Rainard Jalen

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

ProggyMan

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

15Steps

Dream theater is a given, theres also-

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

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jackhammer

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.

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Inuzuka Skysword

Tool is DEFINATELY not progressive metal. They are progressive rock/alternative rock at the most.

Opeth are not melodic death metal either. They are just progressive death metal.

boo boo

Actually no, they are prog metal. They may not sound like any other band in that category but it dosen't change anything, prog metal is not defined by a distinctive sound since a lot of prog metal bands sound quite different from each other, if a band is both prog and metal, then viola, prog metal.

Anywho. Being a fan of pop music as well, gotta love prog with a dose of pop, unfortunately when people think "pop prog" they think Asia, but I'm thinking more along the lines of Caravan, BJH, 80s King Crimson, Spocks Beard and more recent stuff from Porcupine Tree. Thats the good stuff.

Theres also bands like Roxy Music and Super Furry Animals though weither they are truly prog is debatable, thats why I use the term Art Rock to describe bands that certainly make progressive music who could be considered prog, but could also fall into other genres of music.

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Seltzer

Even if Comus will disagree with me on this one, I think the Beatles were proto-prog. And despite what many people think, like you said, prog musicians don't necessarily take themselves that seriously - the Canterbury bands were humorous.

I'd say you get poppy prog bands in almost every type of prog. Bands like Caravan, Supertramp, Wishbone Ash, Kraftwerk, Rush, Peter Gabriel, ELO and Pink Floyd tend to be more accessible than their peers because of their pop/classic rock influences/sensibilities. Soft Machine and Caravan are both of the same Canterbury prog scene, but are vastly different in terms of accessibility.

I'd say that the style of 70s prog which contains the most poppy prog is the symphonic prog scene which encompasses bands like Genesis, Yes, early King Crimson, Marillion, Gentle Giant, Flower Kings, VDGG, BJH, Camel, Anglagard etc. Even if it isn't poppy, it's quite melodic.

I think that the closest you can get to good poppy prog (i.e. not 80s Yes/Genesis) is the Snow Goose by Camel. It was unusual in that it was a prog album full of 2-3 min songs. And it is good, but I do much prefer Mirage and Moonmadness by Camel... those are stellar albums from a great band.

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ProggyMan

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.

Rainard Jalen

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.

ProggyMan

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