Consumer Guides










Discography's





                                Rocklist Discography's

                                              A Consumers (Wonky) Guide to:

                                                            Prog Rock


›› See Also: The 40 Greatest Psychedelic Albums & The Ultimate Out There Albums




There seems to be a fine line from where progressive rock stops becoming brilliant and start becoming self indulgent crap? What is prog rock? No arguments over bands like Genesis, Yes, ELP and the undisputed kings of prog, Pink floyd. But what about Deep Purple, Can, Van Der Graaf Generator? My morning jacket’s Z, could they be considered prog rock?

Some bands occasionally drifted into prog from other genres. From their blues roots, Led Zeppelin’s Stairway To Heaven is the classic example. Even the last Dexys Midnight Runners album ‘don’t stand me down’ (who coincidently had Vince Crane from Atomic Rooster in their line up by then) seemed to drift there. From their funk beginnings via Celtic swing to prog?

In the late 70’s prog metamorphosed into ‘art rock’. Bands scared of being tarnished with the same brush as some of the above mentioned ‘dinosaur’ bands, re invented the genre. Still the same criteria, unconventional chord and rhythm changes, and a nod to classical and jazz, and bordering avant-garde. But instead of tracks lasting 15-20 minutes, they were trimmed them down to a respectable 4 – 6 minutes and sampling became a main stay of the genre – a good thing?

But there is no mistaking the sound. Perhaps an easier way of defining the sound – if it don’t fit into any other genre, it’s prog!

Here is a list of a few of my suggested contenders. All the tracks listed would sound at home sequenced next to one and other in any order. What is the best prog rock album of all time? Just as important, what is the worst?

The list is presented as an alphabetical listing from my personal collection. I have kept it to one entrée per artist.


