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70's Prog Rock
- Thread starter Matthew_84
- Start date
Nice! New one for me. Which is funny because I was back and forth with a friend to Nova Scotia fairly regularly during '75-'77. Thx for sharing!
Saga!!! I forgot about Saga! I dug what they were doing but I thought I was the only one....
Nevertheless, they did get a couple of hits in the early MTV era...
Nevertheless, they did get a couple of hits in the early MTV era...
A lot of the old - really old - proto-prog bands - especially Canterbury Scene bands actually I found a bit too silly. Gong etc. If one looks down memory lane with the especially British bands, the were inspired A LOT by a very British and english phenomenon, called MUSIC HALL. Where you had these cartoonish novelty acts performing and sing-along songs of old times. Both Beatles, Queen, and Genesis flirted with this genre, and made a few short songs on each album, as a means of a joke. Queen later on confessed to, especially Freddie that it was that music he liked the most. (!). Genesis made "Harold The Barrel" on Nursery Chryme, and parts of "Suppers Ready" were silly. Canterbury bands had these inane and overtly silly lyrics, since it was pretentious and intellectual. Another - actually - American band that was ALL music hall, was the brothers duo SPARKS. They had to move to England to get heard because no one stateside did care for them, and was dissed as a novelty act. SPARKS was all silly sing-along songs albeit with distorted guitars, and maybe double bass drums. Always falsetto voice. That was the only band I heard that I could swear were soooooo british. Bona fide british, but they were not. Even ELP threw in one or two doggerels on their albums which means, that I thought ...naaahh for f*x sake get on with it...but the only Canterbury Scene band, that I found slightly decent was, really:
EGG
Try dance to their "Contrasong" from the album "Polite Force". 1970. Not performed on stage, since it was too hard. Conclusion, I like my prog to be devoid of british music hall influences. Just as if you can be all over the place, you shouldn't.
Ooo! Real hardass progger be ya? Ok. But anybody who wants the real rock dance hall need look no further than the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band.
And then there's this quiet and capable woman who just about single-handedly defined the prog female vocal sound for an entire generation.
Despite the band having as much stage presence as a coat rack, and their arrangements mostly being as "play it safe" as it comes, that magical voice guaranteed them a place in prog history.
Despite the band having as much stage presence as a coat rack, and their arrangements mostly being as "play it safe" as it comes, that magical voice guaranteed them a place in prog history.
Im not sure if I consider Tull 'true' prog (whatever that means 
). They definitely have a lot of prog elements in their music, but they kinda mapped out their own sonic world. Because while there's lots of prog bands - nobody else really sounds anything at all like Jethro Tull.
Whatever. They're a fine band - and proggy enough for me.
This is the famous '84 Capitol Theater Concert in NJ that pretty much was seeing the boys at the top of their game. I remember coming out of a Tull concert from that era in total awe. It probably took me two days after that to get my brain back down to earth. I just had musical ideas of my own boiling out all over the place for weeks afterwards. Talk about an inspirational night! It opened my mind to more possibilities in a couple of hours than anything else I can think of. I can honestly say just attending that concert made me a better musician.
Whoever posted this vid also (mercifully) edited out most of Ian's chronically unsuccessful and not funny stage banter. I owe this guy.
Check it out:
). They definitely have a lot of prog elements in their music, but they kinda mapped out their own sonic world. Because while there's lots of prog bands - nobody else really sounds anything at all like Jethro Tull.Whatever. They're a fine band - and proggy enough for me.
This is the famous '84 Capitol Theater Concert in NJ that pretty much was seeing the boys at the top of their game. I remember coming out of a Tull concert from that era in total awe. It probably took me two days after that to get my brain back down to earth. I just had musical ideas of my own boiling out all over the place for weeks afterwards. Talk about an inspirational night! It opened my mind to more possibilities in a couple of hours than anything else I can think of. I can honestly say just attending that concert made me a better musician.
Whoever posted this vid also (mercifully) edited out most of Ian's chronically unsuccessful and not funny stage banter. I owe this guy.
Check it out:
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I'm not familiar with that stuff. How does it compare to this?
Well, I've always considered Fripp and (especially the early) King Crimson to be the missing link between Canterbury stuff like Soft Machine, Henry Cow, all Dave Stewart's bands, etc. and the more staid, stolid gents of British prog (Yes, Genesis, ELP). Not sure why... but in any case, Giles Giles & Fripp definitely had absolutely no hesitation about being downright silly, which I guess makes them a bit closer in spirit to music hall than concert hall.
