Styx. REO Speedwagon. Toto. ELO. What ARE these people?

[Thudlow_Boink]

During their heyday (late 70s-early 80s) I would have simply called them “mainstream rock”; but yeah, “Arena Rock” works for me. (I’m not sure ELO fits in with most of the rest of these bands, which are basic guitar-with-keyboards rock.) They were slickly-produced (no rough edges), radio-friendly, and had a high level of craftsmanship (as opposed to artistry)—and there’s nothing wrong with any of this, though their detractors often disparage them for it. Their songs run the gamut from the more melodic end of Hard Rock to at least the less wimpy part of Soft Rock—and without the danceability of Pop, the energy and attitude of Punk, or the soul of R&B. I listened to this stuff when I was in high school, and liked a fair amount of it, and I’m not ashamed to say I still listen to Styx, REO, Journey, et al occasionally. But yes, the worst of this stuff is cheezy and overplayed.

And Dennis DeYoung (of Styx) is the love child of Art Rock and Barry Manilow. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

[Ike_Witt]

Monsters of easy listening?

[Spoke]

I just popped in to say that ELO does not belong on the list. It is a different sort of critter, more of a studio creation. More to the point, I like ELO, and these other bands are crap.

The arena rock list would include:

REO Speedwagon
Toto
Kansas
Journey
Boston
Foreigner
Styx
Rush (IMO)
Asia

The common element is that they all suck.

Hmm. A lot of these bands seem to hail from the Midwest or from Boston, two areas which (judging by the music they produce) must be entirely devoid of soul.

[Hey_It_s_That_Guy]

Of all of those mentioned, Styx is the only one I really dig. They’re so melodramatic, which is what I love about them. Ever since I saw their concert film “Caught In the Act,” which is the “Kilroy Was Here” stage show, I’ve been a fan. Of course, even I won’t deny “Lady” is grating cheese (as opposed to grated cheese).

The other bands have a few really solid anthems among them, and I’ve always thought Kansas had some pretty strong musicians in the group. I usually refer to the lot of them as “arena rock,” and sometimes “progressive rock” (along with bands like Yes, ELO, and ELP.) But I’d sooner classify Styx with two other favorites of mine who pour on the melodrama: Queen and Meat Loaf.

And even though nobody mentioned them, I’d consider the great Roxy Music to be “art rock.” Although art rock eventually runs into progressive rock, and that’s a whole other debate.

[Mal_Adroit]

@Futile Gesture

Would some one please tell me what is it with the American obsession to compartmentalize all music and bands into little neat boxes??

Okay, if you wanna get nationalistic (and silly): why are Brits incapable of pronouncing the word “boogie” in way that doesn’t make me giggle?

Booh-gee. Booooo-gee.
(btw, you’re right. I myself am a categorizing fiend.)

[ruadh]

@Futile Gesture

Would some one please tell me what is it with the American obsession to compartmentalize all music and bands into little neat boxes??

It’s hardly exclusively American. I used to read a lot of the British music press and it was done all the time there (“shoegaze”, “lo-fi”, “baggy” to name but a few, and probably date myself at the same time).

[I_Love_Me_Vol.I]

So what is the difference between “Art Rock” and “Prog Rock”?

[RogueRacer]

@spoke-

I just popped in to say that ELO does not belong on the list. It is a different sort of critter, more of a studio creation. More to the point, I like ELO, and these other bands are crap.

Sticks and stones, Love.

I agree that ELO doesn’t really belong depending on how you catagorize the bands. They have a sound that brings a lot of mixing boards to mind. As far as level of suckiness, I guess that’s all in the listener. Personally, ELO pales in comparison to some of the rest.

How about .38 Special? They sort of have their own sub-category of Southern Rock, but I would still consider them to be a stadium band as well.

[Mal_Adroit]

@mbacko1

For the longest time I thought Chicago only had one interesting album Chicago Transit Authority, their first album. I figured that most of the rest of their songs were sappy ballads because that is all I heard on the radio. Recently I purchased some of their early albums (before Terry Kath died) and there is some really great blues and jazz influenced rock music.

Terry Kath was an amazing player and singer. Early Chicago is actually quite good- the same albums that featured A.M. staples like “Just You and Me” and “Feeling Stronger Every Day,” also boasted great, great R & B-type songs- “State of the Union,” “Rediscovery,” “Mississippi Delta City Blues,” “What’s This World Comin To,” etc. It was only once they entered the ‘80s that Peter Cetera’s ballads took real dominance over the other guys’ songs. But by then Robert Lamm and James Pankow were pretty well tapped, anyway. And of course, Kath was dead.

[mbacko1]

Warning, art-rock and prog-rock can overlap!!!
Since I listen to a lot of this music

Art-rock is rock music which is performed with a theatrical stage show and usually involves a theme or concept album. This would be David Bowie, Genesis, Yes, 2112 era Rush, Mr. Roboto Styx, possibly even Kiss, though I would consider them more “hard-rock”.

Prog-rock or progressive rock is music that pushes the envelop of its time. It is thought to have begun in the late 1960s and includes bands like King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, ELP, Gentle Giant, Camel, Gong, etc. These bands strove to push the concepts of what rock music entailed. During the mid-1970s when a number of these bands became mainstream, prog-rock also adopted the second definition, “bands that sound like King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, ELP, Gentle Giant, Camel, Gong, etc.” This is not to be confused with Neo-prog.

