Progressive rock, sometimes shortened to prog rock, is a form of rock music that evolved in the late 1960s and early 1970s, principally from psychedelic rock - and ultimately, but also as a result of jazz-rock fusion and experimentation with electronic instruments.
| Progressive rock | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Blues-rock, Psychedelic rock, Folk Rock, Jazz-Rock, Hard rock |
| Cultural origins | mid-late 1960s, England |
| Typical instruments | Guitar - Bass - Keyboards - Piano - Drums - optionally vocals and other acoustic and electronic instruments |
| Subgenres | |
| Symphonic rock - Neo Prog - Space Rock - Krautrock - Zeuhl | |
| Fusion genres | |
| Progressive electronic music - New Prog - Canterbury Scene | |
The main defining characteristics and tendencies are that the compositions are more elaborate than the standard rock song structure of verse, chorus, etc., the arrangements incorporate stylisations based on jazz, classical, world or even avant-garde music, and the lyrics, where they exist, are often conceptual or based in fantasy.
Some progressive rock bands took the explorations into composition and style to such extremes, that their music ceased to be Rock at all - and so it is that the term 'progressive rock' has become less useful than the term 'progressive music'.
Progressive rock reached the peak of its popularity in the 1970s and has continued as a form of popular music to this day. The term was initially applied to the music of bands such as King Crimson, Genesis, Yes, Pink Floyd and Emerson, Lake and Palmer, who are widely regarded as prime exponents of the genre - but other notable examples of "Classic" progressive rock bands include Jethro Tull, Rush, and Gentle Giant.
Progressive rock acts often attempted to combine rock music with elements of classical music, some, such as ELP (and Emerson's former band, The Nice), Ekseption and Renaissance, interpreted pieces of classical music in a rock style, and others, such as Gentle Giant and Magma, used advanced classical composition techniques such as counterpoint and serialism to produce original music.
It was also common for progressive rock bands to use the stylizations of jazz or jazz fusion. This is most evident in the subgenre of Krautrock - a genre originally strongly rooted in late 1960s psychedelic rock - which features extended improvisations, and the use of modal scales and jazz harmonies, particularly in bands from what is known as the Canterbury Scene.
The styles and lengths of the pieces mean that progressive rock is album-oriented rather than singles-oriented, and also, since much of the music is experimental and challenging, progressive rock acts are rarely found in the top 40 singles lists.
Characteristics of progressive rock
The most typical characteristics
The most striking tendency and identifying feature of any given piece of progressive rock is that it feels carefully composed, yet spontaneous and improvised at the same time. Progressive rock lends itself as much to intellectual analysis as it does to emotional enjoyment. The typical characteristics are found in the basic elements of academic musical analysis as described below. A composition does not have to exhibit each of these characteristics for it to be considered progressive rock, but as each is judiciously applied, the more progressive it becomes:
- Form: Progressive rock songs either avoid common song structures of verse, chorus, bridge, etc, or blur the formal distinctions by extending sections or inserting additional ones, for example, using musical interludes. Contrasts would often be made between these sections in terms of dynamics, such that soft passages would build to louder passages and so on. This approach is common in rock music, but more pronounced in the more theatrical progressive rock groups. As the genre developed, the quantity of these sections increased, as some progressive rock acts continued their allusions towards classical music and composed entire suites, building on the traditional medleys of earlier rock bands. Another common structural feature lies in extended instrumental passages that are reminiscent of classical music, but less frequent in rock and popular music. This can often lead to pieces in excess of 20 minutes.
- Timbre (instrumentation and dynamic): Early progressive rock groups added additional instrumentation to the typical rock group lineup of a guitarist, bassist and drummer, often adding keyboards or synthesisers. These and other instruments, particularly those common to classical and jazz music, such as the flute, saxophone or violin, are frequently used as part of the overall texture of the group's musical output. This represents a major departure from the "featured instrument in particular songs" status that such instruments held in mainstream rock and pop music but again, is a feature of jazz and classical music. Some progressive rock acts would also incorporate orchestras and choirs (although this is not exclusively a feature of progressive rock, as it is a feature of 1940s swing, Motown and other orchestra-backed popular music). Dynamically, progressive rock acts often tend toward the extremes.
