The progressive rock'n'roll is a style of particularly elaborate Rock as well on the level of the instrumental technique as of the composition, rich person rythmiquement and mélodiquement.

Characteristics

General sight

Being often inspired by very old musical styles such as the Classical music, the Jazz or certain ethnic musics, the progressive artists seek to create a free music, apart from the usual yokes of the rock'n'roll (regular rate/rhythm, short pieces…), the objective being to make progress music as a whole. Their approach is thus rather similar to that of many musicians of jazz, in particular in the movements Be-bop and Free jazz.

Among the outstanding features of the progressive rock'n'roll appear, with more or less of importance according to the cases:

  • musical Complexity (the musical topics can frequently vary during the same piece)

  • melody Éléments
  • Long instrumental
  • unusual Instruments
  • Coordination and independence of the rhythm section
  • Inspiration of classical music, traditional parts, folk, medieval or jazz
  • Supergroupe S
  • Album-concept S
  • Textes demanding, sometimes calling upon the universe of fantastic or the science fiction
  • particular Graphic art, with use of drawings, sometimes inspired by fantastic or the science fiction, for the small pockets of albums, rather than of the traditional photographs.

Musical instruments

In addition to the use of the traditional instruments of the rock'n'roll, certain tools are sometimes recurring elements of the progressive kind. If the electric guitar is the emblem of the rock'n'roll, the keyboard, and more particularly the organ hammond, Mellotron S, Minimoog S and others Synthétiseur S appears often, and more particularly in the symphonic movement . One could add that the progressive rock'n'roll contributed to the development and the popularization of the electronic tools like the synthetizers. However the style is confined by no means with a list of 4 or 5 instruments. By its intrinsic definition of progress, the kind tends to diversify its orchestra. The Flute with Genesis, Jethro tull and King Crimson, the Violin with David Cross of King Crimson, coppers of Pink Floyd, the symphony orchestras and the choruses of Alan Parsons are examples.

History

Precursors

The progressive rock'n'roll was born in England at the end of the years 1960, resulting from a variety of musical influences throughout the world. The " term; progressif" , applied to the music, took its source at the end of the years 1940 in relation to the jazz. Later, in the years 1960, the term was used in connection with the blues. It was only with half of years 1970 that the known music from now on under the name of progressive rock'n'roll acquired its posthumous title.

Among other developments, second half of the career of the Beatles (strongly influenced by The Byrds), and of many groups of Rock psychedelic started to mix the traditional music rock'n'roll with musical instruments traditional, Eastern music and jazz. The first works of Pink Floyd and Frank Zappa show certain progressive elements. An important precursor, Beck' S Bolero, composed in 1966 by Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page, then members of the Yardbirds, is a short adaptation of the Boléro of Maurice Ravel. One of the first rock groups to be tested with the structures of song, the improvisation and arrangements superimposed, was 1-2-3 (which will become The Clouds). The rock'n'roll psychedelic continued this experimental tendency and started to compose of the very long pieces, although not having a carefully preestablished structure (for example, " In-HAVe-Gadda-Da-Emptied " of Iron Butterfly or " 1983… (Merman Should I Turn to Be has) " of Jimi Hendrix).

Groups such as The Nice and The Moody Blues started deliberately to mix the music rock'n'roll and the classical music, producing longer pieces which were composed and not based on improvisations. On their side, the German electronic music and the pioneers of the Krautrock Tangerine Dream introduced a variety of synthetizers, bandings, and other sounds unusual in their compositions, usually in purely instrumental albums. Software Machine and others started to test with complex rock'n'roll and jazz. During second half of the years 1960, The Who also created albums concepts and operas rock'n'roll, as well as long interpretations live of songs rock'n'roll, although those were often in an impromptu style blues which also their contemporaries Cream and Led Zeppelin practiced

All these groups are sometimes regarded as belonging to a transitory kind between psychedelic and the progressive one, named proto-prog.

First groups

Among the first important groups of progressive rock'n'roll appear The Nice and Soft Machine, and the roots of the kind can go up until the middle of the years 1960. However, the appearance of King Crimson in February 1969 is seen by certain like one moment pivot. King Crimson were quickly followed by other English rock groups progressive, among which Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Emerson Lake and Palmer (ELP) and Jethro Tull. The majority of these groups (except ELP) had begun their career before King Crimson, and changed their musical style considerably following the exit of In the Court off the Crimson King . Moreover, the change of sound of Pink Floyd was probably with the loss of Syd Barrett, their principal type-setter between 1965 and 1967. As for ELP, they inherited the singer-bass player Greg Lake resulting from the original formation from King Crimson.

