Prog Rock

[Documad]

Name some essential albums please. Ones you've actually listened to.

I have a complete and utter lack of prog rock in my collection (unless you count Pink Floyd).

I've been talking with friends at work and realized that I might not own anything that's truly prog rock. But my friends were lame and couldn't name the ELP album to try, and got confused with the timeline of Genesis (when they quit being prog rock and became Phil's backup band), etc. I don't think prog rock is for me, but I'd like to know what albums to look for at used stores.

[mickill]

How about Zappa?

I have albums by Yes, ELO, The Moody Blues and Can. And of course Pink Floyd. I don't really listen to a lot of them other than the Floyd ones, though. Can's very good, but it's a little hard for me to sit through an entire album of theirs too often. Does Roxy Music count? I don't really know what's truly considered prog and what isn't. It's sort of a vague term. I've heard people refer to some of Bowie's work as prog, so I don't know. You probably already know what Bowie albums you enjoy and what ones you don't. And I'm reluctant to recommend any Rush albums to people, even though I tend to enjoy a lot of their music.

[Rancid_Beasties]

Prog Rock...well thats the same as experimental I guess so maybe velvet underground, sonic youth, jethro tull, elo, the flaming lips, zappa and to a lesser extent bowie and pink floyd?? Is this the sorta stuff you are looking for?

[mikizee]

the mars volta have been described as prog rock, would you agree? their album frances the mute is quite the shit hot :)

[Rancid_Beasties]

Well yeah mars volta would probably be the most progressive rock band going around now. But I can't disconnect them from ATDI and Sparta, which are both post-punk.

[DroppinScience]

Prog Rock...well thats the same as experimental I guess so maybe velvet underground, sonic youth, jethro tull, elo, the flaming lips, zappa and to a lesser extent bowie and pink floyd?? Is this the sorta stuff you are looking for?

Velvet Underground would be considered proto-punk or alternative rock (definitely the first alternative band). Sonic Youth is in a similar vein (college rock/indie/noise rock, whatever).

But yeah, it seems we're all confused on what is or isn't prog rock.

I guess Roxy Music could be prog within some circles (but I hear them more associated with "glam rock") but I wouldn't say Bowie is prog (and that dude is all over the map when it comes to styles to begin with).

I'm scratching my head as to what to name besides Pink Floyd or Yes.

Oh wait, wait. Would Vanilla Fudge count? Those guys were way out there...

[Documad]

Thanks. I know that I'm confusing. I don't want new stuff. It's funny, but I have Mars Volta, Roxy Music, and everything Floyd. I think of Floyd and Roxy Music as "art rock" which is just my lame label for sorting on the ipod.

I'm thinking more of ELP, Yes, early Genesis, and yes, I think Rush. 70s bands where the musicianship was everything, the guys were faux intellectuals, and the various guys all did really long solos and shit. I have heard a song here or there on the radio and want to know what is considered their best album(s). Like today I saw a lot of used albums but I don't want to buy a shitty later album.

[thegoodmrbrodie!]

i like...

'in the court of the crimson king' by king crimson.

and.

'rubycon' by tangerine dream.

and stuff by can, neu, and faust, but since we are in the specific genre land i'd count those as KRAUTROCK. well tangerine dream are german too. hmm.

[Vladimir]

Yeah, most definitely scoop up the Mars Volta catalog.

Fall of Troy, on a more metal-ish prog tip.

Coheed and Cambria: a lot of people want to think of them as emo, but they are wrong. Their new cd is a prog masterpiece.

Dream Theater is technically prog-rock, but I personally think its bullshit. Very well-played, extremely technically proficient bullshit.

[DroppinScience]

Coheed and Cambria: a lot of people want to think of them as emo, but they are wrong. Their new cd is a prog masterpiece.

For bands like Coheed and Cambria, Mars Volta, I'd call them "prog-punk." There may be some emo influences, but it seems to be prog music tailored for punk fans (which is ironic in and of itself, since punk started out as very anti-prog rock :p ).

I know you don't want new stuff, Documad, but if you're ever in the mood for the latter day prog-influences, do try Brazil. They're top quality.

