As picked by North Atlantic Oscillation...Prog! The very word seems like a curse, a swear even in these lasses faire, anything goes, iTunes shuffle times.
Yet prog remains one of the very few un-reconstructed music genres. It’s naff, for a start: conjuring up visions of wispy moustaches, socks worn with sandals and geography teacher blasting out Yes during their lunch break.
Perhaps this is to prog’s advantage, though. It means that the genre is free from sonic tourists, from those who only wish to skim the surface. Instead, prog attracts true devotees, aural worshippers such as Edinburgh’s own prog-influenced outfit North Atlantic Oscillation.
Indulging his dark side, *North Atlantic Oscillation* bass player Chris Howard pieced together this list – alight thy goblets to the sky and kneel down before the gods of prog!
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*Focus – 'Hocus Pocus'*
Introducing lunacy as an art-form, Dutch multi-instrumentalist Thijs van Leer decided marrying prog rock and yodeling would surely result in an assault on the pop charts. He was spot on. Soul diva Gladys Knight introducing the band in this clip only adds to the oddness. The audience show their stoned appreciation.
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*Yes – 'Heart of the Sunrise' (from 'Fragile')*
Drummer Bill Bruford's peerless skill and Chris Squires' broken-glass-in-a-tin-bath bass tone were the heartbeat of golden era Yes and they bubble and crack in this highly creative piece. Even Rick Wakeman manages to remain within the boundaries of taste. Imagine my surprise when this track cropped up in the Vincent Gallo movie Buffalo 66. Were Yes finally cool? Of course not. And that's the way we like it.
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*Genesis – 'Supper's Ready' (from 'Foxtrot')*
Genesis were different from other prog bands of the time in that they didn't take themselves too seriously, lyrically at least. This lengthy epic, made up of seven movements, nonsensically tells a tale of two young lovers and climaxes with the second coming of Christ (of course it does). In the clip, we join the track from the sixth movement 'Apocalyspe in 9/8'. The fact that Phil Collins will probably be remembered more for the Tarzan soundtrack than this is probably slightly completely tragic.
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*Oceansize – 'Ornament, The Last Wrongs'*
Of all the groups on this list, this sadly defunct Mancunian outfit are the ones NAO would probably regard as a very real influence. It's certainly not what would be regarded as classic prog rock but it's progressive nonetheless and more relevant musically than the majority of artists in a genre probably pigeon-holed as post progressive. This delight unfolds hypnotically into one of the most skin-tingling, buttock-clenching hymnal conclusions you could possibly wish for. This clip from the Feed to Feed box set shows a spellbound audience in the midst of something wonderful.
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*Mahavishnu Orchestra – 'Inner Mounting Flame' and 'Birds of Fire' *
Too rock for the jazz-beards, too jazz for the rock fraternity, supergroup Mahavishnu were labelled fusion but they were as progressive as anyone and the live shows of the early 70s are the stuff of legend. Guitarist John McLaughlin was an unusual figure on stage, with a smart short haircut belying the era, clad in white and armed with a double neck Gibson, his ability to solo was matched only by his ability to create warped arpeggios and never-quite resolving patterns. Pairing this with the violin of Jerry Goodman, Mahavishnu served up an almost sinister mix of inspired noodling and power-riffing that was swallowed up and barfed out by powerhouse drummer Billy Cobham. Certainly, the band liked a wig-out but there is a hidden beauty within their music, that only becomes apparent after repeated listens.
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*Emerson Lake & Palmer - 'Hoedown'*
E.L.P. were the epitome of prog rock. Classically trained Keith Emerson was a virtuoso and a showman, often stabbing or just generally kicking the shit out of his Hammond organ on stage. Their penchant for rocking up classical compositions was loved and loathed in equal measures by critics. They have recorded more intelligent tracks than 'Hoedown', but take it for what it is – brash, tasteless and great fun. Check out this frantic live performance. Chainmail and vintage red wine, together at last.
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*Aphrodite's Child – 'The Four Horsemen'*
So much body hair, so little time. Greek proggers Aphrodite's Child boasted future new-ageist Vangelis on keyboards and future teepee Demis Roussos on vocals. The album '666' has only recently been accepted as an important entry in the prog pantheon and I still regard it as a bit of a guilty pleasure. Beck track 'Chemtrails' certainly owes the bearded gurus a nod of acknowledgement.
"The leading Horse is white, the second Horse is red, the third one is a black, the last one is a green."
Yes!
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North Atlantic Oscillation's new album 'The Third Day' is out now.
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