CEB Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Not sure if Rush is "Prog" but they have several mentions. If Rush was Prog it was before Moving Pictures. They moved aways from those overly long art pieces starting with Permanent Waves. Hemispheres, 2112, Fly By Night, Kings, Steel ... that stuff could count. Not the first album though, they were a Zeppelin clone band on the first album. PS - YYZ was on Moving Pictures though. "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Harrison Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 I just come from a classical piano background and ELP is just not that interesting. Karnevil 9, Lucky Man and 21 Century is kind of cool but a lot of it sounds like bad attempt at classical music on electric instruments. Tarkus is boring. I too have a classical and jazz background; however, I don't think of ELP (or prog rock in general) as an attempt at classical music on electric instruments but rather as rock music made by classical and jazz trained and influenced musicians, hence the relatively high degree of structural and sonic complexity in prog rock (which, yes, we just called "progressive rock" at the time). Tarkus remains one of my favourite albums ever, the title suite being a high-energy primer of rock Hammond organ tone and technique, especially the sustained virtuosic interplay between Keith Emerson's keyboards and Carl Palmer's drums. While Greg Lake's contribution is less prominent, his bass lines and vocals contribute equally to the overall effect, and his brief but lyrical guitar solo in the Battlefield section is a gem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Harrison Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 What are these guys? ["Hocus Pocus" by Focus] I liked the studio cut. The Dutch band Focus have made some top-notch prog rock. Check out their second album "Moving Waves" (which contains "Hocus Pocus", a novelty hit not really typical of their work), and especially their third album "Focus III", with classically trained Thijs [pron. "Taiss"] van Leer on Hammond organ, flute and vocals and Jan Akkerman on guitar. [video:youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSJzsYbCMJk [video:youtube] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashevillecabbie Posted April 18, 2014 Author Share Posted April 18, 2014 Wow, 92 replies and nobody's mentioned Dream Theater? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marino Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Really sorry to hear Francesco died. For many people his singing was an acquired taste, but I thought he was exceptional and distinctive. Well, his voice was in part derived from opera singing, Verdi and all that, which for Italian ears is quite familiar. Francesco was a really, really great person. He was like a brother to me - a loss that can't be healed. I didn't know Banco were friends of yours - I have been a fan since the UK release of Banco in the early 70s. When they released their first album, I was 12 or 13, and became an instant fan. I started following them from concert to concert... they also were from around Rome, where I live. In the following years, I got to know first, then collaborating, with most of them. I spent 10 years with the group Indaco, with Rodolfo Maltese (main guitarist) and Pierluigi Calderoni (original drummer). Francesco was a frequent guest in our concerts. I'm also on their 30th years anniversary concert DVD. They are all exceptional guys and musicians. At a recent concert with the other Banco guys, I played an arrangement of a classic song "E mi viene da pensare", for Francesco, who had just died. is a video with highlights of a concert I played with most of them, with Bernardo Lanzetti (of PFM) replacing Francesco for the occasion. Btw, "Banco" is the only English-language album that they made in all their 40-year old history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Wow, 92 replies and nobody's mentioned Dream Theater? Damn right! LOL! "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashevillecabbie Posted April 18, 2014 Author Share Posted April 18, 2014 I think for all intents and purposes, we can add Zappa to this list. Damn straight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurricane hugo Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 my personal faves: Going for the One - Yes Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd Lateralus - Tool Brain Salad Surgery - Emerson, Lake & Palmer Hemispheres - Rush Discipline - King Crimson Animals - Pink Floyd Close To The Edge - Yes Seconds Out - Genesis...yeah, it's a live album. Sue me. there's more, but that's enough from me for now. http://blip.fm/invite/WorkRelease Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundown Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Wow, 92 replies and nobody's mentioned Dream Theater? Good call. Images and Words is a great album. I know we have some Jordan Rudess fans on the site, but Kevin Moore was The Man. I loved his solos and his pitch bend technique. Those guys are tight. Sundown Working on: The Jupiter Bluff; Driven Away Main axes: Kawai MP11 and Kurz PC361 DAW Platform: Cubase Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 ...and the Dixie Dregs. dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Mullins Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 And the award for "Best Prog Album by a non-Prog Band" goes to "The Hazards of Love" by the Decemberists. Yamaha CK88, Arturia Keylab 61 MkII, Moog Sub 37, Yamaha U1 Upright, Casio CT-S500, Mac Logic/Mainstage, iPad Camelot, Spacestation