[Vladimir]

Yeah I like that term. I've always thought of C&C as Prog-Rock Soup for the Emo Soul, if you will. It's very much prog-rock first, it just has a punk/emo aesthetic.

[Auton]

you should buy 'the lamb lies down on broadway' by genesis

get 'selling england by the pound' too

[Reginald]

The Mars Volta and Coheed & Cambria are probably the best prog bands around now. Frances the Mute was a good album but not as good as the previous one, and C&C's album was great.

The Mars Volta - De-loused in the Comatorium = Personal favorite

Has anyone heard: Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea?

I think it's a masterpiece.

[FunkyHiFi]

Yes
* Close To The Edge
* Fragile
* Going For The One
* The Yes Album
* Tales From Topographic Oceans (VERY progressive-a lot of people say this double disc set is the ultimate in prog rock decadence & I'll admit it is pretty "thick" but it has some good dreamy stuff on there-it's great to drive with or go to sleep to). But all these albums are full of dreamy/mystical attitudes, though some of the instrumental solos can get monotonous. The very pretty 10 minute track "Turn Of The Century" on the 3rd album is one of my favorite Yes songs. The 1st and 4th album are my favorite albums of theirs.

Moody Blues
This Is The Moody Blues (http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1469506&style=music&cart=281897651&BAB=M) My favorite prog rockers even though I don't own all their music. I don't usually buy greatest hits collections but a lot of people recommended this (it's out of print now here in the States). The songs on this two disc set were put together in a specific order by the band and many tracks feature special interludes especially made for this set so the songs flow together nicely & form a more cohesive whole. I have a couple of their regular albums, Seventh Sojourn and Every Good Boy Deserves Favour but I like the compilation better-I almost always end up listening to an entire disc at once. Very mystical & dreamy stuff. The Moody's most well known album by non-fans (my age) is probably Nights In White Satin known best for its title track (I don't own this one though).

Emerson Lake and Palmer
I have one of their many greatest hits albums.....because these guys push my limits for prog rock so a lot of their stuff is compeltely unlistenable for me. Their most popular album seems to be Brain Salad Surgery (http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1118155&style=music&cart=281897651&BAB=E), which is the one with the album cover painted by the same guy who designed the alien in the movie, uh, "Alien". I like their song "Still......You Turn Me On" a lot.

Rush
Uh oh, The Band I Grew Up On. (y) But burned out on them a decade ago so nowadays my CDs get kind of dusty in between playings. Hemispheres, A Farewell To Kings, and especially 2112 are the albums I consider to be "classic" prog rock & I mean that in a good way. Moving Pictures is their most mainstream prog rock album-awesome stuff to turn up loud. The track "Witch Hunt" talks about some things happening now and "Red Barchetta" is a neat sci-fi story set in a time where cars are outlawed-it's one of my favorite Rush songs. Albums past this one, though still good, don't really sound the same.

The Alan Parsons Project
* I, Robot
* Pyramid
* Tales of Imagination: Edgar Alan Poe
* Turn Of A Friendly Card

One of my favorite prog bands! I think it was Rolling Stone who called them "the poor man's Pink Floyd". In other words, prog rock that was more accessible, though some thought it was just watered down. Usually has a science fiction-ey theme (y). I, Robot is considered their classic album, but personally I like Pyramid better > favorite line from that album: and the Mayan panoramas/on my pyramid pajamas/haven't helped my little problem (google "pyramid power" and you should get the joke :) ). But the rest of the tracks are more somber & atmospheric. Alan Parsons' main job though was a recording engineer, and did a very job with many other band's albums so they always sound very good (he did the engineering work on Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon for example).

I'm just starting to get into Genesis' stuff before Abacab, which is an album I still like a lot. I heard The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway once at a friend's house and liked it. Last year I found Trespass on vinyl at a garage sale for 50 cents and like that too.

This is about all I own for 70s prog rock, because after going to college I went to some performances at the student center where bands played stuff called "punk" and "new wave" which I had only read about, and then I started to branch out..............:)

btw: several of these albums above were transferred to the surround sound format and listening that way makes this type of stuff even more trippy to hear.

