Musical Ambition, Cultural Accreditation, and the Nasty Side of Progressive Rock Study Notes

Musical Ambition, Cultural Accreditation, and the Nasty Side of Progressive Rock

Author(s):

• Jay Keister

• Jeremy L. Smith

Source:

• Popular Music, Oct. 2008, Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 433-455

• Published by Cambridge University Press

• Stable URL: JSTOR

Introduction

Progressive rock of the early 1970s has been demonized as a nadir in the history of rock, primarily due to the ambitions of its musicians. Critics interpret these ambitions as attempts to elevate rock to the level of high art for cultural accreditation from a cultural elite. This stereotype portrays progressive rock as apolitical, pretentious, and conventionally upwardly mobile, predominantly focusing on individualistic quests for spirituality rather than socio-political critique. Critics, including musicologists, have often misunderstood the countercultural politics of these musicians and overlooked the politically charged musical poetics within the genre.

Key Concepts

1. Progressive Rock Movement

   • Originated in the early 1970s, largely influenced by the British counter-culture and experimental rock bands such as the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Cream.

   • Led by bands like Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ELP), King Crimson, Genesis, and Yes, which introduced classical structures and instrumentation into rock music.

   • Less visible groups like Van der Graaf Generator, Henry Cow, and others created aggressive, dystopian works that paved the way for extreme rock music.

2. Critique of Progressive Rock

   • Often received with a sense of calmness attributed to its style, critics have overlooked its confrontational and politically charged essence.

   • Progressive rock is unique for its musical ambition, often characterized as a desire to rise in rank and influence.

   • Critics have interpreted this ambition as elitism, tending to overlook the broader socio-political critique found within the music.

3. Cultural and Political Background

   • The late 1960s urban riots, political assassinations, and student massacres spurred youth culture's turn towards politics.

   • Progressive rock musicians, regardless of their personal politics, resonated with the broader countercultural movement, challenging authority and societal norms.

4. Artwork and Performance

   • Cover artwork and on-stage antics played a crucial role in delivering messages that confronted the music establishment, often through provocative imagery and shocking performances.

Analysis of Prominent Progressive Rock Bands

Emerson, Lake, and Palmer (ELP)

• Represented musical ambition through their appropriation and reimagining of classical works, using modern techniques like distortion and amplified feedback.

• Lester Bangs labeled them as “war criminals” for their appropriation of classical music, critiquing the mix of cultural signals but admiring their theatricality.

• Their album Tarkus is a multi-movement suite critiquing militarism and hypocrisy, paralleling the Vietnam War's brutality.

• Bangs noted the band's desire to entertain rather than educate, citing ELP's ambition to influence audiences’ musical tastes.

King Crimson

• Leader Robert Fripp challenged the intellectual stereotype often attributed to progressive rock by emphasizing rock's role as a potent political medium.

• The debut album, In the Court of the Crimson King, exemplified this with its raw energy and politically charged themes.

• The evolution of the band's sound led to a more abstract narrative, representing broader societal struggles rather than individual crises, especially evident in Larks' Tongues in Aspic.

Genesis

• Genesis emerged from an elite background and utilized literary and musical referencing to critique English and American society.

• Their works like Supper's Ready and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway intertwined themes of spirituality and socio-political commentary.

• Gabriel's approach examined contemporary society's failings through shocking imagery, such as castration metaphors, thereby alienating traditional rock audiences.

Yes

• Yes employed a multifaceted approach combining Utopian ideals with political undertones, often obscured within their spiritual journey.

• The album Tales from Topographic Oceans represents a pinnacle of ambitious music, simultaneously challenging and appealing to audiences.

• Themes of peace and love were not merely nostalgic but grounded in the political turbulence of their time.

Critique of Progressive Rock's Historical Reception

• Progressive rock has been historically dismissed as elitist and pretentious by critics, who have framed its ambitions as attempts at cultural accreditation.

• Critics failed to recognize progressive rock's radical potential and its roots in countercultural sentiments.

• Gendron discusses cultural accreditation as the process by which musicians sought legitimacy from the highbrow cultural establishment, exemplified through the Beatles' evolution in the cultural landscape.

• The rock press of the 1970s, rather than supporting progressive rock, often sought to enforce stylistic purity, criticizing bands for their ambitious fusions of high and low art.

Conclusion

• The narrative of progressive rock as an elitist genre overlooks its complexities and the socio-political critiques embedded within its music. The bands, rather than seeking broad cultural accreditation, often challenged societal norms directly through their art. ELP, King Crimson, Genesis, and Yes all embodied a “nasty” side to their music, confronting authority and advocating for change, reflected in both their music and performance styles.

• Current musicians like Peter Gabriel and Robert Fripp have distanced themselves from their progressive rock roots, reinforcing negative narratives about the genre's excesses.

References

• Comprehensive list of works cited and consulted for the article, including relevant literature on cultural studies, critiques of rock music, and analyses of individual bands within the progressive rock movement.