Hidden Treasures - Progressives Early Years

[Scott]

 Get ready, its going to be a long ride...


Recently I've been somewhat pre-occupied, yet again, with Progressive music. This coupled with the 60's-70's feel of whats going on here lately had me thinking about combining the two to make an Early Prog playlist. So here it is, I imagine it will be a bit rough for some on here, but as usual theres a historical aspect to it and whgo knows you might hear something that sparks some interest, so why not take the leap with me, its pretty cool ...


First some indisputable facts because they come from Wiki-Pedia...


Pet Sounds and Sgt. Pepper's, with their lyrical unity, extended structure, complexity, eclecticism, experimentalism, and influences derived from classical music forms, is largely viewed as beginnings in the progressive rock genre and as turning points wherein rock, which previously had been considered dance music, became music that was made for listening to. Bill Bruford, a veteran of several progressive rock bands, said that Sgt. Pepper transformed both musicians' ideas of what was possible and audiences' ideas of what was acceptable in music. He believed that: "Without the Beatles, or someone else who had done what the Beatles did, it is fair to assume that there would have been no progressive rock." It also marked the point at which the LP record emerged as a creative format whose importance was equal to or greater than that of the single, an opinion which Brian Wilson began to share after hearing the US version of the Beatles' Rubber Soul (1965) with its deliberately reconfigured track listing intended to angle the album as a work of the emergent folk rock genre.


The Nice, the Moody Blues, Procol Harum and Pink Floyd all contained elements of what is now called progressive rock, but none represented as complete an example of the genre as several bands that formed soon after. Almost all of the genre's major bands, including Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Van der Graaf Generator, ELP, Gentle Giant and Curved Air, released their debut albums during the years 1968–1970. Most of these were folk-rock albums that gave little indication of what the band's mature sound would become, but King Crimson's In the Court of the Crimson King (1969) was a fully formed example of the genre. The term "progressive rock," which appeared in the liner notes of Caravan's 1968 self-titled debut LP, came to be applied to these bands that used classical music techniques to expand the styles and concepts available to rock music.


And that bumps us right up to the timeframe we'll kick this playlist off with....


PLAYLIST --> http://www.podsnack.com/CA69EFD9E8C/avpl6j3m

	Yes Yes 1969 1 - Survival Yes' debut album is surprisingly strong, given the inexperience of all those involved at the time. In an era when psychedelic meanderings were the order of the day, Yes delivered a surprisingly focused and exciting record that covered lots of bases (perhaps too many) in presenting their sound. There were numerous problems in recording this album, owing to the inexperience of the group, the producer, and the engineer, in addition to the unusual nature of their sound. Many of the numbers give unusual prominence to the guitar and drums, thus making it the most uncharacteristic of all the group's albums. [Its first decent-sounding edition anywhere came with the 1997 remastering by Atlantic.
	Emerson, Lake and Palmer Trilogy 1972 2 - The Endless Enigma Pt. 1 3 - Fugue 4 - The Endless Enigma Pt. 2 The group was gaining in maturity what they lost in raw energy. Every track on this album has been carefully thought, arranged, and performed to perfection, a process that also included some form of sterilization. Greg Lake's acoustic ballad "From the Beginning" put the group on the charts for a second time. The adaptation of Aaron Copland's "Hoedown" also yielded a crowd-pleaser. Prog rock fans had to satisfy themselves with the three-part "The Endless Enigma" and "Trilogy," both very strong but paced compositions. By 1972, Eddie Offord's recording and producing techniques had reached a peak. He provided a lush, comfy finish to the album that made it particularly suited for living-room listening and the FM airwaves. Yet the material lacks a bit of excitement. Trilogy still belongs to ELP's classic period and should not be overlooked. For newcomers to prog rock it can even make a less-menacing point of entry.
	Gentle Giant Octopus (2015 Steven Wilson Remix) 1972 5 - River I took a chance on this one based on two reasons, first, its been remixed by Steve Wilson so thats what I've posted here. If there are differences between what you hear here and the original well that's the explanation... Secondly, I dug the soundbytes. I don't knom much else about this band at this point, but I will be looking into them more... Returning to Gentle Giant's fourth album after any kind of lengthy absence, it's astonishing just how little Octopus has dated. Often written off at the time as a pale reflection of the truly gargantuan steps being taken by the likes of Jethro Tull and Barclay James Harvest, the band's closest relatives in the tangled skein of period prog, Gentle Giant often seemed more notable for its album art than its music. Octopus, however, marries the two seamlessly, with the cover speaking for itself, of course.
	Genesis Foxtrot 1972 6 - Get 'Em Out By Friday Foxtrot is where Genesis began to pull all of its varied inspirations into a cohesive sound -- which doesn't necessarily mean that the album is streamlined, for this is a group that always was grandiose even when they were cohesive, or even when they rocked, which they truly do for the first time here. Indeed, the startling thing about the opening "Watcher of the Skies" is that it's the first time that Genesis attacked like a rock band, playing with a visceral power. There's might and majesty here, and it, along with "Get 'Em Out by Friday," is the truest sign that Genesis has grown muscle without abandoning the whimsy. Certainly, they've rarely sounded as fantastical or odd as they do on the epic 22-minute closer "Supper's Ready," a nearly side-long suite that remains one of the group's signature moments. It ebbs, flows, teases, and taunts, see-sawing between coiled instrumental attacks and delicate pastoral fairy tales. If Peter Gabriel remained a rather inscrutable lyricist, his gift for imagery is abundant, as there are passages throughout the album that are hauntingly evocative in their precious prose. But what impresses most about Foxtrot is how that precociousness is delivered with pure musical force. This is the rare art-rock album that excels at both the art and the rock, and it's a pinnacle of the genre (and decade) because of it.

