What are your Progressive Rock Roots?

[Argon]

Progressive Rock is almost as hard to pin down as Jazz. We all have our leaning on what it is (or should be). This discussion is not meant to debate what Progressive Rock is but to say what it is and means to you. For me it's Rock/ Classical with interesting changes and vocal/lyrics.
I was lucky enough to have grown up in the early 70's (the height of Progressive Rock) and always loved it and have been trying to find some new material to expand my horizons. I have been trying out some of the great groups that have been suggested here. Some I really liked and some sounded like reincarnations of old bands.

The other day I decided to dust off some old LP's and give them a spin. What a discovery I made! I played Selling England By the Pound and Fox Trot back to back. I know some of you are saying DUH! but it had been so long since I listened to them all the way through, (and I have been beaten over the head with Phil Collins/Genesis Singles for so long) I had forgotten how good the Old Genesis was. I cut my Progressive Rock teeth on Old Genesis, ELP, Camel, Gong, Yes etc.(do any of you remember the Great Yes debate (Who's better with Yes? Patrick Maraz (sp?) or Rick Wakeman) I have seen all these bands numerous times and can't believe I had left them on the shelf so long!

Dig deep pull out an old favorite and take a ride down nostalgia lane and let us know about it.

Thanks Aural Moon for reminding me to not think of Abacab when I think of Genesis.

[ivan_2068]

Dig deep pull out an old favorite and take a ride down nostalgia lane and let us know about it.

I really wanted to dig in my LP's, but my dear sister plugged my turntable directly, the problem is that we have 220v and I bought my turntable in Miami (110v), I think I'll have to fix it because it's a very good one (Dual with those little scales and nonsenses).

But yesterday I had a small bussines trip and had to drive for almost 6 hours, so placed 6 almost forgotten CD's in the car and had great moments with:

Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds: Great mixture of Prog' epic with disco music, love this album, and heard it after some years. Richard Burton's narrative is amazing, and fit's exactly with the music.

Love Devotion Surrender (Santana & Mc Laughlin): Never liked this album, bought the CD because was realy cheap and for collection purpose, but I gave myself a new chance and found some great moments in this classic, not the best work of Santana and/or Mc Laughlin, but it's good enough to listen it more frecuently.

Look at Yourself (Uriah Heep): I always talk about this album as good example of prog' metal, but hadn't heard it for some years, and yesterday I found it still is a great one, the title song is really amazing specially because they used the OSIBISA percusionists, and "Tears in my Eyes" is a wonderful progressive song, with one of the vocal harmony break supported by smooth wah-wah guitar 've ever heard. And of course "July Morning" a masterpiece. Really a "must have".

Aurora (Jean Luc Ponty): I simply love this album, don't know why I don't listen it more often.

Heads (OSIBISA): Don't know what style they play, lots of african rythms, vocal choirs, great rock and some semi prog' moments, except for their hit single Che Che Kule, the album is very good, with great songs as Woyaya, So So Mi La So and Sweet Sounds. As an ex drummer, can't do anything but admire the excelent rythm section.

Iván

[byzantium]

My story...

When I started listening to classic UK progressive rock a few years back, it was to me something new, not something old.

The only Yes song I can remember from my youth is 'Owner of a Lonely Heart'. I cannot remember I've heard anything of the 70s-Genesis or King Crimson. I was too young to experience prog-rock in the 70s (I was born in 1969), and it wasn't played anywhere by anyone in the early 80s when I got more 'conscious' about the music scene. Genesis, for example, was just a band name, the band Peter Gabriel left way back.

My only reference back to the symphonic rock (or what I believed was symphonic rock) was Mike Oldfield; his Crises LP climbed the charts in 1983 and that one made me explore his back catalogue. I still had no notion of any prog-scene or the like. 'Progressive rock' was called 'Symfonirock' in Sweden in order not to confuse ’prog’ with the politically progressive music movement, which most of the time wasn't musically progressive at all. (And you still can't use 'prog' without having people's associations go the wrong way, and 'symfonirock' is invariably loaded with negative content )

Miles Davis was my introduction into jazz, and while exploring jazz I discovered the classic UK progressive rock. I really don't fancy the 90s neo-prog - it's too much 80s slick arena rock to me. I like it more edgy and experimental, like King Crimson, jazz-fusion, or the classic, mellow symphonic way, like Camel, P.F.M or Renaissance.

