I was just listening to, and burning some CDs for work when I heard "Time and a Word." I started thinking about some of the prog rock I have, but wondered what I should have that I don't have...
wow.... and what about Marillion. and don't forget the Italians had (and still continue to produce) so many great great bands: Banco, PFM, Le Orme.... Il Balleto Di Bronzo.. the list is infinite.
Riverside and Indukti from Poland.
Magma, Pulsar from France
Kenso from Japan
and then you have Anekdoten, Landberk and AGLAGARD from Sweden....
if you're ok with ebay - This ("Out of the Mist") is probably the best album from that group: Out Of the Mist
Here's a copy of the very first Renaissance album: Renaissance
If you want to get the first two (Original Line-up) Renaissance releases on 1 CD plus some bonus tracks, there's this: Renaisance Innocents and Illusion
The vinyl of "Out of the Mist isn't bad, but the original Renaissance albums pressings leave a lot to be desirred, so CD may be preferred.
The other great thing about this group is John Hawken (ie the KB player from Strawbs) is a big part of it.
I'm still trying to acquire pressings with Jane Relf. I've never heard her voice but I'm interested in hearing Renaissance from this time period. I'm not sure that I've heard "Song for All Seasons" or Annie's solo album. Got to add these to my wish list.
Hello Bdgregory: I too really like "Song for All Seasons" and "Scherazade": you must obtain original U.K. pressings of Renaissance or the MFSL pressing of "S" other wise you're right...U.S. pressings are poor. Same for the Jade Warrior... Kites is bad to begin with, almost IMPOSSIBLE to find Kites on the very 1st Antilles label which is better pressed than Island.. I have gone through about 3 each copies of U.K. pressings of "Waves" and "Floating World" before finding mint clean copies.
another of my favorites that is missing is Man. Their best is "Be good to yourself at least once a day"
Xiekitchen/Dan_ed - I'm with you on Novella, but I like "Song for All Seasons" just as much, and I prefer the music on "Scheherazade" a little more than both, but the pressings (I have 2) on it aren't as good (actually the Scherazade pressings are poor).
Also, I have Jade Warriors "Kites" but prefer "Waves" and "Floating Worlds" which have superior dynamics IMO, and I just prefer the music. The latter 2 are good audiofile quality pressings.
Finally, have either of you tried Illusion - "Out of the Mist"? Jane Relf isn't Annie Haslam, but on the other hand, Annie Haslam isn't Jane Relf. Jane is one of my favorite vocalist, sadly it's hard to find much by her except for the Illusion work, and "Moonstone".
Any mind altering rock influenced music could probably get a prog label stuck on it. Most of the greats bust up any sub-genre boxes people try to put em' in. Can, Mahavishnu Orchestra, F.Z., Hendrix, Henry Cow, King Crimson, Capt. Beefheart all presented ideas that show up just about everywhere in post 70's rock. Sometimes leprechaun and unicorn worship or spinal tap cliches have surfaced on the prog grid but there's a huge reservoir of good (often criminally under appreciated) stuff out there. Some previous threads on this site have good lists.
Here some we missed: Marillion(all the stuff with Fish on vocals) The Flock Alquin(early stuff before they sold out) Frank Zappa(Uncle Meat,Burnt Weeny Sandwhich,Zappa in New York etc.) Refugee Lake Maxaphone(great album) Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Had to come back here - Thanks for catching so many I missed, like Budgie, Vandergraaf G. or Badger(never thought ANYONE would remember them!) Favorites I forgot about: Kansas, Song for America, Icarus, Miracles out of Nowhere (yeah not as mature as Yes but Kansas wasn't bad) and Starcastle's 1st album. Wasn't till near the end of the thread that Focus gets mentioned...
Some ya'll forgot? Druid (not that they were any good) Art Bears 1st 3 solo albums by Gabriel, Robert Fripp solos, Kit Watkins solos.
Anyone check out the LATEST Happy the Man album on CD, "The Muse Awakens" The group re-materialized a few years ago after 25+ years absence...
