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SteveG
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Topic: Early Prog music without synthesizers? Posted: July 11 2014 at 14:04 |
If monophonic and polyphonic synthesizers like the Moog, Poly Moog, Arp soloist and String ensemble had never been invented, would prog music have still flourished in the early 1970s? If so, how do you think the music would have been different? The Mellotron, Fender Rhodes and clavinets are still available as are other non synth electronic keyboards. Is this a totally theoretical question that can accept any answer? Yes. But who else except the members of Prog Archives could envision an early Prog music world without synths?
Edited by SteveG - July 11 2014 at 14:56
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HolyMoly
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Posted: July 11 2014 at 14:08 |
They probably could have gotten a similar music across with acoustic/electric pianos, tuned percussion, and Mellotrons, and the absence of synthesizers would have just enabled a more thorough exploration of the possibilities of the kazoo. As it is, it's been relegated to the role of novelty instrument.
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SteveG
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Posted: July 11 2014 at 14:11 |
HolyMoly wrote:
They probably could have gotten a similar music across with acoustic/electric pianos, tuned percussion, and Mellotrons, and the absence of synthesizers would have just enabled a more thorough exploration of the possibilities of the kazoo. As it is, it's been relegated to the role of novelty instrument.
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No love for the Jaw's harp? I'm going with the idea that electric guitars would have become more prominent and possibly would have eventually surpassed keyboards the same way that did in other genres. Fender Rhodes to Fender Strats.
Edited by SteveG - July 12 2014 at 12:08
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Gerinski
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Posted: July 11 2014 at 15:16 |
Perhaps I'm pedantic here but the String Ensemble was not a synth strictly speaking. I think Prog would have happened anyway, bands like Deep Purple got close to Prog with just a Hammond, a Rhodes or an RMI Electra Piano and a Clavinet, and in the absence of synths the Mellotron would have probably got more exploited with a bigger diversity of tapes. Of course the richness of sounds offered by synths was very important to the genre but the Prog mentality transcended instruments and sounds.
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zravkapt
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Posted: July 11 2014 at 15:21 |
Most early prog (c. 1966-72) was made without synths.
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Manuel
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Posted: July 11 2014 at 18:14 |
Albums as "Aqualung", "Days Of Past Future", "Sargent Pepper", "In The Court Of The Crimson King" and many others did not include synthesizers, and among the best you can find
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Tom Ozric
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Posted: July 11 2014 at 20:14 |
Dave Stewart and many others wrangled some amazing, other-worldly tones out of their Hammonds (or Farfisas, Yamahas, Lowreys etc) by using various effects. Sounds just as cutting edge and interesting as synthesisers. Funny how you can pick a mini-moog, no matter which keyboardists used them. Somewhat generic, but still adorable.
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Triceratopsoil
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Posted: July 11 2014 at 20:42 |
Gnidrolog.
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Prog_Traveller
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Posted: July 11 2014 at 21:41 |
SteveG wrote:
If monophonic and polyphonic synthesizers like the Moog, Poly Moog, Arp soloist and String ensemble had never been invented, would prog music have still flourished in the early 1970s? If so, how do you think the music would have been different? The Mellotron, Fender Rhodes and clavinets are still available as are other non synth electronic keyboards. Is this a totally theoretical question that can accept any answer? Yes. But who else except the members of Prog Archives could envision an early Prog music world without synths?
| I think so. The first two King Crimson albums didn't have synth on them(neither did the Wetton Bruford era) and neither did the Nice or early Jethro Tull, most proto prog and lots of other stuff. I think you still would have had the long song format and other ways for bands to be creative. The truth is there is plenty of prog that doesn't have synth but it depends on what you like and what you go looking for.
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Prog_Traveller
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Posted: July 11 2014 at 21:42 |
Manuel wrote:
Albums as "Aqualung", "Days Of Past Future", "Sargent Pepper", "In The Court Of The Crimson King" and many others did not include synthesizers, and among the best you can find | That's because most of the albums you just mentioned were released before the synth became in vogue.
