Progressive 80s artists: music ahead of its time

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Topic: Progressive 80s artists: music ahead of its time
Posted: 13 hours 6 minutes ago at 09:28

siLLy puPPy wrote:

I mean seriously do you even know what tech thrash is?

Yes, I do. For instance, this little masterpiece from 1984:

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Posted: 14 hours 28 minutes ago at 08:06

^ like technical thrash metal can't be progressive? Have you heard of something being two things simultaneously? It also has early sprinklings of US power metal. It's pretty much universally accepted by those who know what they're talking about that Watchtower's Energetic Disassembly is THEEE first fully developed metal album that adds progressive elements. The band is labeled as such everywhere and the reason it's on PA. Sure the second album is much more progressive and much more interesting but if you can't hear the progressive elements on this album then you need to do your homework.

Likewise NOBODY considers Razor to be tech thrash and not even close to progressive. Even this EP is not progressive but rather a mix of speed metal, early thrash metal that combine elements with the standard heavy metal of the day. I mean seriously do you even know what tech thrash is?

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Posted: 15 hours 9 minutes ago at 07:25

siLLy puPPy wrote:

WATCHTOWER pretty much invented progressive metal in its fully developed stage with its 1985 debut

It's technical thrash metal, not progressive metal. By the way, the Canadian band Razor released a technical thrash metal debut EP called Armed and Dangerous a year earlier, in 1984:

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Posted: 15 hours 48 minutes ago at 06:46

WATCHTOWER pretty much invented progressive metal in its fully developed stage with its 1985 debut

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Posted: 15 hours 53 minutes ago at 06:41

Hi,

I have a different take on stuff that is (supposedly) ahead of its time.

The history of the arts has been about "change" ... and as such we always found different things at all times, that were considered new and ushered a new era for a lot of work ... for me, that was a part of what the arts were, and ARE, about.

My concern is that something different, strange and weird comes about ... and all of a sudden it is the thing that supposedly is ahead of its time ... and 50 years later, no one gives a damn ... which is what has happened to what was progressive music, that is now replaced by ProgRock and then is replaced by ProgCopy, and then is replaced by ProgbyDaw, and then replaced by ProgbyNumbers, etc, etc, etc ...

I, no longer look at music, or any art, as something that shows us a future that we can not see yet ... some things last long enough, and some don't, thus the ability to think of them as valuable and important goes down a bit.

I thought I was a part of the generation that cared, and valued great works ... until one day at Anaheim Stadium, you knew that the place was infested by rats and fanboys, screaming and fighting for a piece of the flying pig ... and the future was forever damaged for me ... it didn't mean a thing at all ... it's almost like the whole thing was a joke ... and none of us want to feel like we were in the wrong place, and liked the wrong music and the wrong band ... the future was NOW ... and it was a horrible site to be in and see ... I was embarrassed, but in that moment, I knew one thing about the future of music, and music sites ... it was going to be controlled by more fan-boys and trolls ... and (sometimes) the really good stuff, or in this case threads or postings, were going to be ignored and not given the pat in the back they deserve ...

The only thing we know about "future" is that things change ... and tomorrow some new band, or music shows up that makes us feel that ... and my hope is that we appreciate the effort, but ... I'm not sure that I'm seeing folks ... even here ... talking about it as an art ... it's still all about the favorite this and that ... I don't think we will see another Picasso, or Stravinsky, for at least 50 to 100 years.

We, here, at PA, and JMA, at the very least appreciate new music ... and that is a sign for me ... and often you wonder which one will be enjoyed and which one will be ignored. But POPULAR music, specially these days, has not (historically) been ahead of its time, like film and theater were in the 1960's, or jazz was in that same time period ... rock music was behind and did not show up until it looked like everyone had to get ripped on something or other and wear colorful clothing ... and you and I know that was not about a future at all, but a clever commercial play ... that sold a lot ... and the music? Even today, we don't think much of it is worth the price of the album! We enjoyed it, though, because most of the other stuff was copycrap!

Edited by moshkito - 15 hours 50 minutes ago at 06:44

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Posted: 19 hours 29 minutes ago at 03:05

The Residents: Commercial Album (1980)

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Posted: 19 hours 39 minutes ago at 02:55

Rideau! represents the second album by French ensemble Un Drame Musical Instantané, originally released in 1980. This record stands as a testament to their innovative spirit and is often regarded as ahead of its time. On Rideau!, the music is characterised by its eclecticism and progressiveness, seamlessly transitioning between jazz, electronic music, ambient, and contemporary classical compositions.

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Posted: 20 hours 16 minutes ago at 02:18

Group 87 (1980)

Terry Bozzio drums
Mark Isham trumpet, electronics
Peter Maunu guitar, synth, violin
Patrick O'Hearn electric bass, double bass
Peter Wolf piano

eBay

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Posted: 21 hours 20 minutes ago at 01:14

The 1980 Health and Efficiency EP was positioned between two full-length records by the British experimental rock group This Heat. In stark contrast to their primary albums, this remarkable piece was ahead of its time and appears to have laid the groundwork for a multitude of movements that followed, like indie rock and that funky electronica.

