Motif of the Octopus in prog
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Topic: Motif of the Octopus in prog
Posted By: stempel
Subject: Motif of the Octopus in prog
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 04:44
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Hey Could somebody explain me popularity of this animal from topic in progressive music? I was reading some curiosities about Octupus and still I don't have solution of this mystery. ------------- My English is poor and I want to say to everybody "Sorry fo my mistakes" |
Replies:
Posted By: Evolver
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 06:36
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I never noticed any unusual popularity of the octopus in prog, other than it's use as a title of one of Gentle Giant's best albums.
And stempel, you never have to aplogize on the Internet for poor English. ------------- Trust me. I know what I'm doing. |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 06:41
| There's also a track on VDGG's debut album that's called "Octopus", as well as The Beatles' "Octopus's Garden". |
Posted By: PabstRibbon
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 06:46
| Gentle Giant's album is called Octopus because there's 8 tracks on the album Octo-Opus. |
Posted By: happythe
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 06:55
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There's Syd's too. Maybe because it's an exotic, mysterious, cool-looking animal, like dragons etc. Besides, when you draw one or picture one, your mind or gaze fills with swirling, whirling, colourful, psychedlic curves.. ------------- Stop me from dreaming? Okay :-( |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 08:07
That never occured to me. Obvious really, I suppose..  ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
PabstRibbon wrote:Posted By: Progosopher
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 12:16
Because octopi are intelligent, flexible, and can noodle on eight different instruments at the same time, just like all our favorite Prog bands.  ------------- The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty" |
Posted By: tszirmay
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 14:05
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can forget the Ozric Tentacles now , can we??????Swirly, Coily indeed! ------------- I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth. |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 14:09
Technically I'd say only 4 instruments, as most require two hands to play correctly. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 14:09
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They are also very good to eat, though I don't know it is relevant at all to prog!
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Posted By: Bonnek
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 14:11
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Don't forget the post metal band 'Giant Squid' and the amazing instrumental jazz-prog-metal band from Chile, called, yes ... 'Octopus'. |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 14:12
| And "Squid 1/Squid 2/Octopus" by VdGG |
Posted By: Bonnek
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 14:16
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But to answer the actual question of the thread, I think a first reason is that Octopuses are very bombastic animals. Really, who needs 8 legs? That's like, which band needs two drummers or 2 keyboard players or 3 guitar players? A prog band obviously. |
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 14:17
the mighty Kraken invented by Norwegian sailers after long days out on the seas back in the 1200 -1300 period 
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Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 14:21
I don't think the Kraken was really 'invented', as legends about many-armed sea monsters are to be found in other traditions as well (including Greek mythology). However, you're right about the name, which is definitely of Norse origin. |
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 14:29
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yes i have heard about the legend of Scylla and Charybdis, both quite sad if I remember correctly, both curced for enternaty and also the the demon/titan Typhon is sad to have octopus legs as one of he's boddy parts, and in little Mermaid the evil See Witch Ursula is quite frightening espessially after here two eels gets fried by Ariel (ive seen to much on Disney's Little Mermaid) |
Posted By: CPicard
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 14:35
| Frankly, I don't see much occurences of the octopus/squid/nautilus in prog. Wouldn't horses or eagles be more often mentionned? |
Posted By: seventhsojourn
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 14:36
The original rock and a hard place
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Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 15:05
^ what !!! 
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Posted By: micky
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 15:12
hungry my love?------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: seventhsojourn
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 15:17
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Scylla was the dangerous rock on the Italian coast, opposite the whirlpool Charybdis. Therefore if you were between Scylla and Charybdis you faced danger on either side.
Odysseus and also the Argonauts had to sail past the whirlpool in the straits of Messina opposite the sea-monster. Later legends by Ovid had her turned to a rock. There is a rock that juts into the sea on the Calabrian coast called scilla.
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Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 15:53
^thanks for the explenation  verry kinde im a buff for greek mythology (and mythology in general) and ive seen a verry good film about Odysseus, from 87. good film, bad graphics  great epic length
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Posted By: Progosopher
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 17:39
Depends on the technique and the instrument. Let's split the difference and say six instruments.  ------------- The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty" |
Posted By: javier0889
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 20:21
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An octopus appears in Dream Theater's Score DVD, during the Octavarium animation. Again, an octopus used for the eight track of the eight album of the band. Also, 8x3=24 minutes. |
Posted By: Progosopher
Date Posted: March 26 2010 at 20:44
------------- The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty" |
Posted By: Hanke666
Date Posted: March 27 2010 at 07:42
Off topic, but are you saying that Iron Maiden is a Prog band?   ------------- 
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Posted By: Bonnek
Date Posted: March 28 2010 at 05:59
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^ I mainly added this to see who would raise to the bait |
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: March 28 2010 at 13:31
omg Octavarium has probably the most mind blowing concept the band ever conceived! the use of 8 is everywhere! more than GG's Octopus there's also an octopus in the booklet of the album, Score also uses the pattern of 5 and 8 used on Octavarium, particularly for the set lists. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm 
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Posted By: RoyFairbank
Date Posted: March 31 2010 at 16:25
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*Removes Cigar from mouth, exhales smoke* Ze Anzer, you see, is obvious Ze Octopuz is ze most virile of animals, a bulbous sack wiz eight appendages, ze envy of any man *spits to remove cigar taste and stamps out cigar* *faint background noise of a forgotten Alan Parsons Project album, fading...* |
Posted By: Luca Pacchiarini
Date Posted: March 31 2010 at 16:56
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a similar discussion could be started about the ridicolous number of refernces to EGGS
Egg was a British prog band.
