Fellow Proggers!

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Wed Jun 17, 2009 11:24 pm

Hi!

I was just curious really, and hoping to open a general discussion: who here would consider themselves a true fan of Prog? (thats 'Progressive Rock' to the rest of you!)

Personally, I'm really into Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, early Genesis, IQ, Yes, Rush, ELP, Pure Reason Revolution, Ayreon, etc... although save for PT & Ayreon I don't think much of the heavier side of Prog, its seems too full-on.

I kind of consider it something akin to 'required reading' for keyboardists in rock, being a very defining period for synths in rock. Although its not really a period, because it is most certainly alive and well! Kind of a genre of music for musicians to appreciate.

GWGumby · Post by **GWGumby** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 12:37 am

I don't know if I would call myself a "true fan" of prog, but I do enjoy many of the 70s-era prog bands. I usually prefer the bands that sort of straddled the line between prog and rock/pop. I still prefer a good catchy tune, but really appreciate bands that can take things beyond a simple 4/4 beat or a 3 chord melody. For some reason past the 70s, I've never found a progressive band worth following, though I've searched. Most contemporary prog bands tend to lean towards heavier, more metal sounds and less classical elements. There have been one or two that have popped up momentarily but none that have lasted or kept me interested beyond a song or two.

One thing I love about older prog bands is how much music they tended to make in the 70s. I love being able to bring up a playlist and listen all day long to the entire works of Yes, Moody Blues, Genesis, or other band and hear their own personal musical progression.

georgeinar · Post by **georgeinar** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 12:53 am

I do still get in moods for some good ELP or Yes, those were my 2 fav. I do them on headphones now on my mp3 player laying on the couch late at night. What about Jethro Tull? I hate to bring up Gino Vanelli, but on the jazzier side, he was my all time favorite. His earlier songs were like 7 minutes with lots of bridges and changeups, similar to prog rock. During those days I was huge into Mahavishnu orchestra too, which is light years ahead of anything ever done in true Prog IMHO.

mocando · Post by **mocando** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 4:16 am

I do.

I'm very fond with Genesis, Rush, Yes, Peter Gabriel, ABWH, Saga, Marillion, UK, Asia, Eloy (Awesome Space Rock german band), some Dream Theater (a tad bit heavy for my liking), recently introduced to Porcupine Tree, and many others I hear less, and I can't remember right now.
I also hear some other not strictly Prog like Police, Devo, B52, etc.

There are also some great Prog bands in Latin America, like Soda Stereo (which is more like Ska than Prog), Mana and some others.

I also like Reagge (not much, since it bothers me some times with the same rithmic pattern).

What I can't stand is Hip Hop and Reageton

really hate it.

BTW, I'm already playing Follow You Follow Me, Illegal Alien, Supper's Ready and some other Genesis song, and Subdivisions, Tom Sawyer and others from Rush we are currently practicing with my son in the drumset and a friend of his in the guitar. Still lacking a bassist, though.

Gotta video us playing sometime to upload in Youtube.

mocando · Post by **mocando** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 4:24 am

GWGumby wrote:...For some reason past the 70s, I've never found a progressive band worth following, though I've searched. Most contemporary prog bands tend to lean towards heavier, more metal sounds and less classical elements. There have been one or two that have popped up momentarily but none that have lasted or kept me interested beyond a song or two.

Couldn't agree more. I've always thought, what are we going to do when Rush and Genesis are no longer playing??? Bill Brufford already stuck the drumsticks to the wall.

The good thing (on my part) is I'm creating this LOVE for classic prog with my sons. Already three of them hear lots of Genesis and Rush. The younger one is a crazy fan of Rush. Still they tend to a bit more heavier stuff, but Prog is already almost 80% of what they hear. They are 11, 14 and 16 years old.
So if every one of us do the same with their kids, maybe in a few years we can begin hearing classic prog bands like in the old days.

I can't believe myself my older son's favorite album of all time is Selling England by The Pound

released more than 20 years before he was born.

GWGumby · Post by **GWGumby** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 4:28 am

mocando wrote:I can't believe myself my older son's favorite album of all time is Selling England by The Pound released more than 20 years before he was born.

Win!
How come our parent's music was never cool, but ours is?

mocando · Post by **mocando** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 4:47 am

Simple: because prog was invented in the 60s.

I remember some 20+ years ago hearing Los Endos at home, specially the final part with the amazing Choir Tony loves to play, and my dad telling me it sounded like an orchestra choir.

My dad heard strict Classical Music. Not a single tune of jazz or pop. I felt asleep more than once. Now as a grownup I really appreciate the compositional richness of classicm

I hear lots of Mozart and Tchaikovsky

X-Trade · Post by **X-Trade** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 7:43 am

mocando wrote: Couldn't agree more. I've always thought, what are we going to do when Rush and Genesis are no longer playing??? Bill Brufford already stuck the drumsticks to the wall.

The good thing (on my part) is I'm creating this LOVE for classic prog with my sons. Already three of them hear lots of Genesis and Rush. The younger one is a crazy fan of Rush. Still they tend to a bit more heavier stuff, but Prog is already almost 80% of what they hear. They are 11, 14 and 16 years old.
So if every one of us do the same with their kids, maybe in a few years we can begin hearing classic prog bands like in the old days.

I can't believe myself my older son's favorite album of all time is Selling England by The Pound released more than 20 years before he was born.

Thats great!
about three years ago (I was about 17/18 at that time), I decided that I really wanted to join a band, put lots of ads out... keyboardists are quite rare really so I was hoping someone would find me quite quickly. To my surprise I was contacted, by a band whos members were all younger than me! I thought this was brilliant because it completely turned around my view on prog as a dead art. They introduced me to the likes of PT and Mars Volta (whose music is brilliant. like a cross between genesis and rush. I just hate the vocals), got me back into Muse a bit more too.

I've grown up listening to my dad's collection of Prog and 70s rock, and we still go to gigs occasionally too which is also great because not many people really get to do that.

btw: Eloy and Saga are some of my favorites too, although I'm not sure that Saga is strictly Prog. Another good one is (an english project band that split up now unfortunately) StrangeFish.
Yes, there are some other bands that have occasionally progressive tendencies, like Police, the Who, even GreenDay.
But, these days, in terns of popular music, I'd sometimes consider anything which has a bridge or an alternate chorus progressive (compared to the rest of the flock anyway).
But I don't thing it just about the actual song structure, it has that classic sound too, which has evolved but is still clearly identifiable.

mocando · Post by **mocando** » Thu Jun 18, 2009 4:22 pm

Great to hear young people cultivating Prog. So we might not be as doomed as I originally thought.

Will check out Mars Volta and StrangeFish.

Speaking of the devil... Where is Fish?

Michael Sadler also left Saga, and haven't heard from him ever since. Although he already said it was family matters, that made him make the decision due to touring life being too intrusive. Is understandable.

Lorenzo · Post by **Lorenzo** » Fri Jun 19, 2009 6:12 am

hear I am... but I'm mostly on the metal prog side of the prog

rainy-taxi · Post by **rainy-taxi** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 9:56 pm

I'm pretty much into prog too. Genesis, Marillion, Porcupine Tree, Dream Theater (some of it, octavarium and 6doit are the albums for me), UK, Peter Gabriel and Tony Banks their solo stuff, some of king crimsons stuff (in the court is still a fantastic album).

I'm also familiar with Spocks Beard and IQ. Though they have some of their good moments, I think they are a bit cliche. Trying to do the same thing over and over again. Everything that has been done years before is now returning within these bands. I kinda loose interest in that as it doesn't give me the vibe I have with playing the real oldies.