[Brass_Munkey]

Rush-Moving Pictures

[Rip Round'n Roc]

babe ruth - the mexican

[Documad]

Good ideas, all of you! Thanks!

get 'selling england by the pound' too
I just found this for $2.00!

Funky Hi-Fi, that's what I'm talking about! Thanks. Kind of a coincidence, but a few weeks ago I found my Moody Blues -- Days of Future Past (or whatever it's called) and played it over and over when I was working around the house. The speaking part makes me giggle every time.

[SwimFinFan]

How about some Traffic?

John Barleycorn Must Die
The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys

[FunkyHiFi]

Documad: you've got the title right for that (http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1094923&style=music&cart=282104729&BAB=M) Moody Blues album. I proofread my long-ass post really fast and mixed up the track name with the album title.

There was so much good rock music done in the late 60s/early 70s but I just don't have the $$$ to get into it like I want. :(

And for people who grew up on radio only since that f*****g Telecommunications Act of 1996 *screwed up* the radio business, there is so much more awesome music out there than what the corporate-owned/Profit-Is-God stations now play, SO much more!!

[Tzar]

i'm listening to Kamelot's latest album... apparently they're a progressive metal band.


yeah...

[Mr_Complex]

Has anyone heard: Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea?

I think it's a masterpiece.

Yes, it's alright.

[greedygretchen]

I absolutely hate RUSH!! :mad:

[Vladimir]

I can't believe I forgot Tool. Tool. Everything Tool. Amazing.
Lateralus is a prog-rock magnum opus. Except I'm sure they'll top it, so let's just say opus.

[minorthreat]

i'd say tool like were some kind of mind-numbing mathamatical metal calculator.

i bought echoes the best of pink floyd today. overblown music at its best

[hpdrifter]

Anyone here heard of Porcupine Tree? I think some might refer to them as prog. I think they're brilliant. In Absentia is a good one.

[Videodrome]

i listened to alot of Saga in the early eighties, does that count?

[fucktopgirl]

YES is the best!

[FunkyHiFi]

i listened to alot of Saga in the early eighties, does that count?
Woohoo, another Saga fan! Some people think they are really cheesy and I'll admit they are more pop-ish than most other prog bands, but I like'em. (y) I have their album Worlds Apart (http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1086013&style=music&cart=282892472&BAB=E) and a comp, Vol.1-Defining Moments.

Back in high school during sports pep rallies, they used "On The Loose" from Worlds Apart ALL the time-but before we got burned out on it :rolleyes: it really did rev up the audience-very cool tune to turn up LOUD. "Conversations", while it starts out kind of slow, gets more crankable near the middle; same with the very last track. But one of the main reasons I like them is their neat little stories they tell ("Times Up" still comes to mind when I'm in a job that's boring or I get lazy about doing something I know would help me in some way). Those Canadians sure can make some pretty cool music. :)

[FunkyHiFi]

Found a thread (sort of) about prog rock AND why when you see the word "remaster" on a label don't get too excited until you actually hear it:

"Avoid the Genesis 'Trespass' Remaster!" (http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=58832)

The post includes an MP3 sample of three different versions of a track from the album and the crappiness of the remaster is clearly audible even on my $40 Altec-Lansing computer speakers. I own this album myself-good stuff!-but it was used when I bought it & unfortunately someone must have used a turntable with a stylus (i.e. needle) in really shitty condition because my copy sounds like AM radio. :(

The thread author is a recording engineer and has won some important industry awards for his work (his avatar is one of the Marx Brothers, not him :) ).

[FunkyHiFi]

Yes' "Roundabout" like you've never seen it. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVWhVSPngBw) Eeeewww. :D

I don't think the choir director/choreographer quite "gets" this song............

[abcdefz]

Name some essential albums please. Ones you've actually listened to.

I have a complete and utter lack of prog rock in my collection (unless you count Pink Floyd).

I've been talking with friends at work and realized that I might not own anything that's truly prog rock. But my friends were lame and couldn't name the ELP album to try, and got confused with the timeline of Genesis (when they quit being prog rock and became Phil's backup band), etc. I don't think prog rock is for me, but I'd like to know what albums to look for at used stores.


Lately, I've been spinning Can's Tago Mago, Ege Bamyasi, and Future Days pretty much every day.