Certain currents of the progressive rock'n'roll also gained followers when the fans of rock'n'roll lost their illusions with respect to the movement " Peace and Love". Certain rock groups progressive started to move away from the good mood of the pop music of the years 1960 to approach more complex and considered topics, and sometimes darker. For example, the album Trespass de Genesis includes " The Knife" , a song on a violent one demagog, and " Stagnation" , a song on a survivor of an nuclear attack. Van der Graaf Generator took sometimes an approach existentialist which lorgnait towards the Nihilisme. Pink Floyd is known for certain philosophical qualities their words, resulting sometimes in a cynical and nihilist vision.

The progressive rock'n'roll was particularly popular in Europe and in certain parts of Latin America. Indeed, the progressive rock'n'roll enjoyed a strong popularity in France and Italy. This time saw being born a great number of European groups from progressive rock'n'roll, among which Premiata Forneria Marconi (PFM), Area, Banco del Mutuo Soccorso and the Elm of Italy, Ange and Magma of France, Focus and Kayak of the Netherlands and Aphrodite' S Child of Greece. Among these groups, only PFM was a great success in the anglophone world. Germany had also one mouvent progressive important, often mentioned under the name of Krautrock. Among these groups appeared Triumvirat. The Italian scene was regarded with whole share (sometimes indicated as a separated kind, " symphonic rock'n'roll italien"). Although the majority of the groups did not have any success even in their country (not leaving sometimes that only one album), the albums of groups differently little known like Museo Rosenbach, Osanna, It Balletto di Bronzo, Semiramis, etc as well as more famous groups, are sought by the fans as traditional truths in their kind and also arouse the interest of musical critics and universities. With Brazil, Os Mutant combined elements of traditional Brazilian music, rock'n'roll psychedelic and sounds experimental to create complicated arrangements and hétérodoxes, with words and imageries inspired by imagination, the literature and the history.

A strong component of Avant-garde and counter-culture was associated a long time with most of the progressive rock'n'roll. In the years 1970, Chris Cutler of Henry Cow helped to form a collective of named artists Rock in Opposition or RIO, from which the goal was primarily to protest against the industry of the music. Among the original members appear of the various groups such as Henry Cow, Samla Mammas Manna, Univers Zero, Etron Fou Leloublan, Stormy Six and later Art Zoyd, Art Bears and Aksak Maboul. The movement Rock in Opposition did not last a long time, but its artists ended up being recognized as being the creators of the Before-progressive rock'n'roll. Dark melodies, angular progressions, dissonances, a free play and a scorn for the conventional structures are elements which were used to describe these artists.

In a kind closer to the psychedelic music, or planing, one can quote Gong, Soft Machine and a great number of groups to which one refers under the name of École of Canterbury.

Rise and decline

The fans and the historians of the music have various manners of categorizing the currents of the progressive rock'n'roll of the years 1970. The school of Canterbury can be regarded as a sub-genus of the progressive rock'n'roll, more directed towards the Jazz-rock'n'roll, or simply like another collection of rock groups progressive. Other groups took along the kind in a more commercial direction. These groups, among which Rebirth, The Alan Parsons Project, Queen and Electric Light Orchestrated, are sometimes classified " rock'n'roll progressif" , " rock'n'roll commercial" or " pop symphonique". In the wire of time, Led Zeppelin and Supertramp, among others, incorporated more unusual elements, long measurement odd, and compositions in their work. In a vein " pop prog" similar figure Manfred Mann' S Earth Band, which was regarded as a prog rock group of first order, knowing the more known heritage of the years 1960 of Manfred Mann.

The popularity of the progressive rock'n'roll reached its apogee in the middle of the years 1970, when the artists prog were regularly at the head votes of the readers in the popular magazines of music in England and in the United States. At that time, several North-American groups were formed. Kansas, which existed since 1971, became one of the rock groups progressive having the most business success. The Canadian group Rush had a comparable success, with a series of albums with success extending from half of the years 1970 with today.

