include Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues, and I guess kinda-sorta The Beatles.
Here are some of my favorite Prog songs:
So what are your thoughts? Personally, I’m a huge Prog Dork, but I could totally understand hating the genre. Am I the only one?
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vonbonteeGrooving some cookie spaghetti since 1968.
1.34pm
11 November 2010
Offline Hit or miss with me. Some of it’s bad, some of it’s great.
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limitlessundyingloveI'm Necko. I'm like Ringo except I wear necklaces.
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8.28pm
23 July 2016
Offline My favorite Prog band has to be Queen. I remember listening to them on my small radio back in the 70’s, along with AC/DC, KISS, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and many others.
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9.38pm
12 November 2015
Offline HMBeatlesfan said
My favorite Prog band has to be Queen. I remember listening to them on my small radio back in the 70’s, along with AC/DC, KISS, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and many others.
I love Queen too! I wouldn’t say they’re strictly a prog band though, they’re almost their own genre. Queen II is super progged-out though. I love that record!
Grooving some cookie spaghetti since 1968.
8.18pm
14 February 2016
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Genesis was a bloody great progressive band. I could listen to them all day.
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NeckoI am you as you are you as you are you and you are all together.
11.54pm
14 February 2016
Offline Okay, double posting, but whatever.
Prog rock has become my favourite music genre of all time. (With Genesis being possibly my fave band of all time).
I don’t know what it is about it, but all the winding melodies, awesome guitar solos, and amazing keyboard players really appeals to me.
I’ve only gotten into a few prog bands as of yet, including, Yes, ELP, Genesis, Jethro Tull, and Camel. They’re all utterly amazing. (Unfortunately I’ve yet to get into King Crimson.)
Even some bands that aren’t prog but progress a lot are good.
(Pink Floyd, Moody Blues, etc…)
Yep, love prog.
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BeatlebugI am you as you are you as you are you and you are all together.
4.03am
19 January 2017
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As @Necko said earlier, some prog/art rock is great and some of it’s bad. I feel the same about most music genres though.
In terms of prog bands I’d say my favourite bands are Pink Floyd (Wish You Were Here being my favourite), Jethro Tull and Focus (Moving Waves is incredible).
Aside from that I like the odd track from King Crimson, ELP, Rush and Yes but I haven’t listened enough.
When I think of art rock I think of the likes of the Velvet Underground and Radiohead. Both are amongst my favourite bands of all time.
I find that art rock is pretty hard to define though. It certainly can be proggy at times but it depends on the band.
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Martha"And life flows on within you and without you" - George Harrison
7.05am
9 March 2017
Offline I’m not really that big into prog rock, but there some prog items I like, here’s 10:
1. 2112, Rush, 1977
2. Aqualung, Jethro Tull, 1971
3. Queen’s first 2 albums (Queen and Queen II), 1973 and 1974 *I only consider the Queen albums mentioned in this list as prog, the rest are either glam rock or pop rock
4. The Dark Side Of The Moon, Pink Floyd, 1973
5. Flash Gordon, Queen, 1980
6. Tom Sawyer, Rush, 1981
7. Working Man, Rush, 1973
8. Carry On Wayward Son, Kansas, 1976
9. The Trees, Rush, 1978
10. Hey You, Pink Floyd, 1979
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1.08pm
26 January 2017
Offline I like King Crimson, ELP and Asia. Unfortunately I haven’t gotten into Genesis yet. For me, the grand soundscapes and mind bending guitar and keyboard runs are inaccessible and a tad boring, but as a musician I am always impressed by the musicality.
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1.44pm
1 December 2009
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Yeah, I was a big fan of Yes and King Crimson in high school. ELP had a few things that were OK. Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd, Soft Machine all had great proggy stuff, even though they all started out differently. Same with Rush, who I loved for quite awhile even though they only went full-blown prog for a few albums – in between their metal period and their more new-wave period. Moody Blues never did another album I loved as much as Days of Future Passed. Genesis I tried to enjoy but found it difficult to do so, even though I recognize the quality of their work. Ooh, almost forgot Supertramp!
