Book I - Opening and Presentation: So one day in the late 1960s, Rick Wakeman happened upon a beautiful sequined cape hanging in a London store window, and the progressive rock genre was born. Nah, just pulling your leg. It's bizarre that despite our love for the stuff, we've never really done a focused feature on prog rock at Peacedogman.com. It's just such an elephant of a genre, and there's just too many great albums to really cover them all in a single feature. What follows is not meant to be any type of all-inclusive prog rock study - just a starter kit done Peacedogman style. The staff guys came up with about twenty collectable 'Prog 101' titles, then we added
in a few killer obscurities and a few "thinker"
titles that straddle some other genres. Of course, we plan to publish
at least one sequel to this feature later this year focused on the avalanche
of titles we had to leave out. Hopefully what follows is enough to get
the readers in the mood for Roger Dean artwork and grinning gnomes. Enjoy!
BRAND X - "Unorthodox Behavior", 1976: At a time when punk was rearing it’s ugly head and rock was simplifying itself, this debut reared it’s smooth mix of progressive rock and fusion. Like MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA and soon to follow the fusion frisson Jeff Beck, BRAND X came along to offer their take on what had become a very popular form of jazz. Jazz that was “mixed” with rock was labeled “fusion”. Whether BRAND X was fusion or prog rock was really up to the listener. What the listener may notice is the immediate chemistry between the four seasoned musicians. Guitarist John Goodsall had a similar vibe to John McLaughlin yet brought to the table a little more funk . Robin Lumley’s virtuosity
was a given even if his style was a little less over-the-top than say, Jan Hammer. Percy Jones took what he could from the Jaco Pastorius school of fretless fingering and added his own spin on it. Phil Collins went back to the drums after just learning how to front GENESIS following Gabriel's departure a year earlier. What the group was able to accomplish on their first record together is quite mind boggling. The innovation, technique and use of dynamics is all there in spades and each successive album would find them pushing the envelope even more.
DREAM THEATER – "Scenes from a Memory",
1999: Like em or hate em, you’ve got to give up props to DREAM THEATER, who along with MARILLION, are probably as responsible for the
resurgence in interest in prog rock/metal as any band out there. Digesting
their prodigious output isn’t an easy task, but "Scenes from a Memory"
is as good a place to start your exploration of their catalog.
An epic tale, told in two extended suites, Scenes from a Memory," is DREAM THEATER's first full out concept album, telling of a 1928 murder and how
a modern man is haunted by the crime. "Scenes" finds the DREAM THEATER
boys solidifying their sound, bringing in the extended prog elements
of "Images and Words" with the darker metal they
pursued with releases like "Awake." From the PINK FLOYD beginning of “Regression,”
to the final sweeping metallic riffs and manically pounding drums of the
epic closer, “Finally Free,” "Scenes from a Memory" is a sweeping, grand
statement of all that is prog. The result of the union of five exquisitely
talented musicians, DREAM THEATER wrote the bible on modern prog/metal
and with the inclusion of all the members’s individual projects and guest
appearances, formed the backbone of the genre. As melodic as MARILLION
and as hard rocking as MEGADETH, DREAM THEATER can do it all. You want
shredding to make you eyes burn, “Fatal Tragedy,” has all you’ll ever
need. Seeking something sweeping and grandly pompous? “Overture 1928,”
will fit the bill. Featuring one of the genre’s premier guitarists, John
Petrucci, and a drummer beyond compare, Mike Portnoy, each song is rife
with unpredictable time-changes and complex dynamics without ever losing
structure or becoming repetitive. As a vocalist, James LaBrie compliments
the musicians rather than competes with them, perhaps best demonstrated
on the fiercely rocking “Strange Déjà vu.” The extended 11-minute plus
prog freakouts of “Beyond this Life,” and “Home,” allow each member to
fly off in solo heaven with some of the most searing prog leads of guitar
and keyboard ever committed to master tape. "Scenes from a Memory," finds
the DREAM THEATER crew at the peak of their game, transcending their initial
influences of QUEENSRYCHE, RUSH and YES and creating something truly their
own. "Scenes" would fit the bill for all lovers of prog, who also love
the crunch of a nasty metallic riff. Oh, and don’t forget to listen hard
for the female orgasm in “Home,” at the 8:40 mark, just another little
treat for your listening pleasure.
ELP - "Tarkus", 1971: At just
38 minutes total length, the first 20-odd minutes of this 1971 ELP album
are taken up by the title track "Tarkus": A warm, welcoming musical journey
full of twists, turns and a virtuosity that complements rather than detracts
from the piece. Throw in a guitar solo of Gilmour proportions and the
work is sealed as a fine example of the genre and fit to stand against
anything fellow prog giants YES, GENESIS or KING CRIMSON produced. The
story revolves around a half-tank, half-armadillo killing machines of
destruction until a manticore convinces it that it too is a machine
of destruction. Of course, lyrically speaking this isn't the easiest
concept to follow but
let's be fair here and note that not many other acts have attempted this theme in this way! Additionally,
"Bitches Crystal" stands out due to some excellent Keith Emerson piano and an angry Lake vocal, and "A Time And A Place" displays an ability to rock hard,
as dirty great helpings of Hammond organ produce something akin to DEEP
PURPLE. While tracks like "Jeremy Bender" and "Are You Ready Eddie?" seem out of place next to the aforementioned stellar material, the album has earned collectable status among many prog fans over the years. Worth picking up for the title track alone.
