I love it...

[black max]

A lot of metal bands did tracks that would slide in under the "progressive" door. Someone mentioned GFRR's "Closer to Home." Black Sabbath did quite a few: "Planet Caravan," "The Writ," "Symptom of the Universe," "Wheels of Confusion," and others that escape me for the moment. (Wakeman did session work on the Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath album, and I think Don Airey shows up on some later tracks as well.) There are a lot of other examples, I just can't think of any at the moment. Deep Purple did quite a few.

I was at a seminar about teaching English to middle schoolers when one of the presenters, a jolly, square-faced middle-aged lady in flowery polyester pants, began talking about using bands like Judas Priest to teach poetry (this was in the '80s). Her son was a big Priest/Maiden fan and she had heard enough of it to realize that there was a lot of solid lyrical content in the music. So here we are, a room full of teachers, most older than me and very straight-laced, listening to Rob Halford howl and grunt and talking about his lyrics. She was very sincere (and very good), but the whole situation just cracked me up. I've yet to sic Priest on my kids, but I've used a lot of ambient music as writing prompts with good success, especially some of the spacey, moody Eno material.

[Rick and Roll]

I was always able to look past the hilarious campy posturing - "would you like to see the pope at the end of a rope" (Ozzy) is outright side-splitting. I just think the music by Sabbath, early-mid Priest, Maiden, Budgie, Voivod, etc. is just outstanding stuff. Categorize away, it matters little to me. Very refreshing to hear your story of the English class. It's a hell of a lot better than a trial for suicide!

[black max]

Maybe we'd do better just talking about songs that belong on AM's playlist ("Closer to Home," yes, "Footstompin' Music," no).

[Rick and Roll]

I always thought that title was funny - the visual is priceless.

Try signing Some Kind of Wonderful while drunk.

[Yesspaz]

Try singing Some Kind of Wonderful sober! What a bad song. You'd have to be drunk to dig it.

I liked the idea of inventing a title for "less-than-par" prog from prog bands (BIG GENERATO and suprisingly progressive material from more mainstream artists (first three Journey albums). However, I hate the term "Prog-Lite." It sounds very demeaning to me. The term I always use describing music to my friends that fits this category is "proggish."

Example: "Have you heard the last album Jimmy Eat World did before they got on MTV? You know, CLARITY? It's really good melodic pop-rock with a lot of good hooks and incredible vocal harmonies, good lyrics too, and the last song is actually pretty proggish if you ask me."

See? Isn't that nice? By this definition, I'd consider "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight," "The Brazillian," and "Domino" as Prog, but "The Land of Confusion" as proggish.




BTW, Vapor Trails rules.

[Rick and Roll]

If Journey (a band I never was into) on their first few releases were considered prog, how is that surprising? I thought they had "prog" bloodlines. The mainstream happened later. I think our order is reversed here.

If it was their later stuff that was prog, that would be surprising. Work with me here.

Asia was mentioned earlier in this post in the same breath as some of the great bands. In the same vein, please don't call anything off Big Generator prog. I like most of the stuff, but any resemblance to prog is purely coincidential, and done to protect the innocent. Same with 90125. The last cut of each - maybe.

Come to think of it, I think we waste way too much time on 80's output from great 70's bands. It's almost as though we wish it to be good.

[Argon]

It's a shame to see so many Good Prog. Bands go down the tubes.

Bardens left Camel for Van Morrison. He said it was too much work.

Rush (I was never a big Rush Fan) releasing Roll The Bones? Rush was good for Prog. in the fact they crossed rock'n rollers over.

Yes surviving by releasing short single hits.

How does Kansas go from Journey From Meriabronn to Vinyl Confessions?

Genesis from Foxtrot to Invisible Touch???

Even ELP's Later CD's has songs I deleted from my music library (Like Black Moon).

In the Old days, Prog. bands broke up only to form new Prog bands, now they just turn Rock or even worse (Like Genesis) Pop!
When you get used to making big bucks it makes you want more at any cost. Do you really thing that they thought they are bringing their musical talents to a new level and expanding their musical horizons. No! They sold out and got lazy! We are too small of an audience to garner the attention of the record companies that runs the money machine. So why put out the effort composing arranging and practicing complicated musical scores when you can just tap out a 4/4 ditty, write some meaningless words (we will exclude Yes from that comment hehe) and have a hit single.

For good Prog., you can't look at the big names you need to look for the new names.
There is one thing I like about being a poor, mediocre musician. No one asks me to compromise my integrity in my music.

So when looking at who is a prog band and who has just done some prog songs...Might I suggest that Genesis is a Pop band that did some good Prog songs way back when....

Argon Steps down off his soapbox

[Rick and Roll]

Nice, nice, very nice.

Completely agree with the look toward newer bands.

[Yesspaz]

On that note, check out The Appleseed Cast.

[ÄlveKatt]

Reason for genres. = So that you can find what you like easyer.

Therefore you need to be album-specific rather than band-specific genres damnit.

Powerslaves idea makes my head short-circuit. I allready have a hard time keeping up with the terms. If you are to make more terms to find your music easyer you need to define them better.

Or better yet, skip that whole idea and log on to the net find a discussionboard like this one and ask "Can you help me find music that have that and that property?" where one is very likely to get a reply "I would recomend that and that for those properties. And try that too just for kicks." And then you say "Thanks!" and go request mentioned bands for airing at Auralmoon to see if you might want to buy it.


And i think it's somewhat silly to let genrename dictate what is the best music for you. I like Queens movie music very much.

dong Dong DOng DONg DONG - FLASH! AAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

[Rick and Roll]

What is your perspective being in Sweden on the Flower Kings? I will see them both in a large setting and an intimate setting next month, and saw them at a bar last year. They are just incredible.

Can you tell me a little about how they are perceived there?

Thanks!

P.S. Nice use of the word damnit.

[ÄlveKatt]

Originally posted by Rick and Roll
What is your perspective being in Sweden on the Flower Kings? I will see them both in a large setting and an intimate setting next month, and saw them at a bar last year. They are just incredible.

Can you tell me a little about how they are perceived there?

Thanks!

P.S. Nice use of the word damnit.

Thank you.

I am afraid i can't really give you a qualified answer to the question about The flower kings. I pretty much have secluded myself from public opinion the last years. But i think that even if Flower Kings is a bandname most swedes have heard few know or care what they play. "The flower kings? I don't know, just an old band." Sort of. I don't think that many are even aware that they are Swedish.

I remember what i thought about them myself before i found progrock, (and hence got more familiar with who they were and what they play.) "The flower kings? Everyone seems to know about that old band but yet you don't get the feel that it is a big famous classic. Strange."