Frank Zappa and his various bands made several albums that are within the realm of prog, but he was really beyond classification. And then there are the Germans like Can, Faust and Amon Duul II who created their own spin on the thing.
GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
1.59pm
14 February 2016
Offline I don’t think Supertramp is a prog band. They sound very straightforward, too straight forward to be proggy.
In the definition of prog, it says that the main influences were taken from jazz and classical, so, does that mean Chicago is a prog band?
I am you as you are you as you are you and you are all together.
2.39pm
1 December 2009
Offline Well, in a narrow sense, they kinda were. The first few Chicago/Chicago Transit Authority albums all had extended tracks with much room for stretching out, and they did a couple of side-long suites too! But I understand what you mean – it’s often hard to associate “prog” with anything other than a sort of English band with weird album art.
Anyways, the term “prog” comes from progressive, obviously; and there were many bands that were described as ‘progressive’ back in the late ’60s-early ’70s. It was sort of a catchall term to describe bands (post-Pepper, mostly) who were doing something besides standard pop tunes. So you’d see Fleetwood Mac or Cream described as “progressive blues”, for example.
As for Supertramp, maybe calling them “prog” is a bit of a stretch…but their first couple of albums are less pop-oriented than their well-known material. (And hey a review in the Daily Express described them as “progressive pop”!)
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Evangeline, BeatlebugGEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
1.08pm
11 November 2010
Offline I stumbled across this really neat website about this subject recently.
It’s pretty extensive and all-inclusive.
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Martha, never wears a mac, Von BonteeI'm Necko. I'm like Ringo except I wear necklaces.
I'm also ewe2 on weekends.
Most likely to post things that make you go hmm... 2015, 2016, 2017.
1.13pm
9 March 2017
Offline What surprised me the most is that they include bands that aren’t even prog like Black Sabbath and Metallica.
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1.14pm
18 April 2013
Offline Genesis is one of my favorite bands. Steve Hackett’s solo work is also very good.
I like King Crimson but not all of their output. I am more of a fan of Robert Fripp’s solo albums and collaborations. I really enjoyed Frippertronics. My favorite era of KC is the 80’s incarnation with Adrian Belew on vocals. Red is a great album, though. My second favorite incarnation is the one with John Wetton on vocals.
Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson are also good.
I like early Marillion with Fish on vocals, but stopped following them when he left.
In high school I was into Jethro Tull and Yes, but I lost my albums when my apartment flooded and never bought them back.
I’m a Pink Floyd fan but I wouldn’t say they are prog, they are more space rock.
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vonbontee"If you're ever in the shit, grab my tit.” —Paul McCartney
1.13am
14 December 2009
Offline KC were extraordinarily great-to-pretty-good in all those eras
Dark Overlord said
What surprised me the most is that they include bands that aren’t even prog like Black Sabbath and Metallica.
It’s a huge archive so they’re comprehensive. Metallica learned some fancy time signature/guitar orchestration tricks from their old albums by Priest and Maiden (and Queen!), who probably took some of their ideas from Deep Purple or even Wishbone Ash,..and those two groups (and Queen!) were considered Progressive Pop/Rock/Blues by some quarters back in 1969/70/71. And Black Sabbath were definitely considered one of the progressive groups at the time, in that their sound was a progression on what came before.
Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
1.56am
9 March 2017
Offline Why is Queen in parentheses, i don’t get the point of it. I know that Queen’s early work can be labeled as progressive rock but i don’t get the parentheses.
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8.46pm
1 December 2009
Offline I just felt like emphasizing Queen cuz you’re such a big fan 🙂 and pointing out the changing nature of progressivism
GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
4.58pm
1 December 2009
Offline sigh butterfly said
So true SG, the playing really comes together in this song. I always thought it was George Martin on piano but instead this is a true group effort. John sounds so sincere in his love. When I was 10 or 11 the innocent imagery is what struck me (especially I remember the first time, I was lonely without her). But I think you’re right and John had a little more in mind then just holding hands.
In the late 60s I used to enjoy a cover of this by the prog rock group Yes. I’ll see if I can find it and put it in the proper thread.
.Reposted from the Every Little Thing thread, because I just saw it, and now we have a proper thread. I like the instrumental intro the best, the rest not so much.
GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
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