Foxhound
retired
Here's one of the best from a very fine band:
Progressive instrumental eh? There are a LOT of different "flavors" so to speak. Liquid Tension is the contemporary wanky "fusion" type. I have both 1 and 2 on disc. I think that consists of members of Dream Theater along with Tony Levin if I'm not mistaken.
Two absolute classic instrumental fusion albums are The Mahavishnu Orchestra's "Inner Mounting Flame" and Billy Cobham's "Spectrum" albums. Alphonse Mouzon's "Mind Transplant" is also really good. It's interesting to consider that Tommy Bolin plays on both those last two albums. He did stuff with The James Gang and Deep Purple so he's by nature a very Rock oriented player. The Inner Mounting Flame may be the ultimate Jazz/Rock fusion album of all time.
There are a LOT of other varieties though when you state "Progressive". Have you heard the album Hocus Pocus by the group Focus?
Movie Soundtracks can be pretty cool and moody. Lots of good Italian stuff there abouts. The soundtrack to the French movie Fantastic Planet is "out there".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgCxCZNkQ9E
There is also a ton of REALLY great contemporary psychedelic/progressive instrumental offerings available too. Have you heard Ozric Tentacles? How about Pelican?
Most of the German/UK/Swiss & Scandinavian progressive groups from the
7os did songs that were a good 10 minutes long each and contained monstrous amounts of excellent progressive instrumental arrangements.
Satin Whale were an AMAZING group. If you get the opportunity, check out an unbelievable album from the Swiss group Krokodil called "An Invisible World Revealed" It's a guaranteed mind blower for certain.
Of course there are all the contemporary guitar/bass/drum wanker virtuosos too. I am certain you have heard a great deal of Joe Satriani's stuff.
There is a label called Tone Center that has some really monstrous material from all sorts of virtuoso combined artists and their subsequent efforts.
Help me to tune in a little more so specifically with respect for the "vibe" you are after.
If you like Liquid Tension Experiment, possibly check out Derek Sherinian's Planet X too.
Thank you very much! You have given me a lot of stuff to dig through. And I really do appreciate the mini-descriptions you offered I will let you know later what I liked.
I have the "Inner Mounting Flame" by the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and it is excellent.
Can you send that my way, PAALEEEASE!