I agree. If every metal band sounded like Black Sabbath, there would only be Heavy Metal, not five thousand sub-sub-sub genres of it.
Still, Three Friends, not by any stretch GG. Find it peculiar. To tell that GG is touring. Since neither any Shulmans nor Kerry Minnear is involved, it is just Three Friends, nothing less nothing more. Absolutely not GG. I've heard that Beatles is going to tour. Never mind that its just McCartney on stage...
No, they can't have, because I've been arrogant and not used the search function. Can't think that the most famous, and seminal prog band has been mentioned, yet.
Not even reading the OP's first opening thread where they are mentioned on the get go. But for ... sake.Im not sure if I consider Tull 'true' prog (whatever that means
Whatever. They're a fine band - and proggy enough for me.
This is the famous '84 Capitol Theater Concert in NJ that pretty much was seeing the boys at the top of their game. I remember coming out of a Tull concert from that era in total awe. It probably took me two days after that to get my brain back down to earth. I just had musical ideas of my own boiling out all over the place for weeks afterwards. Talk about an inspirational night! It opened my mind to more possibilities in a couple of hours than anything else I can think of. I can honestly say just attending that concert made me a better musician.
Whoever posted this vid also (mercifully) edited out most of Ian's chronically unsuccessful and not funny stage banter. I owe this guy.
Check it out:
Tull's sure's prog enough. I agree with you. Tull was my favorite live act. I have never ever encountered such a stage persona, like Ian. If there ever was anyone that looked, acted, and WANTED to be on stage all of the time, it was Ian. Never did he or his band looked "I want to be somewhere else". Completely enthusiastic and passionate. Their music is tricky enough to pass off as true prog. FWIW their folky stuff is my favorite. I will make blasphemy now, and say than "Songs From The Wood" is considerably better than their apex "Aqualung" which I thought had way too much sleepy filler material, in spite of 2-3 stellar tunes. Their Thick As A Brick was a send-up on prog, and concept albums. Record cover like a newspaper. With a review column inside, reviewing their own album. If you find any item that is original, that newspaper spoof is a hilarious read. Not even Monty Python could top this. Spinal Tap and then some.
Ian could have his way in on stage banter, and inbetween talks. Remember that in the US, a lot of colleges girls attended their concerts too (!), and once Ian said to a packed arena, that he thought the audience was just there too see an "up and coming" band, but when he saw the amount of young chicks in the audience "then we'd all be up and coming"... the audience giggled. I think Ian's a likeable chap. Sympathetic, endearing. Never any diva or drama from this guy.
If you like TULL (to OP) you shall not miss out on obscure Irish act HORSLIPS from the 70s. Devoid of the flute, but you can almost hear Ian Andersons unknown twin brother that's singing. Not so proggy as Tull, but enough Irish progrock. Of course, being from Ireland, you can't take away any folk from those guys. Celtic prog perhaps?
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Kerry Livgren, between his stints with Kansas, did some solo stuff and also formed the band A.D. with Dave Hope from Kansas and Warren Ham, formerly of Bloodrock.
Before Kerry Livgren had Kansas, there was Proto-Kaw. He reformed Proto-Kaw after leaving Kansas too.
Everybody knows Ambrosia for their soft rock hits; however, they did some proggy tunes as well.
Nice, Nice Very Nice combined both pop elements and prog elements into one song
Nice, Nice Very Nice combined both pop elements and prog elements into one song
Agree. Heavy Horses and Songs from the Wood were my favorite albums.
And Pegg and Noyce will always be my favorites for holding the bassist's chair.
However…the back and forth instrumental play in the song In Budapest on Crest of a Knave is (IMO) the fullest and most successful realization of everything they ever set out to accomplish. That one is a true masterpiece in the annals of rock.
I call In Budapest a complete Tull concert masquerading as single song.
That song is one of the few songs I've ever heard that made me wish I wrote it. What happens starting around the 3:35 mark is nothing short of magical.
Props to Martin Barre too for his superb eletric guitar lines and tone which so beautifully complimented Ian's brilliant flute and parlor guitar in that tune.
The two albums preceding Worlds Apart, Silent Knight and Images at Twilight, are really good. (Haven't been able to find their debut album at a decent price.
) Behaviour, Security of Illusion (the return of the original band) and 10,000 Days (the return of Michael Sadler) are excellent as well.
