An Embarrassment of Prog: Recent Episodes
William Tipper, Henry Tenney, Charlie Nieland
Sailing the Topographic Oceans of a musical obsession that never became cool, three friends revisit the Genesis of their Yesterdays, from the Court of the Crimson King to the Thickest of all Bricks, from Peter Gabriel dressed as a sunflower to a flautist who proved that "Dickensian rat-catcher as rock god" was a viable career option. Henry Tenney, Charlie Nieland and Bill Tipper invite you to join them on a triple-disc, extended-Mellotron-solo journey through the astounding, perplexing, (sometimes) agonizing Embarrassment of Prog.
Dramatic vocals! Songs about sharks! Lonely lighthouses and tormented psychodramas—powered by double saxophones and an organ played in a cathedral that orbits the moon. Welcome to Van Der Graaf Generator, an influential English band bursting with musical ideas and daring listeners to keep up. This week we become Progonauts on a voyage into the Inner Space created by Peter Hamill, David Jackson, Hugh Banton, and Guy Evans on their magnum opus, 1971's "Pawn Hearts"—which contains two of their most towering pieces, "Man-Erg" and "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers," and features some guest work from Robert Fripp of King Crimson. Are you Van Der Curious? It may be time to meet the killer that lurks inside you.
Related links:
VDGG play "A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers" and "Theme One" on Belgian TV https://youtu.be/GAc4ftOA07A?si=bm1Ce1rZeEBsqdIw
"Killer" live in Paris, 1972 (low-res black and white, but the band is hot!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPGb5iYtyjo
Live in 2005 in Germany, with interviews, presented on Rockpalast: "Man-Erg" begins around 29:40. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blJ_3oOVVbI
Much like the artists who recorded the great live albums of the 70s, we needed a double-sized session to handle our ambitions for a tour through prog rock's monumental in-concert LP sets. In the second part of our Live Prog discussion (picking up from our previous episode), Rick Wakeman heads for the center of the earth with an orchestra for support, Bryan Ferry storms through the north with Roxy Music, Zappa gets Frank about bad movies, and Genesis doubles down on drummers. Plus: Todd Rundgren's Utopian marriage of prog-rock grandeur and Philly soul and King Crimson's battles with the audience. Our promise to listeners: no vocals were re-recorded for this Deluxe Bonus Disc Edition of An Embarrassment of Prog!
Discussed in this episode: Rick Wakeman, "Journey To The Center If The Earth" Live 1974 on ABC In Concert: https://youtu.be/ZAQFfycgmzs?si=iw5ATTN1bqvhCxZn Roxy Music, "Out Of The Blue" (Live 1975 on The Midnight Special): https://youtu.be/W8hcd96GzMc?si=7u8DBFFW0U8VBRO3 Todd Rundgren's Utopia playing a full-length version of "The Seven Rays" 1975 on The Midnight Special: https://youtu.be/_Uc5-CFkAfo?si=Y41pbuzJ9TDz5_9e Genesis 1977 Live in Dallas, TX: https://youtu.be/OvrXwOsidyg?si=7K_cuwZTbzch8q7Z
Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention, "Live at the Roxy": https://youtu.be/r7fyyhhuE7c?si=pmud3ja77hOXfYWK
Frank Zappa, "Inca Roads" featuring Ruth Underwood https://youtu.be/95_7bgW2joE?si=7KIC7OsPxoe-_ljT
The same musical environment that allowed prog rock titans to rampage through your headphones like strange and colorful beasts also proved the perfect climate for the flourishing of a once mighty species that has all but vanished: the live rock LP. For prog acts, the live record could offer a showcase of stage virtuosity, the atmosphere of the band performing in communion with its audience, or just a chance for fans to buy a second version of the 20-minute musical scif-fi fantasia they'd just acquired on another record.
On this episode Charlie, Henry, and Bill return to the triple-disc-live paradise lost of the 1970s and listen to some of the concert-recording triumphs (and a couple of near misses) from bands including Yes, ELP, Jethro Tull, and others. Plus a few that have been chosen because we want people to be upset with us. Part one of a series?
