The Progressive Rock Thread

[Nick]

When one says progressive rock, the term might bring up a genre of music, a period in history, or even some sort of musical idea. The term can refer to one and all three. In this post, I'll try to discuss them and then we can talk about progressive rock as a whole.

Depending on who is asked, progressive rock as a genre began in 1967 with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles. This album is oft considered the first concept album and this format of music would soon become integral to this genre in the years to come.

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One of the first bands that was truly progressive was King Crimson, which debuted in 1969 with In The Court of the Crimson King. King Crimson would become one of the genre's most dominant bands both in popularity and severity of experimentation.

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King Crimson set the stage for the golden age of progressive rock which is vaguely defined as being from 1969 to about 1976. King Crimson was a band founded by musicians trained in classical and jazz music that saw the money, fame, and potential for innovation in pop rock and decided to try it for themselves. Other bands would follow this trend and even as they tried to create pop music, their jazz and classical sensibilities leaked into their music to create some truly innovative sounds. Following in the path of The Beatles, the wave of psychedelic music, and the evolving complications of pop music, progressive rock found a following in people that loved pop music but demanded something more intelligent and ambitious. Progressive rock became popular in places across the world. Bands in England and America dominated the common conception of progressive rock with their massive conceptual works and dazzling instrumental virtuosity with Yes, Genesis, the aforementioned King Crimson, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, and others.

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In other parts of the world, progressive rock also flourished but perhaps did not stay in the common memory as well. In Italy, there were bands like Premiata Forneria Marconi and Banco del Mutuo Soccorso which experimented with similar symphonic sounds.

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In Germany, a specific genre of progressive rock known as krautrock began with bands like Tangerine Dream, Can, and Kraftwerk representing this revolutionary genre of ambient, repetitive, and electronic music.

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Progressive rock rapidly grew in popularity during the 70s but not quite as fast as the ambition that drove these bands on. As the songs got longer, more complicated, and the concepts more strange and dense, the genre began to get swallowed in its own thirst for greatness. The popularity of the genre began to falter as the music got more innaccessible and less immediatey powerful. This situation was ripe for change when punk rock sweeped the world, cutting away the complicated pretentiousness of progressive rock's glitz and glamor in order to strike more directly and more viciously at their listeners.

Progressive rock has survived in some form or another but never nearly as popular as it used to be. Rush became popular when progressive rock was dying but has remained fairly successful ever since. Other progressive bands have popped up from time to time in the 80s and 90s, sometimes to decent success. There was a resurgence in popularity fairly recently with Dream Theater, a band that combined a lot of progressive rock's surface ideas with a background of metal. Other bands like Porcupine Tree and Mastodon have held aloft this heavier trend.

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Some say a turning point in the history of progressive rock is coming upon us, one of the bigger shifts that has happened since the golden age. When progressive rock died, it was unfairly derided and mocked by countless critics and ex-fans alike. It's been the butt of jokes ever since punk took it out of its misery. Lately, however, an actual appreciation for this genre has been evolving. Bands like Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, and Rush have achieved some actual popularity. Steven Wilson (lead member of Porcupine Tree) has been on a personal quest to remix all of the classic 70s albums that he admired as a child and in the process, convince these aging musicians that their legend will live on and that the constant derision they have received since their time is finally starting to die away. They're starting to be appreciated and even loved again.

So, what is progressive rock? As described above, it refers to a period in the history of pop music. It also refers to a genre that has survived in one way or another to today (this genre being vaguely defined with 10+ minute songs, concept albums, intricate instrumentation, and adventurous innovation). And in a pretentious way that I'm sure some of the progressive rock greats would enjoy, progressive rock is also an idea. This idea is an adventure, a journey toward that unreachable ideal of music that truly escapes the bounds of expectation. Though it's hard to classify a lot of music as being "progressive," to me, any band that holds aloft the mantle of evolution, innovation, experimentation, and genre defying inspiration, keeps alive the ambition progressive rock had in its golden age.

[agny]

Thank you, have only started to read and listen but I've never quite understood what the term meant and this will help.

[Nick]

You're welcome. I've become fascinated with the subject recently and I know a lot people get confused about the term (and justifiably so) so I thought I'd try to explain. I'm definitely not an expert as the gigantic holes in the history of the 80s and 90s demonstrates but I tried to share what I know.

[Nick]

So yeah, I didn't expect this thread to take off immediately considering the very long original post nor do I expect people to discuss this history thing much. It's good to refer to but not exactly ripe for discussion.

So, what are some of your favorite prog bands? I own Rush's entire discography and am one album away from owning all of Porcupine Tree's so I suppose they're my two favorites. I also really enjoy some Jethro Tull, Yes, King Crimson, Steven Wilson solo project, Van der Graaf Generator, and Mastodon (all though only one of their albums is really progressive). I plan on getting into Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues, Egg, Tangerine Dream, Blood, Sweat, and Tears, Camel, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, Peter Hammill, Premiata Forneria Marconi, The Strawbs, and Frank Zappa. Any more recommendations are welcome.