© Julian White 2006





   Artist – Album – Track – Year

• 10 CC – Original Soundtrack – Une Nuit A Paris – 1974
• 808 State – Ninty – Pacific 202 – 1989
• A Certain Ratio – To Each – Felch - 1980
• Add N To X – On The Wires Of Our Nerves – Gentle Germans - 1998
• Alice Cooper – Killer – Halo Of Flies – 1970
• Amon Duul II – Dance Of The Lemmings – Race From Here To Your Ears – 1971
• Argent - Bring You Joy - Argent - 1970
• Atomic Rooster – Death Walks Behind You – Tomorrow Night – 1973
• Audience - House On The Hill - House On The Hill - 1971
• Kevin Ayres - The Kevin Ayers Collection - Shouting In A Bucket Blues - 1973
• Bakerloo - That Worried Feeling - Bakerloo - 1969
• Bent – Programmed To Love – Always – 2000
• Brian Eno & David Byrne – My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts – The Jezebel Sprit – 1981
• Brian Wilson – Smile – Surfs Up – 2004
• Can – Tago Mago – Paperhouse – 1971
• Canyon – Empty Rooms – Sleepwalker – 2002
• Cornelius – Fantasma – Clash – 1998
• Curved Air - Vivaldi - Air Conditioning - 1970
• Deep Purple – In Rock – Child In Time – 1970
• Delakota – One Love – 555 – 1998
• DJ Shadow – Endtroducing – Stem – 1998
• Doves – Lost Souls – The Cedar Room – 2000
• Edgar Broughton Band – Sing Brother Sing – No Vibration But Wait - 1970
• Egg – Egg – While Growing My Hair – 1970
• Elbow – Cast Of Thousands – Grace Under Pressure – 2003
• Emerson, Lake & Palmer – ELP – Knife-Edge – 1970
• Eno – Here Come The Warm Jets – Needle In The Camel’s Eye – 1973
• Family – Music From A Dolls House – The Chase Mellowing Grey – 1968
• Fields - Feathers - Everything Last Winter - 2007
• Focus – Moving Waves – Eruption – 1971
• Frank Zappa – Waka/Jawaka – Big Swifty - 1972
• Fripp, Robert – God Save The Queen – Under Heavy Manners - 1979
• Genesis – Trespass – The Knife – 1970
• David Gilmore - On An Island - On An Island - 2006
• God Speed You Black Emperor - !Xxxf#A#8xxx – 1998
• Gong - And You Tried So Hard - The Other Side Of The Sky - 1971
• Golden Earring – Golden Earring – Big Tree Blue Sea - 1970
• Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain – Lonely Head – 2000
• Greenslade – Bedside Manners Are Extra – Bedside Manners Are Extra – 1973
• Hawkwind – In Search Of Space – You Shouldn’t Do That – 1971
• Holgar Czukay – Movies – Hollywood Symphony - 1980
• Hope Of The States – The Lost Riots – Enemies/Friends - 2004
• Jefferson Airplane – Surrealistic Pillow – White Rabbit - 1966
• Jethro Tull – Aqualung – Locomotive Breath – 1972
• Kate Bush – Hounds Of Love – The Ninth Wave Medley – 1985
• King Crimson – In The Court Of The Crimson King – 21st Century Schizoid Man – 1969
• Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (IV) – Stairway To Heaven – 1971
• Little Feat – Time Loves A Hero – Day At Dog Races – 1977
• Man – Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day – C’mon - 1972
• Matching Mole – Matching Mole – O Caroline – 1972
• Mercury Rev – Boces – Meth Of A Rockette’s Kick – 1993
• Mew – Frengers – Comforting Sounds - 2003
• Mike Oldfield – Ommadawn – Part Two -1975
• Mogwai - I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead - The Hawk Is Howling - 2008
• Moody Blues – On The Threshold Of A Dream – Watching And Waiting – 1969
• Mountain – Nantucket Sleighride - Nantucket Sleighride - 1971
• Muse – Absolution – Stockholm Syndrome - 2003
• My Morning Jacket – Z – Off The Record - 2005
• Nice - Diamond-Hard Blue Apples Of The Moon - Elergy - 1969
• Peter Gabrieal – (1) – Here Comes The Flood – 1977
• Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here – Shine On Your Crazy Diamond (Pt2) - 1975
• Pretty Things – Parachute – She Was Tall, She Was High – 1970
• Propaganda – A Secret Wish – P-Machinery - 1984
• Queen – A Night At The Opera – Bohemian Rhapsody – 1975
• R. Kane – Sixty Nine – Baby Milk Snatcher - 1987
• Radiohead – Amnestic – Pyramid Song - 2001
• Rare Bird - Sympathy - Rare bird - 1970
• Roxy Music – Every Dream Home A Heartache – For Your Pleasure - 1973
• Secret Machines - First Wave Intact - Now here Is Nowhere - 2004
• Sigur Ros – Agaetis Byrjun – Suefn G Englar – 2000
• Soft Machine - Moon In June - Third - 1970
• Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation – Teen Age Riot - 1988
• Spritualized – Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space – Cop Shoot Cop - 1997
• Stereolab – Sound-Dust – Captain Easychord - 2001
• Stray - Time Machine - Stray - 1970
• Supertramp – Crime Of The Century – Bloody Well Right – 1973
• T2 – It Will All Work Out In Boomland – In Circles – 1970
• Tangerine Dream – Phaedra – Movements Of A Visionary – 1974
• Ten Years After – Stonedhenge – No Title - 1968
• The Art Of Noise – Who’s Afraid Of.. – Beat Box - 1984
• The Beatles – Abbey Road – Side 2 Medley – 1969
• The Beta Band – The Three Ep’s – Inner Meet Me – 1998
• The Boredoms – Vision Creation Newsun – Track 2 (No Track Listings) - 2000
• The Earlies – These Were The Earlies – 25 Easy Pieces - 2004
• The Flaming Lips – Transmissions From The Satellite Heart – She Don’t Use Jelly – 1993
• The High Llamas – Cold & Bouncy – Hiball Nova Scotia - 1998
• The Mahavishnu Orchestra – The Inner Mountain Flame – Meeting Of The Sprits - 1972
• The Mars Volta – De Loused At The Comatorium – Eriatarka – 2003
• The Nice – Elegy – America – 1969
• The Polyphonic Spree – Together We Are Heavy – When The Foot Becomes A King – 2004
• The Radio Dept. – Lesser Matters – Where Damage Isn’t Already Done – 2004
• Those Bastard Souls – The Wake Of Your Flood - 1999
• Tortoise – Millions Now Living Will Never Die – Glass Museum – 1996
• TV On The Radio - Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes – Staring At The Sun – 2004
• Uriah Heep – Very ‘Eavy Very ‘Umble – Gypsy – 1970
• Van Der Graaf Generator – Pawn Hearts – A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers - 1971
• Yes – Time And A Word – No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed – 1970
• Yo La Tengo – Electra-O-Pura – The Hour Grows Late - 1995


The Worst?

• Rick Wakeman – 6 Wives Of Henry VIII
• Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Tarkus
• Curved Air – Air Conditioning
• Jethro Tull – Thick As A Brick
• Camel – Anything
• Caravan – Ditto!
• Barclay James Harvest – Mockingbird
• Moody Blues – Nights In White Satin



...and from Mr Scott Steel  [Scott.Steele@vwcredit.com]


What a misinformed, misinforming load of crap this list is. Are you honestly trying to help someone out here? Or do you just want to confuse everyone? And if so, why? If you are seriously asking a question, just ask someone who might know the answer!