Deep Purple "Made in Japan" Live album on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw4N6j1KDwA&list=RDBw4N6j1KDwA&start_radio=1
Super-8 film capture of Yes performing "Siberian Khatru" live, 1972 on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6a_60GHNg8
"Yessongs" full album playlist on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5UV7lntAB8&list=OLAK5uy_lzIard6eQ8hTu5ApY4v_Txut6brZKimjw&index=2
Emerson, Lake and Palmer "Hoedown" Live in Milan 1973 on YouTube https://youtu.be/8Nllg3pvXPw?si=x6kPDwGKcfg33QkP
Jethro Tull "Bursting Out" on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlVnXVFykZc
Blue Oyster Cult "On Your Feet or On Your Knees" on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v35i90DLhd4&list=PLVPGzOHIIgz-WB-fkTh5XXzswlt5ITrgH
Renaissance “Can You Understand?” Live at RTL4 Studio Luxemburg 1974 on YouTube https://youtu.be/2A3bb47J3xU?si=J8X3LO9AXGl38ewX
Hello darkness, our old friend! This week, we've turned out all the lights (except for one blood-colored bulb) and turned up the volume on the trio of albums recorded by the band King Crimson in 1973 and 1974. For "Larks Tongues in Aspic," "Starless and Bible Black," and the culminating "Red," Robert Fripp gathered a collection of musicians willing to push themselves into strange, magical new places. He was joined by John Wetton, Bill Bruford, David Cross and Jamie Muir in creating a new kind of prog rock: dense, difficult, and exhilarating. Who knew the dark-matter planetoid at the center of the prog universe could be so much fun to visit!
Audio: Larks Tongues In Aspic (Full Album)-https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXhfRoiJBIitfeySfg3M2JpsHofCulKv9&si=YueNYYgOJF3jITq9
Starless And Bible Black (Full Album)-https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXhfRoiJBIiutFt5GN8_tsxHJVKRdE2qm&si=3VeC8UiIFl8qEt9M
Red (Full Album)-https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXhfRoiJBIislZ9MHBBNYK0h3N30Gv7Ja&si=kzcD726vlSX5KRxc
USA (Live 1974)-https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj4amT-_kJAy2jisYKv38sQ0Yi0iOa31b&si=9dkopyviprwNiRCd
The Great Deceiver (Live 1973-74): Part 1-https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXhfRoiJBIivtqHn3nbCOW6TQsuF2DbR0&si=VIhOfIX1lqkzgT66
The Great Deceiver (Live 1973-74): Part 2-https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXhfRoiJBIivcSZ7IKXTx_vsq9MB_rsZ0&si=MoHQkhruL_XMmNi5
Video: Larks Tongues In Aspic Part 1 - Beat Club - November 25, 1972-https://youtu.be/WhudDa3JAyc?si=IHYsDHOQMlV9zb-w
Easy Money - Midnight Special - October 12, 1973-https://youtu.be/t4hrwgMndEo?si=AWEoqZnEiRM2FwAQ
Larks Tongues in Aspic Part 2 - Melody French TV - March 02, 1974-https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=603735538423743
Starless - Melody French TV - March 02, 1974-https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1376389799181177
Put down your double-disc concept albums and 25-minute musical fantasias. Everything you love about prog rock lives in the Top 40 and FM radio hits of the 70s. In this episode we’re putting our collective foot on the (classical) gas and sailing away to the point of know return. There may be a little hocus pocus involved assembling this Frankenstein of an episode, but we sure felt like three lucky men by the end. Join Charlie, Henry, and Bill for the most hummable episode of An Embarrassment of Prog yet! On YouTube: "Classical Gas" on the Smothers Brothers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1xHJRHWOlw "Sylvia/Hocus Pocus" by Focus on the Old Grey Whistle Test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV-X-5CcfYY "Frankenstein" by the Edgar Winter Group live on the German TV show Rockpalast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zh3wIlHqPlI Matt Berry's perfect prog roast, with a definite nod to Edgar Winter (Snuff Box on "Old Grey Whistle Test"): https://youtu.be/zxB4_uZyWAI?si=a4UQJvukMeh-n12e
Picking up from the conversation started in our last episode, Charlie, Bill and Henry head for a visit at the Colony of Slippermen and the second half of "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway," the trippily majestic 1974 album that was Peter Gabriel's last outing with Genesis. Sunny high notes, facing down death, taking a few moments for a jazz odyssey, meeting (and eating) new friends...will Rael make it back to New York City? Will our trio of musical adventurers keep their footing as they Ride the Scree? Will they get lost in a discussion of Kurt Vonnegut's fiction along the way? There's only one way to find out...
