MR>    "Piano Man" and "Desperado" certainly weren't progressive according to
MR>  most people I've talked to.
Most people interpret the definition of "progressive" to exclude
anything that was commercially popular. If you listen to some of the
non-hit tracks on Piano Man, there are some very innovative
orchestrations and unusual selections of instruments.
I regard Desparado as progressive for its overall thematic concept.
Granted, when a group created a "theme" album in the 60's, that was
something new, and therefore automatically progressive. I don't see why
doing the same thing a decade later would not also be progressive.
MR>  And I've never heard them (or "Yellow Brick
MR>  Road" for that matter) being referred to as particularly influential.
"Yellow Brick Road", like most Elton John albums, is really just a
collection of songs. Most of the songs on YBR are just forgettable pop
songs. But some of the musical structures on "Funeral for a Friend" are
as "progressive" as the later works of ELO or Pink Floyd. As to whether
"Funeral for a Friend" influnced ELO or Pink Floyd, or merely preceeded
it, I do not know.
 * OLX 2.1 TD * Something kinky is afoot!
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