Great Prog bands who weren't one of "the Big Five"

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Tristero, Aug 10, 2017.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. norliss

    norliss Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cardiff, Wales
    Some great names for me to investigate in this thread :)

    Anyone here a fan of the French band "Pulsar"? I wasn't aware of them previously but just picked up a copy of their "Bienvenue au Conseil D'Administration" album in a used record shop: it's pretty good and very listenable.
     
    thematinggame likes this.
  2. Say It Right

    Say It Right Not for the Hearing Impaired

    Location:
    Niagara Falls
    The wheels are falling off this thread. It went from next progressive act after the Big 5 to "Name obscure progressive wannabe groups from any non-British country."
     
  3. Horse Majeure

    Horse Majeure Forum Resident

    Location:
    Uleaborg
    "Name obscure progressive wannabe groups from any non-British country."

    I believe it is bands you never heard of.
     
  4. thematinggame

    thematinggame Forum Resident

    Location:
    Germany

    I find this attitude a little patronizing to say the least , the biggest fanbases of so called prog-rock outside the UK were in Italy, France, Germany and Scandinavia , and some of the bands from these countries I consider equal or even better than the so-called big 5 .To call them progressive wannabe groups shows ignorance and lack of knowledge on your part I am sorry to say
     
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2017
  5. Northwind

    Northwind Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh
    The first prog-metal album.
     
    izgoblin likes this.
  6. Say It Right

    Say It Right Not for the Hearing Impaired

    Location:
    Niagara Falls
    The movement was from Britain. These other groups hopped on the bandwagon, and didn't alter the course of the sound.

    Don't be so sure that the biggest fan bases were in the European countries. The US was always the market that these acts most wanted to penetrate. Yes and ELP performed at football/baseball stadiums selling millions of albums. That didn't happen because of Sweden and Denmark.
     
    apesfan likes this.
  7. Easy choice for me:
    Gentle Giant
    van Der Graf Generator
    Captain Beyond
    801

    I think that Procol Harum also veered into that territory and were very influential.


    I know they are consider part of Glam but, at one point, Roxy Music veered into prog territory.

    I did find it odd that Gentle Giant became bigger later in their career in the U.S. Rather than the U.K. And the rest of Europe.

    I don't know if anyone would put Supertramp at number 5 or not but their first four certainly fit the bill.
     
  8. The Bishop

    The Bishop Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dorset, England.
    Anyone mentioned Refugee yet?

    Patrick Moraz, just before he joined Yes, along with Lee Jackson and Brian Davison, ex of The Nice.

    If you can tolerate Jackson's vocals, it's a very good prog rock album.
     
  9. Say It Right

    Say It Right Not for the Hearing Impaired

    Location:
    Niagara Falls
    It's very telling that you would be the one to respond in this manner. The comment was directed at no one in particular. A quick search goes back to the previous page. Somehow, we go from:

    Yes
    King Crimson
    Genesis
    ELP
    Pink Floyd

    to Wigwam and Supersister.

    :nauga:
     
  10. thematinggame

    thematinggame Forum Resident

    Location:
    Germany

    First of all there was no "prog movement" as such , as I said before the term "prog" didn't exist at the time at all and nobody in 1973 would have lumped these 4 or 5 bands together and call them the big 5 of prog , this kind of serious labelling and categorizing is a much more modern phenomena . "Progressive" music was more or less everything that was not chart music . And what you call "hopping on a bandwagon" would then have been called mutual influence , simply because there was no bandwagon. I remember a concert in Frankfurt Jahrhunderthalle around 1972 which featured Genesis, Amazing Blondel and Steeleye Span and was hosted by Alexis Korner , who pointed out the "blues" roots in all three bands , the J.Geils Band were the support act of Emerson Lake and Palmer , totally unknown here but immediately celebrated by the fans , open-mindedness and not setting boundaries was the spirit of the times
     
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2017
    Svetonio, jmpatrick, zphage and 3 others like this.
  11. thematinggame

    thematinggame Forum Resident

    Location:
    Germany

    and rightly so !!!! - two excellent bands!
    It baffles me why you follow this thread if you are not interested in getting to know other bands which you might like .
     
