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Topic ClosedIs Symphonic Prog dead??
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memowakeman View Drop Down
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Points: 13032 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 16 2015 at 14:13
Not at all. 
There are so many bands / projects / musicians who are still creating great symphoniic prog.
One of them is Willowglass, which I highly recommend. 

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Points: 7024 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 16 2015 at 15:03
Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

About bloody time, next up neo.

Well, since IQ, Marillion and Pendragon (amongst others) are producing great symphonic prog (you may call it neo-prog but it's exactly the same thing by another name), the answer is an emphatic no.

Personally, if pushed I'd prefer to see Rio/Avant/Zeuhl die because I can't stand the genres, but since some people (including yourself) enjoy them for some reason I don't get, I'd actually rather see all forms of prog thrive.
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Points: 115 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 16 2015 at 15:45
Are you saying you don't like Magma, or just the bands who came after and fell under the Zeuhl category? I notice things get a whole lot more cheesy once there's a genre for bands to conform to. 
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Points: 20451 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 16 2015 at 15:46
And we get into the old what is 'symph prog'  again.......I also lump many of the neo prog bands like IQ nto that area . But as was mentioned there is also Wobbler and bands like Astra who get called space rock.
And of course both Birds and Buildings and Deluge Grandeur (Britton) who have also been named.
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Points: 7251 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 16 2015 at 15:52
Just after the sacrifice of the lamb on Broadway ...
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Points: 13240 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 16 2015 at 16:16
Originally posted by Hercules Hercules wrote:

Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

About bloody time, next up neo.


<span style="line-height: 12.1333341598511px;">Well, since IQ, Marillion and Pendragon (amongst others) are producing great symphonic prog (you may call it neo-prog but it's exactly the same thing by another name), the answer is an emphatic no.</span><div style="line-height: 12.1333341598511px;">
<div style="line-height: 12.1333341598511px;">Personally, if pushed I'd prefer to see Rio/Avant/Zeuhl die because I can't stand the genres, but since some people (including yourself) enjoy them for some reason I don't get, I'd actually rather see all forms of prog thrive.


This, in spades
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Points: 14980 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 16 2015 at 16:21
Originally posted by Hercules Hercules wrote:

symphonic prog (you may call it neo-prog but it's exactly the same thing by another name)
 
This.
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Points: 402 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 16 2015 at 19:34
Almost every recent year's Top10 list features a couple (sometimes even more) RPI albums in Top10 - and RPI, moreso in modern sense, is essentially the Italian version of Symphonic Prog. Beyond, it depends on our breadth of definitions, on what we call "Symphonic Prog". PA genre policy (to which I adhere to) a bit confined "Symphonic Prog" definition strictly to the sound and complexity reminiscent of 70s bands. For example, if you instill some electronic music motives in your sympho prog, you're more likely to end up as Crossover Prog (like for example, iamthemorning did), or if you're not complex enough, you're just neo, or you amplify your sound and you go to Heavy Prog.

... but even so, there are still a plenty of great bands playing "Symphonic Prog" in its original sense - many great bands have been mentioned here, and I'd lie to turn your attention to yet another amazing group: Little Tragedies - their albums, "Chinese Songs Vol.1" and "Vol.2" serve for me as an example of music that can defy time or musical period. Here's a couple of links to one song from each of the volumes.





Edited by Thandrus - April 16 2015 at 19:35
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Points: 73 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 17 2015 at 10:13
There is a band just about to release their fourth album.
They are BAROCK PROJECT and they are awarded by two HUGE experts in terms of symphonic rock the titlke of "fresh blood" of symph/progressive rock.
Check this out:
http://youtu.be/9MKWkNVhO1M?t=2m39s

More info on www.barockproject.net
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Points: 14 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 18 2015 at 15:12
descipline is a must. I feel like glass hammer and big train have some symphonic moments as well... do not forget tangent!
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Points: 8238 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 20 2015 at 14:23
I don't think symphonic prog is any more dead than any other category of prog.  As one of the elder reviewers on this site my view is a bit wider and deeper than some, for what it's worth.  Seems to me that the music biz in general is in a weightless drift right now because downloading one song at a time has gutted the financial side of making music drastically.  While being a musician was never a good bet as far as making money went, if you were able to sell a modicum of LPs or CDs you could be self-supporting to a certain degree and that was an incentive to keep at it.  No more.  It's a real conundrum.  The ability to get one's art out to the world without having to answer to a handful of conceited suits at a major label is a godsend.  Let freedom ring!  But the inability to reap a even a plug nickel from one's art must be enormously depressing to a young person with talent.  It's true that quality prog has never been created with a dollar sign in mind but still I wonder how many potential Keith Emersons or Peter Gabriels have opted to get a business degree instead of following their prog muse, thereby denying the world more great epics.  Will albums (with their ability to introduce the masses to different kinds of music styles) ever return to prominence in the market place?  I have my doubts.
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Points: 20177 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 20 2015 at 15:21
Originally posted by Hercules Hercules wrote:

Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

About bloody time, next up neo.

Well, since IQ, Marillion and Pendragon (amongst others) are producing great symphonic prog (you may call it neo-prog but it's exactly the same thing by another name), the answer is an emphatic no.

Personally, if pushed I'd prefer to see Rio/Avant/Zeuhl die because I can't stand the genres, but since some people (including yourself) enjoy them for some reason I don't get, I'd actually rather see all forms of prog thrive.

