"A decade ago prog was the preserve of the diehard. Now [2011] is set to be a glorious summer of prog."
Nick Shilton, Classic Rock Presents: Prog!
Between June and September 2011, bands such as Caravan, Arena, Focus, Wishbone Ash, Magma, Jethro Tull, Dream Theater, Spock's Beard, Hawkwind, Supertramp, and Van der Graaf Generator (to name a few) descended upon England either as part of multi-legged tours, or during extravagant Progressive Rock festivals (oftentimes, both). Progressive Rock is again quasi-popular, prompting further analysis of its original popularity, the reasons for its decline and its resurgence(s). Progressive Rock, while not a widespread culturally enduring genre of music, is one of the most technical and genuinely artistic forms of rock music. Progressive Rock came about by a greater desire for intellectualism in popular music, primarily through technical ability and artistry inherent of the genre; similar reasons for its decline are the associated elitism, and the intrinsic nature of popular entertainment. Fundamentally, progressive rock transcends genre and style, reaching across virtually every musical discipline.
Britannica defines 'progressive rock' as "'intellectual' album-oriented rock [...] either classically influenced [...] employ[ing] complicated and conceptual approaches to music." Progressive rock (casually abbreviated to 'prog', which includes all progressive sub-genres including but not limited to progressive metal, progressive folk, zeuhl, as well as certain space rock, fusion and psychedelic albums). As shown by Britannica's definition, it is far easier to define the genre qualitatively (through tendencies) than through labels.
Throughout the 1960s, psychedelic music was emerging...
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Mark S. Spicer, "A Review of Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the counterculture, by Edward Macan," review of Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the counterculture, by Edward Macan, Contemporary Music Review, Vol. 18 part 4 (2000), pp. 151
John Covach, "Echolyn and American Progressive Rock,” Contemporary Music Review, Vol. 18 part 4 (2000): 17.
Hall, "10 Great Prog Rock Guitarists" Gibson, February 3, 2011, accessed November 5, 2011, http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/10-great-prog-rock-guitarists/
Kevin Holm-Hudson, "Apocalyptic Otherness: Black Music and Extraterrestrial Identity in the Music of Magma," Popular Music and Society, Vol. 26 No. 4 (2003): 481.
Chris McDonald, "Open Secrets: Individualism and Middle-Class Identity in the Songs of Rush,” Popular Music and Society, Vol. 31 No. 3 (2008): 318.
Schinder, Scott and Andy Schwartz. Icons of rock : an encyclopedia of the legends who changed
Rock n’ roll gave people the voice they did not have in the early years. As the genre of music became more wide spread, people actually began to speak out. Altschuler touches on the exploration of how the rock n' roll culture roughly integrated with replaced and conflicted with preceding cultural values. Many of these values were very touch topics. Besides black civil rights, sexuality were one of the most sensitive t...
... Bohlman, Philip V. Music and the Racial Imagination. University Of Chicago Press, Chicago. 2001. Print.
Throughout the decades the face of rock music has changed drastically because of a series of small events that have occurred for example, the song that saw the birth of early rock music The Comets hit Rocket 66 a 50's classic that endeared audiences with its atypical crunchy guitar tone, this was brought about by Ike Turner who dropped his guitar amplifier outside of the recording studio causing the amplifier to break and distort the sound this small accident caused Rock and Rock if we fast forward around 20 years and you have a young man called Tony Iommi working in a steel factory in Birmingham when he loses concentration severing the tips of two fingers causing him to de-tune his guitar to make it playable for his injured left hand and this spawned the birth of Heavy Metal music or is this all just a music purists point of view? or is there more to this than the cute stories and our perception that all of these outcomes could have been predetermined by previous events? could it be that we as listeners, consumers and human beings have manipulated the evolution of rock music to suit our personal tastes to feed our hunger to feel at one with the music? which leads me to authenticity. A few aspects of the criteria for music to be deemed authentic can be broken down into two main categories these are what sub genre of rock music is it and how is it related to its social class and the common behaviour within that class, for a quick example if The Sex Pistols famed for their bond with the working class turned round only to sport a posh upper/middle class accent would they have been billed as the working class heroes? or would they have been merely cast as posh boys playing loud music but with nothing to shout about. The genres of mu...
9) Stanley, Adam Paul. Remember A Day:An Analysis of Over Twenty Years of American Rock
Most things have their beginnings in something small: a word, a breath, or idea; but not music. Music begins with a single vibration. It explodes and carries on, morphing worlds of unrelated personas. It lives rampantly in the mouths of millions of unruly and free-spirited teenagers, like a fever. The rock 'n roll trend that defiantly rose against the conformist ideology of the mid-twentieth century left remnants that commenced the start of a progressing society: a culture that redefined the rules of society and pushed social and moral limits while addressing social concerns.
Music tends to follow the trends of its listeners; genres come and go with popularity. Rock and roll was considered to have its golden era in the 1960s (Rock and Roll). It stood out with unforgettable performances by Sly and the Family Stone, The Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Grateful Dead, Santana, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin (Rock and Roll). The Beatles were one of the top rock and roll bands. It is said that their music “combined the distinct sounds of Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and others which shaped a sound that dominated the sixties with its creativity and style” (Holland 105). Jimi Hendrix brought a new style of music called “acid rock”. He changed the way music was played by experimenting with different melodies, different chord...
Ryan, John. “The Seventh Stream: The emergency of rock n roll in American popular music,” (Book reviews) Social Forces (1994): March, p. 927. Star, Alexander. “Hole in Our Soul: The Loss of Beauty and Meaning in American Popular Music” (book reviews)
In closing, the undoubtable influence of music, more specifically of Rock ‘n’ Roll on American society is responsible for a number of changes to the status quo. These range from sexual liberation and racial desegregation all culminating with other influences to create an intergenerational identity. Despite the desperate attempts of older generations to smother these influences, these changes ultimately shaped the years that followed, molding the country into what it is today. Along the way these changes as well as individual involvement in them has also eased the lives of many through empowerment and a feeling of community and purpose. Despite a lull and renewal Rock ‘n’ Roll continues to serve as an agent of influence and change in today’s youth culture and continues to burn in the heart of past generations of loyal fans.
McLeese, Don. “The Spirit of a Rocker.” New York Times. 18 October 1987. Web. 11
The rise of rock and roll into the limelight is to a large extent attributed to the teenagers of the 1950’s. Early rock music listened to by teenagers during the 1950’s was formed by blending together Rhythm and blues with country music. This kind of ...
Many people and many styles of music influenced Rock and Roll. The styles included Blues, Jazz, Gospel, Bluegrass, Boogie-Woogie, and Rockabilly. Each was a major factor into the introduction of a new style of music called Rock ‘N’ Roll.
Townshend, Pete. "The Rolling Stones Biography." The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. .
Weissman, Dick. (2010). Talkin’ ‘Bout A Revolution: Music and Social Change in America. Blackbeat Books: New York
...ence had taken a toll on many musicians’ performances creating heavier, harsher sounding music. In the early years numerous musicians turned to mushrooms for inspiration for their lyrics. In the 1970’s many of the musicians and bands decided to move on and create progressive rock. Progressive rock keeps the love of odd sounds and extended solos but adds jazzier and classical influences to the mix. In recent years the psychedelic rock sound has been heavily influenced by electronic and orchestral influences.