The Who: progressive band

Snow Dog wrote: Prog Related Thats what its there for..

It's were we should put the who. We just need someone brave enough.

Prog Related

Thats what its there for..

You should add the Rolling Stones, DOORS also. Stones recorded the epic 11 minute jam on Aftermath,"going home" a full three years before Tommy. Doors idebut in 1966 was a masterpiece, and definitly pushed the boundries in a new direction. I agree that the WHO or at least Townsend took to the synth in a way that not many other blues rockers did. But had Brian Jones stayed as a vital member of the Stones, you would have seen a whole different group then what we have now.

The WHO are a great old band,but I do not believe they belong in the archives, of course I do not think Queen does either. Deep Purple is quite a stretch also.

Theres nothing new about people trying to get The Who added to the prog archives. These request have have been countered by people saying that the Who are hard rock, They weren't called progressive back then so they sholdn't be today, Roger Daltrey vocals aren't wierd enough, blah, blah blah..................

Lets  just look at there credentials:

• Lets start out by showing how they defined the concept album. They made 3. Actual concept albums, nut just albums with long songs like close to the edge. The Who Sell Out is possibly the first true concept album. Then Tommy brought the concept album to new heights, having one album tell a story. Quadrophenia, also rock opera, brought new horizons to music.
• They killed the 3 minute long pop song. A Quick One that is. By different different movements, they made the first rock suite. If it weren't for this song, all songs could possibly still be 3 minutes long. It also allowed for the stellar length of prog tracks. If songs never evolved past 3 minute long singles, prog never would exist. Plus, just listen to the amazing vocal harmonies in that track. Amazing.
• These guys weren't afraid to go into long instrumentals. Underture. Sea and Sand. Very few bands in 1969 actually put 10 minute long instrumentals in there albums. To this day I cant name one. Sure, there were enless jams in concert by Cream and the Grateful Dead, but how about a structured, composed instrumental put to recording. King Crimson probably thought of these guys.
• They are great musicians. Townsend is a great guitarist, keyboardist, compser, and songwriter. The Ox is possibly the greatest bassist of all time. Moonie may have been crazy on drums, but he was still a virtuoso. Townsend is also an amazing arranger. Just listen to the albums.
• They most certainly were pioneers in electrical instrumentation. The double synthesizer in Baba O'Riely is amazing, and as you may know was inspired by Avant Garde composer Terry Riley. How many just plain old rock bands had those kind of influences? Definetely not Grand Funk Railroad or Alice Cooper. Quadrophenia has some of the most creative use of synthesizers I have ever heard. I dare say they may rival ELP when it comes to this instrument.

The only reason the who may not qualify is they (as far as I know) didn't use wierd time signatures. They may have, but I don't know of any.

So, should the who be added?

Yes. But they belong in the same category Queen, Deep Purple, and Roxy Music  and there likes belong in. A new category for bands that are progressive but don't belong in the genre. I don't care what you call it.

P.s.: I know there have been similar topics.

P.s.s: I went to far with Led Zeppelin. They have don't nearly have the creindtials these guys have.

P.s.s.s: I know they started with r'n'b roots. So did Jethro Tull.