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Topic ClosedDoes the average person know what prog is?

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UMUR View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 07:33
I guess it depends on who you ask. If you ask a metal fan (which is usually the circles where I move), everyone knows what progressive metal is as Dream Theater is such an exposed and famous act. If you ask the "regular" music consumer who mostly listens to music on the radio they wouldn´t know what progressive rock is even if it came up and bit them in the ass.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 07:42
When I go out and play shows and meet tons and tons and tons of bands, most of them don't know what prog is. If they ask what we sound like, I say "prog" and then if no response I try "Mars Volta." Then if they know Volta, then they kinda know what prog is. They will say "like Rush? Or Pink Floyd?" Then I will know I have made a friend. Haha
 
But honestly I'd say even 50% of people that are in bands don't know what prog is. And then they might even say they know what prog is, and tell me that they put a little prog into their style. If a band says that, you know they're going to sound like Godsmack or Linkin Park. Hahahaha. I don't think they get the definintion.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 08:10
An average person definitely doesn't know what prog is. Age is definitely a factor, I'm 18 and none of my friends hadn't known what kind of style it is before I told a few and bands like Dream Theater made them interested but not enough to become a proper prog fan. I don't think a person can be a prog fan unless they play an instrument themselves so they can understand and enjoy music that is more difficult and sometimes makes you think.

Edited by igySK - May 09 2012 at 08:17
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 08:56
I don't mention prog. I just say I like Rock and mention Floyd, Who, Genesis, Alan Parsons Project, Yes.... I don't bring labels into it. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 09:16
^Rock is still a label. :-P
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 09:21
Originally posted by Smurph Smurph wrote:

^Rock is still a label. :-P


Lol. Yes, but is mainly just says : I'm not talking about Pop, Rap or Country. Its not a very precise label, its almost like a musical gender.

By mentioning Prog bands, I establish that I like the redheads of the musical gender of Rock.

LOL
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 10:42
No, the average person doesn't have an idea what prog is. 

What is "the average music fan"? The average music fan will be the mostly the average person, therefore he also has no clue what prog is. 

The average classic rock fan has a higher chance of knowing what prog is but mostly oriented to Yes, Genesis and the sort. He'll probably ignore modern bands just the same as the average person. And he might even not apply the "prog" label to the bands he regards as typical bombastic symphonic rock of the 70s. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 11:18
Most people don't know what anything is.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 11:25
Originally posted by colorofmoney91 colorofmoney91 wrote:

Most people don't know what anything is.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 11:41
Actually, I assumed the "average music fan" meant someone who likes music, just as much as we do, and is not the average Joe listening to the radio who doesn't go much beyond that. That, to me, is just an average person who has a mild interest in music.

For example, I know someone who loves music and has a large collection of stuff. He hates the radio and usually listens to his collection. He had no idea what prog was or that it existed until I mentioned it to him. He had some Floyd, and maybe Coheed and Cambria if you consider them prog, but that was it. He was more into Ska, Hip-hop, "Indie", and modern rock (not prog though, but not necessarily stuff on the radio). I thought a lot of it was garbage, but the point is that he had a lot of music, but never came across prog (not surprising either, as his metal and rock collection was quite low, aside from some modern rock bands).

***EDIT*** One day a friend of mine, who is closer to the other friend I mentioned above, told me that if there's no lyrics, or if they don't show up in a song until, say, 4 minutes into it, then he won't like it. Basically, he doesn't like instrumental music, and Ive met lots of people like that - "Where's the lyrics bro?". It's like some people prefer music to their poetry Ermm Just another reason why some people will never come across prog rock.


Edited by darkshade - May 09 2012 at 11:44
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 11:51
^ I don't like much instrumental music either. I mean, I listen to more of it then some people listen to music period, but relative to what I listen to and enjoy. I don't think there is an instrumental album in my top 100 albums.... maybe 1 (1984 by Anthony Philips - really something else). I think The Camel instrumentals are crap.

