The AOR-side of Prog
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Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Music Lounge
Forum Description: General progressive music discussions
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=132899
Printed Date: November 30 2024 at 05:47
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Topic: The AOR-side of Prog
Posted By: suitkees
Subject: The AOR-side of Prog
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 08:04
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Today I listened to a couple of albums that could be or have been qualified as AOR. On PA AOR is often belittled in discussions or in reviews, but there are also many members who appreciate a fair bit of AOR. Some bands even get into the database, either under the Prog-related umbrella (e.g. Styx) or under Crossover Prog (e.g. Supertramp, Saga...). Sometimes the classic Prog bands have released more AOR albums in their carreer (e.g. Yes' 90125), often leading to major success with a wider audience. What would be your AOR-ish prog recommendations? Or your Prog-ish AOR recommendations? What is your REO Speedwagon of prog?
------------- The razamataz is a pain in the bum |
Replies:
Posted By: TerLJack
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 09:28
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Well. This is something of a passion for me. Without bands listed on PA, I've come up with a few options in no particular order:
Stevie Wonder - Songs in the Key of Life The Blue Nile - Hats Toto - Hydra Jellyfish - Spilt Milk(maybe a hair past AOR) Elton John - Captain Fantastic/Goodbye Yellow Brick Road John Miles - Zaragon(APP singer and production!) Tears For Fears - Sowing the Seeds of Love Brent Bourgeois - A Matter of Feel The first 4-5 Sting records, Bruce Cockburn's late 70s early 80s stuff... That's just for starters! I'm sure I can come up with a list of PA members who have great alternatives to more popular options. |
Posted By: suitkees
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 09:40
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^ Nice, thank you! I know most of these artists, but not all albums. Nice to see The Blue Nile mentioned; should listen to that again. I very much like Hydra, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Sting (indeed), John Miles, Tears for Fears... Don't know Brent Bourgeois; will give it a listen. ------------- The razamataz is a pain in the bum |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 09:55
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City Boy Be Bop Deluxe Roxy Music Asia Saga (already mentioned but I agree) Supertramp Pavlov's Dog Crack the Sky Ambrosia 10CC Art in America Zebra Toto (already mentioned) Steely Dan (some anyway) Chicago Styx Kansas (some) Marillion (eg. Holidays in Eden) Spock's Beard (Day for Night and maybe some later stuff) Alan Parsons Project (almost the poster boy for this kind of thing) Fish on Friday (compared to APP so they qualify ;) ) Pattern Seeking Animals Gowan (Lost Brotherhood is a proggish album that features Alex Lifeson on guitars. Lawrence Gowan now plays with Styx). Soma White (a rather obscure one in my collection and a more modern band but I remember it being rather good.) Jelly Jam ( a bit of a supergroup featuring members of King's X, Dream Theater and Dixie Dregs) That's about it for now. Maybe I'll think of more later. Some might say XTC but I'm not that familiar with them. |
Posted By: TerLJack
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 10:10
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Yeah. This is a good list too, for bands on PA! Love Ambrosia's first two, 10cc, Crack the Sky, City Boy, Be-Bop Deluxe... They don't get enough love around here in my opinion. Second on the Gowan recommendation. Not enough people are aware of this excellent artist. John Young is another artist that was under-valued until Lifesigns came around.
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 10:22
| Yeah, there was also a band a while back called Kino who were apparently very much on the aor side of prog but I don't remember much about them and never heard much of their music. I was also thinking that some of the later Eloy stuff would qualify (such as Destination). |
Posted By: Criswell
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 10:25
A perfect list there...
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TerLJack wrote:Posted By: Saperlipopette!
