Haven't heard of 1/3 of these groups.But have 9/10 of the top ten. Who the hell is Can?
I'm at 15 of the top 20 of listed records.
Rolling Stone Top 50 Prog Rock albums....
- Thread starter Johnny Vinyl
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I'm at 15 of the top 20 of listed records.
Late 60's, early 70's, I was into the typical radio friendly pop / rock bands. I'd heard PF then, but didn't really connect with the early Syd Barrett years. It was just around that time that my friends started getting into Yes, Genesis, and ELP. That was the first time I heard it described as "progressive" or even "alternative" R&R.
I would think The Nice and The Moody Blues more or less originated what I think of as "Progressive rock", so it's a little strange to see neither of them represented here?
I just checked the RS best 500 album mag ... neither MoodyB or tNice are mentioned.
Its not a list of the first. Its a list of the best. One could make an argument for Days Of Future Passed. The Nice were innovators but anything they accomplished was overshadowed by ELP.
"Top" as in 'best', 'best-selling' or just a list compiled by an editorial staff? Missing, Cressida- self-titled, probably as significant, musically, as In the Court, but never made a commercial dent. YS, Il Baletto di Bronzo, strange stuff, but significant. Some of the 'krautrock,' like Agitation Free, is also important in the genre, and I'm hardly an expert.
In some ways, the period in the late 60's and early 70's was very inventive; an attempt to get away from the 3 minute radio 'pop' format, impose classical forms, draw on classical instruments (or Mellotron). One of my favorites is Patto's Hold Your Fire, which is considered 'prog' but is more hard rock. I think the label "progressive" is in some ways an after the fact characterization to cover a lot of material that didn't fit neatly into one genre.
In some ways, the period in the late 60's and early 70's was very inventive; an attempt to get away from the 3 minute radio 'pop' format, impose classical forms, draw on classical instruments (or Mellotron). One of my favorites is Patto's Hold Your Fire, which is considered 'prog' but is more hard rock. I think the label "progressive" is in some ways an after the fact characterization to cover a lot of material that didn't fit neatly into one genre.
lol ... I once considered Ringo the cutest, b/c J.Lennon claimed Ringo wasn't even the best drummer in the band.
Although quite fine, I'm not sure I would put either Cressida in the same league as ITCOTCK. On the other hand certainly Il Balletto Di Bronzo "Ys" should be considered. Monster album. With respect to Patto, I wouldn't put them in my top 50 list but Ollie Halsall's guitar work was the definition of progressive. Where would Alan Holdsworth be without him?
With regard to "rock", what is your interpretation of "progressive"? What does a prog rock album have to have for it to be considered "prog"?Although quite fine, I'm not sure I would put either Cressida in the same league as ITCOTCK. On the other hand certainly Il Balletto Di Bronzo "Ys" should be considered. Monster album. With respect to Patto, I wouldn't put them in my top 50 list but Ollie Halsall's guitar work was the definition of progressive. Where would Alan Holdsworth be without him?
No Procol Harum is a crime.
Other album I wish to mention but cannot find mine or think of the band name, I hate when that happens. Maybe some of you prog fans can remember. First album was k/b based prog, next after member changes, they went acoustic guitars with harmonies a la CS&N, from early '70's. believe that 2nd release was 'Emerald Forest'. Tried searching, no luck.
Other album I wish to mention but cannot find mine or think of the band name, I hate when that happens. Maybe some of you prog fans can remember. First album was k/b based prog, next after member changes, they went acoustic guitars with harmonies a la CS&N, from early '70's. believe that 2nd release was 'Emerald Forest'. Tried searching, no luck.
First off "progressive rock" as a term was not coined until the mid-70s. Before then it was just plain old rock. People interpret what progressive rock is in different ways. For some its long form compositions. For others it could be songs written outside standard A-B-A form. It could be songs derived or influenced from classical compositions. Ed Macan wrote a great book on progressive rock called "Rocking The Classics" in which he differentiated between Prog (capital P) and prog. Prog being a clearly defined genre fitting the formulaic sound developed in the 70s by bands like Yes, King Crimson, ELP, etc. Lower case prog defined a style of songwriting that was forward thinking and didn't adhere to stand form in composition or instrumentation. As an example, a current band such as Anglagard are not doing anything progressive in the true sense because they are re-creating a sound developed in the 70s by Gentle Giant, SFF, Yes, Genesis, and King Crimson. They would be a Prog band.
