Theres no ....but what about's allowed...

Agree with Greenback, except for Cressida I have barely heard about a couple of the rest.

Iván 

I don't even know Cressida... but I know Catapillar, and they're really hot!! Amazing horn section, lots of red hot blues/jazz jamming, an exciting (perhaps even exceted as well) female singer. Great energetic proto-prog.

Hey Cesar, you must listen Cressida, it's like a mixture of Psychedelia, folk and Italian Symphonic, wuth excellent keyboards and Mellotron sections, reminds me of Moody Blues but more symphonic.

Iván

Titus Groan & BEn are very worthy of this site  and so is Running Man, I'll vote for either Steel Mill or Spring.

Have not heard Zior, though.

All of these groups were early 70's UK proto-prog bands that made one or two albums , all fairly good but on small labels (Neon or Dawn or Vertigo). I would have added on this list Gravy Train , Gracious and Gnidrolog and some more I forget right now.

Sean Trane wrote: All of these groups were early 70's UK proto-prog bands that made one or two albums , all fairly good but on small labels (Neon or Dawn or Vertigo). I would have added on this list Gravy Train , Gracious and Gnidrolog and some more I forget right now.

If you had done that, I would have had a choice other than Catapilla.

Now this is one poll that can be truly informative.

I would also add Indian Summer, Raw Material and Bubu.  

Never heard of any of them...

Infact I only know three prog bands, Pink Floyd, Radiohead & Muse. Never heard of anything else..

Honestly, call myself a progger!! What a cheek..

Rob The Plant wrote: too "underground" for me.  I won't vote, but Judging by name, "Titus Groan". Now that's a good name!

If it was Lord Of The Rings influencing some of the 60's freaks, then many of the others were influenced by  Mervin Peake's unique gothic Gormenghast triology; (the BBC managed to make a half decent TV film drama of it in last 6 years - Sting owned the filmrights, which meant he starred in the radio drama adaptation in the 80's). Titus Groan was the title of the second (?) book.  Mervin Peake was one of Britain official war artists, and entered one of the extermination/concentration camps during the Allied advances at the end of WW2, and then draw painted the harrowing images there - it was said to have turned him insane (as reflected in the 3rd book of the triology). 

Manunkind wrote: If you had done that, I would have had a choice other than Catapilla. Now this is one poll that can be truly informative. I would also add Indian Summer, Raw Material and Bubu.

Bubu (excellent) would stick out of this poll because Argentinian and later release date.

I would also add Mellow Candle , Trees , Comus

Agree with Greenback, except for Cressida I have barely heard about a couple of the rest.

Iván

If you like Cressida you'll love Spring.

both bands are available on CD...German,Repertiore label.Also on 180grm vinyl...Arkarma records Italy..If you wanna hunt for a 1st isuue it's bank loan time.

I don't even know Cressida... but I know Catapillar, and they're really hot!! Amazing horn section, lots of red hot blues/jazz jamming, an exciting (perhaps even exceted as well) female singer. Great energetic proto-prog.

Anna meek on vocal..beautiful...My wife hates her voice,deaf bitch.

Robert calvert on sax etc..but not the same Hawkwind Rob..

Catapilla 'Catapilla'

Catapilla 'Changes'

Awesome..

All of these groups were early 70's UK proto-prog bands that made one or two albums , all fairly good but on small labels (Neon or Dawn or Vertigo). I would have added on this list Gravy Train , Gracious and Gnidrolog and some more I forget right now.

Theres loads of fantastic obscure acts,obscure,lo sales at the time for why!Blloody amazing.

A few more:Aphrodites child,Ramases,Affinity,Still life,Earth & fire,Orange peel.

Manunkind wrote: Sean Trane wrote: All of these groups were early 70's UK proto-prog bands that made one or two albums , all fairly good but on small labels (Neon or Dawn or Vertigo). I would have added on this list Gravy Train , Gracious and Gnidrolog and some more I forget right now. If you had done that, I would have had a choice other than Catapilla. Now this is one poll that can be truly informative. I would also add Indian Summer, Raw Material and Bubu.

Had all those bands been added, I would have gone for BUBU - IMHO, their "Anabelas" album is the best South American prog album from the 70s.

What about Lava??

If you've not heard of them you've no right to call yourself a prog fan..

Odin-Head machine-Salammander-Battered orniments-Greatest show on earth

titus groan is worthy of this site - their LP on dawn is a real delight. course i don't own a Dawn copy just a See For Miles re-issue - but at least it has added tracks

btw...titus groan is the first book of Peake's trilogy - not the second -

Titus Groan - Gormenghast - Titus Alone - he also wrote childrens books (Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor) and books about pencil drawing and the unique properties of expression with softened lead - hmmm strange guy Peake. I once had a poem published based on him.

Peake' art is as bizzare as his incredible stories - he lived on the artists colony island of 'sark' which informed a lot of his work - both literary and visual.

other than titus groan - a few prog bands have taken Peake's work as inspiration - one that comes to mind is Fruup who did a track called Gormneghast. I fully reccomend Peake's work - its very English, but its so timeless also - deals with the notion of ritual, monarchy and 'royal' madness.

other than that I only have LP's by Cressida and Spring - but the english early 70s prog scene is littered with these bands who just never had the luck or durability of the major players. Nevertheless, there is some startlingly great work to discover amongst these.