Top 5 US Prog bands from the 70s

I've said it before and I'll say it again:

Miles Davis, 1969-1975. (from In A Silent Way to Agharta and everything in between). 




Edited by arnold stirrup

Kansas
Zappa
Weather Report
Happy the Man

I'm glad Weather Report was finally mentioned (as long as were considering
fusion.)

Kansas, of course. 

Also HP Lovecraft (if you consider them prog), Vanilla Fudge, Captain Beefheart, and It's a Beautiful Day.

How could I forget the Residents????..one of my favorite bands!

Chicago's first four albums + 7 are also of interest in U.S. Prog.

Dick Heath wrote: meurglysIII wrote: Besides American Jazz-Fusion acts, I'd have to say that my favorite U.S. Prog album from the 70s is Journey's debut, really excellent. By the way, Steely Dan aren't Prog, although they are quite good.   Interesting the Kerrang Encyclopaedia of Heavy Rock calls the first few Journey albums jazz rock' including my favourite Back Into The Future - which sound to me to be straightahead rock. And I think I'm right in saying Brit, Ainsley Dunbar played drums (hot from the Mothers) originally in the band before jazz drummer Steve Smith came along. I have real problems with Steeley Dan being dismissed as not being prog, simply because they consistently mixed rock and jazz in their music, ergo a jazz rock band, i.e. fit into the jazz rock fusion sub-section of prog rock. Is this doubt because their songs have lyrics......?

The first Journey album is sort of jazzy at times, but not jazz-rock to me. I haven't heard "Back into the Future" yet, but plan on it. By the way, Dunbar is an incredibly underrated drummer. Check him out on "Freedom at Point Zero" by Jefferson Starship, not Prog I know.....

I think Steely Dan are good classic rock, and although they mixed jazz, rock and pop, I still don't consider them Prog. They definitely had a unique sound though. They may be more Prog than some other listed bands  IMO, but I personally don't think they belong here, and it's not just the lyrics or vocals, for me at least.

The possibility of their  inclusion has been brought up a few times at least, and it seems that it's the general consensus among Collaborators that they shouldn't be included, and as I already stated, I agree....

Hello group!

 

Scanning my collection I came up with the following. No favorite 5 here, just lot’s of great music

 

Other than the biggies from the 70’s (Zappa, Kansas,..etc)

 

Most of these have already been mentioned. But all are great bands from the US during that decade and worth checking out (IMO of course);

 

Arabesque

Babylon

Captain Beyond

Cathedral

Easter Island

Ethos

Fireballet

Flying Island

Fred

Glass

Guns and Butter

Hands

Happy the Man

Lift

Maelstrom

Mirthrandir

The Muffins

Pavlov’s Dog

Pentwater

Victor Peraino's Kingdom Come

Polyphony

Pre

Ram

St. Elmo’s Fire

Shadowfax

Starcastle

Surprise

Thunderpussy

Utopia

Viola Crayola

Wizards From Kansas

Yezda Urfa

 

Also, a few great pop/prog bands;

 

Ambrosia

Aviary

Crack The Sky

 

If you like the early Journey / Santana sound, I’d also recommend;

 

Azteca

Caldera

Chango

Malo

Mandrill

 

Plus tons of great Jazz / Fusion / Funk which I figure you not looking into (according to your post). Not to mention many hard rock bands that had progressive moments.

Happy Hunting!

 

------------

Rick

Edited by Mellovision

hey from Andrew´s lis t my top 5 are

1. Return To Forever
2. Styx
3. Kansas
4. Zappa
5. Weather Report

i was thinking in Mahavishnu Orchestra, but i think it is a multi national band, beautiful!!

1. PAVLOV'S DOG
2. STARCASTLE
3. BABYLON
4. CATHEDRAL
5. FIREBALLET
6. LIFT
7. MIRTHRANDIR
8. PENTWATER
9. RETURN TO FOREVER
10. WEATHER REPORT
11. SYNERGY
12. FRANK ZAPPA
13. KANSAS
14. STYX
15. TEMPEST
16. UTOPIA
17. YEZDA URFA
18. AXCRAFT
19. AURORA
20. CAPTAIN BEYOND

Top 5:

1. PAVLOV'S DOG
2. RETURN TO FOREVER
3. WEATHER REPORT
4. STARCASTLE
5. KANSAS

 

In no particular order:

Shadowfax - Watercourse Way   Easily as good as anything that HTM put out.

Atlantis Philharmonic - S/T   not really great, put pretty damn good. And the two of them did all their stuff live, quite a feat!

Osamu Kitajima - his '70's releases are awesome. Expatriot Japanese guy, moved to LA in the mid '70's. If you liked Jade Warrior in the Island label period you'll love this stuff.

St. Elmo's Fire - Splitting Ions In The Ether - OK, this came out in '80, but the band started in the late '70's. Probably the best truly heavy US prog band. Right up there with the '73 - '74 King Crimson line-up. Like King Crimson's RED album? Check this out.