Does the average person know what prog is? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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Guldbamsen View Drop Down

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Posted: May 09 2012 at 14:34

^Nuts!

“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

tamijo

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Posted: May 09 2012 at 14:34

Had a guest (female of Japaneese origin, but that dosent actualy matter) so my wife was telling about the Wilson show we attended a week ago or so, the guest asks "what kind of music", I reply "its something called Prog. rock",

"Its rock with elements of Jazz" ...The guest looks confused, she dont get it.........and the talk goes on about Roxy Music and Other shows we have seen together.

Now islands (KC - the track, not the album) comes up, the guest looks at the speakers, saying, "but that is King Crimson, I know that much" , "I worked at a record store back then, and came across ELP album, with a cranium or something, (brain s s ?) after that i was all into ELP King Crimson and other bands like that, but i had no idear its called Prog. !!

Prog is whatevey you want it to be. So dont diss other peoples prog, and they wont diss yours

infandous

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Posted: May 09 2012 at 14:37

dtguitarfan wrote:

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.

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...

Well, I used to think this way, until I spent some time on the forums here Wink

I agree with you though. I find that there are "progressive" artists in every musical genre (nearly, anyway). But "prog" or "progressive rock" is, at this point, a fairly well defined genre. At least, that's what I think. You'll find quite a few people around these parts that disagree.

infandous

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Posted: May 09 2012 at 14:41

Sorry, wasn't trying to hijack the thread here, so I will respond to what seem to be the OP's intent.

Generally, people don't seem to know what it is unless I mention specific bands (usually I say Yes, Rush, early Genesis, ELP..........then they usually ask, "who's ELP?"). Even then I don't think they really know what I'm talking about. However, people who are musicians or just "serious" music listeners, will at least be familiar with the term and the most well known bands of the genre, while not necessarily knowing exactly what it is. But as I've said before, we prog heads are hard pressed to say EXACTLY what it is Big smile

Guldbamsen View Drop Down

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Posted: May 09 2012 at 14:44

tamijo wrote:

Had a guest (female of Japaneese origin, but that dosent actualy matter) so my wife was telling about the Wilson show we attended a week ago or so, the guest asks "what kind of music", I reply "its something called Prog. rock",

"Its rock with elements of Jazz" ...The guest looks confused, she dont get it.........and the talk goes on about Roxy Music and Other shows we have seen together.

Funny how some things are. I've had similar experiences myself, but then again here in Denmark - I think it is the younger generation that persistently needs to box in music. If you attend a metal event, you'll hear about a hundred different names for each new band going on stage: Welcome on stage the band Koldbrand!!! They play micro-porn-grind-core-sludge!! Tongue

Most people I meet, who know of Pink Floyd, ELP, King Crimson, Yes and all of the biggies - don't know the term prog unless they've come across this site. I didn't either actually.

“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

kingcrimsonfan View Drop Down

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Posted: May 09 2012 at 23:06

OT Räihälä wrote:

Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

I usually get blank looks when I respond to "what sort of music do you like?" and answer "progressive rock". Just last week I surprisingly got into a detailed discussion on the various merits of King Crimson and Genesis albums with a guy I'd just met. Bizarre but really enjoyable.

I've never been asked what kind of music I do like. Maybe I don't know any average persons, so I can't answer to this topic's questions.

I thought the "Italian town Prague" was a joke. I imagined any prog-fan (non-average person?) could tell you that Prague is in Czech Rep, as easily as he/she could spot major USA towns like Topeka or Toronto.

toronto is in canada hahaha

Prog_Traveller View Drop Down

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Posted: May 09 2012 at 23:44

Well I used to do the predictable thing and say "Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Rush, ELP, Crimson etc" when people ask me what prog is but I think I'm going to start saying "Spock's Beard, Flower Kings, IZZ, Porcupine Tree, Mars Volta, Glass Hammer, Pendragon, IQ, Arena or whoever, Anyone but well known seventies bands. If they give me a blank look then I'll just say something like "well I bet you have heard of Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes and Jethro Tull." :P

OT Räihälä View Drop Down

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Posted: May 10 2012 at 02:34

kingcrimsonfan wrote:

OT Räihälä wrote:

I've never been asked what kind of music I do like. Maybe I don't know any average persons, so I can't answer to this topic's questions.

toronto is in canada hahaha

You don't say!

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Dean

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Posted: May 10 2012 at 03:42

Does anyone a) know an average person, b) know what an average person is?

What?

gaga158

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Posted: May 10 2012 at 03:44

Thank you for all the things learned from here and congratulations for the good work.

tamijo

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Posted: May 10 2012 at 05:58

Dean wrote:

Does anyone a) know an average person, b) know what an average person is?

Yes...an average person is anyone not in PA forums, on a regular basis.

So its not possible to be an average person if you hang around in PA forums ?

NO IMPOSSIBLE

Edited by tamijo - May 10 2012 at 06:07

Prog is whatevey you want it to be. So dont diss other peoples prog, and they wont diss yours

CPicard

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Posted: May 10 2012 at 07:38

Dean wrote:

Does anyone a) know an average person, b) know what an average person is?

I think the question b) is the most important.
Any average person may have knowledge about an "esoteric" subject: some plumbers can be week-end entomologists with a good knowledge about the said subject, while your local postman could go on and on about astrophysics because he's reading three or four scientifical magazines.

Sleep_Within View Drop Down

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Posted: May 10 2012 at 09:32

The T wrote:

colorofmoney91 wrote:

Most people don't know what anything is.

