What do you like best in prog?
 

If I were to custom tailor a prog song, or experience, or a compostion that had all the great elements you look for, what would they be?

Perhaps the best way to answer is to define some parameters, and you can add percentages to each one you like.

Music
Vocals required, or optional
Complex or simple bass playing
Guitar required, or as textural backdrop
Keyboards are played as textures, sequences, or virtuoso
Complex or simple drumming
Other acoustic or orchestral instrumentation

Experience
Uses Sci-Fi or Fantasy themes
Uses Truth or Honor themes
Uses Literate Themes
Music evokes images
Music evokes testosterone urge
Music promotes relaxation
Music has both tension and release
Music has purely intellectual stimulation
Music has purely emotional or mood stimulation
Song title matches the song composition
Quality of recording is exquisitely produced
Quality of recording is performed well, but not the optimal production

If I had more time to think, I could add more. For now I would like to to see if there is a trend, or if it's all over the map as for general individual preferences.

Thanks for your feedback if you participate.

TruthInAd

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

where's "ALL OF THE ABOVE"?

i think i'll reserve comment until after a few more responses.:dogpile:

p e a c e

kirk

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

that's quite an impressive list. I just like to rock. If I picked one it'd be the mood/emotional thing.

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

depends on my mood, though I do like a good keyboard. odd-time signatures are good.

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

Erm...on Transatlantic's debut album :notsure:

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

name a phrase in the english language that hasn't been made into
a songtitle....and i'll make it!

k

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

musicianship, hate 3 chord music
Harmony with tonal gymnastics
strong rhythm section, synergy of complex beats between drummer and bass
world influence, confluent ideas on tone and beat from diverse cultures

or.........its the MELLOTRONS Silly

:rawk: :rawk: :rawk: :rawk: :rawk: :rawk: :rawk: :rawk: :rawk: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :rawk: :rawk: :rawk: :rawk: :rawk: :rawk: :rawk: :rawk: :rawk:

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

yeah, what sharc said. that, too.

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

Everything except the testosterone bit.

mossy

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

hey mossy-
most studies show that female music fans aren't as
"anthem oriented", anthems generally evolving from
the "let's grab a sword , go kill the enemy" male warrior thing.

annie haslam, sandy denny come to mind as exceptions,
pioneers o' brit prog.

a bit of trivia- roger dean's 1st album cover was for Babe Ruth,
a female-lead prog band.

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

That is Awesome Kirk, I have some Original Frank Frazetta Prints that sparks comparison. Also Wally Wood-ish........Thanx Captain--
:notworthy :notworthy :notworthy :notworthy :notworthy :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :notworthy :notworthy :notworthy :notworthy :notworthy :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :notworthy :notworthy :notworthy :notworthy :notworthy
would you happen to have a year for that Babe Ruth?

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

hey sharc-
sadly, i don't hear wally wood mentioned much these days!
i recently went through my old copies of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. agents.
remember those? the lead dynamo story was always his.
what a master. Joe (Kubert) invoked WW and Alex Toth
constantly as modern masters.
---------------

Babe Ruth made 6 albums between 72-77, released a
"best of" in 95. i caught them on American Bandstand...(!)
bought "first base" the next day.

i also have (had?) this one- it's likely at my mom's house
along w/ my 1st "Flash" album ect.

k

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

:hrm: mostly all of what was listed....hold the testosterone(plez no pun intended)...though there's a place for that also...and thanks, l like the intellect angle...tention and release, relaxing or that slight metaphysicality

and thats my 2¢
poda

on another note perhaps you did forget the exotic and/or erotic aspect there's lots of that sprinkled about prog too.8-)

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

tracy, that's very interesting.
i'd question if most males register that facet...
....or would admit to it if they do! :notsure:

IMO if it moves into fantasy territory, the male fantasy is to
be these artists, or trade places, much like a sports hero.

is it that many prog artists aren't drenched in testoterone,
displaying a sensitive side that makes it appealing?

mossy- which artist or group in particular were you referring to?

k

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

I'll take this opportunity to create my......SUPERSTAR........Prog Group
Vocals: Absolutely Peter Gabriel from the Lamb era
Drums: Mike Portnoy.from ALL ERA'S!!!
Bass: Ray Shulman........Mr. Under rated himself.....He da bassman
Keyboards: I'll have 2 please.....Tony Banks and Rick Wakeman...let them fight over who leads......it'll all be good!!
Guitar: Steve Hackett and his Firth of Fifth Playing....what a haunt...this would be for me.

