
Arguably one of the greatest progressive rock bands in
history, Yes had some of the best players on the scene at the time who would
eventually become some of the most influential and revolutionary the genre has
ever seen. The first album to feature keyboardist Rick Wakeman, Fragile is
nothing short of a masterpiece. Bringing together flavors of classical, jazz,
pop and rock, Yes fashions a unique and original listening experience the likes
of which had not yet really been seen before. Concept albums and albums
designed to be listened to in sequence didn’t truly take off until this
point. Fragile, since it’s release, has gone platinum twice in the US and reached
No. 4 on the chart when it came out. Therefore it goes without saying this record
was a critical and commercial success both in the US and overseas.

Throughout the entire thing, there are moments of mastery
provided by each member of the band. For example Steve Howe’s subtle yet
definitive guitar playing shines bright on “South Side of the Sky” with his consistent
yet intricate riffing. Balanced, extremely well-thought out and expertly
produced, Fragile is a must listen when it comes to progressive music. It’s
complicated yet accessible to even the most casual of fans, which at the time
was important. Part of what made progressive music almost primitive in the
early ‘70s was people’s inability to understand what was going on. It’s not
easy to keep up with and certainly an acquired taste, which makes Emerson, Lake
& Palmer’s sophomore release something of a challenge for most fans of the
decade. In January of 1971 Keith Emerson, Greg Lake
and Carl Palmer went into the studio to begin recording their second album to
be released in the coming summer. Following the success of their 1970 debut,
ELP was ready to work out some new material. The opening track, “Tarkus” is a
seven-part epic chronicling the story of the birth of a character of the same
name in a volcanic eruption before recorded history. The exact creation of this
character and nature are left out in the open by Keith Emerson himself, whose
idea “Tarkus” was.

Though it was a lot to ask of listeners, Tarkus made it
known E.L.P was a progressive force to be reckoned with. From front to back
Tarkus showcases some of the best each player has to offer. Greg Lake’s
exceptional guitar playing and voice blends perfectly with Carl Palmer’s
exuberant, vibrant and heart pounding drumming and Keith Emerson’s singular,
energetic and enrapturing keyboard playing. Pushing progressive music to a new
level, Emerson, Lake & Palmer were one of a handful of bands that set a new
standard for what was possible musically. It wasn't until the Spring of 1973,
however, that this new genre would soar to never before seen heights.
Again, to keep everything in perspective by the Summer of
1972 the Grateful Dead were home, Captain Beyond, Sir Lord Baltimore and others
had records out and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal was beginning to take
shape. Between June 1972 and January 1973, England’s
Pink Floyd went into Abbey Road
studios in London
to start working on their eighth record. Pink Floyd had already made a name for
themselves in the psychedelic and acid rock scene but when vocalist and
founding member, Syd Barrett, left in 1968 things began to change. He was
replaced by guitarist and singer David Gilmour, who brought more of a typical
“classic rock” sound to the table as opposed to Barrett’s quintessential
psychedelic sound. Gilmour’s first record with the band is one of their best
and one of rock’s greatest compositions; it was called The Dark Side of The
Moon. It was released in March 1973 and almost instantaneously changed the
landscape of the scene.

One of the many things The Dark Side of the Moon did besides
becoming an instant classic was it brought progressive music to the mainstream and
allowed for other bands to follow in their footsteps. Although it wouldn’t be
so easy for a lot of the bands that followed including one that would become
one of the greatest, most prolific bands in history. Jumping forward two years to 1975 progressive music was still
moving forward in a lot of ways. Pink Floyd released Wish You Were Here and Led
Zeppelin had come out with Physical Graffiti. At the same time in Toronto, Canada RUSH went
into the studio to work on their follow up album with new drummer Neil Peart.
In February 1975, Fly By Night came out on Anthem Records.
With John Rutsey now out of the band due a diabetes diagnosis, Peart took the
reigns behind the drums as well as the songwriting duties. Continuing to
experiment with new sounds and techniques, RUSH managed somehow to create an
enormous sound with only three members. Geddy Lee was not only an incredible
and unique singer, but an outstanding bass and keyboard player. Much like
guitarist Alex Lifeson, he managed to move swarms of notes and harmonies
through the air in unimaginable ways. As a lyricist Peart created stories
riddled with philosophical messages and fantasy inspired images. As a drummer
Peart seemed able to do anything and built the perfect foundation for the rest
of the group to stand on. Fly By Night peaked a No. 9 on the chart in the US but RUSH
wouldn’t reach the cult status they’ve achieved today if it were not for the
album they came out with the next year.

On one end of the progressive spectrum there’s the complex
and intricate; a sound bands like RUSH and Pink Floyd perfected. On the other
end there’s the avant, funky and provocative. Between 2112’s release in 1976
and the end of the decade coming around the corner, Led Zeppelin’s reign was
beginning to end and bands like RUSH, Kansas,
Blue Oyster Cult and others were taking their place. During this time a young
guitar player from Maryland
called Frank Zappa was paving a new path in various arenas in the rock universe
with his other-worldly guitar sound. Debuting a decade earlier with The
Mother’s Of Invention, Zappa took the rule book and threw it out the window.
Each record was something new and featured endless amounts of some of the best
musicians on the scene.

Part of why progressive music was so “unnoticed” by the
mainstream was because it was hard for most average people to open up to it.
Most often however Zappa and the over 30 musicians he took the stage with are
hailed as some of the best to ever do it. Considered in large part to be
“musicians musicians” the same way Al Pacino is called an “actor’s actor”,
Zappa and his peers, created a new platform for experimentation, innovation and
improvisation. Frank Zappa’s influence runs deep in various places in rock
music but none more so in groups that were going to attempt to revive a new
form of progressive music years later.

Pork Soda became one of the band’s most successful records
and it was due in large part to the inviting and friendly nature of Les
Claypool’s voice as well as his unmistakable bass playing capabilities. From
start to finish Pork Soda is a record with a lot of dimension and there are a
lot of layers to it, making for a fun and humorous yet intense and involved
listening experience. One of the big similarities between Zappa’s work, specifically
Joe’s Garage and Primus is the vocalizations Claypool uses on songs like
“Welcome To This World”. Zappa used to put on different “voices” so to speak
and it would provide a nice dose of humor to an otherwise not so humorous piece
of work. Claypool does the same type of thing, making Primus’ music all the
more humorous and irreverent. The long and short of what Primus did was they
made progressive music fun again -- the way it was supposed to be.
-Hannah Wolfe
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