What Are Your Favorite Prog Instruments?

[GuitarGeek]

Didn't the members of Kraftwerk also design their own instruments?

I don't know if they built them, but they did have at least a few things that were designed by them, like those electronic percussion pads they used, which used an arrangement I've never seen anywhere else, where the drumsticks are part of the circuit.

I believe a lot of the stuff they used, if it wasn't designed or built by them, it was certainly customized by them. Same thing with Tangerine Dream, they used a lot of gear that was altered in one way or another.

[Mascodagama]

I love the saxophone so long it's not being played by either Kenny G, David Sanborn or LA session man Tom Scott (lone exception: Terminal Frost by Pink Floyd). Those three guys have give Herr Adolphe's invention a bad name.

Boots Randolph's Yakkety Sax (aka The Benny Hill Show music) would be my personal bugbear when it comes to having a loathsome sound on sax. The beautiful and protean instrument of Hodges, Parker, Coltrane and so many others reduced to the status of an oversized kazoo.

[walt]

Tanpura(string drone lute used in Indian classical music).Used on occasion in rock/prog/etc,usually to open a tune.

[moecurlythanu]

^ I prefer Tempura as a Prog instrument.

[Halmyre]

As far as I am concerned, ANY instruments are welcome BUT the sax. Saxophone has no place in prog-rock unless it is only used for riffs (like in VDGG, one of the few exceptions I know). Sax has ruined so many (prog) rock records. Put a (single) sax player into a band made of 4 HM guitar players using big stacks of saturated Marshall amps and it will be instantly turned into a Jazz band ! It's a losing battle... guitars (and all other instruments) have no chance against a sax. (conversely I don't think Jazz afficionados really appreciates HM saturated electric guitars in their music). And PLEASE be kind, don't refute with Pink Floyd's DSOTM: it's the sax (not the departure of SB or RW) who started the artistic decline of the band. And what about sax in Tangerine Dream ? Unbelievable but they did it, in their worst period. Awful and tasteless.

However, I do appreciate sax in more experimental R.I.O (not prog-rock) music, like Henry Cow and (of course) Free-Jazz and some orchestral works.

But I know it's only my opinion that will certainly not be shared here. (or maybe by a very small minority)

I thought it was just me who had a dislike of the parping of pieces of bent tin.

I really don’t understand why the saxophone is so hated.

It takes up space that could be used for guitar, keyboard or, at a pinch, flute solos.

[clivey]

As a guy who uses saxes in pretty well all my roles.
I agree that the certain bright sound of post brecker/ Sanborn leaves many cold.
The very best in mho is on the early King Crimson stuff both guys were/are excellent in every detail.
For what it's worth the tune I posted on the new releases thread yesterday Rocking Horse shit features a 3 minute soprano sax solo but I don't sound like the esteemed Mr G as I have the thing overdriven and also thoroug tape echo sim for a guitar simulation kind of.
Now how to make it sound like a sitar.

[SunRunner2]

As far as I am concerned, ANY instruments are welcome BUT the sax. Saxophone has no place in prog-rock unless it is only used for riffs (like in VDGG, one of the few exceptions I know). Sax has ruined so many (prog) rock records. Put a (single) sax player into a band made of 4 HM guitar players using big stacks of saturated Marshall amps and it will be instantly turned into a Jazz band ! It's a losing battle... guitars (and all other instruments) have no chance against a sax. (conversely I don't think Jazz afficionados really appreciates HM saturated electric guitars in their music). And PLEASE be kind, don't refute with Pink Floyd's DSOTM: it's the sax (not the departure of SB or RW) who started the artistic decline of the band. And what about sax in Tangerine Dream ? Unbelievable but they did it, in their worst period. Awful and tasteless.

However, I do appreciate sax in more experimental R.I.O (not prog-rock) music, like Henry Cow and (of course) Free-Jazz and some orchestral works.

But I know it's only my opinion that will certainly not be shared here. (or maybe by a very small minority)

I am not an avid fan of the saxophone. However, I am of the view that your critical take on this instrument is narrow-minded and wholly subjective, in that it reflects one persons dislike for the Sax and then blanketly condemns it's use as having "no place in prog rock". It's one thing to express one's dislike for something (that's your prerogative), but another to paint a broad brush position that it "doesn't belong", "has ruined", "awful and tasteless", etc. And then to throw in an "instrument versus instrument" battle with guitars just further diminishes the point you are trying to make.