Neo-Prog are bands that started off sounding like Prog-rock bands but started after 1980. Marillion, Iluvatar, Glass Hammer, Halloween fall into this category.

There is also progressive music which came out in the 1980s and included bands like New Order, Depeche Mode, The Cure, etc.

There is also progressive-metal which are heavier 1980s and later bands that take elements from prog-rock bands and metal bands and blend them. Iron Maiden, Fate’s Warning, King Diamond, Merciful Fate, Dream Theater, and Queensryche fit into this mold.

Anybody confused yet?

[SkipMagic]

@Moody Bastard

Terry Kath was an amazing player and singer. Early Chicago is actually quite good- the same albums that featured A.M. staples like “Just You and Me” and “Feeling Stronger Every Day,” also boasted great, great R & B-type songs- “State of the Union,” “Rediscovery,” “Mississippi Delta City Blues,” “What’s This World Comin To,” etc. It was only once they entered the ‘80s that Peter Cetera’s ballads took real dominance over the other guys’ songs. But by then Robert Lamm and James Pankow were pretty well tapped, anyway. And of course, Kath was dead.

Chicago is also an extremely prolific and versatile group which has changed with the times. Aerosmith, for example, has pretty much always sounded the same (although I haven’t heard their newest album)–not that their sound is bad or that it doesn’t work for them. Chicago, however, has experimented with many genres and, after the failure of their 21 album (and past their big-band era Night & Day release) they moved away from the familiar '80s and '90s pop and tried to come back with their unreleased Stone of Sisyphus. (Of which, thanks to the internet, I have a copy.) I don’t actually like Stone of Sisyphus, but at least it was notably different from their '80s and '90s releases.

Their Chicago Transit Authority and II albums are examples of great musical work.

[Loopydude]

Yeah, maybe ELO doesn’t belong. Yet I hear tunes like “Don’t Break Me Down” and “Strange Magic”, and somehow they weirdly fit, in my mind.

Arena Rock or Anthem Rock has gotta be it. Maybe Anthemic Arena Rock, if you really want to be pedantic.

There is heavy cross-pollenation with the Prog and Art movements, to the point that it’s confusing. One thing Prog and Art have in common is self-consciousness. THAT’s what makes it annoying. All concept and technique, no soul whatsoever.

I’ve been scratching my head wondering if and where Pink Floyd might fit in here. I don’t think they really belong in this constellation of stars at all, except for some parts of The Wall and pretty much all of The Final Cut. Maybe a smidgen of Animals.

[Loopydude]

I should qualify that statement by saying the Floyd started to sound like Arena Art towards the end. I could never put them side-by-side with REO Speedwagon. Roger Waters brought them dangerously close to sounding like a depressed and angry Styx by Final Cut, though.

Then there’s Post-Waters Floyd, which is pretty much Arena Rock, isn’t it…sad.

[Jurph]

@Loopydude

I’ve been scratching my head wondering if and where Pink Floyd might fit in here. I don’t think they really belong in this constellation of stars at all, except for some parts of The Wall and pretty much all of The Final Cut. Maybe a smidgen of Animals.

I always mentally shelve them with Prog-Rock and Art-Rock. Their albums were always albums – not just a collection of singles – and the album covers always pretty much screamed out to me “These guys think they’re really transcending something! Look out!”

Add to that the way their music drones on through awkward ethereal chord changes, and I can’t really get behind calling them “Classic Rock” unless you’re just talking about a time period.

[bigdfrombigd]

Gosh, this brings back memories of high school and concerts when tickets cost around $5.00. I’m so old I love all those old bands. Does anyone remember Starz or Legs Diamond?

[Phedre_no_Delaunay]

Good grief, I think every single band from the late 70s-early 80s has been mentioned in this thread. At least every band that wasn’t disco.

[Spoke]

I’ve got it! The common thread!

There’s a line in a Harry Chapin song of yore where an old black man tells a young kid learning to play the guitar, “Slow down son! That ain’t no damn typewriter you’re playin’. You got to caress it like a woman…”

All the cited bands play their guitars like typewriters.

No soul.

[Mr.Blue_Sky]

I wouldn’t call ELO arena rock. Due to the complexity of their studio stuff (and, yes, Jeff did go overboard a lot), live concerts weren’t all that great. I’ve picked up a few, uh, unofficial concerts and they leave much to be desired.

The main problem was amplifying the strings so that they are on the same level as the electric instruments.

Jeff and company should have stayed in the studio.

[bdandhr]

As long as there are songs from every group, and I have to say that all of the above have songs I truly enjoy listening to, who the heck needs to care about “semantics?” I understand trying to “segregate” your music because my daughter, who is 25 years younger than I doesn’t always appreciate my choices, but sheesh!

Has anyone tried to include the Bay City Rollers in the mix?

Sorry, but I gotta say, Boston has been a long-time fav of mine!!!

[Mr.Blue_Sky]

@bdandhr

Has anyone tried to include the Bay City Rollers in the mix?

Bubble-gum or teeny bopper music.