What do you like? What do you hope to see from prog in the coming years? Heck, why do you hate prog if you do? Why do you like it?

[Andy92]

I like some Porcupine Tree and Rush, but I guess I'm more into the metal influenced prog bands than the classic stuff like Yes and Pink Floyd. I used to be really into Dream Theater, and I still listen to them from time to time. Is Tool considered prog? I know they're a mixture of a few genres, but Lateralus is one of my favorite albums.

Basically, I like the concept of prog, and I think it's entertaining to listen to bands that have a more creative side. But part of me just gets bored listening to it lol. I usually only listen to this genre when I have the frame of mind to enjoy it. I just don't like using it for typical background music. I feel like I'm not soaking in 100% of a Porcupine Tree record if my complete interest isn't devoted to concentrating on the music. But that's part of what I love about the genre as well. The albums have so many things to uncover throughout.

And cool piece on the history by the way.

[Nick]

Thanks!

Yeah, progressive rock generally does not make for good casual listening. It's pretty demanding stuff but I've found it rewarding so far. I have other music for my casual listening too.

Yeah! I'd definitely consider Tool a progressive band. To be honest, most of the modern prog metal stuff does nothing for me though. Tool, Dream Theater, even some of Porcupine Tree seems bland to me. I find the classic stuff more invigorating because of its more interesting (to me) infusions of jazz and classical influences. That's one of the best parts about prog though, there's so much variety.

[Andy92]

Yeah it seems like the progressive music I do like resembles music I like in non-progressive genres in some ways. I was never a huge fan of a lot of classic rock either baring a few bands. Hard rock/metal bands have always been my go to ones, but I like to branch out too. Any older prog stuff you'd suggest listening to as kind of a starting point given my musical preferences?

[Macca]

Used to be into prog. Went off it. Don't even really enjoy PT that much anymore.

[Nick]

Yeah it seems like the progressive music I do like resembles music I like in non-progressive genres in some ways. I was never a huge fan of a lot of classic rock either baring a few bands. Hard rock/metal bands have always been my go to ones, but I like to branch out too. Any older prog stuff you'd suggest listening to as kind of a starting point given my musical preferences?

There is a good bit of hard progressive rock out there but it's often hard in a way a lot of people aren't accustomed to. Hard rock bands of today often have their roots in metal music but for many of these hard progressive rock bands, metal wasn't around long enough enough for them to really be inspired by it. So the music can definitely be heavy but they tend to use different strategies to achieve that heaviness.

I would suggest some King Crimson though not all of their stuff is heavy. I posted 21st Century Schizoid Man up there and that's one of their classic heavy-hitters. You can kind of tell there isn't much metal in there. The structure is inspired more by classical music as the driving crescendoes and decrescendos demonstrate.

I would also suggest Van der Graaf Generator. Their song Killer, in particular, is very heavy. This band experiments a lot with dissonance wherein the notes don't always line up and the chords don't play well together and this ugliness is created. They use it to great effect in parts of Killer.

[Nick]

Used to be into prog. Went off it. Don't even really enjoy PT that much anymore.

I can't say I've been enjoying PT as much as I used to either. I find that my genre love sorta comes in waves. I was recently listening to a bunch of The Beatles but right now I can practically see a big wave of folk rock about to crash in on me. I'm sure I'll come back to progressive rock though. I love it too much not to.

[Andy92]

I've heard some King Crimson before, but not enough to really soak their music in. Might check them out sometime. I need to start listening to some classic stuff more anyways. lol

[Nick]

Macca, have you listened to any progressive folk rock? I don't know a whole lot about the genre but I know Jethro Tull is one of the premiere bands. You should give Thick as a Brick a listen. The whole album is one incredible song.

[Macca]

I have not, I've actually been meaning to check Jethro Tull out for a while though.

[agny]

I went through a period of listening to lots of Rush a number of years ago. For some of these bands, I'm less crazy about the vocals/vocalist's styles -- maybe I prefer some of the instrumental parts.

I think a lot of this genre was background music during my childhood, so it's influenced my taste in music a little. I also love certain types of classical music. I think I'm drawn to rock that is played by very skilled musicians/vocalists and where there is an interplay between instruments and parts of the piece in the same way there might be in a string quartet. I also like some loud angry rock just for emotion and energy

Sorry, that was kind of rambling. Anyway, I've been thinking I should check out Rush's new and recent stuff.

[Nick]

Their most recent album, Clockwork Angels, is some of the best stuff they've done in years. It's more hard rock than it is progressive but it's intricate, ambitious, and a lot of a fun.

[Andy92]

I actually haven't listened to Clockwork Angels yet. Keep hearing Headlong Flight on the radio and love that song though...gonna go give that album a listen now I think.

[Fletch]

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[Fletch]

mmmmmmm Prog

[Fletch]

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[Nick]

A short history of progressive rock in 5 parts, the first here: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/prog ... 970s_.html