NO HORNS!!!
NO ORCHESTRA!!!
Mood set of the Album would be a Storyline based on Liberal and Conservative America......Good Luck!!!
Producer and Co-writer: Steve Wilson
When's it comin' out?!??! Goin' to the Amazon:notworthy

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

hey sharc.........opinion is pouring out of me........:thumbsup:

Mike Oldfield: Excellent choice..he slipped my mind.....would he also play guitar?
Rick Wakeman: :thumbsup:

Phil Collins: My favorite drummer, 'til MP came along and I love Phil's vocals

Greg Lake::hrm: I like his work, but as a bass player myself, I need a little more action. The thought of Phil and Greg singing together is very interesting:salute

GREAT CHOICES!! I'd like to hear that group too:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

[quote=yorksrvc]hey sharc.........opinion is pouring out of me........:thumbsup:

Mike Oldfield: Excellent choice..he slipped my mind.....would he also play guitar?
QUOTE]
One of the Finest guitarist in the land, yes he presses keys but I'm not sure what you mean.... ahh, you thought of his Vocals on Crisis ( top ten Fav CD's) :hot:

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

sssssssshhhh!! I'm not real familiar with too many of his CD's. The next 2 after Tubular Bells were nice, but I haven't heard him since then. THAT'S a long time ago. I thought he played guitar, just haven't heard in a while. I like your SUPERSTAR Line up:rockband:

Qe2
 

As the proud owner of 25 of Mikes recording , you are missing some Classics. These recommendations are not like his 1st few...

Platnuim and Qe2 are tonal genious
5 miles out is an opus exceptional
then there is the Simon Phillips years on Drums.......Crisis an exceptional Recording with double footpedals flying
=8^O =8^O =8^O =8^O =8^O =8^O =8^O :eureka: :eureka: :eureka: :eureka: :eureka: =8^O =8^O =8^O =8^O =8^O=8^O =8^O
finally you can get these AWESOME recordings for peanuts:http://search.half.ebay.com/Mike-Old...QpgZ2QQmZmusic

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

Way to go sharc....like giving drugs to an addict:rofl:

As Alice Cooper sang "You'd force feed a diabetic a candy cane!"

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

AND AGAIN!!! I have been supplied with my 2 Favorite things...........Music and Laughter............yea,yea,yea.....the other thing?........I'm 55 and been cut off.........

Re: Qe2
 

[quote=sharcnorris]
doesn't jon anderson do a guest shot on crisis?

k

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

Now lets take another road.

Music is an art form which I define as an expression of emotions in one or several forms. Progressive music is a more complex expression of emotions through melodies, lyrics or a complete musical picture plus of course elements from the list

Therefore I cannot define anything specific in the list. Except that great progressive rock knocks my emotions over. Modern classic music can also do the same.

Re: Qe2
 

[quote=kirk]He does............:)

Re: Qe2
 

[quote=kirk
doesn't jon anderson do a guest shot on crisis?

k[/QUOTE]

Yes Jon sings IN HIGH PLACES, an Oldfieldish Chant with many layers, this really is one of my top Ten recording all time .
In 1984 I got a Wonderfull Turntable for my pristene collection. During the LP days I Played a new RECORD (?)only once as I recorded a cassette on my Nakamichi deck. The Record in Sleave was then placed in No-acid plastic covers, and so went my Whole collection for 2 decades. One day at Cutler Records next to Toads Place New Haven, I was Introduced to Japanese Pressings. Crisis was such a Spectacular recordings that to this day I still play that Petroleum Platter instead of CD............. P.S. I got 2 copies:knowing:

Re: Qe2
 

No acid? And you enjoyed it?:p

I bumped into the table once, sang in a very high place....

Re: What do you like best in prog?
 

I think that fundamentally what I appreciate about prog is that it rarely strays into the basic pop form of verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-verse-chorus. The structures are varied and fluid, and it just feels like a more "mature" form of music, to me.

This hearkens back to when I was first "seriously" getting into music and discovered The Who's Who's Next, which plays with song structure throughout the album.

Even prog tracks that which do adhere to that basic form tend to have other things going on behind the basic structure which mutates or breaks the structure.

I admit I am a sucker for a good hook, and fundamentally I feel like I'm always looking for what Pete Townshend seemed to be looking for: A melding of the "trash" art form of rock music with more challenging elements to create something which appeals to both ends of the spectrum. This probably goes a long way to explaining why I'm a big fan of neo-prog but don't care much for groups like Wobbler or Somnambulist. (What would you call such groups' style, anyway? "Hard" prog? "Pure" prog?")

Essentially, I like a good hook, but I also like music which plays around with structure and presentation.

By way of example, consider that the albums which have most recently "blown my mind" have been Hourglass' Subconscious, Tr3nity's Precious Seconds, and Magenta's Revolutions and Seven.