An English genre of popular music that the 70s prog-heads from all over the world absolutely loved to listening to, although Art-Rock bands & solo artists, as Art Rock is actually Pop Rock with a huge artistic approach as well, recorded a lot of catchy hits songs that were played to death on then radio-stations, although they never recorded 20 minutes long tracks and although "americana" way of singing, that is so anti-"proggy", often was (is) an obvious thing in English Art-Rock. English Art Rock heritage are the timeless masterpieces like e.g. Elton John's Elton John, David Bowie's Alladin Sane, Moody Blues' Seventh Soujourn, Supetramp's Crime of the Century, 1cc's The Original Soundtrack, Roxy Music's Roxy Music, Brian Eno's Here Come the Warm Jets, Peter Gabriel "Wet Car", Kate Bush's Lionheart and so on. Enjoy in posting your favourite '70s English Art Rock songs & vids and discuss.
So we’re talking about art rock artists that aren’t prog or are sort of on the outer rim of prog? I’ve always thought that King Crimson’s work from 1972-1974 was prog in name only. Same with most of Pink Floyd’s 70’s work. Camel’s work from 1975 forward transcends prog IMO. Outside the realm of borderline prog, I’ve recently discovered the German electronic project Ashra, whose three albums from the 70’s are very good.
I think King Crimson in the 70s was undeniably Prog. I mean if they were not prog than what is Prog? I love Camel up through Rain Dances. Most my Art Rock favorites were a well trodden path. My exception would be the semi-cultish Art Rock of Procol Harum. But truth be told during the 70s I was mainly playing Zep; Who, Stones, Traffic, Elton John, Roxy Music, David Bowie. Those were my formative years (teens) and therefore my tastes have not moved all that much.
70s Art Rock wasn't a subgenre of 70s Prog(ressive rock) or vice versa. 70s Art Rock is Pop-Rock with a huge artistic approach.
Don't know about the rest of you but I don't really worry about how a group, album, or song is labeled before I listen to it.
Because some of my original choices don’t exactly fit the OP’s definition of art-rock, I’ll try this again (plus, I accidentally mentioned a non-English artist). I like ELO’s Face The Music, which I think is a perfect fusion of their early sound with their later, pop-based sound. I think UK also qualifies. They’re typically labelled as a prog band, but their debut album has much more of a synth-based pop sound to it than most other prog bands. A more obvious pick is Queen’s A Night at the Opera.
I think you can still consider them prog, but the Bruford/Wetton lineup really sounds nothing like what Genesis, Yes, and Jethro Tull were doing in 1972, which is pretty much the standard for what prog is supposed to sound like.
10cc - how dare you i find the genre labels exhausting, but if this album is art rock, it's a favourite
That's who I instantly thought of, particularly Futurama, which also happens to be largely unsurpassed as a guitar album. But what's this about Elton John being art rock? Oh my sides.
I totally agree with you about Futurama. Bill Nelson was on fire with that album. It's my favorite from BBD. I never thought of Elton as an art-rocker, though he did lean that way a bit.
Dunno if i’d put Elton anywhere near the art rock side of things tbf, although I know I’m not big on categories. I would class UK art rock as This Heat, Robert Wyatt, Comus, Kevin Ayers, Eno, John Cale, Bowie, Roxy, Hatfield and the north, Caravan ect ect But that’s only my opinion
That pop song is from 1967, right? Well, if we discuss about the Art Rock from 1967, then it's more like this: