Was prog actually popular in the 70s?? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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Vibrationbaby View Drop Down

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Posted: August 12 2013 at 16:01

Guess you had to know the guy personally.

Ronnie Pilgrim View Drop Down

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Posted: August 13 2013 at 18:07

Ronnie Pilgrim wrote:

I was in high school from 1972 - 1976. We did not use the terms progressive rock or prog rock back then. There were also emerging branches of other rock genres: heavy metal; southern jam bands; the british blues sound to name a few. They were all popular, especially if they toured and generated a buzz. So my best answer to the OPs query is that is was popular, but no more so than the likes of The Allman Brothers Band, Black Sabbath, or Humble Pie.

Dean wrote:

which is probably why there are no 70s Prog bands from Southern Texas.... and so very few from the USA.

Dean wrote:

Any of those from Southern Texas? (or Texas? or any of the Southern states?)

"Which is probably why there are no intelligent people from England.... and so very few from Great Britain"

is what I might say if I were to use your flawed logic.

"Anyone more clever than Ermm

from England? (or Great Britain?, or any of the European countries?)"

I might add.

Seriously, I expect more discretion from an administrator than to lower oneself to such snobbery.

Edited by Ronnie Pilgrim - August 13 2013 at 18:20

Dean

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Posted: August 13 2013 at 18:19

Ronnie Pilgrim wrote:

Dean wrote:

which is probably why there are no 70s Prog bands from Southern Texas.... and so very few from the USA.

"Which is probably why there are no intelligent people from England.... and so very few from Great Britain"

is what I might say if I were to use your flawed logic.

"Anyone more clever than Ermm

from England? (or Great Britain?, or any of the European countries?)"

I might add.

Seriously, I expect more discretion from an administrator than to lower oneself to such snobbery.

I was being serious. Prog wasn't known as Progressive Rock in Southern Texas in the early 1970s and there weren't any Prog bands from Southern Texas in the 1970s. Prog was known as Progressive Rock in England in the early 1970s and there were lots of Progressive Rock bands from England in the 1970s. (And from Italy, and The Netherlands and from Germany and from Scandinavia ... but none from Southern Texas and few from anywhere in the USA) ... that's not snobbery, that's not flawed logic, that's an observation of fact.

I may not be intelligent and I may lack discretion, but I'm not supercillious.

Edited by Dean - August 13 2013 at 18:23

What?

Vibrationbaby View Drop Down

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Posted: August 13 2013 at 19:33

I don't think there were any progressive rock bands from southern Iran either. I heard of a metal band from Tehran but I think that they were all executed. Seriously. I am not making this up.

progbethyname View Drop Down

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Posted: August 13 2013 at 20:27

^ wooooo classic case of religion being flawed as so as man being flawed.

That's terrible. Glad Orphan Land has emerged nicely and is being excepted nicely even in today's Israel.
:)

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The.Crimson.King View Drop Down

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Posted: August 13 2013 at 23:08

Dean wrote:

The.Crimson.King wrote:

Dean wrote:

which is probably why there are no 70s Prog bands from Southern Texas.... and so very few from the USA.

FYI: Here's a poll I started a while back specifically about little known 70's US prog bands...and no, I don't think any of them are from south Texas Wink

http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=94116

QED

Any of those from Southern Texas? (or Texas? or any of the Southern states?)

Actually, 3 of them were from the US South. Lift was from New Orleans, Babylon from Florida and I'm pretty sure Easter Island was from Kentucky. As for the others mentioned in the poll, Mirthrandir and Fireballet were from New Jersey, Cathedral from Massachusetts, Netherworld from the SF Bay Area, Pentwater was from Chicago, and I'm pretty sure Starcastle was from Indiana. Don't know about Shadowfax, Yezda Urfa, or others mentioned in the poll comments like Ethos and Happy the Man.

Still none from Texas Wink

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CPicard

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Posted: August 14 2013 at 05:35

Vibrationbaby wrote:

I don't think there were any progressive rock bands from southern Iran either. I heard of a metal band from Tehran but I think that they were all executed. Seriously. I am not making this up.

Okay.
Go at this site, read the biographies and tell us if there's any reference to a whole band to be executed.
http://www.metal-archives.com/lists/IR

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Posted: August 14 2013 at 05:41

Apparently you can make this stuff up.

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Vibrationbaby View Drop Down

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Posted: August 14 2013 at 08:22

I'm talking about the days of Ayatollah Khomeini. I'm serious it was in the Montreal Gazette back in the seventies. I am NOT making this up.

Dean

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Posted: August 14 2013 at 08:36

Nothing about it on the interwebs and something like that would be. Khomeini banned all western music but there is no mention of executions as a result of that ban. For once I actually trust the interwebs on this.