CYNIC – “Focus”, 1993: Yet one
more example of how widespread the prog label is, this cult four-piece
was spawned from the much-storied Florida death metal scene. The early
CYNIC demos showcased a blistering thrash band with above-average intelligence
and technical flare, as the band eventually recruited fellow jazz metalhead
Tony Choy of ATHEIST and PESTILENCE fame. However, by the time Sean Malone brought his Chapman stick to the party for the band’s first (and to date only) full-length, they would be a band to defy definition. For “Focus,” frontman Paul Masvidal replaced most of the growling with heavily synthesized clean vocals, and the dreamy breakdowns and off-the-wall
song structures have far more in common with supergroup U.K. than SLAYER, particularly on instrumental “Textures.” Fortunately, the combination of polar opposites works wonders, as can be heard in “Veil of Maya” and “The Eagle Nature,” yet there are still moments like “Uroboric Forms” that pay tribute to the band’s thrash origins. One of those who took notice was DEATH frontman Chuck Schuldiner, who would borrow the prog influence of CYNIC for his latter works, in addition to recruiting Masvidal and drummer Sean Reinert for his “Human” album. After breaking up in ‘94, the members of CYNIC would continue with more prog-related projects including GORDIAN KNOT, OSI and AGHORA… that is, before finally reuniting in 2007 with a new album, “Traced in Air,” slated to drop this fall. Prepare for the rules to change again!
ARTHUR BROWN'S KINGDOME COME - "Journey",
1974: Not to be confused with the 80’s hair band, this record is perhaps one of progressive rock’s most fundamental forgotten masterpieces.
Brown was initially known for his “Fire” single, mixing of the psychedelic
with soul/R&B. The following year (1969) he recorded a second album
that did not see the light of day until the late 80’s. From 1970 to 1973
he recorded and released albums along with his group Kingdom Come. The
earlier releases contained rock akin to JETHRO TULL’s heavier riffs mixed
with bizarre avante garde leanings. Having eschewed the drummer from the
lineup, Brown starting using a Bentley drum machine
by the time the band recorded what was to be their
final album in 1973/74. “Journey” is believed to be the first rock album
ever to use a drum machine as it’s main percussive source. Brown himself
manually operated it in the studio and onstage as this lineup did a couple
tours. It opens the album with a creepy heartbeat-like bass drum on “Time
Captains”. After a minute or two of this the raspy snare and bass guitar
make their presence known. The pace picks up with synth noise and guitar
melodies very similar to what CABARET VOLTAIRE would conjure up about
five or so years later. It also demonstrates a possible starting point
for THROBBING GRISTLE's mechanical mojo. When Brown’s voice appears half
way through the composition following the “DR WHO/IN SEARCH OF” synth
melodies, one gets the feeling of waters parting. The beautiful analog
synths start to bubble back and forth as your stereo becomes an organic
being. As the song segues into the instrumental “Triangles” Andy Dalby’s
guitar and Phil Shutt’s bass introduces the musicality behind this monster.
Brown bounces back with the medieval melodic mellotron driven madness
of “Gypsy. The second half speeds up with some serious guitar goo. Keyboardist
Victor Peraino pulls out all the stops even using a Theramin way before
it was cool to do so. His accomplishments throughout the three part (how
prog is that?) “Superficial Roadblocks” demonstrate this band’s ability
to merge the medieval with science fiction. “Conception” has Brown
screaming again, and “Spirit Of Joy” and “Come Again” are breathtaking
as well.
VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR - "Still Life" 1976:
Despite the fact that VDGG didn't really achieve the household-name status of YES or GENESIS, their particular brand of key-dominated prog is anything but second tier. There's not a lot of up-front guitar in the recording, but Peter Hammill's uber-dark organ grooves are down-right bloodthirsty. The title track finds Hammil ranting and seething like some demented arch-villian for the first few minutes, only to flip unexpectedly into cabaret-style piano rock. The album develops into a pure rock 'n roll carnival by the time "My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)" rolls around, the snaking sax and soaring organ lines building crescendos that ebb and
flow with reckless abandon. Hammill's vocal attack in the track is somehow sullen and campy at the same time, bass and piano locking into his vocal patterns with outstanding syncopated results. Shrouded in fantastic production, "Still Life" isn't just a great prog record; it's a top-notch British rock album in it's own right. Shit, even RADIOHEAD fans may dig this one.
PROTEUS - "Infinite Change" 1981:
Dennis & (the late) Phil of Midwest Militia Mag, King Klassic Records
& later, Monster, turned me on to a lot of massive metal: WINTERHAWK,
SLAUTER XSTROYES, ORDAINED FATE…the list goes on & on. Still, just to
prove they were men of many faces, they also whupped me with one of the
best jazz fusion records you've never heard. I can only be talking about
the sole output of Chicago's PROTEUS, the 1981 release "Infinite Change."
Well, maybe not infinite but pretty damn wide is the swath cut by these
guys through the 6 cuts here. Whether it's the lengthy "…Emerald Beyond"-era
panorama of "Inner City", the funky "Steppin' Out" or the downright
danceable
rhythms of "Dance Of The Moonchildren," the cream consistently
rises. And while the whole band is smoking throughout, it's the warm yet
timely biting guitar of "Ole Rise" that leads the way. Try to dig this one
up, as this guy is one of the true unsung fusion axe slingers out there,
often calling to mind the great Eric Johnson and this album stands up
with the big boys of the genre.