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 10:26
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This always sounded like a mid-1970's AOR (Soft Rock) monster-hit to me, but it didn't even chart anywhere (and has less than a million streams on Spotify). |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 10:58
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Not suggesting these because I think them good, although I quite like Presto. Rush - Presto ELP - Black Moon and In the Hot Seat It Bites - Once Around the World Rose - A Taste of Neptune (tastes better than Jupiter, Saturn, or Uranus I suppose) ------------- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4IKuxIZkenfvukL_Y8VBqzK" rel="nofollow - Duos for fave acts |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 11:56
| Yeah, Tall Ships by It Bites would be a good example. I have one of their earlier albums too but didn't like it much (something about a Windmill). |
Posted By: Floydoid
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 13:41
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Apart from their first two albums which are fairly proggy, I'd say most of the rest of ELO's 1970's output is pretty much decent AOR. ------------- 'We're going to need a bigger swear jar.' |
Posted By: Jeffro
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 15:24
Nice to see two of my favorites listed. Those earlier Sting records are really good stuff. And Jelly Jam? What can I say? Great stuff, especially the first disc. If you like Jelly Jam, you have to check out their predecessor band, Platypus. Platypus is essentially Jelly Jam but with Derek Sherinian included on keys. ------------- We all dwell in an amber subdomain, amber subdomain, amber subdomain. My face IS a maserati |
Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 15:49
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The underrated https://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=6547" rel="nofollow - Best Kept Secret by Alquin is the first album I think of. ------------- 
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Posted By: mellotronwave
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 16:44
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Ambrosia Alan Parsons Project Supertramp Roxy Music 10CC Adding : Asia Styx Castarnac Archive Radiohead |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 17:30
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Not all AOR "prog" hit the mark....GTR comes to mind. I do enjoy a bit of Asia, but it was a bit formulaic for my tastes. Still, I always enjoy hearing John Wetton's voice! I would say that the debut LP by Asia would hit the mark for REO of Prog. "Sole Survivor" is quite a fine song, here, have some! ------------- I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!! |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 18:12
| ^ Yeah, I think the first Asia album (and the first incarnation of the band in general) gets crapped on a lot because people were (or are) expecting a full on prog album based solely because who was on it and because of those expectations it disappointed a lot of people. However, taken on it's own terms it's very good catchy aor pop prog. |
Posted By: mathman0806
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 18:57
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I was listening to Demon - The Plague today. I think that might count. Maybe a bit on the harder side of rock. As far as the REO Speedwagon of prog, that's got to be Moon Safari. My favorite relatively recent (2019) AOR Prog album is Noise Floor by Spock's Beard. |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 20:47
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^ Heh, I have Spaced Out Monkey by them. Heavy but good. Not sure how I would categorize them but apparently they were part of the NWOBHM. Moon Safari are great. I kind of feel like I have to be in the mood for their "happy" vocal harmonies though.
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Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: April 28 2024 at 22:21
I went to university in Champaign, Illinois USA (University of Illinois), where REO Speedwagon had their origin!! In those years (1973-77), Champaign was renowned for our bands!! REO used to play street dances and local gigs at bars, they were very popular with the students and "townies!" A movie about that era was made, see https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEHPP_EmL2qDHm4egl4K9v_Xen7WopVoq" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEHPP_EmL2qDHm4egl4K9v_Xen7WopVoq The original vocalist for REO, Terry Luttrell, left REO and eventually ended up as vocalist for the Yes-like band "Starcastle!" Starcastle were HUGELY popular in Champaign back then, and their first LP had constant rotation on college radio!! They were an amazingly energetic and charismatic band, playing all sorts of covers by Rolling Stones, Elton John and others as well as their originals! BTW, I don't consider them a "Yes-Clone," their vocalization style was very much influenced by Flash vs. Yes. Gary Strater helped to give them that Yes sound with his Rickenbacker-Squire style, and keyboardist Herb Schildt was a master of the Hammond organ!! These were rather rare instruments for bar bands in those years. ------------- I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!! |
Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 04:46