[ÄlveKatt]

I started as a metalhead. As metal often was more diverse than pop. But after a while i thought that it still wasn't diverse enough, i needed more stimulation from my music. That was when i got introduced to the progressive genre. I am not sure i can remember specfic bands though. I think i asked someone on the net for diverse music that you didn't tire so damn fast of, and he said Ayreon.

And then i just wanted more and more.

Is it just me, or did most young people who found the proggessive scene for the first time in the latest years start out as metalheads? I mean those who didn't live before the eighties.

It's interesting really, on the other forums i have visited the general age seem to be around 20. Here it seems closer to 40.

[solorossi]

My mom was a classically-trained musician (organist, singer) so I grew up around a lot of classical music (mainly Baroque composers).

When my own personal taste in music started developing (during the 70's) I listened to mainly AOR like Boston, Rush, Zep, etc.

My dad was a high school history teacher, so he picked up a copy of Rick Wakeman's Six Wives of Henry VIII (since it may have had to do with history). He quickly discovered that it was NOT about history. It was prog! He said, "Here, do you want this? I don't."

I listened to it and liked it. Very soon I started listening to early Yes, Genesis, Tull, Queen, etc. and was hooked on that prog sound. The mixture of classical elements and rock appealed to me.

I still like prog, both old and new stuff and I even sing in a classical choral group. They've both stuck with me.

Rossi

[djsmed]

Started with my Uncle turning me on to Pink Floyd at age 10. From there my fater bought me ELP - Live (the one recorded in Canada with the orchestra).

The 1st LP I bought with my own money was YES - Fragile. This was back in 1978/79. I then proceeded to buy everything from Yes, Rush, Floyd, Elp, Genesis, UK, King Crimson, RTF etc..

I was taking piano lessons at the time and Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson were my biggest inspirations. Later I went to college for Jazz piano and music education. So this stuff really left it's mark on me.

I can remember my mother asking me what I wanted for Christmas when I was very young. I got a SEARS stero with record player and 8 track. I got Kansas- Masque on 8 TRACK !!! Hey, I was very young at the time and 8 TRACK was IN.

So now, my vinyl collection (more than 2000) takes up a large part of one room in my house and my CD's (many of the same) number more than 1500. No more 8 tracks I'm happy to say.

Just recently (past 3 years) I have re-discovered Marillion (all of it is great stuff), discovered Flower Kings, Transatlantic, Spock's Beard, Dream Theater and a bunch of others thanks to this forum and Aural Moon!

-djsmed-

[ivan_2068]

Talking about my roots, until I was 12 (1976), used to listen Classical Music (specially Modern Russian), radio crap (top 40) and some classic rock stuff like Deep Purple, BTO, Led Zeppelin.

In that year a new family moved to my block, they had a kid about my age who listened the same stuff as me and a very beutiful 17 years daughter who listened some strange music. Once I tried to impress her with Uriah Heep, and she gave me a cassette with Yessongs. Of course told her I liked the music (But really liked her ), so I started to listen some of her music, as King Crimson, Focus, etc just to be near her, she even sold me in 2 bucks a brand new LP "The Six Wives of Henry the VIII" because her mother bought two copies and nobody wanted to buy that album.

In the same year I went to a concert by a cover band that played Genesis (I think I told the story on other thread), and then it was too late, I felt in love with prog'. So my Prog' roots are Uriah Heep, Yes, Wakeman and Genesis.

By the way, I never had a chance with the girl (she was too old ) but she gave me a gift for the rest of my life, progressive music.

Iván

[Josephus]

My first foray into music was at around 11-12 I loved the Bee Gees and the Grease soundtrack.

But then, Xmas 1979, I heard Pink Floyd's Another Brick In The Wall Pt 2. and like most schoolkids I thought the song was just great. I got my Dad to get me thr album for Christmas. And I liked it, I really liked it. Not just ABITW, but the whole thing. Thought it was awesome.

I had an older brother whose formative years were spent in the mid to late 70s; and he told me, "If you think you like Pink Floyd, listen to this..." and he lent me his beaten up copy of Meddle.

Echoes floored me. I was converted.

In high school , I met a group of similar-minded fellows who introduced me to Genesis, King Crimson and Yes. I became a prog rocker. Disillusioned with music in the late 80s, early 90s--I switched to Goth for a short time; before the discovery of the Internet; which in addition to free porn, introduced me to a whole new world of progressive rock and roll. I still live for the old stuff, but I'm into FlowerKings, Echolyn, Porcupine Tree etc.

