'72 Olympics Massacre --> "Hold Your Head Up". VHM Argent. Ah, the Summer of '72.
early prog rock
Its hey-day only lasted about eight years, so I'd peg this as middle-Progrockian period.
I do not claim to be a prog-rock expert. What do you call earlier prog-rock? King Crimson I guess.
I do not claim to be a prog-rock expert either, and pausing to consider questions about it
reveals that there is still much I can learn and discover. To start with, I would be hard-pressed
to give an accurate and cogent definition of the genre. Skimming through the wikipedia article
on progressive rock I found little that was truly objectionable; I agree with most of the introductory
material.
Speaking off the cuff and without looking up a bunch of release dates, I would put the rise of prog
rock starting around 1968 or so. So Pink Floyd, Keith Emerson and The Nice, Procol Harum, Jethro
Tull, The Moody Blues (
Days of Future Passed) are all early examples of prog rock. 1969 and
1970 see the appearence of some of the biggest, most popular acts: Genesis, Gentle Giant, King
Crimson, ELP, ELO, and Yes. Although there are exceptions, a lot of prog rock groups as well as
interest in the style faded away in the mid-1970s -- certainly by 1976. So that's about eight years,
and why I said that Argent in 1972 is middle Progrockian.