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Classic Prog Rock Albums/Bands


Brentastic
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Ok, so Phish is one of my favorite bands and not for the mindless noodling but more for the incredibly epic songs they have wrote. Two of my favorite Phish songs are 'Fluffhead' and 'Divided Sky', both are 15 minutes and neither of them display any 'jamming'. Phish being labeled as a 'jam' band is somewhat misleading as many of their monster songs are well written prog rock songs with little or no 'jamming'.

 

Anyways, I was thinking the other day how there are probably some GREAT prog rock albums out there I need to hear but haven't. For instance, I could see me liking some Rush but never have given them a try (other than LOVING Tom Sawyer for a month in high school). Genesis may be another but from what I've heard, it might be an acquired taste that my pallet is not ready to accept.

 

So, huddle - whatchya got for me?

Edited by Brentastic
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Canterbury Tales - Caravan. The second LP of this double set is just excellent. I've played it three times on the spin in the car these last couple days.

Watching this video now :wacko:

 

I posed this question on a music message board I frequent and someone else mentioned Caravan as well as Samla Mammas Manna - the song I heard by the latter is very good as well. So far, batting 1.000 on suggestions.

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Give early Genesis a try with Gabriel and Hackett, anything after that is shiat

Yes- Closer to the Edge

King Crimson- Court of the Crimson King(one of my favs)

early Floyd anything before DSM

Saga

It's a Beautiful Day

Edited by SLAYER
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Many of these have been mentioned on that other board too, which is good. Never heard King Crimson until last night, but I liked the video I watched. Have been listening to Pink Floyd since my h.s. days, love ummagumma. I've listened to the 30 sec samples of Genesis on Itunes (I know it probably doesn't give it justice) and I just can't get past PG's voice and the instrumentation - might save them for last even though several have recommended the Saving London album.

 

I listened to the Samla Mammas Manna album today on the way to work - a BIG :wacko: for that one. Looks like I got some listening to do. Thanks for all the suggestions, feel free to keep them coming.

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Never heard King Crimson until last night, but I liked the video I watched.

 

To get a sample of them from their earliest lineup through the modern, try the albums:

 

Court of the Crimson King

Red

Discipline

 

All outstanding, IMO.

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If you do decide to give Rush a shot make it one of their early albums. Their song Spirit of Radio from the Permanent Waves album is a peek into the band's psyche and their disdain for the corporate infuence on their music.

 

Fly by Night

Caress of Steel

2112

A Farewell to Kings

Hemispheres

 

All the above albums contain some truly epic music (Bytor and Snowdog, 2112 Suite and Cygnus X-1 being some of my personal favorites). I was big into them as a youth, the problem was that they are too perfect live. Everything is so preceise that it loses the soul of a good live show. Too bad really because their early studio stuff is just amazing.

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I never quite know how to draw the boundaries proscribing what people call "prog rock", but based on MY understanding of it....

 

band (albums)

CAN (ege bamyasi, tago mago) - seriously one of the best bands ever, IMO.

brian eno (another green world)

captain beefheart (safe as milk, trout mask replica)

frank zappa

tangerine dream (phaedra)

genesis

kraftwerk?

 

a newer band (like from the 90s) that I think sort of fits the mold is don caballero.

 

stretching the definitions just a little bit....in the direction of jazz/rock fusion, return to forever, mahavishnu orschetra, early weather report. in the direction of classical, terry riley's 70s stuff, especially "a rainbow in curved air".

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Don't know that one but Curved Air were also an outstanding prog rock band. Their first album Air Conditioning is great, including a track making use of Vivaldi.

 

Curved Air was formed in early 1970 by violinist Darryl Way, a graduate of the Royal College of Music, and two former members of Sisyphus, keyboard player Francis Monkman and drummer Florian Pilkington-Miksa. Adding bassist Robert Martin, the band named itself from avant-garde composer Terry Riley's A Rainbow in Curved Air, a touchstone that would inform much of their early work.

 

I said 70s stuff, but obviously "rainbow" was released in the late 60s. in any case, it's a really cool album.

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I said 70s stuff, but obviously "rainbow" was released in the late 60s. in any case, it's a really cool album.

Ha! Didn't know where they got their name. Air Conditioning was one of the very first limited edition picture discs, FWIW (though mine is the usual black).

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Is Queensryche considered "classic"? Or are they even considered prog rock?

They are prog rock by my definition. I look at them as a bridge (sort of) into the harder elements of prog rock like Dream Theater.

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Give early Genesis a try with Gabriel and Hackett, anything after that is shiat

:wacko:

 

I'll take Trick of the Tail over most Gabriel stuff. Much of their later stuff was great too, just got way more "mainstream" vs prog/artsy rock.

 

Re. Yes, I'd vote The Yes Album, Yesterdays, and for something very prog with a sort of New Wave mix, Drama.

 

And while it's not generally called "prog rock" and is all instrumental, you might like the Dixie Dregs. "What If" and "Unsung Heros" were their best. Jeff Beck's "Blow by Blow," "Wired" and "There and Back" as well.

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To get a sample of them from their earliest lineup through the modern, try the albums:

 

Court of the Crimson King

Red

Discipline

 

All outstanding, IMO.

 

I thought the Red album was Discipline? The lineup in the Red, Blue, and Yellow albums were my favorite. I'm a big Adrian Belew fan.

 

Red = Discipline

Blue= Beat

Yellow= Three Of a Perfect Pair

 

I'm assuming Brent has already heard of Widespread Panic. Not sure if any of you ever got into Robin Trower, but that would be a good recommendation for this thread.

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Post Rock is the "new" Prog Rock. Give these bands a try...

 

Explosions in the Sky

God Is An Astronaut

MuteMath

Pelican

Porcupine Tree

 

You're trying to sneak post-rock in with the prog-rock :wacko:

 

I have the first two bands CDs, never heard of the last 3... although Pelican may have come up a few times on my "Vampy Spacey Mellow" Pandora channel.

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You're trying to sneak post-rock in with the prog-rock :wacko:

 

I have the first two bands CDs, never heard of the last 3... although Pelican may have come up a few times on my "Vampy Spacey Mellow" Pandora channel.

 

darn...post rock, at least to me, is the direct descendant of prog rock...I've found that many people that enjoy prog rock also enjoy post rock.

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