US prog appreciation by non-US people

moshkito wrote: Hi,   I've always been a believer that the inclusion of the American artists, would help solidify and make the definitions for the progressive studies, a lot stronger, and more valuable, which would help put the scene on the map.   I'm convinced that as long as the English continue their ethnocentric ways and books continue to ignore the rest of the world including America, that "progressive" is not going to go anywhere ... and will probably die off sooner or later, because we're not capable of accepting that others were also doing the same thing.   You can see the beginning of the Krautrock special by the BBC, to realize that the only people that refuse to acknowledge the world wide consciousness is the rock press ... that does not believe in anything else, except the groups they like!   Sorry ... for progressive to be more important, valuable and stake its name, it will have to become inclusive and not exclusive of all the other scenes, so that the whole thing will make way better sense in the minds of folks ... as to what the whole thing was about.   This was not an accidental ... idea ... by a group or two ... about a trivial bit in music! It was a very deep, and meaningful attempt to show that we were not stupid, unintelligent, and that we had something to offer society ... and to affect a change from a manipulated society that was blasted and exterminated by World Wars!

Sorry mate, I don't buy it. If it were not for the English rock press and the English record labels of the 1970s people now sitting in their Californian living rooms wouldn't be singing the praises of Krautrock and RPI in the 21st Century. Krautrock wasn't popular in its home country in the 1970s, it was only when the British press started to take notice of the progressive music coming out of Germany, France, Italy and The Netherlands that those bands started to get any recognition anywhere. You may have been hearing about this stuff from a small hippy FM radio station and buying the discs by mail-order from importers, but we in the UK were reading about it in the national music press, hearing it on the BBC and buying it over the counter from our small provincial record stores..., and that's how it crossed the Atlantic, not direct from Germany to the West Coast, but via Britain. Why do you think the BBC would produce a programme on Krautrock if it wasn't relevant in the UK in the 1970s? Think about it.  

Edited by Dean - March 26 2013 at 09:54

Happy the Man.

Possibly my favourite US prog album of the 60s:

These days I place 'Spock's Beard' amongst my most coveted Prog-rock bands.

Todd Rundgren (& Utopia) have some wonderful albums out there too - I actually listened to my records of 'Todd' (1974) and

Oooooh yes - Cathedral.  A great combination of Yes, Crimso, Gentle Giant, and a large part of what inspired the Scandinavian Prog revival.  There weren't as many U.S. prog bands, but the quality was high.

Prog started out being a UK and European thing. Mostly.

I know we have Miles Davis & Frank Zappa listed on PA, but to what extent were they considered as being progressive artistes at the time? In the 70s was Kansas and the rest, but I bet I'm not the only UK prog fan who has never listened to Kansas.