Stay tuned! The staff at Hidden Treasures has some great plans for the rest of Decembers playlists as we look back at the year in Classic Rock...

[Jon]

Gentle Giant. I was wondering when someone would post something by them. I actually have a couple of their albums, but they really haven't ever fit into my plans.

[Scott]

Is Octopus one of the albums you own?

[Jon]

No, I have Free Hand and Interview.

[Niels (Mod)]

I'm surprised, that you could write "Jethro Tull" twice without a z?!

No Prog without The Beatles, eh? I think someone else had imvented something similar, but who knows....and cares.

Since you really pay attention, Scott, you know that I'm not really in to Prog at the moment, but I'm listening to all the Alternative/singer songwriter/Americana/whatever-albums, that appear on especially UNCUT Magazine and MoJo's best of 2015-lists (and a few of them are actually pretty good, as "Currents" by Tame Impala), and not Heavy or Prog at the moment, but I'm always interested in listening to some old Prog. ESPECIALLY old Prog, since (beside Steven Wilson), I'm a bit tired of the new Prog-albums coming out. The "new" Spocks Beard may appear on my top 10 list of 2015, but I'm god damn tired of the album.

On with your list:

YES - Another band, I've tried to be "a fan of", but haven't really succeded yet, except for the album, they released 4-5 years ago. I've got a box-set (4 cd's), but I've only heard it once. I hate Andersons voice. Wow, listening to this track, at around 1.30, you can hear where Steven Wilson has gotten some inspiration from. I think this track appear on my box-set. It sounds pretty good, and I'm sure one of these days, I'll try to be a Yes-fan once again.

ELP - Here's a band, that I don't like at all. I've listened to one or two albums, and it's NOT for me. It's too "eksperimental" and noisy. I'm sure fans says it's the work of geniuses, but I dissagree. There are, like in this track, occaisionally "good music" within noisy tracks, but nothing that makes me listen to other albums. Brain Salad is one of the albums, I've heard, and it was AWEFULL. Just like King Crimson, I doubt I ever will be a fan. This track is okay, and definitely one of the best I've heard from ELP (as far as I remember). Wow, there's more than one!! Okay, lets hear. Nice piano, but a bit "jazzy", which can be good. Hmmmm, the last one starts okay. Hey, Christmas-bells!! Fittingly on Dec. 1. Okay, it's just the ending of "The track". I'm actually surprised, that I liked this better, than I thought. Maybe some day?

GENTLE GIANT - Here's a band, I haven't really checked out that much. I think, I started an album, but didn't really liked it. Again, it sounds a bit like King Crimsom/ELP, meaning not exactly the kind of Prog, I like...at first, but it clearly is a kind of music, that will grow on you/me, if you have the time for listening several times. Nice guitar-solo. Since a strong singer seems so important for you, Scott, I don't understand why you would like this band (or ELP, for that matter?). Yeah, I like this one as well. But I've got to be in full "Prog-mode".

GENESIS - My favorite Genesis-album. And it contains the best Prog-track ever: "Supper's Ready". But the whole album is great. This album and "Selling England By The Pound" are two of the best Prog-albums ever (of the ones, I've heard). I'm not a fan of "The Lamb". It should had been a single-album. too much weird filler imo. Genesis has turned out to be  one of my favorite Prog-bands of all time (in that sentence, I would like to mention Jethro Tull, Neal Morse and Steven Wilson as well). Exellent!