- Rhythm: Use of time signatures and rhythmic techniques uncommon to rock music. Progressive rock music is often written with an artistic approach first and foremost - it was generally not envisaged that people would necessarily dance to it. The rhythms, therefore, were developed to drive the music rather than the listener's feet. Changing time signatures and even layering polyrhythms were techniques more typical of classical and jazz music than of rock music. The use of repetitive riffs was shunned.
- Harmony: There are few pieces of progressive rock that adhere to the I - IV - V chord progressions of early rock - indeed, this is almost invariably avoided in favour of less predictable progressions. A simple triad is frequently built upon - a common jazz technique - so that 6ths, 7ths and so on are layered to build more indeterminate harmonies that can push some pieces of progressive rock into the atonal or dissonant. A common exception to this, however, is where a band will deliberately use classical harmonic progressions or devices - and sometimes, entire works - in order to allude to classical music. A few bands even include rudimentary serialism in their music, in their bid to escape "standard" diatonic harmony. The harmony of progressive rock, like jazz, is often almost inextricably linked with the use of modes in the melodies.
- Melody: While the major and minor modes are still prevalent even in progressive rock, the blues-associated pentatonic scale is conspicuous by its absence. In progressive rock, melodies tend to be long and often meandering, especially in instrumental solo passages, often with little or no clear indication of cadence. Unpredictability of the musical direction is a core characteristic for progressive music.
Other characteristics
Progressive rock bands often use concept albums, in which a theme or storyline is explored throughout an entire album or series of albums, sometimes in a manner similar to a film or a play. These are often called "rock operas", a term popularised by the likes of The Who and Andrew Lloyd Webber[citation needed]. In the days of vinyl, concept albums extended to two or even three record sets with striking gatefold sleeves. Notable examples include The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway by Genesis and Pink Floyd's The Wall (which was followed by an elaborate live show and a film of the same name).[1]
Progressive rock often uses poetic, conceptually-themed or fantasy-based lyrics. The music's melodies, harmonies, rhythms and dynamics are often used to underscore the emotional message of the lyrics have. Some progressive rock songs use leitmotifs, which are melodic phrases that are associated with a symbolic meaning or a specific character from the lyrics (e.g., in Genesis' "Harold the Barrel").
Progressive rock bands sometimes aesthetically link the music with visual art elements such as album art. This trend started with The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and it was embraced during the heyday of progressive rock. Some bands became as well-known for the art direction of their albums as for their sound, with the "look" integrated into the band's overall musical identity. This led to fame for particular artists and design studios, most notably Roger Dean for his work with Yes and Storm Thorgerson and his studio Hipgnosis for their work with Pink Floyd. H.R. Giger painted an album cover for Emerson, Lake and Palmer's Brain Salad Surgery. Paul Whitehead produced evocative gatefold album covers and sleeves for Genesis and Van der Graaf Generator. Hugh Syme is well known for his creatively painted covers for Rush that often incoporate hidden references to other albums or puns on the album's theme.
Technology advancement was always a prime element in progressive rock, especially in electronics. In keyboards, the Mellotron was generally a signature sound in many progressive acts like The Moody Blues, King Crimson or Genesis, among others. Later, synthesisers would develope more into the fold with artists like Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Yes, Premiata Forneria Marconi and so forth. ELP drummer Carl Palmer utilised electronics to "synthesise" his drums. Some of these early displays have been considered as pre-cursors to the Techno genre. In the late 70s, King Crimson's Robert Fripp along with Brian Eno developed his own patented version of electronic gadgetry called Frippertronics using analog tape loops which he still uses today in a digital format.
