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Four non English prog bands from the 70's.........

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Jaketejas View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jaketejas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 09 2020 at 15:48
I also think that you have a relatively broad view on prog, since we've had a number of interesting discussions. I also enjoy seeing the polls and lists that you come up with. Of course, we don't always agree, but I do think we are on the same page much of the time.

There are some bands I sometimes think are within the sphere of prog that have been, rather unfortunately, utterly and completely lambasted. But, I wouldn't really know how to classify them.

One difficulty about classifying prog is that it is heavily influenced by various genres. So, you can have two different prog bands, and each one may sound more like a band OUTSIDE of prog than they actually resemble one another. Then, the tendency of the goodhearted person is to want to include rather than exclude. I suppose what you really have are many bands that are either on the fringe of prog, or are heavily influencing prog. It is exasperating to try to classify this music.

I've seen a case or two where it seems that the musicians themselves are disappointed, because they have striven to do something new, have even received recognition for stepping into new territory, but then they aren't included as prog. Perhaps they have accomplished something progressive within their primary genre, but what they have done is perhaps not "prog rock", per se.

I understand that there is the prog related category, but sometimes these bands do not even make it onto that list. You see some of these artists being brought up time and time again. Of course, you have to draw the line somewhere. It's funny, but if you look at people's top 10 prog band lists here (even the die-hards), you'll often see them posted.

Here's a trippy Jefferson Starship flashback for you!
Link

Edited by Jaketejas - July 09 2020 at 16:06
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrufordFreak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 09 2020 at 18:44
Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:

FOCUS, people, FOCUS!!!



And then there was the whole Jazz-Rock Fusion scene--which included a lot of European bands (thanks to Manfred Eicher's ECM label). Also, Jean-Luc Ponty was doing medium size venues to promote his very popular albums in the late 70s and early 80s.

TD may not have been included under the prog rock label (yet) but they were quite popular in the record stores.  

Focus was one of the original four bands I mentioned on the first post of the first page. Wink

Sorry. Missed that. Saw someone mentioning Dutch band Kayak or Klaatu and wondered why no one seemed to go straight to Focus. Thus my post.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote richardh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 10 2020 at 00:18
I generally prefer Kayak over Focus as I'm not a great fan of fusion (which is what Focus mainly were).
The first 4 Kayak albums (up to Encore in 1976) are excellent and then they went a bit AORish before returning to prog in 1983 for the well received Merlin album. Promptly they then split up before returning in 1999 and have been going ever since. The last album Seventeen was a very respectable effort. I recently purchased the live double album which is very good indeed and covers their history well. 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote livedead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 10 2020 at 17:43
What about Crack the Sky? Their first three albums charted in the Billboard top 200.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 10 2020 at 18:42
Originally posted by livedead livedead wrote:

What about Crack the Sky? Their first three albums charted in the Billboard top 200.

They were already mentioned. See first video on page 2.

Another one worth mentioning even though they were an 80's band is Planet P Project.  





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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cstack3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 10 2020 at 23:57
I believe the Starcastle epic "Lady of the Lake" appeared on the charts....



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FatherChristmas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 11 2020 at 05:39
The Mars Volta charted quite high in the US - the Bedlam in Goliath was a US no.3. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BaldFriede Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 11 2020 at 06:00
Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

........to break through commercially in the US in the 70's. 

I could be wrong on this but it seems to me that there were only four bands not from England to achieve some kind of signifcant success in the 70's (in the US at least). Those bands were:

1. Focus
2. PFM
3. Kansas
4. Rush

All four charted in the US (yes even PFM believe it or not).

Some people might say Nektar(who also charted but they were English so I don't really count them). Some might say Triumvirat but I don't think they had any real chart success in the US. Also, Eloy didn't break through in America and neither did Banco. Tangerine Dream might have but they were more electronic and probably not really considered progressive rock at the time. Also, I don't really count Styx since they were closer to art rock/pomp rock or even arena rock.

I would be curious to know if there any from the 80's or 90's(or even later)but I doubt it.

How about Kraftwerk and "Autobahn"? According to Wikipedia "The radio edit of the title track became a surprise international hit, reaching number 11 in the UK, number 12 in both Canada and the Netherlands, number 25 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 30 in the Australian chart".


Edited by BaldFriede - July 11 2020 at 06:03


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 11 2020 at 10:47
Originally posted by BaldFriede BaldFriede wrote:

Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

........to break through commercially in the US in the 70's. 

I could be wrong on this but it seems to me that there were only four bands not from England to achieve some kind of signifcant success in the 70's (in the US at least). Those bands were:

1. Focus
2. PFM
3. Kansas
4. Rush

All four charted in the US (yes even PFM believe it or not).

Some people might say Nektar(who also charted but they were English so I don't really count them). Some might say Triumvirat but I don't think they had any real chart success in the US. Also, Eloy didn't break through in America and neither did Banco. Tangerine Dream might have but they were more electronic and probably not really considered progressive rock at the time. Also, I don't really count Styx since they were closer to art rock/pomp rock or even arena rock.

I would be curious to know if there any from the 80's or 90's(or even later)but I doubt it.

How about Kraftwerk and "Autobahn"? According to Wikipedia "The radio edit of the title track became a surprise international hit, reaching number 11 in the UK, number 12 in both Canada and the Netherlands, number 25 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 30 in the Australian chart".

