Emulating Classic Prog Is Not Prog

Of course there's only one Genesis, one Yes, one pink Floyd, but there's also one Marillion, one Flower Kings, etc.

We are not talking about bands that COPIED the pioneers, w are talking about bands that captured a style and added their own emotions and lyrics.

Lets see three bands as an example:

Now, if we talk  about bands as Starcastle or Unifaun that are simply Yes and Genesis clones, i don't give a damn for them, but very few can be considered clones.

Iván

By the contrary, you're adding one element more, the fusion in this cases is not only withinn different genres and influences, but also the artistical theatric element.

Plus remember, in order to create a theatrical act, you need elaborate lyrics that go beyond the usual "babe, babe babe i love you babe.

Take Genesis for example, the band created the Musical Box but the song alone makes little sense,. or at least 

doesn't show the richness of the concept

Play me Old King ColeThat I may join with you, All your hearts now seem so far from me It hardly seems to matter now. And the nurse will tell you lies Of a kingdom beyond the skies. But I am lost within this half-world, It hardly seems to matter now. (...) You stand there with your fixed expression Casting doubt on all I have to say. Why don't you touch me, touch me, Why don't you touch me, touch me, Touch me now, now, now, now, now... Credits: GABRIEL, PETER / BANKS, ANTHONY / COLLINS, PHIL / HACKETT, STEVEN / RUTHERFORD, MICHAEL The Musical Box lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, CARLIN AMERICA INC, WINDSWEPT HOLDINGS LLC

It seems as pedophilia or a minors rape.

As you see, you don't capture the whole story, so Peter wrote a preface in the album that gave us more info:

While Henry Hamilton-Smythe minor (8) was playing croquet with Cynthia Jane De Blaise-William (9), sweet-smiling Cynthia raised her mallet high and gracefully removed Henry's head. Two weeks later, in Henry's nursery, she discovered his treasured musical box. Eagerly she opened it and as "Old King Cole" began to play, a small spirit- figure appeared. Henry had returned - but not for long, for as he stood in the room his body began ageing rapidly, leaving a child's mind inside. A lifetime's desires surged through him. Unfortunately the attempt to persuade Cynthia Jane to fulfill his romantic desire led his nurse to the nursery to investigate the noise. Instinctively Nanny hurled the musical box at the bearded child, destroying both. Credits: The Musical Box lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, CARLIN AMERICA INC, WINDSWEPT HOLDINGS LLC

But still people who didn't had the album or simply never read the preface, were lost, so he started to narrate the whole story  before the song on stage (Of course this helped the band to tune their only set of instruments without the uncomfortable silence):

If you notice, the theatrical plot created, is the one that gives sense to the song taking us back to the moment in which Henry is killed by Cynthia and forced to return to the Musical Box, even the Old Henry mask helped to understand the concept., it's a brilliant combination of music, literature and theatrics...What can be more Prog than that?

Iván

Not quite, because the theatrics alone are not enough, you must also play Prog music.

There are many Rock Operas or conceptual albums that have no relation with Prog. But if you have a Prog band thatv uses theatrics to enhance the visual and musical experience, well, that's even better.

In the case of ELP, the music is Prog, but the theatrics are only part of the show (Don't affect the nature of the music for good nor bad), 

Remember, for many people it's boring to watch a two hours concert with three guys doing nothing on stage except play their instruments, people want a show.

Iván

Unless you were one of the lucky few who saw Genesis play live with during that theatrical period then the stage spectacle (which was really just Gabriel in a costume and not that much of a spectacle) is irrelevant - just as whatever drama was created in a back-story to a piece of music didn't really make a great deal of difference to the music or anyone's understanding of the lyric. The theatricals were nothing more than stage presentation (as Gabriel said, there were such long gaps between songs as everyone retuned their instruments he had to do something to hold the audiences attention), and they did little to enhance the music - and certainly not on album, listening to it in the comfort of your sitting room. On stage theatrics were such a minor part of 70s Prog they are barely worth even mentioning, even while Floyd had flying pigs and crashing aircraft they were such a small part of the show, which was mainly four blokes stood on stage not doing very much while some lights flashed and a projector showed some synched pictures - even during the Wall not a great deal happened in the two hours show really, some roadies built a wall out of giant lego while eight blokes stood on stage not doing very much, and every once in a while there were some giant inflatable puppets that would sway around unconvincingly like Pinoccio in a mild draught then leave the stage. Don't get me wrong - it was a great show, but it wasn't theatre by a long stretch of the imagination. With Genesis, Yes, ELP, Floyd, Tull and all those other bands that put a little bit of effort into their stage show, that came after the event - their popularity grew solely on the reputation of the music, not the theatric spectacle - people (most of whom never saw the bands live) didn't buy the albums because of the live shows or the press reporting of the live shows, but because of the music.

Superb post, every single word of which is absolutely spot on what really happened.