I really shouldn't try humor on the internet, I'm bad enough at it in real life. I going to ROSfest in a couple of weeks and expecting to have a great time. I have nothing against any of the bands you mention, they're just not my tastes & I like to occasionally like to poke the bear. WinkTongue 
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Points: 5109 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 21 2015 at 10:17
Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

Originally posted by Hercules Hercules wrote:

Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

About bloody time, next up neo.

Well, since IQ, Marillion and Pendragon (amongst others) are producing great symphonic prog (you may call it neo-prog but it's exactly the same thing by another name), the answer is an emphatic no.

Personally, if pushed I'd prefer to see Rio/Avant/Zeuhl die because I can't stand the genres, but since some people (including yourself) enjoy them for some reason I don't get, I'd actually rather see all forms of prog thrive.

I really shouldn't try humor on the internet, I'm bad enough at it in real life. I going to ROSfest in a couple of weeks and expecting to have a great time. I have nothing against any of the bands you mention, they're just not my tastes & I like to occasionally like to poke the bear. WinkTongue 
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Points: 187 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 21 2015 at 18:22
After Crying, Echolyn, Glass Hammer, Tempano, Isildurs Bane, Big Big Train, Mr. Sirius, Minimum Vital, Anglagard, Thieves' Kitchen, Kant Freud Kafka, Asturias, Ciccada, Kotebel and Karfagen are good too. Not all of those are purely symphonic but I consider it to be the most prominent influence within all of them.

There is no style of music that still smells real fresh in 2015, but I think all of those bands are original enough.
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Points: 16952 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 21 2015 at 18:55
Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

About bloody time, next up neo.

How did i miss this work of art?
Crushed like a rose in the riverflow.
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Points: 20177 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 21 2015 at 19:06
Originally posted by Horizons Horizons wrote:

Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

About bloody time, next up neo.


How did i miss this work of art?


I'm kind of surprised you automatically thought I was serious. I didn't claim to be good at humor.
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Points: 16952 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 21 2015 at 19:07
Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

Originally posted by Horizons Horizons wrote:

Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

About bloody time, next up neo.


How did i miss this work of art?


I'm kind of surprised you automatically thought I was serious. I didn't claim to be good at humor.

Who said i thought you were serious? It's my semi-serious agreeing with the thorny comment that is so brilliant. 

That's the art of it. Wink


Edited by Horizons - April 21 2015 at 19:08
Crushed like a rose in the riverflow.
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Points: 20177 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 21 2015 at 19:29
Well played Sir, well played.
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Points: 6744 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 21 2015 at 21:26
Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

The original symphonic bands had tremendous personality!  Wakeman in his cape, Gabriel in his costumes, Emerson with his daggers etc.  

I don't think that the modern symphonic groups have that strength of personality.  Of course, there are some strong musicians, but I'm not sure that they draw the audiences like the originators did.  

Personally, if we had more women in prog, I think we'd draw more attention.  Annie Haslam was perhaps the greatest female vocalist in symphonic, and there have been a few others (Magenta, etc.), but why so few?  

Mind you, I'm not talking about a stage full of dancers!  
 
I'm not convinced by the argument based solely on Magenta , another band I love yet the presence of a very attractive female vocalist as made jack all difference to their popularity in my opinion. Seven is generally considered a great album and the often overlooked Metamorphosis is a fill blown symph prog album that deserves more attention.

I'm thinking more like a prog Stevie Nicks.  Rock has had all sorts of women vocalists, some pretty amazing, but only a few capture lightning in a bottle.  Nicks was one of 'em. 

If Lady Gaga reprised "The Lamb," I think it would be amazing!  She is a New Yorker after all, and a damn fine keyboardist/vocalist!  She also has Gabriel's sense of costume drama, in spades! 
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Points: 26108 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 22 2015 at 01:35
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

The original symphonic bands had tremendous personality!  Wakeman in his cape, Gabriel in his costumes, Emerson with his daggers etc.  

I don't think that the modern symphonic groups have that strength of personality.  Of course, there are some strong musicians, but I'm not sure that they draw the audiences like the originators did.  

Personally, if we had more women in prog, I think we'd draw more attention.  Annie Haslam was perhaps the greatest female vocalist in symphonic, and there have been a few others (Magenta, etc.), but why so few?  

Mind you, I'm not talking about a stage full of dancers!  
 
I'm not convinced by the argument based solely on Magenta , another band I love yet the presence of a very attractive female vocalist as made jack all difference to their popularity in my opinion. Seven is generally considered a great album and the often overlooked Metamorphosis is a fill blown symph prog album that deserves more attention.

I'm thinking more like a prog Stevie Nicks.  Rock has had all sorts of women vocalists, some pretty amazing, but only a few capture lightning in a bottle.  Nicks was one of 'em. 

If Lady Gaga reprised "The Lamb," I think it would be amazing!  She is a New Yorker after all, and a damn fine keyboardist/vocalist!  She also has Gabriel's sense of costume drama, in spades! 
 
Well funnily enough I happened to watch a 2 hour retrospective of Curved Air over the weekend. Sonja Kristina wow!! She had all that stage presence 'in spades' and could write a decent song and play acoustic guitar so was not just a vocalist. One might wonder though why they weren't more popular and better remembered. Noted rock journalist Jerry Ewing mused on this very fact.
 
I agree that Stevie Nicks is amazing btw!
 
Perhaps Natasha Khan ( Bat For Lashes) could take on the prog mantle? She is a big fan of Kate Bush and has released some very interesting music ( 3 solo albums to date). I keep dropping her name on here but generally get no 'takers' . Oh well.
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