Obsessive Progressive
Wednesday, June 6th, 2007 04:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caddymanAt the request of ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
failing_angel, recommendations in the field of progressive rock.
You should have a listen to “In the Court of the Crimson King” by King Crimson, the granddaddy of all prog albums. But once ‘Moon Child’ has gone past its tuneful bit, skip the next few minutes and go to the next track. It’s the sort of stuff that gives prog a bad name. The album was produced in 1969 and has strong jazz fusion influences.
After a number of line up changes, the next ‘must listen to’ from the band was 1974s “Red”. Very powerful and much heavier, but retaining a symphonic prog element. If you like that, take a look at anything by Anekdoten from Sweden who are very influenced by mid 70s Crimson. For an example of late ‘90s prog, listen to King Crimson’s “ConstruKction of Light” album, by which time they have become more experimental art-rock exponents.
Anything by ‘Yes’ is worth a listen for the musicianship, but I would just pick one at random. They’re a bit samey and not to my taste. I’d probably suggest “Close to the Edge”.
Early Genesis: I like “Selling England by the Pound”. Good standard symphonic prog.
Just about anything by Pink Floyd of course, but I don’t think I’d go for anything older than “Meddle” which was around 1972. I’d suggest steering clear of anything much older than that and I doubt you’d really get on with anything from their Sid Barrett period. Their best work is always symphonic. The earlier you go and certainly in the late ‘60s you are in the strange little world of art-psychedelia. Probably best enjoyed with an armful of something illegal and more important for what it begat rather than any intrinsic merit.
One album by The Soft Machine. You pays your money and you takes your choice. I’d be surprised if you like their stuff; it can be rather experimental and they produced several albums worth of stuff that gives prog a bad name for musical w*nking.
That brings me nicely on to the Canterbury movement. Have a word withsack_boy (who I think you know), for recommendations on Gong, though “Camembert Electrique” will keep you going for a while. Daevid Allen started out with the Soft Machine but is much better with Gong.
Staying with the Canterbury Scene, try “For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night” by Caravan; my favourite from a strong series of albums. Jazz-rock orientated prog.
Gentle Giant, went as far as no one ever did into unexplored grounds in the progressive music, navigating over dissonant 20th-century classical chamber music, mediaeval vocal music, jazz and rock. The band grew out of the ruins of Simon Dupree and the Big Sound, an unsuccessful late 60s psychedelic unit with pretty much the same line up.
Early Rick Wakeman, such as “The Six Wives of Henry VIII” or “The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table”. All good, symphonic prog. Provided, of course, that you can get past the fact that he used to wear a gold lamé cape…
Renaissance – Sometimes Symphonic and sometimes Folk Prog and largely acoustic. Always very listenable, particularly “Scheherazade”. Compare and contrast with those other old Folk-Proggers, Jethro Tull.
Arch Art-rockers, Barclay James Harvest. A career of three parts; early 70s pretentious and overblown with symphony orchestra backing. Mid to late 70’s more mainstream Art Rock leaning to AOR, and through out the 80s, Big In Germany. I liked them up to about 1979 when they were stil a four-piece. After that, still listenable, but far more mainstream.
More generally worth a listen and listed as I think of them: Spock’s Beard (USA)– Symphonic, Flamborough Head (Netherlands) – Neo Progressive, Shylock (France) – Symphonic, Tempano (Venezuela) – Art Rock, You & I (Hungary) – Prog Folk, Porcupine Tree (UK) – Psychedelic/Space Rock, Curved Air (UK) - Art Rock, White Willow (Norway) – Symphonic, Pentacle (France) – Symphonic.
There’re loads of others and I’m out of time.
Avoid the Mahavisnu Orchestra. John McCloughlin is a very clever guitarist, but their style isn’t known as “Math Rock” for nothing.
failing_angel, recommendations in the field of progressive rock.You should have a listen to “In the Court of the Crimson King” by King Crimson, the granddaddy of all prog albums. But once ‘Moon Child’ has gone past its tuneful bit, skip the next few minutes and go to the next track. It’s the sort of stuff that gives prog a bad name. The album was produced in 1969 and has strong jazz fusion influences.
After a number of line up changes, the next ‘must listen to’ from the band was 1974s “Red”. Very powerful and much heavier, but retaining a symphonic prog element. If you like that, take a look at anything by Anekdoten from Sweden who are very influenced by mid 70s Crimson. For an example of late ‘90s prog, listen to King Crimson’s “ConstruKction of Light” album, by which time they have become more experimental art-rock exponents.