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Vibrationbaby View Drop Down

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Posted: August 14 2013 at 09:18

So don't believe me.

Dean

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Posted: August 14 2013 at 09:29

I have serious doubts about the veracity of the story - it could be an urban myth, but even that is conspicuous by its absence.

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Vibrationbaby View Drop Down

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Posted: August 14 2013 at 09:35

I'll try and find the story. Whether or not it's true it appeared in the Montreal Gazette as well as on the local CTV news. I'm not joking.

CPicard

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Posted: August 14 2013 at 09:37

If the said musicians (and I stress on the "If") were some political opposants, this story could be somewhat credible. But it would mean that they were executed as enemies to the Islamist revolution, and not for the sole crime of playing Western music.
Yet, without any source to confirm this story, this could be an urban myth - like Dean just said - or even some kind of political propaganda.

cstack3

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Posted: August 14 2013 at 17:03

The.Crimson.King wrote:

Dean wrote:

The.Crimson.King wrote:

Dean wrote:

which is probably why there are no 70s Prog bands from Southern Texas.... and so very few from the USA.

FYI: Here's a poll I started a while back specifically about little known 70's US prog bands...and no, I don't think any of them are from south Texas Wink

http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=94116

QED

Any of those from Southern Texas? (or Texas? or any of the Southern states?)

Actually, 3 of them were from the US South. Lift was from New Orleans, Babylon from Florida and I'm pretty sure Easter Island was from Kentucky. As for the others mentioned in the poll, Mirthrandir and Fireballet were from New Jersey, Cathedral from Massachusetts, Netherworld from the SF Bay Area, Pentwater was from Chicago, and I'm pretty sure Starcastle was from Indiana. Don't know about Shadowfax, Yezda Urfa, or others mentioned in the poll comments like Ethos and Happy the Man.

Still none from Texas Wink

Nein. Starcastle were from Champaign, Illinois. I knew Starcastle....Starcastle were friends of mine...and you, sir, are no Starcastle! LOL

http://www.starcastlerocks.com/

As far as Prog and the American South, numerous big prog artists/acts came out of the southern states in the 1970s....Captain Beyond, Dixie Dregs, and Jaco Pastorius all come to mind immediately. Few guitarists rise to the level of Steve Morse from the Dregs.

My late friend Michael Hedges was from Oklahoma, which is the state just north of Texas. The premier American symphonic band, Glass Hammer, hails from Tennessee, which is certainly a Dixie state!

I cannot think of any Texas prog bands off the top of my head, but they certainly had them, as Texas was the only place with any money during those years because of their oil wealth. Dallas, Austin and Houston all have very vibrant music scenes, although Texas rock has tended to be very blues-centered. The father of modern jazz electric guitar, Charlie Christian, hailed from Texas. More to follow...

presdoug

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Posted: August 14 2013 at 17:18

Bloodrock, hailing from Ft. Worth, Texas, came pretty close to prog with their 1972 albums Bloodrock USA and Passage.

Dean

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Posted: August 14 2013 at 17:32

cstack3 wrote:

My late friend Michael Hedges was from Oklahoma, which is the state just north of Texas. The premier American symphonic band, Glass Hammer, hails from Tennessee, which is certainly a Dixie state!

I have poked the hornet's nest

I'm not questioning the musical heritage of Texas. (Just look to Janice or SRV for that - or the modern legacy that is SXSW). Nor am I saying that no Prog artists hailed from there or any of the Southern states - even if you could list 10 or 20 there would be far far more that were not Prog - for every Starcastle you'd find 100s of other bands that were not inspired by Prog at all. The popularity of any genre can be gauged not just by who buys the albums, but also by the live music scene it supports, ie local Prog bands that sprout up in the area.

What?

timothy leary View Drop Down

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Posted: August 14 2013 at 17:58

Dean wrote:

which is probably why there are no 70s Prog bands from Southern Texas.... and so very few from the USA.

There actually is a Texas progressive rock band from the 70's and they are on this site. Hands self titled album 1977.

Dean

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Posted: August 14 2013 at 18:26

timothy leary wrote:

Dean wrote:

which is probably why there are no 70s Prog bands from Southern Texas.... and so very few from the USA.

There actually is a Texas progressive rock band from the 70's and they are on this site. Hands self titled album 1977.

Okay, that's close enough I guess.

Ronnie Pilgrim wrote:

I was in high school from 1972 - 1976. We did not use the terms progressive rock or prog rock back then.

What?

geneyesontle View Drop Down

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Posted: August 14 2013 at 21:10

Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd were very popular. Genesis were beginning to be popular and King Crimson were always an underground band. That's for the big 6 of prog. Now, for bands like Gentle Giant, Van Der Graaf Generator and Camel, this was more difficult. They are cult bands.

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