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Posted: January 23 2025 at 07:56

Jon Hassell/Brian Eno: Fourth World, Vol. 1: Possible Musics (1980)

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Posted: January 15 2025 at 07:32

King Crimson Discipline

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Posted: January 08 2025 at 06:15

A couple have already been mentioned but anyway:

Djam Karet (USA) - Reflections From The Firepool (1989)

Fates Warning (USA) - The Spectre Within (1985)

The “Gunesh” Ensemble (USSR) - Looking at the Earth (1984)

Iconoclasta (Mex) - Reminiscencias (1985)

P.L.J. Band (Gre) - Armageddon (1982)

Solaris (HUN) - Marsbeli Kronikak (1984)

Voivod (CAN) - Nothingface (1989)

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Posted: January 08 2025 at 05:53

As mentioned in the Bruford polls, I think that the Bruford's Earthworks albums of the 80s are very fresh, original, and creative. There was a unique warm use of melodic electronic drumming, and a nice fusion of prog, jazz, and more recent electronic elements with a bit of well dosed free experimentation thrown in. Not sure whether this can be called "ahead of its time" as I don't know of many people who took up this kind of thing later, but it was surely unique. (For some reason not so popular around here.)

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Posted: January 08 2025 at 04:37

moshkito wrote:

I really think that the lack of FM Radio in the 1980's ... was what hurt the most, but the music never died. There were too many bands that were out there, however, like FELT, there were many that we had never heard of, or about, and this band, I just heard for the first time ... 40 years later! FM radio losing its independence to the corporate world was an attempt to take music out of our hands (late 70's early 80's) ... and the Internet helped a lot (later), but it is becoming corporate owned and we need to start fighting that again. DJAM KARET was a part of my collection going back to 1990's ... on the album right after "Reflections" ... which got me to be on them ever since.

I guess I was lucky to have two FM radio stations in Philadelphia in the 1980s (I grew up there): 93.3 WMMR and 94.1 WYSP. Both of them called themselves "classic rock stations," but they played a fair amount of prog and without them it might have taken me much longer to eventually discover all that great music. For a time, WYSP used to play 4-5 full albums on Sunday nights. They tended to play more "deep tracks" than WMMR, but both stations were played on my radio almost daily.

We had another program on another radio station (I think from the University of Pennsylvania) called Star's End that played electronic prog, like Tangerine Dream, Richard Pinhas (remembering songs from his album Iceland), and Mark Shreeve. Those were broadcast late in the evening on Saturdays and I used to put my headphones on and turn out the lights as it was really spacey stuff.

I was lucky. I don't know if other urban areas were as lucky. I'm guessing since you think there was a lack of FM stations, maybe other places missed out on this.

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Posted: January 08 2025 at 04:26

Over the last decade I've come to appreciate the 1980s more than I had in the past. It was mostly from discovering bands in the RIO/Avant-Prog areas, especially Present -- one of my absolute favorites. It's sad that their 2024 release will be their last, but what an album to end a discography with. It likely will be my #1 in my top 20 of 2024 once I finalize my list.

Also a curiosity that came out in that decade: one of the best symphonic prog albums (in my top 10 at least) from Hungary's Solaris, Marsbéli Krónikák. What a debut! It seemed so out of place in 1984.

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Posted: January 08 2025 at 02:08

^ Agreed, I think it was the other way round. The early PM US bands were influenced by early-80s Maiden, and then Maiden on SSOASS was influenced by them.

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Posted: January 08 2025 at 02:02

richardh wrote:

I mentioned Iron Maiden on the sister thread and would still put them here for Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son. The birth of 'prog metal' perhaps.

As much as I love the album, the birth of progressive metal did not start with it.

USPM bands did that before Maiden (some of them being influenced by Maiden LOL

)

All sort of experimentation also was happening in thrash - Watchtower, Mekong Delta, Voivod that would influence other bands later on.

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Posted: January 07 2025 at 22:13

moshkito wrote:

Hi,

Heck, Marillion would likely fit, though folks think that Fish was a copy ... and he was much more honest and true to himself and the work he did for many years.

Agree and I also loved and still like Marillion's Seasons End album from 1989. Seemed to capture a lot for me that I felt at the time and an album that estued the typical 'Neo Prog' approach. I see that as being quietly innovative.

I mentioned Iron Maiden on the sister thread and would still put them here for Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son. The birth of 'prog metal' perhaps.

I would like to mention Jon and Vangelis. I've been listening to them over the last few days and they were making original music that still stands up (Horizon, The Friends Of Mr Cairo and State Of Independence are amazing songs just in their own right)

I would agree on Talk Talk as mentioned earlier in the thread but China Crisis were on a par and were guided by Walter Becker. There were other great artsy pop acts such as Japan, A Flock Of Seagulls, Tears For Fears, Propaganda (my personal favourite) and even the likes of Duran Duran (for Save a Prayer), Frankie Goes To Hollywood (Relax and Two Tribes) and Simple Minds (Waterfront) were very interesting at times.

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Posted: January 07 2025 at 20:25

verslibre wrote:

moshkito wrote:

Djam Karet starts up in 1985, but the album that got their attention was in 1989 (Reflections From the Firepool)

Correct, it remains the favorite album of more than a few DK fans, Greg Walker included.

moshkito wrote:

I also find it weird when folks think the 1980's weren't very good ...

Ditto. I own hundreds of albums released in the '80s.

I recently bought it and yes it is very solid. The Devouring and maybe a few others are also highly rated. Unfortunately the Devouring (which is a bit later anyway and a 90s and not 80s album) is out of print anyway.

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