SPRING - "Spring", 1971: Somewhere
between copious LSD experimentation and art school geekery dwells the
line between psych and prog. While British upstarts SPRING probably leaned
a little to the psych end of the spectrum, their eponymous debut
is a combination of rapturous songwriting and consummate musicianship
that demands inclusion here. A warm bed of strings provides a soothing
canvas for searing blues riffs and marching drums in "Shipwrecked Soldier",
while mellow bits like "Grail" and "Boats" blur the line between folk
and British blues. Vocalist Pat Moran's august street-folk stylings mesh in a
unique fashion with flutes, strings, and mellotron recalling everything from
THE ELEVATORS to VAN MORRISON to late 60s
DEEP PURPLE. The smoking leadwork of Ray Martinez swims over accomplished
transitions in cuts like "Gazing" and the remarkable "Golden Fleece".
An obscurity for sure, but still a disc that no self-respecting prog fan
should be without.
MUSE - “Black Holes And Revelations”
2006: Although much has been said about RUSH's considerable soundscape as a three-piece, certainly some props can be reallocated to this English band.
“Black Holes….” may have been recorded in five different studios (including
Electric Ladyland) yet there is a cohesiveness that gives the record a
current. The band is poppy enough to satisfy one’s taste for a good melody
yet the arrangements use technical wizardry that transcends
most mainstream rock acts. Guitar pyrotechnics and time signatures that
avoid the typical 4/4 are often employed. “Starlight” may start off like
COLDPLAY, but the composition progresses in directions that band could never
imagine much less pull off. “Supermassive
Black Hole” is QUEEN hanging out with PRINCE at a rave. “Invicible” is
the standout track here, and arguably one off the best cumshots in progressive
rock. The creshendo is like almost no other even in a sub-genre full of
grand exits. Intense tapping on the guitar and some groggy distortion
on the bass take the tune to the next level. This group takes everything
they do to the next level and are definitely a band to keep an eye on.
What will they do next? It’s up to them and up to us to listen.
PORCUPINE TREE – "In Absentia", 2002: Arguably, no single individual has left his stamp on the developing world of neo-prog more indelibly than the one man prog phenom and musical prodigy Steven Wilson. And nowhere will you see this vision so exquisitely realized as his work with phenomenally popular band, PORCUPINE TREE. What started out as a SPINAL TAP joke, with a fictitious discography and body of music, PORCUPINE TREE quickly became Wilson’s main vehicle for prog inspired experimentation. While any number of PT albums could be on this list, it was “In Absentia,” that found Wilson perfecting his craft, finding just the right combination of ambient exploration, dramatic compositions,
and exceptional musicianship all crafted into
instantly accessible, dramatic pop songs. Wilson’s gentle, delicate vocals
float above and over the electronic and live drumming, while keyboard
textures hold the spaces between mind-numbing guitar solos and acoustic
passages. Songs like “Gravity Eyelids,” “Trains,” and “Lips of Ashes,”
simmer with a hidden beauty. “Blackest Eyes,” is an instantly accessible,
hauntingly memorable track, Wilson layering spaced out electric guitars
between the interweaving keyboards. “Eyes” also hints at the fury that
PT can launch into at a moment’s notice, breaking off into full-out assaults
of what can only be described as metal, before dropping down in an instant
into pure ambiance. This is modern prog at its most complex without being
overly burdened with technical wizardry. Heavy and light in one breath.
That’s PORCUPINE TREE.
ELOY - "Live", 1978: Interstellar epics! Transcendental lyrics! Space-age fanfares! A name scantly mentioned in internet prog or Krautrock discussions, Frank Bornemann's ELOY dropped a number of top-notch cosmic prog records like 1976's "Dawn" and 1977's "Ocean". But the rousing 1978 live record may be the most thrilling Graviton ride of the entire discography. Practically every song begins with a "2001"-style cosmic epiphany of swirling keys, booming gongs, and constellation-praising lyrics. But whenever Klaus-Peter Matziol launches into a hard-charging bassline, they're soon delivering a planet-aligning musical experience. The band is remarkably solid in every respect: The guitar
solos of "Incarnation of Legos" are down-right hypnotic, the percussion of "Mutiny" charms the rabid crowd with a TULL-like prance, and the droning riffs and sweeping solos of "Atlantis' Agony at June 5th - 8498, 13 P.M. Gregorian Earthtime" may be the disc's showstopper (with a title like that, how could it not be?). Even fans of the band's studio output would be well-served to investigate this ballsy live document from one of Germany's most talented rock bands. Pick it up - schnell! Schnell!
GONG - "You", 1974: Another band straddling the mysterious psych/prog threshold, Daevid Allen's GONG struck an appealing balance between languid mushroom-crazed jams and scintillating songcraft peppered with jaw-dropping musicianship. While any of their "Radio Gnome" period discs are worth investigating for their jazzy Turkish bazaar explorations, "You" may just be GONG's tour de force. Mike Howlett leads the charge with spacy, bassy grooves in "Isle of Everywhere", allowing plenty of free-forming opportunities for the sultry cosmic coos and babbles of Bambaloni Yoni. Shorter court jester-jazz fare like "A PHP's Advice" and "Perfect Mystery" are addictive and curious,
merrily unraveling the exploits of the
Pot Head Pixies, the Octave Doctors, and other characters of Planet Gong.
