The Mars Volta

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Last thing:

Are TMV apogressive by PA's definition?

Long compositions, sometimes running over 20 minutes, with intricate
melodies and harmonies that require repeated listening to grasp. These
are often described as epics and are the genre's clearest nod to
classical music. An early example is the 23-minute "Echoes" by Pink
Floyd. Other famous examples include Jethro Tull's "Thick as a Brick"
(43 minutes), Yes' "Close to the Edge" (18 minutes) and Genesis'
"Supper's Ready" (23 minutes). More recent extreme examples are the
60-minute "Light of Day, Day of Darkness" by Green Carnation and
"Garden of Dreams" by The Flower Kings.
Cassandra Geminni. Nuff said.
Lyrics that convey intricate and sometimes impenetrable narratives,
covering such themes as science fiction, fantasy, history, religion,
war, love, and madness. Many early 1970s progressive rock bands
(especially German ones) featured lyrics concerned with left-wing
politics and social issues.
They cover love revenge, life after death and fantasy(a person going through a coma is the concept of De-loused)

Concept albums, in which a theme or storyline is explored throughout an
entire album in a manner similar to a film or a play. In the days of
vinyl, these were usually two-record sets with strikingly designed
gatefold sleeves. Famous examples include The Lamb Lies Down on
Broadway by Genesis, Tales from Topographic Oceans by Yes, 2112 by
Rush, Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall by Pink Floyd, and the more
recent Metropolis Part II: Scenes from a Memory by Dream Theater and
Snow by Spock's Beard. Aqualung, perhaps the best-known record by
Jethro Tull, is often regarded as a concept album due to its recurring
themes, but songwriter Ian Anderson has always claimed that the album
is just "a bunch of songs".Both of their albums have obscure and deep concepts about love, hate, revenge, etc......
Unusual vocal styles and use of multi-part vocal harmonies. See Magma, Robert Wyatt, and Gentle Giant.
Mirenda, Cassandra Geminni, L'via, and much more........

Prominent use of electronic instrumentation — particularly keyboard
instruments such as the organ, piano, Mellotron, and Moog synthesizer,
in addition to the usual rock combination of electric guitar, bass and
drums.
Great keyboard work, especially on FTM.

Use of unusual time signatures, scales, or tunings. Many pieces use
multiple time signatures and/or tempi, sometimes concurrently. Solo
passages for virtually every instrument, designed to showcase the
virtuosity of the player. This is the sort of thing that contributed to
the fame of such performers as keyboardist Rick Wakeman and drummer
Neil Peart.
All the time. Read my review for comments on their incredible musicianship

Inclusion of classical pieces on albums. For example, Yes start their
concerts with a taped extract of Stravinsky's Firebird suite, and
Emerson Lake and Palmer have performed arrangements of pieces by
Copland, Bartók, Moussorgsky, Prokofiev, Janacek, Alberto Ginastera,
and often feature quotes from J. S. Bach in lead breaks. Jethro Tull
recorded a famous cover of J. S. Bach's "Bouree", in which they turned
the classical piece into a "sleazy jazzy night-club song", according to
Ian Anderson. Marillion started concerts with Rossini's La Gazza Ladra
(The Thieving Magpie). Symphony X has included parts by, or inspired
by, Beethoven, Holst and Mozart
Well, no, but neither did Genesis, Gentle Giant and Pink Floyd.
An aesthetic linking the music with visual art, a trend started by
The Beatles with Sgt. Pepper's and enthusiastically embraced during the
prog heyday. Some bands became as well-known for the art direction of
their albums as for their sound, with the "look" integrated into the
band's overall musical identity. This led to fame for particular
artists and design studios, most notably Roger Dean, whose paintings
and logo design for Yes are so essential to the band's identity they
could be said to serve the same function as corporate branding.
Hipgnosis became equally famous for their unusual sleeves for Pink
Floyd, often featuring experimental photography quite innovative for
the time (two men shaking hands, one of whom is in flames, on the cover
of Wish You Were Here). H.R. Giger's painting for Emerson Lake and
Palmer's Brain Salad Surgery is one of the most famous album sleeves
ever produced.
Their sleeves are masterpieces by Storm

Edited by The Miracle - April 23 2006 at 00:17