Stage Theatrics
Progressive rock artists were known for their elaborate and sometimes flamboyant stage theatrics in concert going back to the early 70s. Genesis lead singer Peter Gabriel would more or less act as a quick-change artist wearing many different colourful and exotic costumes in one show. Yes would incorporate futuristic stage sets designed by famed album cover artist Roger Dean, including massive spaceship props and complex lighting, and were thus influential to all of the rock world in adding a strong visual art aspect to live concerts. Keyboardist Rick Wakeman on his solo tours would have Knights riding on horses. In the 1980s, Marillion's former lead singer Fish would often wear a jester costume inspired by the band's first album Script for a Jester's Tear. One of Emerson, Lake and Palmer's many stage antics was Emerson's "flying piano" at the famous California Jam concert. This consisted of a Steinway grand piano elevated to spin end-over-end while Emerson is strapped to a seat playing. Throughout Pink Floyd's reign in the 70s, they would use many stage effects including crashing airplanes, a giant floating pig, massive projection screens and finally in 1980, an enormous brick wall for The Wall performances. Rush frequently incorporated lasers into their stage show.
History of progressive rock
Origins
For almost as long as there has been music, there have been people who have wanted to do more with it - to express more and to create new and exciting sounds:
- In the late 1800s, the French composer Claude Debussy began using whole tone scales and modes now commonly associated with jazz in his revolutionary music, in an attempt to break away from conventional diatonic harmony - a process that had already begun in the late music of Beethoven and later by Rimsky-Korsakov.
- In the 1910s, the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky took the music world by storm with his Innovative rhythms, lush, unique timbres and dissonances as well as his use of Russian folk (pagan, non-European) motifs.
- In the early 1920s, German composer Arnold Schoenberg developed a new and beareaucratic method of composition known as Serialism, which led to the evolution of avante-garde music.
- In the 1930s, the French Composer Olivier Messiaen used the newly invented electonic instrument, the Ondes Martenot in compositions.
- In the early 1940s, the Composer Pierre Schaeffer began using the early tape recorder, and went on to work with Electronic music pioneer Karlheinz Stockhausen. This led to extremes of music, such as musique concrete
- In the early to mid 1950s, "Cool Jazz "or" Modal Jazz" came about through the work of jazz maestros such as Miles Davies and later, John Coltrane.
- By the 1960s, Avant-Garde or Free Jazz was firmly established as a genre thanks to the work of, among others, Ornette coleman and Charles Mingus.
As far as rock music is concerned, the experimental period began in the mid 1960s - largely through the studio work of Beatles, who by then had had to give up touring, so had more time to experiment. The influences of Stockhausen are apparent in the 1966 recordings "Rain", "She Said, She Said", and the most famous tape experiment from the "Revolver" album, "Tomorrow never Knows". The Beatles went on to use these techniques extensively on "Magical Mystery Tour" and "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (widely acknowledged as the first album to use the recording studio as an instrument).
In the late-1960s Beatles songs and albums began incorporating many psychedelic rock influences (e.g., from The Byrds) and other bands. As well, the Beatles began to combine traditional rock music with instruments from classical music, Eastern music and improvisatory music. Pink Floyd's earliest albums showed progressive elements. The Yardbirds' Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page composed Beck's Bolero in 1966 which reworks Maurice Ravel's Boléro.
The band 1-2-3 (later named Clouds) experimented with song structures, improvisation and multi-layered arrangements. Psychedelic rockers continued this experimental trend and began to compose long, complex songs such as Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" or "1983...(A Merman Should I Turn to Be)" by Jimi Hendrix. Frank Zappa's early work is also considered progressive.
The Who created concept albums and long-form live song performances in the mid- to late-1960s (although those were often in the more blues-based improvisational style also favoured by contemporaries Cream and Led Zeppelin). Bands such as The Nice, Procol Harum and the Moody Blues began combining rock music with classical music, producing longer pieces that were composed and not jam-based. Procol Harum's 17-minute suite "In Held Twas In I," recorded in 1967, was a long composition that is one of the early progressive rock "epics".
German electronic music and Krautrock pioneers Tangerine Dream introduced a variety of synthesisers, tape effects and other unusual sounds in their compositions, usually in purely instrumental albums. Many other bands began to experiment with blends of rock and jazz, a style that became known as jazz-rock. In the UK, Soft Machine was a prominent early jazz-rock band.