Some moments of the closer, "You Never Blow Your Trip Forever" make early
HAWKWIND sound like MINOR THREAT by comparison. It's a madcap, acid-driven
musical mind exploration and a prime example of better living through
chemistry.
PINK FLOYD – "Wish You Were Here", 1975:
How do you follow up one of the biggest selling albums of all
time? That’s the situation PINK FLOYD found themselves in after the unexpected,
“overnight” success of “Dark Side of the Moon.” Although they’d notched
a couple of British top 20 singles off their 1967 Syd Barrett created
psychedelic debut, PINK FLOYD toiled in and out of obscurity over on American
shores. That all ended in 1973 with the release of "Dark Side," which
entered the charts at #95, quickly rose to #1 and established PINK FLOYD
as world-wide superstars. PINK FLOYD’s response, two years in the making,
was to create an album arguable even better, more stunning in musicianship
and more aggressive in content than "Dark Side."
Without the benefit of an instantly infectious bass line like the lead-in
to “Money,” "Wish You Were Here" still rose to #1 on the charts, revealing
David Gilmour to be a guitarist of understated power and fury, and Waters
to be a songwriter of biting wit and sarcasm. A loose concept album paying
tribute to their rock and roll tragedy leader, Syd Barrett, "Wish You
Were Here" starts off with “Shine on You Crazy Diamond,” a liquid-rock,
sprawling epic. A slow burner, never in a hurry to get to an imaginary
finish line, the song tells the story of Barrett’s brush with insanity
told through the alternating slow jazz and searing lead guitar lines of
Gilmour. Then, the ominous keyboard of “Welcome to the Machine,” rises,
building amongst a random cacophony of sound effects. Water’s cynicism
is on full display in this sci-fi mechanized, dehumanizing song. “Have
a Cigar,” bubbles out next, funky and meaty, Gilmour’s guitar work shines
on this epic tale of the greedy, dubious nature of the music industry
that led to Barrett’s mental downfall, leading us to the classic lyric
borne of a John Peel session, “Oh, by the way, which one’s Pink?”,
"Wish You Were Here" employs the same multi-layered production, sound
effects, spacey synth washes and instruments as "Dark Side". Although
not as groundbreaking, "Wish You Were Here" is quite possibly the better
album, cracking the window open on the ambitiousness and grand musical
scope of a band performing at their peak.
KANSAS - "Song For America" 1975:
Back in my senior year of high school, it really used to piss me off when
I'd hear people talking about progressive rock & innovators like YES &
GENESIS. Yeah, they were good and all that, but to me they didn't hold a candle
to what this bunch from the heartland had done on their 2nd album. Sheez,
just with "Down The Road" alone, guitarists Kerry Livgren & Rich Williams
strafe the listener with Schenker-shrapnel, tripling with violinist Robbie
Steinhardt as the rhythm section turns on dime after dime. Somebody get
Steve Howe some oxygen. Then, that quick, the sextet lays down the 10 minute title cut, a prog gem of sweeping enough proportions to have
the lamb lie down in a KANSAS wheatfield. There's
plenty more: The Iommi-inflected "Devil Game," the scalding blues of "Lonely
Street" & two more towers of long, proggy bliss, "Lamplight Symphony"
& "Incomudro - Hymn To The Atman." Shit, these guys even had TWO great
singers!
FATES WARNING – “No Exit”, 1988:
After the departure of much-beloved vocalist John Arch yet before the
band’s controversial run of radio-friendly rock albums, there was this
titan of an album. Shedding most of their fairy tale-laden persona, “No
Exit” is a far darker, more personal album than anything they’d done up
to that point. Proving himself to be more than a capable replacement,
Ray Alder’s Halford-worthy vocal range shines brightly even as Jim Matheos’
mile-a-minute riffs threaten to steal the whole show. Through the first
half of the album, tracks like “Anarchy Divine” and “Silent Cries” are
a war waged between the thrash, power and prog genres, but of course the
foundation of this album is the 22-minute “The Ivory Gate of Dreams,”
which serves as both the band’s final epic journey through the world of
fantasy and a worthy heir to “2112”. Much like QUEENSRYCHE, though, these
guys would go on to develop a more mainstream style, albeit with far less
commercial success, and it wouldn’t be until nearly 10 years later with
“A Pleasant Shade of Grey” that the band would try anything this audacious.
Still, “No Exit” endures to this day as a rock-solid crossover that’s
required listening for stuffy prog rockers and scruffy headbangers alike.
YES - "The Yes Album", 1971: If there is a perfect record to be had in the prog genre, this may be as close as one can get without falling into the proverbial topographic ocean. You've heard most of these songs before: "Yours is no Disgrace", "Starship Trooper" (not to be confused with the cheesy bug movie of the same name) and especially the classic, "I've Seen All Good People". YES seemed to have harmony bestowed upon them by the gods, along with incredible flair for tempo changes. Plus, there's not a sloppy note on the whole damn thing. Each musician plays like he's the only one actually being recorded, continuously striving to keep listeners interested and drawn to his or her particular corner
of the record. This is why it may take repeat listens
to capture all the magic that is "The Yes Album". The good news is that
you will want to listen to it over and over again anyway, so unraveling
the charms is a painless endeavor.
