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'Prog Rock'
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To quote one author: 'In a few short months around late 1963 and early 1964 an event occurred which would impact upon all American popular culture, including the recording industry, the style of popular music, clothing styles, and even the acceptable length of male hair: America discovered The Beatles. The immediate and universal success of records by this British group amounted to nothing less than a revolution in music and public taste. `Folk’ per se, was out, and ‘Rock’ - just Rock now, not Rock n Roll was in. Throughout the rest of the decade The Beatles would be stylistic leaders. As such the age of “Beatlemania” is considered to have spanned the years 1963-1968, with their most influential album and perhaps their greatest masterpiece was Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967).' (sources) |
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The Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
The new trend in Rock in Britain and the US, sometimes called ‘Progressive Rock’,
was characterised by a heavier, yet more complex beat and freer musical forms than
those of Rock n Roll. The Rock of the 1960s had lyrics that ranged from social protest,
through love and explicit sex, to drug references and obscure philosophy. Rock made
increased use of electric instruments and amplification. Following the lead of Dylan and
the Beatles, most of the new Rock singers and bands wrote their own songs. This Rock
style soon affected all of the younger artists. Even Dylan began to use an electric
guitar in the mid-1960s and, like other former folkies’, developed new types of songs
and a new performance style.
was characterised by a heavier, yet more complex beat and freer musical forms than
those of Rock n Roll. The Rock of the 1960s had lyrics that ranged from social protest,
through love and explicit sex, to drug references and obscure philosophy. Rock made
increased use of electric instruments and amplification. Following the lead of Dylan and
the Beatles, most of the new Rock singers and bands wrote their own songs. This Rock
style soon affected all of the younger artists. Even Dylan began to use an electric
guitar in the mid-1960s and, like other former folkies’, developed new types of songs
and a new performance style.
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The Moody Blues - A Question Of Balance
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Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
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Progressive Rock (aka Prog Rock) is considered to be a sub-genre of Rock Music. It
originated in the UK and then caught on around the Western world throughout the mid
to late 1960s and 1970s. It was a British attempt to make Rock music more
sophisticated , credible and with much more artistic weight. Heavily influenced by
'Psychedelic Rock' and ‘Art Rock’, it was an attempt to have Rock accepted by the
establishment as a pure genuine form of music. In doing so Progressive Rock intended
to break the boundaries of traditional Rock music by incorporating greater and more
eclectic range of influences, with freer forms and much more experimentation and use
of technological music innovation and instruments and the incorporation of eastern and
other world music influences.
originated in the UK and then caught on around the Western world throughout the mid
to late 1960s and 1970s. It was a British attempt to make Rock music more
sophisticated , credible and with much more artistic weight. Heavily influenced by
'Psychedelic Rock' and ‘Art Rock’, it was an attempt to have Rock accepted by the
establishment as a pure genuine form of music. In doing so Progressive Rock intended
to break the boundaries of traditional Rock music by incorporating greater and more
eclectic range of influences, with freer forms and much more experimentation and use
of technological music innovation and instruments and the incorporation of eastern and
other world music influences.
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BBC Prog Rock Documentary
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ELO - So Fine
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One major characteristic of this new sophisticated genre of Rock was the ‘Concept’
Album built around themes and stories – even fairy tales. Some included historical,
fantastical, and metaphysical themes. Some of these albums for example were the
Mothers of Invention's Freak Out! (1966), the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (1966), The
Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), The Who's The Who Sell Out'
(1967) and The Moody Blues' Days of Future Passed (1967). Notable Progressive
Rock concept albums also included Emerson, Lake & Palmer's Tarkus (1971), Pink
Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals
(1977), The Wall (1979), Yes' Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973), Genesis' The
Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974) and Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick (1972).
Album built around themes and stories – even fairy tales. Some included historical,
fantastical, and metaphysical themes. Some of these albums for example were the
Mothers of Invention's Freak Out! (1966), the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (1966), The
Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), The Who's The Who Sell Out'
(1967) and The Moody Blues' Days of Future Passed (1967). Notable Progressive
Rock concept albums also included Emerson, Lake & Palmer's Tarkus (1971), Pink
Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Wish You Were Here (1975), Animals
(1977), The Wall (1979), Yes' Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973), Genesis' The
Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1974) and Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick (1972).