I responded to Bill Hart's comment about Ollie Halsall because his guitar work was very much outside the norm. He was an innovative and technically brilliant guitarist. If you listen to Alan Holdsworth's playing before and after the time he spend alongside Ollie in Tempest you can hear how influential he was.
- The Who?
- The Moody Blues?
- The Alan Parson's Project?
- Jean-Michel Jarre?
______
And I would have picked other Jethro Tull albums, Pink Flyod other albums, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Tangerine Dream, The Soft Machine, Yes, Genesis,
King Crimson, Gentle Giant, ...
I got roughly a dozen from that list; near/@ the top. ...The rest I simply don't know.
- The Moody Blues?
- The Alan Parson's Project?
- Jean-Michel Jarre?
______
And I would have picked other Jethro Tull albums, Pink Flyod other albums, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Tangerine Dream, The Soft Machine, Yes, Genesis,
King Crimson, Gentle Giant, ...
I got roughly a dozen from that list; near/@ the top. ...The rest I simply don't know.
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Not based on the few minutes of the video I saw. I don't think that having great technique, skill or super fast speed is a prerequisite for being a prog rock guitarist. To me prog guitar is about conveying emotion within a piece of music. David Gilmour may be one of the best examples of that.
There's that vibraphonist's touch to Ollie's playing, on the original UK pressings the harmonic overtones are marvelous. I just played both sides of Cressida in your honor. A very early "VO7" with the 'Philips' label nomenclature- I doubt this record sold enough to press many later copies. (PS- sonically, it is wonderful, I wish I could say the same about those early pink label "In the Court" copies- I sort of gave up trying to find one that wasn't distorted on Schizoid Man or noisy on the quiet passages). I took a fairly deep dive into this stuff as an outgrowth of UK psych. Gracious! is also a fun album. Too bad these things cost so much today.
Bill you may not be familiar with my company. I started out as a reissue label specializing in progressive rock and psychedelic music and I'm still in the game. One of my favorite albums to work on was Spring, originally released on RCA's "Neon" label. The Neon label was RCA's answer to Vertigo and Harvest. The label was run by Olav Wyper. Originally my goal was to reissue most of the Neon titles and I focused on Spring and Indian Summer. Olav put me in touch with Jim Simpson who was the ex-manager of Indian Summer and also was Black Sabbath's first manager. Lots of juicy stories there. Olav also was helpful tracking down the owners of Spring.
Ultimately I was able to license Spring and reissued it from the original master tapes with Bob Katz handling the mastering. I know from your posts and your blog that you are an earnest Vertigo collector and I suspect you have Neon in your collection as well. Holding original masters of some of these albums was a chilling experience.
I have one pink Island ITCOTCK. A bit noisy, not amazing but not bad either. The pink Island Emerson Lake & Palmer pressings are stunning - reference caliber.
A few years ago I began to sell off many of my mega-rare vinyl titles including a lot of Vertigo. Prices have spiraled so high that they became museum pieces. I was afraid to play them or even take them off the shelf. Sold a copy of Raw Material "Time Is" for $1600. Mark Fry "Dreaming With Alice" for over $4,000. And on and on. The money I made helped pay for my TW Acustic AC Anniversary. Still plenty of great prog sitting on my shelves.
Ultimately I was able to license Spring and reissued it from the original master tapes with Bob Katz handling the mastering. I know from your posts and your blog that you are an earnest Vertigo collector and I suspect you have Neon in your collection as well. Holding original masters of some of these albums was a chilling experience.
I have one pink Island ITCOTCK. A bit noisy, not amazing but not bad either. The pink Island Emerson Lake & Palmer pressings are stunning - reference caliber.
A few years ago I began to sell off many of my mega-rare vinyl titles including a lot of Vertigo. Prices have spiraled so high that they became museum pieces. I was afraid to play them or even take them off the shelf. Sold a copy of Raw Material "Time Is" for $1600. Mark Fry "Dreaming With Alice" for over $4,000. And on and on. The money I made helped pay for my TW Acustic AC Anniversary. Still plenty of great prog sitting on my shelves.
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