Psychedelia: Did Prog enhance it or escape it?

This is a highly metaphysical question.  I think what we'll have to do is analyze, subdivide, define, and re-define all the relevant terms until the topic is limp and lifeless.

^Try that. Simpler Question.

I would say that the experimentation of psychedelia led to prog(either directly or indirectly). Sgt. Pepper's, DOFP and PATGOD were not full blown prog albums but they had elements that eventually became part of prog. Did psych merge with prog and if so when did this happen? It's hard to say. Psychedelic at some point morphed into other things such as jam music(ie Ozric Tentacles, Grateful Dead, Phish etc), Krautrock(Can, Faust, AD2) and space rock(Hawkwind, Gong etc).

To answer the original question though it is my opinion that progressive rock tried to move beyond psych. It was a different approach and had different influences. Maybe some of it was trying to enhance it but it depends on the band.

^Good point. I think it would be hard for me to imagine And You And I by Yes Or Trip To The Fair By Renaissance without there psych touches and/or breakdowns even if they are heavily Symphonic Prog.

Edited by SteveG - September 05 2014 at 15:25

Prog may have come out of Psychedelia, but I think psychedelic music enhanced prog music of the 70s, something modern prog lacks.

HolyMoly wrote: This is a highly metaphysical question.  I think what we'll have to do is analyze, subdivide, define, and re-define all the relevant terms until the topic is limp and lifeless.

   This will happen eventually. Perhaps we should start with a clear and concise definition of Prog that we can all agree with.   

Prog basically came from 60s bands who wanted to lift rock to the high levels of jazz and classical. True some of them were involved in psychedelic rock in the early stages but not all such music progressed and not all prog came from psych. Seems like the subgenre that really took psychedelic to new levels was Krautrock. Pink Floyd is space rock but still very commercially viable. Krautrock was way out there. Probably one of those nebulous questions that will never be fully understood but obviously some connection. Seems like the same same could be asked about folk, ethnic music and many others

HolyMoly wrote: That is a little easier to handle.  In my opinion, prog was not the direct offspring of psychedelia, but perhaps another, separate branch of "music for the mind" as opposed to the body.  So in the context of your question, I guess my answer would be closer to "trying to become a more serious art form and escape it (psych)".  I just don't know how intentional it all was.  I tend to think it was a lot of artists reaching a similar point in their artistic development at the same time.  Some cross pollination of course, but not an organized movement or anything like that.

According to the book I read about psychedelic rock's history, Turn on Your Mind by Jim Derogatis, the first progressive rock groups came out of psychedelic movement but set themselves apart by incorporating influence from classical music. The specific examples he uses as overlap are The Moody Blues, Tomorrow (who later evolved into Yes) and Traffic.

As far as I can gather, the big difference is that in psych-rock the composition's focus is on exploring and layering textures but in prog rock the songwriting is centered on developing narrative structure in a linear fashion. (which might be the main example of the classical influence at work) There will obviously be some overlap because the two don't exclude each other by necessity.


Edited by Toaster Mantis - September 07 2014 at 10:42

In the Court of the Crimson King was psychedelic, or is at least rife with psych tendencies. Anyone who says otherwise has never dropped acid.