3. I remember vividly Sergeant Pepper coming
outâthere was this incredible buzz of sheer
disbelief. Wherever you went people would
be playing it. Suddenly, with this astonishing
music anything seemed possible.
David Jackson (Van der Graaf Generator)
3
4. *The+ âprogressive rock eraâ can be
delineated, emerging around 1967â
1969, peaking in terms of commercial
and aesthetic success from 1972 to
1974, and disappearing altogether (or
at least returning to the musical
underground) between 1977 and
1980
-- Anderton, 2010: 418
4
5. The Big 6:
Yes, Genesis, Emerson Lake and Palmer (ELP), Jethro Tull, King Crimson and Pink Floyd
5
11. 1. Quote a classical excerpt in the midst of a
song (simplistic)
2. Use a classical melody as the basis of a rock
song (simplistic, no stylistic blending)
3. Create a series of rock songs conceived as
units in a larger form (suites; thematic unity
desirable)
4. Adopt a full classical work to a rock-style
performance (classical work transformed by
rock instrumentation)
5. Create a work for rock group and classical
ensemble (rock group partners with
orchestra; blend of both forms)
6. Using the musical language of rock, create
an extended work modeled after a classical
form (difficult to achieve; thematic
development and structure; classical music
in the language of rock)
11
12. 1. Quote a classical excerpt in the midst of a
song (simplistic)
2. Use a classical melody as the basis of a rock
song (simplistic, no stylistic blending)
3. Create a series of rock songs conceived as
units in a larger form (suites; thematic unity
desirable)
4. Adopt a full classical work to a rock-style
performance (classical work transformed by
rock instrumentation)
5. Create a work for rock group and classical
ensemble (rock group partners with
orchestra; blend of both forms)
6. Using the musical language of rock, create
an extended work modeled after a classical
form (difficult to achieve; thematic
development and structure; classical music
in the language of rock)
12
13. 1. Quote a classical excerpt in the midst of a
song (simplistic)
2. Use a classical melody as the basis of a rock
song (simplistic, no stylistic blending)
3. Create a series of rock songs conceived as
units in a larger form (suites; thematic unity
desirable)
4. Adopt a full classical work to a rock-style
performance (classical work transformed by
rock instrumentation)
5. Create a work for rock group and classical
ensemble (rock group partners with
orchestra; blend of both forms)
6. Using the musical language of rock, create
an extended work modeled after a classical
form (difficult to achieve; thematic
development and structure; classical music
in the language of rock)
13
14. 1. Quote a classical excerpt in the midst of a
song (simplistic)
2. Use a classical melody as the basis of a rock
song (simplistic, no stylistic blending)
3. Create a series of rock songs conceived as
units in a larger form (suites; thematic unity
desirable)
4. Adopt a full classical work to a rock-style
performance (classical work transformed by
rock instrumentation)
5. Create a work for rock group and classical
ensemble (rock group partners with
orchestra; blend of both forms)
6. Using the musical language of rock, create
an extended work modeled after a classical
form (difficult to achieve; thematic
development and structure; classical music
in the language of rock)
14
15. 1. Quote a classical excerpt in the midst of a
song (simplistic)
2. Use a classical melody as the basis of a rock
song (simplistic, no stylistic blending)
3. Create a series of rock songs conceived as
units in a larger form (suites; thematic unity
desirable)
4. Adopt a full classical work to a rock-style
performance (classical work transformed by
rock instrumentation)
5. Create a work for rock group and classical
ensemble (rock group partners with
orchestra; blend of both forms)
6. Using the musical language of rock, create
an extended work modeled after a classical
form (difficult to achieve; thematic
development and structure; classical music
in the language of rock)
15
16. 1. Quote a classical excerpt in the midst of a
song (simplistic)
2. Use a classical melody as the basis of a rock
song (simplistic, no stylistic blending)
3. Create a series of rock songs conceived as
units in a larger form (suites; thematic unity
desirable)
4. Adopt a full classical work to a rock-style
performance (classical work transformed by
rock instrumentation)
5. Create a work for rock group and classical
ensemble (rock group partners with
orchestra; blend of both forms)
6. Using the musical language of rock, create
an extended work modeled after a classical
form (difficult to achieve; thematic
development and structure; classical music
in the language of rock)
16
17. âlame affectations of a cultured sensibilityâ
[seeking] âto dignify their work, to make it
acceptable for upper-class approbationâ
--Miller, 1980: 347-8
17
18. ââartisticâ modes of musical expression â
themes, arrangements, harmonies and
forms that drew on classical
models, specifically those of the
Romantic composers of the nineteenth
century and the ânationalistâ composers
such as Bartok, Delius, Copland and
Dvorak.
-- Atton, 2001: 30
18
21. 1. arrangements
2. a blending of acoustic, electric and
electronic instruments
3. a mix of soft and loud musical
passages
4. extended instrumental sections
and solos
5. and the use of musical styles other
than the American blues/rock
format common to much
commercially popular music in
Britain, Europe and the USA in the
mid-1960s.
-- Lucky, 1998: 120-1
21
22. âa tendency to conflate
âsymphonicâ progressive rock with
progressive rock in generalâ
âsymphonic orthodoxyâ
Ignores: âaleatoric and minimalist
musicâ, âriff-based space-rockâ and
âavante-garde and jazz-inflectedâ styles
- Can
- Hawkwind
- Soft Machine
22
24. Atton (2001: 31) refers to 3 dominant
elements in the formation and
development of progressive rock
1. its status as a commercial, popular
music product
2. its aim to achieve âartâ status as an
electrified form for classical music
3. the countercultural elements from
which it was born
24
25. Progressive rock was intended
to be both popular (âmeant for
a wide audienceâ and longlasting (of âmore permanent
value than the six weeks in the
chart and then forget itâ)
--Dawbarn, Melody Maker
1969.
25
26. âa scale and grandeur
unparalleled in rock, and its
inner complexities [to] rival
those of the greatest classical
composersâ
-- Williams, Melody Maker,
1970
26
27. By 1971, âthe time was ripe for
the development of progressive
rockâ.
-- Palmer in DeCurtis, 2001: 243
27
28. Multimedia experience
âą By the mid 1970s shows became more
extravagant
âą Huge projection screens
âą Strange costumes
âą Light shows
âą Huge tours
28