My OperaINDEX C - The influences of progressive rock
Sunday, September 16, 2007 5:57:52 PM
Well, is Progressive Rock far from jazz…?
Undoubtedly... Nearer to mainstream rock, to folk, even to symphonic classical music, that is certain! But the connections with the jazz-rock exist nevertheless, in its binary and thus most energetic format. The musicians for example are often virtuosos (which leads to the problem of egos that very often prevails among progressive rock groups) perfectly able to improvise during a concert. Some of them will flirt on the occasions with the jazz or even in certain cases, carry out a double career. Thus, the drummer Bill Bruford of YES and KING CRIMSON regularly records fusion albums with Django Bates and their group EARTHWORKS. He also uses of the acoustic jazz style of OREGON (‘’If Summer Had Its Ghosts’’, 1997 with Ralph Towner and Eddie Gomez). Phil Collins was concurrently drummer of GENESIS and of a fusion group named BRAND X (‘’Livestock’’, 1977) before gathering at the end of the 90’s a big jazz band and interpreting some of his compositions in the style swing of the BUDDY RICH ORCHESTRA and the 40’s (‘’A Hot Night in Paris’’, 1999).
Certain progressive groups are obviously closer to the jazz rock than of others. Starting from their second album, SOFT MACHINE's music moved increasingly in the direction of improvisation and jazz and even ended up completely in jazz rather than conventional rock with the arrival of the guitarists Allan Holdsworth and John Etheridge (‘’Bundles’’, 1975 and ‘’Softs’’, 1976). Like SOFT MACHINE, CARAVAN came from the Canterbury scene, and their second disc solidified their place in progressive rock thanks to a very particular sound and medleys of various themes incorporated into long improvisations that mixed jazz and rock ("In The Land of Grey and Pink", 1971 and "Waterloo Lily", 1972).
Not to mention groups like MAGMA (Zeuhl), GONG (Space/Canterbury Rock), AMON DUUL II (Krautrock), the MOTHERS OF INVENTION & Frank ZAPPA (RIO/avant-prog), GENTLE GIANT, KING CRIMSON, DZYAN, CARPE DIEM, and others who, while offering elements jazz, still remain unclassifiable today.
Progressive rock, for which it is difficult to give an exact definition, includes many of other influences among which are:
- The space-rock music of PINK FLOYD inspired the groups like HAWKWIND, OZRIC TENTACLES and PORCUPINE TREE. Their music is characterized by slow, lengthy instrumental passages dominated by synthesizers, experimental guitar work, and sciences fiction lyrical themes. OZRIC TENTACLES (commonly known as the OZRICS) made a shy (timid) appearance on tape in 1985 but their first compact disc was not released until 1990, (‘’Pungent Effulgent’’ and ‘’Erpland’’).
One of the best rock bands in modern days, calling what PORCUPINE TREE does nowadays prog rock might be stretching it a little. Steven Wilson has morphed from an experimental PINK FLOYD disciple to a fantastic singer/songwriter, sounding more like RADIOHEAD (or even later PINK FLOYD) than anything else. PORCUPINE TREE offer a rich mix of early prog rock with soaring space rock, rampant psychedelia, complex symphonic, ambient soundscapes and (more recently) heavy metal riffs as well. It’s a uniquely eclectic musical fusion that can be called progressive in the truest sense of the word. They have crafted a body of work quite impressive for its diversity, and the distinctive quality of the sounds in their recordings.
- Canterbury music is characterized by its unique mix of psychedelia and jazz-inspired improvisation, as well as by its often whimsical lyrics. The late sixties saw the birth of the band WILDE FLOWERS in Canterbury England who premiered a new style of music that would catch on locally and quickly spread. While the WILDE FLOWERS underwent a number of line-up changes during the sixties, several former members would go on to form two of Canterbury’s more successful bands, SOFT MACHINE and CARAVAN. These bands provided the foundation for the music that would be known as the Canterbury Scene.
