What do we want from the artists?

Reading recent albums reviews I've noticed that we are all a bunch of complaining asses, I'll put two examples and then you give me your opinion.

We want them to be different but prog not pop.  I tend to like just about anything outside of growls and the really out there avant stuff but I do find the new Steven Wilson to be too pop and the new Transatlantic to be too "more of the same".  I am big fan of both of these artists but neither of their new albums had a wow factor for me.  Maybe more listens will change my mind.

Edited by rushfan4 - February 23 2021 at 18:25

fredyair wrote: Reading recent albums reviews I've noticed that we are all a bunch of complaining asses, I'll put two examples and then you give me your opinion....

The site is called Prog Archives for a reason so it seems self evident that music considered not faithful to that tradition will be viewed in either a less flattering light or requiring different criteria to those provided in the existing sub genre descriptions. The Crossover Prog sub genre strikes me as being a good enough fit for something like Wilson's TFB and the flak it has attracted to date is probably from the same source as that directed at his choice of a boxed set of all Abba's studio albums (BRILLIANT pop music) from the Amoeba Store streamed on You Tube recently. The Pop/Folk/Classical/Synth Tech and Jazz elements in Crossover are a feature not a bug. I'm also aware that it's not a case of if but when the parameters of what might be deemed Prog need expanding for a tech heavy genre like Progressive Electronic. That said, I do however get a little suspicious of the motives of those who enter a steakhouse demanding their vegetarian choice i.e. If I like it, it must be good and should be on PA as I don't care about labels and I only like good music  With narcissistic chutzpah like that some of you really should be levitating in from of us.

Edited by ExittheLemming - February 24 2021 at 01:23

I want them to do what they feel they want to create, not what they think will sell better. That's when the true masterpieces are created.

Nogbad_The_Bad wrote: I want the artists to record and release music that is important to them. If I happen to like it great, bonus. .

I think many fans want the artist to do what they initially set out to do. They don't want them to stray too far from what made them successful in the first place. So many Yes fans wanted Yes to keep repeating close to the edge and prog, Rush fans wanted them to stick with hard rock with prog elements or something like that and depending on when you became a Genesis fan you want them to do the prog rock thing or keep playing poppy music. 

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - February 24 2021 at 05:27

fredyair wrote: Reading recent albums reviews I've noticed that we are all a bunch of complaining asses, I'll put two examples and then you give me your opinion. Steven Wilson new album has been criticized for being too different, labeled as glorified pop, not prog enough, etc. Transatlantic new album has labeled "just more of the same", "nothing new", predictable, etc. So, what do we want? Same old, same old or shocking and unexpected?

I must say, frankly, that I have no idea of what you're talking about. Positive reviews outweigh negative reviews here about a rate of something like 4 to 1. Perhaps you should stop focusing on your preferred artists and delve into reviews of artists that you are unfamiliar with and see some of the positive reviews that you are missing.

Edited by SteveG - February 24 2021 at 05:47

originality. an artist should have a voice of his own. he does not need to reinvent himself with every new album, but it is certainly most welcome when he does from time to time (like Peter Hammill, Guru Guru or Barbara Dennerlein, for example). I don't need the 500th copy of early 70s Genesis

Edited by BaldJean - February 24 2021 at 05:59