Prog Rock

[Ricardo]

Yes, yes, yes! I was absolutely immersed in progressive rock, especially Yes, followed by Kansas.

Those were the two on top in the 70s.

Always..............Got into prog by accident.
My sister was given a Close to the Edge album by a friend and I played it as a lark. WTF? I was hooked.

CLOSE TO THE EDGE is absolutely a great piece of work............simply amazing. YES was on top of their game using their best line-up.

I love love love prog rock and find the intricacies of the arrangements and imagination in the lyrics (not just sex, drugs and R&R) compelling and timeless. When it comes to growing as a rock musician, no better teachers than the prog rock gods of the 70's.
Yes, it does take a different listening approach to learn the stuff. You might have to actually practice some of the parts instead of the instant gratification of learning the average top 40/classic rock fodder. You might even find some of the material forever out of reach of your own abilities, but dangling like a peach on a tree. Frustrating and humbling, which is not for everyone.
Deciphering the puzzle of shifting time signatures is one of my favorite pastimes. Again, not for everyone, but an essential skill to have as a drummer, IMHO.

I like this guy.

[kay-gee]

I'm only speaking from my own experience. I grew up in a small blue collar industrial town in northern Canada. In high school there were definite divisions along socio-economic lines and this included music. In my observation it was the rich kids and artistic crowd that were the proggers. Kind of left a bad taste in my mouth for the genre. I guess I'm just lucky. Been drumming over 40 years and part of that time was as a touring drummer, and I've never even once had to play a Yes song or a Rush song or any other of that music.

all the best...

[pgm554]

They were interviewing Nikkii Sixx on Howard Stern, and one of the staff who was a pretty good guitar player was remarking about all the good looking groupies Motley Crew got and theirs were sort of fat and plain Jane.

Nikki said if you play too complicated ,you end up with the fat and ugly chicks.

Lesson learned.

[kay-gee]

They were interviewing Nikkii Sixx on Howard Stern, and one of the staff who was a pretty good guitar player was remarking about all the good looking groupies Motley Crew got and theirs were sort of fat and plain Jane.

Nikki said if you play too complicated ,you end up with the fat and ugly chicks.

Lesson learned.

Ha ha ha That's funny!

all the best...

[kay-gee]

If Pink Floyd is considered prog then that's one band that was able to hop the fence. We were all big Floyd heads on our side of the tracks. No one could write lyrics like those guys could in those days. A song like "Time" still haunts me to this day with it's lyrical implications.
I once read the lyrics on a YES album cover and I suppose it was trying to be all deep and esoteric but to me just seemed like flowery non sense. No doubt they were highly skilled players.

all the best...

[inthpktplayer]

Big fan of many of the progressive rock bands of that era. Don't think that some of the bands being discussed here really belong in that category though.

[pgm554]

If Pink Floyd is considered prog then that's one band that was able to hop the fence. We were all big Floyd heads on our side of the tracks. No one could write lyrics like those guys could in those days. A song like "Time" still haunts me to this day with it's lyrical implications.
I once read the lyrics on a YES album cover and I suppose it was trying to be all deep and esoteric but to me just seemed like flowery non sense. No doubt they were highly skilled players.

all the best...

Close to the Edge was an allegory based on Siddhartha by Herman Hesse.

Lot's of Jon's lyrics were basically rock scat singing not unlike Freddie Mercury's Bohemian Rhapsody.

He and Bruford got into some heated arguments over his lyrics.

[pgm554]

Big fan of many of the progressive rock bands of that era. Don't think that some of the bands being discussed here really belong in that category though.

The old what is prog argument.
My answer has been I'll know it when I hear it.

Speaking of which,the best new prog group I've heard in the past 10 or 15 years has been Tool.

Some folks say WTF,but they fit the bill to me.

[Johnny G]

I'm only speaking from my own experience. I grew up in a small blue collar industrial town in northern Canada. In high school there were definite divisions along socio-economic lines and this included music. In my observation it was the rich kids and artistic crowd that were the proggers. Kind of left a bad taste in my mouth for the genre. I guess I'm just lucky. Been drumming over 40 years and part of that time was as a touring drummer, and I've never even once had to play a Yes song or a Rush song or any other of that music.

all the best...

I don't consider that lucky, my friend. Quite the opposite.

[Johnny G]

I like this guy.

Thanks. I try to write my responses very carefully.