GENTLE GIANT - "Gentle Giant", 1970:
The first of a run of five or so impressive albums this iconic covered
self-titled 1970 debut has the added draw of being one of the early releases
on the legendary Vertigo Swirl label. Set up to promote the best of the
underground "serious" cult rock acts, GENTLE GIANT suited the roster perfectly (right down to the point where they failed to ever break into mainstream
acceptance). The failure to achieve that widespread appeal is easier to understand when sampling the diversity within. Whilst later albums are more focused, here the opening track "Giant" initially promises of typical prog-rock with its dominated brooding organ, dramatic punches
and swift tempo changes but quickly that illusion
is shattered by a gentle mix of classic and acoustic on "Funny Ways",
pre-QUEEN pomp absurdity in "Alucard" or even music hall whimsy evident
in "Isn't It Quiet And Cold". Side two owns the cream with the ambitious
album centerpiece of "Nothin' At All" but even this song (which intitally
has similarities to a BEATLES ballad circa "The White Album") evolves
into an avant-garde duel between percussion and piano. There is promise
of more universally acceptable material with the fine hard rock of "Why
Not?" but those looking for an overblown finish need look no further, as GG throws everything including the kitchen sink at
a wonderful closing blast through the British National Anthem.
RUSH - "2112", 1976: From the moment the ailing John Rutsey was replaced by the visionary lyricist Neil Peart Rush moved from gradually from promising ZEPPELIN influenced outfit (albeit differentiated by being a) Canadian and b) a three piece) to a band ultimately capable of producing a masterworks like this. The fact that they were able to transcend it and produce further notable works rather than see it become a millstone is further testament to them, but this remains there first masterpiece.
"2112" itself, a tale of a bleak future is split into no less than seven piece across the first side. As diverse as you like it encompassing the electronica of the "Intro" through the gentle "Discovery",
a blistering hard-rock guitar solo that marries
"Presentation" to "Oracle:The Dream" through to the monumental ending
of "Grand Finale". Most memorable of the lot though is the stirring "The
Temples Of Syrinx". Where else would such unlikely lines produce such
a huge sing-a-long chorus? They certainly don't write them like that anymore.
If not impressive enough there's also a five track, conventionally sequenced
second side that whilst often overshadowed should not be forgotten. The
accomplished rock of "Something For Nothing" a fitting end following the
likes of Lifeson's lighter "Lessons" and the helium fueled Geddy Lee's
own touching composition "Tears". Epic in every sense, it's one of those
albums that sounds as good the last time you heard it as it did on the
very first spin.
YES - “Fragile” 1972: YES’ fourth
album was it’s first to feature what many would consider to be it’s strongest
lineup. Comparable to DEEP PURPLE’s MK II line up it featured orignal members Jon Anderson
on lead vocals, Chris Squire on bass/ backing vocals and Bill Bruford
on drums. Guitarist Steve Howe
played on the group’s third album “The Yes Album” (which many of us initially
thought was the first). When Rick Wakeman came in to replace Jon Paul
Jones look alike Tony Kaye the group became a “virtuoso collective”. “Fragile”
enclosed four “group” compositions and five “solo” sections. The albums
opener “Roundabout” is the first song that exposed many
US
listeners to the band - it's acoustic guitar intro has practically reached
iconic status on it’s own. The song features very melodic vocals over
very jagged music. It’s this dichotomy of these two main elements of the
group’s sound that has been the foundation of their appeal to most listeners.
The largest contrast could probably be found in the second group piece
entitled “South Side Of The Sky”. The riffs are weighty and the vocals
are still saccharine. Between these two group performances are Rick Wakeman’s
“Cans And Brams” and John Anderson’s “We Have Heaven”. The former is a classical-sounding piece on various keyboard instruments and the latter the full
band with Anderson’s vocals layered and looped. After “ South Side…” Bruford’s
super short “Five Per Cent For Nothing” features him and the band playing
odd time. “Long Distance Runaround” made use of a melody that finds Howe
and Wakeman more locked in than ever. It’s also puts Anderson at the forefront
in a more pop setting with barely over three minutes to get the point
across. It segues into Chris Squire’s “The Fish” which features four or
five bass parts and drums.“Mood For A Day” is Steve Howe at his acoustic
best. “Heart Of The Sunrise” has the influence of “21th Century Schizoid
Man” written all over it, and may have been an attempt
to placate Bill Bruford. (A little over a year later and after “Close To
The Edge” he jumped ship to join KING CRIMSON. In fact Yes invited CRIMSON’s
Robert Fripp to join after guitarist Peter Banks quit. From that point
on one can assume Fripp kept his eye on Bruford.) The beautifully packaged
reissue of “Fragile” also has their astonishing cover of Simon And Garfunkel’s
“America” and a weird early mix of “Roundabout”. To many fans, “Fragile” is the holy
grail of progressive rock and may also be the best introduction to the uninitiated.
MARILLION - "Script for a Jester's Tear", 1983: Derailed by punk, it wasn't really until MARILLION's emergence in 1983 that prog-rock found the spotlight again. Following the debut EP "Market Square Heroes", the Aylesbury five-piece drew heavily from the early prog icons for "Script" and none more so than early GENESIS and especially singer/writer FISH's personal hero PETER GABRIEL.
