The Who? Proto-Prog?

Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:   So if the relation of The Who with Prog is doubious, their relation with Punk is direct and undeniable, tghey were a MOD band this is not an opinion, is an historic fact.   Mod

I agree with Ivan. I always saw Townshend & company as much more  forerunners of punk, not prog.

Besides the aforementioned historical mod scene which they attached themselves to, just listen to the music and attitude of early Who songs like My Generation or Pictures of Lily, etc.

Re "proper" punk in general, it was of course American (NYC) in origin, not English. Everyone always points to the Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks, but these guys, and this very influential album, were there first:



Along with early Who, I'd also point to Iggy and the Stooges as "proto-punk," any day. Just listen listen to 1969, or I wanna be Your Dog. Punk didn't just come out of nowhere.


Edited by Peter - September 01 2007 at 11:52

Peter wrote: Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:   So if the relation of The Who with Prog is doubious, their relation with Punk is direct and undeniable, tghey were a MOD band this is not an opinion, is an historic fact.   Mod I agree with Ivan. I always saw Townshend & company as much more  forerunners of punk, not prog. Besides the aforementioned historical mod scene which they attached themselves to, just listen to the music and attitude of early Who songs like My Generation or Pictures of Lily, etc. Re "proper" punk in general, it was of course American (NYC) in origin, not English. Everyone always points to the Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks, but these guys, and this very influential album, were there first: Along with early Who, I'd also point to Iggy and the Stooges as "proto-punk," any day. Just listen listen to 1969, or I wanna be Your Dog. Punk didn't just come out of nowhere.

Edited by Ivan_Melgar_M - September 01 2007 at 12:43

Thanks Peter, I love music, and I love details, obsessive compulsive probably. Anyway, I love beer also, great idea, mmmmm ... beeeeer.

meinmatrix wrote: Peter wrote: I agree with Ivan. I always saw Townshend & company as much more  forerunners of punk, not prog. Besides the aforementioned historical mod scene which they attached themselves to, just listen to the music and attitude of early Who songs like My Generation or Pictures of Lily, etc. Well, early songs were just that - early songs. Later on The Who continued to become very progressive, don't you think? I haven't heard of any punk band making Rock Opera with multilayer harmonies, synthetizers and stuff like that.

philippe wrote: Published in 1973, only "Quadrophenia" is strictly prog, so maybe it's sufficient to add them in prog related / proto-prog

Edited by Peter - September 02 2007 at 12:11

I agree somewhat with Ivan.

Their most Progressive (note the capital 'P') record, Quadrophenia, came out in 1973, after prog was pretty well established.  Who's Next, in 1971, has some proggy-ness, but not enough to really count considering when it came out. 
Thus, the only contender for them being proto-prog would be Tommy, which aside from being a concept album, isn't really progressive at all. 
Finally, all their material before that is just typical 60s rocky nonsense.  Certainly not Proto.  (Except maybe Proto-punk, but that's already been covered). 

However, due to the importance of Quadrophenia and to a lesser extent Who's Next, they should definitely be in Prog Related. 

Zargus wrote: Why cant they have influenced both prog and punk?

Check the above posts and you will see the whole discussion has come full circle again. What I think has been detirmined is that the Who are prog related and proto punk.

Pawned Heart wrote: I agree somewhat with Ivan. Their most Progressive (note the capital 'P') record, Quadrophenia, came out in 1973, after prog was pretty well established.  Who's Next, in 1971, has some proggy-ness, but not enough to really count considering when it came out.  Thus, the only contender for them being proto-prog would be Tommy, which aside from being a concept album, isn't really progressive at all.  Finally, all their material before that is just typical 60s rocky nonsense.  Certainly not Proto.  (Except maybe Proto-punk, but that's already been covered).

You've apparently never listened to "A Quick One While He's Away" from 1966 or "Rael" from 1967. Perhaps you haven't heard their 1967 cover of Edvard Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King", either, years before ELP produced works in a similar vein.