This movement has grown to be represented by bands as geographically dispersed as Britain's MATCHING MOLE, HATFIELD AND THE NORTH, EGG, and NATIONAL HEALTH; Japan's MR. SIRIUS; America's THE MUFFINS; the multi-national GONG; and solo artists including Robert Wyatt, Kevin AYERS, and Steve HILLAGE.
- Classical music is largely incorporated, not always advisedly, in the works of Keith Emerson's groups: The NICE (‘’Five Bridges’’, 1970) and then in more subtle and controlled way with EMERSON LAKE & PALMER (‘’Tarkus’’, 1971). The unique approach of the Belgian group UNIVERS ZERO should also be noted, as demonstrated in their strange music, which mixes Gothic with the music of Bartok and Stravinsky (‘’Hérésie’’, 1979; ‘’Ceux Du Dehors’’, 1980 and ‘’Uzed’’, 1984).
- The symphonic music of GENESIS and YES inspired groups like ANGE, ANGLAGARD, BARCLAY JAMES & HARVEST, GROBSCHNITT, KANSAS and The TANGENT: their music includes elaborate vocal harmonies supported by strong instrumentation where the keyboards and synthesizers shine particularly. The texts (booklets) are inspired by science fiction, folklore, the theatre, mythology, spirituality or by the fantasy of Tolkien.
''Close to the Edge'' by YES and ‘’Nursery Cryme'' by GENESIS, both released in 1972, are the key albums of symphonic progressive rock which would return one decade later in the form of neo-progressive. This was simpler and more commercial with sets like MARILLION (‘’Script For A Jester's Tear’’, 1983), PENDRAGON (‘’The Jewel’’, 1985) or groups like IQ, ARENA and PALLAS who returned in force with good releases like ‘’Subterranea’’ (1997), ‘’The Visitor’’ (1998) and ‘’The Cross And The Crucible’’ (2001).
- Folk music is an important component of progressive rock, played by groups such as JETHRO TULL (‘’Thick As A Brick’’, 1972), GRYPHON ("Red Queen to Gryphon Three", 1974), RENAISSANCE ("Renaissance", 1969), GENTLE GIANT ("The Power And The Glory", 1974) and HARMONIUM ("Si On Avait Besoin D’une 5e Saison", 1975). HARMONIUM's music is particularly notable as it contains madrigal sounds and the music of the medieval period. Progressive Folk as a sub-category has its roots in the 1970's. In those days pop crossed over into other musical areas. When the "progressive" elements are apparent in the instrumentation but the basic use of acoustic instruments is still important, the term "Progressive folk" could be appropriate. Longer tracks and instrumental improvisations are allowed progressing the basic musical content.
- Electronic prog (a sub-genre of Progressive Rock), whose development is related to the invention of new equipment (an abundant use of analog synthesizers and other electronic instruments), was pioneered by the two most important artists TANGERINE DREAM - Berlin School and KRAFTWERK - Dusseldorf School. This type of music is almost completely instrumental and, like most progressive genres, tends to feature cosmic sounds and long tracks full of atmospheric synthesizers, rhythmic sequences, lot of electronic voices and "improvised" synth solos. The focus is very often on the timbre characteristics of sound and can be enjoyed by any person with an open mind.
Bands like KING CRIMSON, EMERSON LAKE & PALMER, YES, GENESIS, PINK FLOYD and CAMEL all used synthesizers in their work and started using the power they provided to create totally new music for ‘’mind travels’’, as they say. Krautrock (German Progressive) groups such as AMON DUUL II, CAN and NEU! integrated synthesizers and tape manipulations into their rabid experimentation.
- Progressive Metal integrates the characteristics of Heavy-Metal in sometimes symphonic complex structures highlighting the virtuosity of the musicians (AYREON, DREAM THEATER or PAIN OF SALVATION); energetic, uplifting guitar solos and riffs. It is aggressive and dynamic, powerful vocal performances are amalgamated with very complex harmonies and counterpoints, intelligent keyboards virtuoso performances in long multidimensional compositions with elaborate and moving structures.