There's no need to cite all the examples where Sax enhanced the quality, mood and effectiveness in Prog Rock, beyond just one classic album like DSOTM. However, here are a few artists that used the Sax in a very constructive and indispensable way to create great sounds in their music:

King Crimson (various albums including ITCOTCK, Red, Starless, Islands)
Camel (Mel Collins)
Secret Oyster
VDGG (already mentioned in your post)
Pink Floyd (not just DSOTM but WYWH and elsewhere - no way that Sax "caused their artistic decline")
Caravan
Traffic
Zappa
Steely Dan
Supertramp
Deluge Grander
Many, Many More

[SunRunner2]

^^^
I do admit that Urban Sax material would have been better served sans the Sax; just letting the other instruments carry the melody.

[bigbassdrum]

That Mel Collins fella was pretty good on 'Fish Out of Water' - Chris Squire

Maybe because it was 'riff' styled? ( "Lucky Seven" )

[Progbear]

I would kill to hear some heavy metal with sax. How about some nice baritone sax?

You kind of get that on Wizzard Brew, with the fuzz-tone sax on “Meet Me at the Jailhouse.”

Does this includes his "Tone Generator" ? A little (home made) box containing a crude audio generator controlled by a single (or pair ?) of knobs , to create ear-piercing non musical sounds. The (very) poor man's synth. It was NOT a sound effect (pedal) or processor but a stand alone sound generating device, thus it can be qualified as an instrument. He used it during the EGG and N.H sessions and also live, mostly in the intros. Anyone here has more infos on this little gizmo ? I would be interested to know more...

Kind of like a simplified version of Simeon’s setup from Silver Apples. Dikmik and Del Dettmar also used audio generators on early Hawkwind albums before they bought their synths. The weirdest has to be the Sindelfingen album, which didn’t have a keyboardist, so substituted audio generators and a glockenspiel!

[hFx]

I would kill to hear some heavy metal with sax. How about some nice baritone sax?

This comes pretty close..

[GuitarGeek]

Boots Randolph's Yakkety Sax (aka The Benny Hill Show music) would be my personal bugbear when it comes to having a loathsome sound on sax. The beautiful and protean instrument of Hodges, Parker, Coltrane and so many others reduced to the status of an oversized kazoo.

I much prefer Chet Atkins' version, retitled Yakety Axe.

Dikmik and Del Dettmar also used audio generators on early Hawkwind albums before they bought their synths.

DikMik did, but Del was already playing the VCS-3 on In Search Of Space, the second album (that's certainly no mere "audio generator" on You Shouldn't Do That). Dik, I believe I read, had an audio generator he built from a kit. I also recall reading that he'd sometimes commandeer the equipment of whichever DJ who was part of the evening's proceedings, and do stuff playing the records off center or backwards or speeding the records many times faster than normal.

[Mascodagama]

I much prefer Chet Atkins' version, retitled Yakety Axe.

I'd never actually heard that. Yes, it's far preferable!

[Azol]

Bass pedals!!!
Organ!!!

These two speak VOLUMES to me ))

[Zeuhlmate]

Sax

Den Fule - Lugumleik https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayF6dAjT8d0

Gentle Giant - Working All Day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVWFqwTXLOY

[moecurlythanu]

Barbie Dolls.

[Mikhael]

What, no Mellotron?!?

[mozo-pg]

Barbie Dolls.

and metal bars clanging against each other! (Present).

[SunRunner2]

What, no Mellotron?!?

Come on, that goes without saying in Prog circles! In fact, the thread could have been titled: (Other Than Mellotron) What Are Your Favorite Prog Instruments?

[BobM]

Jazz is almost not jazz without a sax in the group, sometimes replaced by trumpet, but a horn is essential to hold my interest for long, with some obvious exceptions (Pat Metheny for instance). The only prog I know where I actually think the sax works is probably Tull's Passion Play.

[NogbadTheBad]

Piano, double bass and drums works for jazz for me.

[aith01]

Piano, double bass and drums works for jazz for me.

Same here. Although I'm fine with horns in jazz too of course, but I always prefer if a piano or keyboard of some kind is present.

[Rarebird]

Same here. Although I'm fine with horns in jazz too of course, but I always prefer if a piano or keyboard of some kind is present.

Yes.

[Mascodagama]

Put me in the camp that jazz is something you do, not what you do it with. I'm fine with any setup from a solo instrumentalist (many great albums of solo jazz piano, guitar and sax in particular) to a big band. There's no instrument that's essential, or barred (possible exception: didgeridoo - ugh!).

[moecurlythanu]

^ C'mon, dude! Jazz is all about the wind instruments.