Progressive Rock Through The Ages

Over the years, progressive rock seems to have evolved and spread its wings.

I remember when I first heard what they called "classical rock." It was music that I didn't pay much attention to. I would hear flashes of early Yes, Nektar, Emerson Lake and Palmer, and would mostly change the channel so I could hear the top 40 tunes.

When I bought Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells, my mind opened up to different styles of music. I wore that album out and bought Ommadawn and Hergest Ridge so that they could suffer the same fate on the sacrificial altar of my turntable. I rendered all three discs almost unplayable through repeated listenings.

In time, I would find myself discovering Genesis, Yes, and more of the original classic bands in the seventies. In the eighties, progressive rock seemed to suffer. I found myself mostly ignoring the prog bands of that era. Saga was an exception, and Marillion had their heyday during that time, but I found myself listening more to the older bands, and felt like progressive rock may have died.

In the early nineties, I started to discover that there were some bands out there reviving, and even expanding the genre. I found The Flower Kings, Spock's Beard, Porcupine Tree, Enchant, and other bands who were leading a revolution.

What I was not ready for was progressive metal. I even bought two CDs from Tower Records only to return them both the next day. However, now, I consider those CDs two of the best progressive metal releases of all time. I will be writing a blog post soon which will detail the experience . . . and name names!

I eventually came to appreciate prog metal and allowed myself to embrace many different kinds of prog and other creative genres which I believe encompass progressive rock. In the current day and age, I believe that we are blessed with a wealth of progressive rock. There seem to be endless directions to turn where we can find an interesting new band, or stumble upon a band who we've overlooked. The mixes that I assemble are an expression of the types of music that I have come to appreciate over the years. I do not limit what I might add to a mix. Any ingredients are welcome, as long as the result tastes great. Thanks for joining me in the dining hall!