With the arrival of the Punk at the end of the years 1970, the critical opinion in England approached a style of simpler and aggressive rock'n'roll, the progressive groups being décriés more and more like pretentious and pompeux, putting an end to the reign progressive rock'n'roll like one of the principal styles of the rock'n'roll. This evolution is often regarded as belonging to a fuller commercial turning in the popular music of the end of the year 1970, lasting which many groups of Funk or Soul chose the Disco, and lasting which Smooth jazz became more popular than the Jazz-rock'n'roll. However, the progressive groups most installed still had many partisans, with Rush, Genesis, Yes and Pink Floyd which regularly placed albums in signal 10 and of the rounds at success. In 1979, year to which one agrees to say that the punk one had transferred in New Wave, Pink Floyd left The Wall, one of the most sold albums history. Many groups which emerged following the punk one, such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, Cabaret Voltaire, Ultravox, Simple Minds and Wire, posted progressive tendencies as well as more recognized punk influences.

The years 1980

The beginning of the year 1980 saw appearing a revival of the kind, carried out by artists such as Marillion, IQ, Twelfth Night, Pendragon, Galahad, Pallas, and Saga. The groups which appeared during this period are sometimes called Néo-prog ressifs. They were influenced by the groups of the years 1970 such as Genesis, Yes and Camel, but incorporated certain elements of the New wave and other elements of the rock'n'roll of the years 1980. The numerical synthetizer became a prominent instrument in this style. The néo-prog continued until in the years 1990 and beyond with groups like Arena, Jadis, Collage, and Iluvatar. They are generally similar in their style and their sound with the pioneers of the néo-prog Marillion and IQ.

Certain unconditional the progressive rock'n'roll changed musical direction, by simplifying their music and while making it more commercially viable. In 1982, very awaited supergroupe Asia, composed of Steve Howe (Yes), Carl Micrometer caliper (ELP), John Wetton (King Crimson), and Geoff Downes (Buggles /Yes), surprised the fans of progressive rock'n'roll with its first pop album directed individual the " Heat off the Moment" turned much on MTV during years, while the album was sold very well in 1982. That revealed a market for the British progressive rock'n'roll more commercial, a style very similar so that played Styx, Foreigner, Boston and Journey.

Other British groups followed the lucrative example of Asia. In 1983, Genesis obtained an international success with " Mama" , a song with a strong insistence on a front of Limps at rate/rhythm, announcing a change of orientation of the group towards a more commercial direction in the years 1980. In 1983, Yes made a return surprising with '' 90125 '', on which figure their only individual number one in the United States, " Owner off has Lonely Heart". Written by the guitarist Trevor Rabin before it joined the group, " Owner off has Lonely Heart" was sufficiently accessible to pass in the discotheques. In the same way, the album has off Momentary Lapse Reason of Pink Floyd in 1987 was a departure of their albums usual concepts, making appear shorter songs and a more electronic sound.

Years 1990 and progressive metal

The progressive rock'n'roll lived another revival in the years 1990. A remarkable departure of this revival was given by a trio of Swedish groups: Änglagård, Anekdoten and Landberk, which appeared about 1992-1993. Other groups appeared, the such Scandinavians The Flower Kings and White Willow, English Porcupine Tree, Italian Finisterre and Deus ex machina, like Spock' S Beard, Echolyn, Ten Jinn, Proto-Kaw and Glass Hammer of the United States. Arjen Anthony Lucassen, accompanied by many musicians resulting from the scene progressive rock'n'roll and metal, produced a series of albums concepts. Without necessarily sounding same manner, many these groups have very strong musical bonds with the progressive groups of the years 1970, sometimes at the point to sound " rétro".

One of the categories most commercially viable of progressive was the progressive Métal, which mixes some of the elements commonly associated with the progressive rock'n'roll (long compositions, odd measurements, virtuosity, albums concepts) with the power and the attitude associated with the Metal. They are groups of the hardening of Iron Maiden (" Phantom off The Opera" on Iron Maiden , 1980) and Metallica (" Cal off Khtulu" on Wrinkle The Lightning , 1984), to see even Deep Purple (" Child In Time" on In Rock'n'roll , 1970) which started to associate the progressive rock'n'roll with the metal power. The current will be " officiellement" launched by groups such Fates Warning or Queensrÿche, though always very tinted rock'n'roll, then of course by Dream Theater which will amplifira the extreme side of progressive in particular thanks to the use of guitar with 7 cords, therefore more serious, which will divide metal prog into two principal currents, of one by the groups more " rock" (Shadow Gallery, Crimson Glory) and other share of the more pessimistic groups and violent one (Andromeda, Outworld).