And that's my story

[spedblavio]

The early years (7-11ish): parents didn't have a lot of recorded music at home, but were both involved in music in their younger years. A couple albums I recall liking from this period:

Simon & Garfunkel Bridge over Troubled Water (I still like them; have Bookends on CD, don't listen to it much though)

Don Ellis Orchestra Live at Monterey - my mom was into jazz, I even saw Don Ellis and his band at a jazz club in the late 60's I think. This was a key exposure for me, and I'll bet a lot of folks around here might like this. It's the "progressive rock" of big band jazz. Don't let "big band" scare you, this is complex intellectual jazz that rocks and swings and does it in complex meters like the "classic" 19 beats per measure (the piece is called "332221222" for the way the beats are counted). Highly recommended (if you're not completely averse to jazz) and available on CD.

The first album I owned personally, and the next significant "landmark" was the soundtrack from 2001: A Space Odyssey. I was a huge fan as a young lad (10 or 11?) when it came out. Still am.

A cousin's copy of Tarkus was the next significant exposure as an early teen visiting relatives. A real fluke as he wasn't any sort of prog rock fan; don't know what he was doing with it. This was probably about the time it came out.

As I began to acquire recordings and a taste of my own, I had some early stuff: Carly Simon, Leon Russell, Elton John... I wasn't there yet.... later I joined a record club and got a little more hip: Uriah Heep, Moody Blues, then Yes, re-discovered ELP, Zeppelin, Tull, Pink Floyd...

But it wasn't until a met a friend, I was still in high school, he was just out, who had the good stuff, a huge collection of LPs and original San Francisco psychedelic posters covering his wall. Turned me on to Genesis, Gentle Giant, Henry Cow, Hatfield, Gong, Oldfield, ECM label jazz, Zappa, etc, etc, etc and on and on from there I go still.

The 80's were a bitch though. And frankly I'm still not terribly impressed with a lot of the current new "progressive rock". But here and there I'm finding some things around the edges that are interesting (Krakatoa's We Are the Rowboats is one example).

After all these years my tastes have broadened beyond strictly prog rock quite a bit, more traditional jazz as well as hybrid stuff like Bill Frisell, Latin jazz and various South American styles and other "world" music and mixtures like Michael Brooks' stuff with Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan, Philip Glass, Steve Reich and other more obscure and not necessarily minimialist stuff, and various other good stuff. Still don't own any pop music to speak of, or folk/bluegrass music (though I'm getting closer to that via Frisell, and early Cockburn is very acoustic, sort of "progressive" folk, sophisticated, complex and jazzy), I enjoy classical but don't collect it. No punk, new wave, disco. No rap, goth or industrial.

Bruce Cockburn has been a favorite of mine (for his music and passionate expression; my spirituality and politics are not as specific as his), and I think a lot of his material has plenty to offer open minded prog rock fans.

I like some of Kit Watkins' stuff.

I've had a big resurgence in my appreciation and listening time for Yes lately, spurred by my discovery of Magnification and then acquisition of the Rhino remasters (I only had really bad probably 1st generation CDs before that), after pretty much losing touch with them throughout the 80's and 90's.

I'm kind of interested in some of King Crimson's real recent stuff, but haven't been attracted to the whole Thrak period. Loved most of their 80's stuff, truly the band that carried the flame and stayed both true to themselves and evolved during the 80's.

Anyway, classic prog still gets listened to a lot around here, and I'm discovering old stuff I'd forgotten or never knew. Canarios' Ciclos is a great discovery. I want to check out Moving Gelatine Plates and Cartoon. And I still need to get Soft Machine Third.

And so on.

[Rick and Roll]

I grew up with Elton John, Styx, Kansas, S. Miller, even stuff like Ohio Players and other funk - and even some punk (I was dating a girl who really dug that stuff). My high school favs were Sabbath, Zeppelin, Queen, Who, Genesis, and especially Tull and Rush.

When I got to college (early 80's), a whole new world opened up. My "conversion" bands were Crimson and Gentle Giant. From there it really just took off, many influences too numerous to mention. I am still especially partial to hard stuff (bands like Iron Maiden) and fusion.

I think Discipline is the album that really blew me away. It was so different.

[black max]

I grew up listening to country music and bluegrass. I discovered AM rock (Brandehh, you're a fine girl...) and heavy metal, and that helped, but in 11th grade a friend turned me on to "Close to the Edge," and it was all over. Shortly afterwards, another friend turned me on to Crimson and ELP. More fun!

