Prog rock - did you need to be there?

rlw

EricTheWeary said:

rlw said:

The Nice.  Ten Years After.   Led Zeppelin.   Yes.   Pink Floyd.   Pete Brown.   Deep Purple.   King Crimson.

Mindless widdling?

You needed to be there.

I guess that's a good example of 'depends what you mean by Prog Rock' as at least three of those I wouldn't have described as such( and two of those seem almost the antithesis of Prog, IMHO). I wouldn't include Jethro Tull either despite them being name checked on here a few times already. 

The Yes, Genesis , Gentle Giant, Camel keyboardy, wizardy, epic tawddle stuff isn't my cup of tea at all. In fact it annoys me that the word 'rock' appears in the description of what they do as they seem to be people with no understanding of rock music at all; even reading the odd interview with musicians like Steve Howe or Rick Wakeman seems to bear out that they weren't all that interested in rock music. That's fine and maybe other people gave them the label anyway but when someone says Prog Rock I get very sad looking as my head fills with thoughts of keyboard solos and complex song structures, silk flared trousers and Roger Dean doodlings. I'm generally not into negativity about any music or musicians to whatever extent I do or don't like what they do but ( my interpretation of what is)Prog Rock is my exception. 

Was I there? Well, I was alive but otherwise no. However, I love some 1950s Chicago blues and some 1960s Jamaican ska,etc,etc, so I don't think being there was essential. 

Edit:  decided not to post all this after writing it earlier but just seen @Blueingreen 's post which does seem to back up part of it at least so I will post after all 

I'm sort of inclined to agree but, at the time, it was all progressive music...............

I think being there helped for the context.  Seeing it happen at the Roundhouse on a Sunday afternoon, or at the Temple on the all-nighters, is/was very different to sitting down in the comfy chair and putting on a CD.

I grew up listening to Chicago blues and Delta blues, seeing the prog and "pop"  acts at various venues and - get this - seeing the Tamla acts and a load of Ska and bluebeat acts at Mr Smiths - scene of the shooting.....

JezWynd

Seeing it happen at the Roundhouse on a Sunday afternoon

Brings back memories, best place to be on a Sunday afternoon in the early seventies, patchouli and mandrax. A host of great bands for under a quid.

Placidcasual79

TTony said:

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.

I hope this is sarcasm...... if not, it really needs a 'man' at the end of the sentence. 

The thing with prog is there really is no need for the dungeons and dragons stuff that goes with it is there? Get a grip lads.....

Placidcasual79

JezWynd said:

is it really 44 years?!

Sweet Jesus!!!!! That is f*cking terrible!!!!! When these guys were writing I'd have put a big sign up in the studio saying - 'just because you can doesn't mean you should'.

Guitarse

Prog rock was a little bit before my time, but I remember my older brothers putting Yes/Genesis/Pink Floyd and other albums on. I loved it then, hated it later in life, it appreciate it again now. Funny how our musical tastes alter over time. I think prog rock had to die though, and punk took things back to basics, not before time, even though the catchphrase 'here's 3 chords, now start a band' is bullsh*t. 

JezWynd

Placidcasual79 said:

JezWynd said:

is it really 44 years?!

Sweet Jesus!!!!! That is f*cking terrible!!!!! When these guys were writing I'd have put a big sign up in the studio saying - 'just because you can doesn't mean you should'.

I feel duty bound to educate/torture you...

Jez6345789

Born 59
Most of the stuff listed was staple for me through my teens. 
As much as some of the big bands like ELP got over blown for a 14 year old all the early stuff seemed the perfect antidote and stuff like Gong just took it to a new level.

Now a lot seems pretty dated but still enjoy early Focus and Camel from time to time but then most of Monty Python leaves me cold now but had me in stitches  ha how time changes you.

Placidcasual79

JezWynd said:

Placidcasual79 said:

JezWynd said:

is it really 44 years?!

Sweet Jesus!!!!! That is f*cking terrible!!!!! When these guys were writing I'd have put a big sign up in the studio saying - 'just because you can doesn't mean you should'.

I feel duty bound to educate/torture you...

lol - thanks @JezWynd that certainly was an experience. 

proggy

Guitarse said:

Prog rock was a little bit before my time, but I remember my older brothers putting Yes/Genesis/Pink Floyd and other albums on. I loved it then, hated it later in life, it appreciate it again now. Funny how our musical tastes alter over time. I think prog rock had to die though, and punk took things back to basics, not before time, even though the catchphrase 'here's 3 chords, now start a band' is bullsh*t. 

Prog rock didn't die when punk came along, that's just something Malcolm McLaren was hoping for.

Pink Floyd released Animals in 1977, one of the finest prog albums ever.

impmann

Placidcasual79 said:

JezWynd said:

Placidcasual79 said:

JezWynd said:

is it really 44 years?!

Sweet Jesus!!!!! That is f*cking terrible!!!!! When these guys were writing I'd have put a big sign up in the studio saying - 'just because you can doesn't mean you should'.