See the gatefold cover and read Peter Gabriel's liner-notes narratives here-https://www.andyphillips.tv/the-lamb-lies-down-on-broadway-the-full-inner-gatefold-story-and-lyrics/
On YouTube:
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (Original Mix)-https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaJcanknqCjqtODENGk_L8BKtN7EDLAei&si=Ac6DpzAksyeeIDLa
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (2007 Mix)-https://youtu.be/tax7ZlWyYvA?si=QUfTk6n8QHn0c3Vg
German Choir Sings Carpet Crawlers (2010)-https://youtu.be/nDXjfqfwgo0?si=R1-E9WeL0mruySNC
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway Live 1974/75 Movie-https://youtu.be/TKS9np3GoWc?si=94UQm4PTAMcRkn8V
The prog-rock podcast you didn’t know you needed is back for a new season of concept albums, long-form musical odysseys, sci-fi scenarios and occasional calls to the Rhyme Police. We’re starting out big, with a 2-part journey into the last record of the Peter Gabriel-era of the band Genesis, 1974’s double album “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.” In a departure from their previous songwriting practice, the band allowed Gabriel to become lyricist-in-chief for an extended suite set in an American environment that seemed a far cry from their previous outings. But as Gabriel dove into a fever-dream trip through New York City, the rest of the group generated a towering musical edifice of its own. Could the two visions be made into a single prog-rock composition? Charlie, Henry, and Bill head for the Chamber of 32 Doors to find out.
On YouTube:
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (Original Mix)-https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaJcanknqCjqtODENGk_L8BKtN7EDLAei&si=Ac6DpzAksyeeIDLa
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (2007 Mix)-https://youtu.be/tax7ZlWyYvA?si=QUfTk6n8QHn0c3Vg
The Story Of The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (Rael NYC Doc)-https://youtu.be/Os-F3DgjYis?si=fkMtVzYJVMXwGZr5
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway Live 1974/75 Movie-https://youtu.be/TKS9np3GoWc?si=94UQm4PTAMcRkn8V
Phaedrus' Analysis of The Lamb-https://www.phaedrus.es/publications/the-lamb-lies-down-on-broadway/
The English keyboardist, violinist and composer Eddie Jobson has a career that has touched nearly every corner of prog rock's strangely shaped universe. A prodigy who joined the band Curved Air at the age of 17, he went on to play with Roxy Music and Frank Zappa before becoming part of UK, prog's first "supergroup," in 1977, alongside bassist/vocalist John Wetton, drummer Bill Bruford (both ex-King Crimson) and guitarist Allan Holdsworth. UK burned briefly and brightly, and to lead us through the thrills of their self-titled debut and their follow-up "Danger Money" we're joined by NYC's favorite piano man, Joe McGinty, of Psychedelic Furs and Loser's Lounge fame.
On YouTube:
U.K.'s 1978 "Penn Landing" show https://youtu.be/12VFzCwub8M
U.K.'s debut-https://youtu.be/13RhulcC394
Danger Money-https://youtu.be/nX7XrfR3e3Q
Curved Air's "Metamorphosis" https://youtu.be/LzeWmEFa9e0
Roxy Music's "Out of the Blue" https://youtu.be/2bC5LnCYHk8
Eddie Jobson & Zinc, "Resident" https://youtu.be/A9dYe67my-Y
Eddie Jobson/Richie Havens, There's Something About A Train (Amtrak Ad) https://youtu.be/2bC5LnCYHk8
For more Joe McGinty, Check out “Summer Wine” by Alyson Greenfield and Joe McGinty
Joemcgintymusic.com
If there's a single record that might be said to occupy the heart of prog rock, there's a good case to be made for Genesis's 1972 "Foxtrot," a record that begins with the cinematic, Mellotron-drenched "Watcher of the Skies," comments on rapacious landlords in a mixture of Dickens and dystopian sci-fi with "Get 'Em Out by Friday" and then winds up with "Supper's Ready," clocking in at almost 24 minutes, a journey through mystery, mythology, identity crisis, and the Book of Revelation that will have you humming along in 9/8. This week, Charlie, Henry, and Bill face down the task of explaining just why this thickly-packed, tuneful and ambitious record winds up an all-thriller, no-filler example of prog rock's pleasures.
On Youtube:
"Supper's Ready" live in concert (with costume changes!)
"Foxtrot" full album
"The Musical Box!" "Harold the Barrel!" "The Return of the Giant Hogweed! "You may be asking "Could these possibly be the titles of enduring classics that no home should be without?" You might already suspect that we'd answer that question in the affirmative, but whether you're already a fan of the 1971 Genesis album Nursery Cryme or just want to increase the amount of joy in your life, in this episode Charlie, Henry, and Bill tell the story of how Phil Collins and Steve Hackett joined Gabriel, Banks, and Rutherford to brew this delightful concoction. (And stay tuned for part 2, in which we forge ahead into 1972's Foxtrot and the apocalyptic "Supper's Ready.")
