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Can Prog Be Prog Without Drums?
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Poll Question: Please give examples of successful prog without the use of drums
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
40 [86.96%]
6 [13.04%]
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BrufordFreak View Drop Down
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    Posted: May 28 2018 at 09:02
I think the subject says it all. I LOVE music without drums--even within prog (e.g. Harmonium's Si on avait besoin d'une cinquième saison) but I wonder if there might be a bias against such music.
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I made a similar thread many years ago saying that I did not care for ambient/electronica drumless music and if others felt the same and got killed (and probably haven't started a thread since).

I need drums. Not constantly but an album full of no drums is not for me. But if you like it, cheers. I would have no examples for you.


Edited by johnobvious - May 28 2018 at 10:13
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Certainly. And when drums are added to a drumless project it isn't necessarily an improvement - e.g. Roquefort certainly isn't my favourite Aranis album.
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And prog can be without electric guitars and keyboards as well....at least, in my world. You can listen to what you call prog in your own sphere. Wink
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Aranis are my go to for no drums and of course the are masses of electronic music that qualifies.
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Originally posted by Mascodagama Mascodagama wrote:

Certainly. And when drums are added to a drumless project it isn't necessarily an improvement.
Exactly my thoughts.
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Originally posted by Mascodagama Mascodagama wrote:

Certainly. And when drums are added to a drumless project it isn't necessarily an improvement - e.g. Roquefort certainly isn't my favourite Aranis album.


Roqueforte is probably my 2nd fave Aranis after Songs From Mirage, I wish they'd do another with the choir.
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Peter Hammill's "The Fall of the House of Usher" (1999 version).
Tangerine Dream's "Zeit"


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From my perspective Tangerine Dream stops being Prog when the drums start.

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Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

Originally posted by Mascodagama Mascodagama wrote:

Certainly. And when drums are added to a drumless project it isn't necessarily an improvement - e.g. Roquefort certainly isn't my favourite Aranis album.


Roqueforte is probably my 2nd fave Aranis after Songs From Mirage, I wish they'd do another with the choir.
Songs from Mirage is my favourite too, but I also like II more than Roqueforte (which is still damn good, mind you). Yeah, the choir certainly added something special.

Edited by Mascodagama - May 28 2018 at 11:45
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Yes, of course. Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze, Synergy, Suzanne Ciani, Emerald Web, etc.
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Originally posted by Tapfret Tapfret wrote:

From my perspective Tangerine Dream stops being Prog when the drums start.


I agree, except for "Cyclone". I really enjoy the drums on that TD album.
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Originally posted by wiz_d_kidd wiz_d_kidd wrote:

Originally posted by Tapfret Tapfret wrote:

From my perspective Tangerine Dream stops being Prog when the drums start.


I agree, except for "Cyclone". I really enjoy the drums on that TD album.
 

Force Majeure doesn't work without Klaus Krieger's drumming, either (minus "Thru Metamorphic Rocks," naturally).
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Points: 4138 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hrychu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 28 2018 at 13:01
Yes and no. Harmonium is kind of an odd example, because it makes up for the lack of drums with lots of layered guitars, vocal harmonies and other flavors. On the other hand, I wouldn't be interested in listening to something like Gates of Delirium or Cinema Show without the drums.
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Originally posted by verslibre verslibre wrote:

Originally posted by wiz_d_kidd wiz_d_kidd wrote:

Originally posted by Tapfret Tapfret wrote:

From my perspective Tangerine Dream stops being Prog when the drums start.


I agree, except for "Cyclone". I really enjoy the drums on that TD album.
 

Force Majeure doesn't work without Klaus Krieger's drumming, either (minus "Thru Metamorphic Rocks," naturally).


Force Majeure is exactly what I'm talking about. Just doesn't work for me.

Have not check out Cyclone.

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Points: 4593 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote I prophesy disaster Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 28 2018 at 15:12
Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

And prog can be without electric guitars and keyboards as well
 
But if it's without drums, electric guitars, and keyboards, is it still rock? And if it isn't rock, it can't be prog.
 
 
 
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Originally posted by I prophesy disaster I prophesy disaster wrote:

Originally posted by The Dark Elf The Dark Elf wrote:

And prog can be without electric guitars and keyboards as well
 
But if it's without drums, electric guitars, and keyboards, is it still rock? And if it isn't rock, it can't be prog.
 

It would seem you lack historical (and musical) perspective. Doo-wop, which featured only singers a capella, was adopted by rock and roll bands (just ask Frank Zappa). The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby", considered by many musicologists to be one of the greatest rock songs ever written (and which influenced many future prog performers), featured strings and not any guitar, bass, keyboards or drums. I could give you an extremely long list of examples, but its Memorial Day and it's time to barbecue.

And I just offered a video of a song by Roy Harper and Jimmy Page which is clearly a rock song, and progressive at that, and only with acoustics and a short sequence with a tambourine.
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Is there any such thing as "Progressive Rock & Roll"?
 
 
 
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What we have here is a failure to communicate.
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Points: 14108 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lewian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 28 2018 at 15:59
David Sylvian's last "There is a light..." has no drums and is great. The North Sea Radio Orchestra doesn't use drums in the majority of songs, same for Karda Estra. There's lots of music without drums that I like, and some is categorised as prog.
However I tend to agree with the implication of this thread that drumming is very essential and music with and without it are very different on a quite elementary level, although there are things in between such as light percussion, sequencer, non-rhythmic drumming and drum machines (as far as they don't just imitate drums but are used to create a distinctively different feeling).
It's hard to justify having Zeit and Close to the Edge boxed together in the same genre really except regarding track lengths. But don't let me stop you from throwing them together.
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