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there are some valid suggestion, though I haven't seen Boston in the lists yet Interesting take on AOR, and I am surprised by most of you in what they consider as such. Maybe mine (take) is skewed by what I lived in Canada in the second half of the 70's (era in which AOR (adult-oriented rock, not Album Oriented Radio >> which happened in the earlier 70's). Most of what I call AOR is North American bands that had success (or little of it) between 75 & 85, though it could encompass most country rock, soft rock, yacht rock, corporate rock and indeed some forms of hard rock & prog rock (70's Kansas, for ex). But there are a few of these names listed above that I would actually consider AOR The bands that epitomize AOR (IMHO) would be Steve Perry's Journey (though the metamorphosing had started beforehand), REO Speedwagon, Doobie Brothers, Eagles, Toto, Foreigner, But it would never occur to me to include Supertramp, 10 CC (or Queen FTM), APP (at least not the first three), Saga, Elton , TFF or Stevie Wonder. To me, MW's list, none of them would enter the AOR bracket, except Ambrosia's third album and later ones TBH, I only discovered that Ambrosia had anything to do with prog until joining PA. I'm not sure I would call any of Logan's choices as AOR either, though he names specific albums more than bands that made them and previous & later ones. To me, artistes like Sting were never close to AOR (we could imagine Song-Oriented Jazz) . ------------- let's just stay above the moral melee prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
Posted By: Moyan
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 05:41
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The 2005 self-titled lone album by White is one of my all-time favourites in the AOR-prog subgenre. Generally, it is melodic music with elements of hard rock and neo-prog. The album and band name obviously allude to the late Alan White. Together with Alan on drums, here we have Asia keyboardist Geoff Downes; lead singer Kevin Currie is accompanied on vocals by the great support of Steve Boyce, who also played bass. Karl Haug played the guitar. And its sleeve features some amazing Roger Dean illustration work! |
Posted By: Gnik Nosmirc
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 06:36
Here are a few AOR/prog that I enjoy:
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Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 07:27
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My favorite...  ------------- I stand with Roger Waters, I stand with Joan Baez, I stand with Victor Jara, I stand with Woody Guthrie. Music is revolution |
Posted By: progaardvark
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 08:13
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One not mentioned that I like is Planet P Project's debut album. Two more non-PA bands that have hints of prog in places are: The Fixx (in particular, their first two albums) Grandaddy (in particular, The Sophtware Slump; sometimes I'm reminded of a Cars/ELO mix with many of their songs) Not sure any of the above qualified under the AOR banner, but they were more in the "artsy" side of the pop rock spectrum, with The Fixx typically under the new wave banner. ------------- ---------- i'm shopping for a new oil-cured sinus bag that's a happy bag of lettuce this car smells like cartilage nothing beats a good video about fractions |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 09:37
I don't care for their self-titled record, but Fountains of Light is a different story. Herb's the star of that album, as far as I'm concerned.  ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: TerLJack
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 09:45
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Thanks Suitkees! I'm getting all kinds of recos now for my favorite genre! While we're here, I'm started to be reminded of some other great stuff like: Of course, Boston. How could we forget? That entire debut album has been played everywhere for decades. MMEB's Chance and Roaring Silence are nice. Lake's first record falls in this category. Some late 70's-early 80s Kayak, if we're going to talk Supertramp. The US version of Starlight Dancer blew me away when I first heard it. Lodgic - Nomadic Sands, anyone? It's from 1985, and is among the first recorded works of Billy Sherwood with his brother Michael and a few other guys that have been playing in the prog world for awhile. |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 10:00
Planet P/Tony Carey fan, here! That's a classic, but I think it's nearly crossover prog, what with its amalgam of German-influenced new wave and motorik, prog electronic and American rock. I dig the conceptual follow-up Pink World even more. It's amazing Tony recorded everything you hear on it! ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: SteveG
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 10:59
Friends don't let friends listen to AOR.  ------------- This message was brought to you by a proud supporter of the Deep State. |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 11:22
What's wrong with Album-Oriented Rock?  ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Valdez1
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 12:36
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This old band "Double" had some interesting songs. This song used to remind me of cheese but after revisiting many years later, it's really quite exceptional. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX-Ru1XkNZc
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Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 12:53
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When I think of a really successful AOR/ Prog hybrid, my favourite may well be the stupendous 'Jefferson Starship: Freedom At Point Zero', however another few would be: MMEB: Angel Station Nektar: Magic Is A Child Toto: Turn Back Styx: Grand Illusion Foreigner: Debut Supertramp: Crime Century ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 13:12
