RIVERTREE

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SPECIAL COLLABORATOR: Psych/Space Team & Band Submissions

Real name: Uwe Zickel
Location: Germany
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Forum Joined date: 3/22/2006 | Posts: 6560| Last visit: 7/28/2010 2:18:22 AM EST
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Progressive Biography

	Hello - my name is Uwe - born in 1956 and living in Germany. I'm a music aficionado, have already listened to a bunch of music and could also enjoy a lot of bands on the stage in my life. Sometimes in the year 2005 I came to PROGARCHIVES searching through the WWW. First of all I was surprised - the majority of my favourite bands and music was listed here. I was also convinced about the possibility for everyone to review this music (respecting the rules of course). Since the beginning of 2006 I am a keen visitor and helping to improve this site more and more. So I was asked to climb higher to the Collaborator stage in February 2007.
It all started in my early youth when my 2 years older cousin brought me closer to the rising beat music from bands like Stones, Beatles, Kinks etc. The first music I bought by myself was the single 'With a girl like you' from THE TROGGS - I only had a record player for 7'' vinyl. At this time my little hometown became famous because of the JAGUAR-CLUB where all the relevant bands played. I was very unlucky - too young and not allowed to see them. Waiting in front of the club I observed the people going in and out - only hearing the rumbling rhythm sections of the bands. With my 16th birthday many things changed because now for the first time I had the chance to enter the venues. My interests in different styles, genres and more complex music grew and for example I can remember a concert with MAN and NEKTAR in the early 70's which was a tremendous experience for me. I never was committed on a special style or subgenre exclusively whereas I never had agonized over this before I came to PA. But some tendencies are obvious - Psychedelic/Space and Krautrock as a very special category. I went with the development of the german progressive music scene from the beginning of the 70s on which was a very restless time. Against the background of rebellious times according to the Vietnam War and the student protests german bands wanted to break all conventions and tried to experiment - in all directions. This was the basis for the progress of Krautrock. I personally participated at the youth center movement and we organized a lot of festivals (f. e. 'Umsonst Und Draussen' Vlotho) and concerts with bands like KRAAN, EMBRYO, MISSUS BEASTLY, GURU GURU, GROBSCHNITT and other similar. I will never forget this time. At the end of the 70s Krautrock and the whole Progressive Rock began to hibernate and during the 80s and 90s my emphases/interests changed more to Prog Related/Indie/Emo/Crossover music and other genres. Sometimes I also like to hear some Soul/Funk, NuJazz and TripHop. Some representative albums which had been indicatory: Blue Lines - MASSIVE ATTACK, the debut of SEAL and Man With A Movie Camera - THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA. When I'm browsing through my huge music collection - LP - CD - MD - MP3 - there is a wide range of different styles to point out - not only reduced on Progressive Rock. Things changed once again at the end of the last millennium when I came in touch with 'Falling Into Infinty' from the melodic prog metal band DREAM THEATER what is one of my favourite albums up to now! Gradually my focus went back to the Progressive Rock genre more and more - listening to newer bands like PORCUPINE TREE, THE FLOWER KINGS and RIVERSIDE for example and digging out the 'old' stuff of the 60/70s once again. Now it's good to know that I'm in fact a proghead since my youth and in the meanwhile I am lucky to have a lot of new discoveries. Being here is opening up my musical horizon. I have learned a lot and I can share my experiences with other members all over the world. Just keep on ... :-)
interesting news (pictures, reviews etc.) are also available on my website

- about my reviews -
My average rating is relatively high, somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. The main reason is that I prefer to rate respectively review albums which I like, simple as that. In addition - as for the fact that I'm not a musician I have great respect for everyone who plays an instrument and/or composes music in general. This may round up some ratings here and there.

The review writing has surely improved during the years - however - a big handicap is that my English skills are mainly based on what I've learned at school and around my relatively late profession as a programmer. I know how to express my impressions but of course there is a lack of a vocabulary bandwith here and there.

As for the review content I generally try to offer a little background about the album or band, changes with the line-up aso, to emphasize some songs and to close with a summary finally. I take my time to evaluate - usually music must grow on me.

..:::: updated 01/16/2010 ::::..

Reviews distribution by sub-genre

	Sub-genre	Nb of reviews	Avg rating
1	Psychedelic/Space Rock	164	3.57
2	Krautrock	55	3.22
3	Crossover Prog	31	3.39
4	Heavy Prog	24	3.63
5	Jazz Rock/Fusion	22	3.82
6	Progressive Metal	21	3.76
7	Neo-Prog	20	3.60
8	Eclectic Prog	18	3.89
9	Symphonic Prog	17	3.65
10	Prog Related	11	3.27
11	Canterbury Scene	8	3.75
12	Various Genres	4	3.50
13	Experimental/Post Metal	4	3.00
14	Prog Folk	4	3.00
15	Progressive Electronic	3	3.67
16	RIO/Avant-Prog	1	3.00
17	Proto-Prog	1	4.00
18	Post Rock/Math rock	1	3.00
19	Zeuhl	1	4.00
20	Rock Progressivo Italiano	1	4.00

Reviews and Ratings

411 ratings/reviews total: Sort by By ratings | Alphabetically | Chronologically

Showing last 25 only

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