V.3, QSC K10.2, JBL EON One Compact www.stickmanor.com There's a thin white line between fear and fury - Stickman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashevillecabbie Posted April 18, 2014 Author Share Posted April 18, 2014 ...and the Dixie Dregs. dB heck yeah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowerhodes Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Top Five 1) Close To The Edge - Yes 2) Fragile - Yes 3) Free Hand - Gentle Giant 4) Red - King Crimson 5) Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd Fender Rhodes (x4) / Wurlitzer 200A / NE3 61 / Motif XS6 / Korg SV-1 73 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashevillecabbie Posted April 18, 2014 Author Share Posted April 18, 2014 Spirit, one of my fave bands of all, did sound track work back in the day. Clear is an exceptional album. I remember reading a critical essay during that era which asserted that talented jazz/classical instrumentalists were drawn to "the new rock" instead of pursuing careers in jazz or classical music, and I think that's accurate. Spirit would have been a jazz combo a few years earlier, but emerging as they did in 1967 they went a different route, influenced by the Beatles, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael W Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Wow, 92 replies and nobody's mentioned Dream Theater? That had occurred to met too, especially since I just saw Dream Theater a couple of weeks ago. For whatever reason, despite all of the muscular playing, and time signature changes, I personally don't think of DT when I think of all the British prog groups that came out of the seventies. DT is certainly progressive metal, IMHO. Michael Montage 8, Logic Pro X, Omnisphere, Diva, Zebra 2, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlaba Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 My five: 1) Selling England by the Pound 2) Pawn Hearts 3) Red 4) Octopus 5) Still Life Another honorable mention for "The Hazards of Love" And the best live rock and roll album ever...Playing the Fool (GG live) Speaking of live albums....I HIGHLY recommend the live VdGG reunion album "Real Time" from 2007. Hugh Banton is a monster. Dave L. PC3, SK1 w/vent or Leslie 145,Minimoog, Alesis Ion, D-50, various other noise makers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 Wow, 92 replies and nobody's mentioned Dream Theater? That had occurred to met too, especially since I just saw Dream Theater a couple of weeks ago. For whatever reason, despite all of the muscular playing, and time signature changes, I personally don't think of DT when I think of all the British prog groups that came out of the seventies. DT is certainly progressive metal, IMHO. Yeah, while we've covered most of the bands of progressive rock's heyday, we've mentioned very few from the "prog" resurgence of the last 25 years or so. I posted videos by Echolyn, Transatlantic (prog's answer to U.K. and Asia), and IZZ on page one; but I don't think anyone has talked about Spock's Beard, The Flower Kings, Porcupine Tree, etc. Best, Geoff My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArKay Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 Any love here for Brand X "Livestock" from the late 70's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillplaying Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 Thank you ArKay. Forgotten about Brand X. I'll be on iTunes later. I love the instant gratification of the three minute pop record that I see as the opposite of progressive rock in terms of definition. I consider them linked with Progressive Rock being a reaction away from that sound and looking to created something more sophisticated. I always thought extended but still "song based" for part of the progressive rock definition. Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and Radiohead's "Paranoid Android" both charted as singles here in the U.K - still song based with sections, definitely progressive rock. I also like a fair bit of Elbow's efforts and those of Muse - but maybe the songs are too short to be progressive rock? Allan Holdsworth, Dream Theatre, Dixie Dregs, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Steve Vai's solo efforts, Hatfield and the North ... loads more - but I don't think of these bands in the same way. Is my "progressive rock-ometer broken" by not seeing why these bands are in there or is it an age thing (I'm 47)? They're rock-jazz jazz-rock jazz-metal-fusion ... I do appreciate I would listen rather than dance to any of them - an aspect they share with progressive rock I suppose. I'm the piano player "off of" Borrowed Books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cowzar Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 http://scienceblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/HomerSimpsonQueen.jpg - CUNKA - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig MacDonald Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 I think when you ask about the best prog rock band "EVER", that you have to consider who came first, who had the most impact, who helped to create the genre... and I would have to say King Crimson Court of the Crimson King.. it was a radical departure from anything else at the time, and as far as I'm concerned it almost single-handedly created the genre.. Next would probably be Yes Close to the Edge.. same kind of impact.. And both are outstanding albums to this day. Craig MacDonald Hammond BV, Franken-B (A100 in a BV cabinet), Leslies 122/147/44W, Crumar Mojo, HX3 module, Korg Kronos, VR-09, Roland