Obscure/Lesser Known Classic/Prog Rock Album recs (that don't suck)

Oh, and if you have any problems finding any of them, just let me know. Not sure if you are dl, buying, w/e. Acouple of them will be hard to find if you are just flat-out looking to blind buy. Especially the Anglagard. I have no fucking idea why it hasnt been re-released yet. The CD goes for about $200 on Ebay and the LP around $400!!!! :eek:
 
I was going to mention Gershatser by Atomic Rooster, but I think they were more agressive than progressive. Gershatser a good intrumental for its day though but Hocus Pocus and Frankenstien were more progressive.

Ramses - who did Camel influence ? I need to get some of their stuff I have on a CD so I can take it to my shop and become better aquanted.
 
Mathias you might want to check out Ambrosia. Their 1975 album (S/t) is pretty good. I would try the song "Holdin' On To Yesterday" and work from there. You can tell where Michael Akerfeldt gets some of his vocal influences from. Stay away from their late 70's stuff, they tend to get a little gay.
 
Oh, and if you have any problems finding any of them, just let me know. Not sure if you are dl, buying, w/e. Acouple of them will be hard to find if you are just flat-out looking to blind buy. Especially the Anglagard. I have no fucking idea why it hasnt been re-released yet. The CD goes for about $200 on Ebay and the LP around $400!!!! :eek:

I'll probably download them first and then buy them when I get paid. I'll let ya know if I can't find anything.

Mathias you might want to check out Ambrosia. Their 1975 album (S/t) is pretty good. I would try the song "Holdin' On To Yesterday" and work from there. You can tell where Michael Akerfeldt gets some of his vocal influences from. Stay away from their late 70's stuff, they tend to get a little gay.

Thanks, will check out.
 
I was going to mention Gershatser by Atomic Rooster, but I think they were more agressive than progressive. Gershatser a good intrumental for its day though but Hocus Pocus and Frankenstien were more progressive.

Ramses - who did Camel influence ? I need to get some of their stuff I have on a CD so I can take it to my shop and become better aquanted.

Opeth is heavily influenced by Camel. It's Mikeal Akerfeldt's favorite band. You can hear it in his guitarwork on every album, and he mentions it in the Lamentations DVD, at the end of the instrumental "Ending Credits" He's been talking about Camel, along with other obscure 70's proggers since his Morningrise album. You Can't go wrong with their 2nd-3rd-4th albums...Mirage, Snow Goose, and Moonmadness.
 
Opeth is heavily influenced by Camel. It's Mikeal Akerfeldt's favorite band. You can hear it in his guitarwork on every album, and he mentions it in the Lamentations DVD, at the end of the instrumental "Ending Credits" He's been talking about Camel, along with other obscure 70's proggers since his Morningrise album. You Can't go wrong with their 2nd-3rd-4th albums...Mirage, Snow Goose, and Moonmadness.


lots of Opeth songs are actually names of 70's prog/rock bands.
 
Another band you might be interested in: Traffic



since no one said anything about the baker gurvitz army i guess no one liked them :erk:

I thought the videos you posted were pretty good, the drumming was amazing (but then it was Ginger Baker)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Another band you might be interested in: Traffic





I thought the videos you posted were pretty good, the drumming was amazing (but then it was Ginger Baker)


ginger baker is my favorite drummer which is how i knew the group. they have way better songs but of course i can only post what youtube has available
 
Last edited by a moderator:
lots of Opeth songs are actually names of 70's prog/rock bands.

Yep! Makes me smile when I first started to listening to them back in 96', and in their interviews, Mikael mentioned a few obscure bands that I, at the time,thought nobody listened to them but me. My band at the time when I joined...our common ground-band wise, was the foundation bands. You know, early Metallica, Maiden, Priest, etc...It took more than a year..then one day, they stopped in mid huff on the bong, and went...whoa! Who's that!? I'd roll my eyes, and say "I've been fucking playing this stuff for quite awhile now, geez!! Half of the band wouldn't bother listening to Opeth, Agalloch, etc. because of the vocals, or listen to Camel, early Genesis, because of the sup-par production, and they assumed that 70's prog (in their stoned, closed minded-ness) was just talking about flowers, and lovers by the lake. "That's folk, you fuck!!":rolleyes: Our guitarist didn't even know that Rick Wakeman played on a Sabbath record...his favorite band, no less!!
 
There have been some fucking awesome releases in recent years by bands nailing the early prog rock sound but with more matured song writing and better production. Transatlantic are probably one of the better known ones thanks to the line-up but I would also very strongly recommend you check out:

Crucible "Tall Tales"
Djam Karet "A Beginner's Guide, Volume II"
Echolyn "Mei"
Karmakanic "Entering The Spectra" (absolute masterpiece)
Pineapple Thief "Variations On A Dream"
Ryo Okumoto "Coming Through"
Tiles "Fence The Clear"

If you're into instrumental prog rock as well I'd suggest adding Tunnels "Progressivity", The Mörglbl Trio "The Mörglbl Trio" and Brand X "Manifest Destiny" to that list.
 
Echolyn have those great Gentle Giant vocal forays they go into...great stuff! Tiles are very Rush-like...love their Presents of Mind album.
 
