Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks" came out at the end of 1968. Nothing had ever been done like it. Not close. Rock n' roll changed with that album, and from what you're telling me, this is where prog rock started. I'm posting a short cut from the album so that you'll know what I'm talking about.
Let's talk music, no genre boundaries
This is an offshoot of the jazz thread. I and others found that we could not talk about jazz without discussing other musical genres, as well as the philosophy of music. So, this is a thread in which people can suggest good music of all genres, and spout off your feelings about music itself.
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Funny you should talk about my wariness of genres. I was just reading in the book that @mahgister recommended on the origins of thought that humanity is torn between the perspective of the individual and the collective. We are in danger of abandoning the perspective of the individual for the collective perspective. I think I am fighting for the individual perspective which would not favor the collective's definition of genres we can all relate to. The individual would (selfishly, perhaps) lean toward individual experience that would transcend words. This is all very complicated, and I hope I my summary did it justice. I see it in my writing as the feminine which would favor individual experience versus the masculine which would lean toward the group experience. Except our group experience has been defined by men, and this takes it to another level of complication which is too long for me to go into now. Although, we do need to define species and genuses to have a discussion, I must admit. This does have applications to music and art, but more later. |
Hmm Astral Weeks was groundbreaking indeed. As was Sgt Pepper. As was “Days of Future Passed” and early Pink Floyd. Each in different ways. Revolver and Pet Sounds to some extent as well were at minimum early seeds for prog rock. The Beatles’ combined commercial success, experimentation and boundary pushing made it possible for others to follow and push the boundaries even further successfully for 10 years or so until Punk rock came along and popped the prog rock bubble. King Crimson’s “In the Court of the Crimson King” in 1969 is widely regarded for setting the benchmark for what was to become prog rock. |
All very good points. Perhaps I am just a Van Morrison fan who thinks that he does not get enough credit. Yes, I am. But that aside, the Beatles, whom I dearly loved during the sixties, went in a number of different directions. They had country songs, blues songs, and their own wonderful songs. A lot of it, I think, was satirical about the British society. They wanted to break out of the stuffy British morality. Seargent Pepper for me was a bit satirical on old British music. It wasn't ground-breaking for me musically, aside from the fact that I'd never heard a rock band satirize old British musical styles. Pink Floyd I associate with the seventies. Van Morrison is perhaps the best voice of his generation. Of course, that's coming from a Van Morrison fan. When he sang TB Sheets, which came out in 67, nobody had ever thought like that before. He's a blues, jazz, R&B, soul, classical, spiritual singer. So, just chalk up what I'm saying to a Van Morrison fan who thinks he's not mentioned enough in serious rock conversations. |
...and my favorite ending line of the title song.... "...in another face...." One can get weary of the same but different same, every morning thru day.... *s* ;) Harder to keep an audience enthralled of late....busy 'celling' the show and selves at it....and the 'fav' selections open and close the gig... *L* The benefit of being 'Auld Skool' is we can pic'n choose what, how, and Why we listen in our acoustic cells....😏 Is the madman black or are the windows painted? |
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