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Any American Prog Experts?
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Dog 3000
Dog 3000
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Edited Nov 25, 2008, 22:02
Re: Any American Prog Experts?
Nov 25, 2008, 21:43
I would say the whole "jazz rock" movement of the late sixties was pretty much the American equivalent of prog: Electric Flag, Blood Sweat & Tears, Chicago, Pacific Gas & Electric, The Flock, Dreams, lots of other lesser known groups.

American music is all about the blues and group improvisation around folk themes. The "classical composer" concept (Mozart et al) just doesn't fit well.

There is something "too European" in groups like ELP, with their frankly classist notions of "enlightening the masses with classical music and references to great literature." American equivalent might be "Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops" or something (ultra-lightweight classical orchestra prone to using disco beats.)

Though there is the strange case of Zappa/Mothers, who were probably the root of the whole thing on both sides of the ocean music-wise if not in terms of imagery and lyrics. My pet theory is that the MOI + orchestra Royal Albert Hall gig of 1968 was the shot that launched the prog revolution. But Zappa was "very European" for an American (both parents were immigrants I believe.)

The most similar American groups to what you describe are basically copycat groups -- Starcastle from Illinois is the best example (they sound exactly like Yes. Surprisingly, Chicago seems to have been the center for this type of music in the USA. Styx also from the area; their style was a mix of Brit Classic Rock plus a little bit of a Broadway/showtune sensibility.)

Kansas (the band) was somewhat proggish, but they're so bland I can't really get my head around them. (Violin was an important part of their sound I guess . . . zzzzzz.)

One you might actually find interesting is the group Dixie Dregs -- they were sort of like a southern-fried version of the Mahavishnu Orchestra (bunch of music grad students from Florida.) [EDIT -- see now you've already been there done that! And that more than a few of my ideas have already come up . . . ]
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Any American Prog Experts? (IanB)		 Replies:
Re: Any American Prog Experts? (Rolling Ronnie)
Re: Any American Prog Experts? (gogmagog)
Prog, Marx and Elitism (IanB)
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