Somehow bleak sounding yet intricate and at times superbly grand, the music MARILLION produced provided the perfect backdrop for the face-painted FISH's theatrical lyrics. Apparently unable to write that elusive love song as far back as their debut album's title piece they was already capable of pieces like
"He Knows You Know" that work perfectly in long form
yet would also enable MARILLION to cross over to singles chart success
too. Much of the album hits epic lengths and from the grand beginnings
to the climatic drama of "The Web, through the anthemic pomp of "Garden
Party" to the stunning guitar work courtesy of the unsung STEVE ROTHERY
evident in "Forgotton Sons" they produce a debut album of such impressive
proportions it would quickly mark the band as the UK's premier prog-rock
outfit of the genre's second decade.
PINK FLOYD - "Meddle", 1971 - Floyd
may have still been reeling from the exit of their creative leader Syd
Barrett during the early 70s, but it didn't stop them from crafting groundbreaking
records, from the freak-folk style of "Atom Heart Mother" to the bold
sonic experimentation of "Ummagumma". By the time "Meddle" hit the shelves,
elements of their trademark sound had begun to gel. "A Pillow of Winds"
floats Waters' melancholy sighs over the bleak, beautiful steel strings
that would become an important facet of Floyd albums. But the real reason
to grab the "Meddle" record is the side-long masterpiece "Echoes". Creepy
bombast shifts into funky proto-metal overdrive,
eventually splashing
into a pool of baby seal noises, Gilmour's axe lilting and howling mercilessly
along the way. Plus there's an inexplicable amount of slide guitar trickery
lurking in the mix. For metalheads that find the Syd era too psychedelic and "The Wall" era too disco-oriented, the languid grandeur of "Meddle" could be just what the doctor ordered.
THE MARS VOLTA - "Frances The Mute" 2005:
I'm guessing it must've stuck under the collective craw of AT THE DRIVE-IN
guys Omar Rodriguez & Cedric Bixler when somebody said today's prog rock
just sounds like retreads of the old masters. With that in mind, they
went ahead and blessed the world with their debut, 2003's "De-Loused In
The Comatorium," a record that sounded like Carlos Santana playing lead
guitar for a hybrid of BLACK SABBATH, NEKTAR, & a jazz-fusion quartet…all
with a young Robert Plant on vox after he listened to some Ornette Coleman.
Then, just to show they weren't kidding, they dished out this one, "Frances
The Mute" some 2 years later. Tell us our songs are too
long, eh? Bit too intricate, huh? Ok, how 'bout
a half-hour-long goodie called "Cassandra Gemini" up your wazoo? The thing
is, this is so well-written, deftly played and organically pulsing that
it never seems a third it's length. And how 'bout the 22nd century blues
of "The Widow?" When's the last time you heard a vocal performance like
that outside of vintage Steve Perry? Prog rock boldly moving forward?
You betcha. And they're still going strong.
GENESIS – "Selling England by the Pound", 1973:
It’s impossible to listen to PETER GABRIEL-era GENESIS without feeling
like you’ve been thrust back in time and space to some whimsical Elizabethan
British manor, where the mad Duke of Genesis, Gabriel flutters about in
a tizzy, singing folk songs like a twisted Renaissance bard. This is prog-rock
at its most theatrical, most sophisticated and aristocratic, and undeniably,
“Selling England by the Pound,” is GENESIS’s finest moment of pastoral
prog. Littered with literary allusions and fragile passages of ephemeral
beauty, don’t go looking here for metallic riffs or extended periods of
solo noodling. Rather, the songs on “Selling England” are
delicate and eccentric, led by the keyboards of Tony
Banks and the impassioned singing of Peter Gabriel. GENESIS plays like
a band of Elizabethan intellectuals, gathered in the court before the
pleasing smiles of the women in waiting. Guitars are understated, fitted
into the compositions, rather than dominating them. Strains of harpsichord
and flute flutter across the ballroom. The ethereal “Dancing with the
Moonlight Knight,” could have been a chamber piece composed by a lost
British composer, with dramatic beauty riding across the keyboards. The
extended “Firth of Fifth,” rocks about as hard as the boys can on this
album and features the album’s most sublime guitar work. “The Battle of
Epping Forest,” is a grand tale of myth and lore, just waiting to be passed
on to future generations. “More Fool Me,” is as soft as a soap bubble
and features one of Phil Collins’s earliest vocal leads. While “The Lamb
Lies Down on Broadway,” may be GENESIS’s most ambitious moment, “Selling
England by the Pound” is probably their most complete album - the finest
distillation of their particular brand of intelligent, eccentric prog
at it’s most literate.
JETHRO TULL – "Benefit", 1970:
If GENESIS was music for art school aristocrats, YES for classical music
purists and ELP for fans of pomp in all its bombastic glory, then JETHRO
TULL was prog rock for the everyman. With Ian Anderson’s eccentric minstrel
persona and the band’s history as a hard living British blues band, JETHRO
TULL’s ambiance is that of a band of revelers singing bawdy tales of legend
around a burning firepit in a 14th century straw-roofed, public tavern.
While any self-respecting TULL fan will also have
"Aqualung" and "Thick as a Brick" in their collection, "Benefit" was
the album that found TULL finally shedding their purist blues past for
a full on integration of folk, jazz, rock and medieval
imagery into one digestible whole; a venture in the
deep and darkened forests of Sherwood in search of mirth and merriment.