> There seems to be a fine line from where progressive rock stops becoming brilliant and start becoming self indulgent crap? What is prog rock? No arguments over bands like Genesis, Yes, ELP and the undisputed kings of prog, Pink floyd. But what about Deep Purple,

Metal

> Can,

OK, maybe

> Van Der Graaf Generator?

Definitely

> My morning jacket’s Z, could they be considered prog rock?

Definitely not.

> Some bands occasionally drifted into prog from other genres. From their blues roots, Led Zeppelin’s Stairway To Heaven is the classic example.

Not prog

> Even the last Dexys Midnight Runners album ‘don’t stand me down’ (who coincidently had Vince Crane from Atomic Rooster in their line up by then) seemed to drift there. From their funk beginnings via Celtic swing to prog?

How could anyone even begin to classify them as progressive about anything?

> In the late 70’s prog metamorphosed into ‘art rock’.

What? Art rock existed at the same time as prog rock, they’ve been the same thing all along. Think about Arthur Brown singing Fire with his head aflame – that’s art rock, boy. It’s 1966 too.

> Bands scared of being tarnished with the same brush as some of the above mentioned ‘dinosaur’ bands, re invented the genre.

What use is this sentence?

People make music because they think it’s good. No one is tarnished with a brush!

> Still the same criteria, unconventional chord and rhythm changes, and a nod to classical and jazz, and bordering avant-garde.

Give us some examples of avant garde, you nattering twit! You wouldn’t know avant garde even if a steaming heap of it hit you right between the eyes.

> But instead of tracks lasting 15-20 minutes, they were trimmed them down to a respectable 4 – 6 minutes

Shorter track lengths gives you respectability??

> and sampling became a main stay of the genre – a good thing?

Sampling is popular across all genres!

You are worthless!

> But there is no mistaking the sound. Perhaps an easier way of defining the sound – if it don’t fit into any other genre, it’s prog!

That’s a copout!

> Here is a list of a few of my suggested contenders.

Completely off base!

> All the tracks listed would sound at home sequenced next to one and other in any order.

No – they wouldn’t! Unless you have EARS OF CLAY – which you apparently do!

> What is the best prog rock album of all time?

Who cares? List twenty good ones. Why rank them?

> Just as important, what is the worst?

The worst one isn’t important at all! If it’s the worst, then forget about it!

> The list is presented as an alphabetical listing from my personal collection. I have kept it to one entrée per artist.

Both those parameters are completely arbitrary!

> • 10 CC – Original Soundtrack – Une Nuit A Paris – 1974

Excellent pop – not prog!

> • 808 State – Ninty – Pacific 202 – 1989

Dance music! This is crap!

> • A Certain Ratio – To Each – Felch - 1980
• Add N To X – On The Wires Of Our Nerves – Gentle Germans – 1998

These are crappy little dance bands!

> • Alice Cooper – Killer – Halo Of Flies – 1970

This is metal!

> • Amon Duul II – Dance Of The Lemmings – Race From Here To Your Ears – 1971

This is acid drenched improv! Nothing prog about it, though I enjoy it greatly.

> • Argent - Bring You Joy - Argent - 1970
• Atomic Rooster – Death Walks Behind You – Tomorrow Night – 1973

These are AOR, maybe metal, not prog!

> • Audience - House On The Hill - House On The Hill – 1971

Hey – we found a prog album! A blind squirrel finds an acorn!

> • Kevin Ayres - The Kevin Ayers Collection - Shouting In A Bucket Blues – 1973

Definitely not prog. Punk’s dad maybe?

> • Bakerloo - That Worried Feeling - Bakerloo - 1969
• Bent – Programmed To Love – Always – 2000

Who the fuck are these guys?

> • Brian Eno & David Byrne – My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts – The Jezebel Sprit – 1981

Dance music!

> • Brian Wilson – Smile – Surfs Up – 2004

Harmless little pop tunes!

Do I go on?

> • Curved Air - Vivaldi - Air Conditioning – 1970

Maybe, just maybe prog.

> • Deep Purple – In Rock – Child In Time – 1970

METAL.

> • Doves – Lost Souls – The Cedar Room – 2000

Wimpy shoegazer crap!

> • Edgar Broughton Band – Sing Brother Sing – No Vibration But Wait – 1970

A decent rock band. No way is this prog!

> • Egg – Egg – While Growing My Hair – 1970

Finally found a second prog one in the haystack – BY CASTING ABOUT BLINDLY.

> • Elbow – Cast Of Thousands – Grace Under Pressure – 2003

Sorry no

> • Emerson, Lake & Palmer – ELP – Knife-Edge – 1970

Here’s a third prog album

> • Eno – Here Come The Warm Jets – Needle In The Camel’s Eye – 1973

More punk than prog

> • Focus – Moving Waves – Eruption – 1971

Another prog record

> • Frank Zappa – Waka/Jawaka – Big Swifty – 1972

This is jazz!

