American prog

[palasr]

I can really only think of two contributors from the "classic" era of prog-rock that are American:

Shawn Phillips (has both a 12-string guitar AND a cape...)
Utopia (the first Utopia record certainly fulfills the majority of requirements; the later ones, not so much)

While one could include Tool (and the various spin-offs like A Perfect Circle), I always classified them as a metal band first and a prog band second.

-Richard

 

[jackbarron]

Post "Shamal", Gong were heavy on the jazz-rock noodling but definitely not prog.

Not according to Steve Hillage, Miquette Giraudy and Didier Malherbe.

They say it's one of the reasons they left.

Jack

 

[foxwelljsly]

Post "Shamal", Gong were heavy on the jazz-rock noodling but definitely not prog.

Post-Shamal Gong weren't Gong.

 

[sideshowbob]

I thought American prog was Godspeed You! Black Emperor ;-). You can't deny they are 'progressive', or?

Slint are more prog. They're basically King Crimson circa Red.

Are Battles American? They're a prog band too, this time King Crimson circa the Projekts.

The Grateful Dead are definitely prog. And very dull (I say this despite Nick L's valiant efforts to convince me otherwise a few years back).

Alice Cooper as prog is one of the funniest things I've read for ages.

 

[johnfromnorwich]

Slint are more prog. They're basically King Crimson circa Red.

Are Battles American? They're a prog band too, this time King Crimson circa the Projekts.

Not sure about Slint sounding like Red-era Crimson - the two albums don't even sound like each other, let alone anyone else. However, Ian Williams' pre-Battles band 'Don Caballero' definitely did. Especially 'American Don' and 'What Burns Never Returns'.

 

[Seeker_UK]

Re Battles, I heard their track "Tonto" and it reminded me greatly of Crimso circa "Beat" with some 'guitar gamelan' going on.

Bloody good stuff though - that band are as tight as a mouse's ear.

 

[Seeker_UK]

Post-Shamal Gong weren't Gong.

Post-"You" Gong weren't Gong, really.

 

[Seeker_UK]

Not according to Steve Hillage, Miquette Giraudy and Didier Malherbe.

They say it's one of the reasons they left.

I always thought it was their pathological hatred of marimbas.

 

[jimdgoulding]

Devo. Oh, maybe that's parody rock. Primus. Maybe that's art rock. Weather Report. What was that? Jack Bruce and Julie Driscoll/Tippetts were involved in some interesting things. Ok, ok, I give up.

 

[kasperhauser]

So, how's about Coheed and Cambria? Sort of Porcupine Tree-ish, very concept-y, righteous facial hair, but no silver tunics, and a bit "short" on songs about wee folk...

 

[ian r]

Jimi Hendrix prog - Grateful dead prog - must be the music room thing

 

[kasperhauser]

Yeah, I'd go with blues and folk, respectively, for those two. Sure, they stretched things a little here and there, but Jerry Garcia recorded with Vassar Clements fer cryin' out loud. You think Vassar is going to fiddle on an ELP record?

 

[ian r]

Phew Kasper but Im not grateful for being reminded of elp - it was touchstones like that group that make it quite clear Im in a minority - I sold records in the late sixties and early 70's and most of what is being mentioned as prog was not classified as prog at the time - way too much musical credibility in the case of hendrix amongst others to be doing the silly things proggers such as elp went in for ----- is there anyone here who listens to elp these days? - doesnt the organist from elp ..... er wots his name ..... concentrate on classical efforts these days ...... the fact that I cant recall his name after all the hype at the time ses it all about prog for me.

 

[kasperhauser]

btw, I suspect nobody made it far enough into the Kansas vid to notice, but violinist/second vocal Robby Steinhardt does a credible hype man routine to lead singer/keyboard player Steve Walsh. He's like a huge, hirsute Bushwick Bill.

And this in 1980. Groundbreaking stuff.

 

[Yank]

I can really only think of two contributors from the "classic" era of prog-rock that are American:

Shawn Phillips (has both a 12-string guitar AND a cape...)
Utopia (the first Utopia record certainly fulfills the majority of requirements; the later ones, not so much)

You win.

 

[kasperhauser]

At cracked.com: http://www.cracked.com/funny-2359-progressive-rock/

 

[dss]

That is a class link is it.

All the true horror in one place.

DS

 

[Pete the Feet]

Many bands in the 70s slipped into prog. Take Zeppelin, Whole Lotta Love with that interlude which totally f**ked up a great tune, albeit not written by themselves. Perhaps they were trying to disguise the original Willie Dixon number from which they nicked it.

Great link above by the way.

 

[Seeker_UK]

Many bands in the 70s slipped into prog. Take Zeppelin, Whole Lotta Love with that interlude which totally f**ked up a great tune, albeit not written by themselves.

Or to put it another way: Took a somewhat tame and predictable blooz number and gave it a more interesting modern feel. By using some studio effects and recording trickery that took their music down an exciting and experimental direction that surpirsed many having only had the experience of the somewhat workmanlike first album.

And it's totally pwned by the version on "The Song Remains the Same" which owes more to musical theatre and spectacle than the usual 'hair shirt pursim' that hangs around the blues like a bad smell.

 

[Pete the Feet]

Or to put it another way: Took a somewhat tame and predictable blooz number and gave it a more interesting modern feel. By using some studio effects and recording trickery that took their music down an exciting and experimental direction that surpirsed many having only had the experience of the somewhat workmanlike first album.

Don't get me wrong I like the main riff and song of the Zep version I just think the theremin and knob twiddling spoilt it.