1971 saw even more of these extravaganzas. As if they were in the Mafia, Uriah Heep paid tribute to elders Iron Butterfly with Salisbury. Just like In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Salisbury contains six songs. Five crappy ones on side one, and the title cut taking up all of side two. Plus, the album features the classic “Heep In A Jeep” cover. Beautiful.
1971 also brought another Pink Floyd entry into the genre. Side two of Meddle consisted of the excellent 23 minute long piece “Echoes.”
Where would a list of LP length songs be without Emerson, Lake And Palmer? With their second album Tarkus, they entered the fray. But they switched things up a bit. The title song took up all of side one this time. Subversive as hell.
As fun as the previous years were, 1972 proved to be even more grandiose. Jethro Tull entered the field with guns blazing on their monumental Thick As A Brick. This song was spread out over both sides of the album. Terribly amazing.
Genesis’ Foxtrot came out that year as well, with the marvelous “Supper's Ready.” Now I know that all the Prog nerds out there are going to bust me by saying that “Horizons” technically opens the side. But I don’t care. “Horizons” works as a beautiful 1 minute acoustic guitar opening to “Supper's,” so I‘m gonna use it anyway.
Richard Branson’s Virgin empire was launched in 1973, on the back of Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells. My feelings about the “Billionaire Bad Boy” are a little less than enthusiastic these days. But the fact that he took a chance on what would have seemed to be a blatantly un-commercial record at the time wins some points.
As it turned out, Tubular Bells became a monster hit, and Branson was on his way.
The best album of ELP’s career came out this year as well: Brain Salad Surgery. I have avoided discussing one of the major attractions of Prog LPs up to this point, the cover art. In so many cases, the cover was better than the music itself.
HR Giger’s original packaging for Brain Salad Surgery is spectacular. And in this instance, the side-long “Karn Evil 9” was as good as the artwork that came with it. The quintessential Prog year was 1974. Nixon resigned, and the most unbelievably excessive LP in music history was released: Tales From Topographic Oceans by Yes.
Article comments
1 - Triniman
Great article, Greg! I'm going to try to find some of those long tracks and give them a spin!
I'd love to see more articles on "prog-rock" as the genre has several newer bands carrying the torch.
2 - Greg Barbrick
Thanks Triniman, I have been thinking about doing another piece on newer Prog bands as well.
3 - KS
Love had a side long song called "Revelation" on DA CAPO, released in early 1967.
Bob Dylan's "Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands" filled a (short) LP side on BLONDE ON BLONDE released in 1966.
But even before that, Sandy Bull was recording songs that filled up an entire sides of albums in 1963-1965. Good stuff too.
4 - Greg Barbrick
KS, I missed the boat on Love - "Revelation" would have definitely qualified. Technically, Dylan does too, but the song is so short comparatively speaking that I didn't mention it. Not real familiar with Sandy Bull...
5 - JANK
Very good essay and good reach to get most of the good ones. I will add one of my top 5; "Lizard" by King Crimson takes up most of side 2 of the album of same name. Does Chicago's "Ballet To A Girl In Buchanon" qualify?
6 - Greg Barbrick
JANK you are the second person to mention that Chicago song, and I have to plead ignorance for not knowing it. Which album is it from? I always dug them as a "radio" band, but never had any of the LPs, except Hits.
7 - JC Mosquito
If you count live albums you get Deep Purple's Space Truckin, Zep's Dazed and Confused and a whole other can o' worms to play with.