Under-estimated bands

When it's about prog, i often hear about the same bands: Genesis, Yes, ELP...

So, here are some suggestions:

AGITATION FREE: Unknown excellent krautrock band, somewhere between PF and US psyche.

Clearlight: French band parallel to Gong, cosmic and symphonic

Heldon and Richard Pinhas: French underground,R.Pihnas was among the very first to use synthe and was a fripp's disciple (he plays guitar a little like the master)

Others suggestions?

Clearlight symphony (1) by clearlight is really the only real good cd by them.  It is 4 stars or so, i think thats what i rated it.  but start with that.

I'll come up with other bands later.

Let's face it, any prog band that sounded good to a handful of people while forgotten or never heard of by the majority, would be 'under-estimated'. Therefore the list is going be huge. For every estimated or over-estimated band, there'll be 100+ under-estimated. From the historical viewpoint, get hold of catalogues* from the late 60's and early 70's , issued by UK record labels Vertigo, Harvest, Island, Charisma or Deram, most of the names there won't be remembered/recognised - for example three signed to the  Charisma record label struggling for success at the same time as were co-signings Genesis and Van Der Graaf Generator: String Driven Thing, Audience, Capability Brown. (And here 'success' meaning a lasting reputation perhaps more than financial remuneration).

* you'll be amazed what's on the web. However for an easier search (e.g. Amazon.UK gives a breakdown), check out the bands listed on the two recently issued  triple CD samplers from that period:

Legend Of A Mind
All Good Clean Fun

and see how band names you recognise?

i'll have to check em out...or if they are so rare, d/l them!

 

Lots of USA prog bands tha twere simply great couldn't manage to get a decent recording deal, or took too long to get one, or were turned against once they recorded one or two albums. HAPPY THE MAN, HANDS, HOWEVER, CATHEDRAL, LIFT, HOLDING PATTERN, the old pre-KANSAS that is now called PROTO-KAW... thank God for the CD techonology! Availability? Costs? Well, that's another issue.

These guys are undeservedly underestimated because there wasn't ONE group of music bussiness men who took the risk and made the effort to make them be properly acknowleged.

Edited by Cesar Inca

1. Kansas: Often compared with STYX, Boston and other AOR bands due to the fact that all are from USA and reached their peak around the same years,
2. Triumvirat: They are considered ELP clones when I really believe Illusions and Spartacus are as solid as any ELP release.
3. Focus: The fact that they are from a country where prog' bands are not prolific leads to consider them a B class band, when I believe they are unique. Also because they are a flute based band leads to compare them or confuse them with Jethro Tull (90% of the people still believe The House of the King is a Tull song) when both are completely different.

Iván

Edited by ivan_2068

Gnidrolog

They were astounding and unique. No one ever talks about them though.

Mmmm... FOCUS under-estimated? They got a lot of media attention and silver, gold and platinum sales in Continental Europe, UK and the USA - what underestimation are you referring to? The same for KANSAS: maybe some prog fans disregard them as an important prog act (and they're entitled to do so, as some others diregard Canterbury or neoprog bands), but all things considered, they are well regarded in most prog e-zines, their classical albums from teh 70s get raving reviews, and nowadays they keep a cult following in the USA which is quite loyal and unconditional.

Well Cesar, I still think both bands are under estimated:

I can remember the excellent Clinic you hosted about Kansas, but I was with the public and more than one members of the group (All progheads for those of this board who don’t know about the Clinics), told me they had under estimated Kansas as an American AOR band before they saw your exposition and the good videos. One of them even told me he didn’t thought they were so good, the idea among some of them was made around Dust in the Wind and the most commercial tracks.

 

In the Yes tour of two years ago (not sure about the year) Kansas was the opener and Yes fans didn’t treat Kansas very well in most of the shows, I read they were ignored by the Yes fans, when IMHO Kansas is at the same level of Yes.

 

About Focus, I know they received rave comments by the critics on their time, but the band never reached the level of fame and recognition they deserved, always were seen as a B class band by the British public.

But that's only my opinion, may be wrong.

Iván

Edited by ivan_2068

I like Kansas better than Yes

It may be strange, but I like more Kansas from their debut album to Point of Know Return than most of Yes albums.

Threefates wrote:

In their earlier years, Kansas was on the way to becoming a good example of American prog... then they went really pop.

I don't believe that except in two or three albums with John Elefante, Kansas was remotely pop, surely they were not prog' by moments in their careers, closer to hard or classic rock but pop never, something that Yes can't say, 90125 and Big Generator are pure, bland and boring POP.

It was a shame.. but I could see where Yes fans might find them a bit boring...

Threefate's opinion is moire common than you can believe Cesar I disagree with her but she is entitled to her opinion, now, don't you think they are under estimated?

Iván

Edited by ivan_2068