HW: Top 10 Progreesive Rock

[Nick Medford]

In message <200103141734.MAA12832 at mail5.uts.ohio-state.edu>, K
Henderson <henderson.120 at OSU.EDU> writes
>Of course, it depends on
>whether you limit it to 'space-themed spacerock groups' or include
>'musically-speaking spacerock groups' as well.

Exactly, and in order for such a programme to have any chance of getting
made, it'd have to be the latter approach.

>
>Since the BBC show

It was Channel 4 rather than the Beeb

> did only classic prog rock (i.e., 70s-based), I'd say the
>equivalent space rock show should be...
>
>Hawkwind
>Amon Duul II
>Gong
>Nektar
>Eloy
>Guru Guru
>Can
>Here 'n' Now
>Chrome
>Ash Ra Tempel/Cosmic Jokers
>(question whether Pink Floyd should be included...perhaps so)

I would certainly have Floyd in there- musically they were more space than
prog, certainly up until 'Animals'- OK, all these labels are arbitrary and
perhaps meaningless in the end, but it's only a bit o' fun innit...

If the same criterion as in the C4 show- i.e. UK commercial success- was
used to determine the ranking, then my list would look something like:

1. Pink Floyd
2. The Orb
3. Tangerine Dream
4. Hawkwind
5. Gong
6. Can
7. Soft Machine
8. Ozric Tentacles
9. Eloy
10. Porcupine Tree

I emphasise this is NOT how I would rank these bands on merit, and
possibly I've wildly over or underestimated some of these groups' sales.

Would people consider Magma (who I've never heard- something I really
need to rectify) spacerock? What about softer stuff like Focus? What about
BOC?? The presence of the Orb will probably irk the purists but they're
definitely space (admittedly not very rock!)

The bands above are all well known, in the sense that anyone who reads the
music press will have heard of them, although it's fair to say that en masse
they're considerably less famous than the "Top 10 prog bands", and  I
couldn't honestly see this particular show getting made. I could imagine a
krautrock documentary in one of the arts slots on the BBC though... rightly
or wrongly the kosmische bands have always been seen as a more "serious
culture"-type phenomenon.

BTW, anyone going to see Damo Suzuki's band in London next week? Don't
think I'm going to be able to make it, but still thinking of trying to
rearrange things so I can.
--
Nick Medford