In 2019 Crobot vocalist Brandon Yeagley told Prog what the genre meant to him, staring with an Electric Light Orchestra album that stood out when he first heard it as an eight-year-old.
“I was raised on progressive rock. My parents were pretty much into everything, and I inherited this box of cassettes from them when I was between the ages of eight and 10.
ELO’s Out Of The Blue really stood out. I’ve always been a fan of concepts – I grew up with Meat Loaf and I was a big fan of the rock opera. Nobody has done it quite like Queen, Meat Loaf and ELO.
They were such great songwriters; ELO were one of those bands that you never realised how many songs they had until you looked at a greatest hits. Man, what a catalogue! Out Of The Blue is probably still my favourite record by them, and it just so happens that was the one I got second-hand. They certainly took you on quite a trip.
Mr Blue Sky is the song I always go back to. It’s such a feelgood track and it’s never really aged; it’s partially sentimental too. And the album still holds its weight. It reminds me of The Beatles’ White Album, where it touches on so many different styles.
Protest The Hero was like a science test! I have trouble counting to four, let alone 12/8
When [filesharing service] Napster rolled around, it opened up the floodgates and I could go deeper. I was always the guy who was trying to find the weird stuff and share it around my friends.
I found Protest The Hero that way – Fortress is still one of the progressive masterpieces, as far as I’m concerned. It was a daunting task to listen to it enough times so I could memorise every single change, turn and lyric.
It was like studying for a science test! I tried to learn it on guitar and bass, although it was way above my calibre of playing. Those guys are nuts! Sometimes I have trouble counting to four, let alone 12/8.
I love the quirkiness of Primus, too, and had it not been for them I’m sure I wouldn’t have found Frank Zappa. And Coheed And Cambria – their Good Apollo is still one of my favourite records of all time.
I never got the chance to see ELO live. That’s the downside of being in a band that tours so heavily – we don’t get to see many shows. But ELO have been a big influence on me for sure.”