> Fripp, Robert – God Save The Queen – Under Heavy Manners – 1979

Punk rock! Do you even LISTEN to these records? Or do you just make a list of them?

> • Genesis – Trespass – The Knife – 1970

This is prog

> • David Gilmore

GILMOUR

> - On An Island - On An Island – 2006

Mellow AOR. Not very proggy.

> • God Speed You Black Emperor - !Xxxf#A#8xxx – 1998

Group improv – not very prog. If you had said jazz I might have gone for it.

> • Goldfrapp – Felt Mountain – Lonely Head – 2000

What??

> • Greenslade – Bedside Manners Are Extra – Bedside Manners Are Extra – 1973

A Roger Dean cover makes them prog? Jazz-rock is more like it.

> • Jefferson Airplane – Surrealistic Pillow – White Rabbit – 1966

NOT PROG. Just because they dropped acid, doesn’t make them prog!

> • Jethro Tull – Aqualung – Locomotive Breath – 1972

Album-oriented rock. Closer to Bad Company than prog.

> • Kate Bush – Hounds Of Love – The Ninth Wave Medley – 1985
• King Crimson – In The Court Of The Crimson King – 21st Century Schizoid Man – 1969

These are good choices

> • Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin (IV) – Stairway To Heaven – 1971

This is not. This is metal.

> • Little Feat – Time Loves A Hero – Day At Dog Races – 1977

A great song in a tricky rhythm. Closer to fusion than prog.

> • Man – Be Good To Yourself At Least Once A Day – C’mon – 1972

You’ll be telling me that the Allman Brothers are prog?

> • Matching Mole – Matching Mole – O Caroline – 1972

Jazz

> • Mike Oldfield – Ommadawn – Part Two -1975

This is prog

> • Moody Blues – On The Threshold Of A Dream – Watching And Waiting – 1969

This is prog

> • Mountain – Nantucket Sleighride - Nantucket Sleighride – 1971

Again closer to Bad Company than prog

> • Nice - Diamond-Hard Blue Apples Of The Moon - Elergy – 1969

ELEGY. This might be prog

> • Peter Gabrieal

Gabriel


> – (1) – Here Comes The Flood – 1977

This is a rock ballad. PG was a rock singer after he left Genesis.

> • Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here – Shine On Your Crazy Diamond (Pt2) – 1975

AOR

> • Queen – A Night At The Opera – Bohemian Rhapsody – 1975

Nicely done AOR

> • Roxy Music – Every Dream Home A Heartache – For Your Pleasure – 1973

Punk rock

> • Soft Machine - Moon In June - Third – 1970

Pretty jazzy, but OK, I’ll call it prog if you insist

> • Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation – Teen Age Riot – 1988

Punk rock

> • Supertramp – Crime Of The Century – Bloody Well Right – 1973

You’re kidding!!

> • Tangerine Dream – Phaedra – Movements Of A Visionary – 1974

If you insist – nothing very proggy about this one

> • Ten Years After – Stonedhenge – No Title – 1968

ROCK

> • The Art Of Noise – Who’s Afraid Of.. – Beat Box – 1984

Punk rock


> • The Beatles – Abbey Road – Side 2 Medley – 1969

ROCK

> • The Mahavishnu Orchestra – The Inner Mountain Flame – Meeting Of The Sprits – 1972

Jazz-rock fusion

> • The Nice – Elegy – America – 1969

This is prog

> • Tortoise – Millions Now Living Will Never Die – Glass Museum – 1996

Jazz-rock

> • Uriah Heep – Very ‘Eavy Very ‘Umble – Gypsy – 1970


METAL – NOTHING PROG ABOUT THIS

> Van Der Graaf Generator – Pawn Hearts – A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers – 1971
• Yes – Time And A Word – No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed – 1970

A couple of prog classics

Were you GUESSING??


> The Worst?

> • Rick Wakeman – 6 Wives Of Henry VIII
• Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Tarkus
• Curved Air – Air Conditioning
• Jethro Tull – Thick As A Brick

Tarkus and Thick are two classics of the genre. If you don’t like this music, that’s fine – just write that you don’t like this music and don’t try to evaluate it. You are doing it and its fans a real disservice by passing your opinions off as informed ones.


> • Camel – Anything
• Caravan – Ditto!


Two excellent bands which your ears cannot hear.

> • Barclay James Harvest – Mockingbird
• Moody Blues – Nights In White Satin

Personally, I don’t care for these records. The worst prog records ever? Why concern yourself with what is poor? Why not speak positively about the things you can speak positively about?


> © Julian White 2006

You’re a useless tool! You are to be discarded. – S.