Recurring themes in prog

The best example of this that comes to mind is Close to the Edge : "I get up I get down" is repeated in all four sections of the title track, each with a starkly different emotion behind it. 

Endless Wire wrote: Another band that I just thought of that does it a bit is Coheed and Cambria (and now begins the are they prog debate...).  Though they don't do it extremely often, when they do choose to do it the effect is very striking.  Anybody else notice the C&C motifs?

topofsm wrote:   Anyways, what are some artists that you feel use this technique well?

Fish-era Marillion because of the "Jester" theme.  Now, that is specifically lyrical recurrence.  Musical recurrence is probably most evident in prog bands that have made a "suite" (again, something the classical masters originated).  Off the top of my head, Marillion's Misplaced Childhood and Like Wendy's Falcon Suite fit the bill...

shanocles wrote: mr.cub wrote: shanocles wrote: definitely jethro tull. a passion play has a great main theme and is such a good listen when you haven't heard it in a while. actually on a side note ... just got ian anderson plays orchestral dvd in the post to watch fri nite. hope its a good watch. also got the phil keaggy 30th anniversary tour of master & the musician dvd with same package.   Previewed this Ian Anderson cd online the other day and it sounded like it was worth checking out, let me know how it is I might just get the dvd as well sure thing. i gave it a quick spin when i first arrived and its ok i guess. couldn't really hear the strings that much. also ian struggles to hit the higher notes it seemed so they transposed some of the songs which make them sound a little different ... awaiting better viewing tonite. its PROG NITE at my house. (every few months or so my bro-in-law comes round and we share dvd's and stuff. he's got some tommy emmanuel and i got the JT and keaggy stuff. should be a good nite!)

hi mr. cub ... watched the dvd and i'd say pass on getting the dvd and cd. it wasn't that thrilled with it actually. better to get something from their heyday when they could hit the higher notes when singing. but having said that if you like the acoustic take on the songs then maybe check it out. definitely wait until its cheap/bargain buys!

moshkito wrote:   Pink Floyd is actually a good example. You can easily play Echoes, Atom Heart Mother, Dark Side of the Moon, and Obscured by Clouds ... and you will find a couple of notes on Richard's piano that seem to repeat ... and I think these were the "joining points" for the jams to stop and all to come together that separated the old days (quite clear in the bootlegs) and later Pink Floyd. In all cases, this theme ... brings about a change in the music ... into a new area.   Is this a symphony? A concert (a la bach, beethoven, etc) ?   We can't really find any difference in the compositional nature of "Dark Side of the Moon" ... than any of us can in Beethoven's 5th, or Mahler's 15th!

Hmmm, I am going to check that out, I hope the cold medicine I took doesn't put me to sleep before I can finish all the PF, and I was going to listen to In a Gadda Da Vida.

shanocles wrote: definitely jethro tull. a passion play has a great main theme and is such a good listen when you haven't heard it in a while. actually on a side note ... just got ian anderson plays orchestral dvd in the post to watch fri nite. hope its a good watch. also got the phil keaggy 30th anniversary tour of master & the musician dvd with same package.

Just gave another listen to Not Of This World by Pendragon. What a great album, and of course tons of recurring themes on all the songs of the album. This repeated themes usually maximize the emotional impact music gives me; it's a great thing.

Now that I think about it, Pendragon deserves a place in my signature. Goodbye, Rush! Welcome, Pendies!

How about Jethro Tull? TaaB is a good example.

its what i really love about prog really, thats what i try and explain to people when they ask what prog is ( i say has recurring themes, classical/symphonic leanings)

if we're talking themes developed over a series of albums ... i definitely hear this in flower kings catalog. (but it may just be down to the artist's preference of chord structure, melody and emotion, fav lick?)
if we're talking themes developed through an album - then concept albums are an obvious choice for me. modern bands that i feel do this exceptionally well are: POS, neal morse, ayreon, glass hammer, flower kings, the last song on the ritual album 'hemulic voluntary band', first half of the 1st tangent record, DT octavarium (the song) plus many more.

of course its all through yes' Tales from topographic oceans as someone mentioned.

p.s. i love that cacho/collaborator tag about loving the sound of the hammond. jon lord is a master!

Porcupine Tree does this in sentimental. They take a part from trains.
Steven Wilson said he did this because of a  reference to trains is in the first line of the next song way out of here.

Also it's all over the place in Beethoven's 9th Symphony, from one movement to the next.