rare prog from early 70s

[Katabasis]

well, i actually agree with you. i just wanted to hear why you thought so. However, i dont necessarily think that the second release is more mature...but i do think it is far more ambitious, and better written overall. But i dont want to take away from either album really...i think both are quality releases.

Fair comment.

On an unrelated note, seeing as you seem to be more familiar with the prog genres than most: have you heard any of the B-sides off Comus' First Utterance, or any tracks from the rare EP? I think there was a 45 released with two tracks not on the album, 'In The Lost Queen's Eyes' and 'Winter Is A Coloured Bird'. I mean, I'm pretty much obsessed with the album as a whole (well, not quite so much the last track), and am thinking of hunting down said missing tracks if they're any good. Also, even though their follow-up LP receives a lot of flak, do you think it's any good? I know it hasn't been re-released on CD (as far as I know), but you never know what you'll find in a 2nd hand record store (or on ebay for that matter).
Thanks

 

[NFU]

Fair comment.

On an unrelated note, seeing as you seem to be more familiar with the prog genres than most: have you heard any of the B-sides off Comus' First Utterance, or any tracks from the rare EP? I think there was a 45 released with two tracks not on the album, 'In The Lost Queen's Eyes' and 'Winter Is A Coloured Bird'. I mean, I'm pretty much obsessed with the album as a whole (well, not quite so much the last track), and am thinking of hunting down said missing tracks if they're any good. Also, even though their follow-up LP receives a lot of flak, do you think it's any good? I know it hasn't been re-released on CD (as far as I know), but you never know what you'll find in a 2nd hand record store (or on ebay for that matter).
Thanks

i think the Diana EP is definitely worth checking out if youre a comus fan...as is the following album "to keep from crying"...which although not better than first utterance in my opinion...is no less worth owning or at least checking out as well. I dont know if they have any other non-released material not found on those records...sometimes its just hard to investigate every band i like fully, theres simply too many...but if you find out anything else about them, for sure post it here.

 

[Abhorsen]

I'm not generally into neo-prog as bands like IQ and Marillion (at least with Fish) sound like Genesis clones. Though bands like Ozric remind me of some of the 60's era psych that's pretty cool. The last few days I've been listening to the Spock's Beard catalogue, loaned by a friend, and I must say some of the material is really good. I haven't gotten to Snow, the last album with Neal Morse, but the first five all have some great moments. Of course the bass player plays a Ricky and it screems "prog" but there is some good stuff going on here. Any other prog fans here into SB?

 

[John Gargo]

I've heard two Spock's Beard albums... the first one, THE LIGHT, which was an enjoyable slice of neo-prog, and SNOW, which I enjoyed considerably less. Although it had some great songs, the thing was more geared towards "pop" than prog. Still a good album, but I prefer THE LIGHT by a mile...

 

[discouraged1]

@9ft.undrgrnd: have you heard of serbian band called igra staklenih perli?
very rare, 70s , but very very good!
like pink floyd ummagumma live period (my fav) and some tangerine d perhaps..
?

 

[NFU]

Here is a decent starting off point for those wanting to get into this genre, but dont want to filter through the pile of pages this thread has...so heres a list for those just viewing this page for the first time, or those who havent visited it in a while, and some albums to try out to see if this genre is for you. Keep in mind these are some of my personal favorites, and theres always going to be room for debate on the classification of some of the bands...


Proto Prog and Early Prog & Psych (genre's origins or innovation):
The Beatles - Sgt. Peppers AND Abbey Road
The Moody Blues - In Search For The Lost Chord AND Days Of Future Passed
Traffic - Self Titled
Pink Floyd - Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
Led Zeppelin - Houses of The Holy
Procol Harum - Self Titled Debut

Symphonic Prog (classical and epic):
King Crimson - In the court of the crimson king
Yes - Close To The Edge
Yes - Fragile
Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick
Nektar - Remember The Future
Genesis - Selling England By The Pound
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery

Standard Jam&Melodic as well as Canterbury (could be classified as symph):
Caravan - In The Land Of Grey And Pink
Camel - Mirage AND Moonmadness
Cressida - Asylum
Gracious - This is Gracious
Focus - Moving Waves
Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon

Kraut Rock & Space:
Agitation Free - Malesch
Neu - NEU!
Magma - Udu Wudu
Gong - Continental Circus AND You
Pink Floyd - meddle

Hard Rock/Heavy progressive:
Rush - Hemispheres AND 2112
Uriah Heep - Magicians Birthday
Budgie - Self Titled
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Deep Purple - Burn AND Stormbringer
Blackwater Park - Dirt Box
Lucifer's Friend - Self Titled
Fuzzy Duck - Self Titled

Folk Prog (sometimes with country influences):
Trees - On The Shore
Tudor Lodge - S/T
Fuschia - S/T
Folque - Folque
Linda Perhacs - Parallelograms
Mellow Candle - Swaddling Songs

Neo 80s era Progressive (not nearly as good, but ill include it here):
IQ - Tales From The Lush Attic
Marillion - Script For A Jester's Tear
Ozric Tenticles - Tantric Obstacles
Alan Parson's Project - Turn Of A Friendly Card

Neo 90s Progressive/psych (the most ambitious work since the 70s):
Anglagard - Hybris AND Epilog
Anekdoten - Gravity AND
Landberk - One Man Tells Another
Morte Macabre - Symphonic Holocaust
Opeth - Any
Paatos - Timeloss AND Kallocain
Dungen - Ta Det Lungt
The Works - Debut
Radiohead - OK Computer
The Mars Volta - De Loused...
Porcupine Tree - Any

 

[Man In Black]

^That list could use some Agalloch.

