Mining for obscure prog rock...some surprising finds!
Posted by: Ron Toolsie on 27 November 2012
In the last month or so, I have diverted my musical attentions pretty much to the prog rock genre (and BTW the progarchives.com site is an invaluable resource). I have relatively little of this music in my collection, and then it tends to be the best known (King Crimson, Yes, Wishbone Ash, Rick Wakeman, Renaissance etc). So I decided to dig a little-well actually WAY deeper.
I am still a neophyte so I will not make too many comparisons, but rather share what I consider extremely good but obscure music. One thing I have found, is that it takes sheer *talent* to play prog rock, so it is very difficult to critique it in terms of technique....its main failings as far as I can tell are the vocals which occasionally tend to be oversung and bombastic.
Until I have listened a bit more to the 50 plus artists I have added to my collection I will for now just have to give a few very honorable mentions.
Yezda Urfa.... The best find so far. A band from Illinois (US) that have an uncanny resemblance to Yes in terms of composition, bass playing and very Andersonesque vocals. But I find them rather more melodic than any Yes I have in my collection, and the nonsensical song titles parody the over-serious attitude that many of their contemporaries were guilty of. Dare I say the playing is of an equal or higher virtuosity than that of Yes? There are only two albums...Boris from 1975 and Sacred Baboon from 1976.
The New Trolls- Italian prog rock at its best. The 'Ut' and 'Searching for a Land' albums seem particularly good, and both were released in 1972.
Days- a Danish band from 1972. Only one release as far as I can tell, which is self titled.
The Masters Apprentices- an Aussie band. I have so far only heard their albums Choice Cuts (1972) and a Toast to Panama Red (1972). Expertly crafted and played music. I do wish the albums were mastered better though.
Gryphon-Between 1973 and 1975 they released four albums that are very deeply rooted in olde Englishe Folke and are largely acoustic. Although any of these is excellent, the best is probably their third -Red Queen to Gryphon Three. If you love the folkie side of Mike Oldfield, then this one should impress, and in places sounds very similar to Ommadawn.
Iceberg- some Spanish prog rockers. The 1975 Tutankhamon has the fluid melodies of some of the best Camel.
Other artists I have recently cast an ear to, but have not listened enough to from a definitive opinion but are very promising....Khan, Gnidrolog (In Search of Harry's Toenail!?), Eden Rose, Anglagard, Jan Dukes de Gray, The Lens, Eloy, the Scottish band Hate with the Hate Kills album from 1970
And a passing mention to a much better known Prog Rock band-Gentle Giant. Two of their better albums (Octopus and Three Friends) were remastered last year and the sonic results are simply marvelous, as is the music. There is a life, clarity and presence that was entirely stripped from the previous releases.
But Edgar Broughton.....really?? Hystrionic Wolfman Jack vocalizations set on top of experimental hard rock. This is one you will either love or hate. I don't love it 
. People who 'get' Troutmask Replica would really go for this one.
Ron,
I understand. Wasa Wasa is a bit of a Marmite album. Instead try their eponymous album 'Edgar Broughton Band' from later in 1971. It's the one with the 'meat' cover. This one is probably more up your street. I'm pleased you enjoyed the others though.
ATB
Steve
Here's a picture of the LP.
Steve
Ron,
Certainly is. 
BTW The Merlons earlier prog-folk stuff is well worth a listen, when they were still called Merlons Of Nehemiah, Eluoami in particular.
steve
A couple more '60s/'70s favourites Ron;
1973 A great album. The group were a break off of Colosseum and was originally called Jon Hiseman's Tempest. Paul Williams is on vocal. Saw them in Devon just before coming up to live in London.
CBS 1969. This their second album is progressive, the first being mainly blues rock.
ATB
Steve
Naked Truth - Ouroboros
Avant Cornetist Graham Haynes joins Naked Truth (Feliciati, Powell and Mastelotto) for their new release, Ouroboros, as they continue their explorations of the space between Jazz-Rock, Ambient and Cosmic Music.
Perhaps on the edge of Prog, the track Dust was included in this months PROG magazine sampler CD. A mix of Jazz-Rock with on-the-fly electronic processing, this might appeal if you like to unwind with some controlled mayhem 
Samples here - http://www.rarenoiserecords.co...ked-truth/ouroboros/
The Rare Noise Jukebox - http://www.rarenoiserecords.com/jukebox/
Arfur,
Great minds and all that. I meant to include Mighty Baby 'Jug of Love' on last nights post.
My original is Blue Horizon but it is generally available on CD and I believe was repressed on vinyl by MOV.
Steve
A teenage student of mine has just recommended this to me, early 70's stuff ! ..... and our favourite 'rain forest' is posting it off to Chez Wugged :-
SWEET SMOKE - twofer - albums "Just A Poke" and "Darkness to Light"
Well you could knock me down with a wet kipper. I thought I knew a bit about 70's music, but not heard of them. However, this youtube clip of first album sounds excellent ...........
Thanks for the info., Ron. I will check the Steve J-Mighty Baby out on Aunty Rainforest.
Hi Ron, here's something interesting from Steve's playlist on 17 Dec...
http://www.phoenixfm.com/2012/...-17th-december-2012/
Panzerpappa - Astromalist
Samples - https://soundcloud.com/#udi-ko...zerpappa-astromalist
Panzerpappa is the definitive Norwegian instrumental Avant/Progressive Rock/RIO group. Their inventive and playful sound ("Progressive Rock with a friendly face") is at once reminiscent of inspirational precursors such as Samla Mammas Manna, King Crimson, Henry Cow, Univers Zero and Frank Zappa, while at the same time sounding unmistakably like ... Panzerpappa!
Review - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=1667
Another track is featured on the 99 minutes Podcast from Norway, which is also interesting...
http://www.listento.no/mic.nsf...12120513120352050812
After reading Steve's latest "Interesting Alternative" column in PROG Magazine (Issue 32), I have purchased three albums from Thumpermonkey http://thumpermonkey.com/
SLEEP FURIOUSLY review
“…their often bewildering mastery of everything – King Crimson like angularity and dissonance, the blissful pop dynamics of the Cardiacs, and the esoteric post-hardcore audacity of Shudder to Think – amount to a sustained victory for intuitive cross-pollination…most importantly, Thumpermonkey’s music is ridiculously exciting; the blazing light of punk rock filtered skilfully through the cerebral prog prism…” PROG MAGAZINE
Each album can be heard on their Bandcamp page...
http://thumpermonkey.bandcamp....lbum/sleep-furiously