Why did prog rock never have mass popularity?

[Nashrakh]

That doesn't matter if it doesn't have the music I want to listen to. I can't listen to the Beatles, Johnny Cash, Miles Davis or Captain Beefheart at Bandcamp, now can I?

I do go to Bandcamp to audition music and I'll buy it if I like it.

One could argue that the bands you list don't need grassroots fan support though... (aren't most of its players dead, anyhow?)

 

[Jeff Scott]

Ever dive deep into Gentle Giant? What the hell was it, baroque metal? Progressive early music? Love it, but it's not something I could nourish myself on every day.

Love Gentle Giant! I saw GG in the winter of 1975 during their Free Hand tour in Cincinnati at Riverfront Coliseum opening for Rick Wakeman's King Arthur. I was sitting right at the front of the stage and got some excellent 35mm Ektachromes of GG.

 

[MrClassicMetal]

I find it interesting that these two are mentioned as I have never seem either in any band beyond Genesis (last sighting for me was the summer of '77).

You can hear Collins playing jazz fusion in Brand X on albums recorded in the mid to late 70s. There's also some rare live footage:

 

[LBS-bass]

You can hear Collins playing jazz fusion in Brand X on albums recorded in the mid to late 70s. There's also some rare live footage:

Oh, yep.

I was well aware of Brand X since day 1. Never got to see them until somewhat recently. Sad that John Goodsall passed but Percy Jones is a treasure.

 

[lowplaces]

Apologies if this was already posted.

ELP's first performance. Complete with unintended pyro effects lol

 

[Jeff Scott]

You can hear Collins playing jazz fusion in Brand X on albums recorded in the mid to late 70s. There's also some rare live footage:

I have all of their stuff and have see Brand X many times, going back to the mid '70s.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

No, but it was scaled down plenty by several bands who did well borrowing elements from it while still maintaining some more mainstream appeal. Boston, Styx, Kansas (sorry, Dave, I still love your stuff) and several others. Even David Bowie managed to pick the carcass of prog while maintaining his own popularity. There was a lot on that carcass to pick, and I'd argue that the entire New Wave movement that came afterward owed a huge debt to the early progressive artists.

If anything, my belief is that progressive rock was absorbed by mainstream music more than anything else. Much of what was pioneered by progressive artists was later used by the hit-making machine, in some cases by those artists themselves. I'm looking at Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins here, for starters.

David Sylvian, when in Japan, seemed to be picking over the carcass of prog even before he started hiring Fripp to play on his albums despite Japan being placed in the New Romantic pigeonhole despite a more punky genesis. An drummer from Atomic Rooster was in the first incarnation of Wang Chung. There are many such examples of influence by prog even beside those old prog denziens churning out good (or sometimes indifferent) pop. But other than a few prog bands, plenty of those bands labelled prog had their toe tappers.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I love Prog. My best friend is a Prog composer (63 years old lives in his mothers basement... let the jokes ensue).
I love jazz too.
Prog had it's day, Yes was selling out stadiums for much of the 70s.
My Bestie was a Keith Emerson fanatic.
Even ELP had their time to shine.
I'd daresay Shine On You Crazy Diamond counts as prog, as does much Floyd.

Ever dive deep into Gentle Giant? What the hell was it, baroque metal? Progressive early music? Love it, but it's not something I could nourish myself on every day.

Prog hit hard just as LSD and marijuana were becoming "popular". Mind expanding music for mind expanded heads.
By the time 1977 hit, Prog was pretty bloated and punk vomited all over London and NY. The rest is history.

One of the little secrets of punk is that a fair few punk notables have expressed a liking for prog more recently. And some bands labelled as punk in 1977 had certainly flirted with more, er, expansive material earlier in their careers. This isn't unusual - a number of the ska revival bands in the UK around 1980 had started out as something much closer to punk but were also listening to reggae, ska, soul, singer-songwriter stuff, film scores etc. The issue is labelling to some extent as few artists keep to a narrow genre even for one album.