    Horse Majeure likes this.
  12. thematinggame

    thematinggame Forum Resident

    Location:
    Germany
    Which sound ? ELP don't sound like King Crimson, and King Crimson don't sound like Van der Graaf and so on , these bands were highly individualistic which is the reason that made them great, and if you listen to bands like Magma , Supersister , Wigwam or Tasavallan Presidentti you will see (or hear) that they don' sound like any of the others either
     
    Svetonio likes this.
  13. Say It Right

    Say It Right Not for the Hearing Impaired

    Location:
    Niagara Falls

    Maybe they are, but watching and occasionally contributing to a thread doesn't necessarily indicate the need for universal agreement with other responses or seeking recommendations. My plate's already full. :cool:
     
  14. Say It Right

    Say It Right Not for the Hearing Impaired

    Location:
    Niagara Falls
    Whoa, wait just a minute. It's been suggested that the best bits from In the Wake of Poseidon and McDonald and Giles would combine for the the theoretical 2nd Crimson album. Those individuals really need to go back and listen to the first ELP. Then try and tell me that Greg Lake wouldn't have contributed something that could have fit in that direction.
     
    apesfan likes this.
  15. The Bishop

    The Bishop Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dorset, England.
    Well yes, and no. Progressive rock, was an umbrella term to cover all manner of early 1970s bands, as you say.

    But prog rock was a term we in the UK got used to, from probably 1972 on. Close TonThe Edge, for example.

    It was used to describe Big 5 bands, but I think the idea of Big 5, was a Progressive Ears forum invention.
     
  16. Spaghettiows

    Spaghettiows Forum Resident

    Location:
    Silver Creek, NY
    I agree that Rush is one of the top 5, but I am not sure who to push aside. Rush, in the minds of some, is not a top 5 Prog band because 1. They are not British/European; and 2. They appeared on the scene 5-7 years or so after the first wave of Prog.

    Both of which are absurd, petty purity requirements.
     
  17. stax o' wax

    stax o' wax Forum Resident

    Location:
    The West
    Starcastle






    :angel:
     
    Svetonio likes this.
  18. The Bishop

    The Bishop Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dorset, England.
    Yes.
     
    stax o' wax likes this.
  19. stax o' wax

    stax o' wax Forum Resident

    Location:
    The West
    Starcastle is a guilty pleasure for me.
    But a pleasure none the less.
     
  20. George Co-Stanza

    George Co-Stanza Forum Resident

    Location:
    America
    I love Rush, but I am not sure I would categorize them a prog band. I have always viewed them as a hard rock band, one that had their prog phase, a phase that is just a tiny part of their overall history.
     
  21. Barnabas Collins

    Barnabas Collins Senior Member

    Location:
    NH
    I had a longer post but deleted it because it was getting into the "what is prog" territory, which never goes anywhere. I guess I would label Rush as progressive hard rock. :)
     
  22. Horse Majeure

    Horse Majeure Forum Resident

    Location:
    Uleaborg
     
  23. Say It Right

    Say It Right Not for the Hearing Impaired

    Location:
    Niagara Falls
    Exactly. They were certainly influenced by these groups. By early 80's, they were integrating elements of The Police. They sure weren't a New Wave/reggae hybrid.
     
  24. Horse Majeure

    Horse Majeure Forum Resident

    Location:
    Uleaborg
    Thanks for reminding!
     
  25. stax o' wax

    stax o' wax Forum Resident

    Location:
    The West
    It's really important that we figure out this Rush is a prog band or not thing...
    How can we know what we are really listening to if it doesn't have a genre label?
    I might spend an evening thinking I was listening to some serious cork sniffing prog, dining on Wine, Brie and Oysters on the half shell.. and all I really was doing was flogging the dog with a bunch of classic rock with which I could have had a Coors and some Beef Jerky and been quite content.
     
    Northwind and jay.dee like this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine