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LostWaxMuseum View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: A Personal Definition of Prog
    Posted: May 19 2014 at 10:43
Does anyone else here feel that they have a personal definition of prog that might encompass more than the popular definition? For instance, I feel that it's pretty obvious that Celtic Frost are progressive metal since they used classical instrumentation and even opera vocals on some songs. Granted, their first album was very sloppy and they are not virtuosos. An adventurous approach to making music is what I would consider progressive.
Another band quickly voted down on here was Blue Man Group. Performance art gimmicks aside, they have the most progressive approach to rock I've heard in quite some time. They invent a lot of the instruments they use, incorporate unusual time signatures and even microtones into their work.
I'm not looking to get them added here, I just hope to spark a discussion about the fringes of prog possibility and I hope to discover some new music in this thread. 
I feel that much of what passes for prog now is pretty much what was prog 40 years ago, just tuned down with more distortion. Same with "experimental" music. What was experimental in the era of John Cage is still what gets called experimental.
Perhaps it is sort of a nostalgic rut that the music world is stuck in. I'm open to hearing some genuine progress and experimentation. I'm looking forward to your recommendations.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 12:40
every band i like is obviously progressive and should be on this website
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 12:44
not another one of these god damn threads
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 12:47
I agree on all but Megadeth. They sound like plain, generic metal to me.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 12:49
I guess if a artist is pushing boundaries it can be considered progressive, and as long as that genre they are pushing has some connections to rock or metal then it can get the Prog label (as long as the music is reasonably complex or atmospheric). I usually class anything that matches the above criteria or takes inspiration from well known Prog bands as prog themselves.

It partly depends on the person's background as well. People who follow mainstream music would consider Muse to be the forefront of modern Prog. Before I knew what Prog was I though Meat Loaf were the embodiment of all things Prog lol. 10 min over the top songs and fantasy artwork, when I first starting lurking here 5 years ago I was very surprised it was not listed! Not even in Prog Related!    
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 12:57
Originally posted by LostWaxMuseum LostWaxMuseum wrote:

I agree on all but Megadeth. They sound like plain, generic metal to me.



That's how I hear Megadeth too. I've nothing against them, but I have memories of seeing them live in the late 80's and thinking they were awful; probably the worst metal band I ever saw live.

Anyway on the subject of prog, there is prog rock and there is progressive music generaly imo. I'll resist listing a load of bands, suffice to say that musicians who try something different and break the standard rules of rock, pop, jazz or classical could be considered progressive. Ultimately I guess it doesn't really matter. There's two types of music: Music that you like and music that you don't like.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 12:57
Hi, Smartpatrol. I'm relatively new, so I haven't seen any threads like this. As I stated, I'm not trying to get more artists included on here. I'm looking to find out what other people listen to that is progressive, but doesn't fit the popular definition. If that doesn't interest you, you are under no obligation to participate.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 13:15
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 13:47
Thank you, but I'm more interested in how individuals can have a definition that may be more inclusive than the popular notions of what is prog. Your playlist is a good example of what I was looking for. I agree with most of the artists on your list, but a lot of them would be excluded by purists. I'm pretty familiar with the generally accepted meaning of prog, but I'm hoping to find new music that is as groundbreaking now as the first wave of prog was in the late 60s & early 70s.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 13:56
That is my forum signature, it's nothing more than my most listened artists.  I definitely don't think they all should be here.

If you want to make one of those (and have a last.fm account) you can do so on progfreak.com, by the way.

Most of the what I consider the most groundbreaking modern music is here already (Kayo Dot, Swans, Jean Louis, Zu, etc).  But we are still missing Boris.


Edited by Triceratopsoil - May 19 2014 at 14:00
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 14:04
Originally posted by Triceratopsoil Triceratopsoil wrote:


That is my forum signature, it's nothing more than my most listened artists.  I definitely don't think they all should be here.If you want to make one of those (and have a last.fm account) you can do so on progfreak.com, by the way.Most of the what I consider the most groundbreaking modern music is here already (Kayo Dot, Swans, Jean Louis, Zu, etc).  But we are still missing Boris.




Thank you. :)
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 14:13
Originally posted by Triceratopsoil Triceratopsoil wrote:

every band i like is obviously progressive and should be on this website
This
Curiosity killed a cat, Schroedinger only half.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 14:18
Originally posted by LostWaxMuseum LostWaxMuseum wrote:

Does anyone else here feel that they have a personal definition of prog that might encompass more than the popular definition?

Do you mean a definition that would encompass acts as disparate as Jefferson Airplane, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin?  Who would be that crazy?  Tongue
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 14:21
A progressive rock band is one that can look past barriers and push the envelope stylistically IMHO.
“Music is enough for a lifetime but a lifetime is not enough for music.” - Sergei Rachmaninov
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 14:23
Originally posted by Mirror Image Mirror Image wrote:

A progressive rock band is one that can look past barriers and push the envelope stylistically IMHO.


I agree wholeheartedly.
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Triceratopsoil View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 14:30
Originally posted by Mirror Image Mirror Image wrote:

A progressive rock band is one that can look past barriers and push the envelope stylistically IMHO.


I think most people would agree with that, but definition problems that arise are 1) is the progressive band "rock" or not? 2) why does "Prog" somehow mean something different than "progressive rock" implies?


Edited by Triceratopsoil - May 19 2014 at 14:30
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 14:34
 
No.......umm.....er...........no.
 
No.     



NO. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 14:37
Originally posted by Triceratopsoil Triceratopsoil wrote:

every band i like is obviously progressive and should be on this website
 
But only if it agrees with my list.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 14:58
It died around about 1971 so its pointless worrying about it imo.

This site is not about the music its about the people that listen to the music. We congregate and talk because its fun and some even think they know what they are talking about.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 19 2014 at 15:03
Originally posted by Nogbad_The_Bad Nogbad_The_Bad wrote:

Originally posted by Triceratopsoil Triceratopsoil wrote:

every band i like is obviously progressive and should be on this website
 
But only if it agrees with my list.
Quote Anyone who thinks Kansas is Prog get out of the room - Adolf Hitler 
LOL
I think a lot of people that are in prog know the definition intuitively... The more prog you know, the better you know what prog is. My definition is that progressive rock is everything that sounds like progressive rock, and for me it is sufficient. Wink
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