10 Most Underrated Progressive Rock Albums Of All Time

Prior to Rush taking prog rock into deeper space than ever before with '2112', Captain Beyond were enjoying their own musical superheroics in the cosmos.

Their 1972 titular debut sees them taking inspiration from King Crimson's foray into jazz, infusing their maddened guitar work with it. More fascinating still is the emphasis on Latin music throughout the LP. The multi-faceted sound lends itself handily to this early example of the space rock subgenre.

The songs nearly always connect with one another, leaving no moment of silence between the end of one track and the beginning of another. It's a custom prog giants like Jethro Tull frequently employed as well to give their music an almost cinematic storytelling quality. In the case of Captain Beyond, that story is a predictably trippy romp through the stars.

The lyrics range from the psychedelic to the surreal to the occasionally suspenseful. Frontman Rod Evans' vocals are neatly backdropped by Larry Reinhardt's eclectic lead guitar work, something that finds adventurous support from Lee Dorman's bass. Drummer Bobby Caldwell proves his own mettle by providing an additional set of curious sounds via his mastery of the vibraphone and piano.

Incredibly fast-paced by the standards of the genre, this LP ultimately proved to be far more influential for the concept-side of prog rock than it is often credited for.