Prog-Rock: A tale about growing up…

"mitology" (mitology) 11/27/2015 at 13:03 • Filed to: prog-rock

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Yep, it’s friday and Oppo needs some prog-rock :)

See, I am very curious guy, you know that friend that says that he is about to leave your place but as soon as your mom starts telling a story about back in the day he keeps asking questions , yeah that’s me…

Undeniably this curiosity of mine has taken me places places, led me to see things, led me to hear things…

One of the things it led me to hear was this subgenre of rock, just imagine, you are a black dude, that grew up playing basketball and thinks that Illmatic is the best rap album of all time, and you listen to rock, what turn of events would lead you here?

Curiosity, that’s what. So what is Progressive-Rock (Prog-Rock here on)??

It all started with my Father, he was a fan of Pink Floyd and one of the most played albums of my youth was The Wall, I remembered the sounds being theatrical in nature and while I would roll my eyes as soon as Friday came and my Father got back from work, I started to enjoy the song “Education”.

See, way back then Pink Floyd was the sound of the Rebellious Youth, and when The Wall was released our country was just freshly free’d from the colonial rule. Those songs probably reminded my father of that time as a young adult against the system. But this I only came to understand recently when looking back in time.

Anyway, fast forward to the late 2000’s, I don’t remember much about Pink Floyd, and I’m sitting at my dorm room in College, watching an episode of Venture Brothers when an interesting tid-bit comes up.

Dean, Doctor Rusty Venture’s youngest and probably favorite son, ends up growing a bit of a mustache and as a ritual for him becoming a young adult, Rusty decides to baptize him in the fire that is Progressive Rock and offer him a lab of his own.

I have to say, something about Rusty’s way of describing progressive rock, or the psychedelic tone of the introduction to it really caught my eye… I was curious…

So, I set to finding out… I scoured the whole internet for the history of the genre, the must listen albums and then my ULTIMATE one, the one I wouldn’t do without from there on…

This led me to some of the authorities on this subject, forums and top albums lists all over the internet and wherever I could, I would follow suggestions and try them out.

I was a Prog-Rock connoisseur in the making if you allow me to over-indulge :)

This was a trip to within myself, my highs and my lows… See, this is a rhythm that calls introspection, subjects of existence and our place on the universe or society and the subjectivity of our sanity…

I say this, because at points, it took me to me to think differently about my perceived identity, so often based on our preferences, that themselves are mostly dictated by how the world around us expect us to be, maybe even adhere to stereotypes, if you are a young man, black, you probably enjoy playing basketball, makes more sense if you are in college, then for sure you also enjoy rap, it’s like this, if I were to show you a picture of myself you probably expect me to be tall, with large hands, wearing baggy jeans with some Jordan Sneakers or some Timberlands on, or whatever...

I had to come out of this shell of the self image I had slotted myself into, as all young adults in college tend to do, so, no longer shackled by what I am “supposed to be” I am just a young man, just figuring things out about life as I go on, and in that journey I will like some things that are out there, and I might dislike other things that people my age do like, life is a journey and we best service ourselves by just trying out stuff, new stuff, however different and out there they are and simply being ourselves.

…Prog-Rock, driven to me by curiosity… what a thing…

Like my father before me Prog-Rock where the tunes of my rebellion of sorts, against stereotypes and desire to just try new things no matter how out there they are.

Well, even if you are not a Rock fan I highly recommend giving Prog-Rock a try, it might surprise you, its all art and part music.

Without further ado below is my list of the best prog-rock albums of all time, thanks for sticking with me all the way through Oppo ;)

Selling England by the Pound by Genesis

In the Court of the King Crimson by King Crimson

Red by King Crimson

De-Loused in the Comatorium by The Mars Volta

Three Friends by Gentle Giant

Animals by Pink Floyd

The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd (I know, I Know, what a cliché)

If you want a review of each of them, who knows, those might be coming sooner than you know :)

tromoly > mitology 11/27/2015 at 13:15

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De-Loused is a great album.

Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed > mitology 11/27/2015 at 13:20

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What do you think of Jethro Tull? Stand Up is one of my favorite albums, although it’s probably their least Prog.

Jonee > mitology 11/27/2015 at 13:59

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Very cool. I don’t know if you discovered this during your research, but you know who else was an unlikely prog-rock fan? Sherman Hemsley, aka George Jefferson. I think he even snuck a Gentle Giant song onto a Jeffersons episode. I’ve always loved that.

I’ll never tire of In The Court of the Crimson King. Have you heard the McDonald & Giles album? A tad less prog-rocky than King Crimson, maybe, but it’s one of my favorite albums ever.

mitology > Jonee 11/27/2015 at 14:14

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haha i must say I’m not a Jeffersons guy but i might give it a shot after that :) I didn’t listen to the album yet but i will give it a try now, i really dig the tune you’ve embeded kind sir

mitology > tromoly 11/27/2015 at 14:17

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It is indeed, i was taken by surprise by The Mars Volta, being a modern band and all my expectations where not that high i must say... good times

Jonee > mitology 11/27/2015 at 14:26

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The Jeffersons is kind of the same joke over and over again, but I loved it as a kid. And, if you imagine that guy rocking out to Van der Graaf Generator in his dressing room, it makes it even more fun.

It’s a truly beautiful record. Side 2 is an amazing 22 minute long masterpiece of a song.

I recently got into these German guys, My Solid Ground. Good stuff. Typing prog rock into You Tube is a mind-bending rabbit hole to go down.

mitology > Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed 11/27/2015 at 14:43

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I will get back to you on that one, but im my first listen in and i like what i am hearing :DDDD first impression is stylistically their sound is a bit modern for 1969, interesting...

mitology > Jonee 11/27/2015 at 14:57

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i stopped messing with youtube and prog-rock after a 6 hour listening session one time, had some brews and was just randomly clicking links lol

Oh my, i like this jam, :-0 you have impeccable taste kind sir

Jonee > mitology 11/27/2015 at 17:44

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I’ve been there myself.

Ah, thanks. I like to try and find the obscure stuff since I’ve listened to King Crimson, and the other big prog rock groups a million times over the years.