Battle of the Bands Volume 17: Jethro Tull vs The Moody Blues

[KevShmev]

Okay, since the last matchup was controversial and unfairly lopsided, here is a natural matchup: two of the earliest prog rock bands, both of which heavily featured the flute!

Me, I like Tull a lot, but the Moodies were literally the second prog band I fell in love with when I was 17 (Pink Floyd was first), and they remain a favorite of mine to this day. 

[ZKX-2099]

Ehh... Aqualung was decent.

[Zydar]

Moodies! Great band, and the first seven albums are all awesome.

[Scorpion]

I'll go with Tull on this one.

[jjrock88]

Tull

[Priest of Syrinx]

Great matchup, I'll have to ruminate on this for a while...

[jingle.boy]

Good matchup.  Like  both bands, but I'll go with JT for quantity.

[Jaq]

Jethro Tull. I have to go for the band that had its leader set out to write a parody of over the top progressive rock in Thick as a Brick and create one of the best over the top prog rock albums ever. 

[Sigz]

Jethro Tull easily. They used to be one of my favorite bands, and even today are still awesome, and still at second place for most times seen live.

[Zydar]

Looks like it's just you and me so far, Kev.

[theseoafs]

I'll go with Tull on this one.

[KevShmev]

Looks like it's just you and me so far, Kev.

Not surprised.  I suspect most here probably don't know much by the Moody Blues other than the main songs from the first seven albums and a handful of their pop rock hits.  And that is a damn shame.

[jsem]

Don't know enough Moody Blues.

[adace]

I've listened to JT several times, but could never get into them. Gotta go TMB on this. Their music is really beautiful.

[DebraKadabra]

Dirty pool, Kev.

But, imma go with Jethro Tull.  By a flute hair (whatever that is ).

[Priest of Syrinx]

After careful consideration, I give my vote to Jethro Tull.

[Pols Voice]

The Moody Blues. Jethro Tull is an amazing band, but I've been a Moodies fan for as long as I can remember. They're a very unique, underrated group.

[jammindude]

This is rather interesting.   I'm not a HUGE fan of either one...although I love them both.    I own the first 7 Moodies on vinyl, but I havn't heard them all yet.   I own about 6 or 7 Tull albums...some I like more than others...and there are some classics I have yet to hear. 

I gotta vote for The Moody Blues on this one.   It could go either way, and I probably like what I've heard from Tull just a hair better...but the Moody Blues are just *SO* underrated. 

And I don't think it can be disputed that they were *THE FIRST* prog rock band.    Their debut predates KC's debut by almost two years. 

[Priest of Syrinx]

This is rather interesting.   I'm not a HUGE fan of either one...although I love them both.    I own the first 7 Moodies on vinyl, but I havn't heard them all yet.   I own about 6 or 7 Tull albums...some I like more than others...and there are some classics I have yet to hear. 

I gotta vote for The Moody Blues on this one.   It could go either way, and I probably like what I've heard from Tull just a hair better...but the Moody Blues are just *SO* underrated. 

And I don't think it can be disputed that they were *THE FIRST* prog rock band.    Their debut predates KC's debut by almost two years.

IMO, The Beatles and Procol Harum can also make that claim.

[jammindude]

The Beatles *absolutely* released the first prog rock album without a doubt in my mind.    But I think you'd have to squint pretty hard to call them a *prog rock band*. 

I'm not familiar with Procol Harum.   I've heard *of* them...but I don't know too much about them.

EDIT:  Just looked them up....their debut did predate DoFP by two months.   Good call.   Though I'd have to hear their catalog before I was 100% convinced.  Thanks for the nod though...I will check them out.

[Priest of Syrinx]

The Beatles *absolutely* released the first prog rock album without a doubt in my mind.    But I think you'd have to squint pretty hard to call them a *prog rock band*. 

I'm not familiar with Procol Harum.   I've heard *of* them...but I don't know too much about them.

EDIT:  Just looked them up....their debut did predate DoFP by two months.   Good call.   Though I'd have to hear their catalog before I was 100% convinced.  Thanks for the nod though...I will check them out.

Hmm, did the Moodies start out with the idea of being a prog or art-rock band?  It sounds like you would have a better chance of knowing than I would.

I always figured that KC was the first band that started out with the intention of being prog, but maybe I'm wrong?

It seems to me that these labels we tend to apply to bands, they wouldn't care.  The Beatles certainly evolved from rock-n-roll to proggish, with some herbal assistance. 