When Discipline came out, I was working at an anti-commercial college radio station, and our program director gave it a quick listen and decided not to put it into rotation. Grrrrr. It actually worked out well, because since we didn't have to wait for it to come up in rotation, we could play it...ANY TIME WE LIKED.

It wasn't long before our station manager sent around a note asking us to play something else besides "Talking Crimson" sets. (The material on the Talking Heads' Remain in Light segues wonderfully with material from Discipline.)

Hey, why not put Remain in Light in the library?

[Rick and Roll]

Great idea about Remain In Light, and also Fear of Music or even Speaking In Tongues. Could be iffy on the prog label though. A definite call by the powers that be.

[byzantium]

Talking Head's Remain in Light is a masterpiece. Speaking in Tongues doesn't even come close with its leanings toward mainstream pop.

Brian Eno must be the most important producer in rock history.

[black max]

Byz, you and I agree on Speaking in Tongues. Too poppy by far. Remain in Light, however, has some quite complex (for the Heads) song structures, not to mention Adrian Belew's guitar work. If I were making the call, I'd put all of RIL, most of FOM, and none of SIT in the library. Maybe that's just personal preference speaking, though.

[Howard Roark]

I guess my Prog roots started out with the first Boston album, not really prog, but it was different than anything else going on. I saw my first offical concert (that means mom didnt have to take me, she did take me to see ELP!) With Boston ,Rush and Starcastle. Wow! what a line-up.I went out and bought all the current albums by those groups at the time. A Farewell to Kings and Fountains of Light.

I always enjoyed the Italian band PFM, but never had the chance to see them live. I became a huge Rush and Max Webster head and then gravitated into bands like King Crimson, UK,Uriah Heep, Kansas early Judas Priest and Iron Maiden etc...

I wish kids could somehow be exposed to some of this great music instead of the same old boring stuff that I hear being passed off as the next big thing.

HR

[zvinki]

This is the second time that you have mentioned Max Webster, Howard. What an underrated band!!! I also grew up listening to Rush and Max Webster followed by Yes and Marillion. Now thanks to AM I listen and enjoy everything prog, from Renaissance to Godspeed You Black Emperor.

Going back to Max Webster, I don't think that all their stuff is fit for prog but some of the earlier, like In Context of the Moon, would definately fit the quirky type like what Frank Zappa offers.

Cheers!

[Rick and Roll]

oh that's Kim Mitchell solo.....

I consider Max Webster to your area as Crack The Sky is to us Marylanders.

I never did hear much of their stuff, save for the tune with Rush. Do you have suggestions about what to get, and how to get it?

[zvinki]

Although Kim Mitchell was the front man for Max Webster, please don't judge Max by his solo efforts which, unfortunately, received more airplay.

The first 3 albums are probably the most interesting: Max Webster (self-titled debut), High Class in Borrowed Shoes, and Mutiny Up My Sleeve. As individual tracks you can check out Oh War!, In Context of the Moon, Beyond the Moon, The Party, Toronto Tontos, and Coming Off the Moon. Howard can give his own opinions. I don't know where you can get them but maybe Kazaa or something similar may have something. Good luck!

[Rick and Roll]

Amazon may have some - I'll try at some point.

Thanks!

[Howard Roark]

Hello,

Yes, the Kim Mitchell solo stuff is also very good.

It's hard to say which Max Webster Album is more suited for prog.I have always felt that they were all over the place style wise, very hard to place them in any one catagory. I have a bootleg video of the band in Barrie, Canada on the Universal Juveniles tour that just blows me away!

Universal Juveniles is actually the first album I bought after seeing them with Rush,featuring the famous duet,"Battlescar" I then went back and collected their entire catalog. They were just one of those bands that struck me as musically entertaining and humorus at the same time.I know that Kim kind of put the blame of "Being in the shadow of Rush all the time" as a reason for the bands demise, but that's a typical label/management decision.

Their is a compilation disc out there called "The best of Max Webster featuring Kim Mitchell" which is pretty decent, it tends to contain the more Radio friendly tunes, not that any of their songs were crafted for that purpose, but it might be as close to a greatest hits that Max ever had.Most of this stuff can be found on Ebay or Amazon.com

..Did I mention that Starcastle will have a new CD this year!

Thanks,

HR