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ExittheLemming
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Posted: July 11 2014 at 21:48 |
SteveG wrote:
If monophonic and polyphonic synthesizers like the Moog, Poly Moog, Arp soloist and String ensemble had never been invented, would prog music have still flourished in the early 1970s? If so, how do you think the music would have been different? The Mellotron, Fender Rhodes and clavinets are still available as are other non synth electronic keyboards. Is this a totally theoretical question that can accept any answer? Yes. But who else except the members of Prog Archives could envision an early Prog music world without synths?
| As previous posters have already stated, the likes of the Nice, King Crimson, Jethro Tull and much later (cough) Queen have all made very successful albums without recourse to any analogue Synths. I believe that the so-called 'Symph biggies' say, Yes, ELP and Genesis would still have been popular and successful without Synthesizers as their music is certainly embellished by their use but not necessarily dependent on them. By way of contrast, it's hard to imagine how someone like Tangerine Dream or Kraftwerk would have subsequently developed without the advent of Synth technology (though I am aware that both made albums without them at the outset) Keith Emerson once said that he considered himself primarily an organ and piano player with the Synths just being 'some icing on the cake' and that maybe sums up their role in much Prog music. (i.e. it's not silenced by The Utah Saints Unplugged scenario)
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Slartibartfast
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Posted: July 11 2014 at 21:56 |
I like the early and latter day synths in prog. What the hell is the matter with you???
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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Gerinski
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Posted: July 12 2014 at 02:36 |
ExittheLemming wrote:
As previous posters have already stated, the likes of the Nice, King Crimson, Jethro Tull and much later (cough) Queen have all made very successful albums without recourse to any analogue Synths. I believe that the so-called 'Symph biggies' say, Yes, ELP and Genesis would still have been popular and successful without Synthesizers as their music is certainly embellished by their use but not necessarily dependent on them. By way of contrast, it's hard to imagine how someone like Tangerine Dream or Kraftwerk would have subsequently developed without the advent of Synth technology (though I am aware that both made albums without them at the outset) Keith Emerson once said that he considered himself primarily an organ and piano player with the Synths just being 'some icing on the cake' and that maybe sums up their role in much Prog music. (i.e. it's not silenced by The Utah Saints Unplugged scenario)
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Yeah, remember that most of those synths in the first half of the 70's were monophonic so they were not the base of the music but were mainly used only for solo lines and adornments, the keyboards 'thick' music was played on organs, Mellotrons etc. And indeed Queen's infamous 'No Synthesizers' quote remained until (if I'm correct) The Game
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Guldbamsen
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Posted: July 12 2014 at 03:50 |
What this thread needs is some wild RPI. Something that proves the sub isn't all about Italian Symphonic prog (I hate that term) : Cervello - Melos Procession - Frontiera These two are all about the rock. It's raw and melodic at the same time, much credited to the umphh of a guitar attack. I do think I spot a shy mellotron on both albums, but it's a rare thing. Happens on one track in both albums. While Melos has a wild yet highly welcoming fusion twist to it and Frontiera sounding altogether more earthy and rocking, you still feel a shared fling for the endemic melodic fingerprint of early RPI.
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octopus-4
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Posted: July 12 2014 at 04:08 |
Early Prog music without synthesizers?
I think it was called "blues" actually |
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richardh
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Posted: July 12 2014 at 04:58 |
Aphrodite's Child 666 is probably my favourite 'keyboard album' that doesn't have synths. Vangelis didn't start using them until he moved to England in 1975. I think that album proves that prog would still have thrived without synths. A lot of the appeal of the synth was visual with those massive keyboard stacks used by Emerson and Wakeman. Both those musicians could function perfectly well without them although I suspect that Emerson would have been happier with just an organ and piano than Wakeman.
Edited by richardh - July 12 2014 at 04:58
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ExittheLemming
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Posted: July 12 2014 at 06:57 |
octopus-4 wrote:
Early Prog music without synthesizers?
I think it was called "blues" actually |
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Yep, blues shorn of analogue synth technology = blues with a wistful look in it's eye. Robert Moog was an unwitting slave trader.
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JD
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Posted: July 12 2014 at 11:30 |
SteveG wrote:
HolyMoly wrote:
They probably could have gotten a similar music across with acoustic/electric pianos, tuned percussion, and Mellotrons, and the absence of synthesizers would have just enabled a more thorough exploration of the possibilities of the kazoo. As it is, it's been relegated to the role of novelty instrument.
| No love for the Jews harp? I'm going with the idea that electric guitars would have become more prominent and possibly would have eventually surpassed keyboards the same way that did in other genres. Fender Rhodes to Fender Strats.
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PC time. It's a Jaw's harp. As in used in the mouth and supported by the jaw. Just saying.
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JD
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Posted: July 12 2014 at 11:36 |
Oh, and all the talk above about original Prog bands not using synths and faring very well..What they said!
Plus, as was witnessed by a few in the late sixties and still the early seventies, my guess would be that more of them would have taken to using the orchestra proper as the synth sections. Much innovation has been done with acoustic instruments over the years. Is Harry Partch prog??
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SteveG
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Posted: July 12 2014 at 11:43 |
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