Anything by ‘Yes’ is worth a listen for the musicianship, but I would just pick one at random. They’re a bit samey and not to my taste. I’d probably suggest “Close to the Edge”.
Early Genesis: I like “Selling England by the Pound”. Good standard symphonic prog.
Just about anything by Pink Floyd of course, but I don’t think I’d go for anything older than “Meddle” which was around 1972. I’d suggest steering clear of anything much older than that and I doubt you’d really get on with anything from their Sid Barrett period. Their best work is always symphonic. The earlier you go and certainly in the late ‘60s you are in the strange little world of art-psychedelia. Probably best enjoyed with an armful of something illegal and more important for what it begat rather than any intrinsic merit.
One album by The Soft Machine. You pays your money and you takes your choice. I’d be surprised if you like their stuff; it can be rather experimental and they produced several albums worth of stuff that gives prog a bad name for musical w*nking.
That brings me nicely on to the Canterbury movement. Have a word with
sack_boy (who I think you know), for recommendations on Gong, though “Camembert Electrique” will keep you going for a while. Daevid Allen started out with the Soft Machine but is much better with Gong.Staying with the Canterbury Scene, try “For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night” by Caravan; my favourite from a strong series of albums. Jazz-rock orientated prog.
Gentle Giant, went as far as no one ever did into unexplored grounds in the progressive music, navigating over dissonant 20th-century classical chamber music, mediaeval vocal music, jazz and rock. The band grew out of the ruins of Simon Dupree and the Big Sound, an unsuccessful late 60s psychedelic unit with pretty much the same line up.
Early Rick Wakeman, such as “The Six Wives of Henry VIII” or “The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table”. All good, symphonic prog. Provided, of course, that you can get past the fact that he used to wear a gold lamé cape…
Renaissance – Sometimes Symphonic and sometimes Folk Prog and largely acoustic. Always very listenable, particularly “Scheherazade”. Compare and contrast with those other old Folk-Proggers, Jethro Tull.
Arch Art-rockers, Barclay James Harvest. A career of three parts; early 70s pretentious and overblown with symphony orchestra backing. Mid to late 70’s more mainstream Art Rock leaning to AOR, and through out the 80s, Big In Germany. I liked them up to about 1979 when they were stil a four-piece. After that, still listenable, but far more mainstream.
More generally worth a listen and listed as I think of them: Spock’s Beard (USA)– Symphonic, Flamborough Head (Netherlands) – Neo Progressive, Shylock (France) – Symphonic, Tempano (Venezuela) – Art Rock, You & I (Hungary) – Prog Folk, Porcupine Tree (UK) – Psychedelic/Space Rock, Curved Air (UK) - Art Rock, White Willow (Norway) – Symphonic, Pentacle (France) – Symphonic.
There’re loads of others and I’m out of time.
Avoid the Mahavisnu Orchestra. John McCloughlin is a very clever guitarist, but their style isn’t known as “Math Rock” for nothing.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-06 03:34 pm (UTC)I'd forgotten about Mr Wakeman - I have his 'Myths & Legends' already courtesy of me Ma (and I believe she has the vinyl of Henry VIII - 'I Yam' - at home too - but sadly no record player).
I think we can forgive Mr Wakeman his cape though - he was somewhat caned throughout that period.
Gong - I do recall my ex being a bit of a fan of theirs (were they big in France?)
But what, no Hawkwind?
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-06 03:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-06 03:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-06 03:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-06 03:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-06 04:06 pm (UTC)BTW - Court of the Crimson King has now been ordered :)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-06 04:08 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-06 04:08 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-06 04:19 pm (UTC)Qui est-ce?
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-06 04:22 pm (UTC)The Strawbs, Dave Cousins' mob probably best known for the thoroughly atypical "Part of the Union".
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-06 04:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-06 05:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-06 06:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-06 06:09 pm (UTC)Is that the only choon you've ever listened to that lasts longer than 2 minutes 10 seconds? You are living the Demolition Man future aren't you, where advertising jingles are pop classics?
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-06 06:39 pm (UTC)Now, get back to wearing a giant sunflower on your head and stabbing knives into your keyboard gramps.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-06 07:03 pm (UTC)How dare you? That is my head!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-07 08:45 am (UTC)After Zodiac, so do I
(no subject)
Date: 2007-06-07 11:49 am (UTC)