"I decided to draw some pictures in the air, pictures of all my imaginations."

JJLehto

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Posted: May 10 2012 at 10:05

No.

All around.

I try to talk about music with the "normal people" purposely to gauge reactions (yeah I'm a bored loser I know), and I guess I can only vouch for my experience but: no.
The average person has no idea what prog is.
They also tend to be mortified when I explain it (or listen if they are willing).

I wish I was joking but mortified is pretty much accurate.

This applies to the "average music fan" as well.

Age...no idea, I'm probably too young to really say.
It may be an issue of semantics. My parents, and people their age, know Pink Floyd, Rush, Frank Zappa, Genesis, a few others. But do they know what "prog is"?
Again in my experience, it seems the answer is no.

If you know what prog is, then you do. If you don't you dont. Age and anything else seems to have nothing to do with it.

Edited by JJLehto - May 10 2012 at 10:07

TODDLER

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Posted: May 10 2012 at 10:41

Prog_Traveller wrote:

I suppose this question could be separated into two(or even three) separate categories.

A. Does the average person know what prog is? This is too difficult to answer. There is such a wide variety of characteristics in the so called average person to sum that up for me. Probably a majority of average people will not know or care and have the deer in the headlight look.

B. Does the average music fan(not average prog fan-duh)know what prog is? Only a percentage. When I was a teenager in the 70's, people that listened to "Disco" and "Top 40" music in general...examples..Air Supply, The Carpenters, Barry White etc...would hear "Lucky Man", "From the Beginning", and "Roundabout" on the radio and say..."I love these songs and I'm going to buy the album". and that's why a person who listened to mainstream commercial pop music had prog albums in their collection. This went on for many years. Jon Anderson and Greg Lake were crafty songwriters and appealed to fans of "Top 40". Today? I dunno?

C. Actually a third one can be added. Does the average classic rock fan know what prog is? I am unaware for the most part regarding a younger society of classic rockers today. Back when I was a teenager..kids that listened to ZZ Top, Cheap Trick, Ten Years After, Black Oak Arkansas, Jo Jo Gunne, Peter Frampton etc definitely had ELP, Genesis, and Jethro Tull albums in their collections....because the concert booking market during that specific point in time was not compartmentalized as it is today. At a Jefferson Starship concert would be an opener like perhaps P.F.M. OR Greenslade would open for a classic rock band and for sure King Crimson would open for Humble Pie. Thousands of kids who went to the shows to see the headliner of God's Classic Rock ..ran out an bought prog albums due to the representation of prog through the media and as I said before...the wide and diverse variety of bands in a concert booking. Classic rock often crossed into prog back then....for example..I could start Cheap Trick's "Dream Police" song at approximately 2:50 and stop the recording at 3:17 and if you had never heard the song..you would think it was some type of complex prog from Europe. Try it for kicks sometime and you'll catch my meaning.

Also, does the average music store worker know what prog is. I say most do. I agree.

How much is age a factor? How about where they live, ethnicity, gender etc. I guess it's the sociologist in me(I have a BA in sociology)that is curious about these things. :) Well..there is evidence of young generations packing in to "Nearfest" . They might love prog simply because they missed it in the 70's or of course a personal liking anyway, but whatever reason it may be, they are devoted to it and that is cool. Europe has been the breeding ground for decades and regarding the female gender...it has been often discussed on progarchives that they are a minority...however I traveled quite a bit and discovered female fans of prog everywhere. In 1978 a girl that was a groupie (of all things to be had), introduced me to the music of Happy the Man. Throughout my travels in the 70's and 80's, I met many, many woman who adored King Crimson "Lizard". In country towns, huge cities, whatever? Many of them were not musicians, but artistic in nature.

If there are any other similar threads to this one please point them in my direction.

progresssaurus View Drop Down

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Posted: May 10 2012 at 10:47

We can resolve it from reverse point of view:
Person, which knows what prog is, is not average!

JJLehto

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Posted: May 10 2012 at 10:49

Some young people I've encountered have not even heard of Pink Floyd.
Heard of them :(

Some who did were convinced I'm a drugged out hippie, or just laughed because that sh*t must be from like the 80s or something....
We can't remember past the latest hit after all!

To some...rock is the devil. Seriously, you won't believe the comments I've gotten from some people my age about listening to rock music.
Let alone prog. When I get into that I might as well sprout extra heads.

Seriously, when we forget about PA and mingle with the masses it hurts how poor musical taste is Cry

Edited by JJLehto - May 10 2012 at 10:50

TODDLER

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Posted: May 10 2012 at 10:54

JJLehto wrote:

Some young people I've encountered have not even heard of Pink Floyd.
Heard of them :(

Some who did were convinced I'm a drugged out hippie, or just laughed because that sh*t must be from like the 80s or something....
We can't remember past the latest hit after all!

To some...rock is the devil. Seriously, you won't believe the comments I've gotten from some people my age about listening to rock music.
Let alone prog. When I get into that I might as well sprout extra heads.

Seriously, when we forget about PA and mingle with the masses it hurts how poor musical taste is Cry

Yeah...I have encountered this as well. But the percentages of people are so divided ..not only into seperate individual catagories themselves but groups who for the most part think the same....which derives from influences that take hold of their minds developing mentalities that progarchive members are aware of.

Edited by TODDLER - May 10 2012 at 10:55

Snow Dog

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