GAIA, Burn, Ventilator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HammondDave Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 I think when you ask about the best prog rock band "EVER", that you have to consider who came first, who had the most impact, who helped to create the genre... and I would have to say King Crimson Court of the Crimson King.. it was a radical departure from anything else at the time, and as far as I'm concerned it almost single-handedly created the genre.. Next would probably be Yes Close to the Edge.. same kind of impact.. And both are outstanding albums to this day. +1 on this! King Crimson changed everything. Yes, the Moodies used the Mellotron first, but Crimson's use of the Tron, plus their amazing virtuosity pretty much defined "Progressive Rock" (which was called "Progressive" at the time). Regarding Spirit, I would classify them as Acid/Jazz Rock. I love that band. Talk about jazz influenced rock, Ed Cassidy and John Locke were masters at it. Mix in Randy California's great sustained and echoplex'ed guitar work, Jay Fergusen's voice, and Mark Ande's bass playing, Spirit was formidable. No one sounded like them. I was fortunate to have seen King Crimson Mark I on two consecutive nights (a couple of weeks before and after the two recordings below) and Spirit about fifteen times during the 60's and 70's. One night in Florida Randy California had to cancel because he suffered the bends scuba diving. Jay Fergusen played guitar and sang all the songs that night. Now that was impressive (considering that Jay was also a great piano player... Jo Jo Gunne, etc) [video:youtube] Just listen from 4:00 on... MY GOD! Just imagine what this sounded like to a stoned 14 year old musician... [video:youtube]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QSbV1rotJig '55 and '59 B3's; Leslies 147, 122, 21H; MODX 7+; NUMA Piano X 88; Motif XS7; Mellotrons M300 and M400’s; Wurlitzer 206; Gibson G101; Vox Continental; Mojo 61; Launchkey 88 Mk III; Korg Module; B3X; Model D6; Moog Model D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig MacDonald Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 Great clip Dave thanks for posting!! Craig MacDonald Hammond BV, Franken-B (A100 in a BV cabinet), Leslies 122/147/44W, Crumar Mojo, HX3 module, Korg Kronos, VR-09, Roland GAIA, Burn, Ventilator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Grace Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 With all due respect to King Crimsonand they are due respect for their role as pioneersthe first does not equal the best. Would you say the best jazz artist of all time has to be a Dixieland act? The Beatles set the stage for art rock. Does that make them the best art rock band of all time? Best, Geoff My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HammondDave Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 With all due respect to King Crimsonand they are due respect for their role as pioneersthe first does not equal the best. Would you say the best jazz artist of all time has to be a Dixieland act? The Beatles set the stage for art rock. Does that make them the best art rock band of all time? Best, Geoff Pioneers they were! The best is always a subjective opinion. The beauty of that time in music was that everyone sounded unique. That's not really the case anymore. '55 and '59 B3's; Leslies 147, 122, 21H; MODX 7+; NUMA Piano X 88; Motif XS7; Mellotrons M300 and M400’s; Wurlitzer 206; Gibson G101; Vox Continental; Mojo 61; Launchkey 88 Mk III; Korg Module; B3X; Model D6; Moog Model D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 ...The Beatles set the stage for art rock. Does that make them the best art rock band of all time? Yes "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Aiken Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 ...The Beatles set the stage for art rock. Does that make them the best art rock band of all time? Yes They are....but not ONLY because they set the stage. Moog The One, VV 64 EP, Wurlies 200A 140 7300, Forte 7, Mojo 61, OB-6, Prophet 6, Polaris, Hammond A100, Farfisa VIP, ,Young Chang 6', Voyager, E7 Clav, Midiboard, Linnstrument, Seaboard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synthoid Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 Next would probably be Yes Close to the Edge.. same kind of impact.. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v318/Emboobs/excellent-frog.jpg When an eel hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a Moray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CEB Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 I listened to Sgt Pepper's the other day and all I could think was, this was done in 1966 on 4 track tape. Genius. "It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne "A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!! So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Bryce Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 I think when you ask about the best prog rock band "EVER", that you have to consider who came first, who had the most impact, who helped to create the genre... and I would have to say King Crimson Court of the Crimson King.. it was a radical departure from anything else at the time, and as far as I'm concerned it almost single-handedly created the genre.. I would actually hand that crown to the Moody Blues for Days Of Future Passed, which was done two years before the Crimson album. That, for me, was the first progressive rock album. dB ==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <== Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.