Actually, I would prefer to have both of these great, highly original, classic prog bands in a place of honour in my collection. I quite like them both.
So why should I choose? Is someone coming to take my CDs of the band I don't vote for? A poll like this is really little more than a gauge of record sales among those who choose to respond. What do the results mean? What will you do with the results?
I can see why one would choose one sports team over another -- they are in direct competition, and there are quantifiable, established ways to measure the quality of their performance relative to each other.
But I'll say it again:
music is not sports, or math. Must all art be reduced to these endless absolute "all or nothing"
equations? Why all of these constant meaningless "X vs Y" polls?
Have we been invaded by record company executives, accountants and radio programmers? Is this how we should think of art -- a mere competition, able to be decided mathematically? Will we be reduced to one last standing "best" artist in the end?
Which do you prefer -- Mom or Dad? Your left leg, or your right? Trees or fresh water? Food or oxygen?
I don't know -- I just can't relate to this type of poll. Are they really that interesting?
Thirty people you've never met simply write "Gentle Giant" or "Van Der Graaf Generator." WOW.
That's some mighty interesting reading, all right....
Edited by Peter Rideout - October 16 2006 at 22:46