Who Invented Prog? Ask Steven Tyler. He Knows

[E-Z]

Rubber Soul (1965) is progish. Does this make John the 1st prog musician?

According to British rock critique Malcolm Dome in the dvd the making of Deep Purple's In Rock album in 1970 Malcolm says that Richard Wagner (1813-1883) would have been entirely comfortable as a member of Deep Purple especially during there progressive rock era during 1969-1973 so maybe Richard Wagner was the first progressive rock musician??.

https://ginavivinetto.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/wagner1850.jpg

 

[OldSchool47]

According to British rock critique Malcolm Dome in the dvd the making of Deep Purple's In Rock album in 1970 Malcolm says that Richard Wagner (1813-1883) would have been entirely comfortable as a member of Deep Purple especially during there progressive rock era during 1969-1973 so maybe Richard Wagner was the first progressive rock musician??.

https://ginavivinetto.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/wagner1850.jpg

You're probably correct that Richard Wagner should be considered as the 1st progressive rock musician. I'm listening to "Hush" as I write this post and hear a bit of Richard in Ritchie's guitar chords. You're an Englishman who has an excellent understanding of the style and origins of Prog music. Feet of the master. So here's my final vote for the Father of Prog:

1. John Lennon
2. Richard Wagner
3. Brian Wilson (Pet Sounds [1966])
4. Ritchie Blackmore
5. Johnny Winter (The Progressive Blues Experiment [1968])

Let me leave you with this gem (the drums).

 

[E-Z]

You're probably correct that Richard Wagner should be considered as the 1st progressive rock musician. I'm listening to "Hush" as I write this post and hear a bit of Richard in Ritchie's guitar chords. You're an Englishman who has an excellent understanding of the style and origins of Prog music. Feet of the master. So here's my final vote for the Father of Prog:

1. John Lennon
2. Richard Wagner
3. Brian Wilson (Pet Sounds [1966])
4. Ritchie Blackmore
5. Johnny Winter (The Progressive Blues Experiment [1968])

Let me leave you with this gem (the drums).

Thanks your make me blush ha ha ha... Funny that you should mention Johnny Winter because over here on the other side of the Atlantic ocean it's a Saturday evening/night and for the last few hours I have been playing some of Johnny's stuff mainly a compilation cd of mostly material from the 1970 era and a live recording (which has just finished) of Johnny with his first band with Tommy Shannon on bass and 'Uncle' john on drums at the Texas Pop Festival in September 1969.

 

[OldSchool47]

The Boys From Beaumont.

"It must have been quite the day when Turner sat down with Winter and a stack of vinyl, elucidating the differences between field hollers and Chicago blues, Delta rhythms and Texas shuffles. Winter got it all and the Johnny Winter Trio, with Tommy Shannon on bass, went on to make blues history. Somehow, Turner’s role went largely unacknowledged."

 

[E-Z]

I may be wrong but possibly a number of bands that have already been mentioned and have subsequently become known as 'prog rock' bands like Pink Floyd, Procol Harum and King Crimson I believe were known in there time as 'art rock bands' back in the late 1960s.

 

[Bonham'ssqueakypedal]

I don't know if any one person "invented" prog but if we were going to single out individual musicians then it would be either Frank Zappa or Keith Emerson so MOI or the Nice. Of course there were others(many of whom are referred to as proto prog these days).

 

[dr wu]

I missed this somehow...right up my alley.
No one person 'invented prog' but many bands in the late 60s were doing more inventive things and using orchestras and odd time signatures and studio techniques including the Beatles and were expanding what rock and pop was all about.
@The Deacon (where did he go?) above named many bands that were doing interesting music then and I think most of us could name some of them or like me have many of those albums in their collection.
I think the first album that really blew me away as far as prog was In The Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson when I heard it very late winter 1969. It incorporated all those things that other bands were experimenting with from 1967-69 and put them together on one album of great tracks.
(BTW.. Fripp who was one of the founding members and defacto leader said Sgt Pepper by the Beatles was an influence. )

 

[Slipn]

I'm confused by some of the names mentioned in this thread..

 

[Slipn]

I've always wondered what made progressive bands "progressive".

Is it progressing towards something....or away from something.

Is it progressing, as in changing? Lucifer's Friend was always referred to as a progressive rock band, but they changed styles on every album. Is change for the sake of change enough to be "progressive"?

Kansas has been called progressive. Is it just because of the violin? Chicago had horns, but was referred to as rock-jazz "fusion". Wouldn't that make Kansas rock-classical "fusion"?

Early Genesis was art- or pomp- rock. What made them "progressive"?

Is "progressive" a less restrictive term like "pop"?

This is what makes sense to me..

The list of prog bands.. https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/best-prog-rock-bands/

My head is spinning at the mention of TOOL on that list!!

 

[dr wu]

This is what makes sense to me..

The list of prog bands.. https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/best-prog-rock-bands/

My head is spinning at the mention of TOOL on that list!!

Good list and I have most of those bands in my collection.
Prog is many things to many people. Those of us who are prog heads constantly argue this on Prog Rock Archives web site which imho is the best prog site on the web.


https://www.progarchives.com/