A distinctive characteristic of metal prog is the prominence of the keyboards in what is usually a style of music dominated by the guitar. Several of the groups in progressive metal, like Dream Theater (the United States), Ayreon (Netherlands), Opeth (Sweden), Fates Warning (the United States) and Queensrÿche (the United States), quote the pioneers of the progressive hard rock Rush like one of their larger influences. Tool quoted King Crimson like an influence of their work.

The progressive one as a musical style

The " term; progressif" in the beginning was used in the years 1970 to underline the innovation of the musical direction borrowed by certain groups, as from the years 1980 the term especially became the name of a musical style. Consequently, of the groups such as King Crimson which continued to explore new directions were not always regarded as " progressifs" , while certain groups describing itself like " progressifs" seek to recreate the sound of the groups of the beginning of the year 1970. Today, the " term; progressif" is thus seen by some like indicating a style of rock'n'roll among others, while others consider the term relevant only to indicate a certain step of writing.

Influence in other styles

Certain groups of heavy metal, as System off has Down, incorporated elements influenced by the progressive one such as odd changes of signatures of time and tempo in their music. Recently, a certain number of groups of symphonic or Gothic metal, strongly influenced by the classical music, emerged in Europe, such as Nightwish, After Forever. In metal, it often happens that a group tests itself with progressive by composing a long song, as Iron Maiden in its time did it. For example in the kind of the melody Speed Metal, one finds sometimes tracks which oscillate between 10 and 20 minutes. The tendency of the progressive rock'n'roll to make concepts albums is found very abundantly in certain kinds of metal. The group of Hollywood metal Rhapsody off Fire, left only the albums concepts, is influenced by the classical music and often finishes its albums by a song of ten minutes, without however being unanimously regarded as a group of progressive.

The work of contemporary artists such as Ween, the groups of Post-rock'n'roll like Sigur Rós or Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and of the groups of alternative Rock'n'roll or New prog like Radiohead and MUSE is often regarded as incorporating elements of progressive rock'n'roll, sometimes combined with the esthetic sensitivities of the punk one. The group brittanic Cardiacs specialized since 1980 in a kind of punk progressive and influenced other groups. The kind Math rock'n'roll, which emerged in the years 1990, comprises many elements familiar of the progressive kind.

Progressive rock'n'roll in the world

Although the kind was born in England, its quasi sudden propagation everywhere in the world influenced many musicians. Among the other countries where was diffused the progressive rock'n'roll appear at the head the USA, Italy and Germany, in term of number and re-elected of their groups, each country having developed its national school of the kind, of which the last with the Krautrock. In Europe, all the countries are touched. France (Angel (group), Atoll (group), Pulsar (group)) the Netherlands (X-ray (group), Trace) and Sweden (Kaipa) proposed formations recognized in the press and the sales of albums. Ignored general public and to a certain extent amateurs of the kind, Eastern Europe developed in parallel a whole Pantheon of the style. Poland (SBB, Pekka Pohjola), Estonia (Inspe, Ruja), Czechoslovakia (Modry Effekt, Collegium Musicum, Fermata) and Romania (Sfinx, Phoenix) to only quote most important. In South America, the development of the kind was relatively late. Brazil cash some groups of yesterday and today (Bacamarte, Tempus Fugit, Quantum, Dogma). Argentina also (Nexus, Crucis) or Mexico (Cast, Codice) country which accommodates at present the greatest world festival of the kind, the Baja Prog Festival. Japan is a particular case. It is the only Asian country to have developed the kind in the European proportions. The Seventies launch the kind and pose the base of the English traditional styles symphonic and psychedelic with formations such as Far East Family Band, Yonin Bayashi, Cosmo' S Factory, Shingetsu and Novela. And yet, the golden age of progressive Japanese will take place in the Eighties, time minus ostentation in Europe. The archipelago sees developing a whole arsenal of groups (Gerald, Outer Limits, Teru' S Symphonia, Mr.Sirius) for then packing itself towards end of the year 90. Today, the progressive rock'n'roll is present everywhere.

Related sub-genera and kinds

See too

Internal bonds

  • List of artists of progressive rock'n'roll
  • List of artists of progressive rock'n'roll per decade
  • List of artists of progressive rock'n'roll by country

External bonds

References

Be-X-old: Прагрэсыў-рок Simple: Progressive rock'n'roll

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