OT: progressive rock

[Bigboote]

It's been a week or so since we've had a new music thread. I heard a "music critic" on NPR a couple of years ago talking about progressive rock. Said it was big for a few years in the 70's and disappeared thereafter. It predated the 70's by several years and has never disappeared.

So let us know who your fave prog rockers are. ELP, King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, and especially the more obscure and less appreciated. I'll begin with the obscure (please hide your shocked face). Here's a band who were around for a year or so around 1970. I believe the sum-total of their output was an album and one additional single. I discovered them a few years ago in a "best bands you never heard of" post somewhere. Bought the album immediately and have loved it.

 

[Bigboote]

Here's one of my favorites from Procol Harum. @nwhoopfan will be glad to know this is what led me to looking up Walpurgisnacht, the spring version of Hallowe'en.

 

[Bigboote]

One more from the late 90's-early aughts. From a Dream Theater album about what someone learns from a past-life regression. The album is brutally powerful, and this cut is achingly beautiful. I've literally listened to the album four times in the last couple of days.

 

[Scud49]

I'll begin with the obscure (please hide your shocked face).

Something obscure from BB.....? Shocked, simply shocked I tell you.

But really, progressive stuff - a great idea.

This one from Traffic came to mind right away, haven't listened to it in years:

 

[Scud49]

Heard this tune very late one night in Denver, never forgot it:

 

[nwhoopfan]

I'll begin with the obscure (please hide your shocked face).

 

[nwhoopfan]

Somehow I've never firmly grasped exactly what prog rock is. Listening to some of these songs I don't know, from bands I'm not familiar with, I'm certainly hearing influences that would lead to stuff like Boston and Styx, right?

 

[Jaydumo20]

Something obscure from BB.....? Shocked, simply shocked I tell you.

But really, progressive stuff - a great idea.

This one from Traffic came to mind right away, haven't listened to it in years:

The lyrics to this one fit the dream scenario quite well

 

[Dogdude]

There are other songs from these guys I like more, but this video has the best outfits.

 

[meyers7]

Somehow I've never firmly grasped exactly what prog rock is. Listening to some of these songs I don't know, from bands I'm not familiar with, I'm certainly hearing influences that would lead to stuff like Boston and Styx, right?

From Wiki: the style was an emergence of psychedelic bands who abandoned standard pop traditions in favour of instrumentation and compositional techniques more frequently associated with jazz, folk, or classical music. Additional elements contributed to its "progressive" label: lyrics were more poetic, technology was harnessed for new sounds, music approached the condition of "art", and the studio, rather than the stage, became the focus of musical activity, which often involved creating music for listening rather than dancing.

So Yeah, Boston and Styx dabbled in the Prog Rock. They were also considered Arena Rock.

 

[meyers7]

Pretty sure this fits. Always liked this song from their Point Of No Return album.

Lightning's Hand - Kansas

 

[Kaizen]

Pink Floyd dogs,

 

[Kaizen]

Yes - Close To The Edge​

 

[MdStang]

Short-lived but talented British progsters

 

[Scud49]

The Who:

 

[MdStang]

A Strawbs classic

 

[Scud49]

And of course, ELP:

 

[Scud49]

Traffic with Stevie Winwood - 40,000 Headmen. This one just amazes me:

 

[Hoops66]

I don't know if this qualifies but it's "out of this world." I was into New Age around this time so I really too progressive. Sorry.

 

[Scud49]

In between the Airplane and Starship days, Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, and friends like Jerry Garcia did some very interesting side projects. This was one of them - "Sunfighter" - the song is Holding Together:

 

[Scud49]

The Moodies:

 

[Ozimoto]

Here is one from Uriah Heep that goes from an acoustic guitar opening to full electronic instrumentation with echo and other studio effects by the ending.

 

[Jackcatscal]

King Crimson, of course.

… The keeper of the city keys
Puts shutters on the dreams
I wait outside the pilgrim's door
With insufficient schemes
The black queen chants the funeral march
The cracked brass bells will ring
To summon back the fire witch
To the court of the crimson king...

 

[cullaville]

Starcastle is an American progressive rock band from Champaign, Illinois, United States. Formed in 1969, the group played many shows under the names Pegasus and Mad John Fever before eventually settling on Starcastle. They inked their first record deal with Epic Records in 1974,[1] and received extensive airplay.

 

[cullaville]

Focus is a Dutch progressive rock band formed in Amsterdam in 1969 by keyboardist, vocalist, and flautist Thijs van Leer, drummer Hans Cleuver, bassist Martijn Dresden, and guitarist Jan Akkerman.