Prog rock - did you need to be there?

IvanMC

Absolutely, Roland. That was a perfect summary. Prog Rock involves a massive world, exotic, complicated, sophisticated and beautiful. I can't fathom those who dismiss it as shite. And yes, jazz musicians got to play rock, M. Davis would've got to play with Hendrix if he hadn't passed away. However, give Coltrane a chance, get some headphones, put the lights out and give Coltrane a chance. He's certainly not running through scales.

TTony

BigMonka said:

So prog rock, to really "get it" did you need to be there at the time?

I always thought that you needed to both be there, and be not there, at the same time.

TTBZ

I admire the musicianship, imagination and creativity, but it doesn't really do it for me a lot of the time. Better to me than jazz though, at least it usually sounds like something listenable.

I do like some Rush (mostly the ones that aren't so proggy) but it's not something I can listen to for long. 

Although I do love The Mars Volta...

blobb

I prefer the spacier side of prog, such as Ozric Tentacles. Ed Wynne is a smokin’ guitarist.

Fortunately, I was around for Ozrics. And very grateful too. Probably the band I have seen, lived, breathed and (eaten strange fungi with) most for the duration of my little window on this world. Good choice. Shazam!

blobb

...any Nectar fans on here? How they aren't recognised above the 'prog legends' is beyond me.

MAN band too, while we're at it. 

axisus

What on earth do you mean 'Did you need to be there?????' Prog has been ever present since its inception, and it has never been bigger. There is an amazing amount of prog bands out there now. 

Prog is absolutely my favourite music and my 2 favourite bands are both prog. Don't get it? just move on it isn't for everyone.

MagicPigDetective

blobb said:

I prefer the spacier side of prog, such as Ozric Tentacles. Ed Wynne is a smokin’ guitarist.

Fortunately, I was around for Ozrics. And very grateful too. Probably the band I have seen, lived, breathed and (eaten strange fungi with) most for the duration of my little window on this world. Good choice. Shazam!

Nice; I saw them twice at the Liverpool Lomax in the 90's, the blew my mind. 

Thinking about it, I do like a lot of bands of 'my time' with elements of prog, such as Tortoise, Mastodon, mars volta, tool etc If I had been around at the time, I probably would have been into the original prog bands. 

boogieman

Born in 54 and loved it at the time. Less so nowadays, I re-bought Genesis's Nursery Cryme the other day and it sounds really dated. I still have a massive soft spot for 70s era King Crimson, Focus and Man though.

I was never an ELP or Yes fan, they were always too on the pretentious side of prog for me. I always preferred the rockier, heavier end.

@DarnWeight. Good call on Magma. Saw them play live a couple of times and they were epic. Did you know Steve Interesting Davis is also a massive fan?  

JezWynd

is it really 44 years?!

frictionfraction

each to his own...
but it's still shockingly pretenious piles of steaming hot elephant shite.. in my opinion...

DarnWeight

boogieman said:

@DarnWeight. Good call on Magma. Saw them play live a couple of times and they were epic. Did you know Steve Interesting Davis is also a massive fan?  

Didn't he organise tours in the UK for them once or twice?  An odd snooker/prog conflation if ever there was one!

Almost forgot, big props too for Charles Hayward.  Came out of the Canterbury scene, a phenomenal drummer who took a very distinctive musical path, a lot of which can be considered progressive without being prog.  Both This Heat and Camberwell Now are huge favourites of mine.

dogload

I never have been able to get into all that stuff like Genesis and ELP, but fortunately there was Van Der Graaf Generator!

boogieman

DarnWeight said:

boogieman said:

@DarnWeight. Good call on Magma. Saw them play live a couple of times and they were epic. Did you know Steve Interesting Davis is also a massive fan?  

Didn't he organise tours in the UK for them once or twice?  An odd snooker/prog conflation if ever there was one!

Ha ha, I didn't know that! I only discovered the connection recently from one of the band's live dvds: he's being interviewed (as a fan) at a Magma convention. 

JezWynd

dogload said:

I never have been able to get into all that stuff like Genesis and ELP, but fortunately there was Van Der Graaf Generator!

Agreed. And Hammill carried on being progressive for the next forty odd years unlike many of his contemporaries.

blobb

Ah yes VDGG, real pioneers.

Steve Davis is a real prog head, he just did some interviews with Gong.

Here's a gem you may not know, Le Orme. One of the 'big three' Italian prog groups, along with PFM and Banco. Only half an hour album but worth it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd70mBrJFqc

Octahedron

I was born in '92. And I "get" Prog.

I love Rush, Yes, Jethro Tull, and many others... 

Ossyrocks

A friend of mine has just released this album. He's a big prog fan and currently keyboard player in Atomic Rooster.

Check it out:

https://christianmadden.bandcamp.com/

Rob

mudslide73

I was born in 73 and I likes me Prog. I love a bit of Yes as well as the rockier stuff. Not so keen on ELP though.

BigMonka

There have been quite a few bands mentioned here that I hadn't heard of before, so maybe I just haven't found a flavour of prog that fits my taste yet - I'll have a listen to some of the suggestions.

alanchanxd

Listen to these few albums to get you started into the world of prog - these albums are more palatable for newcomers. Also, these prog albums aren't pretentious artsy fartsy stuff I guarantee:
1. Genesis - Duke (1980)
2. Rush - Moving Pictures (1981)
3. Supertramp - Breakfast in America (1979)
4. Supertramp - Crime of the Century (1974)
5. Camel - I can see your house from here (1979)