The results gave a sub-genre iwhich established itself during the Seventies and Eighties through bands such as Canadian group RUSH (‘’Permanent Waves’’, 1980; ‘’Moving Pictures’’, 1981), and today the phenomenal DREAM THEATER (‘’Scenes From A Memory Metropolis Part II’’, 1999; ‘’Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence’’, 2002). They contributed to a new passion for this style of music which involved the blossoming of a multitude of contemporary groups who were often of a great quality:
OPETH ("Blackwater Park", 2001), SYMPHONY X ("V: The New Mythology Suite", 2000), THRESHOLD ("Hypothetical", 2001), SHADOW GALLERY ("Tyranny", 1998) - and even resulted in the emergence of record labels entirely reserved for this kind of music, such as Magna Carta, Inside Out, Giant Electric Pea, Verglas and Radiant Records.
And finally what is called sometimes post rock/experimental prog which gathers anything and all that cannot be classified elsewhere like the unpredictable and changeable music of GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR (‘’Top Spin Your Skinny Fist Like Antennas To Heaven!’’, 2000) and The MARS VOLTA (‘’Frances The Mute’’, 2005).
The named groups illustrate the majority of the influences and the above mentioned styles from 1966 to the present day. For certain groups, one will find their complete discography and/or a selection of their best albums. The bands are listed in chronological order of their appearance on the scene: the year noted in parentheses is the year in which their debut album appeared.
Please note: This is NOT meant to be a complete list of all bands, just an example of some, so don’t be offended if I leave your favourite one out!
And now, to summarize...
Frank ZAPPA (66) - SOFT MACHINE (68) - AMON DUUL II (69) – BARCLAY JAMES & HARVEST (70) - MAGMA (70) - TANGERINE DREAM (70) - ANGE (72) - GROBSCHNITT (72) - HARMONIUM (74) - KANSAS (74) - UNIVERS ZERO (77) - PALLAS (81) - OZRIC TENTACLES (85) - ANGLAGARD (92) - SYMPHONY X (94) - OPETH (95) - GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR (97) - MAGENTA (01) - The MARS VOLTA (03) - The TANGENT (03)
Written by Pierre Dulieu (Belgium)
Bob McBeath (Scotland)
Improved and adapted in English
Undoubtedly... Nearer to mainstream rock, to folk, even to symphonic classical music, that is certain! But the connections with the jazz-rock exist nevertheless, in its binary and thus most energetic format. The musicians for example are often virtuosos (which leads to the problem of egos that very often prevails among progressive rock groups) perfectly able to improvise during a concert. Some of them will flirt on the occasions with the jazz or even in certain cases, carry out a double career. Thus, the drummer Bill Bruford of YES and KING CRIMSON regularly records fusion albums with Django Bates and their group EARTHWORKS. He also uses of the acoustic jazz style of OREGON (‘’If Summer Had Its Ghosts’’, 1997 with Ralph Towner and Eddie Gomez). Phil Collins was concurrently drummer of GENESIS and of a fusion group named BRAND X (‘’Livestock’’, 1977) before gathering at the end of the 90’s a big jazz band and interpreting some of his compositions in the style swing of the BUDDY RICH ORCHESTRA and the 40’s (‘’A Hot Night in Paris’’, 1999).
Certain progressive groups are obviously closer to the jazz rock than of others. Starting from their second album, SOFT MACHINE's music moved increasingly in the direction of improvisation and jazz and even ended up completely in jazz rather than conventional rock with the arrival of the guitarists Allan Holdsworth and John Etheridge (‘’Bundles’’, 1975 and ‘’Softs’’, 1976). Like SOFT MACHINE, CARAVAN came from the Canterbury scene, and their second disc solidified their place in progressive rock thanks to a very particular sound and medleys of various themes incorporated into long improvisations that mixed jazz and rock ("In The Land of Grey and Pink", 1971 and "Waterloo Lily", 1972).
Not to mention groups like MAGMA (Zeuhl), GONG (Space/Canterbury Rock), AMON DUUL II (Krautrock), the MOTHERS OF INVENTION & Frank ZAPPA (RIO/avant-prog), GENTLE GIANT, KING CRIMSON, DZYAN, CARPE DIEM, and others who, while offering elements jazz, still remain unclassifiable today.
