Forum Home Forum Home > Progressive Music Lounges > Prog Music Lounge
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - New to Egg
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

New to Egg

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
anoopanunya View Drop Down
Forum Groupie
Forum Groupie
Avatar

Joined: June 12 2020
Location: new york
Status: Offline
Points: 44
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote anoopanunya Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: New to Egg
    Posted: January 14 2021 at 19:16
Excuse me if I sound uneducated, I’m a bit younger than the stereotypical prog fan to say the least. Anyways, I’ve been listening to a bit Egg since roughly a year, and I still have yet to understand the “genius in the music”, as Fripp puts it. I just recently started listening to their 2nd album, the Polite Force, and a Visit to Newport Hospital has become a pure earworm for me. I’ll get to the point now. Can someone help me understand certain parts of their album composition, such as Boilk (from The Polite Force) where theres not really a modern musical structure? I understand that Stewart had a lot of classical influences, but that song in particular is killing me as to why I can’t understand it
Back to Top
Awesoreno View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: October 07 2019
Location: Culver City, CA
Status: Offline
Points: 2887
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Awesoreno Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 14 2021 at 23:16
On the contrary. I would consider those pieces like Boilk to be VERY Modern. Maybe too Modernist sometimes (depending on your taste).

It's all very Contemporary Classical, with some Jazz added for flavor. Maybe an investigation of Late 19th and Early 20th Century works would help provide context. It's a lot of controlled chaos going on there, especially on The Civil Surface (technically a posthumous release by the band).
Back to Top
dr wu23 View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: August 22 2010
Location: Indiana
Status: Offline
Points: 20468
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dr wu23 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 15 2021 at 09:54
I think Reno above is correct...a modern classical avant approach to prog with jazz thrown in.
From PA page on them:  " The music is very structured and composed, with classical pieces (BACH) and some light jazzy influences. The band explored a variety of time signatures and key relationships, sometimes explored classical ideals, and even composed their own symphony.."
Personally , I like the first one the best...not sure why.. but all 3 are good....but then I am a Canterbury fan and have most of the bands in that school of music.
Great and unique band.
Thumbs Up

btw..if you like them you should investigate the Canterbury page here at PA.


Edited by dr wu23 - January 15 2021 at 09:56
One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin
Back to Top
ForestFriend View Drop Down
Forum Senior Member
Forum Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: February 23 2017
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 680
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ForestFriend Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 15 2021 at 14:21
I'm not sure if there's really a lot beneath the surface on something like Boilk; it just sounds like a short experimental piece. It may help to understand a bit about the Mellotron; which had two types of tape banks. One would have a single note per key, so if you wanted to hear strings playing an A, you'd just press the A key (you could transpose with a Pitch knob, so your A key now plays a G, for example - this is what causes all the pitch sliding in this particular track.) The other type would be a set of loops, so a key would trigger a short drum pattern, or a short melody. It sounds like the guitar is Boilk is based off of these loops, but only letting the first one or two notes play. This is why it sounds so choppy and repetitive; you're hearing the same few samples over and over again - sort of a precursor to what DJs and Hip-Hop artists would do.

Might be a bit easier to hear it rather than read about it:



Edited by ForestFriend - January 15 2021 at 14:24
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.230 seconds.
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.