[jammindude]

The Beatles *absolutely* released the first prog rock album without a doubt in my mind.    But I think you'd have to squint pretty hard to call them a *prog rock band*. 

I'm not familiar with Procol Harum.   I've heard *of* them...but I don't know too much about them.

EDIT:  Just looked them up....their debut did predate DoFP by two months.   Good call.   Though I'd have to hear their catalog before I was 100% convinced.  Thanks for the nod though...I will check them out.

Hmm, did the Moodies start out with the idea of being a prog or art-rock band?  It sounds like you would have a better chance of knowing than I would.

I always figured that KC was the first band that started out with the intention of being prog, but maybe I'm wrong?

It seems to me that these labels we tend to apply to bands, they wouldn't care.  The Beatles certainly evolved from rock-n-roll to proggish, with some herbal assistance. 

I think the first seven albums answer that question.   I mean...the name of the genre didn't exist yet...so it's not really a fair question.    But since every single one of the first seven albums easily qualify as early "progressive rock" (before the term exisited)...it's a slam dunk to call them a prog rock band. 

Not trying to take anything away from KC either.    KC, Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant, Camel.....all are *PIONEERS* of progressive rock, and deserve all the kudos they get.    It's simply a point of interest that the Moodies (and now I guess Procol Harum) beat them all to the punch, and I think they deserve the title of being "first".   (and it's not just an opinion...I think the evidence is there to support that)

[Jaffa]

To be honest, I'm not really familiar enough with either band to warrant voting.  But I did vote for Tull based on the little I do know about each band. 

[KevShmev]

jammindude is correct.  None of the early prog bands started out with the intention of being prog; they simply wanted to make new and exciting music, and they had no idea of what the labels would be. 

That said, I do always laugh when anyone calls In the Court of the Crimson King the first real prog rock album, as if Days of Future Passed never happened. 

[The King in Crimson]

Wouldn't Pink Floyd's debut technically be the first progressive rock album?

[KevShmev]

Nah, that was more psychedelic rock than anything. 

[Priest of Syrinx]

I think the first seven albums answer that question.   I mean...the name of the genre didn't exist yet...so it's not really a fair question.    But since every single one of the first seven albums easily qualify as early "progressive rock" (before the term exisited)...it's a slam dunk to call them a prog rock band. 

Not trying to take anything away from KC either.    KC, Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant, Camel.....all are *PIONEERS* of progressive rock, and deserve all the kudos they get.    It's simply a point of interest that the Moodies (and now I guess Procol Harum) beat them all to the punch, and I think they deserve the title of being "first".   (and it's not just an opinion...I think the evidence is there to support that)

The Magnificent Moodies never struck me as being proggish, but it's been a long time since I listened to it.  I'll have to spin it up again.

That said, I do always laugh when anyone calls In the Court of the Crimson King the first real prog rock album, as if Days of Future Passed never happened.

I see no reason to laugh, Procol Harum's debut was even earlier, and Sgt. Pepper was even more earlier. 

I'm not trying to split hairs on being "first".  What we had, mostly likely, were merely an epoch of convergent evolution.

Also, prog is somewhat of an amorphous term, anyway.

[jammindude]

Wouldn't Pink Floyd's debut technically be the first progressive rock album?

You could make a good argument for it...but most people consider Sgt Pepper to be the first prog rock *ALBUM*....


However, that being said...it's time to revoke my "prog nerd" card...I actually thought Piper came out at least a year later. 

Procol Harum - Self Titled....June 1967
Pink Floyd - Piper at the Gates of Dawn .... August 1967
The Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed ... November 1967

I recant my previous statement.    But I still say the Moodies don't get the credit they deserve.   (and for the record...regarding Priest of Syrinx's post...I never count The Magnificent Moodies...  I mean, who does...really...)

[Jaq]

I need to find the people who don't credit Days of Future Passed as being one of the earliest prog records, because most histories of prog I've read cite it, and it's commonly accepted that it was one of the source records for what prog became. Of course, most people don't point at a single moment beyond arguing "Sgt Pepper Was The First Prog Record", which is fair because what really is known as prog didn't come into being until the 70s; the 60s records were sort of "proto-prog."  If anything, I think Procol Harum deserve a lot more credit than they get.

[Priest of Syrinx]

I just heard a radio advertisement for a Yes concert, with "special guest, Procol Harum"!