Progarchives.com has always (since 2002) relied on banners ads to cover web hosting fees and all. Please consider supporting us by giving monthly PayPal donations and help keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.
Joined: June 18 2009
Location: Mexico
Status: Offline
Points: 12608
Posted: December 10 2016 at 19:49
I just remembered something I read quoted some time ago... I think in one of this "define prog" related threads. I think it was Wakeman that once said that prog was like porn, you know it when you hear in, but you can't define it. However, I think if you would want to find very specific and narrow sound of prog, you would have to check out the modern, or semi modern retro prog bands that somtimes sound like they are doing prog by the numbers. Perhaps they are not the best examples, since they are not even modern any more, but I think of bands like Flower Kings, Transatlantic, Spock's Beard, some songs from Flying Colors... specially from the the albums they released these last few years, which are the ones I have fresh on my memory. Perhaps also IQ, Lifesings, Logos, Nemo, Opeth (thinking mainly of Pale Comunion). Not that they are necessarily bad, I have these albums I'm writing and enjoy them, but at times they start to sound like I have already heard these.
Joined: August 20 2010
Location: Germany
Status: Offline
Points: 1768
Posted: December 10 2016 at 21:01
siLLy puPPy wrote:
It makes sense to me. Prog rock is NOT defined by any particular instruments or instrumental sounds but rather by composition, scope and subject matter that is employed. Since prog is a form of rock, then it is by definition mostly a guitar, bass, drum and keyboard type of music that does serve as the stereotype but there are plenty of example to the contrary. If you want a quick short answer, then NO
Prog rock is more sophisticated rock. It is written and arranged in a more elaborate style for art rock purposes.
All genres of music are defined by arrangement which translates to style for the punter. Are string quartet versions of Led Zeppelin pieces heavy rock or classical or prog rock? Is a country version of Roundabout still prog (albeit awful) or not?
I look forward to the disco Version of Master Of Puppets.
Of course the music is suppose to sound a certain way. Otherwise it wouldn't be prog. If all music had the same sound then why even bother with labels and genres in the first place. I think what people don't understand(including many musicians themselves)it that there are really(imo)no hard and fast rules when it comes to prog. THere are many different kinds of prog though. However, I think there is enough room for a lot of different styles. For example, some people think prog has to always be in unusual time signatures, have lyrics about fairies and elves, have lots of mellotron, have really long instrumental sections, have really long songs etc. Bands can do what they want. They have that freedom when they play prog. Having strict rules is very un prog imo.
Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - December 11 2016 at 12:15
Joined: August 18 2013
Location: Germany
Status: Offline
Points: 373
Posted: December 11 2016 at 14:23
No, I don't think that prog is defined by instrumental sounds. Prog can be clad in many different sound garbs. Just compare, for instance, Yes and Dream Theater. Different sounds, still in essence the same thing, namely prog.
... brought to you by the Weeping Elf
"What does Elvish rock music sound like?" - "Yes."
Joined: July 23 2016
Location: NYC
Status: Offline
Points: 383
Posted: December 12 2016 at 13:25
Genres used to be defined much more broadly. There wasn't the plethora of subgenres that there are now. People didn't used to think that music had to sound the same on a really fine-grained level to be the same genre.
Progressive rock is largely defined by ideological similarities (where a lot of the ideology is about music theoretical approaches).
Joined: November 28 2014
Location: Terra de Cabral
Status: Offline
Points: 790
Posted: December 15 2016 at 10:48
Not for me. I think that Prog Rock is a REALLY narrow genre for the music we have in PA, really, Tangerine Dream's Phaedra or Rubycon and Magma's Kohntarkosz are REALLY different in the style, composition and musician intent, i would even say that they aren't rock anymore, so no, i think what defines PROGRESSIVE MUSIC in general is the urge of the artist to create or inovate the current genre.
Joined: February 04 2016
Location: Aust
Status: Offline
Points: 1802
Posted: December 15 2016 at 14:11
Prog Rock is alot about the complexity of the music than a particular style of rock music, in general terms Prog rock has more a complex thematic structure then general "rock music".
"Everyone is born with genius, but most people only keep it a few minutes" and I need the knits, the double knits!
Joined: July 23 2016
Location: NYC
Status: Offline
Points: 383
Posted: December 16 2016 at 04:51
andreol263 wrote:
Not for me. I think that Prog Rock is a REALLY narrow genre for the music we have in PA, really, Tangerine Dream's Phaedra or Rubycon and Magma's Kohntarkosz are REALLY different in the style, composition and musician intent, i would even say that they aren't rock anymore, so no, i think what defines PROGRESSIVE MUSIC in general is the urge of the artist to create or inovate the current genre.
