Music vs lyrics

I've just listened to The Lamb... after 30 years of having it stored away. Absulutely amazing. New textures, soundscapes that i never noticed 30 years ago (or  maybe i didn't notice it at the time) Mind you, this is on a vinyl record  not a remixed, remastered cd, so this is the same"object"  i heard way back. The lyrics in prog though can be quite silly compared to the music itself. 30 years from now i'm sure that the music will still be amazing but the lyrics, for most part will trivialize the art  

Edited by krimson62 - April 20 2011 at 13:54

Originally posted by krimson62 I've just listened to The Lamb... after 30 years of having it stored away. Absulutely amazing. New textures, soundscapes that i never noticed 30 years ago (or  maybe i didn't notice it at the time) Mind you, this is on a vinyl record  not a remixed, remastered cd, so this is the same"object"  i heard way back. The lyrics in prog though can be quite silly compared to the music itself. 30 years from now i'm sure that the music will still be amazing but the lyrics, for most part will trivialize the art

30 years???  What the hell is the matter with you???  You are hereby sentenced to listen to Whodunnit repeated over and over again.

But seriously, if you are referring to most prog lyrics or the Lamb in particular, I don't see it.  When the lyrics are silly it is because that is what the artist intended.

Hi,

Edited by moshkito - April 20 2011 at 20:49

I'd have to say that the actual music is my main point of interest. I've always preferred instrumental music anyway. Some vocalists tend to be supremely annoying, such as Peter Hammill and Peter Gabriel, which makes me totally not care at all what they have to say in their lyrics.

I like some conceptual thinking in my music. I want a layer of meaning when it comes to composition and lyrics can provide that (as well as atmospheric composition, clever concepts or titles that actually mean something).

The lyrics in The Lamb are fine, very surrealistic and excellent.

A classic example of this is Van der Graaf Generator.  I find the lyrics that are written in most of their songs are very "complex" and "dark."  But that's what makes VDGG an excellent Prog band.  Their music might be a little crazy at times, but it complements the lyrics to which the artist intended. 
You have to think of the style of the band before stating whether or not they are purely a "musical" or "lyrical" sounding band. Either or shouldn't bog down a proper Prog band.

The human voice is just another instrument and providing it makes pleasant noises that suit the rest of the band, then all is good. Lyrics are just another part of it. Do you need lyrics ? No. Do they add to the overall performance ? Yes they can. 

I personally like the concept and lyrics of The Lamb. And a proof that they are interesting is that people are still arguing about their meaning.  

Originally posted by The Truth The lyrics in The Lamb are fine, very surrealistic and excellent. /thread.