Switzerland's progressive rock appreciation thread

[michello]

i would like to start this tread with the band Island that has become legendary!

[Zeuhlmate]

Patrick Moraz
Steamboat Switzerland
The Young Gods

[thedunno]

Have to admit I do not know any current Swiss progressive rock bands but the progressive Jazz scene is fantastic!

Schnellertollermeier, Ikarus, nik Bartch just to name a few.

[Trane]

Above all:











below all: Mr Hauskins' band: Dream in flames

[michello]

i dare think that you'll find this remastered version of Clepsydra's "Tuesday Night" quite fascinating

[Zeuhlmate]

Have to admit I do not know any current Swiss progressive rock bands but the progressive Jazz scene is fantastic!

Schnellertollermeier, Ikarus, nik Bartch just to name a few.

Oh yeah !

btw - did'nt Etienne Conod /Sunrise Studios record some Swiss essentials ?

[rockcup]

http://www.progarchives.com/Bands-co...sp?country=179

[Sputnik]

My favorites from Switzerland are basically Island and Blue Motion. Island Pictures is a particular favorite, actually one of my top Prog albums from any country. I have Pyrrho, but I probably need to spend some more time with it, I can't recall much from it just now. The Blue Motion disc is extremely solid, wish they'd done more.

I have Circus Movin' On. I like it, but it doesn't really live up to its reputation for me. I also have three Sonar albums, of which my favorite is probably Static Motion.

That's all I've got from this country, I'll sample what comes up to see if anything catches my fancy.

Bill

[Scrotum Scissor]

i dare think that you'll find this remastered version of Clepsydra's "Tuesday Night" quite fascinating

No, I don't find Clepsydra very fascinating, Svetonio. But thanks for returning so soon.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Circus Movin' On. I like it, but it doesn't really live up to its reputation for me.

Movin' On by Circus is alright, but nothing really outstanding IMO. Unlike Island's Pictures, which is a truly unique expression melding VdGG, Gentle Giant, Egg and Magma.

Etienne Conod produced a couple of excellent titles in his Sunrise studios in Kirchberg, like Kedama and the amazing Debile Menthol records.

There were a handful of perhaps not-so original yet listenable groups such as Rumplestiltskin, Flame Dream and the somewhat dodgy Welcome,a true Yes-clone.

During the 80s there were Debile-offshoots Nimal and L'Ensemble Raye, the latter whose Meme En Hiver, Comme un Pinson dans L'Eau battles a bit with Island's Pictures as the finest Swiss for me.

Newer acts are Steamboat Switzerland, Thønk, Stephan Wittwer and the darkness of Alboth!, who are highly influenced by IQ, Steven Wilson, Neal Morse and Michael Bolton:

[NogbadTheBad]

Have to admit I do not know any current Swiss progressive rock bands but the progressive Jazz scene is fantastic!

Schnellertollermeier, Ikarus, nik Bartch just to name a few.

Hell yeah. Akku Quintet, Sonar, Sha's Feckel.

[michello]

quartet Dawn hails from Montreux that is more known for its prestigious jazz fest than due to the city's progressive rock bands. it's not that fair actually

[Zappathustra]

Banned

[rcarlberg]

[Rarebird]

How about Flame Dream?
Not sure if Irrwisch would be considered as progressive rock.

[Prehensile Pencil]

OP: It's a crazy good record, and one that skipped my radar, at the time. But trust me on this: We don't care about "prog" here. That concept is alien to a musical society that fancies itself peculiar, and dadaistic. We care about our neighbours, and stuff. Please don't get me wrong, though: We are proud of TOAD. .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUJM...OMK_bQ&index=4

[Steve F.]

We don't care about "prog" here. That concept is alien .... Please don't get me wrong, though: We are proud of TOAD. .

You Swiss cheese-head, you!

[Prehensile Pencil]

You Swiss cheese-head, you!

Not once, and I'm here for ten years, have I seen cheese with holes in it !

[Jay.Dee]

I cannot imagine Swiss prog without alphorns and büchels...

[Prehensile Pencil]

I will try, honestly, to explain this, and hope I don't regret it later:

Here, in Switzerland, the adjective "progressive" is a non-sequitur. We don't need or want to feel forward-thinking, because the alternative is to be backwards, and that's simply not an option.

And now I shut up, and offer COTTONWOOD HILL. (Yeah, of course).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3nepy_SkwM

[Zeuhlmate]

Dont forget H.R. Giger

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._R._Giger

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._R._...ording_artists

[Steve F.]

Not once, and I'm here for ten years, have I seen cheese with holes in it !

()

[aith01]

My favorites from Switzerland are basically Island and Blue Motion. Island Pictures is a particular favorite, actually one of my top Prog albums from any country. I have Pyrrho, but I probably need to spend some more time with it, I can't recall much from it just now. The Blue Motion disc is extremely solid, wish they'd done more.

I have Circus Movin' On. I like it, but it doesn't really live up to its reputation for me. I also have three Sonar albums, of which my favorite is probably Static Motion.

That's all I've got from this country, I'll sample what comes up to see if anything catches my fancy.

Bill

Island kinda creeped me out so I never bought their stuff.

I’m with you on the Blue Motion disc though. I really like that one. Bought the Belle Antique mini LP reissue some years ago, and it’s lovely package.

[Progbear]

What is it with Swiss prog bands and the piano? I find that so many Swiss prog bands—and I’m thinking of Blue Motion, Dragonfly, F____ D____ and Rumple Stiltzken Commune in particular here—have such excellent piano playing. Is there something in that Swiss Alpine spring water?

Worth mentioning: Sicher. A very obscure example of chamber-prog that is really quite nice, albeit featuring a wholly unnecessary version of Bach’s “Toccata & Fugue in D Minor” (did they really think we needed another version of that dead horse?).

Also: Eloiteron, who never really did much for me (kind of reminds me of Ekseption minus the classical-rock shtick), but lots of folks seem to love ’em.

Not sure if Irrwisch would be considered as progressive rock.

To my ears, In Search Of is early neo-prog. I can’t speak for the others, because I was so put off by ISO (oh, that singer!) that I never bothered to pursue them further.

And now I shut up, and offer COTTONWOOD HILL. (Yeah, of course).

It’s campy as Hell but I still totally enjoy Cottonwoodhill. But all the cool kids know that Celestial Ocean is the Brainticket album to get. What a masterpiece that album is!

[michello]

Patrick Moraz

bluesy "Pale Sky" and uplifting "Basia" are from the only record of Pat's first band Mainhorse that were half-Swiss & half-English