Band with the most literary references?

maani wrote: I must agree with Rob, Cert and Ivan: Genesis and Marillion (i.e., primarily Gabriel and Fish) probably use more literary references than any other prog writers.  Most are overt, but some are extremely subtle (especially with Fish). Gentle Giant also used myriad literary references, including (admittedly indirectly) the name of the band. Peace.

The name Gentle Giant is a reference to the french writer François Rabelais and his book Gargantua and Pantagruel a very funny story about a family of giants mostly interested in sex and food. Beside of the name of the group you got the songs Pantagruels nativity on ATT and the advents of Panurge on Oct. which are directly linked to the story. Memories of old days on MP is a reference to a George Orwell novel.

As Peter is fond of noting, Tolkien's works are almost without question the single greatest source (even more than Shakespeare, and possibly even more than the Bible) not only of prog references in lyrics, but of prog group names.  I have counted at least 20 prog (or quasi-prog) groups with names from Tolkien works.

Peace.

Syzygy wrote: Been listening to my battered old copy this afternoon, I'd forgotten how good it is.

Yup, it is awesome, just like all the early camel stuff

BebieM wrote: Camel: Snow goose (hmm, it's based on a book, im sure, but i forgot which one )

By Paul Gallico, but they had to take his name off the album sleeve after Gallico objected. I don't know if this is still the case - anybody got a recent CD copy?

Been listening to my battered old copy this afternoon, I'd forgotten how good it is.

I think those 3 haven't been said already:

Camel: Nimrodel (about Gandalf of LotR)

Camel: Snow goose (hmm, it's based on a book, im sure, but i forgot which one )

also, not prog at all (just comes to my mind, lol): The Herd - From The underworld (based on mythology, this story about orpheus in the underworld ....)

Genesis:

White Mountain: Based on White Fang by Jack London

Supper's Ready: Book of Revelations

Squonk: "All the Kings horses and all the King's men could never put a smile on his face" Squonk in reference to a famous Nursery Rhyme.

Supper's Ready: "The Pied Piper takes his children underground"

Fountain of Salmacis: Based in Greek Mythology, the legend of Hermafroditus.

The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway: The whole album has a clear inspiration in The Trial by Franz Kafka.

Iván

Genesis also quote T.S. Eliot more or less verbatim on 'Cinema Show', borrowing one of the passages Ezra Pound edited out of 'The Waste Land'.

Peter Blegvad, lyricist and sometime singer/guitarist with Henry Cow, Slapp Happy and some solo work, crams in all kinds of arcane references and generally wears his erudition lightly. Ezra Pound, Rimbaud, Basho and Wittgenstein all feature in his work, but not in the same song.

Rush have many many literary references.

A whole web page full!

http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/RushInspirations.htm

"Fugazi" mixes up Coleridge and Shakespeare - and you find all sorts of literary references in much of Fish's work with or without Marillion.