Progressive rock, for which it is difficult to give an exact definition, includes many of other influences among which are:
- The space-rock music of PINK FLOYD inspired the groups like HAWKWIND, OZRIC TENTACLES and PORCUPINE TREE. Their music is characterized by slow, lengthy instrumental passages dominated by synthesizers, experimental guitar work, and sciences fiction lyrical themes. OZRIC TENTACLES (commonly known as the OZRICS) made a shy (timid) appearance on tape in 1985 but their first compact disc was not released until 1990, (‘’Pungent Effulgent’’ and ‘’Erpland’’).
One of the best rock bands in modern days, calling what PORCUPINE TREE does nowadays prog rock might be stretching it a little. Steven Wilson has morphed from an experimental PINK FLOYD disciple to a fantastic singer/songwriter, sounding more like RADIOHEAD (or even later PINK FLOYD) than anything else. PORCUPINE TREE offer a rich mix of early prog rock with soaring space rock, rampant psychedelia, complex symphonic, ambient soundscapes and (more recently) heavy metal riffs as well. It’s a uniquely eclectic musical fusion that can be called progressive in the truest sense of the word. They have crafted a body of work quite impressive for its diversity, and the distinctive quality of the sounds in their recordings.
- Canterbury music is characterized by its unique mix of psychedelia and jazz-inspired improvisation, as well as by its often whimsical lyrics. The late sixties saw the birth of the band WILDE FLOWERS in Canterbury England who premiered a new style of music that would catch on locally and quickly spread. While the WILDE FLOWERS underwent a number of line-up changes during the sixties, several former members would go on to form two of Canterbury’s more successful bands, SOFT MACHINE and CARAVAN. These bands provided the foundation for the music that would be known as the Canterbury Scene.
This movement has grown to be represented by bands as geographically dispersed as Britain's MATCHING MOLE, HATFIELD AND THE NORTH, EGG, and NATIONAL HEALTH; Japan's MR. SIRIUS; America's THE MUFFINS; the multi-national GONG; and solo artists including Robert Wyatt, Kevin AYERS, and Steve HILLAGE.
- Classical music is largely incorporated, not always advisedly, in the works of Keith Emerson's groups: The NICE (‘’Five Bridges’’, 1970) and then in more subtle and controlled way with EMERSON LAKE & PALMER (‘’Tarkus’’, 1971). The unique approach of the Belgian group UNIVERS ZERO should also be noted, as demonstrated in their strange music, which mixes Gothic with the music of Bartok and Stravinsky (‘’Hérésie’’, 1979; ‘’Ceux Du Dehors’’, 1980 and ‘’Uzed’’, 1984).
- The symphonic music of GENESIS and YES inspired groups like ANGE, ANGLAGARD, BARCLAY JAMES & HARVEST, GROBSCHNITT, KANSAS and The TANGENT: their music includes elaborate vocal harmonies supported by strong instrumentation where the keyboards and synthesizers shine particularly. The texts (booklets) are inspired by science fiction, folklore, the theatre, mythology, spirituality or by the fantasy of Tolkien.
''Close to the Edge'' by YES and ‘’Nursery Cryme'' by GENESIS, both released in 1972, are the key albums of symphonic progressive rock which would return one decade later in the form of neo-progressive. This was simpler and more commercial with sets like MARILLION (‘’Script For A Jester's Tear’’, 1983), PENDRAGON (‘’The Jewel’’, 1985) or groups like IQ, ARENA and PALLAS who returned in force with good releases like ‘’Subterranea’’ (1997), ‘’The Visitor’’ (1998) and ‘’The Cross And The Crucible’’ (2001).