Yeah, I'd agree (and often enough also have the thought when I'm listening to stuff) that a lot of music that gets called progressive rock doesn't have very much to do with rock, really. I think we tend to stretch the definition of rock a lot more than we stretch the definition of progressive . . . although I suppose that's to be expected given what "progressive" means in general.
Edited by Terrapin Station - December 16 2016 at 04:51
Joined: April 18 2015
Location: 2112
Status: Offline
Points: 1199
Posted: December 16 2016 at 06:13
Personally, I try to be as broad as possible and not say that robe prof, you have to have long songs, complex time signatures, etc. It's more of an idea of differentiation that bands take. Some of the best prog bands deny that they even are prog. Overall, prog can be seen as more of section then a genre and a band under any genre can be considered as prog.
Joined: March 12 2005
Location: Neurotica
Status: Offline
Points: 166178
Posted: December 16 2016 at 10:30
siLLy puPPy wrote:
It makes sense to me. Prog rock is NOT defined by any particular instruments or instrumental sounds but rather by composition, scope and subject matter that is employed. Since prog is a form of rock, then it is by definition mostly a guitar, bass, drum and keyboard type of music that does serve as the stereotype but there are plenty of example to the contrary. If you want a quick short answer, then NO
well said!
Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect.
Joined: October 03 2008
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1092
Posted: February 17 2017 at 15:40
Personally I don't care, I understand the term and love everything associated with progressive music. Modern popular music has lost that dynamic edge to me compared to a few decades ago. Seeing people lip sing in concerts who make millions shows real talent wearing sexy clothes, if that's talent what is?...
Music is like art, we either love it to hate hit!... I cannot stand heavy(screaming) metal, is that music or an excuse to give your head a huge shake while consuming loads of drugs. Both country and Rap have made huge improvements in their style and sound and some even I like ....
Being brought up on both Classical and Jazz music by my parents , progressive music fits my taste to listen to some great masterpiece.. Had they been into punk or heavy metal, then I would be a totally different person toady and his taste in music!....
I love it and can relate to it, so many great bands and music too!....
Joined: October 27 2016
Location: Aussie/NZ
Status: Offline
Points: 1409
Posted: February 17 2017 at 16:18
Music is difficult to categorize because there is no thin line between genres, they are fluid.
But as far as progressive music goes (which I believe is the same as the "avantgarde" and "experimental" subgenre), seems to overall be a vague genre that I'd define by the heavy influence and compositional contrast between very different genres. In a way, prog is a fusion genre.
Another thing that is indicative of prog is that it has it's own set of tropes, which in themselves aren't guaranteed to mean that it's prog.
For example, if you have a 20 minute rock suite that is theoretically split into 5 movements. There are complex music passages, lots of key signature changes, Instrumentation that isn't solely based on unison (guitar and bass playing the same thing etc) and varying dynamics, you could assume that it was a prog song couldn't you?
But then, you could also get a 11 minute song influenced by alternative rock and Indian music, that has varying dynamics and multiple theoretical sections but doesn't share any major similarities with the previous but still remains to be prog, prog metal:
But then, you can get a group like these guys, who share no similarities to the latter but still have an intricate complexity to their music; having great focus on timbre, contrast, rhythm, harmonies that border on microtonal, influenced by certain avantgarde classical composers:
And then you have this:
I can go on all day with different sounding examples but prog kind of has similar issues to classical music, which is also an incredibly vast genre that goes lightyears beyond Mozart arias or Beethoven Piano Concertos into (in my opinion) far more interesting areas:
Edited by Thatfabulousalien - February 17 2017 at 16:28
Classical music isn't dead, it's more alive than it's ever been. It's just not on MTV.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
This page was generated in 0.129 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.
/PAlogo_v2.gif "Progarchives.com Homepage")
Is prog rock genre defined by instrumental sounds?
Topic Options
siLLy puPPy wrote:
.
I think what people don't understand(including many musicians themselves)it that there are really(imo)no hard and fast rules when it comes to prog. THere are many different kinds of prog though. However, I think there is enough room for a lot of different styles. For example, some people think prog has to always be in unusual time signatures, have lyrics about fairies and elves, have lots of mellotron, have really long instrumental sections, have really long songs etc. Bands can do what they want. They have that freedom when they play prog. Having strict rules is very un prog imo.
.
What we need is another "What is Psych Rock?" thread. 
....
