The first time I heard Koenji Hyakkei I thought “Oh my god, what is this?!?!” and kind of lost my mind. It seemed like someone had invented a new spin on prog rock in the 1990s and I had just missed it during my teens. It was a while before I knew about Zeuhl or …
Tag: Progressive Rock
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973) by Black Sabbath
Is a band that does one particular thing very well, like Black Sabbath, allowed to evolve? It’s one of those tricky questions. On the one hand, we expect many if not most artists to evolve in some way. (Thank the Beatles for that, if you hate that.) On the other hand, some bands (AC/DC, Ramones, …
Focus (1993) by Cynic
Most of the time, when I encounter “progressive death metal” (which this sounds like to me, but which it isn’t categorized as on RYM), I think “this isn’t very progressive.” It usually sounds like more ambitious death metal, but it doesn’t sound very proggy. Well, not so here. If there is one thing this record …
Shine On Brightly (1968) by Procol Harum
Procol Harum remind me of The Moody Blues in a way; not in terms of their sound but in terms of their place in the history progressive rock, and how it evolved. Both bands got in on the ground floor, which makes them pioneers, at the very least. But both also got in before progressive …
Felona e Sorona (1973) by Le Orme
I don’t understand Italian, and I didn’t realize there was an English version – and I don’t really want to listen to that – so whatever this grand concept is, I don’t really know or care. Sometimes it’s better to listen to “High Concept” rock music in another language, that way you’re not confronted with …
The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1973) by Rick Wakeman
I can’t say I like programmatic music a lot of time as I often find the concept completely unhelpful in appreciating the music. (The exception to this is a really great tone poem, wherein the program sometimes helps locate the experience.) So frankly I am unconcerned with whether or not this record does anything with …
Aerie Faerie Nonsense (1977) by The Enid
Someone forgot to tell these guys they’re supposed to be a rock band.
Inside (1973) by Eloy
A band I wanted to listen to a lot when I was much younger; finally got around to it.
As the World (1995) by Echolyn
When I was in my very late teens and early 20s, I absolutely loved prog rock. And I think that, had I heard Echolyn then, I probably would have loved them; I probably wouldn’t have cared about the things that now cause me to be concerned about this kind of music. Because this record satisfies …
I Robot (1977) by The Alan Parsons Project
When I was young and obsessed with prog rock, people used to make fun of me. They would learn I loved prog and they would be bemused or even a little shocked/outraged. And I was confused because I really liked the stuff. Eventually, I realized that those who made fun of my tastes were often …
The Silent Corner and the Empty Stage (1974) by Peter Hammill
This is a weird combination of what sounds like super eccentric singer-songwriter solo stuff and music that is basically Van Der Graaf Generator. It’s an odd mix that I would find less appealing if I didn’t like Hammill or VDGG so much. It’s great that Hammill wrote so much so that even when the band …
Three of a Perfect Pair (1984) by King Crimson
Listening to this record, it’s no wonder they broke up for nearly a decade. I can hear the strain.
The Nightwatch: Live at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw November 23rd 1973 (1997) by King Crimson
This set was a famous bootleg before it was released for good reason, a bunch of it ended up (in edited form) as a major portion of Starless.
The Yes Album (1971)
For most of my prog-rock listening life, I have not fully gotten Yes. I don’t know what it is about them, but of the Big 6 they were long my least favourite. This has changed as I got older, as I have come to find ELP extremely inconsistent and Tull to be more than a …
RIP Chris Squire
Among the “Big 6” prog bands, Yes was long my least favourite -though, as I age, ELP has taken their place very handily. I have always found their discography rather immense and, well, kind of repetitive – though I have not given it the time I have given King Crimson’s, for example. So, maybe how …
In the Wake of Poseidon (1970) by King Crimson
Full disclosure: King crimsion is one of the bands that “changed my life” on a musical level and they remain among my favourites. I have trouble being objective about them. I’m trying, but it’s probably not possible.
Still Life (1976) by Van der Graaf Generator
This is the cleanest produced Van der Graaf Generator album I’ve heard so far (it’s the fourth I’ve heard), and that’s both a good thing and a bad thing.
For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night (1973) by Caravan
I really enjoyed the first Caravan album I heard (that would be their second), despite a few glaring drawbacks, and I looked forward to listening to a later one. But this just doesn’t do it for me.
Tarkus (1971) by Emerson, Lake and Palmer
I think if anyone had any doubt back in 1971 that Emerson was the greatest rock keyboardist ever, the title track to this album probably proved them wrong. It’s too bad that it doesn’t really have the same coherence and oomph of the best side-long prog epics. But it is still the highlight of an …
Works Volume 2 (1977) by Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Years ago, when I was still young enough to maintain that ELP was a truly great band, I gave this a listen or three and rated 6/10. I think I wanted to believe the common idea that this is better than Volume 1 because at least here the bands sometimes sounds like ELP. Well, there’re …
Deja Vrooom (1999, DGM) by King Crimson
This is a DVD of a King Crimson concert in Tokyo from 1995
RIP: Jon Lord
Jon Lord was one of the earliest rock keyboardists – along with people like Keith Emerson – to attempt to fuse so-called “classical” music (actually it was usually romantic) with rock. He convinced his band, Deep Purple, to cover Richard Strauss, among others, to include his string and wind arrangements, and to eventually perform his …
Frances the Mute by the Mars Volta (2005 GSL)
The more I listen to the Mars Volta the more I become convinced that they are pretty much the only mainstream band keeping the spirit – if not the sound – of progressive rock alive. They manage to combine relatively adventurous ideas – whereas early prog rock usually borrowed from Romantic music or mainstream jazz, …
If I Could do it Again, I Would do it All Over You by Caravan (1970 Decca)
Would these guys ever be good if they just had a vocalist… okay and a producer.