Is it all about the music - really? - Progressive Rock Music Forum

I don't really feel like I seek the approval of others in any way. i listened to prog for a long time before realising I was listening to "prog rock". So I didn't really have some pre-conceived notion of prog rock or anything when discovering and choosing it.

Which of you to gain me, tell, will risk uncertain pains of hell?
I will not forgive you if you will not take the chance.

For me it really is all about the music. I don't seek the approval of others based on what I like to listen to or play.

Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

To what extent do pre-conceived notions, expectations and external non-musical variables affect our perceptions of, and our subsequent value judgements of - songs, albums, bands, and music in general?

I would expect most good prog fans to initially bristle at the implications of such a question. After all, we are a fiercely independent breed! We don't shift with every wind of change that comes from the fashion-conscious world of pop music! We listen for *substance* and there are very legitimate reasons why we like the music that we do.

While I'm not disagreeing with any of those statements, please bear with me for just a moment to dig a little bit deeper - to see whether there might be just more to this question than immediately meets the eye - or the ear...

Speaking strictly from the viewpoint of my own personal introspection, over the years I've become increasingly convinced that some of my early impressions and perceptions of music can indeed vary - sometimes widely - based upon any number of different variables, some of which are not music related at all! I must confess that this has been a bit of a surprising, even uncomfortable, personal revelation for me. I have always considered myself to be a fair, open-minded and rather unpartial person. (I still do. Perhaps that is a contributing factor to why I am able to now come to the conclusion that extraneous variables are indeed very capable of coloring my first impressions and general perceptions?)

Although it is well documented that pre-conceived expectations do, in fact, affect subjective appraisals in any number of different situations, my feelings about music are experienced so deeply and so personally, that the notion of other variables significantly having affected my overall value judgements about an artist or an album (like whether I had a headache or not the night I first heard it) seemed very counter-intuitive to me. But I now honestly do believe that to some extent external variables do factor in to the equation.

Furthermore, once a first impressional "imprint" has been firmly planted in my mind, it becomes impossible for me to ever truly "hear" that item 100% free of the influence from that first listening session. Sure, I can re-evaluate the item, but I will never be a truly "blank slate" for that song, album or artist ever again.

Certainly we can all agree that when an artist we've loved dearly for 10+ years comes out with a new album, we listen to it differently than we do to a promotional item from a brand new band?

Or, which of us, if an artist is really nice and personally invites us backstage to their concert, does not then find themselves naturally listening to that artist's promotional album a little more attentively or open-mindedly than we would to the standard unsolicited items that arrive in our mailboxes daily?

If these variables do affect our perceptions, what might they be? To what extent are we able to recognize them? Or do they even matter?

Positively the best Prog and Fusion 24/7!
http://www.progpositivity.com

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himtroy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: January 20 2009 Status: Offline Points: 1601	Posted: October 22 2010 at 01:39
	I don't really feel like I seek the approval of others in any way. i listened to prog for a long time before realising I was listening to "prog rock". So I didn't really have some pre-conceived notion of prog rock or anything when discovering and choosing it.
	Which of you to gain me, tell, will risk uncertain pains of hell? I will not forgive you if you will not take the chance.

Textbook Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: October 08 2009 Status: Offline Points: 3281	Posted: October 21 2010 at 21:30
	I second Slarti. I'm quite cheerful about falling into line with others here about how wonderful Opeth or Jethro Tull or The Who are because they really are, and also railing against someone like Transatlantic that I find vomitous and despicable despite most people loving them. Or quietly championing stuff no one else seems to notice like Mansun's Six. Or perhaps the best example is my continual championing of hip-hop on a forum that is often openly hostile to it. It's all about whether it's good or not, nothing else.

Slartibartfast Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam Joined: April 29 2006 Location: Atlantais Status: Offline Points: 29630	Posted: October 21 2010 at 21:20
	For me it really is all about the music. I don't seek the approval of others based on what I like to listen to or play.
	Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

thellama73 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: May 29 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 8368	Posted: October 21 2010 at 20:51
	I'll admit that I go in for "weird music" a lot, mainly because I like it, but an ultra-limited edition or some really cool cover art/backstory/hipster cache sure don't hurt. A big part of my love of music is simply the "collecting" aspect of it, so having something unusual and interesting really makes me happy.


progpositivity Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Prog Reviewer Joined: December 15 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 262	Posted: October 21 2010 at 20:38
	To what extent do pre-conceived notions, expectations and external non-musical variables affect our perceptions of, and our subsequent value judgements of - songs, albums, bands, and music in general? I would expect most good prog fans to initially bristle at the implications of such a question. After all, we are a fiercely independent breed! We don't shift with every wind of change that comes from the fashion-conscious world of pop music! We listen for substance and there are very legitimate reasons why we like the music that we do. While I'm not disagreeing with any of those statements, please bear with me for just a moment to dig a little bit deeper - to see whether there might be just more to this question than immediately meets the eye - or the ear... Speaking strictly from the viewpoint of my own personal introspection, over the years I've become increasingly convinced that some of my early impressions and perceptions of music can indeed vary - sometimes widely - based upon any number of different variables, some of which are not music related at all! I must confess that this has been a bit of a surprising, even uncomfortable, personal revelation for me. I have always considered myself to be a fair, open-minded and rather unpartial person. (I still do. Perhaps that is a contributing factor to why I am able to now come to the conclusion that extraneous variables are indeed very capable of coloring my first impressions and general perceptions?) Although it is well documented that pre-conceived expectations do, in fact, affect subjective appraisals in any number of different situations, my feelings about music are experienced so deeply and so personally, that the notion of other variables significantly having affected my overall value judgements about an artist or an album (like whether I had a headache or not the night I first heard it) seemed very counter-intuitive to me. But I now honestly do believe that to some extent external variables do factor in to the equation. Furthermore, once a first impressional "imprint" has been firmly planted in my mind, it becomes impossible for me to ever truly "hear" that item 100% free of the influence from that first listening session. Sure, I can re-evaluate the item, but I will never be a truly "blank slate" for that song, album or artist ever again. Certainly we can all agree that when an artist we've loved dearly for 10+ years comes out with a new album, we listen to it differently than we do to a promotional item from a brand new band? Or, which of us, if an artist is really nice and personally invites us backstage to their concert, does not then find themselves naturally listening to that artist's promotional album a little more attentively or open-mindedly than we would to the standard unsolicited items that arrive in our mailboxes daily? If these variables do affect our perceptions, what might they be? To what extent are we able to recognize them? Or do they even matter?
	Positively the best Prog and Fusion 24/7! http://www.progpositivity.com