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Best Prog Rock?
- Thread starter Doctor Intrepid
- Start date
Or Camel! What about Camel?
And Dennis Greenslade, and Triumvirate, and Jade Warrior, and Bo Hansson, and…
BTW, am I the only one here who doesn’t think of Rush, ELO, and Tool as being progrock bands? They’re all decent bands. However, they’re not prog bands as I think of prog. But maybe that’s just me. “Old Guy” y’know?
My brain says King Crimson but my heart says Genesis.
But the right answer is Magma.
But the right answer is Magma.
Actually, I'd consider the Who more prog than ELO. Although ELO had a cello, the Who had a French Horn, and were pioneers of both concept albums as well as use of synth sequences. For that matter, I'd consider Led Zeppelin more prog than ELO...acoustic interludes, Tolkien references, and Greek mythology subject matter surely qualifies them. Although I don't think any of them had an album with a butt on the cover.
However, even the surviving members of Rush know the "correct" answer to this question:
I chose Floyd only because you forgot to put the Mars Volta on the list.
Kansas
so many of their stuff influanced Prog Metal of Dream Theater
so many of their stuff influanced Prog Metal of Dream Theater
I didn’t/won’t vote since “best” is a personal choice. But for my money there just about isn’t a better band (regardless of genre) than Rush. My claim has zero to do with the passing of Neil Peart and everything to do with the fact that as a young kid in the 1980’s, I was sitting in my room minding my own business when I heard the most incredible thing my young ears had ever heard.
In the next room, my older sister had on her turntable a compilation album that featured everything from Rush to Kiss to the Go Go’s and more. The album played song after song and the curious mix of “We got the beat” and “I was made for lovin’ you” wafted through the Sheetrock into my room and right beyond my room to my older brother’s room who pushed back with the twangy anthems of Hank Williams jr.
Then the intro of “Tom Sawyer” shook the very foundation of the house (no, not really but c’mon..,can you think of a more powerful intro?) Immediately my young ears locked on. If you’ve listened to 2112, imagine the scene when the kid discovers the guitar in the forest...that same sense of bewilderment and excitement that kid felt pales in comparison to what I felt the first time I heard Rush.
I walked into my sisters room without so much as a courtesy knock (not a good idea where teenage girls are concerned.) As my sister shrieked “GET OUT!” I was pulled into the warm and powerful glow of this amazing music and drawn to her stereo like a Midwest farmer in a spaceship’s tractor beam.
I sat on the floor in front of her stereo and learned all about the modern day warrior. The excitement of my new George Brett Nike’s...or where they Puma’s? I honestly don’t remember. But I sure do remember Tom Sawyer. Every note, every stick connecting with drum head, every syllable-every nerve aware. My teenage sister shrieked “Maaahhhmmm!” as she stormed out of her room to leave me embraced by this amazing sound.
When the song ended, it was honestly akin to a religious experience. Only I hadn’t seen Jesus on my toast. I heard Rush.
I sat in front of her stereo on her pink carpet and stared at her poster of Elvis realizing this music was so much more then anything I had heard before. Prior to that moment, David Bowie was just about the best thing my young mind had encountered (still a huge Bowie fan.) But this...this was something different.
I frantically searched the album jacket, ticking off the band list one by one...”kiss? No. Go-Go’s? No. Culture Club? No. Rush...? Tom Sawyer! That’s it! The band is called Rush!”
Since that very moment I have never, despite the millions of hours of music that has permeated my life found anything that reached into my soul quite like Rush has.
I’ve been to more concerts than I can remember. I’ve played with more musicians than I can remember. I’ve fallen in love a million times with bands, songs, singers, and songwriters alike. But I have never, not once in all my years found anything that stirs my soul in the way that those three Canadians did, and will likely continue to do until I draw my last breath.
Buy as always; YMMV.
In the next room, my older sister had on her turntable a compilation album that featured everything from Rush to Kiss to the Go Go’s and more. The album played song after song and the curious mix of “We got the beat” and “I was made for lovin’ you” wafted through the Sheetrock into my room and right beyond my room to my older brother’s room who pushed back with the twangy anthems of Hank Williams jr.
Then the intro of “Tom Sawyer” shook the very foundation of the house (no, not really but c’mon..,can you think of a more powerful intro?) Immediately my young ears locked on. If you’ve listened to 2112, imagine the scene when the kid discovers the guitar in the forest...that same sense of bewilderment and excitement that kid felt pales in comparison to what I felt the first time I heard Rush.
I walked into my sisters room without so much as a courtesy knock (not a good idea where teenage girls are concerned.) As my sister shrieked “GET OUT!” I was pulled into the warm and powerful glow of this amazing music and drawn to her stereo like a Midwest farmer in a spaceship’s tractor beam.