FaPZ is also a winner in my book, along with Foreigner's debut. MMEB's Solar Fire is my favorite of theirs (though that's straight-up prog). Nektar's Magic is a Child was my introduction to them, and while it's not considered prime Nektar, I like it. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 13:34
Thanks for your comments. Solar Fire is also my fave, but I think Angel Station is their strongest representation in this category... it's quality Prog tinged AOR, whereas Chance isn't as good and is also too low on the Prog quotient for this category. I'd say exactly the same about Magic Is A Child (still quite enjoyable) as opposed to Man In The Moon, too AOR. I still own Angel St & Magic, but don't own Moon or Chance these days. Incidentally, my fave Nektar is Remember The Future, FWIW... ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 13:56
| Kansas cornered the market with Leftoverture. |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 14:34
| ^I would agree with you if you said Point of Know Return or Audio Visions but imo Leftoverture is pure prog. |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 15:05
I was a backstage friend of Herb, he was an amazing talent on Hammond organ! Interestingly, he was also a highly regarded computer programmer and wrote some seminal textbooks on the topic! https://www.herbschildt.com" rel="nofollow - https://www.herbschildt.com ------------- I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!! |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 15:32
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^Correct, Leftoverture is no less prog than Wind & Wuthering or Rain Dances. IMO, Kansas didn't start the transition to AOR till Monolith and hitting it with Elefante in the band. Then Walsh returned and the pendulum began to swing back, albeit slowly. "Musicatto," a great instrumental from Power, with Steve Morse installed as lead guitarist. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 15:34
He was pretty handy with a synthesizer, too!  ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 16:05
Yes he was!! I just wrote him an email to see if he'd respond, I bet he will! Were you in Champaign IL in that era? Sounds like it! ------------- I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!! |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 16:53
No, I grew up in SoCal. Class of '90! ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 18:15
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Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 29 2024 at 18:30
 ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: April 30 2024 at 17:08
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I tend to be a huge AOR fan and find it to be prog related. I am a fan of most of the aforementioned bands: Journey, Boston, REO, Chicago, Journey, Asia, Toto, etc. In recent years (meaning the last couple of decades), Sweden has had a number of newer Prog-lite/AOR bands releasing albums. I am a fan of bands such as Work of Art, Eclipse, and W.E.T. (a "supergroup consisting of members of Work of Art, Eclipse, and Talisman). W.E.T. and Talisman had Jeff Scott Soto as vocalist. Houston is another good Swedish AOR band. Other good bands are AOR and Mecca. A couple of older British AOR bands that I really enjoy are FM and Strangeways. ------------- 
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: April 30 2024 at 23:18
All their first 5 albums are pure prog but to my ears only the first 2 are symphonic in the English tradition that they were being influenced by. Masque was the start of a shorter more commercial based approach. Generally I only listen to their first 2 albums in their entiriety and the last 3 albums. On this thread generally people are including crossover bands as well as AOR bands so it's a bit messy anyway. Most would accept Asia's debut is AOR but is there such a massive difference between that and Leftoverture? Take out Magnum Opus (which personally I find a little weak) and I don't see that much. I do like Kansas and count them as a favourite band (more so than say Gentle Giant) so it's not about trying to put them down in any way. They were certainly one of the best American bands (AOR can also mean American Orientated Rock) along with Chicago and The Tubes. IMO
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Posted By: Moyan
Date Posted: May 01 2024 at 00:02
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The Belgian band Now, fronted by guitarist and singer Vincent Fis, was arguably the finest AOR-prog band on the continent in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They created strong, dynamic AOR-prog, a fashionable fusion of the U.S.-style hard-rock and British neo-prog. This four-piece ensemble, which featured a lady as well, sounds incredibly colourful, intricate, and lyrical in that AOR-prog kind of way. "Deep" is their third and final album, released in 1992. The album has five songs, one of which is a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir''. Really, that cover is quite excellent and proggy. And Vincent Fis has incredible guitar skills. After this record, Now disbanded, and its talented keyboard player, Hervé Borbé, joined the venerable Belgian band Machiavel. |
Posted By: suitkees
Date Posted: May 01 2024 at 04:17
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^ Good call regarding Now, but I would rather refer to their first album: Complaint of the Wind; this one is much more AOR-ish then Speres or Deep, which are much more full blown (Neo) Prog. Deep is their best album though. Really nice how this thread unfolds: many great suggestions. Many known and usual suspects, but also some bands that are - to me - lesser known or not known at all. Some more music to explore, thus.