 

[NFU]

^That list could use some Agalloch.

youre kidding right?

 

[Abhorsen]

and a dash of the Beard, Spock's that is!

I'd add Snow Goose by Camel to the Symph list.

 

[Abhorsen]

And Turn of the Cards, Ashes are Burning by Renaissance are not to be missed.

 

[NFU]

i do agree that both of those renaissance albums are great...but i wouldnt say theyre as essential as the others i listed....if i included every good band, the list would be a mile long. this list is a starting point...not a definitive list.

 

[Abhorsen]

Sure and it makes sense. It's an excellent list btw.

One record I forgot to mention that I think of as essential early 70's prog would be Pawn Hearts by Van Der Graaf Generator. A great fucking record, actually I wouldn't recommend trying to fuck to it, though opinions vary on this, but it is as vital and creative as anything of the era IMHO.

Last recommendation for today: FreeHand by Gentle Giant. 1975 and chock full of great, innovative tunes. I've been od'ing on Spock's Beard this past week and I appreciate their unique "american" prog stylings if you will, but some of their vocal arrangements suggest the boys spent many an hour listening to the Giant.

 

[NFU]

Sure and it makes sense. It's an excellent list btw.

One record I forgot to mention that I think of as essential early 70's prog would be Pawn Hearts by Van Der Graaf Generator. A great fucking record, actually I wouldn't recommend trying to fuck to it, though opinions vary on this, but it is as vital and creative as anything of the era IMHO.

Last recommendation for today: FreeHand by Gentle Giant. 1975 and chock full of great, innovative tunes. I've been od'ing on Spock's Beard this past week and I appreciate their unique "american" prog stylings if you will, but some of their vocal arrangements suggest the boys spent many an hour listening to the Giant.

van der graaf normally would make the list, however theyre not very accessible. i find that people get into them towards the middle, rather than the beginning...

 

[discouraged1]

@9ft.undrgrnd: have you heard of serbian band called igra staklenih perli?
very rare, 70s , but very very good!

??

 

[NFU]

??

oh, sorry...i forgot to answer the question. no i actually havent heard them before...describe them.

 

[Abhorsen]

Very true about VDGG not being accessable. I know prog fans from my youth that I went to many a Yes/Genesis/KC/Camel show with who have never gotten into Pawn Hearts or any other VDGG album.

 

[Luz]

Damn, this guy knows so much...
I'm not into Progressive as much as I would like to (in fact, I don't have a clue) but I really want to listen some of those bands you have mention.
Thank you.

Here is a decent starting off point for those wanting to get into this genre, but dont want to filter through the pile of pages this thread has...so heres a list for those just viewing this page for the first time, or those who havent visited it in a while, and some albums to try out to see if this genre is for you. Keep in mind these are some of my personal favorites, and theres always going to be room for debate on the classification of some of the bands...


Proto Prog and Early Prog & Psych (genre's origins or innovation):
The Beatles - Sgt. Peppers AND Abbey Road
The Moody Blues - In Search For The Lost Chord AND Days Of Future Passed
Traffic - Self Titled
Pink Floyd - Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
Led Zeppelin - Houses of The Holy
Procol Harum - Self Titled Debut

Symphonic Prog (classical and epic):
King Crimson - In the court of the crimson king
Yes - Close To The Edge
Yes - Fragile
Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick
Nektar - Remember The Future
Genesis - Selling England By The Pound

Standard Jam&Melodic as well as Canterbury (could be classified as symph):
Caravan - In The Land Of Grey And Pink
Camel - Mirage AND Moonmadness
Cressida - Asylum
Gracious - This is Gracious
Focus - Moving Waves
Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon

Kraut Rock & Space:
Agitation Free - Malesch
Neu - NEU!
Magma - Udu Wudu
Gong - Continental Circus AND You
Pink Floyd - meddle

Folk Prog (sometimes with country influences):
Trees - On The Shore
Tudor Lodge - S/T
Fuschia - S/T
Folque - Folque
Linda Perhacs - Parallelograms
Mellow Candle - Swaddling Songs

Neo 80s era Progressive (not nearly as good, but ill include it here):
IQ - Tales From The Lush Attic
Marillion - Script For A Jester's Tear
Ozric Tenticles - Tantric Obstacles
Alan Parson's Project - Turn Of A Friendly Card

Neo 90s Progressive/psych (the most ambitious work since the 70s):
Anglagard - Hybris AND Epilog
Anekdoten - Gravity AND
Landberk - One Man Tells Another
Morte Macabre - Symphonic Holocaust
Opeth - Any
Paatos - Timeloss AND Kallocain
Dungen - Ta Det Lungt
The Works - Debut
Radiohead - OK Computer
The Mars Volta - De Loused...
Porcupine Tree - Any

 

[Man In Black]

youre kidding right?

...
How about some Sigur Ros then?

 

[NFU]

...
How about some Sigur Ros then?

Sigur Ros is definitely emotive, melodic, and fairly unique rock. however i dont know if theyre different or creative enough to be considered progressive.

but either way, theyre not "essential" progressive listening...where as the stuff i listed in each category typically are.

 

[Eemu]

Good work with the list NFU! Covers all areas pretty nicely, would have been a big help for me six months ago (and the folk- and krautrock-parts still are!).

I got Paatos' "Timeloss" today, and I already prefer it over "Kallocain". This one has a naive kind of charm, and the crystal-clear production of the new one isn't missed.
I've also had a listen through Dungen's "Stadsvandringar" at my local library, but it left me cold except the beautiful "Solen Stiger Upp". Might be because I have the disadvantage of understanding the mediocre lyrics, what do I know?