IL Castello Delle Uova is an italian band, (uova means eggs).
L'Uovo Di Colombo is another italian band ("Columbus' Egg") and the cover features an egg.
The New Trolls Atomic System cover features an egg being hit with a hammer
The cover of Gravy Train's The Ballad Of A Peaceful Man features an egg
The last section of Supper's Ready by Genesis is called "As Sure As Eggs Is Eggs"
The cover of the first Eulenspygel album featues an egg.
The cover of Whatevershebringswesing by Kevin Ayers features many eggs, and the phrase "No Eggsplanation"
Angel's Egg is a Gong album.
Lucifer And The Egg is a song contained in the wonderful "Death May Be Your Santa Claus" album, by Second Hand.
It turns out that the subtle hidden meaning that keeps many prog lyrics together is the celebration of Easter Eggs.
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Posted By: TGM: Orb
Date Posted: March 31 2010 at 17:15
Mind-blowing concept? It's just a load of fives and eights. |
Posted By: MovingPictures07
Date Posted: March 31 2010 at 17:23
http://dt.spatang.com/octavarium.php - You say so? ------------- 
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Posted By: TGM: Orb
Date Posted: March 31 2010 at 17:38
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Seen that. Read it. Remains a load of fives and eights. Problem with that theory is that when you take any of the numbers which happen to not be fives and eights, it seems a lot less impressive. Dream Theater formed in 1985, Sixtus V (1585-1590) (Sixtus the FIFTH in FIFTEEN EIGHTY FIVE). Clement VIII (1592-1605) (that's Clement the EIGHTH).... oh look, the dates and numbers don't correspond for everyone... which implies when they do, it's largely coincidence. Note that three fingers are visible in one picture.... Surely that should be eight fingers... (I know 3+5 is eight, but the eight is never constructed from the 5 elsewhere...). I mean, I don't particularly object to it, but to consider a load of coincidence and some minor engineering to fit that a mind-blowing concept is credulous to crazy. |
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: March 31 2010 at 19:08
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i was talking about the song. i should have mentioned that... it kinda works for the whole album, but it doesnt help when the fourth song isnt that good. i do, however, love the album! i know plenty here agree with me ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm
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Posted By: javier0889
Date Posted: March 31 2010 at 19:54
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I like Octavarium too! It's more like a sentimental thing, because with that album I discovered DT. Back on topic, there's a chilean prog band called Octopus. |
Posted By: TGM: Orb
Date Posted: March 31 2010 at 21:23
Still, that concept 'mind-blowing'? Hm. different strokes, different folks etc. etc. |
Posted By: darkshade
Date Posted: March 31 2010 at 21:52
i guess so ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/MysticBoogy" rel="nofollow - My Last.fm
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Posted By: NecronCommander
Date Posted: March 31 2010 at 23:11
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I'm surprised there hasn't been a prog band named "Kraken" yet. ...hold that thought. I claim all rights to that name. |
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: April 01 2010 at 06:25
the Skylla in the version I saw was so bad that I thought "I could have made a better one in clay, paint, and lenin, cotton and wool" I like the Kraken in Dead mans Chest, that mouth is seriously big |
Posted By: Citizen Erased
Date Posted: April 01 2010 at 11:10
Surprised none of you philistines have mention Amplifier's forthcoming colossus of an album entitled "The Octopus". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJhkOXmSATs ------------- And lo, the mighty riffage was played and it was good  <a href="www.last.fm/user/jonzo67" targe |
Posted By: eddiefang
Date Posted: April 08 2010 at 17:16
| What about the octopus in Dream Theater's Octavarium booklet and concert film? |
Posted By: Queen By-Tor
Date Posted: April 08 2010 at 17:46
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Octavarium, DT's Eighth album... an OCTOpus was sure to appear somewhere. But I agree with most - it doesn't really appear THAT often. |
Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: April 10 2010 at 15:22
This just blew my mind! ------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
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Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: April 22 2010 at 06:59
| Hi, I got my nickname regardless prog...Thinking to animals, probably pigs with or without wings, dogs, cats, horses and spiders are more mentioned. |
Posted By: thechrisl
Date Posted: May 08 2010 at 19:02
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The drummer from Don Caballero is (appropriately) referred to as The Octopus. Then there's The Octopus Project. I would call them part-time indie-prog. Some of their music is exceptionally beautiful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PMxDi6N9KU&feature=related - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PMxDi6N9KU&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnjADNWuPvc&feature=related - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnjADNWuPvc&feature=related |
Posted By: Progist
Date Posted: May 12 2010 at 11:14
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Musically speaking, the octopus are copouts
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