What is "Prog"?
Wikipedia offers a good explanation, so I'll just focus on what I like so much about Prog-Music.
1985, Mariliion produced their third studio album, "Misplaced Childhood", in West Berlin. The singles "Kayleigh" and "Lavender" were played over and over again on the radio. So I quickly bought the album and actively listened to prog for the first time (or so I thought). Slowly but surely the commercial music that I recorded on cassette every day started to annoy me more and more. Thanks to Marillion, the album "The Wall" by Pink Floyd finally mutated in my ears from "Another Brick in the Wall" into the brilliant concept album that it is. An album with no breaks between songs, sometimes without a chorus, sometimes gentle, sometimes rocky, with a consistent theme, listening to it all in one go? That wasn't an issue until "Misplaced Childhood". That sealed my fate. Prog now encompasses many genres, or elements of prog flow into other genres.
For the classics, I recommend Genesis, Yes, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Pink Floyd or King Crimson. From the 80s onwards, I recommend Pink Floyd, Marillion, The Mission, Arena. Today's range of prog and its derivatives is provided in particular by Porcupine Tree, but also by the melodically cleverly arranged The Pineapple Thief and the multi-layered albums by Xavier Phideaux. The rocky Lake of Tears also provide elements of prog.
So what defines Prog?
Progressive rock, or “prog rock” for short, is a music genre that emerged in the late 1960s and experienced its first heyday in the 1970s. It is characterized by complex compositions, extended instrumental passages, virtuoso music-making and experimental approaches. Prog bands often take liberties with the song structure and combine different styles and influences, including rock, classical, jazz, metal, gothic, alternative and folk. Instruments and influences from world music also found their way into prog.
Prog is also characterized by extended songs, often divided into several parts and characterized by complex arrangements and instrumentation. The lyrics can often be sophisticated and conceptual and deal with philosophical, social or literary themes. But they can also be ironic, surreal or psychedelic.
During the 1980s and beyond, some elements of progressive rock were absorbed by other genres, and the genre itself has evolved and remained relevant to this day.
On this website I present works by various bands. Incidentally, the occasional presentation of music from other genres is intentional.
In addition to prog, I prefer ambient, metal, dark, backgaze, gothic, blues, post-rock, hard rock and well-made pop. Trip-hop. Basically anything that goes off the beaten track. And sophistication is good, but in the end it's all about taste. And sometimes it's "simple" Blues.
