Most inaccessible Prog?

Art Bears is a bit inaccessible IMO.

Prog_Traveller wrote: For me Univers Zero and RIO in general. It's why I never really got into them or the genre as a whole. Thinking Plague is another band that comes to mind. I'm sure they are talented but so far I just haven't really gotten into that stuff.

Edited by schizoidman - November 22 2013 at 20:02

For my tastes, progressive electronic is the toughest subgenre to appreciate.  Maybe it's just because I'm old (47).  However, I was in grade school during Tangerine Dream's heyday.  I was also a big fan on Ministry back in the 1980's; which deserves to be on this site just as much as Nine Inch Nails does.  I like music with contrast and feeling.  Progressive electronic music is just too static and a little cold for my tastes.

irrelevant wrote: The sort of cheesy prog that can occasionally sound like Christian rock.

I'm 31 and I love electronic - it is however something that snuck up on me. Hell I hated most electronic music until I was about 14-15. The older I get, the more different varieties of this music I get into. Maybe when I'm about 90 I'll finally be able to cherish the glitch genre...

I'm with you there Greg. When I first joined this site, I was under the impression that almost everybody on here was into experimental music - just because they were members of PA. Progressive rock sounded to me like it ALL was right there on the edge of what you can do and can't do musically - always taking chances and all that jazz. Then I suddenly realised that prog was a sticker - not necessarily progressive (in most cases prog is not progressive to my ears), and subsequently I've had to reevaluate my opinion on these matters a couple of times. 

Logan wrote: I would expect people's tastes to evolve and expand over time as they are exposed to new-to-them styles of music and art generally.  I see some people whose opinions on music I suspect have barely changed over decades.  To me music listening is a journey and an adventure of new discoveries, and discovering new avenues of music to get excited about.  Our tastes are built on a series of foundations over time.  I sometimes think that far too many progressive rock listeners are not very progressive when it comes to their comfort zones and expanding their interests.  That said, I didn't like AOR when i was young, and I don't expect to ever become a fan of it.

I believe in this so much.  My tastes have changed dramatically over time and will continue to.  For me its always been about exploring and leaving my comfort zone, even if that means there's some bands I liked 2-3 years ago that do nothing for me now.  I know my dad strongly dislikes listening to anything outside his comfort zone... I've tried a couple times with some mild material and he just turns it off.  And to be honest, most of my friends seem to be into the same kind of music they were 6 years ago. I could never be like that.  I actually become pretty agitated whenever I haven't gone out and explored in a while.

I doubt a whole prog sub genre would be inaccessible to me it's a matter of mental adjustment. Take some kraurtrock / electronic for instance. Love T Dream classic era, (absolutely loathed post-that era and was appalled at the content of a whole box set of casio [ rubbish] sounding keyboards. This was horrible to me). Klaus Schulze, great, no problem. Recently tried some Kraftwek. Autobahn. C'mon, life's too short waiting on something that sounds like the soundtrack for a bus stop not a motorway.

I don't mind time and space (oddly playing Tarkus right now) ....but "Fa-fa-fun on the autobahn" as a highlight? I don't think so.

Camel's Breathless was inaccessibly boring to me as well.

Now the inaccessible ... Magma. First tried the Live Album. Probably still the best place to start. It took a while but there was such an intriguiing use of harmony and rhythm. It sounded original (to me) but required patience to "get" what was happening. Not exactly top 40 oriented.  Damn. Still I persisted and ... got it. Other albums and many boots and what a band. Yes, I can understand the pretension. Another word for ambition, to progress from the pack.

So I think I like details, some improv (Miles's various eras) but understated uneventful featureless bland monotony (Kraftwerk) is not going to access me much. But I tried a few times. Not just Kraftwek. There was a Testament album that had the same sounds on the guitars, the same rhythms, the same every damned thing all the time. So fast, so boring. Other than some very nice Spanish guitar at the outset that was the highlight. I think basic rock monotony is inaccessible to me. To much like wall paper.

I do know to stick around for some things. Just because i don't get does not mean I wouldn't or there is nothing to get. When I were a lad I thought Zeppelin's Kashmir was a bit dull. But I was listening with what I have identified as white person listening - from the top down and stop with the guitar (or keyboards  as well for we prog fans). Listened to it from the drums up and... blink. The light went on and the whole thing opened up.

I figured if something is inaccessible listen to one instrument, then two. Ignore the vocals. ;) But there has to be something to "get". A whole lot of nothing is inaccessible.

 Anathema aren't in Post Rock/Math Rock and they sound nothing like New Age.

For me? Neo prog. Can listen to RIO, Kraut, Zeuhl, etc all day, though.