Progressive rock

I’m a fan of “progressive rock”. I used to listen to the big name in the ’70 and ’80 (Genesis, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Yes, etc.). Now I’m listening to bands like Ayreon, Pain of Salvation, Opeth, Porcupine Tree, etc.

I don’t have the skill to compose and play this kind of music. But I think Sonar should be a great tool to do it.


Any prog lover?

What is your favourite prog band?

me too! in addition to the ones you named, let's not forget dream theater have a new album out soon (details just released, see their website), other good bands include Seventh Wonder, Andromeda, Threshold, It Bites, Frost*, Magenta, Neal Morse, heavier stuff like Cynic, Ved Buens Ende, Dodheimsgard and Scar Symmetry...yep can't beat a bit of prog!

I have a penchant for the Ozric Tentacles, but I'm not sure how you categorize their music

Yes, total prog-rock nut in the '70's, and still have a fondness for those bands now, here's a few faves ;

Gentle Giant - Just The Same

Jethro Tull - Skating Away

PFM - Chocolate Kings

Hawkwind - Time We Left..

Van Der Graaf Generator - Scorched Earth

I'm off to see Asia live next month. Does that count?

Hi Mike.

I agreed that some "proggers" push the limit to far and get too aventurous.

The best prog song should be musical.

Here's a good site for any prog lovers
http://www.progarchives.com/

Prog is my favorite type of music and has been since the 70's! Genesis, PFM, King Crimson, Banco, Camel, ELP, Yes, Gentle Giant, Kansas, FM(the Canadian band, not the UK pop thing), Max Webster, Pink Floyd, National Health, Happy the Man....I could go on and on :)

Bill

Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft was a hit for them :)

Bill

Has Steve Hackett been mentioned yet? Elements of early Floyd and Dream Theater, melodic but sonically adventurous.

ORIGINAL: bitflipper

Thanks for bringing the topic up, Alain.

Progressive rock is perhaps the favorite of many genres I listen to.

I grew up on a steady diet of classical music, which formed my most basic expectations of what constitutes musical elements. I had almost zero exposure to popular music until I was about 13, when my father introduced me to the Beatles. Brit-pop of that era was very classical in a fundamental way with its strong melodies and pleasant chords.

But I soon tired of pop music. A few high points kept my interest alive (e.g. hearing Jimi Hendrix's "Are You Experienced?" or the Beatles "Magical Mystery Tour" for the first time), but the bulk of what was on display at the music store wasn't doing it for me anymore.

Then came a life-changing moment, when I first heard "In the Court of the Crimson King". Something switched on in my head. Something that the melodic, even symphonic predecessors such as the Beatles, Moody Blues, Zombies, et al had not triggered. A state of bliss that was instantly addictive.

I have been searching for a way to relive that magic moment ever since. Yes, ELP, Rush, Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant, Genesis, and of course the greatest prog band of all time, Pink Floyd, have from time to time hit that glorious note. But the search continues -- so I am jotting down every unfamiliar reference mentioned here in hopes of finding something new.

Some more contemporary favorites of mine are Dream Theater and Nightwish.

Another semi-obscure band from the 70's that's worth a listen: Klaatu, out of Toronto IIRC. Three albums that I know of: two imaginative but straightforward rockers and one amazing concept album titled "Hope".

Hi Dave,

Marillion are still chipping away at it, quite a low-key, unassuming band now, they have some sublime moments though. This whole song leads up to a glorious hook-line at 4:42, I think you might like it.

Marillion - Go!

I'd like to point out that even the Pink Floyd liked to point out they were a blues band.

It's kinda strange to think they are now thought of as a prog band... cause back in the day when bands like Yes, Tull, and Genesis were pursuing academic and intellectualized composition... it was obvious that Floyd was a jam band deeply rooted in basic pop building blocks. Writing one song with a 7:4 time signature doesn't automatically make you "prog" :-)

One thing I've always found curious... If you read interviews about how the early Yes albums were composed they seem to confirm my personal suspicions that the music was never conceived as a whole composition. It just doesn't surf. :-) By most accounts the albums were literally cut and paste together measure by measure in a desperate attempt to assemble enough material to call an album. It sounded different because it was different... it was different because they were rather arbitrary about joining motifs.

That's a far cry from truly progressive approach that Miles Davis' Kind of Blue or Charles Mingus' Dynasty introduced to the world of music composition.

FWIW, I'm a big King Crimson fan... I think they are unquestionably a "prog" band... but's also easy to see that they incorporate strong rhythmic motifs and have a "world beat" influence that's far richer and diverse than the pure western euro tradition "music academy" style of the early-mid seventies that I think epitomizes the term "progressive rock". Robert Fripp or Adrien Belew can easily collaborate with pop artists... because they are comfortable as pop artists... and I think that is reflected in their own music as well.


best regards,
mike

Hi Dave,

Marillion are still chipping away at it, quite a low-key, unassuming band now, they have some sublime moments though. This whole song leads up to a glorious hook-line at 4:42, I think you might like it

i liked the last Fish album too, 13th star. some nice moments on that. i went to the Classic Rock Society Band of the Year gig near Rotherham in January and Steve Hackett was the guest of honour, giving away the prizes...top (prog) bands were It Bites, Pendragon and Frost*...

"In the 80s it was all Windham Hill and chill out tunes for me."

Michael Hedges was a friend... rest his soul.

Scott Cossu (spelling??) used to baby sit my buddies kids... I was acquainted with him... he was fun.

Liz Story told great jokes... but she scared me.

I enjoy the Progressive groups of the 60s and 70s where there was more harmonic and melodic content. Yes, Gentle Giant, Tull, ELP, Genesis. The new Progressive bands seem to be Metal in odd time signatures. Don't care for that much.