PSA: Anyone (young enough to) remember “Prog Rock” ?

Mrs BigJohn & I saw ELP in 1969. Also saw the Who with Keith Moon at Trentham Gardens.

Keyboard player from Barclay James Harvest (Colin Brown) still jams at my local pub on a Sunday night with the Bass and Drums from Climax Blues Band.

One time we had tickets for Led Zep and Deep Purple for the same night – difficult choice…

Andrew ñ as a big fan of Gong (had a beer once with Daevid Allan ñ on the here &now /floating Anachey tour) Iíve always tended to think of them as kinda jazz rock fusion sort of thing rather than true over the top self indulgent prog rock

Just as an aside Steve Hilliage is currently producing euphoric trance music and Guests on stuff by system 7

Andrew, I’d agree with that. Gong are one of the few bands from that time i can still listen to. I like what Hillage is doing with System 7.

here &now /floating Anachey

Ishtar! Mokhtar!
Heh I think I might have seen Planet Gong as much as I’ve seen Gong. “Allez Ali Baba Blacksheep Have you Any Bullshit?!”

Yeah, Hillage has never stood still and has always got something new.

Apparently interesting things are afoot in 2009 regarding gong – I got an email from G.A.S. saying there are big plans for a 40th anniversay celebration

Oh yes prog rock and UFO’s were the ‘thing’ when I was at school.
The ones I remember, Pink Floyd, Yes, Greenslade, ELP, King Crimson, Caravan, Tangerine Dream.
Used to do my homework to that stuff, explains why I’m thick I suppose. Then we’d go out at night around Hampstead Heath looking for UFO’s after reading books by that UFO book writing geezer.
Only actually saw Yes live.

Certainly old enough to remember it, but not too sure of the accuracy !! aaaah those carefree days spent embroidering the backs of denim jackets, practicing your stoner talk and deciphering obscure lyrical references.
Like most musical ‘movements’ it did end up in self parody (albeit with a healthy dose of tongue in cheek) but it was an era when musicians weren’t afraid to be able to play and put on an audience friendly spectacle.

Punk = the birth of the boyband, band members chosen for image rather than any trace of musical ability, fun for a few months at the beginning but soon became an embarrassing chapter in the history of popular music…….

I am still convinced that the concert I went to in Nov 1974, Pink Floyd in Liverpool, acres of denim and cheesecloth, headbands a plenty, kneeling on the floor in front of the stage covered in dry ice was the last day of hippy-dom

I’m probably wrong, but that’s how I see it anyway

and brilliant though it all was, thank god that it wasn’t too long after that we were pogo-ing to UK Subs in Erics

Oh good grief! A friend who owner a record shop (Revolver in Bristol) gave me a copy of Brain Salad Surgery which he never sold. I love it! When ever i need a damn good laugh, that’s what i reach for. I think ELP were in mind (amongst others) when Spinal Tap was written. Talented guys no doubt, but far too much coke going on.

So … did anyone watch it?

Well, it did take me back and didn’t realise what a good guitarist Steve Howe was. Still love “yours is no disgrace” by Yes.

What was frightening was how many of the bands featured I have seen … and not just once either! A little visit to the loft tomorrow to retrieve the vinyl. Oh and the mention of The Rainbow – that used to be my second home!

Rock on.

I’ve just seen the programme and very nostalgic. The term prog is a bit all encompassing. Soft Machine? Too jazzy. I did see Yes live and Steve Howe was obviously a really good guitarist (he did an acoustic piece called the Clap iirc). Never like Yes though, but had to sit through ’em as gf of the time was obsessed.
And I have a Misunderstood single! They became Juicy Luicy and are still going in some format or other. Google them. Not prog though.

reminded me of my brothers record collection, when I was akid memories of Fs1e’s denim jackets and long hair, better than (most of) the punk that came after it

poo – missed the programme.
My first ‘real’ concert at Exeter Uni was headlined by Atomic Rooster, the next up-and-coming band was Skid row…..and bottom of the bill was some unknown lot who wore funny costumes, genesis! A bargain at 60p entrance fee…… or did we pay in groats then????????
Saw King Crimson and inevitably Schizoid man brought the house down.
My personal favourites were Wishbone Ash, used to play locally as the Empty Vessels and were brillaint, then went off to Germany came back and became Wishbone Ash. Apparently from Torquay way, and have been known to play in the South Hams pubs still…… must go and see them when they next do an occasional gig.
Did a bit og googling recently, surprised that Jonnie Winter was still alive – I reember his phenominal bluesy rock album ‘Johnny winter live and…..’
hmmm getting into dangerous nostalgia here!
cheers
Q

Then we’d go out at night around Hampstead Heath looking for UFO’s

Ah, so that’s what you told the police constables, is it? 😉

On a list of who have you seen from that era;

Yes
Rick Wakeman solo
Steve Howe solo
The Eagles
The Who
The Rolling Stones
Plant & Page
Clapton
Neil Young
Jackson Browne
John Martyn

And a lot more that I’ve forgotten

I’m far to young for Prog the first time round… but was brought up on a diet of Genesis, Floyd, Yes, Crimson… and since then have introduced my dad to the early works of Hawkwind, Arthur Brown…and having gone to see Yes, Hawkwind, Genesis, Rick Wakeman solo among others with him over the last few years.

At least Punk did one thing… clear the decks for the likes of Iron Maiden, Saxon, Tygers of Pan Tang, Ethel the Frog.
Heck Maiden – Steve Harris in particular seems to be turning Maiden in to a kind of Genesis/Yes/Wishbone Ash/Maiden hybrid with the last few albums..

Modern prog is still around with the likes of A Perfect Circle (a side project of Maynard) and Tool… with their own concept albums and inconphesensable lyrics

Another vote for Wishbone Ash, they were so good live.

Will there be another programme or was it a one-off?

Christowkid, it’ll be on iplayer for the next week or so. (“get_iplayer” is your friend 😉

I never got into Wishbone Ash. I saw them once supported by Supercharge, who (IMO) were way way better. Guess I got fed up listening to all the apprentice guitarists in my year at school trying to play the intro to Blowing Free all the time.

John Martyn’s live playing solo was great, just him & the Echoplex for backing. Never really liked him as much with a band, even with Danny Thompson on bass.

Now the beeb need to do a similar documentary on the start of uk heavy metal.

Ahh, John Martyn, one of the most pissed people I’ve ever seen on stage, which sadly was a crappy gig as a result. The other was Sparklehorse, when Mark Linkhause came on stage already halfway through a bottle of JD, and played a brilliant gig, which he apologised for later for being so drunk.