Bored?

It seems to me that one of the major complaints about Prog Rock is that is boring. It's a strange point, seeing a prog has more creativity than most other genres of music. What's with the boredom?

Perhaps it's just fear of the unknown. For just about anyone born after 1975, Prog rock is a fairly underground genre that you discovered only by checking out bands that sound like Pink Floyd. Most people are used to 4/4 pop trite. This may very well dull the response to prog simply because it's too different and causes dissonance. In effect, trying prog becomes like trying an exotic food, and often it takes many tries to get rid of the shock with the experience. Many people may simply not have that kid of patience.

Or, alternatively, what about the length? Once again, most people grow up with 2 to 4 minute pop songs. Trying to break into Progressive rock might be a challenge for them, seeing as it takes a lot more mental effort to truly appreciate a 20 minute work over a 3 minute sugar coated piece of pop. This same effects hurts classical and jazz, too. Length is taboo?

Ultimately, I suppose that for Progressive rock to appeal to the masses, there would need to be a critical shift in the perception of music. An avant garde revolution, similar to the perception of visual arts around 1910, would need to occur. Possible, yes, likely, no.

Klause Schulze- X

I'm tackling a triple album for the first time ever. A member of Tangerine Dream in its earliest incarnation, then with Ash Ra Temple, Kaluse Schilze has some serious Prog Electronic chops before he made his solo debut in 1972. Just 6 years later he had hit his 10th. It's a semi-concept album, wherein six lengthy tracks are supposed to represent famous Germans. Most of the works run close to one half hour long, eons in the vinyl era.

The album begins with a work called "Friedrich Nietzsche" after the great philosopher. Like the implications of the man's work. the song is sterile. The high pitched twang of some keyboards leads the music along for 24 minutes of a ghoulish pace. There's some heavily distorted organic sounds (vocals and an orchestra) layered down deep within the music, and there is a lot of drum machine. Georg Trakl follows, and it is less creepy but just as minimalistic. Schulze really digs into the Berlin School of near ambient music. There are a couple of 10-14 minute pieces that contain some nice synth waving, but the true gem is the 29 minute "Ludwig II Von Bayern", one of the most incredible prog-electronic works of all time. It combines the orchestra with ARP synthsizers to go fll circle, enfusing the classical traditions with the fururisim that progressive rock truly embodies.

Scenic. Ethereal. Breathtaking. Too damn long. Grade: A-

Pink Floyd- Obscured by Clouds

Having previously worked with French Film Director Barbet Schroder, The Floyd made another for the film La Vallé. The 1972 soundtrack became their seventh studio album, and their last before really hitting it big with Dark Side. It is some of their least active and most droning work.

There is a continuous mood of air, space, and eternity over the album's tracks. There's not too much merriment, although the work does have some lighter moments. The duo of David Gilmour's guitar and Rick Wright's keyboards sets the main instrumental makeup of the record. In all honesty, this record may have the nicest vocal performances of any Pink Floyd record. Highlights include the wistful "Wot's.... Uh the Deal", and the rainy "Mudmen". The problem with this album is it lacks any sort of wow factor. It does competent prog rock, but it lacks the philosophical bent of later prog works to make a huge staying mark.

A dress rehersal for better days. Grade: B.

Jukebox #1

Hey, friends. My life is very swamped with schoolwork and sending out college applications, so until further notice I'm switching over to a 4 articles a month schedule instead of 5. However, I'm going to start linking in music for you to enjoy every month, rather than just writing about it, which will take up that 5th spot. Enjoy!

Jethro Tull- A Passion Play

After Thick as a Brick made a monumental statement, J-Tull fol owed it up with a second album long song in 1973's A Passion Play. With the Anderson/Barre/Hammond/Barlow/Evan lineup firmly in place, the group was at the height of their musical power. Another concept album, A Passion Play chronicles the journey of a man who is taken first to heaven, and then to hell, only to ultimately decide that the best place to live is the material earth.

Jethro Tull's medieval sounding chops are in full swing here, with abundant harpsichord, flute, and guitar sounds to give the album a true feeling of fantasy. Part one deals with the trip to heaven, while part two deals with hell. Neither really sounds that different, heaven at times menaces, and hell can show serenity. Like any good tale, there's lots of room to interpret the lyrics, and every prog fan will have an opinion. The real hero of the proceedings is John Evan, who's keyboard patterns (mostly ARP synths and grand piano) provide the main musical leitmotifs throughout the work.

There's a little catch, the work is cut in two by a little fairy-tale like turd called "The Hare who Lost his Spectacles". It breaks up the flow and is ridiculous beyond belief. Avoid it at all costs.


Fit for a minstrel, fit for a Prog Head. Grade: A

Prog Video Sampler

Here's some great old time videos of live Prog Performances:

Tangerine Dream- Phaedra

Tangerine Dream started out making complete space music, and their first 4 record on the German Ohr label are all key. However, after DJ John Peel named their album Atem best import of the year in 1973, they switched to Mike Oldfield's new Virgin label. Here, they changed things up, adding a bit more melodic structure while continued that open, minimalistic feel. The result is 1974's Phaedra often hailed as one of the electronic genre's first masterpieces.

The record contains a 16 minute long title track, two 9-10 minute pieces, and wraps up with a 2:20 meletron flute. That title track has a very airy feel, using Meletron extensively. It slowly transitions between a number of melodic structures, never actively gripping the listener but merely showering sound through their mind in a light manner. The whole record speaks of this: gentle, docile, and ambient. All but a few little sprinkles of guitar chords is done on electronic instruments. The two mid length tracks, are also very pleasing. "Mysterious Semblance at the Strands of Nightmares" is soft and cloudlike, while "Movements of a Visionary", one of TD's most famous tracks, is more analog sounding, and conjures up images of water. The quickie "Sequent C" is a very sweet overlaying on the Meletron's Flute sound.

This was indeed the future of E-music. Phaedra came out the same year as Kraftwerk's "Autobahn" and Brian Eno's debut album. These three set the new bar: no longer reserved for experiments, purely electronic music can have melody, and be enjoyable. A Progressive work in every sense of the word.

A fantastic indicator of things to come, Tangerine Dream had reached their peak which would last several albums longer. Grade: A