Progressive Rock

About a month and a half ago, I watched School of Rock for the second time, and one moment in particular stood out to me, where Jack Black reccomends "Roundabout" by Yes to Lawrence, and to listen to the keyboard solo. I knew the name "Yes", but only from the two songs or so that played on my Jango channel (an online radio thing). I regarded those songs (I think they were "Starship Trooper" and "Siberian Khatru") as interesting and thought-provoking, though I really hadn't seen anything too special in them at the time. Nevertheless, I decided to listen to "Roundabout".

Now only a month and a half later, progressive rock is my favourite type of music. Roundabout is my favourite song, ever. I sometimes now just lay back in my chair and bring up "Close to the Edge" by Yes or "In the Cage" by Genesis and just listen. I'm not exactly sure how I fell in love with Yes, and progressive rock as a whole, but I think it has something to do with how in the instrumental parts, you can focus on one instrument in particular, and have it sound amazing, and then be taken back even more when you zoom out again and listen to how good all the instruments sound in tandem.

Progressive rock has also really helped me with my writing. Listening to one of my favourite songs really helps me get "in the zone", and write to the best of my abilities. Together with one of my prereaders for my story really going the extra mile and teaching me on perfecting my tenses and improving my sentence structure, my writing abilities have really come far.

Sure, the genre has its rough edges, like some 20-minute songs that have very dull instrumental parts, but overall it is an amazing expression of how far you can take music, one that even the "masters" of the genre sometimes got horribly wrong. It's sad how the music of today has drifted so far from this that I had no idea this even existed until that month and a half ago. I wonder why you don't hear it on the radio stations that play rock music; I guess it's just too far out from everything else that people wouldn't really "get it" at first. It is pretty hard to get used to it at first.

Anyways, hopefully others here have an interest in this genre as well. If you just randomly hopped in here on a whim with no idea what this is all about, I really suggest you give it a try, though I fully understand if you don't really care for it. Here's "Roundabout", "Siberian Khatru", "In the Cage", "Close to the Edge" (the whole album, though, since that's the only version in one video), and one I only just listened to today, but already love, "The Gates of Delirium".

My most favorite bands in this genre, not exclusively members but many of their songs are.


make sure on the iron maiden song quality is set to at least 480 it sounds like on 320.

Everytime I see Iron Maiden live I think more and more they are the best live band though I wish I could have seen others in their prime. Going to see Roger Waters in June in Chicago, can't wait for that Iron Maiden is in the day before as well. Will be an epic 2 days.

The problem I have with Yes is that every one of their songs makes me feel like I am on some kind of happy pills and I want to frolic through a green grass swept park with air filled with fluffy seed pods massaging my skin. Them as Asia, could never get into either of those bands.


Another good band. Went to see Coheed and Cambria a year ago and they were there. They were really good and started listening to them after that point.

Prog rock is the best

Prog is indeed awesome. Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree are probably my favourite, but Genesis, Yes, etc are all awesome as well. Also the guy from Opeth who's name i can't spell and Steve Wilson from Porcupine Tree have collaborated in a group called Storm Corrosion, which has an abum out in April, which i'm really looking forward to.

And here is some Porcupine Tree and Pink Floyd:

Nobody yet mentioned King Crimson and Camel ?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

But i know this thread will end up as a link feast...

To bad prog rock was killed by that silly excuse for aggressive music called punk rock

Bah there's plenty of good punk music.

I never said anything that contradicts your statement .

I remember the months when I was first discovering Yes. I still keep finding some great songs from their lesser known albums every now and then, but I miss the times when I would listen to "Close to The Edge" or "Tales from Topographic Oceans" on repeat for hours on end and chills would go down my spine every time. What interested me the most was Chris Squire's bass playing. When he came in on "Roundabout" I was instantly blown away. Never thought the bass could be that interesting before. Made me start playing bass myself, and his trebly rickenbacker sound has certainly influenced me a great deal. Everyone who has ever been in Yes is a musical genius(Yes, even Rabin!) though. And they all play together to form a whole, instead of taking turns showing off their technical abilities.

Just put "America" on for old times sake.

Originally Posted by Rainbow Dash

About a month and a half ago, I watched School of Rock for the second time, and one moment in particular stood out to me, where Jack Black reccomends "Roundabout" by Yes to Lawrence, and to listen to the keyboard solo. I knew the name "Yes", but only from the two songs or so that played on my Jango channel (an online radio thing). I regarded those songs (I think they were "Starship Trooper" and "Siberian Khatru") as interesting and thought-provoking, though I really hadn't seen anything too special in them at the time. Nevertheless, I decided to listen to "Roundabout".