Besides featuring the undeniable classic, “Teacher,” with it’s famous
rolling bassline, "Benefit" is full of minor TULL classics. With “With
You There to Help me,” we get the first true integration of flute, acoustics
and searing electric guitars to appear in the TULL catalog, a format they’d
use to great effect on "Aqualung." “Nothing to Say,” is a song of uncommon
beauty that never loses its rock pulse. “Sossity; You’re a Woman,” became
a key part of TULL’s stage show for years. And lest you think the boys
lost themselves entirely in folk and flute, songs like “Son,” and “To
Cry You a Song,” rock as hard as anything in the early TULL lexicon. Flute
solos, a bearded vocalist leaping from one foot to the other like a drunken
madman, fiery blues guitar breaks and riffs that stick in your head like
bubblegum on the brain, what else do you want in your prog?
RICK WAKEMAN - "Journey to the Centre of the
Earth", 1974: You figure that only a member of YES could have gotten away with this one! RICK WAKEMAN, he of the vast stack of on-stage keyboards and equally vast cloak chose the London Royal Festival Hall as the venue for the live recording of his ambitious combination of classical music, rock music, the English Chamber Choir and Jules Verne's early sci-fi/fantasy story. Narrated superbly by DAVID HEMMINGS it proved a somewhat unlikely success and it still remains an immensely enjoyable listen that whilst epic in scope, stirring, evocative and certainly effective is as much a tribute to one man's self-confidence at the time as it is anything
else. Swathes of keys, it was a "solo project" after
all, dominate a soundscape that allow all of the expensively assembled
guests to feature. Four diverse songs entitled "The Journey", "Recollection",
"The Battle" and "The Forest" embellish the storyline and against all
odds something that whilst now perhaps rates a "guilty pleasure" candidate
combines superbly all of the diverse and varied components. And isn't
that what prog-rock was actually about? Sadly, a 1999 "Return To The Centre
Of The Earth" that features amongst other PATRICK "Jean-Luc Picard" STEWART
narrating a story with names as varied as OZZY, BONNIE TYLER and JUSTIN
HAYWARD taking guest spots failed to recapture the magic over a double
album length that this single album piece created 25 years earlier.
KING CRIMSON - "In the Court of the Crimson
King", 1969: Did KING CRIMSON invent art rock? Listening to the album that introduced the world to Greg Lake and Robert Fripp, it seems entirely plausible. Coupling modern instruments
with classical arrangements, and sprinkling in a healthy dose of jazzy
interludes, phrases like avant-garde and forward-thinking
don't even begin to describe the array of sounds that caress your ears as cuts like "Epitaph" and the title track play through. Instead of wailing guitars, CRIMSON went with walls of
Mellotrons to wash their brand of prog over listeners. Lyrical content
paints eclectic themes used to heighten and
drama and build intensity.
Song structures are long, with 6+ minutes the norm and
not the exception. Of course, despite all the mind-altering drugs and free
love in the sixties, this music was still super-radical, and continues
to fascinate and inspire to this day. Modern artists like TOOL and THE
MARS VOLTA owe their existence to this band of prog rock pioneers, and metal bands
like FATES WARNING and PARADISE LOST have both acknowledged their respective
fascinations with the mighty KC. Special note to VOIVOD fans: This album includes the original version of "21st Century Schizoid Man".
LARRY CORYELL / ALPHONSE MOUZON - "Back Together
Again" 1977: I think of Cedric often, God rest his soul. I worked with him at a record store in 1979 and he was killed a few years later, victim of a street robbery. Thing is, one day I'm a poor metal lovin' guy and I mention that no guitarists kick ass like metal players. Cedric smiles, pulls this platter out of the jazz section and watches as LARRY CORYELL and his gui-sparring partner Phillip Catherine dial Mr. Longball with my butt and hammer it over the fence. From stem to stern, this album features some of the most riveting lead guitar I've ever heard. But that's not all. Sandwiched between deep-in-the-pocket rhythms
are wonders like the brutally heavy riffs
in "Get On Up," the Zappa-esque ping-pong of "Tranvested Express" and
simply one of the best all-time guitar songs ever, "Rock N Roll Lovers."
Oh yeah, ALPHONSE MOUZON also happens to handle the sticks here like Les
Binks on steroids. No shit.
MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA - "Birds of Fire", 1973: Given what we know about prog in general, we know that most bands used a very long song structure, sometimes dividing their work into movements to split them up for the discerning ear (although not really, it was more to emulate the classical composers that these guys grew up listening to and admiring) but one exception to this 'rule' was MO. Songs were generally in the 4 to 6 minute range with a few exceptions. Modern day sound alikes would be Gregg Ginn's GONE project, maybe some of ERIC JOHNSON's instrumental stuff. Did I mention that MO is strictly an instrumental phenomenon built around the stellar guitar playing of John
McLaughlin, and the interaction with Jan Hammer's various
keyboard work? Yes, it is that Jan Hammer, of Miami Vice fame.
McLaughlin and Hammer play off of each other the same way YNGWIE MALMSTEEN has with
his keyboard players over the years. A little bit on the rawer side of
prog, kind of more of a 'Jam' band feel, not every note is played perfectly
(like YES), but improvisation seems to be a better description. MO has influenced
countless bands over the years, PHISH and THE MARS VOLTA count themselves
as fans. There is even a U.S. based cover band playing songs from their
early era called THE MAHAVISHNU PROJECT to which McGlaughlin even gives
his approval.