Yep! Makes me smile when I first started to listening to them back in 96', and in their interviews, Mikael mentioned a few obscure bands that I, at the time,thought nobody listened to them but me. My band at the time when I joined...our common ground-band wise, was the foundation bands. You know, early Metallica, Maiden, Priest, etc...It took more than a year..then one day, they stopped in mid huff on the bong, and went...whoa! Who's that!? I'd roll my eyes, and say "I've been fucking playing this stuff for quite awhile now, geez!! Half of the band wouldn't bother listening to Opeth, Agalloch, etc. because of the vocals, or listen to Camel, early Genesis, because of the sup-par production, and they assumed that 70's prog (in their stoned, closed minded-ness) was just talking about flowers, and lovers by the lake. "That's folk, you fuck!!":rolleyes: Our guitarist didn't even know that Rick Wakeman played on a Sabbath record...his favorite band, no less!!

Man, alot of people must spend quite a bit on music to be fimiliar with all the bands mentioned around this place. :)

I just "discovered" Opeth last winter actually. I really like that guys song writing or the whole band, however it works. I dont understand how they can fixate on most of the dreary topics but I really like the music and the clean vocals. His growl is very much like Satin or the grim reaper himself and that is a interesting skill but I cant listen to it for very long, but they have alot of long instrumental movements that give me a break... lol.

Listening to my handful of Camel songs now. Some from Mirage and some from Moonmadness. Not bad at all, I was into Rush around this time period, so I imagine Camel would not have been heavy enough for me at that time. Shit, this one part of "Lady Fantasy" is a Doors knockoff. Anyhow.......

Explain to me what Gentle Giant sounds like ?

about Yes... ya know my sister had Fragile or Tales, Im thinkin Fragile and I couldnt get into that back when I was a dedicated hard rocker either. So is this pretty good stuff through maturer ears? I know we always loved "Roundabout" when it came on the air but I never got the same excitement from any of their other earlier stuff someone else might have played for me. I dont think Im very keyboard friendly thats the problem. What early Yes recording would most satisfy the more guitar oriented progger ?
-----------------------------

Lastly on naming bands, I'll throw a bid for Dixie Dregs especially the first two albums "Freefall" and "What If". Very progressive or intense song compositions. We always lumped them in with the other fusion bands but they really didnt have much jazz in them and were a whole nother ballgame from jazz or latin influenced fusion of the time. They fused "Dixie" or bluegrass with rock I guess, had a touch of funk, then had maybe a sort of contemporary classical sound. Most albums bounced styles around alot. Some songs actually being rocked up bluegrass which were fun and amazingly fast. But others like : Punk Sandwich, Patchwork, What If, Refried Funky Chicken, Ice Cakes, Cruise Control, Night Meets Light were very progressive and musically inspiring. The quality of these recordings were second to none for those times as well.

Anyone else fimiliar with Dixie Dregs early material ? If not I dont think the progressive oriented would be disappointed. Find the first two and go on a musically indulged trip.
 
You forgot the Dregs albums-Night of the Living Dregs, and Unsung Heroes.Dream Theater cover Cruise Control on their A Change of Seasons album, during their cover medley part at the end of the album. I saw them a few times about 3 years ago, when they opened for Dream Theater..cool guys. Mr. Morse was nice enough to hang out with the fans. Their bass player Dave Larue played(bass) with John Petrucci on the G3 tour a few years back. It's true...I have, over the last 15 years spent(1500 cd's) money on music. It's not as if It was all at once. I always told my friends years ago-"Why waste my hard earned money on weed, and alchohol all the time. It's not there the next day, but my guitar, and my albums are." Gentle Giant...very melodic-can sound a little like early Genesis, and Jethro Tull musically. Very medieval/Renaissance-ish feel to a lot of their material. Peak albums...71-76 Top 2 G.G. albums for me...Aquiring the Taste, and Free Hand. As for Yes...try 71' The Yes Album 72' Fragile, 74' Relayer, and 80' Drama...Drama was the only one without Jon Anderson singing, but it was Steve Howe's heaviest with Yes, when it came to the rhythm guitar, and quite a bit of guitar/bass/keyboard harmony-interplay. Oh yeah, James Murphy(Death,Obituary,Testament) covered the song What If.. on his second solo album.
 
No Shit ? I didnt know anyone ever played tribute to the Dregs. Theres two DT CD's I dont have one is Metropolis II or whatever it is and the other is A Change of Seasons lol. I guess Im not surprised to hear that DT covered them. When I first heard I&W I thought "damn this is the shit, this is like the best of Dregs, Kansas, Rush, Crack the Sky and heavy metal all fused together", even said it a few times. NightotLD is good, great live stuff but the first two defined them. We kinda felt they started to do some obvious rehash after. Unsung Heros Im less fimiliar with, someone had it but it got played less and that was years ago. I think there are others too,one with vocals? I also dont ever remember hearing any Kansas w/Morse and want to some day try those two out too. I was in blues and metal mode during the 80's. I dont have the expendable cash to buy all the music I would like too. Prolly about 10 a year, thats it and about half of those have been to replace tapes or vinyl I once had. Never much on Genesis but Tull is another story, still I have none of Tulls later stuff. Andy West used to be the Dregs bassist and Allen Sloan the violinist, every bit as enjoyable as Ponty and Goodman to me. I guess Goodman tours with the Dregs now (would have been my replacement choice) How did they sound live ?
 
I've heard a ton of Steve Morse's stuff & I have about all of his albums on my PC, but not once have I heard the Dixie Dregs. I once heard that they weren't very good... It's also new to me that they're proggy. I migt just have to check them out. Oh, & thatnks for the Camel recommenation :)