10 Easily Accessible Progressive Rock Albums
As much as anyone has a "thing" that defines them and shapes them as they grow up; whether it's yoga, cars, drugs, or whatever, I've been the go-to guy for music talk. Not necessarily playing music, though that's another passion of mine, but the appreciation of it. And as much as I dig the cerebral nature of jazz and classical music, I never could let go of the (perhaps) childish desire to let loose and rock out. And now I've embraced it.
When I was 15 or so I discovered a neat little midway point between rock, jazz, and classical music. I never really liked the term "progressive rock" (or prog). It's a catch-all term that's been applied so many times to so many different kinds of bands that it means almost nothing anymore. But to me, it means more or less "ambitious rock". Rock music that moves beyond 4/4 time, changes key signatures, goes from one musical theme to the next, and so on. Some bands like Rush tend to stay in a general rock music song structure (save your occasional "2112"...), while Genesis, Yes, and King Crimson twist it all around like a Rubik's cube.
The wonderful thing about this genre is that it encompasses so much of the adventurous music from the 1960s until today and long as you are at least somewhat interested in rock music, you'll find something to enjoy. The only thing that you need to bring is a desire to broaden your musical horizons. But because the music can get jarringly complex, I thought I'd list a few of my favorite albums from some classic prog rock bands as well as some newer stuff if the 70s feel a bit dated to you. This is in no way a "Best Prog Rock Albums Everrr!" kind of list, nor is it even the essential albums. It's a dip your toes in kind of thing so I don't scare you off prog forever. If this is all old hat to you, feel free to skip right ahead to Frank Zappa, Al Di Meola, and Anglagard. I'll get there sooner or later...
Yes - Fragile (1972)
It's kind of weird how the 8-minute "Roundabout" became a commercial hit, but that's the early 70s for ya. And for leaning to the more complex side of progressive rock, Fragile is surprisingly catchy throughout. Yes would definitely get much more sprawling, jazzy, and impenetrable in the few years following this, but it's as good a starting point as any for the classic era of prog. Also, you will never match Jon Anderson's alto, so don't even try.
Key tracks: "Roundabout", "South Side of the Sky", "Heart of the Sunrise".
Brian Eno - Another Green World (1975)
Alright, I'll cede that Brian Eno is probably not really a progressive rock artist, but the man is a legend and has made several notable contributions to art rock from the 70’s until now. The Talking Heads, Roxy Music, and David Bowie wouldn't quite have had their best eras without Eno's distinctive production and sound shaping. Another Green World is right at the beginning of his foray into ambient music, and as such features a mix of ambient and rock oriented songs, although you might find they're a bit quirky as far as rock music goes. Think Talking Heads when you listen to them. And let the ambient songs lift you and put you at peace.
Key tracks: "St. Elmo's Fire", "The Big Ship", "Becalmed".
Rush - Moving Pictures (1981)
I shouldn't even have to introduce this album but I'll write a few words for it. Rush gradually had more and more hits throughout the late 70s, which must have been weird for the casual listener who picked up their albums and found 9 and sometimes 20-minute songs about dystopian futures and awkwardly introduced libertarian ideals. But with Permanent Waves before it and then Moving Pictures, Rush proved they could whittle away the more tedious bits and keep all the good parts in a more concise form. The band sounds so amazingly tight, the synths are bold but not cheesy, and for once, the commerical hits outshine the longer epic tracks. These are played ad nauseum on the radio for a reason.
Key tracks: "Tom Sawyer", "Limelight", "YYZ".
King Crimson - Discipline (1981)
This was kind of a tough album to include for a few reasons. It is jarringly complex, full of atypical rhythms and sounds, and a complete 180-degree turn from what had previously made King Crimson practically synonymous with "progressive rock." But it is possibly my favorite album by the band for those reasons. You'll hear echoes of African drums and Indonesian gamelan music throughout, and the most amazing, tight playing ever in prog music, as far as I'm concerned. In as much as a rock band can entrance you, this hit all the right notes. Bonus points for being an unmistakably 80s-sounding album with 0% of the expected 80s cheese.
Key tracks: "Matte Kudasai", "Indiscipline", "The Sheltering Sky".
Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel (Security) (1982)
Now this is probably the least "prog rock" album I have listed, but Genesis is a band you've really got to ease in to. The haughty Britishness of the band's best albums can be silly and sometimes even completely unrelateable. But singer Peter Gabriel's solo work retains the careful attention to texture and sound that his previous band explored, only shaping the music into a more typical structure. Which is not to say the songs aren't compelling. Try to listen to "The Rhythm of the Heat" and "San Jacinto" without a shiver running down your spine. The man can write a hell of a song, even if he hasn't done much in a decade. And aside from Eno and David Byrne's ventures into African rhythms, Gabriel incorporates world music influences into the songs like no one has since.
Key tracks: "The Rhythm of the Heat", "San Jacinto", "Shock the Monkey".
Porcupine Tree - Up the Downstair (1993)
Aaaaaand we skipped ahead a decade. The 80s, while an amazing decade for post-punk, new wave, metal, and (in my opinion) pop music in general, not so much for progressive rock. The bubble of pomposity had to burst sometime, and it did in a big way. There are some great bands from that decade, but it's not the best starting point. Anyway, Porcupine Tree has become perhaps the most popular progressive band since prog's heyday for their intriguing mix of metal, psychedelia, and alternative music. That can be said of a lot of "alt-prog" (or whatever...) bands, but in the end it boils down to how well the elements all come together and how good the songs are. And Steven Wilson writes extremely compelling music. It's not really as intense lyrically as Yes or Genesis, and not nearly as complex, but extremely refreshing when you first get into the band. This album finds them still in their Pink Floyd/Tangerine Dream with a distortion pedal phase, which I wouldn't mind them returning to for a bit.
Key Tracks: "Not Beautiful Anymore", "Burning Sky", "Fadeaway".
dredg - El Cielo (2002)
Hot damn is this band criminally underrated. Or maybe underappreciated is a better term. Started as an adventurous hardcore-ish alternative band, they pull one of the best modern rock albums out of their asses for what should have been their sophomore slump. But I'll take it. The hardcore influnce is still there, but muted, and it sounds more like if Incubus got their shit together and made the music I wished they did. Recurring references to sleep paralysis (terrifying) and Salvador Dali (mesmerizing) abound. They hit their best notes when they're most ambitious. More bonus points for having one of the best ending songs of any album I own. Gotta say I've shed a tear to that a capella coda.
Key tracks: "Same Old Road", "Of the Room", "The Canyon Behind Her".
The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003)
Oh The Mars Volta. Why? Why did you have to give us this unique, bizarre, addictive, and gorgeous album and then proceed to give us five more albums with increasing diminished returns? But I guess I can always pretend they only had one record, just like M. Night Shyamalan only made The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. Right guys? Right? But still this album has it all: hardcore energy, sci-fi blips and bleeps, Santana-esque conga rhythms, and a mind-melting concept. Or at least I think so. The whole thing feels like a bad acid trip in the Blade Runner universe, and I love it. Not a typical prog album, but probably friendlier to 21st century music sensibilities than most.
Key Tracks: "Eriatarka", "Cicatriz Esp", "Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt".
Marillion - Marbles (2004)
Old dogs do have new tricks. Remember when I hinted at the 80s being a dead zone for prog. Well a band called Marillion made it (relatively) big then, and with all the glitz and glamour of the plastic decade in tow. But they waned a bit, changed up their act to keep up with the times, all the while still flirting with progressive music. And then, 13 albums into their career, they make a solid, mature but still fresh entry into their catalogue with Marbles. This is a double-album so I'm stretching the meaning of "accessibility" a bit, but the songs here are top notch. The music isn't flashy but the band has always been less about chops and more about atmosphere and feeling than jaw-dropping fret and keyboard runs. Think of it as a modern take on Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here.
Key tracks: "You're Gone", "Ocean Cloud", "Neverland".
Gazpacho - Night (2007)
And here's some comparatively unknown shit to round out the list, but it's a gem. And the album title is so indicative of what's inside. This is brooding but not depressing, sleepy but not drowsy, and haunting but not scary. Even less flashy than Marbles. I can't even recall if there's a solo on the whole thing. If you are a Radiohead fan (how couldn't you be?) or like Sigur Ros and post-rock in general, get on it. This is right up your alley.
Key tracks: "Dream of Stone", "Upside Down", "Massive Illusion"
Happy listening. More recommendations and genres to come!
Kommentare