Never really dived into the music of Demon (mainly heard bits of them back in the 80s) but this is a very enjoyable album indeed! Thanks. ------------- The razamataz is a pain in the bum |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: May 01 2024 at 09:52
I own/like this band (a pity they folded), but Deep isn't AOR. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: May 01 2024 at 10:02
"Magnum Opus" is good but I've always liked the rest of the album tons more, especially "Cheyenne Anthem" and "Miracles Out of Nowhere," which along with "Carry on Wayward Son" are what drop a vast sea between Leftoverture and Asia. I'm a fan of all the guys in Asia (original 4tet), but let's be honest, they set out to make an airplay-centric melodic rock record with no shortage of potential singles. It's nowhere near U.K. territory. The arrangements are polished but formulaic. The melodies are good, the playing is finessed but they never tear it up. After his stellar playing on Drama. Downes sounds incredibly restrained, if by his own design. OTOH, Leftoverture is a chops fest, though a very tastefully rendered one. Kerry Livgren's one of my favorite musical entities, the guy could exhale on his strings and it'd probably sound good. Kansas made five extraordinary (prog) albums in a row, which is no mean feat for any band. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Moyan
Date Posted: May 01 2024 at 10:31
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Posted By: Moyan
Date Posted: May 01 2024 at 11:05
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Pictures was an Italian band that released only one album in the second half of the 1990s, indicating that their career was probably relatively short. The 1997 release of "Painting the Blue" by Musea Records featured what could be considered AOR-prog music. Indeed, its music has every characteristic of that subgenre: bright synth sounds, engaging songs with outstanding vocals and a very melodic manner, distinctive, often heavy guitar riffs, and gorgeous solos that were performed with finesse. The songs aren't very complicated, but they were sung with a lot of heart. |
Posted By: Criswell
Date Posted: May 01 2024 at 12:58
Adrian Belew spent a few years here also (I've been a Champaign native since 1984). He's claimed that his band The Bears were born in Champaign. He always made it a point to swing his tours through town.
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Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: May 01 2024 at 13:19
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: May 01 2024 at 21:51
When I first listened to Kansas I just didn't get the same feeling for Leftoverture that I had for much classic prog. I would maintain that like Asia's debut it is very restrained and is looking towards commercial radio. Side 2 of the Asia album matches the best material that you named on Leftoverture. Wildest Dreams is pure prog and I love Downes outro on Cutting It Fine , one of the best ever for me. I think they do 'tear it up' on those tracks. Add to that Sole Survivor and Time and Time Again and it has some good proggy nods. Perhaps Monolith is a better comparison but I find that album quite barren creatively. Of course Asia never matched the brilliance of Kansas re Song For America but then later Kansas never matched that either (IMO). I actually enjoy the last few albums a lot and they sound better to my ears than mid seventies (75-77) Kansas. I would also add Somewhere To Elsewhere as one of the best comeback albums by any classic prog or rock band. Steve Walsh's last contribution to Kansas but sublime nevertheless. I saw the band at Shepherds Bush Empire in London around that time and they cooked on gas. People were doing the whole 'we are not worthy' in Walsh's direction! BTW I saw Asia there as well a few years later and the place was packed to the rafters. Another great gig and they played all of their debut. Good memories. |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: May 01 2024 at 22:48
Indeed! Adrian convinced Bob Fripp and King Crimson to relocate to Champaign for a while! It's a very nice town (I spent enough time there, 1973-77 and more). Please see: https://www.dgmlive.com/albums/champaign-urbana-sessions" rel="nofollow - https://www.dgmlive.com/albums/champaign-urbana-sessions ------------- I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!! |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: May 02 2024 at 12:07
I don't disagree that Monolith is lacking. To me it sounds unfinished, rushed. There are good ideas, as always, but it needed more polishes, more refinement. I must confess you're the only guy I've known to bring a Leftoverture-Asia comparison to the table. One thing we'll agree on is "Cutting it Fine" is probably the best song on the latter. Apart from that, I don't hear how Side 2 is better than that of Leftoverture, but we'll just leave it there. "Cheyenne Anthem," to me, is one of Livgren's finest moments as a composer. I think it's brilliant. I'd sooner compare the album Kansas brought out the same year, Vinyl Confessions, but that might also be a mismatch since, while not a concept album, there's an overt theme.
Please give Freaks of Nature another go. I think it's overlooked. It's unique in that has a darker vibe and Williams is the sole guitarist. "Desperate Times" and "Cold Grey Morning" (a pure Livgren piece, though he's not on the album) are worth the price of admission.
