[kj] prog

[James Osborne]

Ok, here is the definition of Art-Rock/Prog-Rock according to AMG:

/Progressive rock and art rock are two almost interchangeable terms 
describing a mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels 
of artistic credibility. The differences between prog-rock and art rock 
are often slight in practice, but do exist. Prog-rock tends to be more 
traditionally melodic (even when multi-sectioned compositions replace 
normal song structures), more literary (poetry or sci-fi/fantasy 
novels), and more oriented toward classically trained instrumental 
technique (with the exception of Pink Floyd 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:PINK%7CFLOYD>). Art rock 
is more likely to have experimental or avant-garde influences, placing 
novel sonic texture above prog-rock's symphonic ambitions. Both styles 
are intrinsically album-based, taking advantage of the format's capacity 
for longer, more complex compositions and extended instrumental 
explorations. In fact, many prog bands were fond of crafting concept 
albums that made unified statements, usually telling an epic story or 
tackling a grand overarching theme. In addition to pushing rock's 
technical and compositional boundaries, prog-rock was also arguably the 
first arena where synthesizers and electronic textures became 
indispensable parts of a rock ensemble. The earliest rumblings of 
progressive and art rock could be heard in the poetry of Bob Dylan 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:BOB%7CDYLAN> and 
conceptually unified albums like the Mothers of Invention 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:THE%7CMOTHERS%7COF%7CINVENT>'s 
Freak Out! 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=2:FREAK%7COUT%21> and the 
Beatles <http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:THE%7CBEATLES>' 
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=2:SGT.%7CPEPPER%5C%27S%7CLONELY%7C>, 
all of which suggested that rock was more than just teenagers' music and 
should be taken seriously as an art form. Prog-rock began to emerge out 
of the British psychedelic scene in 1967, specifically a strain of 
classical/symphonic rock led by the Nice 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:THE%7CNICE>, Procol 
Harum <http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:PROCOL%7CHARUM>, 
and the Moody Blues 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:THE%7CMOODY%7CBLUES> 
(Days of Future Passed 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=2:DAYS%7COF%7CFUTURE%7CPASSED>). 
King Crimson 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:KING%7CCRIMSON>'s 1969 
debut In the Court of the Crimson King 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=2:IN%7CTHE%7CCOURT%7COF%7CTHE%7CC> 
firmly established the concept of progressive rock, and a quirky, 
eclectic scene was taking shape in Canterbury, led by the jazzy 
psychedelia of the Soft Machine 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:THE%7CSOFT%7CMACHINE>. 
Prog-rock became a commercial force in the early '70s, with Emerson, 
Lake & Palmer 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:EMERSON,%7CLAKE%7C&%7CPALME>, 
Yes <http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:YES>, Jethro Tull 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:JETHRO%7CTULL>, Genesis 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:GENESIS>, and Pink Floyd 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:PINK%7CFLOYD> leading 
the way. Meanwhile, a more avant-garde scene (dubbed Kraut-rock) was 
developing in Germany, and eccentric, unclassifiable bands continued to 
emerge in the U.K. By the mid-'70s, a backlash was beginning to set in; 
prog-rock sometimes mistook bombast for majesty, and its far-reaching 
ambition and concern with artistic legitimacy could make for overblown, 
pretentious music. Its heyday soon came to an end with the advent of 
punk, which explicitly repudiated prog's excesses and aimed to return 
rock & roll to its immediate, visceral roots. Still, prog-rock didn't 
completely go away. A number of AOR bands used prog ideas in more 
concise songs; plus, Pink Floyd 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:PINK%7CFLOYD>, Yes 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:YES>, and Genesis 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:GENESIS> all had number 
one singles in the '80s by retooling their approaches. A small cult of 
neo-prog bands catered to faithful audiences who still liked grandiose 
concepts and flashy technique; the first was Marillion 
<http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=1:MARILLION>, and many 
more popped up in the late '80s and early '90s./
> But what are proggy tendencies though? To me The Frosties, as they're
> not called, have always just been a weird metal band. But they *could*
> be prog for all I know, not having a prog record (I don't think) in my
> collection (oh, OK, a few old Rush albums).
-- 
James Osborne
james_social at circlewithadot.net

Japanese Music Information -> www.circlewithadot.net
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