[N2Bluz]

Was Meatloaf considered progressive rock? Maybe more Symphonic Rock? I must have listened to that album 1000 times as a kid. Bat out of Hell really was a great album. Excellent song writing, arrangement & production. Steinman and Rundgren really nailed it. For Crying Out Loud and Heaven can Wait are still two of my favorite songs of all time. I actually worked up an acoustic version of Heaven Can Wait on guitar. Unfortunately, I have a bit of a problem getting the bridge right.

[Russ]

Love prog, wish they'd revive the genre and bring back how it used to sound in the early days, but release it in modern day. The industry kinda killed itself off a bit, so it could use someone to breathe new life into it. I always felt like I was on a spiritual journey every time a prog song came on, I just never get that from some genres. Jazz provides a similar experience, but it's a different genre. I like the instrumental stuff too. I think playing along to a long prog instrumental track, the closer you get to perfecting it the more talented of a musician you'll become. So as a teaching tool, it's valuable to aspire to.

[rickthedrummer]

Was Meatloaf considered progressive rock? Maybe more Symphonic Rock? I must have listened to that album 1000 times as a kid. Bat out of Hell really was a great album. Excellent song writing, arrangement & production. Steinman and Rundgren really nailed it. For Crying Out Loud and Heaven can Wait are still two of my favorite songs of all time. I actually worked up an acoustic version of Heaven Can Wait on guitar. Unfortunately, I have a bit of a problem getting the bridge right.

Meatloaf, Heart, and Saga put out some of the best albums of the '70's.

[slinglander]

What? Nobody mentioned Genesis? Come on, people!

[gdmoore28]

I once read the lyrics on a YES album cover and I suppose it was trying to be all deep and esoteric but to me just seemed like flowery non sense.

Despite being a big prog fan, I'm not at all insulted by your remarks, kay-gee. There are no genres of music that do not deserve at least some criticism. Regarding the Yes lyrics, I read a very recent interview with Jon Anderson in which he said that he wrote the lyrics for Yes songs with the one and only purpose of making them compliment the melodies and simply sound "right" - regardless of what the words were. He indicated that narratives or story lines were left up the the listener's imaginations. That method surely works for me. I simply hate lyricists who obviously attempt to construct obtuse and vague impressions simply for the sake of sounding intellectual, hip, or PC. But take a passage like:

In her white lace, you could clearly see the lady sadly looking
Saying that she'd take the blame
For the crucifixion of her own domain

Put those words in the context of "Close To The Edge," and I'm hooked. (Even though I always thought that the last line was "For the crucifixion of the wounded man." My interpretation of the lyrics is actually better than what Anderson wrote - but that's what I like about his lyrics.)

GeeDeeEmm

[rickthedrummer]

What? Nobody mentioned Genesis? Come on, people!

I thought Genesis became a better band after Peter Gabriel left.

[slinglander]

"In her white lace, you could clearly see the lady sadly looking
Saying that she'd take the blame
For the crucifixion of her own domain"
Yeah, at least the lyrics aren't whiny, self hating, depressing, sado masochistic, screaming, etc. There's more poetry in some albums than in all the 80's & 90's stuff! Plain old rock it ain't!

[8beat]

How can I know if the song that I write is progressive?

If I write a song that has a latin beat someone might say it is not progressive, it's Cuban.

[dangermoney]

i thought genesis became a better band after peter gabriel left.

I agree ... and I also like a lot of Peter's solo stuff, especially "In Your Eyes" ...

[Olimpass]

Wasn't ELP, Yes and others considered "Art" rock back then?
So many incredible artists and music at the time.

[Lefty]

Jean Luc Ponty cosmic messenger, Jeff Beck wired, are a couple that come to mind for me. I am a big fan of Kansas too.

[Olimpass]

Jean Luc Ponty cosmic messenger, Jeff Beck wired, are a couple that come to mind for me. I am a big fan of Kansas too.

Oh yes, J.L.P. Imaginary Voyage. Al Di Meola, Steve Hackett....wow, Jeff Beck Wired! My first 8-track tape. Great stuff Lefty! But more like Jazz fusion?

[Lefty]

I think you're right.

[rickthedrummer]

Good song, bad song.

If you like the song, does it really matter what label someone puts on it.

[kay-gee]

Good song, bad song.

If you like the song, does it really matter what label someone puts on it.

That's right in my books. To me there's a huge diff between liking songs and embracing an entire genre. Yes, ELP, and all the rest (even Rush) had songs I liked. But as a player I was just more attracted to beat music. Blues, R&B based stuff I guess with solid grooves. Less study and more hands on.

all the best...