Now only a month and a half later, progressive rock is my favourite type of music. Roundabout is my favourite song, ever. I sometimes now just lay back in my chair and bring up "Close to the Edge" by Yes or "In the Cage" by Genesis and just listen. I'm not exactly sure how I fell in love with Yes, and progressive rock as a whole, but I think it has something to do with how in the instrumental parts, you can focus on one instrument in particular, and have it sound amazing, and then be taken back even more when you zoom out again and listen to how good all the instruments sound in tandem.

Progressive rock has also really helped me with my writing. Listening to one of my favourite songs really helps me get "in the zone", and write to the best of my abilities. Together with one of my prereaders for my story really going the extra mile and teaching me on perfecting my tenses and improving my sentence structure, my writing abilities have really come far.

Sure, the genre has its rough edges, like some 20-minute songs that have very dull instrumental parts, but overall it is an amazing expression of how far you can take music, one that even the "masters" of the genre sometimes got horribly wrong. It's sad how the music of today has drifted so far from this that I had no idea this even existed until that month and a half ago. I wonder why you don't hear it on the radio stations that play rock music; I guess it's just too far out from everything else that people wouldn't really "get it" at first. It is pretty hard to get used to it at first.

Anyways, hopefully others here have an interest in this genre as well. If you just randomly hopped in here on a whim with no idea what this is all about, I really suggest you give it a try, though I fully understand if you don't really care for it. Here's "Roundabout", "Siberian Khatru", "In the Cage", "Close to the Edge" (the whole album, though, since that's the only version in one video), and one I only just listened to today, but already love, "The Gates of Delirium".

gay

Yes, Pink Floyd, and Rush for me.

I've always liked Pink Floyd and they're my favorite band of all time. I don't like all of what Rush does but for a three man group they have made some of the most technically demanding music I've heard in rock. I absolutely love their instrumental stuff. I'd been listening to Yes for a long time but I "discovered" them early in college. I can't give enough accolades or explain sufficiently how much I appreciate their music. There are some bands you'll like because they have catchy music, but then there are bands like Yes where you can listen to them over and over and over again and still not truly understand them musically (or in Yes' case, lyrically!!!). The members of Yes I am convinced are musical geniuses. They mix classical and jazz elements into their music yet they meld it into their own unique sound.

I've never had much interest for progressive rock other than the Yugoslav(Serbian) one.I should probably find some time for bands like Yes,Rush etc.

As for the Yugoslav ones,some of the members here are already familiar with Smak and Time

I think "Indeksi " have one prog album ?

Originally Posted by Uber Mind

I think "Indeksi " have one prog album ?

I don't know about Indexi,i never liked them much.

Here's also Korni grupa.Live in 1970(that's very old for Yugoslav rock standards)

Here's the most underrated progressive band and song:

Originally Posted by Zé do Pipo

Here's the most underrated progressive band and song:

Are you kidding? King Crimson is pretty big, and that is their most famous piece. "In the Court of the Crimson King" is widely acknowledged for starting the progressive era.

Yes was supposed to come to Tallinn a few months ago, but the vocalist got sick so they canceled. I had waited for years... Of course Anderson and Wakeman weren't part of the tour, but 3/5ths of the classic lineup is close enough for me!

Yes's self-titled is in constant rotation for me. I haven't listened to much prog rock outside of that album, but this thread is definitely pointing me in the right direction!

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Just found out a load of King Crimson members (Tony Levin, Gavin Harrison, Pat Mastelotto) are playing near me in a few months, wahey

Are they rescheduling the gig or did they just cancel it?

Anyone here listen to Emerson, Lake and Palmer? My dad told me about them, and really, they're amazing. Lucky Man's one of my favourite short songs in this genre, and I'm amazed that they managed to even hold my interest during the entirety of the half-hour long Karn Evil 9; and not only did they do that, I think it might be their best song.





I have to find time to listen to everything you guys posted...I didn't even know Rush did prog rock! I only knew them from Closer to the Heart and A Passage to Bangkok. Though, I think they're lyrics really aren't poetic enough for my tastes, and their sound is unfortunately pretty limited. 2112 is pretty good, though.

Pink Floyd's an awesome band, but I really don't like their longer songs. Shine On, You Crazy Diamond has an amazing chorus, but frankly, it gets kind of boring during the instrumental parts. A bit too slow for my tastes, and not really enough going on. Atom Heart Mother is even worse; the best part of Pink Floyd is their haunting vocals, and you can't really take that away without everything being very drab. Whenever I listen to a Pink Floyd song, I feel like I'm in solitude in the middle of a dense, gray fog, and a voice is calling out to me from outside this fog, adding structure to what would only be a mess of wisps otherwise. Don't get me wrong, I like the way Pink Floyd plays, and when nobody's singing, they can do some pretty interesting things, but they get boring if no one sings again for a long time.