Boiling it all down, for me the tops are: 1. Yes Close to the Edge 2. ELP Brain Salad 3. Genesis Selling England 4. Renaissance Novella 5. King Crimson Starless 6. Happy the Man Crafty Hands 7. Bill Bruford One of a Kind 8. Brand X Morrocan Roll 9. Jade Warrior Kites 10.Camel Moonmadness
I think All Music Guide has a good summary of what's in which genre. If you take a look at the sub-genre's of Rock that the AMG publishes AMG Rock Genres , there's one category - Art-Rock/Experimental, which includes the following sub genres:
* Prog-Rock/Art Rock * Kraut Rock * Noise-Rock * Neo-Prog * Experimental Rock * Canterbury Scene * Avant-Prog
AMG goes on to define each, and they give some interesting history.
hi guys i am quite familar with prog. rock of the 70`s.i am not familar with newer bands,for example does porcupine tree and dream theater have any similarities to any 70`s bands thanks al
Hi-Ive been goofin' a bit here but does anyone have the courage to admit they really liked 'Boys' Kharma Chameleon? On a serious note.Im a long time fan of music by 'Yes' 'ELP' 'Rush' 'Floyd' 'Zappa'
What has struck me from the progression of the lists above, is how music builds on one form after another. Original progressive was Iron Butterfly, Led Zepplin, Cream, etc. - anything not pop (i.e. not Frankie Valie) or Motown (although I would imagine the Prog Rock players got a lot of influence from Motown as well as Blues). From there, it branched out into experimental, alternative, fusion, country rock, etc., with many of the same players showing up in multiple genres (witness the evolution of King Krimson and the members, Yes, Genesis, and so on).
Would you consider the Grateful Dead, progressive, experimental, psychedelic, or? Was REM progressive at the time they helped mainstream alternative, or something different?
No particular point to be made, just reminiscing and being anal. Sorry for getting off the point. I feel like Mr.T.
The early Roxy Music is definitly Progressive rock. Look who played keyboards Brian Eno,there were songs that were long and afforded them time to solo and the keyboards were from moog to piano. We should google Progressive rock because half the bands mentioned don't fit its definition.
Glad you got a laugh out of fellow ownership of PFM. I, likewise chuckled at the thought someone else owns Gryphon (lead krumhorn player if I remember correctly) and Rare Bird (cover versions of Clint Eastwood spighetti western themes-they didn't call this band Rare Bird for nothing).
Yeah, let's outline the progressive playlist for tonight. "Heart of the Sunrise" "Epitaph" "Tank" "Carpet Crawlers" "Thick as a Brick" "Lark's Tongue in Aspic" "Hero and Heroine" and then top off the evening with "Kharma Chameleon". That works. :-)
Here is a band no one has probably thought of putting into the prog rock setting: Grand Funk Railroad. Some of their stuff is very progressive like Inside Looking Out, Into The Sun and The Railroad.
Also the term progressive rock was coined in response to groups that started to write longer songs which allowed the musicians to play solo's on their instruments. Kind of like Rock n Roll's response to improvisation in jazz.
I think someone needs to define Progresive Rock. I always felt it was when other elements or styles of music were introduced to Rock n Roll. Example side two of King Crimson's Lizard or Moody Blues Days of Futures past.
All the above (except the Cars) plus a few more I have in my collection:
Egg Henry Cow Slapp Happy The Nice Van der Graaf Generator (alluded to by Audiofeil) Procol Harum The Enid Osanna Kansas Spocks Beard Liquid Tension Experiment Mars Volta
and a few who are maybe classified as Prog Jazz or Fusion but I feel can be concidered Prog Rock:
Dixie Dregs Mahavishnu Orchestra Jean-Luc Ponty Return To Forever
then...Uriah Heep, Demons & Wizards, you guys nailed everything else nicely. I can still listen to the 1st ELP disc today unlike much of the stuff already mentioned including the Heep.
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