EDIT: okay I listen to a lot of instrumental music, it is usually inferior to focused song-writing involving lyrics. It is important when you are working on something, though. You need instrumentals.

Some Great Instrumental Albums:


Art of Noise by Art of Noise < Great
1984 by Anthony Philips

Second Tier

Romantic Warrior by Return to Forever
Head Hunters Herbie Hancock
Tangerine Dream like Pheadra etc.
And For Not...... Steve Hillage etc


Edited by RoyFairbank - May 09 2012 at 11:56
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 13:17
Isn't it a bit pretentious to refer to those poor innocent ignorants as "the average people"?    Wink
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 13:50
Originally posted by Ambient Hurricanes Ambient Hurricanes wrote:

Actually, it helps if you use the phrase "progressive rock" instead.  People still might not know what it is, but they'll still recognize it as a music style.


I agree. I was at a musical box(Genesis tribute band) concert once and was talking to a guy there who thought I was talking about the city in Czech republic. I guess I just assumed because of where we were that he would know what prog is(A Gabriel era Genesis fan). Wrong! So in the future unless it's a prog festival I will say "progressive rock." I tell you I never made that mistake again.

My guess is that there are probably still a lot of fans of Yes, Genesis, King Crimson etc who maybe know who Porcupine Tree or Marillion are but don't know about the newer scene or anything very obscure(or even bands fairly well known in prog circles such as Echolyn, Glass Hammer, IQ, IZZ, Flower Kings etc).




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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 13:55
Originally posted by igySK igySK wrote:

I don't think a person can be a prog fan unless they play an instrument themselves
Guess I'm not a prog fan thenConfused
 
Originally posted by igySK igySK wrote:

so they can understand and enjoy music that is more difficult and sometimes makes you think.
You don't have to play an instrument to hear that some music are more complex than others, but it probably helps.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 14:06
I want to mention that most musicians and most people who work in record stores and musical instrument stores at least know what it is. That's comforting even if they aren't a fan. I'd say about 75 percent  of those know what it is and many are a fan to some degree or another. ONe young guy in  a department store thought it was bands like the Deftones or someone else. I think guys in their late teens or early twenties come across the term but are maybe just a little off the mark. I'm still not sure if I would actually consider Radiohead to be prog or not but I guess they are usually pretty warm if they are mentioned when someone if I mention "progressive rock." These days unless I know they are a prog fan I will use the term "progressive rock" and most people in my experience at least know the term especially if they are older and or internet savvy (which could be any age). 

Edited by Prog_Traveller - May 09 2012 at 14:07
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 14:08
I have no idea what prog is, and I've been listening to it for more than 20 years.  Wink

I thought I knew what it was before joining up here, but now I'm confused because everyone here seems to have a different idea of what "prog" is.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 14:24
Originally posted by infandous infandous wrote:

I have no idea what prog is, and I've been listening to it for more than 20 years.  Wink

I thought I knew what it was before joining up here, but now I'm confused because everyone here seems to have a different idea of what "prog" is.


Although rather counter-productive to the discussion, this is essentially what I was going to write as wellTongue
Prog? Isn't that a city in Italy?
“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 14:27
Is it possible people don't know what any type of music is?

If you asked them about funk?

If you asked them about new wave?

If you asked them jazz even? They may say: slow music.

Even the basics, whats the difference to them between pop, rock, rap and hip hop? Its just music to the average person. Not even that. They don't listen to albums. It's that song from Jay-Z or whatever.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 14:32
Originally posted by infandous infandous wrote:

I have no idea what prog is, and I've been listening to it for more than 20 years.  WinkI thought I knew what it was before joining up here, but now I'm confused because everyone here seems to have a different idea of what "prog" is.


I believe I may be in the minority of people around here who actually believe the genre IS definable by pointing out the presence of certain musical characteristics. Some people pay too much attention to the literal english translation of the word "progressive" I think, and basically use the undefinable criteria of "newness" or "originality" to define the genre...
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2012 at 14:33
I thought we already established that prog(or Prague) is NOT a city in Italy. Smile
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