- Folk music is an important component of progressive rock, played by groups such as JETHRO TULL (‘’Thick As A Brick’’, 1972), GRYPHON ("Red Queen to Gryphon Three", 1974), RENAISSANCE ("Renaissance", 1969), GENTLE GIANT ("The Power And The Glory", 1974) and HARMONIUM ("Si On Avait Besoin D’une 5e Saison", 1975). HARMONIUM's music is particularly notable as it contains madrigal sounds and the music of the medieval period. Progressive Folk as a sub-category has its roots in the 1970's. In those days pop crossed over into other musical areas. When the "progressive" elements are apparent in the instrumentation but the basic use of acoustic instruments is still important, the term "Progressive folk" could be appropriate. Longer tracks and instrumental improvisations are allowed progressing the basic musical content.
- Electronic prog (a sub-genre of Progressive Rock), whose development is related to the invention of new equipment (an abundant use of analog synthesizers and other electronic instruments), was pioneered by the two most important artists TANGERINE DREAM - Berlin School and KRAFTWERK - Dusseldorf School. This type of music is almost completely instrumental and, like most progressive genres, tends to feature cosmic sounds and long tracks full of atmospheric synthesizers, rhythmic sequences, lot of electronic voices and "improvised" synth solos. The focus is very often on the timbre characteristics of sound and can be enjoyed by any person with an open mind.
Bands like KING CRIMSON, EMERSON LAKE & PALMER, YES, GENESIS, PINK FLOYD and CAMEL all used synthesizers in their work and started using the power they provided to create totally new music for ‘’mind travels’’, as they say. Krautrock (German Progressive) groups such as AMON DUUL II, CAN and NEU! integrated synthesizers and tape manipulations into their rabid experimentation.
- Progressive Metal integrates the characteristics of Heavy-Metal in sometimes symphonic complex structures highlighting the virtuosity of the musicians (AYREON, DREAM THEATER or PAIN OF SALVATION); energetic, uplifting guitar solos and riffs. It is aggressive and dynamic, powerful vocal performances are amalgamated with very complex harmonies and counterpoints, intelligent keyboards virtuoso performances in long multidimensional compositions with elaborate and moving structures.
The results gave a sub-genre iwhich established itself during the Seventies and Eighties through bands such as Canadian group RUSH (‘’Permanent Waves’’, 1980; ‘’Moving Pictures’’, 1981), and today the phenomenal DREAM THEATER (‘’Scenes From A Memory Metropolis Part II’’, 1999; ‘’Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence’’, 2002). They contributed to a new passion for this style of music which involved the blossoming of a multitude of contemporary groups who were often of a great quality:
OPETH ("Blackwater Park", 2001), SYMPHONY X ("V: The New Mythology Suite", 2000), THRESHOLD ("Hypothetical", 2001), SHADOW GALLERY ("Tyranny", 1998) - and even resulted in the emergence of record labels entirely reserved for this kind of music, such as Magna Carta, Inside Out, Giant Electric Pea, Verglas and Radiant Records.
And finally what is called sometimes post rock/experimental prog which gathers anything and all that cannot be classified elsewhere like the unpredictable and changeable music of GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR (‘’Top Spin Your Skinny Fist Like Antennas To Heaven!’’, 2000) and The MARS VOLTA (‘’Frances The Mute’’, 2005).
The named groups illustrate the majority of the influences and the above mentioned styles from 1966 to the present day. For certain groups, one will find their complete discography and/or a selection of their best albums. The bands are listed in chronological order of their appearance on the scene: the year noted in parentheses is the year in which their debut album appeared.
Please note: This is NOT meant to be a complete list of all bands, just an example of some, so don’t be offended if I leave your favourite one out!
And now, to summarize...
Frank ZAPPA (66) - SOFT MACHINE (68) - AMON DUUL II (69) – BARCLAY JAMES & HARVEST (70) - MAGMA (70) - TANGERINE DREAM (70) - ANGE (72) - GROBSCHNITT (72) - HARMONIUM (74) - KANSAS (74) - UNIVERS ZERO (77) - PALLAS (81) - OZRIC TENTACLES (85) - ANGLAGARD (92) - SYMPHONY X (94) - OPETH (95) - GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR (97) - MAGENTA (01) - The MARS VOLTA (03) - The TANGENT (03)
Written by Pierre Dulieu (Belgium)
Bob McBeath (Scotland)
Improved and adapted in English