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Prog - Rock Albums
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ELO - Shangri-La
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Progressive Rock became very popular throughout the 1970s, with bands such as Pink
Floyd, King Crimson, Yes, Supertramp, Jethro Tull, Genesis, Emerson, Lake & Palmer
and The Moody Blues. By the late '70s however, it had begun to fade as Punk emerged
and gained in popularity in a move back to garage band basics. The rise of Disco, Funk,
Hard Rock, Hip Hop and other genres also took their toll. However Progressive Rock
bands were able to achieve commercial success well into the 1980s. By the turn of the
21st century, it witnessed a revival, often known as 'New Prog', and has, ever since,
enjoyed a cult following. The genre has influenced several other styles, ranging from
'Krautrock' to Neo-Classical Metal; it has also fused with several other forms of Rock
music to create sub-genres, including Progressive Metal.
Jethro Tull - Aqualung
Progressive Rock's popularity peaked in the mid-1970s, when Prog artists regularly
topped reader polls in mainstream popular music magazines in Britain and America,
and albums like Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells topped the charts. In the 1970s the vast
majority of fans of the genre were white males. At that time audiences were reserved in
their behaviour tending to sit and intently concentrate on the performance. This
contrasted with more overt and emotional reactions of audiences of other Rock music
genres. In the late 1970s, Great Britain was going through difficult times due to a poor
economy, frequent strikes and shortages. With its exotic, literary topics, much of
Progressive Rock was dismissed by British youth. Punk rock, a simpler and more
aggressive style of Rock emerged in this era, determined to push Rock back to 3 chord
12 - bar blues. And Disco, which also emerged during this period, both helped move
critical opinion and popular support in the UK away from Progressive Rock, thus
ending the genre's reign as a leading style there. By the end of the 1970s Progressive
Rock had fallen into disrepute. It was dismissed as overblown, pretentious and elitist.
topped reader polls in mainstream popular music magazines in Britain and America,
and albums like Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells topped the charts. In the 1970s the vast
majority of fans of the genre were white males. At that time audiences were reserved in
their behaviour tending to sit and intently concentrate on the performance. This
contrasted with more overt and emotional reactions of audiences of other Rock music
genres. In the late 1970s, Great Britain was going through difficult times due to a poor
economy, frequent strikes and shortages. With its exotic, literary topics, much of
Progressive Rock was dismissed by British youth. Punk rock, a simpler and more
aggressive style of Rock emerged in this era, determined to push Rock back to 3 chord
12 - bar blues. And Disco, which also emerged during this period, both helped move
critical opinion and popular support in the UK away from Progressive Rock, thus
ending the genre's reign as a leading style there. By the end of the 1970s Progressive
Rock had fallen into disrepute. It was dismissed as overblown, pretentious and elitist.
Emerson Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man
One commentator, Bruce Eder claimed that "the rot" in Progressive Rock "started to
set in during 1976, the year Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP) released their live album
Welcome Back My Friends". Eder claims that this album was "suffering from poor
sound and uninspired playing" which "stretched the devotion of fans and critics even
thinner." He claims that "the end [of Progressive Rock] came quickly: by 1977, the new
generation of listeners was even more interested in a good time than the audiences of
the early 1970s, and they had no patience for 30 minute prog-rock suites or concept
albums based on Tolkienesque stories. Overall - the genre ‘has received both a great
amount of critical acclaim and criticism throughout the years. Progressive Rock has
been described as parallel in quality to some classical music nonetheless, its grandiose
themes have often been criticised for being over-the-top, and in many ways, the
simplicity of punk grew out of a reaction against the elaborate nature of Progressive
Rock (sources).
set in during 1976, the year Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP) released their live album
Welcome Back My Friends". Eder claims that this album was "suffering from poor
sound and uninspired playing" which "stretched the devotion of fans and critics even
thinner." He claims that "the end [of Progressive Rock] came quickly: by 1977, the new
generation of listeners was even more interested in a good time than the audiences of
the early 1970s, and they had no patience for 30 minute prog-rock suites or concept
albums based on Tolkienesque stories. Overall - the genre ‘has received both a great
amount of critical acclaim and criticism throughout the years. Progressive Rock has
been described as parallel in quality to some classical music nonetheless, its grandiose
themes have often been criticised for being over-the-top, and in many ways, the
simplicity of punk grew out of a reaction against the elaborate nature of Progressive
Rock (sources).
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