I’ve heard that prog rock evolved out of psychedelia. What are some great transitional records from the late 1960s, or even early 1970s, that combine elements of both in some sort of transitional state?
In the Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson is probably a good starting point.
Early, pre Dark side Pink Floyd will fit this bill. Piper at the gates of dawn, the first record, with Syd Barrett as lead songwriter, was definitely pyschedelia, and over the next few albums, it progressed towards prog.
The album Atom Heart Mother is arguably both, with extended songs about making breakfast on acid.
Gong also is in that area, with the album Flying Teapot being a combination of the two genres…
The Big Bang of Prog. That album was so influential that the members of Genesis had the cover hung on the wall of an early rehearsal room. It’s the album that made Genesis become Genesis.
I’ve often wondered if Pink Floyd should be considered prog. As stated upthread, they started out as a psychedelic band. But as Pink Floyd progressed through the '70s, their music had some differences from the other prog bands. Pink Floyd’s music was more radio-friendly, crossed over into what now considered classic rock, and was based in the blues. Most prog bands avoided blues scales and drew their influences from European music. Also, with the exception of David Gilmour, none of the members of Pink Floyd had the musical chops associated with prog.
Second. And In The Wake Of Poseidon is actually, in my opinion, a little better musically, so add it as well.
It’s hard to pin down exactly what constitutes psychedelia and prog, but you might also want to listen to the few recordings made by The Nice.
Blows Against the Empire - 1970 Lp, credited to “Paul Kantner and Jefferson Starship.” It is mainly a Kantner solo album, with extensive input by Grace Slick, some (but not all) then-current Jefferson Airplane members, and a who’s who of west coast hippie rock stars (Jerry Garcia, most of CSN). Side two is one extended “song suite” (semi-individual songs that link up to a side-length narrative) about a bunch of hippies who hijack a starship and fly away into the depths of the universe. This album actually got nominated for a Hugo Award.
It’s a pity that, when “Jefferson Starship” eventually became a real band, they went into the commercial MOR route. This is definitely a big “just imagine” moment – what might have happened had Kantner steered them into serious prog rock territory?
TOUCH
Try the Moody Blues’ “In Search of the Lost Chord.”
The first two Yes albums,* Time and a Word* and the self-titled Yes, were both very much in the psychedelic vein. Exhibit A:Astral Traveller