Indeed! ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: May 02 2024 at 12:10
Yes!  ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: altered_beast
Date Posted: May 02 2024 at 19:22
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Tears for Fears-The Hurting Toto-IV Fates Warning-Parallels The Police-Reggatta de Blanc China Crisis-Flaunt the Imperfection Talk Talk-The Colour of Spring Triumph-Surveillance Queensryche-Empire Alan Parsons Project-Turn of a Friendly Card Al Stewart-Time Passages Saga-Silent Knight Circus Maximus-Isolation |
Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: May 04 2024 at 08:16
| is there a Big Four Of AOR? Toto, Styx, Boston, Journey? |
Posted By: Awesoreno
Date Posted: May 04 2024 at 21:03
| ^Add REO Speedwagon, and you've got a Big Five. |
Posted By: Prog-jester
Date Posted: May 06 2024 at 04:50
| never heard of them but it looks like they're the least prog out of these |
Posted By: Awesoreno
Date Posted: May 07 2024 at 02:22
| They were really big and considered AOR with the likes of the bands you mentioned. As was Foreigner. |
Posted By: mathman0806
Date Posted: May 07 2024 at 03:54
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The peak sales for that type of AOR must have been that early 80s span. REO Speedwagon - Hi Infidelity (1980) Styx - Paradise Theater (1981) Foreigner - 4 (1981) Journey - Escape (1981) Toto - IV (1982) |
Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: May 07 2024 at 04:03
My MOR Prog Top 12 - all of which I want more of.  Asia Barclay James Harvest Chicago Journey Kansas Manfred Mann's Earth Band The Moody Blues Alan Parsons Project Procol Harum Styx Supertramp Toto
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: May 07 2024 at 21:02
Yep pretty terrible band. I can remember going round to my sister when the rules on meeting up during the pandemic were being relaxed and singing along ( i was very drunk in my defence
) to one of REO's cheesy 80's hits. They were the very worst of the overproduced US radio bands. Not a creative bone in them. |
Posted By: suitkees
Date Posted: May 08 2024 at 02:19
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^ What? Bad words about REO Speedwagon? Go wash your mouth!  It's true that they explored their formula to the bone, but at moments it worked very well (as their popular success shows). Much of their work may be formulaic, but some of it is just very well written and arranged rock music, by moments even spectacular! I don't think it is fair to say it is bad music and a more thorough listen will show that. It is catchy, formulaic, but not necessarily bad. Some albums are quite boring (of those that I've heard) because they don't change their formula that much, but You Can Tune a Piano But You Can't Tuna Fish and Hi Infidelity are very enjoyable albums: well written (both music and lyrics) and fun to listen to (that's why you sang along!). ------------- The razamataz is a pain in the bum |
Posted By: ASinglePerfectSphere
Date Posted: May 09 2024 at 00:58
| Cool to see Jellyfish appreciation here. Such an incredible band- there's a good reason Brian Wilson wanted to write songs with those guys. |
Posted By: jude111
Date Posted: May 11 2024 at 08:25
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Led Zeppelin is the right answer. While most artists were focused on singles, this was a band wholly committed to making album-oriented rock albums. I was listening to audio documentaries recently with Yes and Genesis, and it was clear that they thought Led Zeppelin were prog, and grouped them together along with others like Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd. I was surprised to learn that Fairport Convention was a big influence on early Genesis. But it totally makes sense. And it's clear that Fairport Convention also exerted an influence on Led Zeppelin - they also sought to mine folkier elements to their music, and of course even FC's Sandy Denny guested on The Battle of Evermore. Back in the day, you couldn't listen to AOR radio in the US without hearing a massive playing of LD on a daily basis.
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Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: May 11 2024 at 10:16
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When I speak of AOR, I refer to a genre of music rather than a format per se. Here is how RateYourMusic, which has AOR as a genre tag, defines it, and when people say AOR in North America where I exist, we do tend to think of bands like Journey, Foreigner, Boston...: See https://rateyourmusic.com/genre/aor/" rel="nofollow - https://rateyourmusic.com/genre/aor/
------------- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4IKuxIZkenfvukL_Y8VBqzK" rel="nofollow - Duos for fave acts |
Posted By: Awesoreno
Date Posted: May 11 2024 at 23:15
| Yeah, I'm getting the sense that many are thinking of "album-oriented rock." The topic is, as elucidated above, "adult-oriented rock." |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: May 12 2024 at 05:46
I never heard of "adult-oriented rock." Would that be, well, Kenny G, or Yanni, or.....? You know, "Cougar Music." ------------- I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!! |
Posted By: mathman0806
Date Posted: May 12 2024 at 06:32
I had AOR as the type of music described as "adult-oriented rock" but at the same time, the acronym = album-oriented rock. |
Posted By: Moyan
Date Posted: May 12 2024 at 06:33
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Posted By: rushfan4
Date Posted: May 12 2024 at 07:57
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Posted By: mathman0806
Date Posted: May 12 2024 at 11:36
| I was in high school in California in the early 80's and Sammy Hagar was a big AOR (album oriented radio) staple. I remember a classmate explaining that John Cougar is the "Midwest Sammy Hagar." |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: May 12 2024 at 13:33
That "classmate" was on some stuff. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: May 12 2024 at 13:45
