Seven Short Progressive Rock Pearlers (Something for the Weekend)
Progressive rock has earned quite the reputation in the 30 or so years since those glory days of the 1970s. Unfortunately it’s the sort of reputation , by and large, that would’ve made Hitler think people were talking about him. Head Full of Snow wishes to redress the balance by pummelling through the pomposity and chiselling away at the chaff that is nowadays associated with this particular musical genre.
What better way than to ease ourselves in gently? There’s nothing wrong with a twenty minute drum solo (honest!) but it might be a touch heavy for the unitiated. Therefore you’ll find nothing of the sort below. No way, Pedro! Instead we have seven short (by prog standards), yet sweet progressive rock pearlers.
Where the deuce is Rick Wakeman when you need him?
Jethro Tull -- Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day
When not sporting a rather handsome trilby, Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson could often be found attired in other millinery masterpieces, the red bowler displayed in this performance being no exception. When not enthusing on the joys of a good hat, Anderson and his band, the mighty Jethro Tull, also released the odd record. They went from blues, to folk, to prog, stopping at the occasional psychedelic point in between. They took the idea of the concept album to its conclusion, releasing two, Thick as a Brick and The Passion Play, which were just one song split over the two sides. ‘Skating Away on the Thin Ice of the New Day’ is much shorter than that and taken from the 1974 album, Warchild.
Yes -- Beyond and Before
It is nigh on impossible to mention progressive rock without namechecking one of its most famous exponents, Yes. Never ones to accomplish in four minutes what could easily be stretched out to thirty, Yes were prog gods. During their heyday they were untouchable and had they chosen to put out an album accrued from the various sounds an Irish tinker might make whilst mending a copper-bottomed saucepan, it would still have gone gold. Close To The Edge is a particularly fine album. However, of the three songs thereon none weigh in under eight minutes. So we look back to their debut album of 1969, Yes, when they still sported a more psychedelic sound and on which sat ‘Beyond and Before’.
Hawkwind -- Silver Machine
Those purveyors of hairy acidfreak, spaced-out, psychedelic prog rock -- Hawkwind -- were never afraid to knock out the occasional 15 minute+ song. Their sci-fi flavour floated them on a different astral plane to your average man and beast and landed them a sometime additional member in the form of legendary science-fiction author, Michael Moorcock. ‘Silver Machine’ is short and sweet and in this instance has then bassist, Lemmy, on vocals. Released as a single in 1972, ‘Silver Machine’ is available on the 1971 album, In Search of Space.
Camel -- Spirit of the Water
The Tull weren’t the only band from the glory days of progressive rock to wield a flute. Amongst others, Camel boasted their own flautist in the form of main man, vocalist and guitarist, Andrew Latimer. ‘Spirit of the Water’ from 1976′s Moonmadness is an uncharacteristically short blast from a band known for painting multi-textured musical landscapes, but no less sweeter for that. At just over two minutes it hits the right spots accordingly.
H.P. Lovecraft -- At the Mountains of Madness
Maybe more psychedelic than prog rock, but H.P. Lovecraft’s ‘At the Mountains of Madness’ from 1969′s H.P. Lovecraft II album is certainly a progressive sound. Only natural as prog rock would certainly never have come about in the way it did if not for the psychedelic movement of the late 60s.
Procol Harum -- A Salty Dog
Procol Harum will forever be known as the band that released ‘Whiter Shade of Pale’, the progressive/psychedelic, hammond organ hommage to Bach that took the UK charts by storm during the summer of 1967. Although subsequent singles were never to ape this unprecedented success, they continued to enjoy a strong following through their albums. ‘A Salty Dog’ comes from the 1969 album of the same name.
Electric Light Orchestra -- Whisper in the Night
If mixing in elements of classical music doesn’t form the very backbone of progressive rock, then I don’t know what does. The Electric Light Orchestra took it one step further by incorporating an orchestral segment into the band, following Roy Wood’s decision to add cellos to ’10538 Overture’, a song that had originally been pencilled in as a Move B-side. ‘Whisper in the Night’ is the final track from their eponymously titled debut album -- Sometimes known as No Answer and the only one to feature Roy Wood. Despite Wood having come straight from his part-time job as a department store Santa, ‘Whisper in the Night’ is indeed a ballad of beauty.
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thanks for these, HFOS. Hadn’t seen the Yes one before. Loved the Camel one – one of those bands I’ve not given enough of my time to.
Quality.
thanks for the support, Jon. I think Moonmadness has to be Camel’s best album by far, the above song and ‘Air Born’ being particularly strong. They’ve been likened to post-Barrett Pink Floyd a lot, mostly because of Andrew Latimer’s Gilmouresqe vocals. Word of warning though, if you’re buying up the back catalogue, don’t start with ‘The Snow Goose’, if not in the right frame of mind tis the musical equivalent of wallpaper paste.