The Prog Appreciation Thread

[maestro267]

A place to discuss, I think, the rock music genre that comes closest to classical, progressive rock.

Any types of prog can count. It is currently my favourite non-classical music. Bands I like at the moment include Dream Theater, Transatlantic, Porupine Tree and The Flower Kings.

Any bands/artists you like (either from the golden age or more modern groups)?

[Glaliraha]

Progressive music is my favourite kind of music to listen to.

My favourite progressive bands are Tool, Opeth and Pink Floyd. I also enjoy the music of bands such as Porcupine Tree and King Crimson, but those three are the main three. The members of those three bands are geniuses, as far as I'm concerned.

Tool ~ Stinkfist
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-IR9oNzdrA

Opeth ~ Death Whispered A Lullaby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNbaGJRt25s

Pink Floyd ~ Dogs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBKCnLLL-ZU

I am not a fan of Dream Theater, however. I find them to be pretentious and shallow.

[Aramis]

I was into progressive stuff some time ago and I can say that I have quite wide knowledge on this subject.

King Crimson was the first group I listened to, then came Van Der Graaf Generator, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Jethro Tull, bla bla bla. These are gropus for progressive newbies. Okay, Dream Theater is the real crap for total newbies, but I'm talking about real league now.

The real thing are bands from Centerbury Scene; Soft Machine, Gong (!), Henry Cow.

And, of course... Magma. Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh

There is also krautrock (Faust, Can, Kraftwerk) and total freaks like Captain Beefheart or Zappa.

Focus, Gentle Giant, Camel, these are nice bands as well, but why would one listen to something like Camel's Snoow Goose if he can listen to classical program music?

[maestro267]

I am not a fan of Dream Theater, however. I find them to be pretentious and shallow.

But you gotta admit they are brilliant on their respective instruments.

[Glaliraha]

But you gotta admit they are brilliant on their respective instruments.

Yes, of course. I wonder what it would be like if someone like Philip Glass composed music for them to perform? It'd be quite amazing, I think.

[ghostViolin]

It's prog metal for me.

No one should blame DT for being a band for total newbies to get into into prog but they've been around for 20 years and with such amount of experience under their belts, it is pretentious to say that DT has not to some extent influenced many of today's prog metal acts.

Some of the bands I've listened to:
Seventh Wonder, Circus Maximus, Beyond Twilight, Alhambra (Japanese - great band!), Threshold, Dark Water, Anubis Gate, ZeroHour, Ayreon, Psychotic Waltz, Prototype, Elegy and of course Nevermore.

[Weston]

I'm a prog fan from way back when it was in its hey day. I got to see Yes, Tull, ELP, Rush and so forth in their prime. You don't really want to get me started on prog. It's the first music I grasped outside of classical - but as you say it's pretty close to classical, just a lot louder.

It would bore you to list all my favorites, but suffice to say it's all the usual big name classic groups, plus a lot of more obscure groups I'll post a link to when I get home.

Prog is forever! Thanks for this thread.

[KaerbEmEvig]

Thanks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVHAY...eature=related

Another band I will have to get through (whole three months to listen to about 20 bands, lol).

[Petwhac]

I saw quite a few of the legendary prog bands in the 70s. YES, ELP, GENESIS, FLOYD, ZAPPA ( never considered him prog- bit too unclassifiable) KING CRIMSON.

I recently heard Yes's 'Close to the Edge' again and thought there were some great things going on musically.
For me, what lets it down now are the silly pretentious lyrics ( except FLOYD and ZAPPA).
Still, for someone who was looking for more than the usual '3 chord trick' pop/ rock song- at the time, it was great.
Now of course ,I appreciate a good '3 chord trick' pop/rock song too.

Thing is , Prog is really no closer to 'classical' than a well constructed pop song. Something that is long and complex and has lots of 'bits' is just playing at being like classical.

Full of interesting music and sounds though it was.

[jurianbai]

Dream Theater - Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulance I-Overture (SCORE)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcXAN52u_-k

this at least done in orchestra version.

[Earthling]

When I was a teenager I was into Yes, ELP (shudder!), Genesis, King Crimson, Rush, Marillion, and a few other bands (Pink Floyd, which I do like, I've never really understood why they were considered "prog rock"). Of those bands, I still like much of Pink Floyd and King Crimson (the 73-74 period and their bizarre 80s incarnation with Adrian Belew), and that's about it.

The rest I can't stomach anymore-- the notion that complexity = musical substance is not always necessarily true. Sometimes a simple three minute pop song can say more than a sprawling 20 minute rock song (usually with sub-par lyrics). It doesn't impress me anymore that a rock band can superficially imitate certain elements of classical music-- I'd rather listen to the real thing. I'm probably more sympathetic to more strongly jazz-influenced than classical-influenced prog rock now that I think about it (I'd prefer Patrick Moraz on Yes' Relayer to anything of Rick Wakeman)-- the connection to rock seems to make a bit more natural to me. But generally playing lots of complex changing time signatures really fast only impresses me in terms of novelty. I'd much rather listen to Patti Smith belt out "Gloria" or get depressed with Joy Division-- not good musicians regarding technique, but lots off passion. That's just me.

I suppose they wouldn't be considered "prog rock" per se but Mogwai and Sigur Ros are two interesting bands I've enjoyed. Sigur Ros sometimes shares Pink Floyd's often slow emotional buildup (ala Echoes, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Dogs). They remind me (to a very limited extent) of Yes-- not for the obvious reason (Jonsi's voice), but the sort of optimism that seems to shine through much of their earlier music.

[Weston]

For me, what lets it down now are the silly pretentious lyrics ( except FLOYD and ZAPPA).

Right - no pretentious lyrics in classical music whatsoever. No siree!

[The Cosmos]

Prog Lyrics - Uhh, oh, wait wait wait.........God damn, I cant remember a thing .

I'm not much of a 'lyrics interpretation' person (except for a select few artists) and voice = another instrument! Point being - most don't care about the deep hidden unconscious inner meaning when it comes to prog!

Anyways, my contribution to this thread is a weird one:

Tracks which I find progressive from artists who wouldn't associate themselves with prog (wow, that's a long one ):

Davie Bowie - Station to Station - Possibly one of the greatest song ever recorded!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY77zDzNmYw

The Meters - It Ain't No Use - 12 minutes long funky track!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc8g41fB28k

Roxy Music - The Bogus Man - Too hypnotic!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS-J1tCQwvg

Spiritualized - Cop Shoot Cop - If Mr. J. Spaceman hasn't gone over the edge yet, then this track would certainly prove otherwise!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAiBmVGKd90 (part 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIRs9KxDt8A (part 2)

I do listen to the occasional 70s/early 80s prog band every now and then, depending on my mood. (mostly psychedelic stuff - hawkwind, can, krautrock etc.)

[Petwhac]

Right - no pretentious lyrics in classical music whatsoever. No siree!

What's that got to do with it?