It ain’t called “high” school for nothing. 😏 ------------- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4IKuxIZkenfvukL_Y8VBqzK" rel="nofollow - Duos for fave acts |
Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: May 12 2024 at 15:00
Never heard AOR in relation to "Adult-Oriented Rock" either. My entire life AOR was "Album-Oriented Rock." ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: Progosopher
Date Posted: May 12 2024 at 16:01
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Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys is one of the best albums you will ever listen to. ------------- The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty" |
Posted By: mathman0806
Date Posted: May 12 2024 at 18:47
Yeah. I think he was. I was a sophomore and he was a senior in the same math class. He was a DJ at our high school radio station. Played mostly metal. An early supporter of Motley Crüe. |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: May 12 2024 at 20:39
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From the all-knowing Wikipedia: Album-oriented rock (AOR, originally called album-oriented radio) is an https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FM_broadcasting" rel="nofollow - FM https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_format" rel="nofollow - radio format created in the United States in the late 1960s that focuses on the full repertoire of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_music" rel="nofollow - rock albums and is currently associated with https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_rock" rel="nofollow - classic rock . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Album-oriented_rock#cite_note-1" rel="nofollow - [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Album-oriented_rock#cite_note-:0-2" rel="nofollow - [2] US radio stations dedicated to playing album tracks by rock artists from the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_rock" rel="nofollow - hard rock and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_rock" rel="nofollow - progressive rock genres initially established album-oriented radio. In the mid-1970s, AOR was characterized by a layered, mellifluous sound and sophisticated production with considerable dependence on melodic hooks. The AOR format achieved tremendous popularity in the late 1960s to the early 1980s through research and formal programming to create an album rock format with great commercial appeal. From the early 1980s onward, the abbreviation AOR transitioned from "album-oriented radio" to "album-oriented rock", meaning radio stations specialized in classic rock recorded during the late 1960s and 1970s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Album-oriented_rock#cite_note-3" rel="nofollow - [3] The term is also commonly conflated with " https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult-oriented_rock_%28disambiguation%29" rel="nofollow - adult-oriented rock ", a radio format that also uses the initialism "AOR" and covers not only album-oriented rock but also album tracks and " https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/deep_cut" rel="nofollow - deep cuts " from a range of other rock genres, such as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_rock" rel="nofollow - soft rock and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_rock" rel="nofollow - pop rock . (...somehow, mixing the terms "adult" and "rock" seems somewhat incongruous!) ------------- I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!! |
Posted By: Awesoreno
Date Posted: May 13 2024 at 00:38
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^I think Greg's post sort of hit the nail on the head. This restates it from the opposite angle. Clearly, there are two different (but occasionally overlapping) definitions of AOR. Regardless, this topic references the "adult" variant, a phenomenon popularized mainly by bands from the US/Canada, though clearly not exclusive to that region, and prominent from the late 70s through most of the 80s. I would concur that a "Big Six" of North American AOR would include Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Toto, and Boston. Other bands of this category (that also have material that could be described as glam rock, hair metal, power pop, or arena rock) would be Asia, Survivor, Europe, and even sometimes 10cc, Genesis, and Queen.
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Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: May 13 2024 at 00:54
I don't see Queen and Europe especially as AOR. Not even pop Genesis.  |
Posted By: Moyan
Date Posted: May 13 2024 at 06:28
However, the UK's regulatory landscape was more restrictive for FM radio programming during this period. Up until 1991, radio broadcasting in the United Kingdom was governed by the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA). A small number of commercial radio stations with very commercial pop music and light entertainment content were licensed by the IBA in an effort to reach a wide audience. The aforementioned rock music genres were given far less airtime on these commercial stations, which prioritised popular music that would draw a wider audience. This is one more reason why the British term 'adult-oriented rock' has nothing to do with FM radio programming but with a certain style of rock music that was believed to be attractive to a part of the rock audience that was in its twenties in the mid-to-late 1960s, but in the mid-to-late 1970s, that audience was close to or already in their thirties.
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Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: May 13 2024 at 09:00
Even at their worst, I wouldn't throw the hair metal tag at Europe, though the single and video for "Carrie" did them no favors. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Awesoreno
Date Posted: May 13 2024 at 22:51
| ^I didn't mean that each of those subgenres necessarily applied to each of those examples. |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: May 14 2024 at 08:32
I know, but Europe. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |