Famous Prog Words!
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Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Polls
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URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=84237
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Topic: Famous Prog Words!
Posted By: Gandalff
Subject: Famous Prog Words!
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 13:50
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Lyrics are one of the most important things in Prog Rock music, indisputably. There are some of most famous lyricists from Prog history across genres; where is credited more than one lyricist (e.g. Dream Theater, later Genesis), I've picked the most frequent one.
I'm curious for Christian Vander due to his lyrics in artificial language, which does understand perhaps himself only.
 Notice:
Only the two female lyricists make a quite humble share for this list. I remember also Kate Bush but she's Prog Related, thus excluded.
Multiple votes are allowed exceptionally, hoping it will not abused by some clickers.
------------- A Elbereth Gilthoniel silivren penna míriel o menel aglar elenath! Na-chaered palan-díriel o galadhremmin ennorath, Fanuilos, le linnathon nef aear, sí nef aearon! |
Replies:
Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 13:58
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Ian Anderson. Superb lyricist. ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: tszirmay
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 14:05
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I know Peter Sinfield has been portrayed as overblown but I like his words a lot. ------------- I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth. |
Posted By: Gandalff
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 14:08
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I voted for Jon Anderson, Gabriel, Sinfield and Palmer-James without order of significance. ------------- A Elbereth Gilthoniel silivren penna míriel o menel aglar elenath! Na-chaered palan-díriel o galadhremmin ennorath, Fanuilos, le linnathon nef aear, sí nef aearon! |
Posted By: Wanorak
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 14:13
Ian Anderson; in my opinion the best lyricist in prog. His lyrics are funny and sometimes bitingly satirical. I also love Greg Lake, Peter Sinfield and Adrian Belew  Jon Anderson is just too flakey and out there in space lol------------- A GREAT YEAR FOR PROG!!! |
Posted By: chefrobb
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 14:13
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Love Genesis lyrics, but Gabriel didn't write all of them, so as I think VdGG and solo PH are amazing feats of wordsmithing....I'm goin' w/ Mr Hammill ------------- chefrobb |
Posted By: MattGuitat
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 14:24
Where's Fish? 
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 14:32
| Not an easy choice. I might have gone for Gabriel but there is the problem as pointed out that he didn't write all Genesis lyrics and off the top of my head I wouldn't know which songs/tracks he was responsible. His solo work is a bit hit and miss. I was also tempted to go for Waters but I'm not as keen on his solo work as say Animals or Wish You Were Here. So I voted for my third option which was Steven Wilson. Not everything is great but what is great is down to him. |
Posted By: Gandalff
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 14:40
Seriously, I never care about Marillion and Fish, therefore I didn't include him; besides who knows who's just lyricist when all songs are signed by all group members?
The same case is Toby Driver, I'm expecting any mention about him too. ------------- A Elbereth Gilthoniel silivren penna míriel o menel aglar elenath! Na-chaered palan-díriel o galadhremmin ennorath, Fanuilos, le linnathon nef aear, sí nef aearon! |
MattGuitat wrote:Posted By: Slaughternalia
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 14:48
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I've always considered Neal Peart to be one of the worst lyricists of all time. Ian anderson is one of the few prog musicians that have wrote lyrics that embrace the cheesy "prog" type lyrics, while still really working well in the context of the music. So my vote goes to him ------------- I'm so mad that you enjoy a certain combination of noises that I don't |
Posted By: Hercules
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 15:05
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Anderson just ahead of Gabriel.
------------- A TVR is not a car. It's a way of life. |
Posted By: The Miracle
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 15:32
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Cedric Bixler for ATDI and TMV. But out of these, Gabriel, Ian Anderson and Hammill, roughly in that order. Zappa and Peart are probably my least favorite. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/ocellatedgod" rel="nofollow - last.fm |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 15:35
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I don't generally care that much about lyrics, but I do like Chris Cutler's lyrics, as well as lyrics by Robert Wyatt. On the list, probably Peter Hammill. I do like the way Vander uses Kobaian for the sound, and he he has written lyrics in French (and a limited amount in English -- I wonder if he wrote the lyrics to Ooh, Ooh Baby, or wrote them in French and had them translated). ------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Posted By: Gandalff
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 15:46
Maybe you're right. But not quite, see Wikipedia:
'In 2007, he was placed second on Blender magazine's list of the "40 Worst Lyricists In Rock". However, Allmusic has called Peart "one of rock's most accomplished lyricists", Gibson.com describes Rush's lyrics as "great", and others believe the lyrics are "brilliant".'
And then choose...  ------------- A Elbereth Gilthoniel silivren penna míriel o menel aglar elenath! Na-chaered palan-díriel o galadhremmin ennorath, Fanuilos, le linnathon nef aear, sí nef aearon! |
Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 16:28
------------- FAIS QUE TON REVE SOIT PLUS LONG QUE LA NUIT HAVE YOUR DREAM LASTING LONGER THAN THE NIGHT |
Posted By: The Quiet One
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 16:49
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Alike Greg, I've never really cared for lyrics, with some few exceptions, where the the lyrics and the way the vocalist expresses them, really add a lot to the music: Fish, Hammill, Gabriel, both Anderson's. Then there's the classic Waters/Gilmour lyrics, as well as Hodgson/Davies. Although I think my favorite lyricist is Joni Mitchell. From the poll, I'll go with Zappa, he makes me laugh out loud at moments.
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Posted By: Progosopher
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 17:02
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1. Ian Anderson - witty, sardonic, satirical, coherent, story-telling, melodic. 2. Peter Gabriel - terse, visual, literary, thought-provoking. 3. Roger Waters - introspective, angry, topical, intelligent. 4. Jon Anderson - cosmic, spiritual, positive. Special mention for Dave Cousins of Strawbs, etc. - thoughtful, concise, personal, educated. ------------- 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: The Quiet One
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 17:09
^good descriptions! 
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Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 17:10
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no Kieth Reid (of Procol Harum fame) he is like good (and esential prog lyracist, i bet some of his lyrics have influenced other lyracists in rock and prog), as far as i know i like Derek Shulman much, the lyrics for A Cry for Everyone is really good lyrics -------------  
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Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 17:48
 ------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: Fox On The Rocks
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 18:47
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Peter Gabriel tied with Tony Banks.
------------- 
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Posted By: twosteves
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 19:07
Same vote---except I think the other guys helped too
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Posted By: presdoug
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 20:04
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Posted By: ClemofNazareth
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 20:42
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I voted for Gabriel and Hammill but would have also voted for Fish, Tom Rapp (Pearls Before Swine) and Colin Meloy (the Decemberists) had they been listed. You're right that there don't seem to be many female prog lyricists, which kind of surprises me. The late Betty Thatcher (Renaissance) and Anneke Van Giersbergen (formerly of the Gathering) are the only really decent ones I can think of. ------------- "Peace is the only battle worth waging." Albert Camus |
Posted By: Mellotron Storm
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 21:03
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Neil Peart for me ------------- "The wind is slowly tearing her apart" "Sad Rain" ANEKDOTEN |
Posted By: Lark the Starless
Date Posted: January 15 2012 at 22:13
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Peter Hammill is probably my favorite prog lyricist.
------------- 
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Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: January 16 2012 at 00:00
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I'm for Waters. ------------- I stand with Roger Waters, I stand with Joan Baez, I stand with Victor Jara, I stand with Woody Guthrie. Music is revolution |
Posted By: Wanorak
Date Posted: January 16 2012 at 00:37
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Fish's lyrics with Marillion were amazing also. Somehow after he left Marillion his lyrics weren't the same. ------------- A GREAT YEAR FOR PROG!!! |
Posted By: akaBona
Date Posted: January 16 2012 at 02:37
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Vander J Anderson I Anderson
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Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: January 16 2012 at 02:42
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Neil Peart. Runners up: Roger Waters, Peter Hammill and Peter Gabriel. ------------- 
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Posted By: Harold-The-Barrel
Date Posted: January 16 2012 at 02:43
The dogs in the street know Fish wrote all the lyrics, he gets my vote. How you put Petrucci in ahead of Fish i'll never know ------------- You must be joking.....Take a running jump...... |
Posted By: friso
Date Posted: January 16 2012 at 03:40
| Peter Sinfield for King Crimson is my number one when it comes to artistic quality, but I also like Peter Hammill's lyrics because of the sheer impact. |
Posted By: BarryGlibb
Date Posted: January 16 2012 at 04:04
This again. |
Posted By: yanch
Date Posted: January 16 2012 at 08:47
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Ian Anderson. Just a marvelous lyricist. Can be introspective one moment and then bitingly sarcastic the next. Just brilliant. Honorable mention to Peter Gabriel and Neil Peart.
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Posted By: Harold-The-Barrel
Date Posted: January 16 2012 at 10:22
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I should also point out that Pete Sinfield never wrote lyrics for Roxy Music??? ------------- You must be joking.....Take a running jump...... |
Posted By: Bj-1
Date Posted: January 16 2012 at 10:39
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Zappa, Waters, Ian Anderson and Hammill are my favorites here, honorable mention to Roger Hodgson. Great writer! Went with Zappa for this one. ------------- RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on! |
Posted By: Horizons
Date Posted: January 16 2012 at 10:49
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No order.. Anderson Bixler- Zavala Driver Gabriel Hammill ------------- Crushed like a rose in the riverflow. |
Posted By: Gandalff
Date Posted: January 16 2012 at 11:37
I'm sorry, he's produced their first album only. That's my mistake, corrected! But English lyrics for Premiata Forneria Marconi are almost so excellent as King Crimson's ones. ------------- A Elbereth Gilthoniel silivren penna míriel o menel aglar elenath! Na-chaered palan-díriel o galadhremmin ennorath, Fanuilos, le linnathon nef aear, sí nef aearon! |
Posted By: Harold-The-Barrel
Date Posted: January 16 2012 at 12:19
Indeed, Sinfield was a talented wordsmith ------------- You must be joking.....Take a running jump...... |
Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: January 16 2012 at 16:49
| Many great lyricists, and really hard to choose. I'll go for Ian Anderson, but for personal reasons only, as the rest a great and equally important. |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: January 16 2012 at 17:06
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"He said you're really an ugly girl But I like the way you play And I died But I thanked him Can you believe that Sick, sick, holding on to his picture Dressing up every day I wanna smash the faces of those beautiful boys Those christian boys So you can made me cum That doesn't make you Jesus" "Hear, he'll do it all for you, you will see it, wise and knowing what to do, what to be and every word is ........ Lies, he only tells the truth, for he means it, means, not anything he says, eyes unseen, but everything is ........ So sincere, so sincere, so sincere, so sin." "I’ve been waiting for the sun to come up Waiting for the showers to stop Waiting for the penny to drop One time And I’ve been standing in a cloud of plans Standing on the shifting sands Hoping for an open hand One time" "Oh God I probably got the Gon-o-ka-ka-khackus! My balls feel like a pair of maracas Ai-ee-ai-ee-ahhhh!" "Can you believe, God makes you breathe. Why did he lose six million jews." "And if life is just this carousel Sometimes it's heaven. But mostly its hell Just a paper shell Dig yourself a well, well, well ...that's life." ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: January 16 2012 at 19:30
| I'm surprised Waters is doing so poorly on this poll. |
Posted By: Wanorak
Date Posted: January 16 2012 at 20:05
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I'm very surprised Tony Banks is leading?? ------------- A GREAT YEAR FOR PROG!!! |
Posted By: Heathcliffe
Date Posted: January 16 2012 at 23:15
Well said. |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: January 17 2012 at 06:42
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Tony wrote this right? "Within the valley of shadowless death They pray for thunderclouds and rain But to the multitude who stand in the rain Heaven is where the sun shines" Profound.  Still I'm surprised he's at the top of the votes. And who can deny this site can sometimes be educational. I did not know Richard Palmer-James wrote for King Crimson and Supertramp. ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
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Posted By: Gandalff
Date Posted: January 17 2012 at 07:09
------------- A Elbereth Gilthoniel silivren penna míriel o menel aglar elenath! Na-chaered palan-díriel o galadhremmin ennorath, Fanuilos, le linnathon nef aear, sí nef aearon! |
Posted By: Gandalff
Date Posted: January 17 2012 at 07:12
------------- A Elbereth Gilthoniel silivren penna míriel o menel aglar elenath! Na-chaered palan-díriel o galadhremmin ennorath, Fanuilos, le linnathon nef aear, sí nef aearon! |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: January 17 2012 at 11:48
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Fish! Still, if we´re including Björk - then trade my vote in for Jim Morrison thanks ------------- “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 |
Posted By: Gandalff
Date Posted: January 17 2012 at 13:45
Doors - Proto Prog
Crossover is Prog, Proto and Related aren't Prog, they say.
(I want to include here e.g. Geezer Butler from Black Sabbath, his lyrics are really great! But - they're Prog Related only.  )------------- A Elbereth Gilthoniel silivren penna míriel o menel aglar elenath! Na-chaered palan-díriel o galadhremmin ennorath, Fanuilos, le linnathon nef aear, sí nef aearon! |
Posted By: lazland
Date Posted: January 17 2012 at 14:11
An extraordinarily silly post. The fact that you don't care about Fish shouldn't come into it, surely? He is, whether you like him/them or not, an important wordsmith in prog's history. I would also apply the same comment to Hogarth. The whole world and his wife know that the lyrics in the albums were never written by the musicians, just fish & Hogarth (the latter collaborating with other lyricists on a few occasions). ------------- Enhance your life. Get down to www.lazland.org Now also broadcasting on www.progzilla.com Every Saturday, 4.00 p.m. UK time! |
Posted By: Gandalff
Date Posted: January 17 2012 at 14:49
It's simple. ------------- A Elbereth Gilthoniel silivren penna míriel o menel aglar elenath! Na-chaered palan-díriel o galadhremmin ennorath, Fanuilos, le linnathon nef aear, sí nef aearon! |
Posted By: The-time-is-now
Date Posted: January 20 2012 at 05:14
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Jon Anderson...
-------------  One of my best achievements in life was to find this picture :D |
Posted By: Turillazzo
Date Posted: January 23 2012 at 10:11
| Why is Vander even between the choices? xD |
Posted By: doctorphil
Date Posted: January 24 2012 at 04:36
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From this list Peter Hamill Would have liked to vote for Fish ------------- Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana. |
Posted By: Gandalff
Date Posted: January 24 2012 at 08:38
------------- A Elbereth Gilthoniel silivren penna míriel o menel aglar elenath! Na-chaered palan-díriel o galadhremmin ennorath, Fanuilos, le linnathon nef aear, sí nef aearon! |
Posted By: Turillazzo
Date Posted: January 24 2012 at 09:36
^ good for you if you understand Kobaian 
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Posted By: refugee
Date Posted: January 24 2012 at 11:51
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I wonder if I should give Banks another ten votes … after all he was the one who wrote Wine flows from flask to glass and mouth Sadly, this poll is ruined completely. I would have given votes to at least Hammill, Gabriel, Waters and Ian Anderson, but it seems quite pointless now. ------------- He say nothing is quite what it seems; I say nothing is nothing (Peter Hammill) |
Posted By: Zombywoof
Date Posted: January 24 2012 at 16:20
------------- Continue the prog discussion here: http://zombyprog.proboards.com/index.cgi ... |
Posted By: Billy Pilgrim
Date Posted: January 25 2012 at 04:58
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I pick Hammill. and Gabriel is great too, love the words in Sollisbury Hill and Family Snapshot. |