I'd start with Ege Bamyasi and see how that grabs you. Amazing drumming and guitar playing -- way funkier and groove-oriented than you might think. This is probably where trance and trip hop sprouted.

[Documad]

^^ I will have to check that out. Thanks.

I actually put on some Rush vinyl the other day. :o And it was pretty good. :)

Also, when I saw Sigur Ros a few weeks ago, I decided that in a few places it was dead on Pink Floyd, but that if I were to mention that to any of the cool kids sitting near me, they would have beaten me to death. But I did turn to my friend and mouthed "Floyd" and she nodded knowingly.

[Drederick Tatum]

Interstellar Overdrive could be an awesome song if it was only about 3 minutes, had some vocals and was based around that opening riff. instead, it's wank.

[Reginald]

Emerson Lake & Palmer are my favorite band.

Keith Emerson is my favorite keyboardist, Greg Lake is my favorite vocalist, and Carl Palmer is my favorite drummer.

I also like Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull, and Frank Zappa.

Favorites albums:
Emerson Lake & Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery
Yes - Close to the Edge
Genesis - Foxtrot
Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
Frank Zappa - Uncle Meat

Favorite songs:
Emerson Lake & Palmer - Karn Evil 9
Yes - Close to the Edge
Genesis - Supper's Ready
Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick
Frank Zappa - King Kong

:)

[Miho Mingu]

King Crimson and Porcupine Tree.

[Bob]

Interstellar Overdrive could be an awesome song if it was only about 3 minutes, had some vocals and was based around that opening riff. instead, it's wank.

the end part is kind of cool, too

with headphones, anyway

but yeah, i feel the same way. it reminds me of some mars volta songs.

[Reginald]

This is the best thread.

[Drederick Tatum]

nah it's not, prog rock is just embarrassing.

[Reginald]

Prog rock is the best.

[saz]

Interstellar Overdrive could be an awesome song if it was only about 3 minutes, had some vocals and was based around that opening riff. instead, it's wank.

boo-urns (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivRjKr2deJM)



blow by blow, wired, the jan hammer group live-jeff beck

also comets on fire, who are beyond awesome

[FunkyHiFi]

Probably the ultimate prog album, Yes'

Tales from Topographic Oceans (http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Topographic-Oceans/dp/B00007LTIA/sr=1-1/qid=1156992748/ref=sr_1_1/002-9041693-9239241?ie=UTF8&s=music)

(^ I thought this special album needed a groovy looking font :D) You'll either hate this or love it. Some of the guys from Yes said later (late 80s I think) that even they thought it was overdone.....but personally I really think they said that just to shut the critics up.

For me, the best way to listen to this "big ideas" album is late at night by myself, in a darkened room. That may sound weird to people who do all their music listening in an office cubicle with their iPod and a pair of earbuds, but IMO you can't properly get into this album in such a distracting environment. IIRC lead singer Jon Anderson was exploring some different religions before this album came out & it shows. I don't always totally understand what he's singing about, but the atmosphere the words and the music create makes up for that.

edit: found the lyrics (http://yesworld.com/discog/tales.html) to the album on Yes' site (to get to the home page from that sub(?)page, type in only yesworld.com).

[Reginald]

Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Brain Salad Surgery
Karn Evil 9
Yes
Close to the Edge
Close to the Edge
Genesis
Foxtrot
Supper's Ready
Jethro Tull
Thick as a Brick
Thick as a Brick
Frank Zappa
Hot Rats
The Gumbo Variations
King Crimson
In the Court of the Crimson King
Epitaph
Pink Floyd
Animals
Sheep
The Moody Blues
Days of Future Passed
Nights in White Satin
Van der Graaf Generator
Pawn Hearts
A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers
The Alan Parsons Project
Tales of Mystery and Imagination
The Fall of the House of Usher

[Miho Mingu]

^ From that list, I mostly want to check out Yes and King Crimson, but I'll also give Genesis a shot. I was going to buy "In the Court of the Crimson King" one day at the store, but I didn't have enough money on me.

[Miho Mingu]

Also, Liquid Tension Experiment is fucking awesome progressive. Check it out.