While I agree that most of the classic rock bands began to sound rather plasticy from the 80s and onwards, that is mostly down to the production values. Nothing to do with the players not being able to play

Surrealist wrote: Not all progressions are good. Progressing into lifeless music ....void of feel and humanity.... is the dark wormhole most modern prog bands have descended into.  This has been aided by computer programs that take away the necessity to pay attention to what is actually important. Why would you record music on a device that was designed to do word processing? .... ... ... Example? How about YES.  Talk was their first album done on a Mac computer.  It sounds about as lifeless as that band could ever sound. I used to run a Prog Rock label and would get 10 submissions a week from bands all over the earth and would listen to these lifeless demos and recordings that were done on computers.  I finally realized that no one was making the great stuff anymore.  What drummer would not want to make a Prog rock album.. could it really be that hard to find someone to track with? Apparently so.  I can't tell you how many demos I would hear with drum machines and midi synth patches.  How can you sign a band when the most important element (the drummer) is no were to be found? What I mean is that all the great Prog bands had GREAT drummers driving the band.  You NEED a great drummer to keep it all together and move the band properly through the dynamic elements.   Can't do that on a drum machine.. can't do it..

Dean wrote: Kazza3 wrote: Dean wrote: Yup, two of the most successful bands in the whole world ever had brilliant drummers. He said 'great', which I agree with- that doesn't necessarily mean insane fusion chops, a great drummer for a band is first & foremost absolutely solid, strong, in time, driving. Which I think both Ringo & Mason are. Ringo cops a lot of flak. This was referring to his comment that you also picked-up on, not that they were not "great" drummers.   I would be the first to defend Ringo and Mason (and have done on many occasions) - they were the right drummers for those bands - Bozzio or Brufford in either of those bands would not have produced those two landmark albums.

Kazza3 wrote: Dean wrote: Yup, two of the most successful bands in the whole world ever had brilliant drummers. He said 'great', which I agree with- that doesn't necessarily mean insane fusion chops, a great drummer for a band is first & foremost absolutely solid, strong, in time, driving. Which I think both Ringo & Mason are. Ringo cops a lot of flak.

This was referring to his comment that you also picked-up on, not that they were not "great" drummers.

 

I would be the first to defend Ringo and Mason (and have done on many occasions) - they were the right drummers for those bands - Bozzio or Brufford in either of those bands would not have produced those two landmark albums.

Yup, two of the most successful bands in the whole world ever had brilliant drummers.

Edited by Dean - October 01 2013 at 02:05

Is Prog rock progressive? Is this a trick question? Is an evil trick to get into crazy semantics about what music material is progressive through and through or just Prog-related?

Oh boy.

Surrealist wrote: Not all progressions are good. Progressing into lifeless music ....void of feel and humanity.... is the dark wormhole most modern prog bands have descended into.

Snow Dog wrote: I don't care. I like what I like.

Many good points there, especialy wild with this one :

Genres of music are classified generally by their rhythm section first.  If that is absent, then by the instruments used and composition style.

Prog Rock has drummers and bassists that are more jazz leaning... but the rock comes in on occasion that gives it the rock edge that lacks in more traditional jazz.

Odd meters, syncopation and you are moving the music quickly into prog.  Throw in some Hammond Organ, Mellotron, Moog and it's Prog for sure.

Prog is a general style of music.  It is wrong to think it needs to keep changing into something else.  Traditional Jazz has been played the same for decades. Classical for centuries.  Folk for ages. 

There is a lot that can be done with the classic Prog instruments from the Golden Age.  Same stacks of keyboards, Gibson and Fender electric guitars, Fender and Marshall Amps, Rickeback and Fender Jazz basses.  Drum sets with lots of Tom racks.  Then bring in any other instruments from anywhere and blend those in. 

The great thing about Prog is that it probably has the LEAST number or rules for it's genre... but there still are rules.

Playing a steady rock beat in 4/4 time constantly is not going sound Prog for too long.

The infusion of Metal into Prog such as NEO Prog is just bad metal in my opinion.  If I want Metal, I'll play Sabbath or Judas Priest.  You listen to "Sleep Theater"......not me.