Firth of Fifth Frustration

^ No not at all, before Genesis it is highly unlikely there was something that could even be deemed generic prog. Firth of Fifth is a masterful creation irrespective of what genre you happen to think it might make a convenient 'fit'

By the way, my frustration is not entirely derived from this particular instance, but from many. The song has personal meaning to me definitely. I remember the song back in the 70's, at nights when we waited for my mum to come home from night shift my dad played this. The guitar solo brings tears to my eyes every time...bizarre I know. 

Most people probably don't like it for the following reasons:

1) It's too long
2) It has multiple sections which differ from each other, with no discernable chorus, to latch on to.
3) The subject matter is obscure and irrellevent to most peoples lives.
4) The production is dull, and not sparkling and 'zingy' like bright pop production.
5) The singer is not warbling and yodelling and screaming like a woman sitting on a washing machine during the spin cycle.

It may not be generic prog rock to us, but to most people who have any concept of what prog rock is, it is probably pretty tedious, and unlistenable. I have long given up on playing music to people who I know won't be moved by it.

Basically I love this music for all the reasons that most people seem to hate it.

Edit: I heard the Seconds Out version before the SEBTP version of this song. At that time it was one the greatest pieces of rock music I had ever heard. I still actually prefer that version over the orginal. Played at earth shaking volume of course.

Edited by Blacksword - June 21 2012 at 06:38

Jim Garten wrote: Blacksword wrote: I heard the Seconds Out version before the SEBTP version of this song. At that time it was one the greatest pieces of rock music I had ever heard. I still actually prefer that version over the orginal. Played at earth shaking volume of course. Me too - agree 100% [edit] One of my favorite air-drumming tracks

Absolutely. Along with the SO version of Cinema Show. Great air drumming tracks. A friend and I used to try and air drum through Seconds Out and Exit..Stage Left when we were about 15. We used to get through a whole album back then.

You may just be able to squeeze a Squonk out of me these days...

Blacksword wrote: Along with the SO version of Cinema Show. Great air drumming tracks. A friend and I used to try and air drum through Seconds Out and Exit..Stage Left when we were about 15. We used to get through a whole album back then. You may just be able to squeeze a Squonk out of me these days...

I know what you mean - these days, I can barely get through 'Spirit Of radio' without needing a lie down & a cup of Ovaltine.

Welcome to the real taste of music. Welcome to ProgArchives.

Or not ?

I don't throw about masterpiece easily but I'm comfortable with it being applied to that song.  As far as being generic prog?  So what?  It has a lot of the elements that most of like in prog.

Quirky Turkey wrote: I honestly think Firth of Fifth is perfect and probably the best song of all time. It also has every prog convention built in as well, such as structure, mood changes and instruments.

I think you will find this conclusion by many who got into prog maybe 10-15 yrs ago and are used to later Yes, Pink Floyd and even later Genesis. SEBtP is about 40 yrs old......not many can understand or appreciate something that old.

The best prog song ever probably. I can see why people wouldn't like it. It's rock music that's meant to be heard, listened to, not just used as background for a fitness club. It has lots of purely instrumental parts. It has dynamics (cue to the other thread), it has an arresting, soul-breaking guitar solo shaped in the melody of the flute solo before it, it has an intelligent, unique structure, its recording is quite "70s"-sounding, it has Peter Gabriel's acquired-tastes voice.