I sat on the floor in front of her stereo and learned all about the modern day warrior. The excitement of my new George Brett Nike’s...or where they Puma’s? I honestly don’t remember. But I sure do remember Tom Sawyer. Every note, every stick connecting with drum head, every syllable-every nerve aware. My teenage sister shrieked “Maaahhhmmm!” as she stormed out of her room to leave me embraced by this amazing sound.
When the song ended, it was honestly akin to a religious experience. Only I hadn’t seen Jesus on my toast. I heard Rush.
I sat in front of her stereo on her pink carpet and stared at her poster of Elvis realizing this music was so much more then anything I had heard before. Prior to that moment, David Bowie was just about the best thing my young mind had encountered (still a huge Bowie fan.) But this...this was something different.
I frantically searched the album jacket, ticking off the band list one by one...”kiss? No. Go-Go’s? No. Culture Club? No. Rush...? Tom Sawyer! That’s it! The band is called Rush!”
Since that very moment I have never, despite the millions of hours of music that has permeated my life found anything that reached into my soul quite like Rush has.
I’ve been to more concerts than I can remember. I’ve played with more musicians than I can remember. I’ve fallen in love a million times with bands, songs, singers, and songwriters alike. But I have never, not once in all my years found anything that stirs my soul in the way that those three Canadians did, and will likely continue to do until I draw my last breath.
Buy as always; YMMV.
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- Apr 11, 2019
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- Disclosures
- Lincoln Learning Solutions - Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center
Wow. That's not a very good list of candidates. Since when was ELO progressive? Might need to change your last name to something more appropriate.
You can't have a prog list without Yes. My personal favorite is The Strawbs. ELP had some nice chops but the lyrics were almost as horrible as Rush. I always thought of Rush as more Canadian Wank than prog. Dream Theater and Tool play like dead people fornicate, so I don't know why you would include them. Might as well add Trans Siberian Orchestra, while you're at it.
You can't have a prog list without Yes. My personal favorite is The Strawbs. ELP had some nice chops but the lyrics were almost as horrible as Rush. I always thought of Rush as more Canadian Wank than prog. Dream Theater and Tool play like dead people fornicate, so I don't know why you would include them. Might as well add Trans Siberian Orchestra, while you're at it.
YES.
If I wanted to be esoteric (which, is often the case with prog fans) instead of backing a clear winner, I'd go with Island.
Edited to add that if Rush can be categorized as prog based on A Farewell To Kings and Hemispheres then surely we can concede for ELO based on their first four albums, although, it's possible that op has never heard (of) them.
If I wanted to be esoteric (which, is often the case with prog fans) instead of backing a clear winner, I'd go with Island.
Edited to add that if Rush can be categorized as prog based on A Farewell To Kings and Hemispheres then surely we can concede for ELO based on their first four albums, although, it's possible that op has never heard (of) them.
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ELO is prog?
Back then it was called Art Rock.
The first ones were King Crimson, Yes, Tull, Floyd, ELP, Hawkwind, Moody Blues, Zappa/MOI, Mahogany Rush, Renaissance, Genesis, Wishbone Ash. Some may even include Uriah Heep and Iron Butterfly.
Back then it was called Art Rock.
The first ones were King Crimson, Yes, Tull, Floyd, ELP, Hawkwind, Moody Blues, Zappa/MOI, Mahogany Rush, Renaissance, Genesis, Wishbone Ash. Some may even include Uriah Heep and Iron Butterfly.
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But don't forget, most chicks weren't into prog rock. No love songs. Lots of prog rock aficionados back in the day were A/V crew guys (like me) and just weren't as popular with the ladies as we wished. Looking back, prog rock was probably the main culprit...
That's a remarkably accurate census of my teenage vinyl collection.
Prog isn't about being best, it's about taking the music as far as it will go.
Modern stuff to check out:
The Dear Hunter
Bent Knee
Wilderun
Tonbruket
Opeth
Panzerballett
Lemming Suicide Myth
Stimpy Lockjaw
Animals as leaders
Instrumental (adj)
Gosta Berlings Saga
Shamblemaths
Seven Impale
etc
etc
Modern stuff to check out:
The Dear Hunter
Bent Knee
Wilderun
Tonbruket
Opeth
Panzerballett
Lemming Suicide Myth
Stimpy Lockjaw
Animals as leaders
Instrumental (adj)
Gosta Berlings Saga
Shamblemaths
Seven Impale
etc
etc
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As one person's definition is not necessarily in line with another's, there are three there alone that are arguably mislisted as such.These are at the top of my list:
Pink Floyd
Yes
Rush
Alan Parsons Project
Kansas
Styx
Atlanta Rhythm Section
ELO
Moody Blues
There are others but these are my favorites.
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