music

The Moody Blues, Days of Future Passed

As a teenager growing up in the seventies, I was fortunate to experience a wide range of wonderful music.  I was particularly lucky to have been exposed to the music of the early part of that decade which, to me, was significantly more creative than the later disco, soft rock and overblown anthem rock of the last half of the decade. This is not to dismiss such great acts of the later seventies such as Bruce Springsteen, the Ramones, the Cars, etc. But the early part of the decade was born from some of the best innovative music of the sixties. Experimental instrumentation like mellotrons, synthesizers, actual orchestras, and effects produced in the recording studios brought about the advent of what would become known as progressive rock.

Although it has been largely debated who started progressive rock and when, I believe The Beatles certainly deserve considerable credit for the innovative albums they created starting with Rubber Soul and culminating in Sgt. Peppers, which I think is their masterpiece. Much of the credit should go to their brilliant producer George Martin who devised some very clever sound engineering techniques. Beatles aside (after all, who and what didn’t they influence?) bands such as The Moody Blues, King Crimson and Pink Floyd were certainly pioneers of progressive rock in the late sixties. During the seventies progressive rock experienced its greatest popularity with bands like Yes, Genesis and Emerson Lake & Palmer.

Progressive rock has continued to this day although the style and influences have changed over the years. But for the most part, the greatest works of progressive rock were over before the 1980’s began. Many of the bands became too conventional, overproduced, even saccharin sounding. But back in the day, progressive rock was some of the most creative music being produced.
 
Here are a few samples to check out whether you are new to progressive rock or wish to take a musical trip back to your youth and remember what attracted you to these albums in the first place:

King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)
The debut album of a band that has produced albums for four decades, this is quintessential progressive rock. Three favorite tunes: “Twentieth Century Schizoid Man”, “Talk to the Wind” and the title track. This album also had a profound influence on later progressive rock bands.

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
It’s a masterpiece that you should be familiar with unless you live under a rock. This is probably the most popular progressive rock album of all time. It is was also produced by Alan Parsons, who won  a Grammy for his work and later created some fine albums of his own.

Yes - Fragile (1971)
This progressive rock band solidified its popularity with “Roundabout” and “Long Distance Run Around”, two major hits from this album. These tunes enjoyed substantial radio airplay on FM album rock stations. These and other Yes songs are still heard on classic rock stations the world over. This was the first Yes album with keyboardist Rick Wakeman.

The Moody Blues - This is the Moody Blues (1974)
Although considered schmaltzy and pretentious by some critics, The Moody Blues have earned a more than respectable place as progressive rock pioneers. This album is a collection of their best work, songs from albums they recorded between 1967 and 1974.  Keep in mind their 1967 album “Days of Future Passed” was recorded with full orchestra and use of electronic instruments. This was the same year The Beatles recorded Sgt. Pepper’s.

Genesis - Seconds Out (1977)
This is a great live album that was recorded after Peter Gabriel left the band and Phil Collins stepped up from drummer to front man. Some purists mourned the loss of Gabriel and found Collins too pop oriented, but this album retains the original Genesis sound; not the more mainstream style of music they became known for in the eighties. Some classic cuts include “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”, “Squonk” and “The Music Box”.

These five albums are personal favorites of mine, but there are many more terrific progressive rock albums. Here are a few more I recommend: Emerson Lake and Palmer’s Trilogy, Alan Parsons Project’s Tales of Mystery and Imagination, and Renaissance Live at Carnegie Hall.  

So plug in your iPod and pretend you still have that old Fisher stereo system with the giant speakers and large cushioned headphones and get ready to listen to that good old “spacey, dreamy stuff”.

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