First progressive rock acts
Early progressive rock bands included King Crimson (1969), Yes (1968), Genesis (1967), Pink Floyd (1965), Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP) (1970), Jethro Tull (1972) and Gentle Giant (1970).
Some kinds of progressive rock gained momentum when fans grew disillusioned with the "Peace and Love" movement, although many others also retained elements identified with the 1960s while moving in new directions. Many progressive bands had increasingly started to incorporate more complex and reflective themes and some, but certainly not all, also moved toward darker themes. For example, Genesis' Trespass includes "The Knife", a song about a violent demagogue and "Stagnation", a song about a survivor of a nuclear attack[citation needed]. Genesis labelmates Van der Graaf Generator sometimes took an existentialist approach that bordered on nihilism.
Progressive rock was also popular in continental Europe (Italy, France, Germany, and Switzerland) as well as in some parts of Latin America(Chile,argentina and Brazil). Many European progressive rock bands blossomed there, such as Area, the aforementioned Banco del Mutuo Soccorso, Flame Dream from Switzerland, Le Orme from Italy and Magma from France, among many.
Germany had a significant progressive rock movement, including bands such as Triumvirat. The Italian progressive rock style is sometimes considered as a separate genre ("Italian symphonic rock"). Italian groups include PFM, Museo Rosenbach, Il Balletto di Bronzo, and Semiramis. In Brazil, Os Mutantes combined elements of traditional Brazilian music, psychedelic rock and experimental sounds to create intricate and unorthodox arrangements, with imagery and lyrics inspired by fantasy, literature and history.
A strong element of avant-garde and counter-culture has long been associated with a great deal of progressive rock. In the 1970s, Chris Cutler of Henry Cow helped to form a loose collective of artists referred to as Rock in Opposition or RIO, to make a statement against the music industry. The original members included Henry Cow, Samla Mammas Manna, Univers Zero and later Art Zoyd, Art Bears and Aqsak Maboul. The Rock in Opposition movement was short-lived, but the artists included some of the originators of Avant-progressive rock, which used dark melodies, angular progressions, dissonance, free-form playing and a disregard for conventional structure.
Rise and fall
Fans and music historians have a variety of ways to categorise the flavours of 1970s progressive rock. The Canterbury scene can be considered a sub-genre of progressive rock, more oriented towards Jazz rock, or simply another collection of true progressive rock bands. Other bands took the genre in a more commercial direction. These bands, including Renaissance, The Alan Parsons Project, Queen and Electric Light Orchestra, are sometimes classified as "progressive rock", "commercial rock", or "symphonic pop." Over time, Led Zeppelin and Supertramp, among others, also incorporated more unusual instrumental elements, odd time signatures and long compositions into their work. In a similar "prog pop" vein was Manfred Mann's Earth Band, which featured virtuoso Minimoog solos by Mann. The group was regarded as a first-rate prog rock act[citation needed], considering Manfred Mann's more well-known 1960's pop heritage.
During the early to mid-1970s, jazz/fusion artists (spawned by Miles Davis) like Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report and Return to Forever were becoming more prominent but were more confined to the jazz community than progressive rock. However, many of the popular progressive artists started to incorporate this trend even further than before. Yes brought in Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz for their Relayer album giving a more jazzy sound most notably on the track "Sound Chaser". Genesis drummer Phil Collins formed a group called Brand X and former Yes/King Crimson drummer Bill Bruford formed his own band Bruford each with a more jazz/fusion edge as well as taking part (along with the extraordinary Allan Holdsworth in the superb band U.K., considered by many as the pinnacle of the whole Prog Rock genre.
Progressive rock's popularity peaked in the mid-1970s, when prog artists regularly topped readers' votes in mainstream popular music magazines in England and America. By this time, several North American progressive rock bands had been formed. Kansas, which had actually existed in one form or another since 1971, became one of the most commercially successful of all progressive rock bands. Pop star Todd Rundgren cashed in on the progressive movement with his new band Utopia. Toronto's Rush became a major band, with a string of hit albums extending from the mid-1970s to the present. Less commercially successful were the Dixie Dregs, from Georgia (arguably more of a fusion band) and Happy The Man, a Washington D.C. based act. During around 1974, progressive rock's four biggest artists, Yes, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Genesis and King Crimson all went on indefinite hiatus or experienced personnel changes. Yes and ELP members went on to pursue solo work as well as Genesis lead singer Peter Gabriel (however Genesis would continue with Phil Collins as lead vocalist) and Robert Fripp announced the end of King Crimson after the release of their classic Red album. In 1977, Yes and ELP reformed with some success but unable to capture the dominance they previously had.
With the advent of punk rock in the late 1970s, critical opinion in England moved toward a simpler and more aggressive style of rock, with progressive bands increasingly dismissed as pretentious and overblown, ending progressive rock's reign as one of the leading styles in rock.[2][3] This development is often seen as part of wider commercial turn in popular music in second half of the 1970s during which many funk or soul bands switched to disco and smooth jazz gained popularity over jazz fusion. However, established progressive bands still had a large following, with Rush, Genesis, Yes and Pink Floyd all regularly scoring Top Ten albums with massive accompanying tours, for some of these bands, their largest yet. By 1979, by which time it is generally agreed that punk had mutated into New Wave, Pink Floyd released The Wall, one of the best selling albums in history. Many bands which emerged in the aftermath of punk, such as Siouxsie and The Banshees, Cabaret Voltaire, Ultravox, Simple Minds and Wire all displayed prog, as well as their more usually recognised punk influences.[4]
1980's revival
The early 1980s saw something of a revival of the genre, led by artists such as Marillion, IQ, Pendragon, Galahad, Pallas and Saga. Groups that arose during this time are sometimes termed neo-progressive or neo-prog (also referred to as the New Wave of British Prog Rock). Bands of this style were influenced by 70s progressive rock groups like Genesis, Yes and Camel, but incorporated some elements that were reflective of the New Wave and other rock elements found in the 80s. The digital synthesiser became a prominent instrument in the style. Neo-prog continued to remain viable into the 90s and beyond with bands like Arena, Jadis, Collage and Iluvatar. Their sound was generally similar in style and sound to neo-prog pioneers like Marillion and IQ, which differentiated them from the emerging Third Wave movement in the 1990s.
Some progressive rock stalwarts changed musical direction, simplifying their music and making it more commercially viable. In 1981, King Crimson made a surprise comeback with a different lineup (with only Robert Fripp and Bill Bruford as returning veterans from the previous incarnation) incorporating a more techno-rhythmic sound with a slight New Wave slant. In 1982, the much anticipated supergroup Asia, composed of Steve Howe (Yes), Carl Palmer (ELP), John Wetton (King Crimson) and Geoff Downes (Buggles/Yes), surprised (and disappointed) progressive rock fans with their pop-oriented debut album. The top 5 single "Heat of the Moment" rotated heavily on MTV for years, while the first Asia album established a sales record for 1982. This demonstrated a market for more commercialised British progressive rock – a style very similar to that played by North American Top 40 stalwarts such as Styx, Foreigner, Boston and Journey.
Other British bands followed Asia's lucrative example. In 1983, Genesis achieved some international success with "Mama", a song with heavy emphasis on a drum machine riff, signaling the band's change to a very commercial direction during the 1980s. Also in 1983, Yes had a surprise comeback with 90125, featuring their only number one (US) single, "Owner of a Lonely Heart". Written by guitarist Trevor Rabin prior to joining the group, "Owner" was accessible enough to be played at discos and more recently has been remixed into a trance single. Often sampled by hip-hop artists, "Owner" also incorporated contemporary electronic effects, courtesy of producer (and former member) Trevor Horn. Likewise, Pink Floyd's A Momentary Lapse of Reason in 1987 was a departure from their traditional extended play concept albums, featuring much shorter songs and an altogether more electronic sound.
Some progressive rock fans were unhappy with the direction taken by these bands[citation needed], but others simply accepted the changes and enjoyed the music. Yes, for instance, enjoyed a brief renaissance during the 1980s with a mixture of old and new fans. Other progressive rock bands like Rush arguably released some of their best material during the early and mid-1980s thanks to a merging of new wave and early progressive sounds.
The 1990's and 2000's : the Third Wave and progressive metal
The progressive rock genre enjoyed another revival in the 1990s. A notable kickoff to this revival were a trio of Swedish bands: Änglagård, Anekdoten and Landberk, who hit the scene in 1992-1993. Later came the so-called "Third Wave", spearheaded by such bands as Scandinavia's The Flower Kings, the UK's Porcupine Tree, Italy's Finisterre, Russia's Little Tragedies, and, from the United States, Spock's Beard, Echolyn, Tool, Proto-Kaw (a reincarnation of Kansas), and Glass Hammer. Arjen Anthony Lucassen, with the backing of an array of talent from the progressive rock genre, produced a series of innovative concept albums (Ayreon) starting from 1995. While not necessarily sounding alike, many of the Third Wave bands had very strong ties musically to the 1970's progressive rock acts, often to the point of sounding "retro."[dubious – discuss]
In recent years, one of the more commercially viable categories of prog has been progressive metal, which mixes some of the common elements associated with progressive rock (lengthy compositions, concept albums, odd time signatures, extended instrumentals, virtuosity, jazz fusion influences) with the power and attitude associated with metal. Prog metal often gives a prominent role to keyboard instruments, in addition to using shred-style electric guitar solos (e.g., Planet X, Mr. Big). Several of the leading bands in the prog-metal genre — Dream Theater (U.S.), Ayreon (Netherlands), Opeth (Sweden), Fates Warning (U.S.) and Queensrÿche (U.S.) — cite pioneer progressive hard-rockers Rush as a primary influence, although their music exhibits influences from more traditional metal bands such as Black Sabbath or Deep Purple as well. Tool have cited pioneers King Crimson as an influence on their work.[5] King Crimson opened for Tool on their 2001 tour and expressed admiration for the group while continuing to deny the "prog" label.[6]
Lead by bands such as Muse, another style which gained popularity in the 1990's is New Prog, a mixture of Alternative Rock and Progressive Rock.
Influences
This article may contain excessive or irrelevant examples. |
The work of contemporary artists such as Ween, post-rock bands like Sigur Rós and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, New Prog groups like Muse incorporate elements of progressive rock, sometimes combined with the aesthetic sensibilities of Alternative rock. The cult English band Cardiacs has specialised since 1980 in a kind of progressive punk sound which has influenced many other bands who are occasionally described (with tongue-in-cheek) as pronk acts. Among the more experimental and avant garde musicians, the Japanese composer Takashi Yoshimatsu publicly cites progressive rock bands as a prime influence on his work[citation needed], while indie-rock band The Fiery Furnaces could also be considered progressive, blending electronic and orchestrated bits into their craft, while also expanding on The Who's rock-opera ethos. The math rock genre that arose in the 1990s also has many elements familiar to progressive rock fans.
There are a number of contemporary prog bands, such as Mostly Autumn, that combine Celtic and sometimes pagan, influences with earlier prog rock styles. Other bands of note incorporating progressive rock into their sound include Little Tragedies, Coheed and Cambria, The Mars Volta, Umphrey's McGee, Porcupine Tree, dredg, Riverside, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Circa Survive, Kayo Dot, The Fall of Troy, Opeth, Anathema, Muse and Dream Theater.
Reunions
Some of the classic progressive rock acts have made some reunions with little or more success. In 1982, four of the five members of Genesis reunited for a benefit concert called Six of the Best featuring Gabriel, Collins, Banks and Rutherford along with gutarist Daryl Stuermer and drummer Chester Thompson (other Genesis member Steve Hackett just performed in the encore). There has been talk of another reunion of the complete five member classic Genesis lineup for years, but this has yet to materialised. In 1989 Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe formed most of Yes' Fragile and Close to the Edge lineup. In 1992, Emerson, Lake and Palmer regrouped for the first time in 15 years. In July of 2005, all four members of Pink Floyd reunited on stage for the Live 8 concert.
Progressive rock festivals
Renewed interest in progressive rock in the 1990's eventually led to the beginnings of musical events and festivals that centered around progressive rock acts. The first ProgFest was held on May 29, 1993, in UCLA's Royce Hall and featured Sweden's Änglagård, England's IQ, Quill and Citadel. Interest in the festival was large enough for others in the U.S.A. to start similar events. ProgDay, held at Storybook Farm near Chapel Hill, North Carolina, first emerged during Labor Day weekend in 1995 and is planning its 13th festival September 1-2 2007[7]
The most successful of these festivals to date is NEARfest[citation needed], which held its first event on June 26th & 27th, 1999 in Bethlehem, PA to approximately 400 fans. With a diverse lineup and an ability to get big name talent, the festival eventually grew in popularity to fill a 1,000 seat venue and later relocated to Trenton, NJ in 2002 to a venue which seated over 1,850. The festival relocated back to Bethlehem, PA in 2004 and is still active.
Other current festivals of note include Rosfest in Phoenixville, PA, Baja Prog in Mexicali, Mexico, CalProg in Whittier, CA, Prog In The Park in Rochester, NY, Gouveia Art Rock in Portugal, Prog Sud in Marseille (France), Tiana in Barcelona (Spain), Progfarm in Holland, Rio Art Rock Festival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and ProgPower USA in Atlanta, GA, USA.
An international progressive rock festival called InProg takes place in Moscow, Russia, every year since 2002. Most of the performers in this festival are progressive rock artists from Russia, but artists from other countries perform too.
See also
- Timeline of progressive rock
- List of musical works in unusual time signatures (not limited to prog rock)
- List of popular songs based on classical music
- List of progressive rock bands and musicians
Related genres and sub-genres
Further reading
- Lucky, Jerry. The Progressive Rock Files Burlington, Ontario: Collector's Guide Publishing, Inc (1998), 304 pages, ISBN 1-896522-10-6 (paperback). Gives an overview of progressive rock's history as well as histories of the major and underground bands in the genre.
- Macan, Edward. Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture. Oxford: Oxford University Press (1997), 290 pages, ISBN 0195098870 (hardcover), ISBN 0195098889 (paperback). Analyzes progressive rock using classical musicology and also sociology.
- Martin, Bill. Listening to the Future: The Time of Progressive Rock. Peru, Ill.: Carus Publishing Company (1998), 356 pages, ISBN 0-8126-9368-X (paperback). An enthusiastic analysis of progressive rock, intermixed with the author's Marxist political views.
- Stump, Paul. The Music's All That Matters: A History of Progressive Rock. London: Quartet Books Limited (1997), 384 pages, ISBN 0-7043-8036-6 (paperback). Smart telling of the history of progressive rock focusing on English bands with some discussion of American and European groups. Takes you from the beginning to the early 1990s.
References and notes
- ^ Concepts and concept albums are not the sole ___domain of progressive rock, however (the first noted "concept album"[citation needed] was Frank Sinatra's "In the Wee Small Hours", released in 1957). Conversely, not all progressive rock albums are concept albums.
- ^ Holm-Hudson, K. (2001). Progressive Rock Reconsidered. Routledge. ISBN 0-8153-3714-0.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ Brian L. Knight. "Rock in the Name of Progress (Part VI -"Thelonius Punk")". Retrieved 2006-09-19.
- ^ Tommy Udo (2006). "Did Punk kill prog?". Classic Rock Magazine Issue. 97.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ Blair Blake (2001). "Augustember 2001 E.V." Tool Newsletter. Retrieved 2006-04-28.
- ^ http://www.guitarplayer.com/story.asp?sectioncode=4&storycode=4206
- ^ [http://www.progday.com/ ProgDay home page
External links
- Prog Archives Site dedicated to Progressive Music in all its form.
- Progression magazine A large print publication devoted to coverage of progressive rock and related subgenres.
- Progressiverock.com The Strawberry Bricks Guide to Progressive Rock.