The Strawberry Bricks Guide To Progressive Rock

Progressive rock has been the object of many essays and guides but “The trawberry bricks guide to progressive rock” written by Charles Snider (2007) figures among the top of the list due to a brilliantly documented work. This practical book conciliates descriptive, analytical and critical approches, focusing the subject on the golden era of progressive rock, also reserving a place to the historical roots of this musical scene. Before opening the guide with a representative list of classic (pre) progressive albums published between 1968 and 1979, Charles Snider starts the essay with a prologue appropriate to a discussion around the historical situation / musical context and about specific aesthetic / formal elements that distinguish progressive rock to conventional, standard pop music.  The restrospective list and reviews that accompagny the guide cover all the progressive rock musical spectrum (from symphonic prog, jazz rock, art rock to krautrock and electronic prog). This essay is obviously focused on the  giants of progressive rock but it also gives an important mention to obscure bands that are now cult (Clearlight, Heldon, Far East Family Band, Birth Control...). Consequently this guide can ravish all fans of prog rock classic period. It contributes to an ecclectic, global comprehension to the developpement of the genre. This is a massive, complex collection but there’s only one negative point I would like to notice: When the author speaks about the emergence of prog rock musical identity I estimate that too many attention is given to low musical pop-ish aspects introduced by the Beatles...I would like to read a more exhaustive chapter about the influences of high musical spheres that don’t belong to rock music, I mean classical music, free-jazz, sixties minimalism, raga meditations and avant garde.  

Highly recommended and definitely a good introduction to progressive rock magical / timeless musical world.

George Harrison introduced the raga and sitar, while John Lennon offered up odd time signatures. George Martin performed what might be the first organ solo (technically harmonium) in a rock context, on the Beatles’ “The Word”. Here’s the point: Although short lived as a movement, psychedelia gave the artist carte blanche to experiment and expand the boundaries of their music. Rubber Soul quickly gave way to the exciting Revolver that culminated in the psychedelic classic “Tomorrow Never Knows”

Art Rock – The broadest of categories, this refers to direct descendants of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. I’d like to think of this as “sophisticated rock music” and use it to capture those bands that definitely avoid that which would make it prog rock, but are certainly of the era.

Back to Philippe comments. The Beatles were the first rock band to use the studio as an instrument in its use of Psychedelic rock in electronic/ backward tape effects and the applying the classical form of Hindustani music. How many rock bands were using 5/4, 3/4 and 4/4 or 5/4/, and 5/8 time signatures in the same course of one song before Sgt Pepper? How many bands were using modes like the Dorian Mode or Lydian Mode?  "A Day in the Life" broke new ground by  using an avant style type of orchestration and combining 2 completely different tunes in different keys, sung by 2 different singers and played at 2 different tempos...what an amazing step toward a larger scope of composition. "A Day in the Life" and "Within You Without You" is in my mind with no doubt are Progressive Rock status.

Then George Harrison played the sitar, tamboura, swarmandal, and recording the guitar backwards.  Jeff Beck and Roger McGuinn were not playing Indian instruments and George was the first rock guitarist to play these instruments.

I know not everything the Beatles did can be classed Proto-Prog and they were also others who contributed but Philippe comments are simply wrong. The Beatles explored classical music, sixties minimalism, raga meditations and avant garde all in 1966. All genres have a starting point and yes others expanded this by late 1967 but there is no "Tomorrow Never Knows" or "Love You To" being produced at this time and I would not call these songs low pop quality song. “Strawberry Fields Forever” upped the ante for pop music and producers were destroying studio’s to keep pace with the Beatles.