2024 What is still the best Prog Rock band ever?

I agree that King Crimsons pre Belew era are Prog landmark albums. Yes and Genesis, ELP, gentle giant, moody blues, Hawkwind.

There is just too much good Prog out there to choose from nowadays. 25-30 years ago everyone jumped on PTREE and TOOL styled metal mix and have been imitating ever since. it’s hard to pick out the real NEW styles but they are out there. Some of the most interesting new stuff is hot for a minute only to be replaced by the next in line. Like Real Estate, I think the market is saturated with product … not enough buyers.

Our generation saw the best of it in huge arenas, with big record deals and larger than life bands. We had FM radio to drag us in. Cool bigass stereo systems to play it on. It was really something. You could see BOC and ELP for 8.50 and a screaming light show. It was the best of times. I like porcupine tree, the music is good. The subject matter is sufferingly psychologically pathetic ,and that was interesting too… for a minute. It was imitated to death. Still is after 25 years. Kind of a downer.
What I hear mostly today (in Prog) is based on 6 past styles…
Porcupine tree
King crimson
Tool
Radiohead
Yes
Tangerine dream
Ask any Gynecologist… even the best things become mundane after overexposure. But somehow King Crimson and Yes have managed to enjoy repeated plays for a long long time.

My opinion today… could change after another beer.



Edited by Valdez - June 09 2024 at 23:05

DarksideofAbel wrote: So no prog at all before ITCOTCK? Really? No, I don't really agree with that I'm afraid. KC is in my top 10 (maybe even top 5) but not my favorite.   Well, I see the Nice, Floyd, The Moodies Blues, Traffic, Zappa had debut albums in 1967!, however was that prog? in my humble opinion I don't think so!! that was a mix o psychedelia music, avant garde , fusion? acid rock? O whatever it was called?. Crimson made the first real prog rock album with all the correct ingredients.

Edited by Cristi - June 10 2024 at 02:08

ufff alot answer!!!!! thanks!!!!!

Camel!! Yes!! I believe their debut album is one of the best amongst their prog peers of the late 60's and early to mid 70's. Unfortunately not on any streaming services so I'm not sure what their opinion of the record is..... but nevertheless it is in constant rotation on my record player. 

ProgSynonym wrote: GoodDay wrote: Hell, basically all of music died when the 70's did....... no nostalgia clouding my memory here either, under 30 years old and can still recognize that music stopped being about music when the 80's began Hey there, dude! Gotta say, your take on music is like, totally gnarly but let's pump the brakes a bit and vibe on this together. Music is like this rad wave that keeps on rolling, man. The 70s were totally epic, no doubt about it - groovy tunes, killer vibes, and all that jazz-rock. But hey, just because the 70s were awesome doesn't mean progressive music died when they ended, nor that hippies disappeared. You just had to be on the right stuff, you dig?

richardh wrote: I still need new music. You can't invalidate anything just because it suits you. The progressive rock movement never ended and there is no supposed 'cut off' when it ground to a halt. I remember listening to IQ in the early 80's and realising it was more important to me that the flowery literary references of Genesis that never hit home. I needed something raw and visceral and relevant to my state of mind at the time. I also still listen to Marillion and tracks like Forgotten Songs and Fugazi are totally timeless. Sure the 80's mainstream scene was very plastic but the likes of Kate Bush and a few others were still making interesting music. Nowadays there is a helluva lot of great prog some coming from other countries adding their own distinct flavour and ideas. I will keep on listening and not even close to getting bored with music. If I'm some kind of a heathen incapable of appreciating art then so be it. I don't care!

The impressive thing about IQ is that they never really "copied Genesis". Not even on Tales from the Lush Attic. I won't deny the fact Peter Nicholls' vocal style was influenced by Peter Gabriel's inflections and "acting techniques". But he didn't force himself to mimic Gabe's "RP accent" when singing or his "goat vibrato". The aforementioned cliché's, believe or not, are what a lot of vocalists in Genesis "clone bands" copy and it always sounds so contrived. Examples: Simone Rossetti, Bernardo Lanzetti, Nacho Rodridgues, Nad Sylvan, Frédéric Jost (Neuschwanstein).

Edited by Hrychu - June 10 2024 at 23:10

ProgSynonym wrote: Dude, that whole thing about something being expired in the 80s when it comes to progressive music? Total myth, bro! There was some rad progressive music droppin’ in the 1980s, man! Ain’t no way anyone can front on that, dude! So many rad records dropped in the 80s!

PROGSYNONYM SAID :

Porcupine Tree

Edited by smoledman - July 01 2024 at 22:28