Poppy prog vs other types: 1970s
 

I must admit not being particularly clued up on prog rock as a genre, but the types I am relatively familiar with are prog bands that are more on the poppy/melodic side of things - ya know, like Caravan and so forth. The whole sophisticated art rock sound/style with the clever layering and song structures but within a poppy framework. I find much of that stuff is comparable to (and clearly influenced by) the ideas contained in quite a bit of late late Bealtes material.

How do people feel about this style of prog? Positive thoughts, or a preference for 70s prog of a less melody-oriented style?


Also, anybody who knows a lot about the topic, please feel free to educate me (and everyone else not in the know so to speak) a bit on the distinction between such types of prog. Thx

Eh, I think it can be great, just like any other genre. It's just most of the groups aren't.

Dream theater is a given, theres also-

Jethro Tull
Queensryche
Fates Warning
King's X
Tool
King Diamond
Crimson Glory
Opeth
Liquid Tension Experiment

Although their music barely touched upon prog. Barclay James Harvest are one of the best bands to produce quality pop/rock that could appeal to both sets of fans. Many people say that they were The Beatles successors. The album Once Again is an absolute 70's gem.

Dream theater is a given, theres also-

Jethro Tull = Folk Rock
Queensryche = Metal (very good at that)
Fates Warning= yup Progressive Metal
King's X= I can't see a lot of prog in their music but they are a vastly underated band.
Tool=yup again!
King Diamond= Metal.Plain and simple.
Crimson Glory= Early stuff ditto.
Opeth= melodic death metal
Liquid Tension Experiment=Only band I have'nt heard.

Well, this genre is ridiculously broad, you have the New Wave influenced King Crimson 80's trio, the very beginning of Collins-led Genesis, Jethro Tull (To a certain extent) , then you have Prog-Metal bands like Dream Theater and Tool which tend to be 'testosterone-fueled' and much more accessible.

I'm thinking more of the 70s scene. I'm familiar with prog in the prog metal / Tool sense very well, but know virtually F-all about the origins of the music. What I have seen however is that some of those prog bands are incredibly poppy and melodic and make me think of the late Beatles.

Oh, you want to know the origins? Yah, The Beatles. I'll think of more later.

So I wasn't just imagining it? I was listening to Abbey Road yesterday for the first time in about 12 damn years, and so I got to the second side of the album. That whole deconstructionalist unfinished songs strung together thing from Sun King to Bathroom Window; and then the sequence of Golden Slumbers and Carry That Weight with the recall back to You Never Give Me Your Money, providing that whole faux-opera pseudo-concept effect... all seems to echo of the sophisticated pop/rock of the poppy side of prog that was to come in the early 70s, at least what I've heard of it.

Though the Beatles did it out of wild experimentation rather than trying to be arty....... then again, that would be getting into a discussion of intentions, which is pointless. I'm sure the prog bands didn't always take themselves too seriously, either.

Yah, taking a 'far-out' type of music, adding in textured guitars etc. Those same songs are also very influential on Power Pop. Least it seems that way to me.

So are you trying to find similar bands that experimented with a traditional pop record asthetic or are you comparing this with the classically influenced dense sound of say King Crimson?