On definition is that it is a style of music that arose in the early 1970's in the UK.
On the KVRaudio forum, the question of "Why the term Prog" came up. Here is one of my quotes that may shine light on the subject.
"I agree with you. It is a bit silly that the whole world has decided on
the word "prog" rock. Symphonic rock and Art rock are good terms, but I
guess the general public got confused.
So whether we like it or not, the term "prog" is here to stay because
people always have the need to label things, and I guess I can live
with that. The good thing is that when I say "Prog" at least people
know exactly the era and bands I am refering to."
Also, here is a letter I wrote to prog magazine recently. I hope they get back to me sometime.
I am a huge fan of your magazine. I buy every issue I can get my hands on. I am in a prog-ish band here in Japan. Here is a link to my personal page and my band's youtube page.
http://www.reverbnation.com/svenpete
http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePlanetariumBand
I write this email to you for two reasons. One, I am including an email sent to me from Rick Wakeman, when I wrote him on his personal webpage. And two, here is an article I wrote about prog rock in general as I would love for one of my articles to show up in your magazine one day.
Here is the mail from Rick.
[Rick Wakeman] HI PETER
I run a website about vintage analog keyboards, and I am trying to write some new content for it, so I thought I would ask you a question. What are your favorite progressive rock groups?
[Rick Wakeman] MUSE , EARLY GENESIS , GENTLE GIANT , AIR ...THE LIST IS PRETTY ENDLESS AS PROG COVERS SO MANY GENRES NOW . I RECKON 50% OF ALL BANDS HAVE A BIT OF PROG IN THEM SOMEWHERE !
I am from Canada myself, so I was wondering what you thought of the group Rush? I personally don't like them as much as the English Prog rock bands.
[Rick Wakeman] I HEAR YOU , BUT AMERICAN PROG IS DIFFERENT FROM EUROPEAN BANDS AND THAT'S REALLY HOW IT SHOULD BE .IDENTIFICATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN MUSIC .
Do you also know of the Italian prog rock band PFM?
[Rick Wakeman] I DO....THE MEMORY GREY BITS HASD TO WORK OVERTIME , BUT I DO REACLL THEM .
Anyway, I would love to hear your opinions about any prog rock band. The good, the band and the ugly.PS, I own a Minimog and RMI 368. I was most inspired to get these because of yourself, and Tony Banks. Thanks, and if you want to check out my site, it is http://oscillator.ning.comFeel free t make a profile, but I understand you must be a busy man.Cheers, Peter
[Rick Wakeman] I'LL DEFINITELY HAVE A LOOK AND LISTEN BUT I NO LONGER MAKE ANY COMMENTS .......THANKJS FOR THE EMAIL,,,,,,RICK
Here is the article, "The 5 most important elements (In my humble opinion) of a prog song"
1. All sounds ideally should be purely analog. Analog gear was not only used by the first wave prog bands, but it has also proven to be sonically superior to modern digital equipment. Some digital sampling and analog modeling equipment comes close, if the budget allows, it's always better to go for a real Minimoog, Mellotron, Hammond, etc, etc. Also, think about the visual impact this will have on the live show. The new band "Big Elf" is an good example of this.
2. No rhythms or sequences should be produced by a machine. Prog rock should be an expression of what real humans can produce on stage. The vibe should be organic and flexible. Changing slightly from night to night. Even the occasional mistake from time to time is a charm factor. Drum machines and pre-programed sequences should be reserved to techno and electronica music.
3. The music should be multi-layered. Think "Close to the Edge" by Yes. All the instruments are playing different melodic phrases, that somehow harmonize in a interesting way. To someone unfamiliar with prog music, it may sound like a jumbled mess, but prog fans get excited about dissecting complicated audio information. In rock/pop music instruments tend to all play the same phrase and rhythm as it is easier to hook a first time listener.
4. Odd time signatures should be implemented somewhere within the song. There are too many example of this to shake a stick at in the prog world. Some of the most used ones are 5/4, 7/8 and 6/8 time signatures.
5. Singers with high voices add emotional impact suited to this genre of music.
Bands with lower voiced singers (think Nickelback, Creed, Pearl Jam, etc, etc) suit the traditional rock format better. Perhaps lower voiced singers are more associated with 90's music. Grunge, Alternative rock, etc. However, some styles of high pitched singing does not suit prog (Think Poision, Van Halen, Cinderella and other examples of 80's glam/cock rock.)
These suggestions are only the first five that pop into my head. There are of course many others, but I don't want to stereotype the genre more than it already is. Thanks for reading.
Peter A aka Sven.
