THE MOST TECHNICALLY PROFICIENT PROG ROCK BAND - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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rushfan6588 View Drop Down

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Topic: THE MOST TECHNICALLY PROFICIENT PROG ROCK BAND
Posted: May 18 2006 at 20:16

i feel that bill bruford's band for one of a kind was very strong technically, but the most technically proficient to me is Bruford Levin Upper Extremities

If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice.

Asyte2c00

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Posted: May 18 2006 at 19:38

tool or dream theater

threefates View Drop Down

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Posted: May 18 2006 at 15:34

I read here and I laugh.... Dream Theater.... hehehehehe

ELP were the most technically proficient. So were King Crimson and Yes with certain lineups. Gentle Giant were also great musicians, just horrible at composition.

THIS IS ELP

Angeldust

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Posted: May 16 2006 at 03:01

Well not prog rock, but definately prog.Watchtower of course !

Barla

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Posted: May 15 2006 at 00:10

Another ones could be Liquid Tension Experiment, Weather Report and Symphony X, but there are much more ...

nursethisviper View Drop Down

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Posted: May 14 2006 at 22:33

As the best guitarist of a generation, I think Omar of the Mars Volta definitely deserves a mention... but since the other 40 members of the group have weirdo roles I can't really pin down who's awesome at what. *Shakes fists in anguish*

Rush is good, and I can see the "Peart is god" camp is out in force here.

The members of Dream Theater are amazing at "technical proficiency," but they hardly form a "band," so I'm not going with them. Overall I'd have to say ELP, simply because each member of the band was simply amazing at what they did (and I think Lake deserves a LOT more credit than he gets).

I don't have much Gentle Giant, but I haven't heard anything to make me disagree from what you all are saying about them. Certainly a very skilled set of musicians there.

Edited by nursethisviper - May 14 2006 at 22:35

Proggin' it up eight days a week...

Certif1ed

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Posted: May 14 2006 at 16:45

Tony R wrote:

Certif1ed wrote:

Gentle Giant.
Gentle Giant's compositions are virtually peerless, and the breath, depth and techniques used in composition are matchless,

Not subjective in the least....

If I elaborated we'd be here all week... month... and the rest...

I am talking about technique here - measurable and relatively objective stuff, not vague matters of taste.

If someone plays very fast, we can probably agree that that person is fast - ie they have a fast playing technique.

Likewise, if someone uses advanced contrapuntal writing skills, then that is a technique - one which is very rare indeed in Rock music, but prolific in Gentle Giant.

Then I'd probably have to explain what contrapuntal means, and polyphony vs simple harmonic writing - and we haven't got past counterpoint yet.

D'you see why I kept it short?

Just take my word for it - GG are the most technically proficient.

It doesn't mean you have to like them.

The important thing is not to stop questioning.

chamberry

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Posted: May 14 2006 at 16:00

verslibre wrote:

chamberry wrote:

The Mahavishnu Orchestra is also worth mentioning.

Just look at this video to see for yourself http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J88Ep3_vKIk&search=mahavishnu%20orchestra

Garanteed to blow your head off Wink

That was AWESOME! I was wondering why Jan wasn't getting any face time there but his solo later on up for it—nice wailing on the MiniMoog but just not enough for my taste!! Still, that was killer.

That video actually made me buy the album. I was like Shocked

KoS

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Posted: May 14 2006 at 14:16

Gentle Giant
Dream Theater
Mahavisnhu
Frank Zappa

Tony R

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Posted: May 14 2006 at 14:16

Certif1ed wrote:

Gentle Giant.
Gentle Giant's compositions are virtually peerless, and the breath, depth and techniques used in composition are matchless,

Not subjective in the least....

Certif1ed

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Posted: May 14 2006 at 14:13

Gentle Giant.

Dream Theater are only technically proficient in the techniques of playing - which is completely different to being technically proficient at music.

For example, a robot could be trained to sweep pick and use all the other techniques involved in playing, yet be hopeless at composition.

Gentle Giant's compositions are virtually peerless, and the breath, depth and techniques used in composition are matchless, while the execution is near-perfect.

RJG of the Enid is a virtuosic composer in the "Classical" sense, but I find some of his rock writing a bit too whimsical for my tastes.

GG, OTOH, combine rock "swing" and feel with an equal feel for composition.

Yes are let down by the monotone vocals and cheap vocal harmonies, while Rush are technically proficient in a relatively narrow range - the acoustic side of them is almost always weak and riff-based rather than exploratory.

Gong have produced some incredible work, with undeniable and brilliantly understated showmanship, yet I feel their compositions tend to meander sometimes, and Mahavishnu Orchestra are let down badly by the too-meandering and over-talkative guitar that too often has nothing to say.

So Gentle Giant all the way!

The important thing is not to stop questioning.

Toob-Wurm

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Posted: May 13 2006 at 00:07

Behold, the Arctopus...

Spiral Architect...

verslibre

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Posted: May 12 2006 at 22:27

Bring back the solos, Alex!!

eBay

Kleynan

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Posted: May 12 2006 at 20:29

YES! A gang of f**king big VIRTUOSOS!

You've just had a heavy session of electroshock therapy, and you're more relaxed than you've been in weeks.

Tony R

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Posted: May 11 2006 at 20:28

Arsillus wrote:

Rush.

Give that man a round of applause!

Lee,Lifeson,Peart.
Cant be beaten..........

Arsillus

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Posted: May 11 2006 at 20:26

Rush.

mrgd

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Posted: May 11 2006 at 20:07

' Technical proficiency' is one of the traits, among others , which helps define prog. imo., but its certainly not all there is . Many bands/songwriters write simple and beautiful melodies in an atmosphere where instrumental or vocal 'pyrotechnics' would simply be destructive [e.g. 'Lazarus' from 'Deadwing'].This is no less musically or technically proficient IMO.

But since this thread seems to be leaning the other way re. tech. prof. I'm suggesting UK-- that is, the band responsible for that debut album . They were superTP imo with perhaps only the vocals being slightly weaker.

I also agree with WOLF0621's comments about ZAPPA's bands.

Looking still the same after all these years...
mrgd

eddietrooper View Drop Down

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Posted: May 11 2006 at 18:41

Rorro wrote:

eddietrooper wrote:

Dream Theater beats them all in this aspect. I don't know any guitarist with better technical skills than Petrucci, and the rest of the band are all extremely good on their instruments too.
Of course that doesn't mean that they are the best band.

I think THat TFK beats Dream Theater in that aspect. Also Planet X , Anglagärd and Mahavishnu Orchestra, Brand X , Henry Cow,... .

TFK are good instrumentists but...Are you meaning that Roine Stolt would be able to play Petrucci's high speed solos? No way. Roine's technique is typical mid-70's guitar technique, not bad, but it can't be compared with the extreme speed and precision of Petrucci, which is based on guitar techniques developed in the late 70's and 80's by guitarists like Van Halen, Steve Vai, Frank Gambale, Malmsteen, etc. If we talk about feeling I prefer Roine, but from a technical point of view is obvious that Petrucci wins.

Edited by eddietrooper - May 11 2006 at 18:42

Rorro

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Posted: May 11 2006 at 13:38

Birds Of Fire is THE Masterpiece of Jazz-Rock/Fusion IMO.

Raff

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Posted: May 10 2006 at 11:49

Off the top of my head, I'd say the Mahavishnu Orchestra. "Birds of Fire" just blew me away the first time I listened to it. I think Bruford-era Yes, ELP and GG are also deserving of a mention - even though I can't really say whether they really are the MOST proficient of all. And many Canterbury bands were no slouches either - just think of Hatfield and the North or National Health.