We all need to start somewhere. For me, it all began with prog-rock. 7th grade. 2002. That was the moment when I finally stepped back and started exploring stuff that interested me. Yes. I was the kid who, at that tender young age, was rockin' to GENESIS and ELP and VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR and all those hip dudes. I was a tremendous dork.
But prog-rock is an incredibly dorky genre. In fact, if we're talking superlatives (and clearly we are), it is likely the dorkiest genre. That's because the people who were in prog bands were dorks. They were the kids who always got an A+ for being different, going above and beyond, and doing something creative; the music they all ultimately went on to make carries the exact same qualities. Why settle for a four-minute pop song when you can write an eight-minute one with several movements and highly literary lyrics? Or why not just fill up an entire vinyl side with one song! Or, in Jethro Tull's case, actually fill up both sides of a vinyl with one song! HELLZ. YEAH.
So it's a dorky genre. But don't be so quick to judge, all you cool indie hipster kids. Hold your horses. With each passing month, it becomes more and more clear just how influential these old-school proggers were on the bands we know and love today. In fact, it seems like prog has made somewhat of a full-fledged comeback as of late. Predictably, nothing makes me happier.
So let's check out a few choice old-school prog-rock cuts. This is the stuff entire musical foundations are built on. And I would know.
Genesis - "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight" (mp3|5.55MB)
I know. A shocker, right? Guess what: before Genesis was a big 80s pop band led by Phil Collins, they were a smaller 70s prog-rock band led by one of my musical heroes, Mr. Peter Gabriel. Fewer people know this than should (and the distinction always calls to mind that unforgettable quote from Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho), but it's true. And while 80s Genesis is somewhat of a guilty pleasure, there's no guilt in this earlier stuff. It's damn good, and it's really not much of a stretch to say that -- from roughly 1971 to 1974 -- Genesis was the best prog-rock band on the planet. "Dancing With the Moonlit Knight" may be the single best song the band ever put to tape. At the very least, it's always been one of my huge favorites. It's deliriously complex, every member gets a little chance to shine, and somehow it all fits together beautifully. I love that ethereal "aaaah!" that comes in around 3:45. Love it.
(from the 1973 album Selling England by the Pound)
King Crimson - "Epitaph" (mp3|8.10MB)
More or less, this is where it all started. Of course there were disparate catalysts leading up to this (The Who Sell Out, Days of Future Passed, Sgt. Pepper even), but the true birth of prog-rock is generally pinpointed with the release of King Crimson's In the Court of the Crimson King. Iconic cover art notwithstanding, I can see why it left an impression. Forty years later, it's still as thrilling and as challenging as anything on record store shelves. There's always been debate over which of the five songs is the best, but I've always been partial to the yearning, minor-key "Epitaph," which may well have been the song that got me into this kind of music. The chronology is a bit fuzzy at this point, but I remember in 7th grade I heard my dad listening to this album; this song just blew me away. I promptly stole the album from him and fell in love with the whole thing on my own terms. The rest is history.
(from the 1969 album In the Court of the Crimson King)
Yes - "Siberian Khatru" (mp3|12.38MB)
I was never the biggest Yes fan. When a band is viewed as indulgent and pretentious even within the context of the most indulgent and pretentious rock genre of all-time, you know there's issues. But nonetheless, their influence is undeniable, and -- like it or not -- their '72 album Close to the Edge is something of a masterpiece. "Siberian Khatru" is both the highlight of that particular record (its shortest song, lol), and for my money the best-ever Yes track. I didn't know such a thing as "psychedelic funk" existed in 1972 (maybe they created it, who knows), but for lack of a better term, that's what this is. But it's thrilling stuff. Indulgent or no, these guys always had a keen ear for melody, and they latch onto several here that they manage to seamlessly weave in and out of each other for nine minutes without ever having it get the least bit boring. And it's fun. Prog-rock can be fun, kids. Yes! Yes!
(from the 1972 album Close to the Edge)
And if that's just not enough prog for you, I highly recommend trying the full albums for each. They're all incredibly rewarding listens.
See you all next week for more Sunday Superlativeness! Adios.
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