Pink Floyd Progressive Rock?

RoyFairbank wrote: Is Pink Floyd a Progressive Band? Pink Floyd is not only a progressive band, its the only progressive band. Read the lyrics of Pink Floyd and compare to the fantasy stories of Genesis and Yes Listen to the depth of the musical moods, textures and artistic patience - there is nothing formulaic Think about the political and philosophical weight behind the Floyd's material. There is no one else like Floyd. Wish You Were Here was not their best work (that being Animals or the Final Cut in this posters opinion) but even it has a moral force that clearly distinguishes it from other acts which to their credit and our enjoyment consider rock and roll a form of artistic expression.

Although I can see where you are coming from, I also think you are fundamently missing the point of what progressive rock is.Not all of Wish You Were Here is particularly progressive but I find Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part I-V) a very progressive track as it uses different soundscapes / techniques to form that flued forward moving sound.There are changes timings,changing atmospheres, the guitars (inc. bass) change from the stripped down blues to gentle arpeggios.The ambient sections you could say are similar to ambient post-rock.All these combinations I would regard as definately progressive.Wish You Were Here(track) - you could say is folk rock or even progressive folk rock? Welcome to the Machine you could say is lite Industrial / space (prog),Have a Cigar is a combination of Gilmours stripped down blues guitar, funk, jazz, atmospheric (space) keyboards & quite bluesy atonal vocals.Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part VI-IX) is quite similar to the opening track but has a funky interlude.Overall the album is progressive (with the opener & closer definately) although you could call the middle tracks fusion rock.

Edited by Scratchy - December 15 2009 at 20:19

http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive-rock.asp#definition

there's the answer...

But actually, I don't need to see how would they fit in any  definition of prog rock cos to me Pink Floyd is one of the bands who defined what progressive rock is, just like Genesis, Yes, ELP or King Crimson.

Take any Pink Floyd album -- well the main studio ones -- and consider it in the context of other music at the time it was released.  Each of the album holds up well when compared to other 'legit' prog releases at the time, or in the case of their earlier work the more psychedelic tendencies of comparable bands at the time.  I suppose 'back in the day' I didn't consider them prog, but the same holds true for a number of bands (Rush comes immediately to mind).  Hindsight however is 20-20.  I do remember the first time I heard some of Dark Side of the Moon, at a record store in LA.  I bought it immediately.  I found it compared favorably with Trilogy and Close to the Edge.  Proggy enough for me.   

Johnnytuba wrote: I don't care if a band is prog or not either.  I also only care if I like the band or not.  Regardless, I feel that this is all only a matter of opinion

Any of the answers help you at all?

My god people, lets just admit that without Pink Floyd prog would've never gained the impressive musicianship it includes today.  So many bands we love are influenced by them, and I love Pink Floyd myself.  Why even question this? When you do more than one track over 20 mins and are not prog, you're just boring!

Johnnytuba wrote: Kashmir75 wrote: I have a friend from uni who denies that Floyd (a band he loves) are prog rock (a term he disdains). He also loves Radiohead and refuses to associate them with the genre. Both of these bands created previously unheard of sounds and ideas, if that isn't prog, then what is?  I honestly had never heard anything like Kid A before that album came out. Same with DSOTM.  I can actually see why Sabbath are on the Archives. They did a great deal of experimenting with their sound in later albums. But they are still first and foremost, metal pioneers, not prog per se. But I love Sabbath and don't really care if they're prog or not. I don't, in general, give a toss whether something is prog or not. I only care if I like the band or not. I don't care if a band is prog or not either.  I also only care if I like the band or not.  Regardless, I feel that this is all only a matter of opinion

I assume you also like bands that have a much narrower / formulaic / generic style as I do as well.I also come back to Prog eventually though & always go for bands that have an open minded ,you could say, progressive element to their music (including Sabbath to a certain extent).

Someone who'll come along and say Shine On You Crazy Diamond isn't the least bit prog hasn't a clue what he's talking about sorry. Thread dismissed.

1. I DO consider PF prog, if only for AHM. Meddle and WYWH.
2. While I don't agree at all with the "all-inclusive" policy of the site, I can see how this works for a large number of people here, so...
3. Could we please at least cut down on the METAL, guys??? (half joking)

RoyFairbank wrote: Pink Floyd is not only a progressive band, its the only progressive band.

RoyFairbank wrote: Read the lyrics of Pink Floyd and compare to the fantasy stories of Genesis and Yes

Thats a pretty naive statement. How many Genesis or Yes songs have you actually listened to?

RoyFairbank wrote: isten to the depth of the musical moods, textures and artistic patience - there is nothing formulaic

If there is nothing 'formulaic' about Pink Floyd and their music, then why do they have concept albums? Why do they have lyrics? Why do they write music, rather than just randomly jam?

RoyFairbank wrote: Think about the political and philosophical weight behind the Floyd's material

Many bands have the same lyrical characteristics, but this does not make them progressive, or the only progressive band.

RoyFairbank wrote: There is no one else like Floyd. Wish You Were Here was not their best work (that being Animals or the Final Cut in this posters opinion) but even it has a moral force that clearly distinguishes it from other acts which to their credit and our enjoyment consider rock and roll a form of artistic expression.

True that there is no one else like PF, but that does not make them progressive. I agree about WYWH, and I find it funny that a lot of prog fans think they're most mainstream albums are their best
I semi-agree about the moral force on the album, but that really is down to opinion. I get a bigger emotional reaction from Opeth than I do Floyd, but that doesn't mean Opeth are more emotive or that Floyd aren't emotionally charged - Its purely opinion based.

Edited by progkidjoel - December 16 2009 at 02:58