Prog genres that you dislike

It is the conscious labelling of prog genres that I dislike. For example, I often think the word 'metal' gets slipped in to appeal to a wider audience. It is like a form of commodification.

When I claimed I don't like Neo-prog because of the vocals, I wondered if there was such a thing as "instrumental neo-prog" or is that an oxymoron?

moshkito wrote: richardh wrote: ... Prog is an offshoot of rock music but too often the simple fact of this is denied. The natural evolution of prog was through Rush and metal with many bands in the 80's doing what the seventies prog bands did. ... Hi, I'm not sure that this is right, if we look at the history of music going back some 500 years or more. Music has always been an evolution and to suggest that this came from that is weird ... so Mozart came from the ridiculous idea of what baroque music was? I think that the time and place has a lot to do with it all ... and the late 1960's and early 1970's was a very inspirational time for music and all the arts (very important part of it that the Internet refuses to acknowledge!) where the freedoms were celebrated, instead of the commerciality of the whole thing, and as such, it gave us a lot of music that ... just like today ... can't make it or be seen ... witness some folks wondering where/what their band does ... and not realize that music is not about a particular theme/genre, but about YOU, and how you interpret it, and at that point you can say that the person/group lacks personality of its own if it has to rely on an outdated idea and concept that even lacks a proper/good definition!

The term 'progressive rock' exists for a reason. It was rock progressing into other areas not classical music progressing into rock music. Classical music had pretty much progressed as far as it could go probably about a 100 years ago. Rock music may employ some classical instruments but ultimately its about amplifying a small number of instruments behind (normally) a human voice. The sixties is indeed an amazing time for art and culture coming out of the post war boom and leaving behind austerity. Rock music is invented partly because of better technology combined with the rise of the festival and the hippy culture. Our beloved genre is really only an ofshoot. Guys like Keith Emerson are important but none of them reinvented the wheel. They saw an opportunity to get away from the 9-5 grind and took it but it's still ultimately rock music first and foremost. Just imagine ELP without Carl Palmer. It's just not happening and Keith Emerson is back to working in a bank.

With the exception of Dream Theater—personally, I find them the epitome of cheesy symphonic prog metal. That said, Petrucci is undeniably an incredibly skilled guitarist.

I agree with your take on the rest of metal, though. I wouldn’t call myself a metal enthusiast by any stretch, but I’m definitely more drawn to its experimental side.

Regarding neo-prog, I mostly agree—though I wouldn’t go as far as calling Marillion my favorite band.

As for jazz-rock, that’s actually what introduced me to prog in the first place. I’m also a big fan of classic jazz, so I can’t really agree with your stance there. Just listen to Holdsworth’s solo on Fred with Tony Williams—absolutely phenomenal!

Edited by Gnik Nosmirc - 14 hours 1 minutes ago at 20:25

Logan wrote: A few of my favourite acts included in Experimental/Post Metal at PA (regardless of how well my favourite albums fit) are Boris, Uboa, maudlin of the Well and Neurosis.

So far I've been really enjoying maudlin of the Well, Intronaut and Sight.

Disconnect wrote: ... Growing up in the rural US in the 70s (US = "The Eternal Prog Desert") styles like Indo-Prog, Zeuhl, Krautrock are practically unknown. There are instances where one gets introduced to music by a friend or colleague and it can be quite a life-changing thing. ...

Hi,

One of the issues we heard a lot in Santa Barbara about Space Pirate Radio, was that no one heard that stuff, because it was not listed in Variety or any numbers anywhere.

Guy, and all of our friends (we were roomies then at the start!), knew better ... and we had all kinds of stories in regards to that BS, which was the typical "radio station/record company" BS, to make sure you didn't go anywhere else!

And you know what? Just about all the bands in the 1970's from just anywhere in the world, are well known and often discussed here or listed somewhere ... you wanna talk memory? You wanna talk about music? ... or do you wanna discuss hits? Go to another station, the dial has plenty of those!!!!!

We never gave in, and we knew better, and the periodicals not mentioning it was ... the war is on now!!!! ... and then, a bunch of self published periodicals took on the well known ones, and guess what? WE TALK ABOUT ALL THOSE BANDS TODAY.

Something not "being known", for me, is an opportunity to get someone to hear something else, and they might not get into it, but a seed is planted!

The best example of this was about 20 years ago, when we were doing some improvements on mom's lake property and the music was getting boring, so I brought out Ozric Tentacles, and some folks liked it ... except one, and he always had music, all the favorite hits from the stony radio! After 5 minutes, he goes ... "where's the lyrics?" and you knew right away that he tuned it out ... I turned it off 5 minutes later, but some of the folks there, asked me later to play it again! Warren was in his tent with his wife and kids and at 10 PM, he was playing the local crap FM classic station with the same songs every day! Some of us were sitting by the fire with s'mores and beer, and we put on some more trippy music, when someone asked. I gave them PT.

