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American prog

Surely Zappa and Beefheart are American prog? They're just not British prog. I mean Krautrock was very much progressive and rock but it shares very few of the typical landmarks of British prog. Same with Scandinavian prog. So why not look at American prog on its own terms? Zappa was certainly not mainstream.
 
Twelve Dreams...,Potatoland is a "concept"! Still one of the best bands ever. If thats not prog, I'll eat my loons!
 
Surely Zappa and Beefheart are American prog? They're just not British prog. I mean Krautrock was very much progressive and rock but it shares very few of the typical landmarks of British prog. Same with Scandinavian prog. So why not look at American prog on its own terms? Zappa was certainly not mainstream.
Yep - I'd say Zappa was prog (and a pretty obvious choice!).
 
On the subject of bands like Boston, Journey, and Styx (def. American - from Chicago, all except Tommy Shaw, an Alabama man), I never thought of them as prog. Always called 'em "Stadium Rock", for lack of a better term: more artsy than power-ballad "Butt Rock", but not analytical enough to be real prog.

Having re-visited Styx' first four albums - the Wooden Nickel output (now available on cd) - I agree they were definitely prog in those early years. Man of Miracles and The Serpent Is Rising are both especially proggy, certainly up there with Kansas.
 
Having re-visited Styx' first four albums - the Wooden Nickel output (now available on cd) - I agree they were definitely prog in those early years. Man of Miracles and The Serpent Is Rising are both especially proggy, certainly up there with Kansas.
Listening to Styx? Are you currently detained in Guantanamo bay?

Are Supertramp American? I recently listened to something by them and it sounded very prog. It was also the most horrible music I've ever heard. It made me want to punch my stereo in the face.
 
Listening to Styx? Are you currently detained in Guantanamo bay?

Actually we are contitutionally forbidden from using Styx for purposes of interrogation, as it constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

Which means they're probably doing it anyway.

Are Supertramp American? I recently listened to something by them and it sounded very prog. It was also the most horrible music I've ever heard. It made me want to punch my stereo in the face.

Supertramp were English, with Dutch money.
 
Tool is definitely Prog. They may not sound like Prog in a traditionally horrible way, but their heart and soul is definitely Prog. I guess they could be considered new wave Prog?

Here's my argument for them being Prog -

Pretentious douche bags? Check (although that's not limited to Prog)
Songs about Pseudo-intellectual crap? Check
The "Artists" are smarter and/or more enlightened that the rest of us? Check
The followers of the band act like they "get it" even though they have no clue? Check
Concept albums? Check
No one's sure exactly what the concept is? Check
A dozen or so tracks with only 4 real songs? Check
The majority of the album puts you to sleep? Check
Artwork (cover and packaging) that no one knows what it has to do with the album or anything else for that matter? Check
Taking 5 years to release a new album because 'they can't rush creativity' even though the sum of their side projects are always on tour and churning out albums? Check
Taking 5 years to write an album that only has 4 real songs? Check
8 out of 12 tracks are random things they record (ie a turntable at the end of an album, what they think ions repelling each other sounds like)? Check

I really, really, really want to hate this band. Too bad the 4 actual songs on each album are very good.
 
Just to add...

I struggle to comprehend what progress progressive rock has brought.
What does progressive rock progress into?
 
Twelve Dreams...,Potatoland is a "concept"! Still one of the best bands ever. If thats not prog, I'll eat my loons!

100% Agree + Twelve Dreams is one of the best albums ever recorded..

Tool are definitely Prog, The Flaming Lips are occasionally proggy and Wayne Coyne's nephew's band, Stardeath and White Dwarf are very proggy.
 
It's PhD. It's also not surprising that an ex music hack is so willing to dismiss all practitioners of an entire genre along with the genre itself whilst displaying such a limited comprehension of either. Depressing but not surprising.

Actually, Jack has the rights of it. Prog is, was and always will be a triumph of technique over music. Utterly, utterly void of emotion or soul.

Chris
 
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.

Not as funny as the Dead as a prog band!!!!
Chris
 
Peel's old producer had a truly wonderful way of capturing the essence of prog.

Yelpesis music.

Says it all, really.

Chris
 
Here's my argument for them being Prog -

Pretentious douche bags? Check (although that's not limited to Prog)
Songs about Pseudo-intellectual crap? Check
The "Artists" are smarter and/or more enlightened that the rest of us? Check
The followers of the band act like they "get it" even though they have no clue? Check
Concept albums? Check
No one's sure exactly what the concept is? Check
A dozen or so tracks with only 4 real songs? Check
The majority of the album puts you to sleep? Check
Artwork (cover and packaging) that no one knows what it has to do with the album or anything else for that matter? Check
Taking 5 years to release a new album because 'they can't rush creativity' even though the sum of their side projects are always on tour and churning out albums? Check
Taking 5 years to write an album that only has 4 real songs? Check
8 out of 12 tracks are random things they record (ie a turntable at the end of an album, what they think ions repelling each other sounds like)? Check
/QUOTE]

You're too generous, most albums hardly have 1 decent song. Gimme a decent song from King Crimson and the rest, apart from a few from Supertramp.
 


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