Apologies for the pun. Neither of these songs are about the Soviet Union (at least I don’t think so), but they are progressive rock and it’s Spring right now. I came up with the pun while I was lying in bed last night, and I had to go with it. Anyways.
I haven’t done a song by Yes yet, which I wanted to fix here (same with the other group I’m gonna feature below). You’ve probably heard Yes’ most famous song “Roundabout”, even if you don’t recognize it by name, because the opening acoustic guitar lick has found a home in meme culture over the past few years. I’m gonna go with a different, more obscure favorite of mine here: “Starship Trooper”
First of all, this is one of my favorite ever songs to play on Rock Band (specifically Rock Band 3). That’s not typically how I judge songs, but that was how I first started listening to this 1971 epic over and over again. This third track off of the creatively titled The Yes Album is seamlessly put together, with really fantastic guitar textures a lot more muted than those that you’d hear from other 70s bands like Led Zeppelin. That texture isn’t necessarily a good or bad thing overall, but I love how it allows all the instruments to blend with each other and provide a platform for Jon Anderson’s iconic voice. Around 3:15, this initial section gives away to a plucky middle guitar section with gorgeous harmonies over top, which only lasts for about a minute, leading to another verse before giving way to the jammed out conclusion that really makes this song special. Spoiler alert, that extended ending is the best part of this song on Rock Band, and I bet if I ever managed to learn it in real life, it would be fun to play then too.
Ok I definitely think you will have heard this next one:
“Carry On Wayward Son” from Kansas’ 1976 album Leftoverture is pretty much the perfect prog rock song. And it’s received recognition as such; it’s one of the most well-known and loved songs from the progressive rock movement even approaching 50 years after its release. It truly has everything I think you could ever look for in a song: brilliant harmonies (in an a cappella section no less! I love songs with little a cappella sections), an amazing riff, a mix of heavy and soft sections, complexity that doesn’t feel forced like routine time signature changes and distinct sections… I could go on and on. In my opinion, the somewhat awkward ending is the only thing that stops it from being a truly perfect song—and I do not say that lightly. Last time I did a list (and I am one of those crazy people who ranks everything), I put this as my 4th favorite song of all time, trailing only “Even in the Quietest Moments” (which I wrote about it my second post, “Supper’s Ready” (which I wrote about a couple of weeks ago), and Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb”. Basically, I really really really like “Carry On Wayward Son”.
I’m not sure if this was the last post, maybe we have one more? Anyways, I hope you all are having a great week, and if this was the last one then good luck for the rest of the semester!
I love Carry On Wayward Son! I like to jam out to it now, and I might even have it on a playlist or two! BUT what I think really makes me like it is the fact that it reminds me of my dad. This genre of music is very much the kind of music I remember him playing while barbecuing or cleaning the pool in the summer. Very nostalgic. But on a musical aspect, I appreciate the perfect mix of guitar and piano! Those two instruments are two that aren’t usually grouped in the same genre but they compliment each other so well in this song!