1973...prog best year???

Moogtron III wrote: Logos wrote: flowerchild wrote: NetsNJFan wrote: I think this is prog's basic arc, imo 1967-1970     Prog on the Rise 1971-1974     Prog Peak 1975-1977     Decline 1978-1981     Fall of Prog  1981-   Agree 100% Disagree 100%. The eighties were horrible, that for sure, but the 90's and 00's have been great prog time!! Disagree 50 %  . Until 1981 it is right, but neo-prog gave us some great albums. The '90's and '00's gave us Flower Kings, Arena, Magenta etc., which are not on a par with the best eighties bands, let alone the best seventies bands. The best year just happens to be ... '73? But after that there's a lot of great music too!

so let me rephrase::

1967-1970     Ascent of Prog

1971-1974     Golden Era

1975-1977     Decline...

1978-1981     ...and Fall

1981-2005     Banished Prog Underground in shattered and scattered remnants  

 

NetsNJFan wrote: Moogtron III wrote: Logos wrote: flowerchild wrote: NetsNJFan wrote: I think this is prog's basic arc, imo 1967-1970     Prog on the Rise 1971-1974     Prog Peak 1975-1977     Decline 1978-1981     Fall of Prog  1981-   Agree 100% Disagree 100%. The eighties were horrible, that for sure, but the 90's and 00's have been great prog time!! Disagree 50 %  . Until 1981 it is right, but neo-prog gave us some great albums. The '90's and '00's gave us Flower Kings, Arena, Magenta etc., which are not on a par with the best eighties bands, let alone the best seventies bands. The best year just happens to be ... '73? But after that there's a lot of great music too! so let me rephrase:: 1967-1970     Ascent of Prog 1971-1974     Golden Era 1975-1977     Decline... 1978-1981     ...and Fall 1981-2005     Banished Prog Underground in shattered and scattered remnants

Oh Yes - I agree totally with your updated post  I personally think Prog peaked 1972/1973 - all my favourite classic albums came out over these two years, most of which have been named above. With the exception of ITCOTCK 1969!!

Edited by valravennz

Yeah 1973 !!! But just count in an album that completes the holy crail: GENTLE GIANT "Three friends" (actually 1972), but let five be even. The best time was between 1972 and 1974. Three years that changed music history in general. 

I Think 72 was the best year it had some

GREAT albums.

 

For me, 1973 is tied with 1972, which has

Jethro Tull- Thick as a Brick
Genesis- Foxtrot
Yes- Close to the Edge
ELP- Trilogy
Yes- Fragile

Most new proggers tend to underestimate the the importance of the
Beatles to the development of prog and the influence they had on the
fledgling musicians of the time. The golden age of prog (1969 to 1974)
followed on directly from the demise of the Fab Four in 1969. Record
companies of the time were falling over themselves to find the "next
Beatles" and were open to the market potential of the kind of
experimentation that the Beatles pioneered in their later years.

I heard Rick Wakeman speaking about this particular matter on a radio
interview during his recent tour of Australia. He went to pains to point out
that the record company execs were happy to give the newer groups of
the time as much leeway as they needed in the studio and that they never
darkened the studio door nor expressed opinions regarding musical
direction. After all, what did they know apart from the fact that there was
a gaping hole had been left in the market?

German Polydor (who had the Beatles on their label in the pre-Parlophone
days) were so keen to discover/manufacture the new Beatles that they
commissioned and bankrolled an effort in that direction which became
Faust. It is no accident that Faust produced their hugely experimental
classic first albums in the 71-74 period.

The return of prog in the 90s has as much to do with technology as
anything else. With the availability of cheap computer-based music
technology, musicians have been able to self-produce their own efforts
independent of expensive studios and cynical A&R types. The internet has
given them access to global niche markets. This site in particular has
given prog a welcome "kick along" in the past 5 years (?) or so.

History shows us why the early 70s constituted the first golden era of
prog and why we're in the middle of another one now. (See my thread
"Why did prog go away?")

IM

further reading in our archives

http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13357& amp;KW=top+year

CLOSE TO THE EDGE, FRAGILE (EVEN IT WAS RECORDED IN 1971)

THICK AS A BRICK

FOXTROT

STORIA DI UN MINUTO, PER UN AMICO

UOMO DI PEZZA

TRILOGY

OKTOPUS

 

1972

 

'72 was slightly better. A BIT only!
Oh yes I don't know if anyone corrected but Tales was released 1974.


Edited by Ounamahl

anyone f**kin care?