I feel duty bound to educate/torture you...

lol - thanks @JezWynd that certainly was an experience. 

One of my fave albums... but hey, we all like different things.

Reverend

proggy said:

Guitarse said:

Prog rock was a little bit before my time, but I remember my older brothers putting Yes/Genesis/Pink Floyd and other albums on. I loved it then, hated it later in life, it appreciate it again now. Funny how our musical tastes alter over time. I think prog rock had to die though, and punk took things back to basics, not before time, even though the catchphrase 'here's 3 chords, now start a band' is bullsh*t. 

Prog rock didn't die when punk came along, that's just something Malcolm McLaren was hoping for.

Pink Floyd released Animals in 1977, one of the finest prog albums ever.

I'd imagine it sold a lot more than any punk album at the time as well. Interestingly, some of the biggest prog collectors I know come from a punk background.

proggy

Reverend said:

proggy said:

Guitarse said:

Prog rock was a little bit before my time, but I remember my older brothers putting Yes/Genesis/Pink Floyd and other albums on. I loved it then, hated it later in life, it appreciate it again now. Funny how our musical tastes alter over time. I think prog rock had to die though, and punk took things back to basics, not before time, even though the catchphrase 'here's 3 chords, now start a band' is bullsh*t. 

Prog rock didn't die when punk came along, that's just something Malcolm McLaren was hoping for.

Pink Floyd released Animals in 1977, one of the finest prog albums ever.

I'd imagine it sold a lot more than any punk album at the time as well. Interestingly, some of the biggest prog collectors I know come from a punk background.

I don't doubt that for one minute, I think they pretended not to like prog because of Johnny Rotten's tee shirt and it became fashionable at the time. Now they're all grown up they realise what proper music really is.

In my opinion, of course.

JezWynd

impmann said:

Placidcasual79 said:

JezWynd said:

Placidcasual79 said:

JezWynd said:

is it really 44 years?!

Sweet Jesus!!!!! That is f*cking terrible!!!!! When these guys were writing I'd have put a big sign up in the studio saying - 'just because you can doesn't mean you should'.

I feel duty bound to educate/torture you...

lol - thanks @JezWynd that certainly was an experience. 

One of my fave albums... but hey, we all like different things.

This thread has reignited my love of this album, I'd forgotten just how brilliant it is. One of the things I love about Focus is that their music owes very little to America (apart from the instruments!). There's little or no rock n roll to my ears. It's electric music that comes from out of a very European tradition. Even the album title is a pun on that Atlantic divide, the hamburger in question being Brahms.

proggy

I love Focus, remember seeing them a couple of times at The Astoria on Charing Cross Rd about 12 years ago or more. Another great venue that's gone, seen some great bans there over the years.

TheOtherDennis

I was born in 1960 and grew up listening to my big sisters' Aretha Franklin, Supremes, Beatles, Rolling Stones, Temptations, Martha Reeves', etc records. Then in my early teens because my friends liked it, I got into Genesis. I tried really hard to get into Yes and ELP but they left me cold. I somehow turned my little brother onto King Crimson, which never worked for me. Nor did any of the Canterbury stuff, which always seemed too hippy and twee.

Then I got into first pub rock (the Feelgoods, Graham Parker and the Rumour, Brinsley Schwarz, Nick Lowe and all those guys) then punk and new wave like the Pistols, Ian Dury, Elvis Costello, Wreckless Eric and so on.

Then through my taste for the soul divas, I got quite heavily into 80s funk and soul music too.

Now, I'm just as happy to hear the Clash again as I am Genesis or Stevie Wonder or Aretha or Al Green or Ruby Turner or Nick Lowe or the new Graham Parker and the Rumour stuff etc etc etc.

I even went to see GP & The Rumour on their last tour in 2014 and thought they were as good as ever. If it wasn't for the cost and difficulty for me of getting out to see live music, I'd go and see new bands too, but I can't.

So instead I listen to 6Music to get my fix of stuff I've never heard before, some of which I like, some of which I don't.

I have every sympathy with anyone who says they just don't get prog rock. A lot of it passed me by too.

But in general, no, I don't think you had to be there. Nor do I think you have to be 'here and now' to like some stuff that's out now, either. There'll be people in the future liking it too. For instance, at the time I hated a lot of the 'disco' stuff from the late 70s, but now I really appreciate what Nile Rodgers did, for example.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with going back and trying to discover stuff you've not heard before that other people like. But if you don't like it, big deal.

I utterly loathe the 50s bebop stuff, no matter how many times I've tried to enjoy it, for instance. But despite what the music snobs think, that doesn't make me any more of an idiot than it does them for having, to me, equally closed minds.

If you like something, great. If you don't, move on to something else.

blobb

If you want top go really progressive, I'll throw this in the ring........

Tim Hodgkinson, Fred Frith, Chris Cutler, Dagmar Krause, Georgie Born, Lyndsey Cooper: The mighty Henry Cow - the most complex, musical, political band with something to say you will ever encounter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fd_7unOj4A