"Prog" was a term used by music critics (and those who fancied themselves amongst the cognoscenti of obscure musical styles), but got polluted/infected/perverted by too much use on too many acts that either didn't want the label or didn't really qualify for it. Or, an artist WAS "prog" for a while, decided million-selling records paid the bills better, then switched.
Today's destination for the Wayback Machine was one of the latter. Genesis was one of the original "prog" bands--most of us were not really into their music as much as we were into their live shows, which used lights (lasers!) and staging to create a mood. Of course, the experience was enhanced by the liberal application of certain substances (not that I would know--I was high on life at the time).
But when original frontman Peter Gabriel went out on his own (and issued not one, but two albums with the exact same name), Genesis moved from a "prog" band to a "prog-pop" band and eventually to a full-on "pop-rock" band. Most of that can be attributed to the influence of Phil Collins, who also managed to sell a bajillion records as a solo act.
But way back in 1980, Genesis was still considered a fringe act with a "prog" bent. Their next record, Duke, changed all that. It was more accessible than anything Gabriel did, and moved them more into the center of the Bell Curve. Back when records were King, and cassettes were Prince (no, not THAT Prince), there were two sides. Side 1, Track 1 was the most important place to make a statement. Side 2, Track 1 was usually something commercial but not too much so.
Side 2, Track 1 on Duke was "Turn It On Again", an upbeat rocker done in an impossible 13/4 time signature, which changed to 3/4 later in the song. Collins, a drummer by trade, played the two timelines and switched effortlessly between them, making what could have been an aural mess into something with continuity that people could follow. It's a testament to his talent that we can even stay with the beat.
So, it's "prog". It's "pop-rock". And, it's really good. You haven't heard this in a while. I'd expect to hear it in 2019 as part of the soundtrack to Guardians of the Galaxy, Part 3. At least, we should...
Pete
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