What TEB has to do with Prog? An age-old controversy.

Swimming in this putrid, polluted, toxic river of nonsense that is often the Net, recently I've discovered an album of an Italian group professing to be inspired by the Third Ear Band, Ballo delle Castagne (Dance of Chestnuts), described by the label as "a psychedelic journey from west to east. More then ever, the oriental sound is still present

and expanded through a journey deep in prog rock music. From Kraut rock to West coast music with special mention to Italian Godfathers of Prog Rock, Ballo delle Castagne release his new records featuring special guest like Carolina Cecchinato (Egida Aurea) and Maethelyiah (Blooding Mask)". 

You can read a review of the record in English  at http://hangingsounds.blogspot.it/2011/04/review-ballo-delle-castagne-kalachakra.html.

Inside an interview (http://www.metal.it/interview.aspx/819/ballo-delle-castagne-spirali-d-ispirazione-liberazione-e-illuminazione/) the musician Marco Garegnani states: "... and the Third Ear Band. I think they are a mysteric creature that in some ways influenced me, mainly for about the more tribalistic-ritual parts of the record..." - but listening to the music I think there's no trace of it - just a boring, quite  conceited Prog music so far from the magical spirituality of "Alchemy" or the pagan soul of the "Elements" album.

Anyway you can check by yourself and form an opinion about it (http://www.myspace.com/ballocastagne):

My personal point of view is that TEB is often exploited by musicians to increase the real value of their project: a sort of easy credit card because TEB music sounds esoteric, magic, arcane... at the end eccentric and strange, and the evocation of it can charme fans around the world...

So, after all these years, for myself  the Questions are:
What TEB has to do with Prog? 
Why usually musicians and journalists use to categorize TEB music as Prog?

Of course, as usual here any free opinion will be well-accepted...

no©2012 Luca Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)