(este lo escribí para un trabajo que me dejaron...por eso está en inglés)
Progressive rock, more than just music, is a way of thinking, a point of view; due to certain sensibility of the ear toward highly developed music.
The movement began in the late 1960’s in Europe, thought it reached its peak on the 1970’s. Its Jazz Fusion and Classical music roots make it; a unique style, out of the ordinary, and as complex as them. The sophistication of its structure resides in the “progressions” of intensity, the experimentation of the senses and particular timing structures.
Its followers usually admire the complexity, the relaxation of a 20 minute long suite, lyrics that cause a real separation from reality; which might be narrative or even a desperate cry of the soul expressing the pain in it. They even can be analytical and plain; depending on the group, the lyrics can be important or not; there are uncountable different opinions about this matter. The importance of the lyrics lies on the interaction between the vocalist (vocalists in some cases) and the music development. Another curiosity about the same, is the conceptuality of a record, this means that the album will not be divided into song, but it will become a whole piece with a concept in common.
Even thought Progressive Rock was born in England, it expanded itself to all over the world, from Japan to Argentina, as a culture of knowledge and appreciation for art.
Through time it has been called a presumptuous genre by music critics, and praised by many others, but as I’ve said before; it is only for special ears, to appreciate its value. Any follower knows that, it needs to be deeply studied, and for you to evolve through it, and get to know its different sub-genres and stages, will probably take years.
To understand where it comes from, we have to go all the way back to the 60’s and understand the musical environment. In the early 60’s the fever comes right from England, the Beatles rule all, along with bands like the Yardbirds, The Animals, etc. In a more underground culture, Bob Dylan starts to win followers, as the hippy scene takes over at the late sixties. But there’s a need to have something superior and inspired by jazz and the Beatles, all those well read educated musicians, enter the scene.
Some groups like Pink Floyd start by doing Psychedelic Rock, others as Genesis start by doing soft rock n’ roll, but with characteristics never heard before. To say what the first conceptual progressive album was, is extremely hard, due to different theories. Some say that The Beatles’s “Sgt. Pepper’s lonely hearts club band” was the first conceptual album in history, some say that Moody Blues were the first to do actual progressive rock, even though most of their first record “Days of future passed” is filled with contrasts, from Symphonic Prog to soft rock n’ roll.
As the decade changes to the next, so does Progressive Rock, it starts to evolve, and beautiful things are created. With it also “Classic Rock” is born, with Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Deep Purple, The Who; a genre that goes along with Prog and cannot be ignored. In this time, this expression of art becomes worldwide know, it’s now a stream, and to my nostalgic opinion it’s the best time in music and in history. Conceptualism, art, literature and music come together to create this culture, a culture of vinyl, long hair and idealism. The decade goes on, Crimson, Genesis, Floyd, Camel, ELP, Yes, Premiata; the air is filled with new works of art everyday. These were musicians that actually took time, and parts of their soul to record a record, to create their shows, to do their covers, to actually care about the music.
The peak comes at 1973 and goes on for a while, but everything must end. By the 80’s only a few of the bands prevail, some of them changed. In the 80’s only a few continue to actually do progressive rock, such as one of my personal favorites, Marillion, records fantastic albums, but no longer with the particular sound of the first generation. Hopelessly, bands are created, with the intention of calling themselves Prog, you may call me and a few other purists, but they cannot ever resuscitate the beautiful sounds once made. To this day hundreds of “Neo/Progressive” bands exist, mixing the so called technical characteristics of Prog with Metal, and other experimentations. In this “group of groups” there are some that are worth it, such as Abraxas and Riverside, but none is worth taking the title of Prog.
In a conclusion, Progressive Rock is worth digging up through time; discover the nostalgia in past times we never even lived and appreciating it. And as far as Neo Progressive it’s still a matter of discussion for us, purists, but no one can say that with that stream great talents are carried, and there’s still a little light of hope, for live, for life is music.
"SHADOWS OF shadows passing. It is now 1831, and as always I am absorbed with a delicate thought. It is how poetry has indefinite sensations, to which end music is inessential. Since the comprehension of sweet sound is our most indefinite conception, music, when combined with a pleasurable idea, is poetry. Music without the idea is simply music. Without music or an intriguing idea, color becomes pallor, man becomes carcass, home becomes catacomb, and the dead are but for a moment motionless."
Edgar Alan Poe/ Alan Parsons Project –Tales of mystery and imagination by Edgar Alan Poe- The fall of the house of Usher- PRELUDE( I)