Links for listeners: On Spotify: Songs from this episode.
On Youtube:
Genesis live on Belgian TV 1972 Genesis live at Bataclan Paris 1973
"Nursery Cryme" full album
“Have you walked on the stones of years? When you speak, is it you that hears?” If these lyrical questions are familiar, you’re one of thousands of prog fans who looked at the crudely rendered, mechanical tank-armadillo creature on the cover of Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s TARKUS and said “I want to know more.” Did you ask yourself "What is the 'Endless Enigma', anyway" as you gazed at their fused heads on the cover of their follow-up, TRILOGY? This week, Charlie, Henry, and Bill get an organ transplant (sorry) from prog rock’s keyboard-centric power trio to take you on a trip into a futuristic dystopia of heavy rhythms, jazz riffs and sci-fi themes. Plus: we dare to ask—is there such a thing as “dirtbag prog”?
In a voyage to the borderlands of this podcast's announced subject, this week we listen to three records that might not be your (or anyone's idea) of prog rock, but which all share something elusive with the music that more comfortably flies the Mellotron Flag. We start with the Incredible String Band's 1968 psych-folk opus "The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter," cross an ocean and a continent to the sunny L.A.-based sound of Ambrosia's 1975 self-titled debut, and wind up in the studio with Kate Bush and her arrival as a sonic auteur, 1982's "The Dreaming." We wind up facing the question that haunts a project such as this: just what counts as "prog rock" anyway, and why? Join us in perplexity.
Discussed in this episode
Incredible String Band's "The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter" on YouTube
Ambrosia's debut album on YouTube
Kate Bush "The Dreaming" video on YouTube
Kate Bush "Sat in Your Lap' video on YouTube
King Crimson's 1969 "In the Court of the Crimson King" stands for everything familiar about prog rock—the fantastical lyrics, the eerie ghost-choir Mellotron atmospherics, a brooding atmosphere of Heavy Tunes for Bookish People. But when guitarist Robert Fripp re-formed the band in 1981, after a long personal quest for spiritual and artistic renewal, the sounds that came out were from another universe, a tightly-woven, world-music-and-found-audio informed sound that was...danceable? Can we even call records like "Discipline" and "Three of a Perfect Pair" prog rock? Charlie, Henry and Bill talk about the unpredictable road that led to these surprising, thrilling records, the new King Crimson documentary, and why Robert Fripp's NYC album "Exposure" is the secret art-rock gem we want to make one of your new favorites.
Is there any purer expression of the prog-rock moment than the one-side-per-track "concept album"? How about a double concept album? This week, Charlie, Henry and Bill say Yes to the excess and set sail across the four sides and 80-plus minutes of Yes's 1973 "Tales from Topographic Oceans." Conceived when vocalist Jon Anderson got his hands on Parahamhansa Yogananda's "Autobiography of a Yogi," gestated in a Georgia hotel room by candelight and born in a London studio decorated as a farm (complete with bales of hay), the result is the record that became an instant symbol of prog rock "going too far." But could it be that Anderson, Squire, Howe, Wakeman and White found treasure in the musical deeps? Climb aboard...
Click here for Charlie Nieland's "musical map" of "Tales from Topographical Oceans."
Lace up your fringed boots, grab your favorite woodwind and your ticket for the Renaissance Faire: this week, Charlie, Henry, and Bill dive into the anti-cool heart of prog rock via a pair of mid-70s Jethro Tull masterworks: 1974's "War Child" and 1975's "Minstrel in the Gallery." Turning from the hyper-extended musical excursions of "Thick as a Brick" and "A Passion Play," the band's return to song is also an introduction of spikier melodies and tighter conceptions. Discussed: dressing in doublet and hose, loving (or hating) the movie Time Bandits, a word to the wise about choosing "Bungle in the Jungle" at Karaoke, and an alternate universe in which a certain glam rock icon replaced Ian Anderson on vocals.
Charlie, Henry, and Bill begin their journey into wild musical excess with a voyage to 1976 London, as the band Genesis records its first album ("A Trick of the Tail") after the departure of its flamboyant lead singer Peter Gabriel and follows it up with the most Englishly-titled album in rock, "Wind and Wuthering." Discussed: the music of loss, putting your overture at the end of a record, Phil Collins's big moment, maybe having a little too much synth freedom and a hidden jukebox musical.