PROG-ROCK track of the week (aka "don't push me, I know black magic")?

[Cylob]

I'd have to go for "Fracture" by King Crimson.

Life with Rush is nice and self-contained, but along comes gaekwad and bursts that bubble.

Pffffft!

[k_rock923]

Enlighten me, cylob. I sometimes think of things like Dream Theater and Symphony X as prog although I'm not sure that you would.

What's the difference between bands like that and say, Rush?

And where can I find more things like Symphony X?
<3 The Odyssey

[Cylob]

You're the resident rock expert!

I would say anything percieved as prog-rock, which includes the new albums by Saint Etienne and Ladytron (says a music journalist who injects twice dailly).

I just played Symphony X, they sound alot like Magnum, only with a less decent vocalist. I mean, Bob Catley can really sing.

[Mattress]

progressive is such a bollocks word for describing some sort of actual genre.
What the hell does that mean anyway? Are non-progressive rockers then, by default, regressive?

What is it about progressive rock that makes it different than plain old rock? Is it the addition of electronica elements? If that's the case shouldn't it be called electro-rock or something like that? Can New Wave be considered progressive then? why or why not?

Progressive is really not a descriptive term in telling a person how something sounds.

Sorry for ranting, that word just pisses me off.

[gaekwad2]

Still not as bad as alternative.

Afaik the term appeared in the late 60s to describe all bands that went beyond the 3 minute pop song format. By the early 70s it had evolved into a genre with its own conventions (songs had to be long, feature extended instrumental parts, classical or avantgarde influences etc.).

[Cylob]

Originally posted by Mattress
progressive is such a bollocks word for describing some sort of actual genre.

It is, but progressive rock & progressive house are entrenched in musical history now.

As for progressive trance, perhaps they could always use the airbrush.

[Mattress]

Originally posted by gaekwad2
Still not as bad as alternative.

Afaik the term appeared in the late 60s to describe all bands that went beyond the 3 minute pop song format. By the early 70s it had evolved into a genre with its own conventions (songs had to be long, feature extended instrumental parts, classical or avantgarde influences etc.).

So basically progressive means music with an ambient feel without actually being ambient?
Then attach whatever genre it most resembles (other than ambient) to the word progressive and you have your progressive rock, house, trance, etc..

/me waits for progressive pop

[Cylob]

Originally posted by Mattress
So basically progressive means music with an ambient feel without actually being ambient?

Not exactly, I would take the dictionary definition in that the genre has taken 'a step further' and leave at that.

There's nothing to distinguish between 'progressive' and 'post', given that in either case it points to a genre that has moved on.

In either case, it's a lazy way of labelling a new genre. Stupid music journalists!!!!

'neo' is another word that gets me. The real genre of electroclash is regarded as 'neo-electro' in music circles. Well, fuck that.

[gaekwad2]

Originally posted by Mattress
So basically progressive means music with an ambient feel without actually being ambient?
Then attach whatever genre it most resembles (other than ambient) to the word progressive and you have your progressive rock, house, trance, etc..

/me waits for progressive pop

I wouldn't say ambient, I'd rather say it's music that (to some degree) indulges in its own complexity.

[Cylob]

... which is why Neil Peart has 6 fingers on each hand.

[gaekwad2]

Gentle Giant - The Runaway

The quintessential revel-in-complexity-and-try-to-stuff-as-many-ideas-as-possible-into-one-song* band.
Missing the overbearing pathos of many prog bands, on the downside their tracks are constantly in danger of turning into mere technical exercises.

*without crossing into Fusion/Zappa/Van Dyke Parks terrritory

[Cylob]

As Alice once said, "curiouser & curiouser".

[YtseJam]

Wikipedia describes Progressive Rock and Progressive Metal pretty good.
It is best to read these two articles to have a better understanding instead of half-sayings.

\m/

[Cylob]

Alternatively, sit down and watch Alice In Wonderland.

[gaekwad2]

Stretching it a bit (towards JNoise/Avantgarde, AMG lists them as prog though, and they also got favourable reviews at progreviews.com):



Ruins - Hyderomastgroningem (1995)

The whole album as I'm not able to pick a standout track yet.