FRANK ZAPPA - "Apostrophe", 1974:
"Here Fido! Here boy! Bring the slippers! Arf! Arf! Arf! It's
probably unfair to lump Frank in with a prog rock piece; really he's
a one-man genre. Even so, the level of musicianship in any seventies FZ
ensemble buries most of the players on this page (a tantalizing prospect
for any prog rock newbie to be sure). Any Zappa album of this time
period serves up generous portions of impossible odd-meter percussion, witty lyrical absurdity,
ludicrous speeding keyboard and saxophone scribbling, and compositions
that swerve in and out of sophisticated jazz and bluesy rock 'n roll. Even
so, "Apostrophe" is something special. There's an abundance of Frank's
aggressive, fuming smokestack guitar solos on the record, especially during
"Cosmik Debris" (which includes uncredited backing vocals from
Tina Turner and the Ikettes), the smoking title track (essentially a jam
with Jack Bruce), and the guitars-from-Mars lead tone of "Stink-Foot".
There's a particularly gritty vibe to Frank's vocals throughout
the record, and the staggering talents of George Duke, Ian Underwood,
and Jean-Luc Ponty contribute stellar performances without overplaying their respective hands. "Apostrophe"
is a perfect place to start your exploration of Zappa University.
RUSH - "Hemispheres", 1978:
You didn't actually think we'd leave this one out did you? The
Rickenbacher-toting, high boot-wearing, Moog Taurus pedal-pushing image
of Geddy Lee is as crucial to prog fans as the pointy-guitar, bullet belt
image of young Hetfield to metal mavens. Written mostly
during exhaustive tours in 1977, "Hemispheres" took RUSH's chimes, bells, concept
pieces, Roman numerals, and lengthy epics to their absolute zenith. It may
be the most musically ambitious album in their catalog, evidenced by Lifeson's hyperdrive arpeggio-picking and off-kilter time shifts in "Cygnus
X-I Book II", the monster-mashing riff zaniness of "La Villa Strangiato", the sparring
bass / acoustic
interplay of "The Trees", and much more. But despite the deftness of execution, not a single note sounds robotic or contrived, the swishy Moog and Geddy's metallic shrieks surrounding and penetrating the performances at every turn. The album pushed so far into prog-land, the band had no choice but to reel it in with shorter songs for the follow-up, 1980's 'Permanent Waves". Even so, "Hemispheres" still sounds like three rock guys performing a symphony all by themselves. Listen and marvel.
KING CRIMSON - "Larks Tongues in Aspic", 1973:
KC’s most devastating and dynamic arguably began with this
disc. The instrumental “Larks Tongues In Aspic Part One” features guitarist/leader
Robert Fripp’s flippant use of noise and those angular arpeggiated clusters
of chords gone wild. There is very little distinction between lead and
rhythm in his playing: It’s simultaneously technical, robotic, chaotic and artistic.
John Wetton’s overdriven bass guitar and use of the wah pedal backs him
rather precisely. Drummer Bill Bruford, fresh out of YES, pummels and
pontificates all that is metrical. Here he is augmented by Jamie Muir
on percussion and “Allsorts”. David Cross handles the
violin, viola and
some mellotron. Wetton’s vocals and songwriting abilities are at their
best when the group kicks in on “Easy Money” after a couple of misguided
attempts to recapture the sound of Greg Lake-era CRIMSON on the previous
“Book Of Saturday” and “Exiles” (Over the next two studio albums the blending
of the melodic, mellow and heavy work out in a much more improved manner).
Next up we get “The Talking Drum” and it’s all about fuzzed out
wah bass. That and the battle for the upper register between Cross and
Fripp. Bruford provides the dynamics that mostly have to do with volume
change. Cross really steps up to the plate on “Lark’s Tongues In Aspic,
Part II". The closing track is hard as nails and is a reliable example
of where this group was headed. Most diehards would argue that this and
the next two releases were of this legendary group in it’s prime.
YES - "Close to the Edge", 1972: Even today some 36 years after it's release "Close To The Edge" remains one of the benchmark albums against which all prog rock is measured. All the ingredients that now define the genre appear here. The mammoth side-filling title track split, of course, into four "movements". The equally effective "And You I And" another four parter for good measure taking up a fair chunk of the flip side too. The distinctive Elvin voice of Jon Anderson spewing forth a story unfathomable without assistance. A mix of styles from guitar driven art-rock through melodic acoustica to ambient dream sequences. The resident virtuoso's of Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman
vying for attention one moment, then combining
next to incredible effect against a backdrop of oft-unexpected rhythm
and tempo changes courtesy of Chris Squire and Bill Bruford. And of course,
in it's original vinyl guise anyway, it boasts the ubiquitous gatefold
sleeve with stunning artwork. Actually, you can scrub that last bit initially
as on the face of it "Close To The Edge" has one of Yes' blandest covers
ever but open the thing out and a ROGER DEAN landscape appears that, just
like the music within, demands attention to fully appreciate. Clever that!
Rated a "classic" of its type and rightly so it remains the daddy of them
all.
Finale: Okay, so it ended up
being 32 albums instead of 30 at no extra charge. Plus we threw in some jazz rock, tech-metal, and a few other surprises that you may not have expected. Even so, despite the
numerous records we included in the feature, many of us still felt as
though we were just getting warmed up with this batch. Feel free
to leave comments and list some of the ones you'd like to see when we
revisit the show that never ends in part two. Until then, dream on to
the heart of the sunrise. - Peacedogman staff
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