I kind of feel like if I add Kraftwerk to the list then I would have to add Tangerine Dream as well ( since a few of their albums showed up in the upper end of the charts). Also, I consider Kraftwerk more electronic (like TD)or electro pop(if there is such a thing) and not really prog but that's my own personal interpretation.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 11 2020 at 11:01
Originally posted by FatherChristmas FatherChristmas wrote:

The Mars Volta charted quite high in the US - the Bedlam in Goliath was a US no.3. 

I'm aware that TMV had pretty big success(especially for a modern band who are often considered prog). My main focus here is the 70's stuff since that's when prog had the best chance of being "big." I know of some people who don't consider TMV to be prog. They see them more of a fringe band along the lines of Muse or C&C or maybe Tool. However, thanks for mentioning them. Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson also had albums in the pop charts(not quite as high as TMV but still pretty good). 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 11 2020 at 11:20
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

I believe the Starcastle epic "Lady of the Lake" appeared on the charts....




I looked them up and they didn't seem to have any albums that charted in the US but I could be wrong. They are nonetheless worth mentioning(I actually did mention them earlier). 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jaketejas Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: July 13 2020 at 20:56
Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

I believe the Starcastle epic "Lady of the Lake" appeared on the charts....





I looked them up and they didn't seem to have any albums that charted in the US but I could be wrong. They are nonetheless worth mentioning(I actually did mention them earlier). 


If you really want a complete archive for Prog, I think you’d have to go back and consider the other Christian bands around at the time. Kansas was heavily influenced by it, as was (as you mentioned) Glass Harp. I’d argue for a couple of others too. Rez Band’s Rainbow’s End has some proggy stuff (Concert for a Queen), though it was more blues based. To me, it sounds like a precursor to King’s X. Later Barnabas was huge. But only some some songs were proggy on those later albums, namely the ending songs on both sides 1 and 2 (including Subterfuge) on Approaching Light Speed and the first side of Feel the Fire, which has an “epic” of 3 parts. They were brutally singled out and attacked by Swaggert’s lot back in the day, driven out, and disappeared. All this stuff was way back in the late 70s through early 80s. If you haven’t heard Rez Band’s song American Dream and the album Colours, they are worth a listen, too. But, I have friends who can’t stomach any Christian music whatsoever, one who always cites the cheese factor. Musically, some of it is excellent (especially the guitar playing).

I had to go back and listen to Jefferson Airplane’s stuff. It had been a while. Definitely some proto Prog in a few songs, even one song that reminded me of Primus. I’m going to try to go through all songs of the 3 or 4 renditions of this band during the summer. JA was very creative.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ProgLin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 01 2022 at 16:20
I like German and italian prog, so:

1. Birth Control
2. Amon Duul (II)
3. Jane
4. Banco del Mutuo Soccorso
5. Socrates Drank The Conium, let me mention a group from my country, too.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote presdoug Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 01 2022 at 16:33
For a short while, Germany's Triumvirat did. Their album Illusions On A Double Dimple reached 55 in the US album charts in 1974, and their 1975 album Spartacus reached position 27 in the US album charts. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrufordFreak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 01 2022 at 17:07
Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Originally posted by Easy Money Easy Money wrote:

The first three or more Chicago albums are progressive rock.


Unfortunately not everyone agrees with that. I remember telling my brother I thought Chicago were prog and he has seen them in concert and told me that nothing he heard sounded like prog. Maybe they cut the prog stuff from their set I don't know. Someone on here got on my case because I didn't make a distinction between prog and progressive rock. A band like Chicago is a good case for his point though. They were progressive rock but I have a hard time thinking of them as prog. Ultimately I will pass since I don't consider Chicago to be a prog band. They are kind of the same as Journey in that they started in that direction but ultimately became something different. 

I like all of your arguments here, Mike. Well said! 

Anyway, according to wikipedia only the first two and the seventh one are progressive rock and even those have other categories as well. They are crossover on here though.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BrufordFreak Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 01 2022 at 17:18
Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:

Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Originally posted by Easy Money Easy Money wrote:

The first three or more Chicago albums are progressive rock.


Unfortunately not everyone agrees with that. I remember telling my brother I thought Chicago were prog and he has seen them in concert and told me that nothing he heard sounded like prog. Maybe they cut the prog stuff from their set I don't know. Someone on here got on my case because I didn't make a distinction between prog and progressive rock. A band like Chicago is a good case for his point though. They were progressive rock but I have a hard time thinking of them as prog. Ultimately I will pass since I don't consider Chicago to be a prog band. They are kind of the same as Journey in that they started in that direction but ultimately became something different. 

I like all of your arguments here, Mike. Well said! 

Anyway, according to wikipedia only the first two and the seventh one are progressive rock and even those have other categories as well. They are crossover on here though.

Also need to reiterate Jean-Luc Ponty's name and discography as well as add Van Halen (progressive rock, no?), and Tomita and Kitaro, despite the ban on progressive electronic bands. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cstack3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 02 2022 at 00:06
Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

I believe the Starcastle epic "Lady of the Lake" appeared on the charts....




I looked them up and they didn't seem to have any albums that charted in the US but I could be wrong. They are nonetheless worth mentioning(I actually did mention them earlier). 

Thanks!  The link (above) indicated a position of 101 in the USA, not sure what that meant.  They were probably a mostly Chicago phenom, as they arose from the downstate college town of Champaign, Illinois.  


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Moyan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 20 2024 at 05:35
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