Disconnect wrote: ... The flip side of that is I have learned not to trust album reviews/ratings totals here at PA. ...

Agreed ... but there are some folks you don't have to trust but some comments are interesting and you can follow those up. Doesn't mean you will like it or buy it, but at least you gave it an ear!

Disconnect wrote: ... A good example of that is the never-ending pissing contest here on PA between Yes and Genesis fans over whether CTTE or Selling England is the greater album

I love these contests ... and the number of folks that are NOT into MUSIC at all ... because someone with intelligence and appreciation for music, would never bother being there ... it's called the new Internet playground for wanna be adults, that still have not smoked a real joint and think vaping is heaven!

I call it "neo-stoned".

The only Tech/Extreme Prog Metal band I really enjoy is Opeth. I love their folk and psychedelic influences, and their later albums have a bit of a ’70s vibe. When it comes to Experimental or Post-Metal, I’m into TOOL—their sound is both eerie and awesome. I should probably explore this subgenre more, since I tend to gravitate toward avant-garde and unsettling music. My issue with prog metal mainly lies in the traditional and symphonic styles—but I’m open to everything else.

Edited by Gnik Nosmirc - Yesterday at 10:43

wiz_d_kidd wrote: Here's my list, with reasons why... Experimental/Post Metal, Progressive Metal, Tech/Extreme Prog Metal -- all loudness and noise. ...

Hi,

... and copy copy copy copy ... and more guitar, more guitar, more guitar, more guitar ... and ... and ... and ... more snare on the beat ... more snare on the beat ... more snare (louder!!!) on the beat so the musicians (?????) know where they are!

wiz_d_kidd wrote: ... RPI - overly emotive vocals. ...

Goodbye all the historical singers of any time and place, replaced by cardboard AI models (half disrobed of course!!!) that can't even hold a note, but their "song" is a hit ... somewhere!

Might as well tell PH and KB and many others to quit now, because the 1984 military is coming!

wiz_d_kidd wrote: ... Neo-Prog - overly emotive vocals.

I would rather suggest that the idea of this "genre" is a bit off kilter ... though it fits the description ...

1.
new.
"neonate"
2.
a new or revived form of.
"neo-Georgian"

I think I would rather suggest that the old man has gotten old and can no longer articulate the real thing as well! So, then, the idea/genre, sadly, would not exactly represent the situation well!

Edited by moshkito - Yesterday at 07:55

richardh wrote: ... Prog is an offshoot of rock music but too often the simple fact of this is denied. The natural evolution of prog was through Rush and metal with many bands in the 80's doing what the seventies prog bands did. ...

Hi,

I'm not sure that this is right, if we look at the history of music going back some 500 years or more. Music has always been an evolution and to suggest that this came from that is weird ... so Mozart came from the ridiculous idea of what baroque music was?

I think that the time and place has a lot to do with it all ... and the late 1960's and early 1970's was a very inspirational time for music and all the arts (very important part of it that the Internet refuses to acknowledge!) where the freedoms were celebrated, instead of the commerciality of the whole thing, and as such, it gave us a lot of music that ... just like today ... can't make it or be seen ... witness some folks wondering where/what their band does ... and not realize that music is not about a particular theme/genre, but about YOU, and how you interpret it, and at that point you can say that the person/group lacks personality of its own if it has to rely on an outdated idea and concept that even lacks a proper/good definition!

Disconnect wrote: ... So I would say the subgenres I'm not up to speed on would be: Indo-Prog/Raga Krautrock Zeuhl I wouldn't even know what key albums would be good 'jumping off' points as an introduction to those subgenres.

Hi,

Part of the secret on the arts is learning to see/listen/read things BY YOURSELF, not by someone's ideas or concepts. You learn to walk, by taking the next step, and you did it courageously when you were young ... the arts is the same, you venture into somewhere else, regardless of what it is.

If you have to wonder/think that you are not up to speed on this or that, eventually that list will turn into 25 different things, and after a while, you might get up and say ... am I listening to anything? Or catching any arts? Reading anything other than pulp crap? When is the adventure going to start?

Edited by moshkito - Yesterday at 07:33

I'm not sure I actually 'dislike' any particular subgenre of prog. I think for me it is more of a case where I haven't been exposed to certain subgenres and I am simply unfamiliar. So I would say the subgenres I'm not up to speed on would be:

Indo-Prog/Raga
Krautrock
Zeuhl

I wouldn't even know what key albums would be good 'jumping off' points as an introduction to those subgenres.