 

[LBS-bass]

David Sylvian, when in Japan, seemed to be picking over the carcass of prog even before he started hiring Fripp to play on his albums despite Japan being placed in the New Romantic pigeonhole despite a more punky genesis. An drummer from Atomic Rooster was in the first incarnation of Wang Chung. There are many such examples of influence by prog even beside those old prog denziens churning out good (or sometimes indifferent) pop. But other than a few prog bands, plenty of those bands labelled prog had their toe tappers.

Well, you gotta know, I have had a crush on David since forever*. So I know what he's done and I agree with you 100% . Part of what David had to do to retain his integrity as an artist was to rebel against being pigeonholed and that's why we ended up with things like this.


*why doesn't he return my calls? I know he's heard me sing. Must be a problem with the phone...

 

[LBS-bass]

Well, you gotta know, I have had a crush on David since forever*. So I know what he's done and I agree with you 100% . Part of what David had to do to retain his integrity as an artist was to rebel against being pigeonholed and that's why we ended up with things like this.


*why doesn't he return my calls? I know he's heard me sing. Must be a problem with the phone...

Also, I'm writing this while listening to No Pussyfooting by Fripp and Eno so W T F do I know?

 

[Lance Bunyon]

I used to listen to Gentle Giant almost every day during my last couple years of high school.
Saw then in concert two years in a row, hard to believe how tight and perfect they sounded.

I think Gentle Giant were ahead of their time...or time travelers from the 13th century. I played GG for my kids and I'm like "look Allison, a harpsichord solo! Now they're back to rock. Is that a wooden recorder?"
There's a story that they either toured with or opened for Black Sabbath and it was dismal. The Sabbath Heads booed a d maybe threw things.
How would you package GG on a tour? With Tull? With an early music ensemble? Dwarves on acid? Certainly not Sabbath.

 

[Jeff Scott]

How would you package GG on a tour? With Tull? With an early music ensemble? Dwarves on acid? Certainly not Sabbath.

When I saw them they were touring with Rick Wakeman.

 

[brianrost]

One could argue that the bands you list don't need grassroots fan support though... (aren't most of its players dead, anyhow?)

I listen to new, living artists on Spotify, too. A suggestion to dump Spotify and listen to Bandcamp was what I was responding to (or so I though).

I love the idea of Bandcamp, I have an account, I've bought CDs when available and downloads when not and I always tip the artist by paying more than the asking price.

Weren't we talking about prog when this started?

 

[58kites]

I listen to new, living artists on Spotify, too. A suggestion to dump Spotify and listen to Bandcamp was what I was responding to (or so I though).

I love the idea of Bandcamp, I have an account, I've bought CDs when available and downloads when not and I always tip the artist by paying more than the asking price.

Weren't we talking about prog when this started?

I am for whatever streaming service can help musicians make a living, otherwise the music business goes down the tubes and musicians and music listeners lose.
I liked the days when rock stars were filthy rich just like movie stars.

 

[Bob_Ross]

Complete with unintended pyro effects lol

Unintended pyro is always the best pyro!

 

[brianrost]

I liked the days when rock stars were filthy rich just like movie stars.

I'm sure they liked it, too

I think Gentle Giant were ahead of their time...or time travelers from the 13th century.
How would you package GG on a tour?

Gryphon



Amazing Blondel



Phillip Pickett

 

[5StringBlues]

Black Box - Everybody Everybody (Official Video) - YouTube

 

[58kites]

I'm sure they liked it, too

People seem to be content with actors and athletes making ungodly amounts of money to entertain us, I think we should feel the same way about people who make great music.
I think musicians provide at least as much positive contributions to the world as the people in the other two professions.
I can't think of a televised game or any movie that was able to move me for fifty years the way a great musical recording has.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

People seem to be content with actors and athletes making ungodly amounts of money to entertain us.

Some might be. Having just had my journey home complicated by a sportsball game, I might not agree!

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I'm sure they liked it, too



Gryphon



Amazing Blondel



Phillip Pickett

You know your band is irredeemably prog when you need to advertise for a lead shawm player.