This was actually a very good listening experience, Scott. Even though, I'm not really in "Prog-mode".

[Scott]

I think Prog bands can get away with a slightly weaker vocal because its about the music more so than a 3 minute radio tune which more about having a catchy hook/chorus. 

No doubt that some of these push my prog tastes to the limits, certainly the Gentle Giant does and ELP crosses the line frequently, but I have learned to hear them differently lately so I am trying...  Much like I struggled with early Genesis, but I certainly get them better now.  And 'Lamb' is really good to me, but maybe that's because its still has a newness for me...

[RJhog (Admin)]

You're listening to Americana and Singer-Songwriter?  Have you tried Jason Isbell yet?  If not, pull up Southeastern on Spotify.  And really listen.  It's amazing.

[Jon]

Man, what a crappy album cover for Yes, isn't it? Everytime I see that cover, I just think "cheap". Don't know why, but that's just what it is. I think they might have changed the cover for the CD release, maybe I'm wrong. But THAT cover above is just bad, even for the late 60's. Song is good though, I have it on something, but not this album because, you know, that album cover. 

You either dig ELP or you don't. I dig 'em, especially "Brain Salad Surgery". However, if you listen to them too much, you will go insane. It's a fact. 

Gentle Giant. Well, this song really isn't that good. It's kinda boring. But, they do have a good song, I just don't remember what it is. I heard it on an internet radio station about 10 years ago and then I bought a couple Gentle Giant albums but don't remember if that song is on any of those albums.

This is one of the few pre-PC-fronted Genesis songs I like. I'm not that big a fan of the PG Genesis, but I like PG's solo stuff. I'm not a fan of the PC watered down, hit-making Genesis either but there is a small window of Genesis that I do like and that's "Abacab" and the previous two albums. Of course there's also the PG & PC-less Genesis, which was posted here a couple weeks ago. SEE HOW THESE THINGS WORK OUT????

Maybe I should listen to those two GG albums I have just to see why I bought 'em.

[Scott]

I would be interested in hearing back from you after you listen to the GG albums you have

[Jon]

I'll get right on that.

[Scott]

SWEET!

[RJhog (Admin)]

I actually listened to this on Wednesday, I just forgot to comment on it that evening.  Prog is still, for the most part, a mystery to me.  Before I met you fine folks I most likely would have never listened to prog.  I can't think of one prog album that I owned (there probably are a couple, but hopefully you get the idea).  You see, I really didn't know what prog was.  Not sure if I do even now.  To me, it is really long songs with a lot of time changes, and quite often some sort of concept.  And the first part of the definition is usually what ruins it for me.  There are some long songs that I like.  Free Bird would be an example.  But that's definitely not prog.  I just think, in general, although there are long songs that I like, a song should be 3 to 4 minutes long.  Quite often it just wears out it's welcome if it's any longer.  Same reason I'm not a big fan of really long albums.  Thirty to forty minute albums are the best.  Another issue, many times, is the vocalist.  Often he/she isn't that good.  

What I will say is that I have adjusted my expectations a good bit on these issues.  And that's why I've listened to more prog in the last couple of years than I ever have before.

I think the Yes song is the best one here.  The intro to it is really nice.  I agree with Niels to the extent that I've never been a fan of Anderson's voice.  That being said, I've often wanted to explore some of their music.  Maybe one day I will.  By the way, I do own 90210 or whatever it is, but I think that's it.  As far as ELP goes, I actually own two studio albums and a two disc greatest hits.  One of the studio albums that I own is Trilogy Deluxe Edition.  I bought it earlier this year.  It seems like I thought it was decent, but I really can't remember even this section of music.  And quite honestly, this did nothing for me.

Gentle Giant was interesting for me...until I listened to it.  Much like ELP, I didn't respond to it at all.  Genesis is a band that I've been turned on to more recently.  The album Jon posted a week or two ago was really good, though it wasn't prog.  I like this tune and one day I'm gonna get a Gabriel fronted album, because I don't own any of them at this point.

Nice post for the educational value.  But like you often say brother, this one is a bit outside of my wheelhouse, or comfort zone.  But I can say now that I have heard a Gentle Giant song.

[Scott]

I actually kinda like the Gentle Giant, its kinda just barely underneath the back patio of my wheelhouse...