The three iconic bands Ian Anderson couldn’t stand: “We always had a dislike”
A lot of people find prog rock pretty inaccessible, and when you listen to the vast range of music made by bands like Jethro Tull, that’s somewhat understandable.
They’re a great example of a prog rock band, as they have never been willing to sit back and let their music be in any way lacklustre. The loose definition of prog rock is any music which is fundamentally rock, but that incorporates unique elements of sound so that it sits outside the mainstream. It’s all still rock, but there’s a little added something, a different genre, instrument, style of playing that separates it ever so slightly.
While not always considered a prog rock band, Ian Anderson explained that Led Zeppelin were quintessential in forming the sound of Jethro Tull, as they showed how you could inject various elements of music into rock naturally. In the case of Jimmy Page and Co, these elements included sporadic sounds from around the world.
“I think what they showed to all their peer group as musicians was that there was, first of all, a very powerful and dramatic way to perform simple, direct rock music and also to introduce elements of more eclectic music,” Anderson said. “Because Zeppelin, near the beginning, there were a lot of elements of folk music, and Asian music, and African music that crept into their stuff.”
When you have different forms of eclectic music being put into rock, which can already be chaotic on its own, you get a vast array of sounds, all of which are loosely thrown into the category of prog. No wonder the genre is viewed as inaccessible by so many because the only consistency there is is a huge amount of inconsistency.
While prog rock can be confusing as a genre, it’s also something which listeners should be excited to dive into, as this array of range means that there is a healthy mix of music available for people to sink their teeth into. Bands have borrowed from other countries and cultures, they have used jazz influences, folk, fictional, mythic, and flamboyancy. So, whatever sound you’re into, there will be something in the world of prog rock with appeal.
The main thing that all of these bands are chasing is authenticity. Throughout the complicated discographies of people like Ian Anderson and Frank Zappa, no matter how much their sound might fluctuate, the one thing each artist will always give their listeners is a true reflection of themselves.
You can hear this not only in the music these bands made and liked, but also with what they couldn’t stand. Just because their music was complex didn’t mean they hated more simplistic styles, so as long as that style came from a genuine place. Frank Zappa was famously a huge fan of AC/DC, despite their songs mainly consisting of three or four chords, the famously complicated musical mind adored everything the Australian rockers put out.
This is also the reason Ian Anderson hated it when British bands tried to sound American. He had a disdain for three popular musical outfits in particular for that very reason, as he hated the inauthentic nature of what they were making. “I mean, we always had a dislike of bands like The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds and Chicken Shack,” he said.
Adding, “Not personally, but I could never understand why they felt it necessary to sing the blues with an America lilt in their voice. And, indeed, within their playing. This was great music but it wasn’t THEIR music.”
