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Prog Geo 
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 09 2010
Location: Athens (Greece)
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Points: 2555
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 Posted: December 31 2010 at 05:06 |
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I'm from Greece as you know.I like some greek bands.I care a little about greek mythology.(and greek philosophy).But generally don't appeal me any mythology(of course I must say that indeed the greek civilization was great).But ancient greeks was destroying this wisdom with their extreme progressive minds and their democratic spirit.
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BaldJean
Prog Reviewer
Joined: May 28 2005
Location: Germany
Status: Offline
Points: 10387
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Posted: December 31 2010 at 04:28 |
 topographicbroadways wrote:
Baggra wrote:
Maybe your correct but offhand I cant think of YES or King Crimson doing much along lines of Greek mythology.
(how come I get the feeling Im gonna regret this?) |
Crimson had in the wake of Poseidon but you are right i can't think of any Yes ones but i do remember some mention of Jon Anderson referencing it subtly in some of his lyrics |
King Crimson also have the line "Here Odysseus charmed for dark Circe fell" on "Islands"
Edited by BaldJean - December 31 2010 at 04:28
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 A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta
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Baggra
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Joined: December 16 2010
Location: Canada
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Points: 221
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Posted: December 30 2010 at 23:11 |
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I think YES has it in "Turn of the Century" because, although you cant really tell from the lyrics, its somehow connected to Pygmalion (albiet thru a Bernard Shaw filter.).
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Baggra
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 16 2010
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 221
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Posted: December 30 2010 at 23:09 |
Your question is an easy one to answer:
Prog always had a strong affinity towards fantasy - particularly EPIC fantasy. And whose gonna argue against fact that prog is about delusions of grandeur (Deluge Grander)? And whats grander than the Heroic Tale?
And what is fertile ground for the hero tale? Well, not merely Greek/Roman, but also the Eddas, Kaluvala,Nibelungenlied,Maginobion,Tain,Gilgamesh... All these were avidly mined by Prog.
And its not , of course, limited to just the UK. Its prog worldwide.
France - (the bandnames) Eros, Arachnoid, Skryvania
Germany - Minotaurus, Thanatos, Tritonious, Triumvirat,Ikarus, Zeus Amusement
Italy - Leviathan, Dedalus
Greece - Socrates, Ikarus, Aphrodites Child
(UK - Comus,Pallas,Amphion)
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topographicbroadways
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 20 2010
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 5575
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Posted: December 30 2010 at 23:08 |
Baggra wrote:
Maybe your correct but offhand I cant think of YES or King Crimson doing much along lines of Greek mythology.
(how come I get the feeling Im gonna regret this?) |
Crimson had in the wake of Poseidon but you are right i can't think of any Yes ones but i do remember some mention of Jon Anderson referencing it subtly in some of his lyrics
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Baggra
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 16 2010
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 221
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Posted: December 30 2010 at 21:41 |
Dixie Dregs did something on the Odyssey???
............................................
Maybe your correct but offhand I cant think of YES or King Crimson doing much along lines of Greek mythology.
(how come I get the feeling Im gonna regret this?)
Edited by Baggra - December 30 2010 at 21:44
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jammun
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 14 2007
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 3449
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Posted: December 30 2010 at 19:54 |
For what it's worth, many of the bands that worked the road in the central U.S. had a strange inclination to go for Greek mythology names. Think of Aphrodite (which later became Stray Dog). And yes there was Perseus and Odin's Earth Opera (ok, so Nordic names were popular as well  ). Obviously, this is just names of bands; you can imagine their lyrical bent.
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Can you tell me where we're headin'?
Lincoln County Road or Armageddon.
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CCVP
Prog Reviewer
Joined: September 15 2007
Location: Vitória, Brasil
Status: Offline
Points: 7971
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Posted: December 30 2010 at 19:25 |
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Aphrodite's Daughter is an obvious example, even though their albums had little to do with mythology.
There is also Anyone's Daughter's debut album Adonis and many bands that did pieces based on Greek stories (mythos), such as Dixie Dreg did with Odyssey.
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topographicbroadways
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 20 2010
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 5575
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Posted: December 30 2010 at 19:07 |
In the classic british prog scene Greek Mythology seems to be a hot subject for conceptual lyrics, particularly Genesis. King Crimson and Yes also contains plenty of Greek Mythology references. Why was this such a popular subject for prog at the time ?
Most prog stars of this time did of course come from similar backgrounds of private education where things like Greek and Latin mythology would have been taught heavily so maybe this is just it.
Rush did of course use some Greek mythology in their work but i get the feeling they were following the lead of the others, even though Neil Peart is a literature enthusiast (not an insult of Rush by the way  )
what are other peoples thoughts on why it might have appeared in so much early prog work? and any other examples of it in 70's prog
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Greek Mythology In 70's prog
